Fog rolls along the ground.
Not from Kurogiri this time—
But from the movements of a man standing relaxed in the center of the corridor.
Edgeshot.
Vega's version, cloaked in drifting shadows, scarf floating like a soft ribbon.
He bows politely, eyes never leaving the heroes.
Edgeshot:
"I apologize.
But I cannot allow you to pass."
Aizawa narrows his eyes.
Aizawa:
"You again? Why is Vega protecting this area?"
Edgeshot's voice is calm, polite—
and completely unreadable.
Edgeshot:
"We have our reasons.
You have yours."
The air warps—
Edgeshot's form stretches into a thin, silver streak.
Not attacking.
Not striking.
Just moving.
Like a ribbon dancing through a storm.
Aizawa's scarf lashes forward—
but Edgeshot twists around it as though he were made of smoke.
Aizawa:
"Tch—he's too fast!"
Rock Lock slams a hand into the ground.
Rock Lock:
"LOCK!!"
The floor under Edgeshot becomes frozen—
unable to move, unable to shift.
A perfect trap.
Or so it seems.
Edgeshot's body subtly flattens—
becoming thinner than paper—
a 2D ripple glowing with a faint purple outline.
He slides out of the lock like a sheet slipping from between fingers.
Edgeshot:
"A good attempt.
But predictable."
He reforms, standing behind Rock Lock before the hero can blink.
Rock Lock whirls—
Rock Lock:
"H-how did he—?!"
Edgeshot raises a finger.
A shimmer of compressed air pushes Rock Lock back a few steps—
no damage, just force.
Edgeshot:
"I prefer not to hurt anyone.
But I will not let you through."
Aizawa leaps forward, eyes glowing red, scarf spinning.
Aizawa:
"Erase!"
Edgeshot's scarf stiffens—
his transformation halted for a moment.
But he smiles.
Edgeshot:
"You focus on stopping quirks.
I focus on… technique."
He doesn't need his quirk for this part.
Edgeshot's movements become clean, pure martial skill—
a blur of controlled motion, precise and gentle.
He redirects Aizawa's scarf with a finger.
Parries a punch with two fingers.
Sidesteps an incoming kick as if he knew the attack beforehand.
All without harming anyone.
Edgeshot takes a stance.
The air behind him coils into a flowing ribbon of light, like a wind technique from KNY.
Edgeshot:
"Windform • Passing Gale."
He dashes—
A soft gust sweeps through the hall.
The heroes stagger backward as the shockwave passes them—
not painful, not harmful—
just overwhelming in speed.
Aizawa skids back, scarf shaking.
Aizawa:
"He's preventing us from reaching Overhaul…
Why?!"
Edgeshot stops exactly ten meters away, unmoving.
Edgeshot:
"That's as far as I can allow you to go."
Aizawa stares into his eyes—
edges sharp, mind racing.
Aizawa:
"Who are you protecting?"
Edgeshot closes his eyes slightly.
Edgeshot:
"A truth…
you should never see."
He raises a finger.
Mist swirls.
The corridor behind him collapses into darkness.
Riptide's voice echoes from the other end:
Riptide:
"Edgeshot — regroup. It's time."
Edgeshot nods once.
He bows to the heroes—
Edgeshot:
"Forgive the delay. But this path isn't yours tonight."
—then dissolves into a streak of wind and vanishes.
The heroes stare into the empty hall, stunned.
Nothing made sense.
And they still had no clue Vega was protecting someone important to them—
because that truth was forbidden.
The hallway shook with tension.
Red alarms pulsed like a heartbeat.
Shadows flickered against the walls.
Toga darted between pillars, moving like a blur of petals.
Toga (sing-song):
"Uwah~ you heroes don't give up, do you?"
She tossed small, harmless stun discs—
bright flashes of light that forced heroes to shield their eyes.
Nothing lethal. Just chaotic and distracting.
Stain stood like a statue in the center of the hall, calm and focused.
His blade gleamed—clean, ceremonial, not used for harm here.
A hero lunged.
Stain stepped sideways, redirecting the strike with precise, elegant motion.
Stain:
"Your resolve is admirable.
But this path is closed."
Another hero rushed Toga—
but she spun, dodging with playful grace.
Toga:
"Sorry! I'm under strict orders not to hurt anyone today!"
Their goal wasn't to injure.
It was to delay.
A sudden BOOOOM jolted the entire floor.
The shockwave blasted dust down the hall.
Alarm lights flickered.
Stain's eyes snapped up.
Toga grinned widely.
Toga:
"Oooh~ there he is."
Blue sparks lit the smoke…
followed by a glare hot enough to distort the air.
DABI stepped through the ruined doorway—
coat swaying, expression fierce, blue fire dancing harmlessly at his sides.
But these flames weren't wild.
They moved like they were alive—
a controlled VFX blaze like a scene straight out of KNY or Solo Leveling.
His eyes were locked on the far room.
The room where Overhaul was.
Overhaul stood across from him, gloves pristine, posture rigid.
Dabi's flames surged behind him like wings—
roaring, flickering, surging in a controlled storm.
Dabi (quiet, shaking):
"You."
Overhaul didn't flinch.
Overhaul:
"You again… blue flames."
Dabi's fists tightened.
He wasn't angry because he wanted revenge.
Not because he enjoyed the fight.
But because—
He failed.
He failed back then.
The moment Ren was taken…
the moment he collapsed…
Dabi couldn't reach him in time.
And Ren—
Ren was the only person who didn't treat him like a weapon.
Not like Endeavor.
Not like Shigaraki.
Ren saw him as family.
And that made Overhaul his enemy.
The flames behind Dabi exploded upward—
not striking, not burning—
but forming a towering blue phoenix shape, VFX style.
Dabi (voice cracking with rage):
"You took the one person…
who never saw me as a monster."
Overhaul stiffened.
Dabi pointed at him, fire spiraling like a comet.
Dabi:
"I won't let you hurt him.
Not again."
Overhaul snapped his fingers—
the ground shifted, rising like jagged stone.
Dabi launched forward, leaving streaks of blue light behind—
like tracer lines from an anime opening.
Their powers collided in a blinding explosion of:
blue flamestone burstsshockwaves of heat and dust
But none of it touched Ren.
None of it harmed Eri.
Dabi was controlling everything with terrifying precision.
Dabi (shouting):
"REN TRUSTED ME—
AND I WON'T FAIL HIM TWICE!"
The entire hall glowed cobalt as the flames expanded, roaring like a dragon.
Heroes and Vega fighters alike paused—
feeling the emotion in his voice.
The battlefield trembles…
as a villain fights not for power,
not for chaos,
but for family.
And the truth behind Ren—
hidden, protected, guarded—
burns brighter than any flame.