Ren knew something was wrong the moment the summons came.
Not because being called to the organization's head office was unusual—students like him were often briefed privately—but because of who was waiting when he arrived.
Gojo Satoru stood near the window, hands in his pockets, posture too still.
All Might was seated across the table, massive frame tense, elbows resting on his knees as if grounding himself.
And at the head of the room sat the Chairman of the Unified Institution, the man who oversaw both U.A. High and Jujutsu High, his expression grim in a way Ren had never seen before.
The door closed behind Ren with a soft click that sounded far too final.
"Sit down, Ren," the Chairman said.
Ren did, though unease twisted tightly in his chest. His cursed energy stirred restlessly, reacting to the weight in the room before words were spoken.
"This meeting," the Chairman continued, "concerns your father."
The words hit harder than Ren expected.
"My father?" Ren repeated. "He's still in America. I—"
Gojo didn't interrupt. That alone was enough to make Ren's pulse spike.
The Chairman folded his hands together. "Hikaru Oshimiya was located early this morning near Haneda Airport."
Ren's breath caught. "Located?"
"There was an incident," All Might said, voice low and steady, but strained beneath the surface. "A large-scale one."
The Chairman activated the screen behind him.
Ren saw the image before he could prepare himself.
The airport terminal—what remained of it—was unrecognizable. Entire sections had been obliterated, concrete warped and compressed, runways fractured as if struck by something far heavier than explosives.
Emergency response teams looked impossibly small against the devastation.
"This occurred shortly after dawn," the Chairman said. "Surveillance confirms a violent engagement. Not a bombing. Not an accident. A battle."
Ren stood up so fast his chair skidded backward.
"Where is he?" Ren demanded. "Where's my father?"
The Chairman's eyes didn't waver. "Hikaru Oshimiya was found at the center of the destruction."
The room felt suddenly airless.
"…Found?" Ren whispered.
Gojo turned slightly away.
All Might closed his eyes.
The Chairman spoke carefully, each word measured. "He did not survive."
For a moment, Ren heard nothing.
No heartbeat. No breath. No sound.
Then his cursed energy spiked.
The pressure rolled outward instinctively, cracking the floor beneath his feet as if reality itself had flinched.
Windows rattled violently. The Chairman's barrier flared to life instantly, stabilizing the room.
"No," Ren said, voice shaking. "That's not possible. You're wrong. He's—he's—"
"He fought," All Might said quietly. "Hard. Hard enough to level an airport."
Ren's fists clenched, nails biting into his palms. "Who."
The word was sharp. Singular. Absolute.
The Chairman hesitated only briefly. "We believe this was the work of the organization known as Night Sky."
Ren's head snapped up. "Them?"
Gojo finally spoke. "More specifically," he said, tone unusually cold, "their leader."
Ren swallowed. "Izana."
Gojo nodded once. "If it was him."
"If?" Ren snapped.
"All evidence points toward him," All Might said. "But Izana doesn't leave signatures. He leaves results."
The Chairman leaned forward. "If Izana truly defeated Hikaru Oshimiya alone, then this confirms something we feared."
Ren laughed—a short, broken sound. "That he's strong?"
"That he's beyond strong," Gojo replied. "Hikaru was one of the Three Pillars of the Modern Era."
All Might continued, voice heavy. "Gojo Satoru. Hikaru Oshimiya. And myself. The balance of power exists because the world knows these three cannot be easily removed."
Ren's cursed energy trembled violently around him. "And he just removed one."
"If it was Izana," Gojo said, "then yes."
The implications crashed down all at once.
If Hikaru had fallen, then the world had shifted permanently. The deterrent was broken. The sky itself had cracked.
Ren turned toward the door.
"I'm leaving," he said.
"Ren—" All Might began.
"I'm finding him," Ren continued, walking forward as the pressure around him intensified. "I don't care where he is or what it takes."
The door didn't open.
Gojo stood in front of it, one hand braced casually against the frame, blindfold tilted slightly downward.
"No," Gojo said simply.
Ren's eyes burned. "Move."
"All Might," Gojo said calmly.
In an instant, All Might was there, one massive hand gripping Ren's shoulder, his strength absolute yet controlled, preventing Ren from surging forward.
"Listen to me, young man," All Might said firmly. "Charging out like this will only add another name to the dead."
Ren struggled, cursed energy flaring wildly, the room groaning under the strain. "That was my father!"
"And he would not want this," All Might replied without hesitation.
Ren froze.
Gojo's voice softened—just a fraction. "Izana wants exactly what you're offering right now. Emotion. Impulse. Predictability."
Ren's breathing was ragged. "Then what am I supposed to do?"
Gojo leaned closer. "You survive. You train. You grow strong enough that when you finally face him… it's on your terms."
The pressure slowly eased.
Ren sagged slightly under All Might's grip, fury still burning but no longer exploding outward.
Tears threatened but didn't fall.
The Chairman spoke quietly. "Night Sky has declared war on the balance of this world. Whether publicly or not."
Gojo straightened. "And they just made it personal."
Outside, the sky over Tokyo remained clear.
But one pillar had fallen.
And the world would feel it soon.