Chapter 7: The Battle at Todoroki Residence

At 7:30 PM, in a covert location undisclosed to all, Toya finds himself bound to a chair, restrained by numerous shadowy hands.

Mori-sensei, or Void as she's known in the underworld, watches her captive student from the shadows. Her face is concealed behind a mask, her true identity hidden from her unsuspecting pupil.

Toya stirs, his consciousness slowly returning. His first thought upon waking is a disoriented, 'Where am I?' He takes a moment to gather his thoughts, his confusion swiftly blooming into panic. 'Who knocked me out? Was it Mori-sensei, or another villain? Did they kill Mori-sensei?'

He attempts to free himself from the chair, to no avail. He tries to summon his flame, but it refuses to materialize.

Then, his gaze falls upon a woman with fiery red hair standing before him. Her face is hidden behind a mask, but the sight of her is enough for Toya to understand his captor's identity.

"Mori-sensei, why are you doing this to me?" Toya's voice doesn't waver with fear, but the surprise and disappointment in his tone is palpable.

"Ah, you're unflappable. Just like Endeavour's son should be. I kidnapped you to make your father suffer," Void declares.

"So, your plan is to murder me in front of my father?" Toya asks, his voice eerily calm.

"Exactly," Void replies, taken aback by Toya's nonchalant response.

Toya mutters under his breath, "What should I do?"

In his mind, he chastises Mori-sensei, or rather, the traitor who has him trapped, 'This bitch is using her Thermal Manipulation to suppress my flame. At least I know her Quirk, thanks to Kei.' He begins to strategize, searching for an escape route.

"Toya, what are you thinking? Trying to find a way out?" Void taunts, her voice laced with amusement. She knows him well, having monitored him since his first day of kindergarten. "There's no way out."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Toya dismisses her words, his mind focused on finding a potential escape.

Suddenly, a nebulous shadow mist materializes from thin air, and from its depths, Phantom emerges.

"Cool," Toya comments, eyeing the newcomer.

'So, this is the man who escaped Otou-san. That means these shadowy hands binding me are his. No wonder,' Toya muses.

Phantom's gaze lands on Toya, and he can't help but be amused by the young man's lack of fear.

"You're his son," Phantom observes, crouching to meet Toya's level. "Aren't you scared that I might target your other family members? Your mother, perhaps, or your sister and little brother?"

Toya's gaze remains fixed on Phantom, his glowing purple eyes reflecting a surge of anger.

"Lucky for you, your family will soon join you here. With your father gone, there's no one left to protect them. Perhaps when your mother arrives, I could-" Phantom leans in, whispering a vile threat into Toya's ear.

Toya tries to lunge at Phantom, but his restraints limit him to a mere shift in his chair. He doesn't utter a word, his rage evident in his fiery gaze.

Suddenly, the scent of smoke fills the air as a blue flame ignites on his forehead, his eyes daring Phantom to make a move.

"Haha, you think I'd do that? I'm not Echo, but maybe she's already fallen prey to him," Phantom taunts in a disturbingly cheerful tone.

"You bastard!" Toya's body erupts in flames, the heat disintegrating the shadowy hands binding him.

But Void intervenes, and Toya's flames vanish as if they were never there.

"Phantom, are you really provoking the kid?" Void questions, her tone laced with annoyance.

"Yes, I want this kid to be traumatized for life. It'll be even more amusing when Endeavour witnesses it all," Phantom responds, locking eyes with Void before removing his mask to reveal his scarred face. "I'll do whatever it takes, because Endeavour ruined my life."

Suddenly, the communication device nestled in Phantom's ear begins to buzz. Swiftly, he dons his mask once more and answers the call.

"Phantom, I need your help," Echo's voice comes through, punctuated by labored breaths.

"I'll be right there," Phantom responds. As he prepares to teleport away via his shadow, he turns to Void, instructing, "Watch him."

"I know," Void replies, her voice steady.

...

At the Todoroki Residence, only two figures remain - Gran Torino and Echo.

Echo, panting heavily, racks his brain for a strategy to buy time.

"Kid, give up. It's for your own good," Gran Torino advises, his voice steady.

"No, not until I finish my work here," Echo retorts, determination lacing his words.

"Well, that's your loss," Gran Torino responds, his body a blur as he bounces off the walls, ready to unleash another onslaught on Echo.

With the scant energy he's managed to absorb, Echo forms an energy cloak around his body, hoping to bolster his defense.

But an unexpected kick to the back of his head throws him off balance, and Gran Torino continues his relentless assault, ricocheting off the walls like a pinball.

Echo waits, timing his strike. As soon as he spots an opening, he lunges, but his attempt is futile. Gran Torino easily sidesteps his punches and retaliates with a swift kick to Echo's face.

Then, Gran Torino proceeds to dominate the fight, reminiscent of Sonic's relentless pursuit of Dr. Eggman. Echo is bombarded by a flurry of blows, each hit landing with the force of a gust of wind. The onslaught is brutal, leaving Echo battered and bruised.

Just when it seemed there was no escape from the brutal beating, the lights in the house flickered out, and a shadowy portal emerged from the darkness.

Phantom stepped through, wielding two shadowy spears. He was taken aback by the sight of Echo, who had been beaten to a pulp.

Transforming into a shadowy mist, Phantom swooped in to rescue Echo from Gran Torino's relentless assault.

However, Gran Torino didn't falter. He charged towards Echo, intent on ending the fight. His attack landed on Echo, but not on Phantom, who remained an intangible mist.

Phantom was cautious. If he opened a portal, Gran Torino could potentially follow them through.

Then, an idea struck him. Reverting back to his human form, he created a shadow portal beneath him.

"You're not getting away," Gran Torino declared, dashing towards them.

As they escaped through the portal, Gran Torino managed to slip in as well, and they found themselves atop Mount Fuji.

Just as Gran Torino was about to resume his attack, Phantom conjured a shadow cage, trapping Gran Torino for a few precious seconds.

Seizing the opportunity, Phantom and Echo teleported away. As soon as they vanished, the cage dissolved into nothingness.

"I need to get back down quickly," Gran Torino muttered, before darting away.

....

At their undisclosed hideout,

Echo and Phantom arrive safely, though for the first time, Phantom is noticeably out of breath, a testament to the threat Gran Torino posed.

Void looks on in surprise at the sight of Echo's battered state.

"Who did this to him?" she inquires.

"An old man, likely a retired hero. A formidable one at that," Phantom replies. "I need to recover my energy, then we can proceed with the plan."

Toya watches the scene unfold, a sigh of relief escaping him knowing his family is safe. Yet, the desire to escape still burns within him.

His only obstacle? His own teacher.