My command hung in the tense air of the narrow alley, a crazy gamble spoken with a forced confidence. "Now!"
Across the street, Todoroki didn't hesitate for a second. He had seen the fight inside the bar through the cracks in the ruined wall, he had seen the defiant Bakugo, and he understood the logic behind my desperate plan. With one powerful stomp of his foot, he unleashed his ice Quirk, but not in a way he ever had before. This wasn't an ice wall for defense or a wave of ice for attack. This was a road. A giant, slick ice ramp shot up from the ground, winding upward with incredible speed, past the buildings, and aimed directly at the sky above the battlefield. It was a functional work of art, a makeshift highway to hell.
As the ice ramp formed, our extraction team moved immediately. Iida, with a roar from the engines in his calves, activated Recipro Burst. He became our engine. Midoriya, with One For All: Full Cowling enveloping his body in a green flash, stood in front of him, acting as a guide and stabilizer. And in front of them all stood Eijiro Kirishima, his body already hardened, his eyes fixed on a single point in the distance: his best friend.
"HOLD ON!" Iida yelled.
Todoroki and I could only watch as our three friends shot up the ice ramp with the speed of a bullet. They became a green and red comet hurtling toward the center of the storm, toward the battle between All Might and All For One.
From the extraction team's point of view, the world became a dizzying blur. The wind roared past their ears, so loud they could barely hear their own thoughts. Below them, the city of Kamino looked like a ruined miniature. In front of them, the scene of the gods' battle grew larger and more terrifying. They could see the invisible shockwaves tearing through the air. They could feel the heat of the fire and the cold of the ice clashing elsewhere.
Iida focused on maintaining their speed, his engines roaring at their limit. Midoriya used every ounce of his concentration to keep their balance on the slick ice surface. But Kirishima... he was focused on only one thing. He saw Bakugo, now cornered by several members of the Vanguard Squad while All Might was being held off by All For One. He saw Dabi preparing a blast of blue fire, and Toga dancing with her knives.
"BAKUGO!" Kirishima yelled, his hoarse voice barely audible over the roar of the wind. He extended his hardened hand, an offer of friendship and rescue in the midst of the apocalypse. "COME ON!"
In the middle of the battlefield, Bakugo heard that shout. He turned his head and saw the most absurd sight. His stupid classmates, sliding on a giant ice road, coming for him. His first reaction was pure anger. 'These idiots! What are they doing here?! They're going to get themselves killed!' He didn't need saving. He wasn't a damsel in distress. He was Bakugo Katsuki, and he would win on his own.
But then, he looked closer. He saw Kirishima's face, filled with sincere determination. He saw Iida and Midoriya risking everything just to give him this one chance. This wasn't a shameful rescue. This was a pass. They were opening the door; he himself had to decide to step through it. He remembered his fight against me. About how I had given him the chance to attack All Might. About teamwork.
He looked at the villains around him, then at Kirishima's outstretched hand. With his signature savage grin, he made his decision.
"DON'T THINK YOU CAN ORDER ME AROUND!" he roared.
With one deafening BOOM from both his palms, he launched himself into the air, not away, but straight up, toward Kirishima's hand.
The moment felt eternal. Bakugo's clenched fist met Kirishima's outstretched hand. For a moment, they hung there, at the top of their chaotic world, a symbol of unbreakable friendship.
"You're a real idiot," Bakugo growled as Kirishima pulled him onto their makeshift ice slide.
"You love me too, bro!" Kirishima replied with a laugh.
Across Japan, and even the world, everyone watching the live broadcast of the battle held their breath. In the heroes' lounge at the Ryukyu Agency, Nejire jumped up and cheered. "THEY DID IT! TATSUMI-KUN'S CRAZY PLAN WORKED!" Ryukyu could only smile in relief, her previously sinking heart now filled with an immense pride for her reckless intern. On a distant rooftop, Akame watched with an unreadable expression. She saw teamwork, blind trust, and self-sacrifice. It was a sight so different from her old world, where betrayal was commonplace and trust was a deadly luxury.
On the battlefield, the gods' reactions were different. All Might, seeing his students successfully rescue their comrade in such a brave and heroic way, felt a new wave of hope and pride. Their spirit gave him strength.
"See that, All For One," he said, his battered smile returning. "That's the next generation of heroes! And they will never give up!"
All For One, on the other hand, just seemed amused. "Touching," he said in a condescending tone. "A naive bond of friendship. But it will change nothing." He raised his hand, intending to shoot the fleeing students out of the sky.
"DON'T TOUCH MY STUDENTS!" All Might roared. He was no longer holding back. He charged at All For One with all his remaining strength, beginning the final chapter of their legendary battle, providing the diversion his students needed to escape.
The extraction team, with Bakugo now among them, slid down the other side of the ice ramp. Todoroki quickly created a softer landing on a quieter street several blocks away. They landed roughly, staggering from exhaustion and adrenaline.
We immediately ran to join them. For a moment, we all stood there, in a sheltered alley, panting. We had done it. The impossible rescue mission had succeeded. Bakugo was safe.
"You all...," Bakugo began, his voice hoarse. "You're all complete idiots." But there was no anger in his voice. Just exhaustion and something else, something that almost sounded like... gratitude.
But our relief was short-lived. The ground beneath us began to tremble violently. The sky above Kamino lit up with blinding flashes of light as All Might and All For One unleashed their true power. The buildings around us began to crack. This was no longer just a fight; it was a natural disaster. We had successfully rescued Bakugo from the villains' den, but now, we were all trapped in the middle of a battle between the two most powerful beings on the planet.
Kirishima looked up at the burning sky, then at all of us, battered and exhausted. His face was pale with a mixture of horror and awe.
"What... what do we do now?" he whispered, his voice barely audible over the roar of the battle.
No one could answer. We could only stand there, helpless young heroes, witnessing the twilight of an age of gods.