The dust settled slightly as Overhaul regained his footing, his piercing glare locked on me and Tokoyami. Around us, the chaos of the battle still raged, but in this moment, it felt like the three of us were in a world of our own.

"Dark Shadow," Tokoyami commanded, his voice low but firm. The shadowy entity loomed large, its jagged edges shifting like a living storm, ready to strike at the first signal.

Overhaul cracked his neck, the calmness in his movements more unsettling than any outward display of rage. "You're not leaving here, Midoriya. This ends now."

"Cute," I shot back, wiping a smear of blood from my lip. "Did you rehearse that line, or does it just come naturally? Either way, I'm unimpressed."

Dark Shadow lunged at Overhaul, the shadowy tendrils aiming for his legs to destabilize him. Overhaul reacted with frightening speed, his hand grazing the ground and reshaping the terrain into a jagged wall between them. The collision sent shockwaves rippling through the air, forcing me to shield my face from the debris.

"Careful!" I shouted to Tokoyami, darting around the wall to find an opening.

"Don't lecture me," he snapped, his tone sharp but not unkind. "Focus on staying alive!"

A barrage of attacks came from Overhaul's men, attempting to close in on us. I pivoted, grabbing a loose piece of metal from the rubble and using it to deflect a series of blasts. My quirkless status wasn't a disadvantage—not when I had strategy and improvisation on my side.

"You know," I called over the din, my voice dripping with sarcasm, "for a guy with an army, you sure do a lot of the heavy lifting yourself. Delegation not your strong suit?"

Overhaul didn't respond, his focus entirely on dismantling Dark Shadow's relentless assaults. But his men weren't as disciplined. One of them—a burly guy with a quirk that turned his arms into hammers—growled and charged at me, his frustration evident.

I sidestepped at the last second, letting his momentum carry him into the debris. "And they call me reckless," I muttered, planting a kick squarely into his back to knock him out cold.

Tokoyami's Dark Shadow was relentless, keeping Overhaul occupied as I dealt with his minions. But it was clear we couldn't keep this up forever. Overhaul was adapting, his attacks becoming more precise, more ruthless.

"Midoriya, we need reinforcements," Tokoyami said through gritted teeth, his posture strained as he directed Dark Shadow's movements.

"Working on it!" I retorted, my mind racing.

I scanned the battlefield, looking for any sign of our allies. The League was still engaged in their own skirmishes, Shigaraki's Decay carving through Overhaul's forces like a hot knife through butter. Class 1-B had successfully evacuated most of the civilians, their coordinated efforts a testament to their growth. The heroes, meanwhile, were locked in fierce combat with Overhaul's higher-ranking subordinates.

And then I spotted her. Mei Hatsume, crouched behind a makeshift barricade, her fingers flying over the controls of a device that looked like it belonged in a sci-fi movie.

"Hatsume!" I bellowed, sprinting toward her.

She glanced up, her goggles reflecting the flickering flames around us. "Oh, hey, Midoriya! Having fun?"

"Loads," I deadpanned. "But I could really use some firepower right about now."

A wicked grin spread across her face. "Say no more."

She shoved a metallic contraption into my hands, the weight of it nearly throwing me off balance. It was a gauntlet, sleek and menacing, with an array of buttons and levers that screamed over-engineered.

"What does it do?" I asked, slipping it on.

"Press the red button and aim," she said with a wink before diving back into her work.

I didn't have time to question her further. Overhaul's men were closing in again, their relentless pursuit forcing me back toward Tokoyami.

"Catch!" I yelled, tossing a smaller device to Tokoyami.

He caught it midair, his eyes narrowing. "What is this?"

"Just press the button and hope Hatsume knows what she's doing," I replied, aiming the gauntlet at the nearest group of enemies.

The red button clicked under my thumb, and a blast of concussive force erupted from the gauntlet, sending the attackers flying.

"Okay, that's impressive," I admitted, glancing at the smoking device.

Tokoyami activated his gadget, which deployed a barrier of swirling shadows around him, amplifying Dark Shadow's range and power. Together, we pressed the advantage, pushing Overhaul's forces back inch by inch.

But Overhaul himself was far from finished. With a roar of frustration, he tore through Dark Shadow's defenses, his quirk creating a wave of destruction that barreled toward us.

"Move!" I shouted, grabbing Tokoyami and diving out of the way.

The impact shook the ground, leaving a crater where we'd stood moments before. My ears rang from the force, but I forced myself to focus.

"Midoriya," Tokoyami said, his voice low. "We can't keep this up. He's too strong."

I clenched my fists, my mind racing. We needed to end this—and fast.

Then, like a beacon of hope, Shigaraki appeared, his Decay quirk disintegrating the debris blocking our path.

"Took you long enough," I said, a smirk tugging at my lips.

"Shut up," he replied, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone.