(If we don't hurry, Nighteye's gonna die! I must do something!)
"Izuku! Lead Togata-senpai and Eri-chan out of this room, I'll fight Chisaki!" Mato said.
"Got it!" Izuku said.
Overhaul rose a wall to block Mato's path, but with a kick, the boy shattered it.
(Shigaraki was right... this kid's kinda strong...) thought Overhaul.
(My body's achin', but I can still move!) thought Mato. "Dark Spreading, Full Body: 20%!"
(I'm risking... I can't use this technique well yet, but... I have to try. Worst case scenario, I'll break every bone in my body.)
"Even if Nighteye says the future isn't bright... then I'll twist this unbright future!"
Satoru dashed forward. Overhaul created other spikes, but the boy managed to dodge.
(Even if I can tell when he's going to throw these spikes, I can't dodge them at all.)
Overhaul rose high, then he dashed towards Mato, attempting to punch him.
(If I'm even touched, I'm dead...) thought Satoru, getting back on his feet after dodging. (He can regenerate, so I must knock him off with a hit to the head... but I don't have any technique designed for this!)
"No matter how fast you are," said Overhaul. "Compared to the other two, the lines of your movements are too easy to predict!"
Mato got stabbed in his right arm and left leg with spikes and was barely standing. (If the ground hadn't cracked into small pieces, I would've been done by a big spike!)
Overhaul generated a hand from his palm and used Nemoto's Quirk. "Someone else is going to die because of you! Is that what you want?"
(N-no, please, Eri-chan... do what you want, but don't come here!)
Unfortunately, Eri appeared.
"Do you really think this guy can do anything in this situation by himself?" Overhaul asked.
"N-no..." Eri replied.
"Then what should you do?" Overhaul asked again.
"Go back..." said Eri. "In exchange... put everyone back the way they were!"
"No! Don't do it, Eri-chan!" Mato screamed, pulling the spikes out of his leg and arm. "If you think I can't win, then I'll prove you wrong! I've come this far only to save you, dammit! I can't give up now!"
"She doesn't want you," said Overhaul.
"Like I could care..." Satoru panted. "A hero saves people, even when they're not welcome!"
(Wait, did I just call myself 'hero'? Oh no, this wasn't supposed to happen...)
"Shirakawa," said Nighteye weakly. "You can't save Eri anymore. I see the future. The future where you and I are killed, and Chisaki gets away."
"Even if that's the case," said Mato. "Even if you don't want my help, you're crying, aren't you...?"
"I won't let anyone die! Because my name is Dark Matter, and I'm the little brother of Oro, the new Symbol of Peace, and I'll save you, Eri-chan!"
__________
Suddenly, Ryukyu and the others crushed through the wall.
"Ryukyu! Asui! Uraraka!" Satoru exclaimed. "Glad you're here! Please, take Nighteye to safety!"
The boy started to run towards Overhaul. "You hear me? Take care of Nighteye!"
The floor rose once again, and Eri flew in the air.
"Chisaki!" Mato screamed, jumping in the air. (I'll grab her, and I won't let her go!)
Satoru noticed Mirio's cape. (That's Togata-senpai's cape...)
Suddenly, though, the horn on Eri's forehead enlightened. She grabbed Mirio's cape.
Mato used falling debris to propel himself higher. "Eri-chan!"
(You have to save her, Satoru Akiyama... you must save her!)
Eri jumped down the cliff and fell into Mato's arms.
"Yeah, like that," said Mato, holding her tight. "I promise I won't let you go."
Suddenly, though, Satoru noticed something: he was floating.
(Wait... why am I flying?)
"Give her back!" Overhaul yelled.
Mato landed on the floor, and in the attempt to kick Overhaul, he made something unexpected.
"WHOOOAAAAA!"
Mato jolted in the air.
(Wait... what just happened? Am I floating? And most importantly, why did I blast in the air?)
He looked at Eri, who was clinging to him tightly. (Maybe it's because of her Quirk... let's land on the floor.)
"Hold on tight, Eri-chan, we're going to have a bit of a hard fall!" Mato started to fall on the floor, but when he landed, he wasn't hurt.
"We're finally on the surface... so that's your power, huh, Eri-chan?" Mato sighed, placing her on the floor. "You've done great up until now. Now that you're with us, you're safe. I'll protect you from Chisaki."
He patted Eri's head with a smile.
(I can't lie to myself... I'm really starting to feel like a hero.)
Suddenly, Satoru spat blood. "Oh, crap! I just felt like someone's pulling me from behind!"
(Could it be that... All For One gave me 'Air Walk'? Is this the second Quirk I'm finding out to have been transferred?)
Suddenly, Mato heard Overhaul's voice. "She has no control."
Instinctively, Mato took Eri and dragged her away, jumping high.
"She may have activated it at a good time," said Overhaul. "But she doesn't know how to stop it. If you keep going like this, you'll revert to a microscopic cell!"
"Really?" said Mato. "I don't care."
"Give her back," said Overhaul.
"Never," Mato wrapped Mirio's cape around his torso so that Eri could remain gripped to him. "Hold on tight, Eri-chan. We're going to have a bit of a crazy fight."
"Since I don't feel the drawbacks of my Quirk when you're touching me, I'm going all out!"
"Dark Spreading, Full Body: 100%!"
Mato's hair stood up slightly, turning from red to a vivid, electric scarlet. His eyes turned an electric yellow. A purple cross was visible between his eyes, and generally, purple discharges enveloped his entire body.
"Neither you nor Eri knows the value of her power," said Overhaul.
"This means we're going to find out now," Mato replied, jumping in the air as a warm-up.
"You don't know Eri's value! A punk like you can't exploit an asset like her!" Overhaul attacked Mato. The boy vanished and reappeared next to him, punching him in the guts and sending him into the air.
(Now, let's test ifI really have Air Walk.)
Mato jumped in the air to reach Overhaul and... started walking on it.
(So... Umbrakinesis, Lightning Step, High Jump, and Air Walk? It couldn't get better.)
Meanwhile, from behind a corner, Toga and Twice were watching the fight.
"Man, he's hot," said Toga. "And he's also beating the shit out of Chisaki..."
"I knew he could do that!" said Twice. "Tomura will be very happy about this!"
"I feel like trash," said Toga. "Earlier, I ignored him."
"He ignored you, too," said Twice. "And anyway, I'm pretty sure he'll forgive you. Because it's you."
Mato delivered another blow to Overhaul's jaw. Then another and another.
(Eri's power has gotten stronger! Chisaki said she doesn't know how to control it, but I didn't expect this!)
The battle continued for a while, with Mato having the upper hand for the entirety of it.
(I have to end this and reach the others...)
"You're just trash!" Overhaul yelled and tried to punch Mato. He, in the air, dodged and dashed towards Overhaul.
He punched his opponent right in the face, and then he started to fall on the floor with him.
(I'm not aiming to become a hero, but I will at least save the young Eri I'm carrying on my shoulders right now!)
(I'll use a technique similar to the one All Might used during his battle with AFO... It's not stolen, it's inspiration.)
Mato landed safely on the floor.
"DARK CONTINENT: 100%!"
SBAM!
Overhaul got slammed on the floor with an absurd strength and violence. The impact created a huge shockwave, and dust rose.
Uraraka brought Nighteye to the surface.
"Nighteye..." said Uraraka.
"I saw it..." muttered Nighteye. "The future where Shirakawa was killed, and Chisaki succeeded in his escape..."
The dust settled, revealing Overhaul's body slumped on the floor, unconscious, and Mato was standing victorious, with his fist glowing with darkness.
(See, Nighteye? I told ya I'd twist the future you saw.)
(So, it can happen...) thought Nighteye. (The future can actually change...)
Mato thumbed up. (Finally, I won against a big opponent.)
Chapter 44 - End