Getting to the center of USJ was an absolute nightmare.

Not just because of the villains—oh no, that would've been too easy. No, we had to deal with those things. The screeching horrors that slithered in and out of the shadows, watching, waiting. They didn't attack right away, which somehow made it worse.

"Are they just... letting us through?" I muttered, stepping over a broken railing as Overhaul followed behind me.

"That's never a good sign," he grumbled.

We moved carefully through the ruined structures, avoiding villains where we could and taking them out when necessary. It was almost eerie how little resistance we faced. At first, I chalked it up to the villains just being dumb, but then I saw it—the way they flinched when the shadows moved.

They weren't avoiding us.

They were avoiding them.

The creatures.

Whatever they were, they had the villains just as terrified as we were.

Overhaul nudged me. "We're almost at the center. You sure we'll find him there?"

I nodded. "If I know anything about dramatic wannabe final bosses, yeah."

We climbed the last stretch of stairs, stepping into the wide-open space at the heart of USJ. A massive skylight overhead cast eerie lighting over the battlefield. Rubble and broken structures were scattered everywhere.

And in the middle of it all, sitting on a toppled piece of concrete, was Tomura Shigaraki.

Waiting for us.

His red eyes glowed under the dim light, a slow grin spreading across his face.

And that's when he started laughing.

Shigaraki was laughing.

Like, full-on, head-tilted-back, ugly cackling.

And I had to stand there and take it.

"Ohhh—oh, this—this is just too good," he wheezed, pointing directly at Overhaul. "What the hell happened to you?"

To be fair, it was a valid reaction. Overhaul, Mr. 'I Wear A Plague Mask Because I Have No Fashion Sense,' was now standing beside me in a full-blown magical transformation. His outfit was sleeker than mine, somehow more regal, with feathered shoulder pieces and a deep emerald cape that billowed dramatically, even though there was no wind inside the USJ. The guy looked like a villain from some over-the-top fantasy novel.

Overhaul, to his credit, did not immediately explode at being mocked. He just sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose, and turned to me. "Can we kill him?"

Shigaraki stopped laughing instantly. "Hey."

I sighed. "Unfortunately, no."

Overhaul groaned. "Why not?"

"Because," I said, turning fully to face him, "we need him."

Shigaraki scoffed, folding his arms. "Oh, I'd love to hear this one."

Overhaul raised a brow. "What do you mean, 'we need him'? You barely even convinced me to do this. And now you want me to just accept that this greasy-handed cryptid is part of the package deal?"

"Excuse you," Shigaraki snapped.

I rubbed my temples. "Look, you asked me if I could drag someone else into this magical hellscape. The answer is yes." I jabbed a finger in Shigaraki's direction. "And lucky for you, he's the perfect candidate."

Shigaraki's eyes narrowed. "Why the hell would I ever agree to anything you're saying?"

That's when it happened.

A sharp, earsplitting screech echoed through the USJ, shaking the walls and making the ground tremble beneath our feet.

Both Shigaraki and Overhaul snapped their heads toward the sound.

I took a deep breath and exhaled through my nose. "Because of that."

Shigaraki twitched. "...The hell was that?"

I gestured vaguely. "Something that wants us dead."

Overhaul crossed his arms. "And you're telling me magic finds magic, so we're the first on its hit list."

"Ding ding ding, give the man a prize." I clapped my hands together. "Now, are we done with the dramatics, or do I have to deal with you two bickering while eldritch horror comes to rip us apart?"

Another screech, louder this time, sent a pulse through the air. Shadows flickered along the walls.

Shigaraki stiffened. "Tch." He flexed his fingers. "You're really serious about this?"

I gave him the most deadpan look I could manage. "No, I made all this up for fun. I just love risking my life for a magical nightmare dimension."

Overhaul grumbled under his breath. "If this doesn't works, I'll kill you later."

I shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. Get in line."

Then I lifted my hand, the spade mark on it glowing faintly, and prepared to make the worst decision of my life—again.

Shigaraki's laughter cut off when Overhaul grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground.

"Wha—what the hell are you—?!" he sputtered, clawing at Overhaul's wrist.

"Oh, don't mind me," Overhaul said smoothly. "I'm just making sure you sit still for what's about to happen."

Shigaraki thrashed beneath him, trying to decay Overhaul's sleeve, but the man had already adjusted his grip to avoid direct skin contact. Smart bastard.

Meanwhile, I cracked my knuckles, taking a dramatic step forward. "Yeah, see, Shigaraki, I need you on the team. And lucky for you, I just figured out the fastest way to make that happen."

He stilled, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What are you talking about, brat?"

"Oh, nothing much," I said, grinning. "Just—revenge."

Before he could react, I smacked my glowing palm right onto his shoulder.

A burst of light erupted, swallowing his entire body as he let out a guttural scream—one that was immediately cut off by a very undignified yelp.

Then, just as suddenly as it started, the light faded.

Overhaul stepped back, expression unreadable. I, on the other hand, had to physically stop myself from doubling over in laughter.

Shigaraki was unrecognizable.

His usually ragged, oversized coat was gone, replaced with an elaborate black and violet ensemble. A tattered cape hung dramatically off his shoulders, somehow billowing despite the lack of wind. His gloves were now sleek, clawed gauntlets, and his boots had an unnecessary amount of buckles. His messy blue hair had somehow become even messier, but now it had tiny purple streaks running through it, glowing faintly in the dim light.

And the best part?

The name that appeared in bright, shimmering letters above his head or as I wanted to refer to it since apparently only I could see..... heavenly destiny.

"Twilight Reaper."

I lost it.

"Oh my god," I wheezed, bending over. "That's so edgy!"

Overhaul snorted. "Fitting, though."

Shigaraki just lay there, staring at himself, silent in utter horror.

Then, slowly, he turned his glowing red eyes to me, voice dangerously low.

"FUCKING HELL! DAMN IDIOT!"

"Yes, Twilight Reaper?"

"I will murder you."

I wiped a fake tear from my eye. "Oh, buddy, you wish."