You run through the forest. The smoke makes it harder to see.
Kuuga: Damn it...
You stop for a minute to catch your breath.
Your Thoughts: Aoi and Yaoyorozu were the last group to go through... Where are they?
You suddenly get blasted by a familiar blue fire and you see the villain who attacked you and Hongo during your work study. His burned corpse-like face makes your blood run cold.
????: Surprised you aren't charcoal.
Kuuga: Why are you here?
????: I have my reasons.
Y/N: You're after one of my classmates... Who?
????: You're pretty sharp, Bug Face.
He launches another torrent of flames.
Kuuga: Cho Henshin!
You change to Dragon and dodge the fire.
????: We were originally sent to bring a certain someone back with us. But we were also told to deal with any obstacles.
You dodge more flames as you try to get close. You hear Aoi scream in the distance and you get distracted long enough to get hit by a fireball.
????: That voice... Whoever that girl is, she's important to you, huh?
The villain gives a twisted smile.
????: How about after I kill you, I help her join you in the grave?
Your eyes widen and you finally realize how unhinged this guy is. He just wants to watch the world burn. You charge and before the villain can launch another barrage of fire, you transform back into Mighty and pin him as you start punching. He tries to guard with his arms but you knock them aside and punch even harder. You go to deliver a brutal right hook but when your fist connects, he dissolves into sludge.
Kuuga: A... A copy?
You stare at your hands for a moment.
Kuuga: What would I have done if that was a real person...
Something Daguva said rings in your head.
Daguva: You're much like me...
Kuuga: No... No I'm not...
You stand up and whistle. Gouram flies in and clicks its pincers.
Kuuga: I'm fine. We need to find Aoi.
You hop on the beetle and fly up. You change to Pegasus to briefly use its heightened hearing. You hear a gunshot and see purple gas in a large section of the woods. You change to Mighty.
Kuuga: Gouram!
The beetle follows your command and you fly into the gas. You find Aoi unconscious with Kendo and Tetsutetsu trying to fight a villain with a gas mask.
???????: You UA punks think you're so great!
He shoots at Tetsutetsu who uses his Quirk to defend himself.
Kuuga: Kendo, Tetsutetsu!
Kendo notices you first.
Kendo: Don't take off your helmet! This is knock out gas!
The Gouram lunges at the shooter as you jump off, running to Aoi's side.
Kuuga: Aoi!
You notice a gunshot wound in her abdomen. You stare at the injury and your rage begins to boil over.
???????: The freak got in my way. Lucky I didn't aim for her head.
You stand and de-transform.
Kendo: L/N!
???????: You really have a death wish, huh?
The group goes silent as black veins begin to appear across your body. You raise your head and stare at the villain, but your eyes have turned completely black.
Tetsutetsu: What the...
Without any warning, you close the distance between you and the villain, punching him hard enough to shatter his mask. You then kick him into a tree you go to approach him, your shoe prints burning into the ground as your fingers start smoking. You suddenly collapse as the gas finally gets to you. The black veins fade but Kendo and Tetsutetsu stare in shock.
Kendo: What just happened?
You find yourself in an ancient ruin. You walk around and examine one of the walls. As your fingers brush against the stone, you notice symbols similar to those on your belt.
Y/N: What the...
????: This is where I made it.
You turn to see a man. He wore the belt and despite never meeting him, you recognize the voice.
Y/N: You're the original Kuuga...
????: My name is Riku. We must talk.
Two chairs made of stone solidify from fog and he takes a seat. Nervously, you sit as well.
Riku: You're becoming more and more synchronized with the belt. Both a good and bad thing...
Y/N: Why?
Riku: Your powers are held in check by willpower. If you lose control of yourself...
He gestures to a wall and the stone carvings changed. It now shows a black figure surrounded by dead bodies and fire.
Riku: You've become stronger... But know that with more power... You need just as must will to control it. If not, you could end up destroying the world yourself...
You stare in shock.
Riku: But the Arcle is connected to you now. You became Kuuga. I tust the world in your hands.
The room fades and you wake up in a hospital bed.
Your Thoughts: What... Happened?
You sit up to find Aoi at your side. Her gunshot wound was bandaged and she was holding a small box.
Aoi: Y/N... Are you alright?
Y/N: I should be asking you that...
Aoi runs her hand over her abdomen.
Aoi: I'm fine. Kendo told me what happened...
Y/N: What happened at camp? The villains...
Aoi: They took Bakugo and Ragdoll and left...
Your eyes widen and you try to get up but Aoi forces you to stay in bed.
Aoi: Calm down...
Y/N: We need to save the-
Aoi: Aren't you worried about what happened to you?!
You realize she's on the verge of tears.
Aoi: After Kendo told me what happened to you... Aren't you afraid of what's happening to you? You can't save them if you go berserk again.
You look at your arms and see scars where the black veins once were.
Y/N: I... As long as I keep my emotions in check, I'm sure I'll be fine. What happened back there... It was because I was afraid of losing you... I was angry at that villain for hurting you... But I know you're okay now...
You cup her cheek in your hand and wipe away a tear.
Y/N: I won't let any force keep me from coming back to you...
You stand up and approach a window.
Y/N: I'm going to go save Bakugo and Ragdoll.
Aoi hands you the box she was holding.
Aoi: If you're dead set, at least take this as a good luck charm.
You open the box to reveal a shark tooth necklace.
Aoi: I made that out of those teeth I lost during our training.
Despite the oddity, you put the necklace on and give her a kiss.
Y/N: Thank you... I promise to come back to you...
You turn and activate Dragon before opening the window and launching out.
End of Part 24