Iron and shadows

Disclaimer:

This is a fan-created work inspired by the world of My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia), created by Kōhei Horikoshi. All rights to the original characters, settings, and concepts belong to their respective owners. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended for commercial use. The original character Yami Kurogane and the plot of this fanfiction are my own creation.

The air smelled of burnt flesh. Yami awoke with a metallic taste in his mouth, his tongue glued to the roof as thirst clawed at him. His first breath was a lungful of thick smoke, laden with particles of plaster and charred human hair. He tried to sit up, but his body protested with sharp pain in every muscle. His hands sank into something soft and warm. When he pulled them back, he saw glistening chunks of viscera between his fingers: ruptured intestines, still pulsating.

The horror hit him like a cold wave. His adult mind tried to rationalize what he saw, but the chaos around him was too overwhelming. Ash fell like gray snow over a desolate landscape. The screams of despair echoed like distant wails, blending with the groans of collapsing structures and the distant roar of flames.

Yami forced himself to rise, staggering through the debris. His vision was blurry; smoke and tears clouded his eyes. What had happened? Slowly, memories began to return: a calm afternoon at the mall with his parents, Haruno and Masato. The laughter as they wandered through stores. The sudden explosion that ripped him from that fleeting happiness.

A sonic boom had shaken the air, followed by an explosion that turned everything around him into dust and fire. He remembered how his parents had thrown themselves over him to protect him from impending death. Then... nothing. Just darkness.

Now he was here, surrounded by mangled bodies and spilled blood. Each step he took brought him closer to absolute horror. The corpses lay scattered like broken dolls; some still convulsing weakly while others lay motionless in grotesque positions. Blood soaked the ground, mixing with debris to form dark puddles that reflected the flickering flames.

—Mom! Dad! —Yami shouted desperately, his voice drowned out by the chaos.

He began to search frantically among the fallen bodies. His heart raced as he navigated through the scene of horror; each step seemed to take him further from the truth he feared to confront. Finally, something caught his eye: a golden bracelet lying in a pool of blood. It was Haruno's favorite bracelet.

He froze instantly. It couldn't be her, he thought as his mind struggled to reject the evident reality. But as he looked closer, he saw torn pieces of clothing that he recognized immediately: Haruno's floral blouse and Masato's dark pants were strewn among the human remains.

The world stopped for Yami. His breath became erratic as his mind tried to process the impossible. He knelt beside the remains, feeling a mix of rage and sorrow consume him from within.

—No... it can't be... —he whispered as tears began to fall down his ash-streaked face.

Though he had tried to remain emotionally distant over the years, he couldn't help but feel deep affection for Haruno and Masato. They had been the only ones to offer genuine warmth since he woke up in this strange world. Haruno always encouraged him to explore his infinite curiosity; Masato taught him valuable lessons about strength and responsibility. Now they were dead... reduced to unrecognizable fragments.

Nausea hit him hard; he leaned forward and vomited bile onto the bloodied remains in front of him. It wasn't just disgust; it was rage against himself for allowing himself to care for them. He should have known better. He knew this world was cruel and unpredictable, yet he had let down his guard.

—How pathetic... —he laughed bitterly as tears continued to fall— Did I really think this was enough? That I could afford to be weak?

Laughter soon turned into gut-wrenching sobs. For the first time since his reincarnation, true panic gripped him: his knowledge of the future meant nothing here. This attack wasn't in any script or known plot; it was pure chaos, indifferent to his plans or preparation.

As he cried over the shattered remains of his adoptive parents, he made a silent promise: never again would he be weak or allow anyone to hurt him again. This event would mark a turning point; he would embrace his new identity and leave behind any trace of emotional vulnerability.

---

Sirens echoed in the distance as new explosions shook the collapsed mall once more. Yami knew that the villain responsible was still out there; he could feel it in the charged air and in the rumbling echoes of chaos.

He attempted to move toward the exit of the destroyed building, but his legs trembled beneath him before finally giving way completely. Fatigue enveloped him like a heavy shroud; he had completely forgotten that his survival wasn't entirely thanks to his parents.

Moments before the devastating impact caused by the initial explosion, his body had reacted instinctively: Overload. A temporary multiplication of x30 of his base strength had created a protective bubble around him for those crucial few seconds... but the cost had been too high for his young body.

Now he was exhausted and vulnerable; each breath was a titanic effort as he fought to stay conscious amid the smoldering debris.

In the midst of physical and emotional pain, a burning resolution began to form within him: he could not afford to be just a survivor. He needed to be stronger; he needed to become someone capable of facing any threat without hesitation.

With that newfound determination igniting within him, Yami crawled forward through corpses and shattered remnants of what once was... leaving behind the broken child he had pretended to be.