Chapter 55: The Cold Farewell
[The Cliffside - The Breaking Point]
There was no time for calculation. There was no room for hesitation.
On the edge of the precipice, where death reached out a jagged hand to snatch the child named Kota, Izuku Midoriya shattered every logical limit his body and mind possessed.
A single scream tore through his throat, a sound that rejected the laws of physics.
"ONE MILLION... PERCENT!!"
"DELAWARE... DETROIT... SMASH!!!!"
KA-BOOOOOOOOOOM!
It wasn't just a punch. It was a localized cataclysm. The release of energy exploded like a tactical nuke, turning the dark forest night into a blinding white day for a split second. The shockwave pulverized the bedrock, uprooted ancient trees by their roots, and launched the villain Muscular through the solid stone of the mountain as if he were nothing more than a ragdoll.
[The Riverbank - Moments Later]
The sound arrived first—a dull, heavy thud that resonated in the chest—followed immediately by a rush of displaced air.
The peaceful night wind was suddenly replaced by a violent gale that whipped through the trees. The surface of the river rippled and danced, and the leaves of the canopy rustled furiously, raining down like green confetti.
Twice, who had been balancing on a rock, tumbled off in a panic, clutching his head.
"The sky is falling! / Oooh, pretty fireworks!"
Dabi (the real one) remained leaning against the tree trunk, though his turquoise eyes widened slightly as he looked toward the mountain peak where a plume of dust was rising against the moon.
"Hoooh..." Dabi whistled low and impressed. "That didn't sound like a win for our side. The little heroes are playing rough tonight."
A few meters away, Aokiji Kuzan stood like a statue. The wind flapped the hem of his dark t-shirt and messed up his hair, but his expression remained dead.
Outwardly, he was bored.
Inwardly, hidden deep within the left pocket of his trousers, his hand was crushing a small metal object—the gold medal—so hard that a thin layer of frost was coating the fabric from the inside. His fingernails dug into his palm.
Midoriya...
Aokiji recognized that power instantly. That light, that sound... he knew his classmate had just broken his bones again to save someone. The urge to rush up that mountain screamed in his veins, but he strangled it with his signature coldness.
"Sounds noisy," Aokiji said in a flat monotone, slowly pulling his hand out of his pocket to appear relaxed. "Is your plan supposed to lose pawns this quickly?"
Dabi glanced at him, analyzing his body language. "Pawns are meant to be sacrificed. As long as the 'King' and 'Queen' are secured, the game continues."
Suddenly, the sound of frantic movement came from the brush behind them.
"KUZAN!!"
Shota Aizawa burst through the trees, sliding down the embankment onto the rocky shore. The teacher looked uncharacteristically disheveled; his hair was wild, his face scratched by branches, and his chest heaving from the sprint.
Aizawa froze.
The scene before him made no sense.
His student, Aokiji, was standing calmly next to two high-profile villains. There was no fighting. No defensive ice walls. Just a casual, almost friendly proximity.
"Eraser Head..." Dabi grinned, blue flames licking at his fingertips. "You got here faster than I expected. Did you come to say goodbye to your student?"
"Kuzan..." Aizawa ignored Dabi completely, locking his bloodshot eyes onto Aokiji. His voice was terrifyingly quiet, carrying the weight of a crumbling world. "Get away from them. Come here. Now."
Silence stretched for a second, broken only by the rushing water.
Aokiji looked at his teacher. He saw the genuine fear and desperation in those tired eyes.
"I can't do that, Sensei," Aokiji replied coldly.
"What are you saying?" Aizawa stepped forward, his capture scarf rising like a hackle. "Are they threatening you? Did they brainwash you?"
"No," Aokiji shook his head, sliding his hands back into his pockets, displaying a provoking level of relaxation. "I just picked the winning side, that's all. Heroes, rules, protecting the weak... honestly, it's all starting to feel like a drag. It's exhausting."
Aizawa's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't reconcile this image with the student who had saved his life at the U.S.J.
"You're lying..." Aizawa whispered, then his voice rose to a furious roar. "I don't believe this crap! DID YOU HIT YOUR HEAD, YOU MORON?! GET BACK HERE!"
Aizawa launched himself forward, activating Erasure on Dabi while his scarf shot out to seize Aokiji by force.
But before the binding cloth could reach him...
CRAAAACK!
A massive, thick wall of ice erupted from the ground, cutting the riverbank in two. It separated the teacher from the student instantly. The capture scarf slammed harmlessly against the frozen barricade and recoiled.
Aizawa skidded to a halt, staring at the white wall in disbelief.
From the other side, Aokiji's voice drifted over, muffled but sharp as a icicle.
"Don't get involved, Sensei. If you try to chase me, I'll have to freeze you too. Go back to the lodge and protect the others... my role as a hero ends here."
On the villain's side of the wall, Dabi whistled, looking at the ice that shielded them.
"Harsh," Dabi chuckled. "Selling out your teacher that easily? You really fit in with us."
Aokiji clenched his jaw in secret, but spoke aloud. "Let's go. I'm bored of this place."
"Not yet," Dabi tapped his earpiece. "We need an exit."
Suddenly, the air behind Dabi warped.
A dark, purple mist swirled into existence, expanding rapidly until it formed a human silhouette wearing a suit. Yellow eyes narrowed in the gloom.
Kurogiri had arrived.
"Kurogiri," Dabi nodded. "Good timing. Is the Vanguard Squad ready to pull out?"
"The collection of the target 'Bakugo' has encountered resistance," Kurogiri's deep voice resonated. "However, Mr. Compress has successfully secured the target. We are retreating."
Kurogiri looked at Aokiji, his misty eyes narrowing slightly. "I see the 'Guest' is present."
"He came willingly," Dabi smirked. "Open the gate."
Kurogiri expanded the mist into a swirling vortex large enough for them to walk through.
"After you, Ice Prince," Dabi gestured mockingly.
Aokiji took a step toward the void.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
The sound of boots running on ice echoed from above.
Aokiji paused and looked up.
Aizawa hadn't given up. He had run straight up the vertical face of the ice wall. At the very top, silhouetted against the moon, the teacher launched himself into the air, diving desperately toward the group on the other side.
His hair floated, his eyes burned red, and his hand reached out, trying to grab even a thread of Aokiji's shirt.
"KUZAAAAAAAN!!"
Aizawa's scream tore through the night, raw and heartbreaking.
Aokiji didn't look up. He didn't turn around. He simply kept his hands in his pockets, hunched his shoulders, and stepped into the purple darkness of the Warp Gate.
"Sorry, Sensei," Aokiji thought, the black mist swallowing his vision.
But I can't let you die here. My real battle begins in the den of the beast.
As Aizawa landed on the rocky bank, crashing into Dabi's blue flames and Twice's clones, the mist collapsed in on itself.
Aokiji was gone.
.
.