As the U.A. Sports Festival's One-on-One Tournament reached its climax, the atmosphere was electric with anticipation. Suddenly, a deafening crack split the air as a rift tore open in the center of the arena. From this tear emerged a colossal, nightmarish creature Nyxia in his monstrous form.
The stadium fell into stunned silence. Spectators in the stands and viewers at home watched in horror as Nyxia let out a bone-chilling roar, the sound resonating through the very core of every listener.
As panic spread among the crowd, heroes swiftly positioned themselves between Nyxia and the students. Present Mic's voice crackled through the chaos, shouting in disbelief, "Is this a villain attack?!" His words barely registered over the cacophony of panic and confusion.
Nyxia, in his monstrous true form, stood at the center of the arena, disoriented and confused. His massive, gorilla-like arms and wolf-like hind legs twitched as he shook his head, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The hundreds of golden eyes embedded in his body blinked erratically, and his antlered, wendigo-like head let out a low, guttural growl. The swirling void within his jaws seemed to pulse with a hunger that had no name.
Despite his imposing appearance, Nyxia's movements were hesitant, as if he were struggling against an instinctual urge to lash out. His confusion mirrored the chaos around him, and for a brief moment, it seemed as though he was as much a victim of this situation as the students and heroes present.
Determined to protect the students, the heroes launched a coordinated assault on Nyxia. However, their efforts were in vain. Nyxia absorbed their attacks effortlessly, his body rippling with dark energy as he consumed each strike.
In a desperate move, a group of heroes charged forward, aiming to land a decisive blow. But Nyxia's tentacles lashed out with terrifying speed, ensnaring the heroes and lifting them into the air. One by one, they were consumed, their screams muffled as they were devoured by the monstrous entity.
As the last of the heroes fell silent, Nyxia stood amidst the devastation, his form towering over the arena. The remaining students and spectators watched in horror, unable to comprehend the nightmare that had unfolded before them.
In the distance, the League of Villains observed the chaos through their monitors. All For One leaned forward, his interest piqued by the appearance of such a formidable entity. Tomura Shigaraki stood rigidly, his crimson eyes fixed on the screen. The grotesque power and presence of Nyxia stirred something within him.
"This... creature," Shigaraki muttered, his voice a mix of awe and disdain. "It's like watching a nightmare given form."
All For One's voice was calm, almost amused. "Indeed, Tomura. Such raw, unbridled power. It's a rare spectacle."
Shigaraki clenched his fists, the memories of his own traumatic past surfacing. "Power without purpose is just chaos," he said, his tone hardening. "But perhaps... there's something to learn from this."
All For One chuckled softly. "Every monster has its origin, Tomura. The key is understanding it."
As Nyxia's roar echoed from the screen, shaking the very foundations of the stadium, Shigaraki's eyes narrowed. He saw not just a beast, but a reflection a manifestation of pain, rage, and transformation.
In that moment, a silent understanding passed between mentor and protégé. The path ahead was uncertain, but the allure of such formidable power was undeniable.
In Nyxia's mindspace
Meanwhile, within the depths of Nyxia's mind, he drifted weightlessly in a cold, endless black ocean silent and still, like a shadow lost in the void.
Suddenly, a voice pierced the darkness.
"Wake up, Nyxia. Wake up."
His eyes fluttered open. Before him stood Eon, his monstrous true form chained and gone, replaced by the darkness that had once been.
Nyxia blinked, confusion knotting his brow.
"What happened, Eon?" he asked, voice low and uncertain.
"I... all I remember is being attacked by the players, then being stabbed. After that, everything went blank."
Eon exhaled a sound that could only be described as a sigh a deep, crystalline resonance that seemed to echo through the void itself.
Then, Eon opened himself up, revealing within a shifting, glowing scene...
A vast, lightless ocean. Silent. Cold. Endless.And within it, Nyxia—frozen, barely breathing, forced to watch the carnage his monstrous form unleashed.
Heroes—some seasoned, others still teenagers—screamed, cried, fought, and fell.
The tentacles. The golden eyes. The void-for-a-mouth. All of it... was him.And yet... not him.It was as if he had been puppeteered by a nightmare wearing his skin.
He watched helplessly as one pro-hero tried to shield a group of students. A single sweep of his monstrous claw crushed the man like paper.
"Stop... please stop..." Nyxia whispered, eyes wide, throat closing.But the monster didn't hear him.
And then—
A crystalline hum.A glow.Eon.
The guardian's form hovered before him—a radiant geode of golden crystals, softly pulsing with each word.
"You need to breathe, Nyxia... you've done this before. You've killed people. It's... it's not new."
Nyxia turned toward him slowly, and for the first time since Eon had known him...he looked broken.
Tears fell like rivers, streaming down his cheeks.
"Yeah..." Nyxia's voice cracked. "But back then... they were monsters. Vile. Evil. I chose to stop them.""These were just heroes... people trying to protect others. Doing their job... and I—"
He fell to his knees, sobbing violently.
Eon stepped closer, golden light flickering erratically from the pressure of the boy's grief. He wanted to speak, to say "You used to do this before"But something in him said no. Not now.
If this already traumatized Nyxia, confessing his own guilt would only shatter him further.
"I can't... I can't let you break any more..." Eon whispered to himself.
Then Nyxia looked up at him, eyes burning with desperation.
"Do something.""Please, Eon. Do something. I'm begging you."
Eon hesitated.
"If I force the merge too fast, the mental stitching might fail. You'll—"
"I DON'T CARE!" Nyxia's voice shook the void. "Let me take control! I'll risk the side effects! Just just stop this nightmare!"
Eon backed up a step.
"If you do this... what happened will"
"I. DON'T. CARE."
Silence.
Then, Eon's crystals surged with light glowing blinding gold, flickering like a panicked heartbeat.He raised his arms.
"Brace yourself..."
The void lit up
Outside – U.A. Stadium: Catastrophe in Motion
The skies churned with smoke. Fires blazed across the cracked stadium floor.A news helicopter hovered, broadcasting the grim tableau to millions across the country.
Inside the chopper, the news anchor's voice shook as she recited names:
"...Pro Hero Crimson Blitz, confirmed dead. Shieldline, deceased. Solarflare, no vitals... We're waiting on confirmation for Thunder Gale. The scene is horrific."
The camera focused on the center of the stadium.
Nyxia's monstrous form, still ravaging, still howling, now surrounded by the injured, the dead, and the few still standing.
Then
A gust of wind.
A golden streak.
The camera jolted to follow as All Might himself soared into frame, cape rippling, face steeled.
"YOU SHALL HARM NO MORE!"
He descended with blinding speed, fist cocked back, heart screaming:
"UNITED STATES OF SMASH!"
The blow connected.
A shockwave tore through the air, scattering debris and vaporizing smoke.
The monster skidded backwards a crater forming beneath its feet as its claws dragged through stone. The ground split apart, and part of the stadium collapsed inward.
But
The beast didn't fall.
It stopped.Lifted its head.And stared directly at All Might.
Barely scratched.
The helicopter camera zoomed in, shaking slightly.
The anchor spoke again this time, no longer composed.
"...It didn't work. All Might's strongest attack... barely pushed it back."
A pause.
"...God help us."
The monster Nyxia, or what was left of him lurched forward, golden tendrils writhing from his back like serpents.His mouth, a gaping void of layered teeth and soundless screams, opened wide.
He lunged.
One monstrous fist, glowing with chaotic black-red energy, shot forward aimed straight at All Might's chest.The Symbol of Peace gritted his teeth and braced.He knew he couldn't dodge.He knew it might kill him.
"Let this be the end, if it has to be..."
But thenIt stopped.
The fist froze inches from his heart.
Nyxia's monstrous form shuddered.
The twisted mouth opened againthis time not to scream, but to wail.
A horrible, anguished roar tore through the battlefield.
"RAAAARGH!!"
The sound wasn't rage.It was torment.It was the cry of a child who couldn't take any more.
The beast clawed at its own head, staggering back, ripping into the stone and fire around itthen fell to its knees.
All Might's eyes widened.
The monster, no longer flailing, slumped sideways, its breathing slowing.
The armor of void-stone and rage cracked, pieces flaking off like ash.
And thenit collapsed.
Face-first, heavy, unmoving.
Silence.
For a few seconds, no one moved.
Smoke drifted lazily through the air, fires crackling gently.
Thena cry from the stands.
"He's down! The monster's down!"
Another shouted:
"All Might did it!""All Might saved us!"
Cheers began to rise, scattered at first, then swelling like a crashing wave.
Civilians, students, pro heroes all clapped, screamed, and wept.
From the helicopter, the reporter's voice rang out:
"It's over! All Might has once again saved the day delivering the final blow that brought the creature down!"
But All Might...
He stood over Nyxia's unconscious form, silent.
His cape fluttered weakly in the embers. The once-golden glow in his eyes dimmed.
He didn't turn to the cameras.He didn't raise a fist.He didn't smile.
Because he knew.
"That… wasn't me."
He looked down at the monster.
"You stopped yourself."
Underground Facility – U.A. Detention Chamber 7
Dim lighting. Sterile walls.High-tech restraints wrapped around obsidian-black limbs, glowing faintly with containment runes and suppression fields.
A slow beep... beep... beep echoed from the vital monitors.Thenhis eyes opened.
Hundreds of golden irises blinked at once, reflecting nothing but cold metal and artificial light.
For a moment, he said nothing.Then
"No…"
His voice rasped like fractured glass as memory rushed in all at once The stadium.The screams.The blood.The heroes.
The tentacles.The devouring.
Nyxia tried to move, but the restraints didn't budge.
His monstrous form remained, fused with his consciousness.But the thrashing and chaos were gone.He was calm.
Too calm.
His face if it could still be called that, turned slightly.And then
He began to cry.
Thick, black tears welled up and spilled down his jagged, void-ridden features.They hissed against the floor as they dripped, burning tiny holes into the reinforced metal.
"I remember... all of it..."
He wanted to scream. To disappear. To forget again.But he couldn't.
He was awake.
Press Conference – U.A. Headquarters, 3 Hours Later
The media frenzy was in full force.
Cameras clicked. Reporters jostled for position. Screens across Japan streamed the live event.
Behind the podium stood Principal Nezu, poised as ever, sipping politely from a cup of tea.
Behind him were top Pro Heroes, including Eraserhead, Endeavor, and Recovery Girl, all with stony expressions.
"We'll now begin," Nezu said, voice amplified.
A reporter wasted no time.
"Principal Nezu, what was that thing at the Sports Festival?"
Another added:
"How many casualties? Why wasn't the barrier system enough?"
Nezu raised a paw calmly.
"We are still assessing the full scope of damage, but allow me to clarify a few things first."
He looked straight into the camera.
"The entity that appeared today is currently being referred to as 'The Midnight Maw.' That is the codename we've assigned for internal purposes."
Gasps rippled through the room.
"We do not yet know the origin of this being, nor its true identity. We do know, however, that it was not a planned attack by any known villain group."
A third reporter asked nervously:
"So… is it sentient? Did it choose to stop?"
Nezu's eyes narrowed, thoughtfully, not with anger.
"Yes. It did. After a brief but catastrophic outburst, it ceased its aggression and collapsed. All Might did not defeat it in the conventional sense. The creature restrained itself."
Shock murmurs filled the room.
"Does that mean it has a conscience?" someone asked.
"It does. And it is… grieving."
The room went quiet.
Outside U.A. – The Day After the Conference
The air was thick with tension.Not from villains. Not from Nomu.But from people.
Parents.Reporters.Protesters.
Hundreds crowded the gates of U.A., voices echoing through bullhorns, signs raised high:
"My Child's Not Bait!"
"U.A. Harbors Killers!"
"How Many More Must Die?"
Behind the reinforced barrier, teachers and staff stood watchful.Aizawa said nothing, arms crossed, eyes hidden behind tired lashes.Present Mic looked like he wanted to shout, but knew it would only make things worse.
A mother at the front screamed through tears:
"That thing that monster killed my brother! He was a Pro Hero! A good man!"
Another parent yelled:
"And you're keeping it here?! UNDER THE SCHOOL?! What if it wakes up again?! What if it loses control?!"
The crowd roared.
Inside the Principal's Office – U.A. Main Tower
Nezu stared at the screen in silence.The live feed showed the mob swelling, now blocking emergency access.
Behind him, Recovery Girl sighed softly.
"They're scared. Not entirely without reason."
Eraserhead leaned against the wall, speaking coldly:
"We've faced worse. But this time, the threat came from inside. That changes things."
Nezu didn't answer immediately.He was calculating probabilities, future paths.
Then he sipped his tea and said quietly:
"They don't understand yet… He didn't ask for this."
"He didn't choose to become a monster."
Meanwhile – Class 1-A Dorms
The students were silent.The TV had been turned off. No one wanted to see the news anymore.
Iida paced. Uraraka sat clutching her knees.Todoroki stared at the window, unmoving.Kasumi Bakugo had punched a hole in the wall and left.
Only Izuka Midoriya finally said it.
"He… cried."
They looked at her.
"When he collapsed. Right before it ended. He looked like he didn't want to be that thing. Like he hated it."
Silence again.
Until Kirishima muttered:
"Yeah… but he still did it. People died."
Underground – Nyxia's Containment
He couldn't hear the protests.But the energy in the air shifted.
Even in the deepest cell of U.A., the emotions of the world seeped in.
Fear.Hatred.Pain.Doubt.
Nyxia remained seated, unmoving.
But the black tears had returned.Not from trauma.
But from guilt.
From knowing what they thought of him.What he now feared might be true.