My Hero Academia: Nightmare Mode

The air was heavy with tension as the retrieval team moved through the dimly lit streets of Kamino Ward. Aizawa led the group, his scarf coiled tightly around his shoulders, every muscle in his body coiled like a spring. Beside him, pro heroes such as Midnight and Present Mic followed in silence, their usual lighthearted demeanors replaced with somber focus. Behind them trailed the selected students: Midoriya, Bakugo, Todoroki, Mina, and Kirishima. Each of them wore expressions of determination, though unease lingered in their eyes.

"This isn't just another mission," Aizawa said in a low voice, addressing the group without turning around. "Kikidori isn't the same as the villains we've faced before. He knows how we fight. He knows our strengths and weaknesses. Don't underestimate him."

"He's still our classmate," Midoriya muttered, his hands clenched into fists. "We'll bring him back, no matter what."

Bakugo scoffed, sparks flickering at his palms. "I'm not holding back just because he's one of us. If he wants to play villain, I'll treat him like one."

The group stopped outside an abandoned warehouse, its windows shattered and walls scorched from previous battles. Aizawa raised a hand, signaling for silence. They could feel the weight of the League of Villains' presence inside, but it was one presence in particular that made their blood run cold.

"Stay alert," Aizawa whispered. "He's here."

The doors creaked open, and they stepped into the shadows. The interior of the warehouse was vast, with towering metal beams and dim lighting that cast long, flickering shadows across the floor. Standing in the center of the room, surrounded by faint wisps of darkness, was Kikidori.

His mismatched eyes—one green, one blue—glowed faintly in the dim light, and his expression was cold, unreadable. Shadows danced around him like living entities, twisting and curling as if eager to strike.

"You shouldn't have come," Kikidori said, his voice echoing eerily in the empty space.

"Kikidori!" Mina stepped forward, her voice trembling. "We're here to bring you back! This isn't you—this is Hiroki's quirk!"

Kikidori's eyes flicked to her, and for a moment, something flickered across his face—recognition, hesitation. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a sharp glare.

"I'm not coming back," he said flatly. "You're wasting your time."

Before anyone could respond, the shadows around Kikidori surged forward, splitting into countless tendrils that lashed out at the group. Aizawa immediately activated his quirk, erasing Kikidori's ability and causing the shadows to falter.

"Now!" Aizawa barked.

The group sprang into action. Midoriya dashed forward, using Full Cowling to close the distance in an instant. Bakugo followed, his explosions lighting up the dark room as he propelled himself into the air. Todoroki unleashed a wall of ice, trying to trap Kikidori in place.

But Kikidori was faster. Even without his quirk, he was a skilled combatant. He dodged Midoriya's punch with ease, spinning to deliver a sharp kick to his ribs that sent him crashing into a stack of crates. Bakugo's explosions came next, but Kikidori moved like a shadow, slipping through the gaps and landing a brutal punch to Bakugo's gut, sending him skidding across the floor.

"Damn it!" Bakugo growled, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

Todoroki's ice surged toward Kikidori, but he leapt into the air, landing gracefully on a metal beam overhead. He looked down at them with a cold smirk.

"You're not strong enough to stop me," Kikidori said, his voice echoing ominously.

Mina and Kirishima moved together, with Mina firing a barrage of acid while Kirishima charged forward, his skin hardened like stone. Kikidori dropped from the beam, landing between them. He sidestepped Mina's acid and grabbed Kirishima by the arm, using his momentum to hurl him into the wall.

"Kikidori, stop!" Mina shouted, tears streaming down her face.

For a moment, Kikidori hesitated again. His glowing eyes dimmed slightly, and his grip on Mina's wrist loosened. But then a voice echoed through his mind—Toga's voice, soft and sweet, yet laced with menace.

"They'll never accept you back. They'll always see you as a traitor."

Kikidori's hesitation vanished, replaced by cold determination. He tightened his grip on Mina's wrist, his mismatched eyes glaring into hers.

"You should've stayed away," he said quietly.

Before he could do anything further, Aizawa's scarf shot out, wrapping around Kikidori's arm and yanking him backward. The pro hero's eyes burned with resolve as he faced his rogue student.

"I won't let you hurt them," Aizawa said.

Kikidori smirked, even as he was restrained. "You'll have to try harder than that."

The shadows around him surged again, breaking free from Aizawa's quirk as Hiroki's presence in the hideout amplified Kikidori's control. The warehouse was plunged into chaos as the retrieval team fought desperately to subdue their classmate.

Despite their best efforts, Kikidori was relentless. His quirk, combined with his strategic mind, made him nearly unstoppable. Even with their combined strength, the team struggled to keep up with him.

By the end of the battle, the warehouse was in ruins. The retrieval team lay battered and exhausted, their efforts thwarted at every turn. Kikidori stood at the center of the destruction, unscathed and unmoved.

"You can't save me," he said, his voice tinged with a mix of sorrow and finality. "Go back to UA. Forget about me."

And with that, he disappeared into the shadows, leaving the team behind.

They had failed.

For now.

The End of Chapter 24