"You're helpless, Sensei."

Izuku stepped out of the portal, observing the scene before him in calm rage.

The battlefield around him was scorched, the ground cracked and glowing like molten rock. Smoke coiled in the air, the result of relentless combat. The school's staff stood in a wide formation, surrounding him. Among them, his mother—Inko Midoriya.

Izuku staggered, barely standing as Blackwhip coiled around his shredded body, holding him together more than his own strength did.

"Hey... Mom... " Izuku smiled warmly but his gentle smile failed to ease the observers as his inner teeth were showing.

As of now, Izuku should have passed out long ago.

His right hand was gone—only bloodied stumps remained where fingers should be. His left arm had been taken entirely, seared away in a clash he barely remembered. Burn marks stretched across his chest and face, distorting his features. His legs trembled, blood pooling beneath them, yet he stood.

Inko stared in utter horror.

She gasped when she saw him, her hands clamping over her mouth. "Izuku... oh my god... my baby—" Her voice broke. She tried to move forward, but Present Mic grabbed her shoulder, holding her back.

"We got him, kid. How about you rest for now? You look like you need a nap!" Present Mic offered kindly, holding onto Inko by the shoulder.

As of now, everyone is tense. Izuku Midoriya looked extremely unstable and his body language was agitated, ready to attack at any moment.

Everyone that observed him had one question on thwir mind.

'How is he still standing?!'

"... No... I.... Still have something... To do.. Make way."

Her son, her bright, kind boy, was now a walking corpse held together by sheer will. His face—half of it burned, twisted, unrecognizable—still carried that determined glint in his unslashed eye. But it was wrong. This wasn't determination. This was something darker. Obsession. Paranoia.

It was pure hatred.

"Izuku, please!" she sobbed. "You don't have to do this! It's over! You won!"

"Midoriya... No, Izuku. Fall back, we did it, we have All for One detained," Aizawa urged as well, his gaze focused on All for One.

"You did it, boy! You're one hell of a machine! Now, let's rest up? Okay? Okay?!" Vlad king urged, distressed by the sight.

"Midoriya... You don't seem to be in your right mind, please stop," Nezu begged quietly.

Izuku barely seemed to hear them. His breath was ragged, labored. The past users' voices rang in his mind, urging him on.

'Keep going, Izuku!' Banjo's voice was raw with guilt.

'You can't fall now!' Nana pleaded.

'Fight, Izuku.' Bruce's tone was grim, heavy with regret.

Their words pushed him forward. Blackwhip flared, forming two massive fists, and with a roar of desperation, he lunged.

"MOVE!"

Hawks intercepted in an instant. The hero moved like a streak of red lightning, talons flashing as his reinforced feathers clashed against Blackwhip's tendrils. Izuku swung wildly, his battered body barely keeping up, but Hawks was too fast. A dozen cuts sliced into him as the hero fought to restrain him without dealing a killing blow.

"Stop this, Midoriya!" Hawks gritted his teeth, dodging another swipe. "You're not thinking straight!"

"I won't let him live!" Izuku bellowed, voice hoarse. He twisted mid-air, trying to break past Hawks, but another force slammed into him.

Endeavor.

A burning fist crashed into Blackwhip, sending shockwaves across the battlefield. The heat warped the air, melting the fractured ground further. Endeavor's gaze was heavy, firm.

"Midoriya Izuku," he said, voice low. "This has to stop."

"Move," Izuku snarled, Blackwhip writhing like living shadows around him.

"Not happening."

Izuku lunged again. The two Pro Heroes clashed with him, restraining rather than attacking, their expressions grim. They knew he wasn't in any condition to fight, but his sheer willpower made him dangerous. Every motion was agony, every breath a struggle, yet he fought on, eyes locked onto All For One's restrained, crumpled form.

"ENOUGH!"

Aizawa's voice tore through the battlefield like a gunshot.

Izuku's Quirk cut out instantly, with it he lost all the voices.

Blackwhip vanished, and all at once, the pain, the weight of his injuries, the sheer exhaustion—everything hit him like a tidal wave.

A strangled noise left his throat as his legs buckled. He collapsed forward, eyes rolling back, consciousness slipping.

"Not... Yet..." he dragged himself forward using his chin.

"Have a good rest, Midoriya-san..." Midnight placed her hand over his head, using her Quirk on him to put him to sleep. "You deserve it."

"... No...." his eyes began to roll backwards, consciousness fleeting under the wight of injuries.

Even his last hope didn't come as he hoped.

---

[Urgent mission completed.]

[Congratulations, you have survived.]

[I'm impressed, Shishido.]

[Reward: Memory manipulation.]

[Injects and extracts memories from a chosen target.]

[Warning! Using this Quirk will cost you 1 year of your lifespan!]

---

"I needed regeneration.... You... Ass...." Izuku passed out immediately, head first into the ground.

"..."

Quiet.

The scene was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

In somber silence, the staff carried the injured men away.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!" All for One laughed to the sky before getting gagged and carried away.

'See you again... Midoriya Izuku!'

The last thing Izuku heard was his mother's scream.

===

A dull ache pulsed through Izuku's body, dragging him back to consciousness. His eyelids felt like lead, and it took effort to pry them open. Blurred shapes greeted him, bleached white by harsh fluorescent lights overhead. The sterile scent of antiseptic filled his nostrils, confirming what he already suspected—he was in a hospital.

"... Unfamiliar ceiling..." he rasped out.

A groggy breath left his lips as he shifted, wincing at the soreness that radiated through every muscle. His body felt heavy, sluggish, like he had been put through a shredder and barely pieced back together. His mind raced to recall what had happened, but the last thing he remembered was—

"All For One…" he muttered, voice hoarse.

A quiet rustling pulled his attention to the side. His vision cleared just enough to make out a familiar figure curled up in a chair beside his bed. His mother, Inko Midoriya, her head resting awkwardly against her shoulder, her breathing slow and even.

His heart clenched at the sight of her. She must have stayed by his side all night. The dim circles under her eyes, the way her small hands clutched the fabric of her skirt even in sleep—she must have been worried sick.

"…Mom," Izuku croaked. His throat burned, but he forced himself to speak louder. "Mom."

She stirred, a quiet hum escaping her lips before her eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she blinked in confusion, and then—

"Izuku!"

Inko was at his side in an instant, leaning over him, hands hovering over his face as if afraid to touch him too hard. Tears welled up in her eyes, her lower lip trembling.

"Oh, sweetheart, you're awake," she breathed, voice thick with relief. "I— I was so scared—"

Izuku swallowed hard. "I'm… okay," he lied. The stiffness in his limbs and the dull pounding in his skull told another story.

He can't feel his hands...

'Oh. I lost them... Right.'

"You are not okay," she scolded, though her voice wavered. "You nearly—" She cut herself off, shaking her head. "You scared me half to death, Izuku."

He offered her a weak smile, though it barely lasted. "How long was I out?"

"Almost 14 hours. The doctor said that you'd be out for a week at least, it's a miracle you managed to recover enough stamina to wake up this early!"

His brows furrowed. That long? The battle at USJ… it must have taken more out of him than he thought.

"Mom," he started hesitantly, shifting slightly in bed, "what about All Might? And the others? Was anyone…?" He couldn't finish the question. The weight of it settled in his chest.

Inko hesitated. "All Might is stable," she finally said. "He's… resting, just like you. Recovery Girl did everything she could, but he pushed himself too hard, that's what I was told."

Izuku exhaled sharply, a mixture of relief and concern swirling inside him. All Might had been at his limit even before the fight—how badly was he hurt?

"And the others?" he pressed.

"No fatalities," she assured him quickly. "Some serious injuries, but everyone is alive, thanks to you."

His body sagged against the pillows, tension slowly unraveling from his shoulders. A shaky breath left him as he processed the information. No one had died. He had fought with everything he had, but in the end, they had all survived.

Inko cupped his cheek gently. "You don't have to carry this alone, Izuku."

He turned his head slightly, leaning into her touch. "I know." But deep down, he wasn't sure he believed it.

In fact, he made up his mind.

Izuku Midoriya will disappear gor a while... Just enough to get to All for One again...

And when that happens... He'll finish the job.

---

Three Hours Later.

"Mom... I'm okay, really. See?" He shifted slightly, wincing, but forced a weak smile. "I can walk on my own."

"But... but...!" Inko's voice cracked, her hands trembling as she clutched the blanket draped over his legs. Her eyes were swollen, red from hours of crying.

Izuku sighed, reaching out to gently squeeze her wrist. "Just calm down and go rest. You need it more than me."

"No." Her grip tightened, as if afraid he would vanish. "I'm staying until you heal completely."

Izuku tilted his head, his gaze unreadable. "... What about him? I believe he told you, didn't he? That he is... All Might."

Inko's lips trembled. Her expression flickered between conflict and guilt, her brows furrowing in thought. She looked away.

"I... I... I'm staying with you. You're my priority!" she insisted, raising her voice, as if trying to convince herself more than him.

Izuku wasn't a fool. He could see the doubt in her eyes, the way her fingers twitched, the way her body leaned ever so slightly toward the door.

He smiled softly. "Go. I'll be waiting for you here."

"... Stay still, okay? You're not to move an inch, okay? Okay?!"

"Got it, got it, I'll stay," he chuckled.

"Promise me!"

Izuku laughed, avoiding making a promise. "Just go see your man, Mom. I'll be here."

Inko's face turned scarlet. "Wh—No! He's not my 'man,' okay?! He's just... just... a friend!"

"Right. Right. Mhmm. I believe you," Izuku nodded dismissively, his expression deadpan.

"Don't misunderstand, okay?!"

"Right, my bad."

Inko huffed, clearly flustered. "I'll be back... You stay here, okay?"

"Okay."

She hesitated before leaving, her gaze lingering on him as if memorizing every detail of his face. Then, with a reluctant sigh, she disappeared through the door.

The room fell into silence.

Izuku turned his head slightly. "Come out, I know you're there."

A pause.

Then, from behind the curtain, Nezu slowly emerged, his small paws neatly folded in front of him. "I didn't mean to spy on you or any—"

"Tell me All Might's condition," Izuku interrupted, his voice quiet but sharp. "Be honest. I'll know if you're lying."

Nezu's smile faltered. He let out a small sigh. "He's... hanging in there."

Izuku's red eyes narrowed. "You're lying."

"...Midoriya-kun, I believe you should focus on yourse—"

"TELL ME!!!"

Nezu flinched. It was rare to see the boy lose his temper like this. The raw desperation in his voice was enough to make the small mammal's fur bristle. "Calm down, okay? We're doing our best."

"He's dying."

"..."

Izuku's breath hitched. He clenched his jaw in raw rage.

"I'll take that as a yes," he murmured, his gaze flickering to the window, watching birds flutter freely in the open sky. He felt... jealous. So free…

"How long does he have?"

Nezu hesitated.

"If you don't tell me, I'll get up and g—"

"Seven hours."

The words hit Izuku like a hammer to the chest.

"He has seven hours left to live," Nezu continued, his voice softer now. "He lost both of his lungs. There's a hole in his heart that was barely patched. His spine is shattered. Even if he survives... he'll be a cripple."

Silence.

Izuku inhaled deeply, closing his eyes for a brief moment. When he exhaled, it was slow, controlled.

"Thank you."

He threw off the blanket and stood up.

"Please don't..." Nezu's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

"What are you going to do?"

"Cause you a shit-ton of legal problems... probably."

"...What?"

"I'm going to get a miracle." He began dressing, wincing slightly as he moved.

Nezu stepped forward. "At least... let Recovery Girl do a scan, okay? How about that?"

"Don't even try. I'll run at Mach 8 if you try."

Nezu clenched his small paw, his nails digging into the flesh. "Midoriya-kun..."

Izuku adjusted his jacket, glancing at the small principal. "Sensei. I respect you. I admire you."

"...Then—"

"But you can't help me. You're helpless."

Nezu said nothing.

"I'm going to do something legally wrong and morally right."

"...Don't."

"Don't worry. I won't kill anyone. Promise."

Then, before Nezu could react, Izuku bolted. He leaped out the window, disappearing into the alleyways of the city.

---

The air was thick with tension as he moved through the crowded streets. His heartbeat was steady, but his mind was racing.

Then, unexpectedly, he came face-to-face with someone he hadn't anticipated.

"Sasaki Mirai."

The tall, sharp-eyed man adjusted his glasses. "That's 'Sir Nighteye' to you, young man."

Izuku's eyes narrowed. "Why are you here? Don't try to stop me. No one can."

"You're misunderstanding something." Nighteye reached into his coat, pulling out a folded piece of paper. "I'm not here to stop you. I'm here to help."

Izuku hesitated before taking the paper with a black tendril. Slowly, he unfolded it.

A map. The exact location he needed.

His heart pounded.

"...This is a map to the Yakuza's hideout. The one you're looking for." Nighteye's voice was steady. "I saw in a vision that you were looking to save All Might and needed the Yakuza for some reason... so here. Go save him."

Izuku stared at the map, his throat tight.

"What else did you see?"

Nighteye frowned. "Not much. For some reason, your future is hard to read, as if something—or someone—is preventing me from seeing it."

Izuku nodded slowly, pocketing the map. "I see."

Nighteye watched him closely. "Midoriya... don't lose yourself."

Izuku gave a small, almost sad smile. "Thank you."

Then, in a flash, he was gone.

Destination?

Overhaul.