BOOM!
The ground erupted as the Nomu's fist met concrete where Todoroki had been crouched, the shockwave sending shards of asphalt in every direction. The impact cratered the street like a meteor strike, smoke and debris blotting out sight.
A devastating attack. Luckily, Todoroki never got the chance to endure it.
As at the moment the punch never landed, he had been pulled away at speeds he couldn't process. That same red and blue blur that pushed him out of harm's way circled back with a punch of its own.
CRACK!
A blur of red, white, and blue slammed into the Nomu mid-swing, the air itself exploding outward from the impact. The creature veered, sliding back several feet. Its legs leaving two small trenches along the path.
Todoroki stumbled back, wind whipping across his face from the sudden force.
"Not another step!"
The dust peeled away like curtains before a stage.
All Might stood there, his massive frame interposed between Todoroki and the hulking beast. His fist still smoked from the impact, his grin stretched across his face—not careless, not mocking, but blazing with the kind of confidence that pierced through even Todoroki's numbness.
"For as long as I draw breath…" His voice carried, deep and unshakable, "…you will not harm my students."
Shigaraki finally looked up from his book. He closed it with deliberate slowness, his red eyes narrowing as his fingers twitched against the cover.
"Well, well…" His voice was quiet but seething. "…the Symbol of Peace finally decides to show himself."
All Might squared his shoulders, cape fluttering against the ruined street. He didn't glance back, but his tone softened when he spoke over his shoulder.
"Young Todoroki. Step back. You've done enough."
Todoroki, still reeling from the near death experience looked at All Might.
The man turned, his iconic smile on display. "I'll take care of this."
The boy was silent for a moment before nodding. Since All Might was here, that meant this whole thing was coming to a wrap.
However,
"Huh? Leave?" All Might turned to see Shigaraki tilting his head. "The main event hasn't even started yet." 'He was able to save the kid while beating back NOMU ... He's fast, though not as fast as I thought he would be ...'
Todoroki's brows furrowed.
"From what I gathered when I was attacked. That pale skinned one is the ringleader of this whole thing. Their goal is to kill you, and they're targeting the students to take hostages. They've already gotten seven."
The Symbol of Peace's face darkened as his worst fears were confirmed.
Team B and Katsuki Bakugo had been captured.
"Oh. You've figured out that much? Not bad." In the distance, Shigaraki scratched his neck lightly. "Though I expected as much from a certain U.A student, I didn't think all of you would be quite capable."
"Where are they?" All Might uttered. His tone and voice taking a drastic change.
"The brats? Well ... I'm not sure where exactly. It could be here ... Or there .. or somewhere else entirely. I can't remember. You'll probably have to ask Kurogiri for that information." His voice barely fell when space tore open right beside him and dark purple mist coalesced into form.
"Well, speak of the devil ..." Shigaraki drawled.
The mist formed eyes.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, All Might." Kurogiri said with his appearance. "We are the league of villains. It's presumptuous of us but we've invited ourselves in to the home of heroes, U.A high ... To have such a man as great as yourself, draw his last breath."
"Hmph." All Might snorted.
"You are more than welcome to try, but the students should be left out of this. Tell me where you took them, and I'll grant you the mercy of suffering a lot less pain."
"Oh .. I don't think you understand the situation here All Might."
His face darkened even more.
"Fine Then."
The ground beneath his feet cracked as he exploded forward.
"Carolina ..."
"Nomu."
A shadow moved in front of Shigaraki. 'So you're taking the hit huh?' All Might thought. "... Smash!" His hands slammed against the thug's body.
However ...
BANG!
The small shockwave that ran past slammed against the nearby structures. But aside from that ... Nothing.
'.. Huh ..' The result left All Might stunned. Just long enough for Nomu to strike back.
All Might dodged.
'No reaction at all ...'
The realization flashed through All Might's mind in a split second.
From the first hit, he could estimate this creature was exceedingly strong and had adjusted his strength accordingly. That blow should have sent even stronger foes flying. But this one… hadn't even staggered.
'Looks like I can't hold back.' He threw another punch to the face. A muffled bang followed, but otherwise, nothing more.
"Disappointing, isn't it?" Shigaraki drawled from behind Nomu, eyes gleaming with sick satisfaction. "Unlike the others you've crushed, Nomu's quirk is quite special."
Nomu's head jerked unnaturally, the sound of bones grinding echoing as its glowing eyes fixed solely on All Might.
The Symbol of Peace gritted his teeth. "…Then I'll just hit harder."
He blurred forward, faster than a blink, fist cocked back—
—and Nomu met him head-on.
The impact rattled the entire district. Windows exploded outward, streetlamps bent under the force, dust and rubble spiraled into the air. All Might's punch connected squarely with the monster's jaw, but this time—Nomu's own strike slammed into All Might's ribs at the same moment.
The world seemed to crack from the double impact.
All Might was driven back, boots digging trenches in the street as pain shot across his chest. His eyes widened—not at the blow itself, but at the fact it matched his own.
"Is there a problem All Might?."
Shigaraki's voice rang with twisted delight.
"Not as easy as you thought, is it?"
A distance away, Todoroki watched as both figures traded blows. His eyes were slightly wide, his breath hitched. 'That… that thing just… traded blows with him?!'
All Might was the Number 1 Hero. While he wasn't sure just how strong the symbol of peace was, he knew the strength of his father, the Number 2 hero. His old man always obsessively stated that the gap between him and All Might was vast. But now .... The Symbol Of Peace was.
BANG! Another building cracked as All Might sidestepped Nomu's devastating blow, chunks of concrete raining down around them.
"What's wrong, Symbol of Peace?" Shigaraki's voice dripped with mock concern. "Why do you keep running away? Is the great All Might... afraid?"
All Might's jaw clenched as he landed from another evasive maneuver, his boots grinding against the rubble-strewn street. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth—that earlier hit had done more damage than he'd let on.
'This thing... its strength really does match mine. But that's not the only problem.'
Every time he tried to land a decisive blow, Nomu absorbed the impact without flinching. Whatever quirk this monster possessed, it was designed specifically to counter his approach.
"Time is running short, Tomura," Kurogiri's voice cut through the destruction, his misty form rippling with urgency. "The other heroes will arrive soon. We need to proceed with the plan."
Shigaraki's scratching intensified, red welts appearing on his pale neck. "You're right. I'm getting bored of this dance anyway." His red eyes gleamed with malicious inspiration as they shifted from All Might to Todoroki, who stood frozen at the edge of the battlefield.
A twisted smile spread across his cracked lips.
"Nomu." His voice carried a casual cruelty that made Todoroki's blood run cold. "Change of plans. Kill the kid instead."
The monster's head snapped toward Todoroki with mechanical precision, its exposed brain pulsing as it processed the new command. Without hesitation, it abandoned All Might mid-swing and launched itself toward the U.A. student.
"No!" All Might's voice boomed across the district.
Todoroki's heterochromatic eyes widened. Ice erupted from his right side instinctively, a desperate wall of crystalline defense—but he'd seen what happened to his previous barriers. This wouldn't be enough.
Time seemed to slow as Nomu's massive fist descended, ready to crush the teenager like an insect.
All Might moved.
Not away from Nomu this time, but directly into its path. His body intercepted the monster's trajectory just as its claws reached for Todoroki, wrapping his arms around the creature's torso in a crushing bear hug.
"I won't let you—!"
CRACK.
Nomu's elbow slammed into All Might's ribs, the impact reverberating through his entire frame. But he held on, muscles straining as he lifted the creature off the ground.
"Young Todoroki! Get out of here!" All Might roared, even as Nomu's claws raked across his back, shredding his costume.
The two titans grappled in the air, neither giving ground. All Might's grip tightened as he spun, using their momentum to hurl both himself and Nomu away from Todoroki—but the monster was relentless. Its free hand grabbed All Might's cape, using it as leverage to drive a knee into his solar plexus.
All Might gasped, his hold loosening for just an instant—
—an instant that Nomu exploited, breaking free and landing a devastating uppercut that sent the Symbol of Peace staggering backward.
"Impressive," Shigaraki called out, his voice carrying a note of genuine appreciation. "But ultimately pointless. Nomu will just go after the boy again. And again. Until one of them is dead."
All Might straightened, wiping blood from his mouth. His usually pristine smile was strained now, but his eyes burned with unwavering determination.
"Then I'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen."
He charged forward once more, this time not trying to dodge or dance around Nomu's attacks. Instead, he met them head-on, trading blow for devastating blow. The impacts shook the very foundations of the district, each exchange creating shockwaves that shattered windows blocks away.
But All Might wasn't trying to win anymore—he was trying to contain. Every punch he threw was designed to keep Nomu focused on him, to draw its attention away from Todoroki.
The strategy worked, but at a cost. Without the ability to dodge and weave, All Might absorbed far more punishment than before. His costume hung in tatters, blood stained his skin, and his breathing grew labored.
'I can't keep this up much longer,' he realized grimly. 'But I have to—'
"Now, Kurogiri," Shigaraki commanded, his voice sharp with finality.
The air around the two fighters began to darken, purple mist seeping up from the ground like fog. All Might's eyes widened as he recognized what was happening, but he was too entangled with Nomu to break away.
"What are you—?"
The mist thickened, forming a dome around both combatants. All Might threw one last desperate punch, trying to break free before the portal activated, but Nomu caught his fist in its own massive hand.
For a moment, the two were locked in perfect stalemate—All Might straining forward, Nomu holding him back, both surrounded by the swirling darkness of Kurogiri's quirk.
The mist thickened, swallowing everything in its radius. Todoroki's heart hammered as the violet dome closed around All Might and Nomu. For a split second, the battlefield was silent—no cracks of fists, no thunder of collisions—only the low, sick hum of Kurogiri's warp tearing open.
Shigaraki raised his hand, a grotesque grin stretching under the gloved hand.
"And just like that—the Symbol of Peace—"
FWOOSH!
A streak cut through the air. A black rod pierced straight into the dome, making contact with the warping mist ... And passing cleanly through it.
The effect was immediate. Kurogiri's portal distorted, the purple fog collapsing in on itself as though popped like a balloon. The dome flickered violently before exploding outward in a burst of static.
"What—?"
___
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