Allen transformed into Hulk.
After leaving Kazuho on the rooftop, he jumped down, landing behind Rapt.
His body radiated an enormous amount of gamma radiation. His muscles tensed like steel cables, his massive, heavy frame resembling a living tank. But just as he was about to speak, his mind was suddenly invaded by an overwhelming rage.
"What is this?!"
Once, Allen had asked Bruce Banner — not Hulk — what it felt like to transform. He had said it was like being trapped inside your own body while a mass of rage gained consciousness and became you.
"Ugh!"
Countless memories were dragged violently into Allen's mind: battles, problems, enemies… but among all of them, one stood out clearly — his defeat against Lucifer.
All this time, Allen had managed to control his emotions extremely well. He had even believed that he had forgotten the frustration and rage from that defeat. But at this moment, he realized that wasn't true. That anger was still there, buried deep inside, and now it was being used as fuel to lose control.
Allen remained still, standing on the surface while radiating gamma energy and slowly expanding in size.
For reasons he couldn't understand, Rapt felt fear.
Inside Allen's mind, a battle was taking place against what could only be called infinite rage — an amplifier that turned even the smallest irritation into explosive fury.
Unlike Bruce, Allen still retained his consciousness. He hadn't created an alter ego, but unlike his other transformations, he had to admit this one was the hardest to control.
While his mind was in chaos, Allen grabbed the dragon-scaled villain by the neck. He wanted to say something, make a sarcastic remark, but before he realized it, the urge to strike overwhelmed his reason.
"ALLEN SMASH!"
Without a shred of mercy, Allen grabbed Rapt's tail with his other hand and began slamming him into the ground over and over again. There was no technique — only raw, brutal violence.
Rapt struggled to break free, but his claws, capable of cutting through metal like butter, barely scratched Allen's emerald skin, which regenerated instantly.
Blow after blow shook the entire street as people screamed in terror.
Scales harder than steel shattered, and soon blood began to spill. In desperation, Rapt kicked toward Allen's eye, but Allen caught his leg and hurled him straight into a gasoline tanker truck, which exploded instantly.
"...!"
Allen regained awareness, grabbing his head as he slowly calmed down. His size shrank, going from over three meters to about two and a half.
Gwen – "Welcome back~"
MJ – "So, how was that little trip into Hulk rage?"
Felicia – "Feeling better now?~"
Allen chuckled under his breath. No one in the chat doubted he could control that transformation — in fact, they had been betting on how long it would take.
Thor – "Oh no, not even a full minute?!"
Kratos – "Thanks for the Nordic alcohol. I like you more than the fat Thor from my world."
Thor – "By Odin's beard, that mead was a thousand years old... Ah, never mind!"
"Son of a bitch, show a little concern for me!" Allen protested indignantly.
Hulk – "HULK UNDERSTAND! SMASHING IS FUN! DON'T WORRY, SMASH MORE THINGS! IT RELAXES HULK!"
"..." Allen shook his head. Hulk had learned to control his anger long ago, but only now did Allen truly understand how incredible that was. Even he had lost control for a moment — but now he was fine.
In the distance, sirens could be heard. Allen decided to leave before they arrived, but when he noticed the column of fire, he flew into it and decided to pull Rapt out, hoping he hadn't died.
Luckily, that wasn't the case. The villain was still alive, though unconscious. It was fortunate that Lucifer's power hadn't abandoned him during the explosion.
Allen placed him on the ground and turned around, ready to leave.
"Blackout Bind!"
Before he could escape, threads wrapped around his neck, tightening as if trying to strangle him.
Allen looked up and saw a blond man standing on a pole, staring at him with a bead of sweat running down his face.
He was dressed entirely in blue denim, including a jacket with a high collar covering half his face. His exaggerated pompadour was combed to the side, covering one of his eyes.
[Tsunagu Hakamada "Best Jeanist"
Quirk: Fiber Master
Top Hero: 4]
"A Top Hero… huh..."
"Surrender, villain!"
The man pulled on the fibers extending from his arms, tightening the grip around Allen's neck.
"I think there's been a misunderstanding..." With his deep voice, Allen grabbed the fibers and tore them apart as if they were made of paper, despite their industrial-grade strength.
"Huh?!"
"Get away from him!" a shout came from the sky.
Allen turned to see a man wrapped in flames flying toward him at full speed.
[Enji Todoroki "Endeavor"
Quirk: Hellflame
Top Hero: 2 ]
"Wait, Endeavor, he's trying to talk!" Best Jeanist shouted, but Endeavor ignored him, clenched his fist, and accelerated.
"Flashfire Fist!"
The punch slammed into Allen's face, creating a wave of fire so intense that it melted the ground beneath him.
A moment of silence followed, with Endeavor's fist still pressed against Allen's face.
Allen looked at the man in the hero suit — black with metal shoulders and arms, flames constantly pouring from it.
"It hurts..."
"...!"
The moment Allen spoke, Endeavor's eyes widened as a massive sense of danger washed over him. He tried to pull back, but before he could, a punch struck his abdomen, knocking the air out of him and launching him into a building at the same speed he had attacked.
"Damn it!" Best Jeanist, realizing dialogue was useless and recognizing the threat Allen posed, crossed his arms. "Catching Cradle!"
A massive net of fibers appeared, wrapping around Allen and trapping him.
Allen raised his arms and tore the fibers apart effortlessly — fibers strong enough to restrain super-strength villains and colossal beings.
Annoyed, Allen looked at Best Jeanist and clapped his hands together.
"Thunder Clap!"
"Argh!"
The shockwave blasted outward, sending Best Jeanist flying.
Before Allen could lower his arms, he felt a wave of heat approaching. Looking up, he saw a pillar of fire descending toward him.
"Hellfire Storm!"
Allen filled his lungs and blew. This wasn't Superman's freezing breath — it was a violent gust like a hurricane, dispersing the inferno as if it were a birthday candle.
Without wasting a second, Allen jumped, creating a crater beneath him, and reached Endeavor in an instant.
Endeavor's eyes widened in shock, but as the number two hero, he didn't hesitate.
"PROMINENCE BURN!"
Endeavor's body erupted in an omnidirectional explosion of flames that engulfed Allen. The heat was intense enough to burn his skin, making him feel pain…
And that irritated him.
And everyone knows what happens when Hulk gets angry.
It made him grow.
It made him stronger.
It made him more dangerous.
Endeavor felt he might have gone too far. His Quirk could generate enough heat to melt titanium — it was dangerous, and he had to be careful. After all, he was a hero. He couldn't kill villains, not in front of the cameras.
But his concerns were pointless.
A massive arm emerged from the flames and grabbed him by the neck.
"W-What?!"
A layer of gamma radiation surrounded the creature, shielding it from the fire. Endeavor's eyes widened in shock as he realized the monster was still growing — and for some reason, that sent chills down his spine.
"Let me go!"
"Hm? Sure."
Allen smiled before hurling Endeavor straight into the sky. He broke the sound barrier as he flew upward, his flames extinguishing as he lost consciousness midair.
Best Jeanist gasped at the sight.
"A terrifying monster!"
As expected, people were recording everything. The number two and number four heroes were being tossed around like background characters in a boss fight.
The news quickly flooded with footage of the incident. It was serious.
A feeling slowly returned to the people — one many had forgotten, one that a certain man's existence had once erased.
Fear.
…but it didn't last long.
"HAHAHA!"
A booming laugh echoed from the sky, almost wrapped in a shining aura. Seeing this, the people grew encouraged, smiling and cheering.
"There's nothing to fear, because I am here!"
All Might!
The Symbol of Peace landed in front of Allen while striking a pose. His mere presence brought a sense of relief that was reflected in everyone's eyes.
"Just as expected of you, All Might..." Allen said with a smile. That was the reason he could respect him — even with his body broken, he still stood in front of danger.
[This is fine and all, but what do we do now?]
"...!"
Allen realized this was not the time to take things calmly. He only had ten seconds left before losing the transformation. If that happened in this situation, he would be in serious trouble, because regardless of whose fault it was, he had just beaten up Endeavor and Best Jeanist.
"Give me your best punch!"
Allen shouted as he clenched his fist and stomped the ground. This surprised All Might, who didn't attack immediately, wanting to reason first.
"Very well!" All Might clenched his fist, stomped as well, and launched himself forward. "DETROIT SMASH!"
Allen also launched himself forward. "ALLEN SMASH!"
Both fists collided, creating a shockwave that shattered the windows across an entire block.
Allen used the impact to escape the area. As for All Might, he felt his strength fading and wanted to leave as well, but he knew he couldn't, so he clenched his teeth and remained standing.
Once the dust cleared, the Symbol of Peace was still standing with a smile, and there was no trace of the emerald giant.
The people began to cheer. Being All Might was more than posing or defeating villains — he was a pillar that gave everyone the certainty that everything would be okay.
Allen watched this from a nearby building, then turned toward Pop Step, who was still there in shock. He picked her up in his arms and flew away.
"Keep the glory, I'll take the girl. Haha."
"Hey! What do you mean by that?!" Kazuho blushed as she tried to free herself from Allen's arms, unsuccessfully.
"Is that how you thank someone for saving you?"
"Thanks, now stop touching my butt!"
"I'm not touching your butt, you're the one who put your butt in my hand while struggling!"
"Huh?!"
Kazuho was left speechless. This shameless bastard was blaming her for the situation.
"You jerk, you'll pay for this!" Kazuho shouted before biting Allen on the neck.
"Ouch!" Allen dropped her, and Kazuho screamed.
"Ah!"
Allen shook his head before flying after Pop Step and grabbing her by the ankle.
"If it bothers you that much to be carried like a princess, then I'll carry you like this."
"Ah! Pervert!" Kazuho grabbed her skirt as it threatened to reveal her underwear while she was hanging upside down. "Fine, I get it! Carry me like a princess!"
"Tsk, what a demanding brat. Now I don't want to anymore," Allen said indignantly. "There's no respect these days. I try to be considerate and I get called a pervert. This is wrong. I demand an apology and compensation."
Kazuho wanted to punch Allen. This guy took advantage of her and still demanded an apology — was there really someone more shameless than him?!
Even so, Kazuho didn't dare curse at him.
"I'm sorry..."
"Huh? I don't hear any sincerity in those words!"
Kazuho, blushing furiously, glared at Allen before shouting:
"Fine! I'm sorry for biting you, I'm sorry for being rude after you saved me, and I'm sorry for putting my butt on your hand!"
Allen smiled and nodded. "See? That wasn't so hard."
Allen carried Kazuho in a princess carry once more and flew off.
Kazuho felt like killing Allen, but at the same time, she was fascinated by the sensation of flying — something her jumps could never give her.
....
Meanwhile…
Rapt Tokage was not the only villain to appear. Elsewhere in the city, Koichi was in trouble.
"Don't run!"
"As if I'd listen to you!"
Koichi's Quirk, which allowed him to slide across surfaces as if he were levitating, helped him escape from another thug who had now become a full-fledged villain thanks to the Trigger drug.
"Ah!"
Koichi dodged a silver spike that embedded itself in the ground, then slid along a wall to reach a rooftop.
"Damn it, get back here!"
The leader of the thugs now had silver hair with long spikes, looking almost like a porcupine.
He aimed his hands at Koichi and fired multiple spikes that embedded themselves in the wall like crossbow bolts.
"Why are you picking on me?!"
The thug clicked his tongue as he watched Koichi escape. His name was Soga Kugisaki. He was a bastard — it was true Koichi had done nothing more than spill his drink, but Soga had been humiliated in front of him and now felt the need to finish him off... or so he wished, but he knew he couldn't kill Koichi.
"I have to catch him..." Soga muttered, fear lurking in his eyes. Just like Rapt, the power he obtained hadn't been free — someone wanted Koichi, and he had to capture him.
Soga crouched and jumped toward the wall, using his spikes to climb up to the rooftop.
Koichi was surprised that the guy could keep up with him.
"Don't you ever get tired?!" Koichi shouted as he slid away.
"Shut up, cockroach!"
Soga hurled silver spikes at Koichi, but he barely dodged them.
A month ago, Koichi had lamented his own weakness and asked Allen for help to become stronger. Maybe he hadn't increased his raw power, but thanks to Allen, he had learned to dodge much more effectively.
After all, even if his Quirk wasn't fast, it was very good at altering his movement trajectory.
"Stop moving so much!"
Soga shouted in frustration — and fear. This was no joke. The longer this dragged on, the more likely it was that a hero would arrive. And that wasn't even what scared him the most. If he failed, he didn't want to think about what that terrifying "man" would do to him.
....
Elsewhere, Knuckleduster was facing two villains with his bare fists.
One was the third thug of the trio, now looking as if his skin were made of rock with fire bursting from his body like the surface of an active volcano. His real name was Moyuru Tochi, and his Quirk was Ignition — but now it had evolved.
"I'm really tough!"
The other villain was a man whose body was covered in metallic minerals. His name was Akira Iwako, and like Kirishima, his Quirk was Hardening.
"Oh, that new look is pretty cool. Now you actually look like villains instead of a bunch of third-rate delinquents. Don't tell me you used Trigger, right?!" Knuckleduster mocked them.
"Shut up! Ignition!" Moyuru ignited his body and hurled flames at Knuckleduster.
Knuckleduster grinned before rolling away to dodge. Despite appearances, he wasn't stupid enough to punch a fireball head-on.
"Tch, these bastards are more troublesome than they look," Knuckleduster muttered while taking cover behind a car.
Knuckleduster had learned about Trigger through Allen, who had mentioned it to him, but he hadn't expected the situation to be this serious.
Over the past month, Knuckleduster had fought a couple of villains enhanced by Trigger. Saying it was easy would be a lie — because even if he looked like a monster, he was still a Quirkless man, and unlike Batman, he didn't use gadgets beyond his iron fists.
"I'm tough! Really tough!"
Akira Iwako was a low-level criminal, but once he took Trigger, his Quirk evolved, allowing him to turn his body into iron mineral.
"Hahaha, that's more like it!"
Without fear, Knuckleduster charged straight at the two villains empowered by Trigger.
....
"Wonderful..." said All For One as he watched the screen.
A monster capable of facing All Might — something that definitely caught his interest.
"Tomura-kun, try to recruit that individual..."
"Yes, Sensei..."
Tomura Shigaraki walked away while clenching his teeth. He hated that he wasn't the one bringing such a prize to his master.
"I'll be the one who kills All Might!"
All For One felt a strange sense of joy. So many new Quirks were beginning to appear; for someone like him, that was nothing but good news. Every new superhero, every new villain, was a potential addition to his collection.
"...And besides."
The man smiled while looking at All Might on the screen. Despite how fine he looked in front of the cameras, All For One knew the truth.
"Are you getting tired already, old nemesis?"
====