On the utterly destroyed plaza floor, Shota Aizawa danced in his white cloth, darting among the ranks of villains, erasing their Quirks with his red gaze, then subduing them with precise punches to the jaw or sweeping kicks that shattered knees.
He dispatched dozens of those low-tier villains in what felt like the blink of an eye. His white binding scarf shot out like a pack of starving albino pythons, coiling, pulling, and dropping his enemies one by one until they lay unconscious on the cracked marble tiles.
From behind the thinning crowd, Tomura Shigaraki ran closer. His posture was hunched, steps irregular.
"Are you the king?" Aizawa muttered softly, breathing heavily. He didn't wait for an answer. He charged forward toward Shigaraki, launching his carbon steel scarf straight at the pale young man's throat.
Shigaraki didn't dodge. With surprising reflex speed, his pale hand rose and caught the scarf. He held it, letting his body be pulled closer, running straight to meet Aizawa. The distance between them shrank drastically.
"24 seconds," Shigaraki began counting, voice hoarse and flat. "20 seconds."
Aizawa hissed roughly. "Tch!!" He yanked his scarf forcefully, trying to free it from the enemy's grip, but Shigaraki wouldn't let go. Instead, he allowed himself to be dragged forward.
"17 seconds," Shigaraki muttered again, now only an arm's length away.
Cornered, Aizawa twisted his hips, channeling power from his legs to his shoulder, and slammed his elbow squarely into Shigaraki's solar plexus.
But at the same instant, Shigaraki lifted his head. His glowing red eyes stared straight into Aizawa's, who now had to blink as the Erasure effect reached its duration limit.
"We keep jumping and fighting at high speed, so it's hard for laypeople to notice," Shigaraki said, a horrifying smile forming behind the hand covering his face. "But… there's a moment when your hair falls in front of your eyes."
Aizawa glared in horror, realizing his mistake.
At that moment, Aizawa's elbow, which had just struck Shigaraki's stomach, suddenly felt like it was burning. No, not burning. Something far worse. The fabric fibers of his sleeve peeled away, turning to ash. His skin cracked, the flesh beneath drying and crumbling bit by bit.
That was Decay!
"It's the moment you finish an action, when you blink and your Quirk deactivates. And after that… the intervals get shorter and shorter."
Shigaraki's smile widened behind his hand accessory. He stroked the remains of Aizawa's now bloody and mangled elbow. "Don't bite off more than you can chew, Eraser Head."
Aizawa gritted his teeth against the pain. With the remaining strength from pure adrenaline, he swung his intact left hand, landing an uppercut that slammed into Shigaraki's jaw with force.
Buagh!
Shigaraki staggered back several steps from the blow.
Aizawa immediately leaped backward, keeping as much distance as possible. He clutched his bleeding right arm. My elbow's broken!
At that moment, two other villains who had just regained consciousness tried to exploit Aizawa's weakness. They charged from his blind side. But before they could touch him, Aizawa's white scarf shot out again, wrapping around their bodies and smashing their heads together with a sickening crack.
"Isn't your Quirk unsuited for fighting multiple enemies over a long period?" Shigaraki stood straight, slowly rubbing his neck. He looked at Aizawa with a condescending gaze. "Isn't this far different from your usual nighttime work? Aren't you an expert in close-range surprise attacks? One-on-one?"
Shigaraki stepped forward, hands open. "So… what's your reason for diving into an open frontal battle like this, when you know you'll tire out? Is it so your students can escape?" he continued, tone mocking. "You're sacrificing yourself for those little kids. You're really, really cool."
Shigaraki paused, then slightly hunched his back. His voice turned lower and trembling.
"Ah, by the way, Hero… Here, I'm not the king."
In that second, the air behind Aizawa shifted. A massive shadow, the size of a primordial mountain of flesh, suddenly appeared silently right behind his back!
Aizawa's eyes widened until the red veins showed clearly, feeling the hot, rotting corpse stench of the creature's breath on his nape. It was Nomu!
The artificial human with unnaturally bulging black muscles and an exposed brain without a skull.
Nomu's gigantic hand, thick as a tree trunk, rose high. Its rough fingers prepared to slam down, intending to crush Aizawa's head into the concrete floor until it shattered into pieces.
At that moment, time seemed to freeze for Aizawa. Death stared down at him.
But before that demonic hand touched a single hair… TRANG! A deafening metallic clang sounded, followed by the wet tearing of flesh.
A thick, serrated iron blade, nearly two meters long, hurtled at supersonic speed. The iron didn't hit Nomu's head; it pierced straight through the giant palm of Nomu's descending hand. The kinetic force was so immense it deflected Nomu's muscular arm sideways, making the strike miss and hit empty air.
The sharp iron blade didn't stop there. After penetrating the palm, its tip shot deep into Nomu's pitch-black chest muscle.
Aizawa was utterly shocked, using the momentum of Nomu's missed hand to leap back as far as possible, evading death. While clutching his bleeding elbow, he quickly turned his head toward the source of the iron shot.
From the mountain zone direction leading to the plaza, he saw it.
Fuse Yasushi stood while yawning widely, covering his mouth with the back of his armored left hand, while his right hand rested casually in his pants pocket. Beside him, Denki Kaminari stood with trembling knees, looking like he wanted to flee but was forced forward.
Meanwhile, a bit farther behind them, hiding behind a concrete pillar, two female students, Momo Yaoyorozu and Kyoka Jiro, watched with pale faces.
Yaoyorozu let out a long sigh, massaging her temple. "If we get chewed out later, don't blame me," she muttered, half in despair.
Jiro nodded in agreement, crossing her arms over her chest. "I told him from the start to evacuate immediately and find another way out. But no, he charged ahead. What kind of lunatic tries to approach the center of danger and strolls like he's walking in a park?"
Ignoring his friends' complaints behind him, Fuse continued walking down, approaching Aizawa. His steps were calm, boots clanging rhythmically.
"I'm the Class Representative," Fuse said without looking back, eyes closed casually. "My words and actions are absolute. Relax, taking big responsibilities and being the center of attention is my daily bread."
He finally reached Aizawa's side, who was still panting and enduring pain. Fuse stopped, glancing at his teacher's horrific arm condition.
"Are you okay, Sensei?" Fuse asked, tone sounding more mocking than sympathetic. "Your arm looks like grilled meat left too long on the barbecue."
Aizawa, enduring bone-piercing pain, glared sharply at Fuse. Veins bulged on his forehead. "Why are you here?!" Aizawa shouted, a mix of anger at his students' disobedience and panic that they were now in mortal danger. "Run now!"
Fuse ignored the order. He raised his right hand, twirling his index finger in his ear hole, then blew on the fingertip as if discarding earwax.
"If I hadn't come at the last second, what do you think would've happened to you, Sensei? Your brain might be splattered coloring this floor," Fuse said calmly. He then stared straight at the frozen Shigaraki. A smug smile slowly spread on his lips. "Well, leave the rest to me. You're old enough to rest."
Fuse glanced back at Aizawa. "Besides, it's too late to run. Class 1-A students have been scattered across various zones. One of the most efficient and logical solutions for this situation is to crush the main enemy and win the battle. Let's just pray there are no casualties on our side."
Fuse paused his sentence, then snapped his fingers softly. "Ah, almost forgot to say this…" he looked at Aizawa with a convincing gaze. "Relax, Sensei. Iida, our speedy runner, has successfully escaped this facility through that mist. He's on his way out to request help from U.A."
Hearing that Iida had escaped, some tension eased from Aizawa's shoulders. But he still couldn't let his students be on the front line. "Even so—"
"Though it's actually unnecessary," Fuse interrupted, spreading both arms to the sides, showcasing his full armored arsenal. The metal wings on his back vibrated softly. "Because I… can defeat these small-fry villains and this stupid monster alone."
Across the way, Shigaraki glared at Fuse. His red eyes peeked wildly from between the fingers of his face hand accessory. He scowled. The memory of the coin striking his face moments ago reignited his hatred.
"YOU… YOU DAMN BRAT FROM EARLIER!" Shigaraki screamed, voice shrieking high, scratching his neck roughly until it bled. "I'll kill you! I'll turn you to dust!"
"Can you?" Fuse retorted, the corners of his lips curving sharper, forming a grin that provoked rage.
In that second, without warning, Fuse swung his index finger forward.
WHUSSS!
Scattered irons around the plaza—remnants of rubble and broken pipes—shot flying at bullet speed toward Shigaraki. The attack wasn't just one; it was dozens of metal pieces assaulting him simultaneously from various angles! Targeting hands, legs, and shoulders without giving Shigaraki a chance to react.
The irons moved nimbly. This was a barrage designed to incapacitate without killing.
Shigaraki was shocked. He tried to catch one iron pipe flying at his face, intending to use his Decay. But in an instant, before his fingers touched the metal, the pipe veered sharply in the air and slammed hard into his left ribs from the side.
"Guh!" Shigaraki grunted in pain.
He leaped back, trying to dodge, but two other small iron plates hit his calves from behind, forcing him to kneel.
"How foolish," Fuse mocked. Both hands now casually in his pants pockets. His eyes half-closed, as if he could control all the metal with his mind alone. "Your movements are so predictable. Too much emotion, too little strategy."
In the air, the iron rain continued pelting Shigaraki's position, forcing him to crawl and leap back, making him fall sprawling in the dust again.
At that moment, Fuse suddenly felt something wet, warm, and sticky trickling from his nostril.
He raised his hand from his pocket, wiping under his nose with his armored index finger. When he looked at his fingertip, he saw thick red liquid.
Nosebleed.
Fuse was startled for a moment, eyes widening slightly. But then, after a second of silence, he smiled. A slightly mad, forced smile. Hah… this body of mine really can't cooperate a little longer, huh.
Seeing the brief pause in Fuse's attack, Shigaraki slowly rose from the ground. His body was covered in dust and bruises from the iron impacts. His gaze now wasn't just resentment, but full of killing intent.
"Nomu," Shigaraki whispered, voice as cold as ice at the bottom of hell.
Aizawa, somewhat far behind Fuse, felt his danger instinct scream loudly. An overwhelming sense of foreboding crawled up his back, seeing the muscles in the giant monster's legs tense.
"Watch out!" Aizawa's eyes opened wide, veins bulging. He shouted with all his might at Fuse, trying to throw his scarf, but his body was too slow to respond.
At that moment, a small explosion sounded as Nomu moved. Its speed far surpassed what normal human eyes could follow!
In the blink of an eye, Nomu was suddenly right in front of Fuse. The monster's shadow covered Fuse's entire body.
Fuse's eyes widened, pupils shrinking extremely.
In that brief time, time seemed to slow.
So fast! his mind screamed in panic. He tried to move his iron wings to form a shield or shift his body sideways. But whether due to his fatigued brain, his reaction lagged.
Nomu pulled back its massive muscular right arm and launched a straight punch that cleaved the air.
BAM!!!
The fist struck squarely into Fuse's stomach before he could react to dodge.
At that moment, the air in Fuse's lungs exploded out of his mouth in a stifled groan. His eyes bulged. The shockwave from the punch rippled through his body, cracking the panels of his white armor.
"FUSE!!"
Aizawa, Kaminari, Yaoyorozu, and Jiro screamed in horror, calling his name simultaneously, full of despair.
Fuse's body flew backward like a rag doll thrown from a speeding train. He soared dozens of meters through the air, crossing dust.
BRAAAK!
His back crashed into a concrete support pillar wall on the plaza side with an ear-deafening impact. The concrete wall cracked, creating a giant spiderweb pattern around his body.
Fuse coughed hard. "Hooek!" He spewed fresh blood from his mouth, soaking the white collar of his armor.
With great difficulty, not falling to the ground, he shifted his trembling feet, planting them on the floor. He stood leaning against the cracked concrete wall, with one eye open and one hand clutching his stomach that felt churned from inside.
His breathing was ragged. The pain in his abdomen was so immense, as if a small bomb had just detonated in his gut.
Damn… damn… damn… he cursed inwardly. That punch… really like being hit by a freight train. If I hadn't maximized magnetic control on my armor at the last second to absorb most of the impact, my spine would've shattered into dust, and my internal organs crushed. He spat blood on the floor. His body trembled, but he forced his smile back on. He wouldn't let the villains see him broken.
Suddenly, amid the silence after the impact…
GUBRAAAK!
The main USJ exit door, made of thick iron, sounded kicked inward until dented, before finally shattering and flying off its hinges.
From behind the dust plume at the doorway threshold, a gigantic human silhouette that was very familiar stepped in.
"Don't be afraid," his voice deep, heavy, and echoing throughout the dome. No more of the cheerful tone he usually used. "I… have come."
It was All Might!
The Symbol of Peace stood baring his teeth, but he wasn't smiling. His face was shrouded in frozen anger. His muscles tensed until his suit looked ready to tear at any moment.
Seeing the appearance of that savior god, tears immediately streamed down Kaminari's face. "All Might!!" Kaminari wailed as if moved and just saved from a death sentence.
All Might stepped forward, his steps heavy and full of rage. He roughly pulled his yellow tie until it snapped and tore, discarding it on the floor.
Shigaraki didn't look intimidated. He grinned instead. "Ah, the Last Boss finally appears. Let's continue the game," Shigaraki said casually, staring at Fuse still leaning against the wall, then shifting to All Might. "Nomu."
At that moment, Nomu, standing still, suddenly vanished again.
In the blink of an eye, Nomu was right in front of Fuse, who was still clutching his stomach. Its gigantic hand rose again, launching a second punch aimed straight at Fuse's face.
Fuse's eyes widened. His body locked; he couldn't move in time. This time… no way to dodge!
"FUSE!" Aizawa shouted in panic. Ignoring the pain in his mangled arm, he immediately directed his white scarf at Nomu, trying to bind the creature's arm.
But the scarf's movement was too slow compared to Nomu's punch speed. The giant fist was already mere centimeters from Fuse's unprotected face.
So the next second, a tremendous punch explosion occurred.
DHUUUAARR!!!
The shockwave from the impact blasted the concrete pillar behind Fuse's position into rubble fragments. Thick dust flew high, swallowing the area, obscuring everyone's view.
…
A/N: I actually intended to write it in one chapter, but realizing this ARC is quite long to finish in one chapter, I split it into two. Anyway, if you guys are too tired waiting for the next chapter… please check my Patreon, where I update much faster than on this platform! (Now there are already 3 chapters updated after this one!)
You can see the next chapter sooner on my patreon whose link is below:
https://www.pâtreon.com/Junxt
Replace "â" with "a" and search for it in your browser.
If you wouldn't mind, please leave a review of this story!