The steel door shattered into fragments of metal and dust, a silent testament to the last ounce of power I could muster. Beyond it, the cold, damp night air felt like a welcome from heaven. We had made it out. But as I felt a moment of relief, all my strength vanished. The Incursio armor on my body didn't recede normally; it shattered into countless painful particles of black and red light, and darkness swallowed me as I collapsed past the doorway I had created.
The world around me vanished, but the fight was far from over.
Ryukyu, still in her half-dragon form, was the first to react. She saw me fall and immediately knew that I wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. Inside the warehouse, the enraged roar of the high-tier Nomu echoed, and she knew they only had seconds before the monster charged out.
"Akame!" she yelled, a command born of urgent necessity. "Get him! Nejire, lean on me! We have to go, now!"
Akame, without a shred of hesitation, moved. She sheathed her Murasame sword in one fluid motion and immediately lifted my limp body. She was surprised by how heavy I was, an unnatural density for a boy my age, the remnant of the draconic energy that resided within me. With difficulty, she slung my arm over her shoulder, supporting most of my weight. At her side, Ryukyu did the same for Nejire, whose legs were still trembling with weakness.
"Momo-chan, we're out!" Ryukyu reported into the communicator. "Guide us to the nearest extraction point!"
"Understood! There's a large flat roof two buildings to the south! It's the safest place!" Momo's tense voice replied from above.
It was then that the high-tier Nomu burst out from the hole in the door, its hateful eyes fixed on us. It ignored Ryukyu and Akame; its target was me, the source of the energy that had angered it the most.
Our escape across the rooftops of the industrial district was a scene from a nightmare. Ryukyu, though injured, led the way, her claws gripping the concrete to help her climb, and her powerful tail helping her keep her balance as she supported Nejire. Behind her, Akame moved with an inhuman speed and agility, even while supporting me. She leaped from one roof to another, her movements so efficient she barely made a sound. I myself was just an unconscious burden on her shoulder.
Behind us, the Nomu gave chase relentlessly. It wasn't as agile as Akame, but its incredible physical strength allowed it to destroy anything in its path. It would smash through walls, leap with a force that made the rooftops tremble, and constantly try to cut us off.
From inside the ventilation system, Momo watched everything with a pounding heart. She was our eyes and ears. "Careful! There's a five-meter gap ahead!" she reported. "The Nomu is destroying a support pillar below! The pipe bridge on the right won't last long!"
She felt helpless. She could only watch and give directions while her friends risked their lives. But she suppressed that feeling, focusing on her task. She was their navigator. The slightest mistake from her could be fatal.
After a few minutes of a tense chase, we finally arrived at the large flat roof Momo had indicated. This was a dead end. There was nowhere else to run. Behind us, the Nomu landed with a heavy thud, blocking our only way back.
"This is it," Ryukyu said in a heavy voice, gently placing Nejire behind her. She turned to face the Nomu, taking a fighting stance. "Akame, take the kids and run. Find another way. I'll hold it here for as long as I can." It was the command of a hero, ready to make a sacrifice.
Akame carefully laid me down on the floor, then stood beside Ryukyu. She shook her head. "No," she said curtly. "Night Raid's duty is to complete the mission and ensure everyone gets home safe. We never leave a comrade behind."
Her unexpected stance, her loyalty to a code from her old world, surprised Ryukyu. In the face of a created monster, a dragon hero and a legendary assassin stood side-by-side.
As the Nomu prepared to charge, as Ryukyu and Akame prepared themselves for their final, desperate battle, an incredible wave of pain jolted me back to consciousness. I opened my eyes and saw the scene before me. An injured Ryukyu. An Akame ready to fight to the death. A helpless Nejire. And the Nomu that was about to kill them all.
No. I wouldn't let this happen.
I tried to summon Incursio, but my body refused. Empty. I had pushed it too far. But as the Nomu charged, I felt something else. A connection. The echo between my soul and Akame's, amplified by the mortal danger. The Yozakura token in my pocket glowed with a faint light only I could see, and I felt a flicker of Akame's supernatural clarity and speed flow into me. It wasn't physical strength. It was a sharpening of the senses, a heightened reflex.
I saw the Nomu's attack coming. I saw the trajectory of its four arms. And I saw an opening, an incredibly small possibility.
But before I could even shout, help came from the most unexpected direction.
"ICE WALL!"
A giant wall of ice suddenly erupted from the side, slamming into the Nomu and making it slip.
"RECIPRO BURST!"
A flash of blue and silver shot past, Iida kicking one of the Nomu's legs, making it lose its balance even more.
"STUN GRENADE!"
Bakugo, out of nowhere, appeared on another roof, unleashing a blinding explosion of light.
On the roof across from us stood the remnants of Bakugo's rescue team. Midoriya, Todoroki, Iida, and Kirishima. They must have seen the chaos after their own mission was complete and decided not to leave us behind.
"Looks like you guys need some help!" Kirishima yelled, hardening his arms.
The Nomu roared in anger, now surrounded by enemies. It was no longer focused on me. It saw all these young heroes as a threat.
Ryukyu and Akame stared at the unexpected reinforcements in shock. I myself could only manage a weak smile. My friends. They came.
"Alright," I said, forcing myself to stand with Nejire's help. I looked at everyone on the roof: the dragon hero, the legendary assassin, the spiral-energy girl, and the best students of U.A. The most impossible alliance ever assembled. "The enemy is just one. There are many more of us."
I looked at the high-tier Nomu, which was now staring at all of us with hatred. He might be strong, but we were a team.
I pressed the communicator in my ear, which was now connected to Midoriya's team frequency. My voice was hoarse with exhaustion, but it was clear and filled with a newfound authority.
"Everyone," I said. "Let's end this. Together."