Despite the suddenness and graveness of the events, many people on the battlefield had recognized each other through their assumed identities.
Dream Walker: Rikuya Saionji, the Radiant of Dreams, recognized his stepbrother, Luke, instantly, his eyes popping out behind the blurriness that covered his face. Generally, Singularity kept him in the loop about Luke's actions and whereabouts. However, this was the first time that Luke's presence here was as unknown to It as it was to him.
Suddenly, Rikuya remembered Singularity's words—Luke is more… concealed…
…
On the other hand, Iwao Ojiro looked at The Skycrawler, Koichi Haimawari, who was acting as Captain Celebrity's Sidekick in the USA.
Iwao had mentored Koichi for years during their Naruhata Vigilante days, when they used to go by the names of Knuckleduster and The Crawler.
Then, along with a young Kazuho, they had also put their lives on the line against No. 6, the then supposed-to-be successor of All For One.
So, seeing Koichi here, looking at him as if he were a Villain, made Iwao frown, a struggle bubbling in his heart.
It is good that Kazuho was out cold, Iron Mentor thought, burying his emotions and remembering what he was fighting for these days. Because, even after becoming an Apostle, she might not be able to…
…
Luke looked at the boy with golden hair and a blurry face.
The boy was covered in blood and burn marks, and little sparks were exploding on his palms, like distant firecrackers.
Luke had heard Alex's roar, telling Captain Celebrity that the Explosion Boy was with him.
With the image of the boy and Alex's words superimposing in Luke's mind, the blurry face began to gain color.
Bakugo?!! Luke thought, shocked beyond bounds.
Knowing that both Conformity and Singularity were here, he dared not activate Spirit Vision carelessly. However, even without Spirit Vision, the presence of those little explosions was more than enough to confirm the identity of the Explosion Boy.
Of course, neither Rikuya nor Iwao nor Luke got enough time to continue their train of thought.
"HOLD ON!" Alex roared. "… DRONES! ATTACK!!"
And, in a spherical region of 1000-meter radius, the gravity again increased by 180 kg of weight.
Stain's Quirk had left the Warden unable to move. Still, because of his innate strength, he could move his fingers, neck, and eyes and open his mouth. Furthermore, his Quirk still worked. It would have been an issue if he had only the Radiant of Explosions to work with here.
Now… he also had Captain Celebrity!
Kneels wobbled once more.
Shoulders drooped.
A buzz rang.
LA Villains Detention Center's motto—Kill All To Kill A Few—still reigned supreme.
As Christopher, still levitating an inch over the ground despite the increased gravity, saw swarms of Spider Drones rushing at them from all sides, he couldn't help but remember the same motto as well.
"Haha!" Captain Celebrity laughed. "… I was worried no cameras were recording my awesome work… I think we have plenty of eyes upon us as it is! Relax, Alex… Leave these Villains to me!!"
Booooooom!
A sonic boom rang out as Christopher shot toward Stain.
From the other side, filled with murderous rage, Shigaraki rushed toward Dr. Blessed as well, the red glow in his eyes intensifying to the extreme.
Shigaraki's bloodlust was so thick that Koichi and Bakugo couldn't even react as the Villain passed right between them, becoming a black blur.
With haste, Luke handed over Nyx to Iwao, making him hide her under his coat without letting anyone see her.
However, in the very moment, just as Luke was standing up to take on Shigaraki, something happened that made him pause, his brows rising with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
Boom-Booooom-Boooooooom!
Hissssssssssss!!
With a bombastic display of extremely fast explosions—through the soles of his feet—Bakugo caught up with Shigaraki instantly.
From the other side, using Extra Oomph, repelling the air from the soles of his feet, Koichi also reached Shigaraki.
Bakugo and Koichi's gazes met, despite not being able to look into each other's eyes.
"Leave him to me!" Bakugo roared, grinning away the bloodlust that was crawling over his skin.
He grabbed Shigaraki's shoulder and then fired powerful blasts through the palm of his other hand and his feet, propelling himself in a spinning motion.
"GO…" Lifting Shigaraki and throwing him with another explosion, Bakugo roared. "… BACK!!!"
Boom!
Then, even before Shigaraki could land on the other side, Bakugo again threw himself in his direction, biting through the pain and gulping the blood rising in his mouth.
Behind him, Koichi held himself back from going after Bakugo.
His Quirk had been Slide and Glide, which, after coming to the USA, was reclassified as Flight. After years of training, and especially under the mentorship of Christopher Skyline, who also had a Quirk with the same name, Koichi had come far in controlling his Quirk.
At first, he could only use his Quirk to slide over plain surfaces.
Then, by the end of the Naruhata Incident, he had become proficient enough to project an attractive/repulsive force from his hands and feet.
Now, after years, he had learned to cover his entire body under his Quirk.
So, even though the increased gravity still affected him, his Quirk was offsetting over ninety percent of it—just like in the case of Captain Celebrity.
Not to mention, even though the Explosion Boy seemed hurt and in no shape to fight the Villain with strange hands on his body, Koichi knew the Villains in front of him were as threatening and important as well. Perhaps… a touch more significant than all the other Villains here.
The Skycrawler came to a stop in front of the group, donning white lab coats and black masks on their faces.
He raised his fists, and tiny bubbles appeared on his knuckles, glowing blue.
"Dr. Blessed…" Koichi said, looking at the man who had stood up, massive booms and fiery explosions rocking the space in the background. "… Do you surrender?"
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