"Now."
The chain whipped forward with blurring speed.
CRACK!
Chakra-infused metal struck the disoriented Nomu directly across the face. The force was immense, even while holding back to not accidentally kill the creature, Yuta felt the impact reverberate up his arm.
Blood sprayed from the creature's shattered features as it was launched skyward like a missile.
Straight toward the news helicopter.
'Shit—!'
Yuta's body flickered and vanished.
In the helicopter, Ayaka Fujimoto's scream cut through the cockpit.
"PULL UP! PULL UP!"
The pilot yanked the controls, but the helicopter's momentum was too slow. The Nomu was too fast. Just when they were going to collide, Yuta appeared out of thin air several paces behind the ascending Nomu, his body hanging in space for one impossible moment.
The chain shot forward, wrapping around the creature's torso. The metal links constricted like a serpent, binding tighter with each rotation.
There was no way he was going to end this night with collateral damage added to his list of feats.
The Nomu roared, or tried to, its jaw hanging at a broken angle as it continued rocketing toward the helicopter.
Three meters from impact.
Two meters.
Yuta's eyes narrowed as he pulled at thin air. The chain reacted instantly to his quirk. The metal links tightened and yanked, countering the Nomu's upward momentum with equal and opposite force.
The creature's ascent halted as if an invisible hand had grabbed it from above. Then, defying every law of motion, it was dragged backward and down, pulled by the chakra-infused chain like gravity itself had reversed.
The helicopter's skids passed overhead with less than a meter to spare.
Ayaka collapsed against her seat, hyperventilating.
"Did ... did we—?"
"Look!" The cameraman pointed down.
Yuta and the bound Nomu, plummeting toward the street below.
The Nomu thrashed against its restraints, muscles bulging as Muscle Augmentation activated at maximum capacity. Or tried to. Unfortunately, it was still being stared at by a man with red eyes.
Nevertheless, the chain began to strain and links starting to separate under its raw strength.
Yuta released the chain entirely. Chakra exploded across his body as he gathered and compressed it all at his fists.
More than half of what he had left.
"PHANTOM! ...". He cocked his hand back.
For a moment, visible even to the naked eye—a white-hot corona condensed around his right fist.
Until both human and Transformed human fell in parallel to each other barely a meter off the ground. Yuta threw the punch straight at the Nomu's abdomen without holding back. "FLASH!"
The punch connected.
BOOM!
The Nomu was slammed into the earth. The impact cratered the asphalt, sending cracks spiderwebbing outward for ten meters in every direction. Dust exploded into the air. Car alarms wailed. Windows that had somehow survived the earlier chaos finally gave up and shattered.
For five seconds, there was only the sound of debris settling.
Then the dust began to clear.
Yuta stood in the center of the crater, one knee on the ground, his fist still buried in the Nomu's chest. The creature lay motionless beneath him, its body twisted at unnatural angles.
Slowly, Yuta pulled his fist back and stood.
His right arm was smoking. The right sleeve was practically non-existent, charred away by the sheer friction of the chakra discharge.
'That ... Went better than I thought it would.'
Behind him, the silence was absolute. Even the helicopter seemed to hover in a stunned hush.
"Hey."
Yuta turned to see Todoroki at the edge of the crater, his mismatched eyes wide as he looked at the pulverized concrete and the creature that hadn't even twitched since impact.
"You... What the hell was that?" Todoroki asked, his.
"Hmm. An ultimate move ... In the making."
"That was just... raw force?"
"More like an energy enhanced physical attack," Yuta replied, his voice raspy. He flexed his fingers, or tried to. There were certainly a few things broken with the aftershock of the Phantom Flash. Which was simply high amounts of Chakra compression and release. A spur of the moment idea which ... Was just as much of a gamble as it sounded.
"Physical body is still to weak to handle the aftershock, even if I timed the hit right..." He channeled chakra into his arm, his right hand healed perfectly in ten seconds. Then he glanced down at the crater. "...Well, you see the result."
In the helicopter, Ayaka Fujimoto stared at the scene below, her microphone forgotten. Across Japan, millions of people were staring at the same image: a teenager in a hoodie, standing over a fallen monster.
"He... he did it,"
Finally, Ayaka Fujimoto finally found her voice. Then composed herself realising they were still live.
"This is incredible ladies and gentlemen. The threat has been neutralized. The. ... Um ..."
She froze, realising they had no idea who this newcomer was or what to call him. From his height and features, he looked like a student. Most likely still in hero school. However, that wouldn't do. " The .. Um .. Masked ... Phantom Hero has won the battle."
Ultimately, she went through everything she had seen in the fight and picked what she felt was suitable.
Elsewhere, Tomura Shigaraki lowered the binoculars slowly, his visible eye twitching as he watched the masked figure stand over his fallen Nomu.
"No... no, no, no, NO!"
His hand moved to his neck, scratching furiously. The skin was already raw and bleeding from earlier frustration, but he clawed at it anyway.
"This isn't—this wasn't supposed to ... Ugh! .. WHO EVEN IS THAT?!"
The binoculars in his left hand began to crumble, flaking away into ash and dust particles that scattered in the wind. He didn't even notice, body trembling with rage.
"It's just a brat. A brat against a Nomu. How in hell did this ...." He scratched harder, his breathing grew ragged.
Just then, a wave of mist materialized beside him on the water tower to form a figure he knew all too well.
"Tomura."
"Kurogiri? What's going on with the other Nomu?"
"They're done."
"Huh?"
"The other Nomu rampaging across the city have been dealt with. I came to inform your."
"WHAT?!"
Tomura's scratching deepened. "Six Nomu. SIX! And you're telling me they're all ... Master's gonna ..."
"Do not fret, Tomura Shigaraki."
Kurogiri's calm voice cut through his spiraling thoughts. Tomura spun toward him, hands still clawing at his neck. "What else is there to it?! The Nomu's been beaten, you idiot! My perfect plan failed."
"Not entirely." Kurogiri interrupted, his eyes narrowing with something that might have been satisfaction. "But we still have Endeavor."
Tomura's scratching slowed. "...What?"
"The Number Two Hero is currently engaged with our final unit. And unlike these... unexpected variables..." Kurogiri gestured toward where Yuta stood in the distance. "...Endeavor is exactly where we predicted he would be."
A portal swirled open beside them, showing a view of Sector Four.
Through it, they could see flames and destruction. Tomura's scratching stopped.
"... Fine. Let's make sure this isn't a total waste."
Back at the crater ...
Yuta was in the process of securing the unconscious Nomu with the remains of his chain when a figure descended from the rooftop above, landing with practiced ease despite his injuries.
"Not bad, Akutami."
Aizawa straightened from his crouch, his capture scarf settling around his shoulders. His eyes were bloodshot from maintaining Erasure, and there was a fresh bruise forming along his jaw, but his expression held something that might have been approval.
"Quick thinking with the aerial intercept. Minimal collateral damage. No civilian casualties."
Things would be playing over very differently if there had been. It was a fleeting thought as Aizawa glanced at the crater. "Though your definition of 'minimal' needs work."
"Sensei." Yuta nodded. "The other two?"
"Secured. Response teams have them contained."
Just then, Aizawa's gave turned to the side. The sound of rapid footsteps approached.
"Mr. Aizawa?! Akutami?!"
A familiar figure in white armor came to a skidding halt at the scene.
Tenya Iida's eyes were wide behind his glasses, taking in the crater, the bound Nomu, and the two familiar faces standing in the aftermath of destruction.
"What are you doing here?!" His gaze darted around frantically. "And where's—where's my brother?!"
"Long story, Iida," Yuta waved his hand. "We've had a busy commute."
"Iida!"
Everyone turned as Todoroki emerged from a partially collapsed building, supporting a limping Ingenium. Behind them, two young children clung to each other, eyes wide but unharmed.
"Tensei!" Tenya rushed forward, his engines propelling him to his brother's side in an instant.
"I'm fine, Tenya." He had one hand pressed against his abdomen where the Nomu's tendril had pierced him, but the bleeding had stopped. "More concerned about these two."
He gestured to the children, then his gaze shifted to Yuta, standing in the crater with his destroyed sleeve and smoking fist.
"You must Yuta. I saw what you did." Ingenium's voice carried genuine respect.
"That was... exceptional work for a student."
Yuta shifted uncomfortably under the praise. "Thank you."
"And you, Todoroki." Ingenium nodded toward the ice user. "Your barriers saved my life and put these kids out of harms way. Thank you."
"I was just doing what a hero should."
Tensei nodded and looked up.
The skies of the city were still purple.
"The other districts. They're under attack as well. We need to send reinforce ..."
"Already handled," Aizawa cut him off.
Everyone stared at him.
"What?" Tenya blinked
"Akutami and I dealt with three Nomu before arriving here. One attacked our train, two more were en route to other districts. They're secured and waiting to be transported. By now the heroes and authorities should be focusing on putting out the fires."
Silence followed.
Ingenium was stunned. "Three? You took down three of these things?"
"Four, actually," Yuta corrected, gesturing to the creature bound at his feet. "But who's counting?"
Aizawa's gaze shifted to Todoroki. "Since you're here without your supervisor, I assume Endeavor is in the city as well. Where is he?"
Todoroki's expression darkened. "Sector Four. He ordered us to evacuate while he handled the threats there. There were three of these things attacking him when we left. This one was one of ...."
A distant explosion interrupted him.
__
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