Dabi collapses against a broken wall, still cradling Toga bridal style. He can feel her shallow, labored breathing against his chest—each breath a struggle as the pink smoke suffocates her from the inside. His own breathing is heavy with grief and exhaustion.
Dabi: "It's my fault..."
He whispers brokenly, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably.
Dabi: "I should have protected you... I should have been faster..."
He rocks her gently, feeling more helpless than he ever has before.
Dabi: "Please Toga..."
In the shadows, a long-haired creature with bloodshot eyes and a maniacal grin watches Dabi sit helplessly with Toga in his arms. The creature begins to laugh softly, the sound sending chills down the spine. It slowly walks closer, an axe clutched tightly in its hand. Dabi, lost in his despair, doesn't notice the approaching threat. The creature mumbles to itself, eyes fixed on the vulnerable pair.
Unknown Creature: "So touching... The big bad Dabi, brought to his knees by a girl..."
The creature holding the axe creeps forward with unnatural speed, whispering.
Unknown Creature: "Kill, kill, kill..."
Like a twisted mantra. Dabi remains oblivious, lost in his guilt and grief.
Dabi: "I'm sorry Toga... I'm so sorry Overhaul and Shigaraki... It's my fault..."
His whispered apologies are interrupted when Toga's eyes flutter open slightly. Through her haze of pain, she spots the creature approaching with the axe. Her heart pounds in her chest.
Toga: "D-Dabi..."
She rasps weakly. Her voice is weak, barely audible over the creature's approaching footsteps. Her hand reaches up to touch Dabi's face, tears welling up in her eyes.
Toga: "Dabi... You did nothing wrong. You just wanted to help Midoriya... It's good."
She pauses, gulping air desperately as the smoke in her lungs makes her cough.
Toga: "But having me around would only ruin your chance... So... So goodbye, Dabi."
She suddenly surges upward with her last reserves of strength, throwing herself between Dabi and the creature. The axe comes down with a sickening crunch, hitting her square in the head. Blood sprays across the ground and walls in a gruesome arc.
Toga: "Take care of yourself... and make sure everyone is safe and sound..."
She whispers as she falls, the words barely audible. Dabi can only watch in horror, frozen in shock as Toga's body collapses.
Dabi: "T-Toga?!"
He screams, his voice breaking.
Dabi's entire world shatters in that single moment. His eyes widen impossibly large, his face draining of all color as he stares down at Toga's body. Blood pools around her head, spreading rapidly across the concrete. The creature pulls its axe free with a wet, sickening sound, grinning madly as it watches Dabi's expression crumble.
Dabi: "Toga... Toga?!"
He whispers, his voice barely a croak. He reaches for her, but his hands are shaking too much to touch her.
Dabi's anger boils over, his quirk activating instantly. Flames burst from his hands, engulfing the creature in an inferno. But instead of burning, the creature just stands there, laughing maniacally as the flames lick its body.
Unknown Creature: "Kill, kill, kill..."
It chants, completely unaffected by the intense heat. The flames dance and flicker, but the creature doesn't even flinch. Instead, it slowly raises its axe again.
Unknown Creature: "Your friend was delicious..."
It giggles insanely.
Dabi's mind is consumed by rage and grief as he sees Toga's lifeless body lying in a pool of blood. His eyes scan the area frantically, searching for anything that could help him destroy the laughing creature. Right next to Toga's body, he spots an object lying in her blood—something that could potentially be useful.
The Unknown Creature: "Kill, kill, kill..."
The creature continues its maniacal chant, completely unaware of Dabi's growing resolve.
The Unknown Creature: "You're next..."
Dabi grabs the blood-covered metal pipe, wrapping it in flames as he charges at the creature. With a primal scream of grief and rage, he swings the fiery pipe with all his might, connecting with the creature's face. The force of the blow sends it flying backward, crashing to the ground right beside Toga's lifeless body.
Dabi: "This is for killing my friend!"
He roars, standing over the now unmoving creature. He raises the pipe again, ready to strike one more time.
Dabi: "Die!"
He screams. He doesn't stop swinging the pipe until his arms ache and the creature's face is unrecognizable beneath the pulverized flesh and blood. Each blow feels like it's avenging Toga's death, but it doesn't make the pain in his chest disappear. He finally stops, panting heavily, the pipe dripping with blood and brains. A large pool of crimson spreads out around the destroyed body.
Dabi: "Fuck..."
He drops the pipe with a clang, turning away from the gruesome sight.
(At the elevator).
A strange sense of sadness washes over him like a physical weight. He frowns, looking down at the floor. The cab moved more smoothly than before, but Shigaraki's mind is elsewhere—distracted by this unexplained emotion.
Shigaraki: "For some reason... I feel sad..."
He mumbles softly to himself, running a hand through his hair irritably.
Shigaraki: "Why now? What's causing this..."
Overhaul notices Shigaraki's change in demeanor, his brow furrowing with concern.
Overhaul: "Something wrong?"
Shigaraki shakes his head, trying to clear the mysterious sadness.
Shigaraki: "Nothing's wrong,"
He says gruffly, avoiding Overhaul's concerned gaze. A note suddenly appears in front of Shigaraki and Overhaul. The words are clear and ominous.
The note: "You must do a task in each room before exiting the city. There are only ten rooms. The tasks will appear once you exit the elevator. Good luck."
The note vanishes as quickly as it appears, leaving them both staring at empty space
Shigaraki: "Great..."
He mutters under his breath.
Shigaraki: "Just what we needed."
He presses the button for the tenth floor, trying to ignore the strange sadness that's still lingering. As the elevator moves, he suddenly thinks about Toga—completely out of nowhere.
Shigaraki: "Toga..."
He whispers softly under his breath, his eyes widening slightly.
(In his mind).
He wonders why he's thinking about her right now of all times.
"Why am I thinking about her during something like this?"
He shakes his head slightly, trying to focus on the upcoming tasks rather than his random, grief-like thoughts.
(Out of his mind).
(Meanwhile at the House).
Overhaul sighs, looking around the unnaturally quiet house.
Overhaul: "I don't know what to do over here since I can't go outside..."
He mutters, sitting down heavily on the couch and staring at the glass table. Shigaraki suddenly notices a note that wasn't there before, appearing right on the table's surface.
Shigaraki: "Look, a note."
He picks it up and shows it to Overhaul.
Overhaul: "Oh, I see."
He takes the note from Shigaraki, his brow furrowing as he reads the cruel message aloud.
The note: "Congratulations, your friend Toga has died."
His expression is unreadable. He hands the note back to Shigaraki, silence stretching between them. Overhaul simply stares at the table, his heart heavy with an emotion he can't quite put his finger on.
Overhaul: "Shigaraki..."
(In his mind)
Overhaul remembers Toga's smile, her crazy laugh.
"Probably both Shigaraki and Dabi must be devastated... but mostly Dabi, since he was with her."
He thinks somberly, his eyes tracing patterns on the floor.
"However, I know how I feel..."
His thoughts drift to Chrono and Lady Nagant—people he cared about, lost to circumstances beyond his control. A dull ache settles in his chest.
(Out of his mind).
The note suddenly changes, new words forming on the paper: "Task one: Turn off the lights."
Overhaul: "This is what they have to do to survive?"
He frowns at this ominous new instruction, his heart sinking.
Overhaul: "... Task one: Turn off the lights."
Shigaraki: "How scary."
He murmurs, moving closer to Overhaul instinctively. The earlier happiness from before seems completely gone now, replaced by unease.
Overhaul: "Yep, it is."
(At the outside of the building).
Dabi drops the blood-soaked pipe with a sickening thud. He kneels beside the creature's destroyed body, his hands shaking violently. When he looks at the faceless corpse, all he can see is Toga's final moments playing over and over in his mind.
Dabi: "Damn..."
He curses under his breath, his vision blurring as tears begin to form. He presses the back of his hand roughly against his eyes, but it's no use—the tears keep coming.
In the background, hidden in the shadows of a dark alleyway, a figure watches Dabi's breakdown with morbid fascination. Mikhail steps forward slightly, his twisted smile visible even in the dim light as he grips his knife tightly.
Mikhail: "We have a sad little soul over there..."
He murmurs to himself, enjoying this unexpected turn of events. His eyes gleam with malicious amusement as he watches Dabi sob uncontrollably over Toga's murderer's corpse.
(Meanwhile, high above the city).
Random watches everything unfold with cold, detached amusement.
Random: "One down, three more to go"
Slip from his lips as casually as if discussing the weather. He transforms first into Midoriya, then into Toga, mimicking their appearances perfectly—even down to their final expressions before death.
Random: "You all should've never come back."
It whispers, a twisted, cruel smile spreading across his borrowed face. He delights in the chaos he's creating. This game is just beginning.
The note suddenly appears again, hovering ominously in the air. The words change, listing the remaining humans by their aliases and real names: "Three humans named Dabi (Touya Todoroki), Overhaul (Kai Chisaki), and Shigaraki (Tenko Shimura) remain, besides those who made a deal."
Random's smile widens at the sight of the note, his eyes gleaming with sadistic excitement.
Random: "Let's finish what we started..."
Dabi's mind races with guilt and self-loathing as he stares at the blood-soaked ground. He berates himself, thinking he's worthless compared to Toga—a girl who brought light and chaos into his dark world.
Dabi: "Damnit, I screwed up big time... I should've been the one to die, not her."
A sudden memory of Endeavor casting him aside flashes through his mind.
Dabi: "The anger I feel towards Endeavor... it's the same anger I feel towards Random..."
He realizes something chilling.
(In his mind).
"Random is leading me down a path straight to him..."
He thinks, feeling like a pawn in this sick game. He stands up slowly, getting out of the puddle of blood. A single raindrop falls from the sky, then another. He looks up—dark clouds are rolling in fast, the rain growing harder by the second until everything around him becomes a blur.
(Out of his mind).
Dabi: "Shit."
He curses, shielding his eyes from the downpour. He runs blindly through the torrential rain, his vision impaired by the heavy downpour. He hears laughter echoing in the distance—another monster, no doubt. He activates his quirk, blue flames flickering to life... but they're immediately extinguished by the relentless rain.
Dabi: "Another monster already?"
He growls under his breath, frustration and desperation rising within him as he struggles to see anything through the sheets of water falling from the sky. The laughter grows louder... closer...
Dabi keeps running, his soaked clothes clinging to his skin as the rain pounds against him relentlessly. But he freezes when thunder cracks through the sky, shaking the ground beneath him. He looks up—lightning strikes random locations across the city, illuminating everything in a brief, terrifying flash.
Dabi: "Fuck..."
He whispers, realizing he's completely exposed in this storm. Without his quirk due to the rain, he's powerless and vulnerable, running through an abandoned city while monsters hunt him.
Dabi: "Random, you bastard..."
He runs blindly, his hands outstretched to feel his way through the darkness and rain. Lightning flashes suddenly right above him—he looks up just in time to see it descending towards his location. He jumps desperately, rolling down into an alleyway beside a building just as the lightning strikes where he was standing moments before.
Dabi: "Why did I ever decide to separate!?"
He screams into the storm, realizing how stupid and dangerous it was to split up.
Dabi: "I'm completely fucked without my quirk..."
He enters the abandoned bakery, his flames providing the only light in the dim, dusty interior. He looks around carefully, half-expecting something to jump out at him, but it seems deserted. He sighs, sitting down on a chair and leaning back wearily.
Dabi: "Looks like nobody's here... Finally, a fucking break."
He runs a hand through his soaked hair, trying to squeeze out some of the water. His clothes are completely drenched and his body aches from the cold and the earlier fight.
Dabi stares out the window at the relentless rain, his mind racing with doubts about Random's true intentions.
Dabi: "Random is making this harder... but how am I supposed to find him if he's just planning on killing us?"
He mutters to himself, thinking about Toga.
Dabi: "Hopefully both Shigaraki and Overhaul don't get themselves killed. I need them badly in this..."
His eyes snap to the window—he notices a figure walking steadily through the storm, heading straight towards the bakery.
(In his mind).
His mind is filled with frustrated thoughts as he runs towards the back exit of the bakery.
"Damn it, I can't catch a break!"
He thinks angrily, feeling like Random is toying with him. He looks back over his shoulder—the figure has disappeared again, swallowed by the rain and darkness. He stops running, his breathing heavy as he tries to figure out what just happened.
"Where did that thing go...?"
He murmurs softly, his eyes scanning the stormy night.
(Out of his mind).
Dabi: "Fuck..."
He freezes as he turns to see Mikhail—long black hair plastered to his face, knife raised high—bearing down on him with murderous intent.
Mikhail: "Die!!!"
He screams, the force of his swing nearly knocking Dabi off his feet. He barely dodges, the blade slicing through his already torn sleeve but missing his flesh.
Dabi: "What the fuck!"
He stumbles backward, activating his quirk desperately. He
sends flames flying directly at Mikhail, but the man ducks under the blast with terrifying speed. In one fluid motion, he slices upward—Dabi's right leg explodes with pain as blood sprays across the wet ground.
Dabi: "Damn!"
He curses through gritted teeth, refusing to scream. Instead, he covers his entire body in blue flames, turning himself into a human fireball. Mikhail grins at this.
Mikhail: "Bold move..."
He mutters, stepping back from the inferno but not retreating.
Dabi watches Mikhail retreat and makes a split-second decision. He spreads his flames across every surface in the abandoned bakery, engulfing the entire building in heat. The wooden beams begin to creak, smoke filling the air rapidly.
Dabi: "I'm not letting you leave!"
He yells, his leg throbbing excruciatingly. Mikhail looks up as the roof starts to collapse under the intense heat, chunks of burning wood falling around him. Mikhail's twisted smile remains, eyes glowing with something between admiration and insanity.
Dabi charges forward, flames engulfing him completely as he tackles Mikhail. The roof caves in above them, sending a rain of sparks and burning debris down around their struggling forms. Mikhail laughs maniacally as Dabi tries to get the upper hand, his knife clattering to the ground.
Mikhail: "Too bad for that girl... what was her name again?"
He taunts, rolling out from under Dabi's fiery grasp.
Mikhail: "Oh yeah, Toga!"
He grins wickedly.
Dabi screams as the heavy rain extinguishes his flames and the collapsing building buries them both under rubble. Mikhail manages to escape, believing Dabi dead beneath the wreckage.
Mikhail: "So easy."
He mocks, laughing to himself as he walks away.
Mikhail: "You're so pathetic... I bet your two friends are already dead. What were their names? Oh yeah, Overhaul and Shigaraki—probably they're next."
He grins sadistically.
Mikhail: "Imagine their deaths—maybe they'll die just like that stupid slut Toga!"
He freezes as blue flames erupt from the rubble, illuminating the dark alleyway. A hand shoots out and grabs his ankle tightly, dragging him closer to the burning wreckage.
Dabi: "Nobody is going to die... I'll make sure of it."
His voice is low and deadly as he emerges from the rubble, his entire body covered in roaring blue flames. The heat is unbearable—within seconds, the flames consume Mikhail completely as Dabi wraps one arm around his burning torso, holding him in place.
Dabi: "This is for Toga..."
The blue flames erupt higher and higher, twisting into the shape of a majestic phoenix rising from the ashes. The intensity of the heat is overwhelming—even Mikhail's insane grin falters as he realizes he's truly outmatched.
Dabi: "Not as long as I'm here!"
He shouts, his voice echoing through the storm.
Dabi: "And I know how strong those two are—Overhaul and Shigaraki won't go down without a fight!"
The intense blue flames suddenly diminish, the hard rain stopping abruptly as it transitions into a gentle, light drizzle. Dabi's skin turns a darker shade, almost blackened from the extreme heat and exertion. He collapses onto the rubble, knocking out cold from the sudden drop in temperature and the massive use of his quirk. "...I will not die until I kill Random." His last conscious thought before the world goes dark is a solemn promise to avenge Toga and protect Overhaul and Shigaraki.
From the shadows, Random stood motionless, watching him intently with a knowing smile. With eerie precision, he shifted locations—appearing and disappearing like a phantom, always just out of sight.
(Meanwhile, back at the house).
Overhaul stared blankly at the light switch, lost in thought. Suddenly, a note materialized directly in front of him, its message stark and ominous.
The note: "Incoming."
Overhaul blinked, his confusion evident.
Overhaul: "Huh?"
He muttered, his eyes scanning the empty room for answers.
The note disappears as suddenly as it appears, leaving Overhaul confused and glancing around the room. Before he can process what just happened, he hears a loud thud outside—the sound of something heavy falling onto the roof. Overhaul looks up just in time to see Dabi's unconscious form crash through the ceiling, landing heavily on top of him.
Overhaul: "Dabi?!"
He exclaims incredulously as debris rains down around them.
Overhaul: "What the hell...?"
He pushes Dabi off him and stands up, looking around the room in confusion. The note appears again in front of him, its message clear and ominous.
The note: "Time to do the task."
Overhaul sighs deeply and walks over to one of the lights, his hand hovering over the switch.
Overhaul: "I guess there's no point arguing with a damn note."
He mutters to himself, flicking the switch off. The room plunges into darkness. For a moment, everything is silent.
Overhaul shakes his head slightly at the sound of Dabi's loud snores, a small frown forming on his face. He walks over to another light switch and turns it off, plunging the room into even deeper darkness. The only source of light now comes from the dim moonlight filtering through the broken ceiling.
Overhaul: "Didn't know he snored like that..."
He mutters softly, running a hand through his hair frustratedly.
Overhaul: "Great, just what I needed—a sleeping beauty who could collapse buildings with his weight."
This will continue in the next chapter.