The clones pressed in, their brutal precision like a living nightmare.
Then—
A new energy surged through the chaos.
A flash of green.
I barely registered it before he was there.
Izuku Midoriya.
He didn't see me.
Not really.
His eyes were wild—pain, fury, disbelief all tangled inside them like a storm.
He charged into the fray with the desperation of someone losing everything.
I caught him out of the corner of my eye.
His Quirk flared bright—Detroit Smash, Delaware Smash, a barrage of attacks aimed at any Nomu in reach.
But there was something else.
A burning anger whenever he glanced at the destruction around us—the crumbled buildings, the bloodied streets, the casualties.
He didn't know I was here.
And maybe that was for the best.
I wanted to call out. To tell him—
I'm here.
But the risk was too high.
I swallowed the urge, clenched my jaw, and stayed in the shadows.
Zane nodded at me.
"Focus. We can't get distracted."
Behind the fight, I caught sight of Bakugo and Shoto—limping, battered, faces streaked with blood and sweat.
Bakugo's explosions sputtered weaker than before, every breath a struggle.
Shoto's left side was nearly numb, his flames flickering uncertainly.
Izuku was locked in a brutal three-way battle with them and the clones.
He shouted at them, desperation bleeding through his voice.
"Don't give up! We have to hold on!"
Even from a distance, I could feel the raw emotion in his words.
And it tore at me.
I wanted to reach him.
To fight beside him.
But every second I stayed visible put us all at risk.
I fought that guilt like a ghost.
My comm buzzed—Thorn.
"Phantom, backup's thinning fast. We're holding but not for long."
River's voice cut in.
"Extraction compromised. Ghost is still missing. Obsidian's offline."
The pressure crushed me.
I glanced back at Izuku—his green eyes burning with pain and resolve.
He looked like he was about to break.
And if he did—
Everything would fall apart.
I bit back a curse.
"I'm coming," I whispered to myself.
Zane caught my eye.
"We move in together. Hit hard, fast."
I nodded.
Then—
The clones swarmed closer.
Time to burn.