Chapter 43: The Final Hamon
"But, before that, let me just grind the 'Symbol of Peace's' dignity into the dust..."
Tomura Shigaraki hunched over, pointing a finger at Kira and the others. "Kurogiri, bring that unconscious brat over here. Let Nomu take care of the rest."
Hearing this, the smile on Mineta's face instantly vanished. He backed away in terror. "You're going to kill us? I don't want to die..."
Midoriya and Asui paid no attention to Shigaraki's threat. They both fixed their gazes on Kurogiri, watching his every move.
Midoriya spread his legs in the water, getting into a fighting stance. "I won't let you take Kira-kun!"
"Ahahaha! In the face of your own life being in danger, you're not running away like that disgusting grape, but thinking about saving your classmate..." Shigaraki let out a low chuckle. "I've changed my mind. I'll kill you all myself."
"Kurogiri."
"Understood." Kurogiri expanded his body and retreated, leaving a black warp gate in his place.
What are they planning?
"Asui, protect Kira-kun! I'll hold him off."
Midoriya looked around warily, on guard for a black hole to appear at any moment. In his mind, Shigaraki might use the warp gate to get in front of them and unleash his Quirk that seemed to be able to disintegrate anything.
Midoriya thought Shigaraki would attack him, so he shielded Asui and Mineta with his body. In his blind spot, a small, round black hole appeared in the air. Shigaraki's hand emerged silently from it, reaching for the back of Asui's head—
Mineta watched with wide eyes as Shigaraki's hand emerged from the void. He covered his mouth, desperately trying not to make a sound. Just as Shigaraki's hand was about to cover Asui's head, he couldn't hold it in any longer and shouted:
"Asui-chan, behind you!!"
Midoriya whipped his head around and saw Shigaraki's trick—on the surface, he had created a large warp gate, but in reality, Kurogiri had opened a small black hole just big enough for an arm behind Shigaraki's back, allowing his hand, which was out of Midoriya's line of sight, to cross the distance through space for a surprise attack.
"Tch." Seeing Mineta's sudden outburst, Shigaraki clicked his tongue in annoyance. He hadn't expected this guy, who looked like even the cannon fodder thugs wouldn't want him on their team, to be able to shout a warning without a care for his own safety at a time like this.
Shigaraki no longer bothered with the pretense and was about to unleash his Quirk and crush her head when he suddenly stopped.
"You're pretty cool, Eraser Head."
His head had been smashed into the ground, and his body was so badly injured he couldn't move. But, Shota Aizawa still forced open his eyes, which were already bloodshot and even weeping tears of blood, and stubbornly stared at Tomura Shigaraki. Quirk—Erasure!
I won't let your filthy hands touch my students!—Midoriya could feel his teacher's resolve burning in his eyes!
He might have been laid-back and always looked like he hadn't slept, but his love for his students was in no way inferior to All Might's!
Seeing this, Kurogiri reacted quickly. He instantly used his Quirk to appear in front of Aizawa, and his misty hand solidified, smashing Aizawa's raised head back into the ground.
Seeing Midoriya's momentary lapse in concentration, Nomu, who had been offline for a few seconds, followed Kurogiri's instructions, grabbed Midoriya's arm, and lifted him into the air.
Asui's hands were full holding Kira, so she shot out her long tongue and wrapped it around Midoriya, completely ignoring the black hand behind her that could kill her in an instant.
The restriction on Shigaraki was lifted. He laughed and swung his hand, once again reaching for Asui's head. However—
BOOM!!
The main gate of the USJ was kicked open. The heavy metal door was torn from its hinges, flew high into the air, and landed in the plaza, drawing everyone's attention.
"It's fine now! Why, you ask..."
A tall figure emerged from the dust. Every student who saw that figure broke into a relieved smile. "BECAUSE I AM HERE!" A powerful physique, tight, exaggerated muscles, and a smile that looked like a laugh, but everyone could feel the anger within it!
"That's... All Might!"
Nomu suddenly stopped moving. But even All Might's arrival didn't stop Tomura Shigaraki's actions—having been thwarted twice, he was furious and had decided that this time, he wouldn't stop, no matter what.
He was only surprised by All Might's arrival. After a brief pause, he still reached out his hand.
From the moment Asui had pulled Kira from the water until now, when she was about to be attacked, she had held him tightly, his face resting on her shoulder, as if she were holding a precious doll, or a lover with whom she had made a pact, never letting go.
Just as Shigaraki's hand was about to touch Asui's head, Kira's eyes suddenly snapped open.
When Kira regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was a hand glowing with a black light, a hand that seemed to represent death, getting closer and closer.
He wasn't sure what had happened while he was unconscious, but one thing was certain: Asui had saved him...
If that's the case, then I absolutely cannot let him harm the girl who is holding me!
"Shigaraki! I won't let you hurt her!"
It was the first time Kira knew he could make such a hysterical sound, as if he had completely forgotten the burdens that bound him, pouring everything he had into that one roar.
Golden Hamon swirled around Kira's body. With his roar, the Hamon all converged on his head, extinguishing all light.
Kira slammed his head against Shigaraki's hand. The moment they made contact, Shigaraki's expression changed. Kira's head showed no signs of breaking; it was as if he were just grabbing his head with his own strength.
"Why... won't it break?"
"Because... this is a hymn of courage and hope..." Kira's head was pressed against his hand. He gritted his teeth and shouted, "This is my final Hamon, Tomura Shigaraki... Have a taste of my heavens-piercing attack! TENGEN TOPPA... OVERDRIVE!"
With Kira's shout, a dazzling light began to emanate from his head. The light gathered and shot out a beam bright enough to illuminate reality and dispel everyone's unease!
Even through Kurogiri's warp gate, Shigaraki felt the dazzling light and felt his arm slowly being burned.
"Kurogiri, close the warp gate!!"
Shigaraki shouted Kurogiri's name while enduring the pain and pulling his hand back. Kurogiri seemed to have sensed it already and quickly shrank the circular warp gate. However, Shigaraki had overestimated his own speed. Although he managed to pull his arm back in time, the hand hanging from his arm didn't retract in time and fell to the ground.
The beam of light passed through the phantom of the warp gate like a real beam, traveling in a straight line before gradually dissipating after three or four seconds.
Kira had exhausted all the Hamon in his body, used up all his strength. Seeing the warp gate disappear, he fainted in relief.
However, Shigaraki paid no attention to this. He didn't even care about his slightly burned arm. He was clenching his own hand, looking at Kira, who was still hanging limply on Asui like a dead weight.
He didn't question Kira out loud, but just muttered to himself.
"Why... won't it break?"