Sweating slightly, her brow furrowed in a mixture of exhilaration and exhaustion, Kyoka finally ceased playing the guitar. The powerful reverberations of her sonic Quirk slowly subsided, leaving a ringing silence in their wake. She opened her eyes wide, taking in the astonishing sight before her.
The formerly rugged Landslide Zone was now almost completely shattered. Countless cracks of varying sizes spiderwebbed across the ground, some shallow, others plunging into deep, dark crevices. The landscape was a testament to the raw power she had unleashed. Through the swirling dust and debris, she vaguely noticed the collapsed bodies of the Villains, scattered like discarded rag dolls, some of them bleeding profusely from their ears, a grim testament to the concussive force they had endured.
'I think... I might have gone a little overboard this time,' Kyoka thought, a dazed, almost sheepish expression on her face as she surveyed the destruction. Her gaze then slowly returned to the sleek, electric guitar clutched in her hands, before a broad, triumphant smile spread across her lips. It was undeniably a powerful weapon, a new tool for her arsenal. 'Why in the world didn't I think of this brilliant combination before now? It's so obvious, so effective!' She was definitely including it in her official hero outfit design, no question about it.
"I think you got a little carried away, Jiro..." Lena muttered, her voice slightly muffled as she carefully removed her earplugs, which had partially protected her from the sonic assault. She turned to look at her two friends, a wry smile playing on her lips. "Hey, Momo... Momo?"
Momo was utterly speechless, her eyes wide with shock as she slowly looked around at their ravaged surroundings. The palpable, impending danger and the suffocating fear that had loomed over them had vanished in the blink of an eye, replaced by this scene of utter devastation wrought by Kyoka's Quirk.
'The sound, when channeled through that guitar, was not only loud enough to effectively knock a person out in a matter of mere seconds,' Momo's analytical mind raced, dissecting the phenomenon, 'but the accompanying vibration was also astonishingly powerful, potent enough to literally tear the very ground apart and violently shake your enemies to their core, rendering them helpless.'
Momo finally let out a shaky breath, one she hadn't even realized she had been holding back, her body trembling faintly with the residual adrenaline. The realization dawned upon her with chilling clarity: being a Pro Hero, facing such raw, uncontrolled power, was far more terrifying and dangerous than she had originally conceived in her academic studies.
"Earth to Momo?!" Lena's voice, now sharper with concern, cut through Momo's daze.
"Ah?!" Momo startled violently, letting out a small shriek as she instinctively snapped into a defensive stance, ready to punch someone, her eyes wide and disoriented. "L-Lena? Is that you?"
"Are you okay, Momo?" Lena asked, her voice laced with genuine concern as she looked directly into Momo's eyes. Absentmindedly, Momo realized she had indeed taken a stance to defend herself from a possible punch, a testament to her lingering anxiety. "Are you alright, really?"
"Y-Yeah, just..." Momo let out a trembling sigh as she took a deep, steadying breath, attempting to regain her composure. "I was just... profoundly surprised at the incredibly strong effect the guitar caused. It was beyond anything I anticipated."
Lena visibly relaxed, though she still kept her guard up, her eyes scanning their surroundings for any lingering threats. "Yeah, me too, honestly. Those amplifiers you created are pretty damn powerful, Momo. I was expecting it to just push them around a bit, or maybe for the vibration to cause some minor ground cracks, but this... this is simply ridiculous in its destructive power."
"I'm certainly not complaining!" Kyoka commented, a relaxed, almost serene smile gracing her lips, despite the widespread destruction. "Mommy now has a brand-new toy to play with, and it's awesome!"
Lena and Momo both let out an amused snort, a shared moment of relief and slight disbelief, before they slowly began to walk out of the ravaged Landslide Zone. The three of them remained largely silent as they proceeded at a slow, cautious pace, constantly mindful of the shattered ground and the fear of inadvertently falling into one of the many deep, new crevices.
"Wait a minute..." Kyoka suddenly halted, her brow furrowed slightly in concentration. "I think... I can hear something." Her earphone Jacks twitched, subtly picking up distant sounds.
Lena and Momo exchanged confused glances, neither of them hearing absolutely anything beyond the occasional faint sound of a falling rock or the soft, barely audible groan from a still-incapacitated villain. The silence, for them, was almost absolute.
"Give me just a moment," Kyoka replied, her voice firm. She crouched down, placing her earphone Jacks directly onto the fractured ground, closing her eyes to enhance her auditory focus.
Kyoka closed her eyes tightly, her face contorting into a grimace of absolute, profound concentration. Her senses, now fully tuned, began to receive various muffled, distant sounds emanating from different parts of the expansive USJ facility. Each distinct sound felt like a faint heartbeat, pulsing softly through the earth, reaching her ears and transmitting crucial, fragmented information. It was a strange, almost ethereal experience.
It was strangely harmonious, just her and the silent darkness, as she meticulously listened to the occasional, subtle sounds of nature interspersed with the distant echoes of conflict.
Suddenly, her brow furrowed more deeply as a specific, chilling sound slowly made its way through the vibrations, finally reaching her ears with unnerving clarity.
"...All Might... death..."
"...Nomu..."
"...Ora?!..."
... .. . Kyoka finally opened her eyes, snapping them open, and looked up at her companions, her face now etched with a grim determination. "It seems that the vast majority of our companions were transported and scattered to other Zones by that Mist Villain, Kurogiri."
"Ah," Lena let out a soft sound, her gaze turning slightly embarrassed, a hand raising to scratch the back of her neck. "I completely forgot about them in the heat of the moment..."
Momo simply gave Lena a narrowed, scrutinizing look, her disappointment clear, before redirecting her attention back to Kyoka. "What about Aizawa Sensei and Thirteen? Are they safe?"
Kyoka's grimace deepened. "I think Aizawa Sensei is still fiercely fighting the villains in the central plaza, where the main confrontation is, and Thirteen is still on the main staircase, presumably with some of us who weren't transported by the mist..." Her voice was tinged with worry.
Lena looked up at the vast, domed ceiling of the USJ facility thoughtfully before speaking softly, her mind already formulating a new, desperate plan. "I think we should split up, for now..."
"What?! Lena, that's absolutely the worst thing we can possibly do right now! The Villains vastly outnumber us, and we have no idea where most of them are! Plus, our teammates might be in serious trouble!" Momo refuted instantly, her brow furrowed in a deep frown, her arms crossed defensively, her voice rising in alarm. "I say we all stick together and immediately head to the nearest Zone to meet up with the others, safety in numbers!"
"I think they can manage on their own; they're not that weak, Momo. Besides, I'm sure Todoroki or Bakugo have already eliminated most of the villains in their respective Zones," Lena shrugged, her confidence in her classmates' abilities unshaken, before looking Momo directly in the eye. "What I'm proposing is that perhaps you two should go find our teammates, the scattered ones, while Kyoka and I head directly to the central plaza to help Aizawa Sensei."
Momo grimaced disapprovingly, her reluctance evident. "And why, pray tell, would you two be the ones to go to the main square and not me? I am the class representative, after all."
"I doubt they can hurt us much," Lena replied with a slight, almost mischievous smile, her confidence unwavering. "Kyoka has her powerful new guitar to stun and incapacitate villains before they can even get close, and I can literally hit the villains before they even notice my presence, neutralizing them swiftly." She then looked at Momo, her smile widening. "Besides, you could swiftly go between Zones and expertly help our scattered teammates with your versatile Quirk; you're incredibly adaptable, after all, and your Creation Quirk is perfect for rescue scenarios."
"I—" Momo started to argue, clearly still hesitant.
"It's your solemn duty as a class representative, after all, Momo," Lena commented, her mischievous smile still firmly in place, before shooting a sharp, almost murderous look at Kyoka, who was about to refute Lena's cheeky assertion. "Isn't that right, Kyoka?"
Kyoka opened her mouth with a frown, poised to argue, before blinking twice, seemingly reconsidering. She then looked at Momo with an innocent expression and a sweet smile. "She's right, Momo. It is your duty."
"E-Eh?" Momo stuttered, taken aback by Kyoka's sudden, unexpected change in attitude, her surprise evident. She then let out an annoyed sigh, realizing she had been outmaneuvered.
"Fine... but please, be careful, understood? Both of you," Momo conceded, her voice still laced with concern, a final plea for caution.
"Don't worry about us!" Lena exclaimed, her confidence returning in full force, a wide, reassuring grin on her face. "We've got this!"
'How utterly annoying...'
Tomura Shigaraki stood in the central plaza, watching his forces, his meticulously assembled villain army, being systematically decimated by a single, exhausted Hero: Eraser Head. Sure, his meager troops were nothing but small potatoes in the vast ocean of villains, mere cannon fodder, but he hadn't anticipated them being so utterly useless, so laughably easy to defeat by one man. The inefficiency infuriated him.
'Perhaps I should have listened to Master's advice and chosen quality over sheer quantity...' Shigaraki mused, a bitter taste in his mouth, the thought a fleeting moment of self-reproach.
"...Whatever..." Shigaraki muttered, his fingers ceasing their frantic scratching at the back of his neck. He turned his gaze towards the staircase of the USJ, his eyes narrowing impatiently. "Kurogiri is taking far too long to deal with those brats..." His patience was wearing thin, and his irritation was building.
'Perhaps a preliminary test of Nomu's raw strength wouldn't be such a bad idea right now, just to pass the time and gauge its full capabilities...' Shigaraki thought, his sadistic gaze shifting towards the hulking, avian-headed creature standing silently beside him. "Nomu..." His voice was low, a chilling command.
"W-Where did everyone go?" Tenya Iida asked fearfully, his voice trembling, as he looked around the deserted staircase, only to find that much of the class had mysteriously disappeared. The chaos of the portaling had left him bewildered.
"Th-They're...!" Kaminari Denki stammered, his voice choked with fear, fearing the absolute worst had befallen their classmates.
"No, calm yourselves! Most likely, our opponent's Quirk has simply scattered them all over the USJ facility!" Thirteen exclaimed, her voice resonating through her suit, a desperate attempt to reassure them. She herself was frustrated at being forced to remain on the defensive against the villains, unable to actively intervene in the larger conflict. "Don't think about them and focus on what's directly in front of you! They're heroes in training, aren't they? A Hero cannot, under any circumstances, afford to panic!"
What remained of the class nodded, some still visibly shaken but making a conscious effort to suppress the intense feelings of fear and panic that gripped them. If they truly wished to become heroes, they understood, they couldn't afford to panic or shrink from a fight merely out of fear. It was a harsh, yet necessary, lesson in self-control.
'Worst case scenario...' Thirteen thought, her mind racing through grim possibilities, before shaking her head sharply, dismissing the negative thoughts. 'No, I cannot afford to be pessimistic in this dire situation. I must remain focused for the students' sake.'
"How truly inspiring... I expected nothing less from a renowned Rescue Hero like you, Thirteen... So, Thirteen and you, U.A. students... what will be your next, strategic move?" Kurogiri asked, his voice dripping with amusement, finding the students' predicament highly entertaining. It was truly gratifying to witness the raw panic and unadulterated terror etched on the faces of the little hopefuls. 'Ah, it's such a real pity that I still couldn't clearly see Thirteen's face... I enjoy seeing their despair.'
Thirteen and Kurogiri stared at each other across the gap for a few tense seconds that seemed to stretch into an eternity, with each passing moment, the tension in the air increased exponentially, thick and suffocating.
The frightened hearts of the aspiring heroes pounded relentlessly in their chests as they tried their absolute best not to lose hope, clinging to any shred of courage they could muster.
"Iida, listen to me very carefully," Thirteen said quietly, her voice firm, cutting through the silence. "You must get out of here, now."
"Wh—!" Iida exclaimed in surprise, but his protest was swiftly interrupted by Thirteen's unyielding, resolute voice.
"Listen closely, I've been desperately trying to communicate with the main school building, but my communicator isn't working at all. Yet, USJ is equipped with numerous alarms and cameras specifically designed to detect intruders or unauthorized individuals entering this U.A. Zone," Thirteen explained, a bitter frustration lacing her voice as she stared intently at Kurogiri, a silent accusation.
"Most likely, it's a villain's Quirk that's cutting off all our communications. So, for the sake of your companions, for the sake of everyone here... I need you to leave this place, Iida, and immediately inform the U.A. professors about the critical situation. You are our only, single hope for reinforcements."
"I—" Iida started, his eyes wide with the weight of the responsibility.
Without giving Iida even a moment to respond or protest, Thirteen abruptly activated her Quirk, 'Black Hole,' and began to forcibly absorb Kurogiri's mist. She desperately hoped to incapacitate the villain, to remove him from the equation... or, at the very worst, to neutralize him permanently, even if it meant taking a life.
It was not something Thirteen was proud of. In fact, the mere thought of actually killing someone made her squirm internally with profound guilt and moral conflict... but for the sake of the innocent students entrusted to her care, she knew she had to try everything, and more, to protect them. She was willing to cross a line she never thought she would.
"Smart move, Thirteen, though," Kurogiri said, his voice disturbingly calm for Thirteen's liking, his composure unnerving. "It's utterly useless against me."
Suddenly, a portal of dark mist materialized directly behind Thirteen, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. By the time the Space Hero realized Kurogiri's cunning counter-plan, it was tragically too late. She could feel a horrifying, agonizing sensation as a part of her body was forcibly detached, pulled into the portal, and brutally disintegrated into dust, causing her excruciating, unimaginable pain.
For the young students witnessing this horrifying spectacle, it was like a scene ripped directly from a macabre horror movie. From within Thirteen's hero suit, bones, torn skin, and blood could be seen in gruesome piles, falling from her very being. It was a truly creepy and disturbing sight, a visceral depiction of violence that shattered their youthful illusions of heroism.
Most of the students were paralyzed with abject fear, their bodies frozen, unable to move a single muscle. Some almost seemed to faint outright as a highly respected Pro Hero, their protector, fell before their very eyes, incapacitated, unable to do anything to help herself or them. The sheer terror was suffocating.
With her last remaining bit of willpower, just before falling into the dark abyss of unconsciousness, Thirteen managed to muster a final, desperate shout: "Run, Iida! RUN!!!"
Iida, responding instantly to her command, ran at full, unprecedented speed towards USJ's main door, his mind completely blank, devoid of any thought except the desperate need to escape. He didn't look back, he didn't think, he didn't hesitate. In his mind, there was only one thing, one singular mission: to get out of this hellish nightmare and summon help.
Kurogiri, attempting a desperate, last-ditch effort, tried to create a sudden portal to intercept and stop Iida's escape...
But Sero Hanta, with his keen eyes, managed to discern a small metallic flash on the villain's otherwise ethereal body – a crucial weakness.
'That must be his physical body!' Sero thought, a sudden, desperate realization. He swiftly shot a thick ribbon of his tape from his elbow, aiming precisely for the metallic collar he had glimpsed, and with a powerful, desperate tug, he forced Kurogiri to be thrown away from Iida, buying his classmate precious seconds. "Go, Iida! Go!"
Kurogiri felt a sudden, unexpected tug, and before he could fully comprehend what was happening, he found himself flying uncontrollably away from the main stairs, his teleportation Quirk momentarily disrupted. The students' desperate gamble had paid off.