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—?"
Kurogiri staggered as the fog retreated.
SQUELCH!
Under everyone's gazes, the rod embedded itself into Nomu's flash, missing All Might by a hair. Instantly, the monster stiffened.
'It stopped moving ...'
All Might noted the change in an instant.
'... Who ...'
Turning, the Symbol Of Peace saw a figure he was all too familiar with. "Young Takumi .."
".. Sorry I'm late .."
At a corner near the far end of the street, stood a young male, wearing his hero uniform with an unreadable expression hidden behind the mask. ".. Traffic was hell .." Ken uttered as his gaze rested on Shigaraki.
The portal through which Koda was kidnapped cleared all doubts on the ones responsible. Hence, he spread his senses to the maximum in search of Shigaraki. The clash between All Might and NOMU was loud enough to draw him here.
Thankfully, he wasn't too late.
'It's him.'
*'It's him.'* Both men thought simultaneously. Just at that moment ... All Might broke free.
NOMU didn't attack. Giving the symbol of peace the chance to pull away. Seeing this, Ken's face darkened under the mask. 'Tsk ... What a wasted opportunity.'
In Canon, NOMU's Quirks were the core reason All Might found that battle difficult. The same reason he was in his current state right now. Taking a look at the symbol of peace, what came into view was a torn uniform, bleeding ribs, blood leaking from his lips, and a bruised body.
'That's not good.'
Meta Eye wasn't needed to know the man's condition was terrible.
He had thought that with NOMU incapacitated and his Quirks temporarily erased, All Might would counter with a smash that would finally cause some damage. Preferably sending the NOMU flying far away from Shigaraki's control and Kurogiri's reach.
Instead, he had chosen to retreat. Frowning, Ken shot forward ... Only to be stopped by All Might. "Do not engage Young Takumi .."
The Symbol Of Peace cautioned while blocking is way. "That foe is too dangerous for you to handle."
Ken was speechless. Obviously, in the heat of the moment, All Might had forgotten his abilities could suppress quirks. It was one thing to not attack, but to stop others as well? ....
"…Tch."
A crisp clicking tongue drew their attention.
"Well, .... would you look at that .. Nomu's been halted "
On the other end, Shigaraki's hand hovered mid-air, fingers curling as though itching to scratch. His red eyes narrowed faintly "Hah… figures." His voice was low, almost lazy. "You just had to show up at the dawn of victory, didn't you?" But the irritation bleeding through was unmistakable.
He snapped his head to his side. "When I said you should bring him over, I didn't mean here and now."
"It was not my doing Tomura Shigaraki ... I too am surprised by the unexpected turn of events." Kurogiri uttered in response.
Shigaraki nodded. "Yeah. Feels like a scene right out of a comic book ..." The irritation hummed under his voice. Surprisingly though, it didn't spill over this time.
"It's annoying. But not… hopeless." His gaze slid toward Ken, standing near the wreckage with that damnable calmness. For a moment, Shigaraki tilted his head, studying him with a strange curiosity. The corners of his mouth twitched — not quite a smile, not quite a sneer. "I was planning to call for him anyway. Guess he saved us the trouble."
Then he turned before those words could be properly processed.
"NOMU." With that, the creature finally moved. With stiff but steady movements, it reached for the rod embedded in its shoulder before pulling it out.
SQUELCH!
Ken's brows furrowed. 'Well, that confirms it.'
This was the first time ever in which Ken had seen an embedded rod being removed by the inflicted party. This just went to show how crazy NOMU'S natural strength was. He had practically ignored the paralysis effect entirely.
"He's ... Wounded?"
The Symbol Of Peace exclaimed.
"Is it that surprising? My rods nullify quirks." he replied. "Whatever his quirk is, it was null and void when my rod touched him. Logically speaking, you should know this .."
".."
All Might's silence stretched for a moment, his breathing still labored as the reality hit him. Ken was right—he should have known. The rod's quirk-nullifying properties were something he'd discussed months ago.
Hell, he had even gone over the information of his students yesterday to arrange today's Battle Training class.
But in the heat of battle, with his injuries mounting and his time limit approaching, he'd reverted to pure protective instinct.
"You're right," All Might admitted, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "I apologize. I should have pressed the attack when I had the chance. Perhaps now, things would be a lot easier. "
Ken glanced at the Symbol of Peace's battered state—the torn costume, the way he favored his left side, the slight tremor in his hands that spoke of exhaustion. 'His condition is worse than I thought.'
"That's fine. We'll adapt."
"No." All Might replied.
"Huh?"
"Young Takumi, young Todoroki—you both need to retreat immediately. This is beyond—" "With respect, All Might," Ken interrupted, not taking his eyes off Shigaraki, "I'm not going anywhere until I get my classmates back."
He said while creating a rod.
All Might sensed something.
"... The other students? ..."
"Koda was taken through a portal by one of those villains made by that one. I couldn't get there in time to stop it. Our only chances of getting them back is through capturing these guys. I don't mean to kill the spirit, but your current state doesn't inspire much hope right now." All Might winced at the words.
"Not to mention, your chances of winning solo just bombed the moment he picked that up ..."
Ken uttered with raised eyebrows. Why?
Because on the other side, Nomu's exposed brain pulsed with renewed activity as it fixed its blank stare on All Might. In its massive fist, it still gripped Ken's extracted rod like a weapon.
That's right ... NOMU wasn't letting go.
Quite the contrary.
It looked like it was going to Fight All Might with it. No doubt, All Might's current condition was worse off than it was in their second rematch during the U.S.J event. If Ken stepped aside, the Symbol Of Peace would be cooked without a doubt.
All Might's gaze darkened as well. "Young Takumi ... That rod in his hands ..."
"Works on anyone other than me impartially." Ken replied as he focused.
"Interesting development," Shigaraki observed, his scratching slowing to an almost lazy pace.
Kurogiri floated behind him, eyes narrowed in thought. 'This just got a whole lot easier. He's given us the one weapon we need to take down the symbol of peace on a silver platter.'
"Tell me, —what happens to the Symbol of Peace when he can't use his quirk .."
His words has barely fallen when a change occured. In an instant, the energy inside the rod rioted before bursting apart. The sudden change once again caught Shigaraki off guard as countless mini shards shot into NOMU's flesh causing its movements to stiffen once more.
"What the .."
His eyes shot back to Ken with an intensifying glare. "What have you done?"
"Evened the odds." He said while spinning his staff. "It's not fair if one side is receiving all the damage, is it? That's just cheating .."
'I see.' In the distance, Todoroki's eyes lit up.
'By turning them into countless shards, the enemy can't pull it out like he did the last one. If the quirk suppression still works effectively, then ...' His gaze drifted to NOMU.
'This guy's quirk can no longer defend against All Might's attacks.' if he could think of this, so could everyone else. All Might's gaze hardened even more.
'That means ..'
Shigaraki's hands trembled slightly. "Tch. How Annoying. This is why I hate brats so much."
The scratching at his neck grew harsher, leaving red streaks on pale skin. His gaze slid past All Might, past the wreckage, and locked squarely on Ken. 'Nothing's changed.' Shigaraki thought to calm himself. 'This just makes things easier. Nomu alone would've been enough, but since he's here .. let's do it already ...'
"Fine. If Nomu can't keep your toys, then we'll just skip ahead to the real show and take you instead."
All Might blocked Ken's way before he could even reply.
"You'll have to go through me."
"Hehe. He will. Oh he will." All Might readied himself, expecting Nomu to rush over.
"Prototype 47 .." Shigaraki began, eyes gleaming with madness. "OBEY and kill All Might ..."
".."
All Might braced himself in preparation for a powerful enemy, while Kurogiri and Shigaraki waited for the scene of All Might being pierced through from the back by the very same student he tried to protect.
Neither got what they were looking for. And so, an awkward silence followed.
"That's not right. ..." Shigaraki's voice rose. "Didn't you hear me? I said, kill all Might."
Ken blinked.
The word drifted across the air like a ghost. Todoroki and All Might stiffened at the sudden intensity of his tone, unsure who he was addressing.
But Ken knew. Of course he knew.
'So that's your big plan? Ha…' His lips twitched, somewhere between annoyance and amusement. He could almost hear Mei's voice mocking him: 'Told you frying your brain would pay off eventually.'
"Is that supposed to mean something or..." he asked, lips quirking.
".."
Silence. Then,
"It didn't work ..." Shigaraki drawled. Kurogiri's eyes narrowed on Tomura Shigaraki.
At the moment, that barely kept composure, a result of realizing his convictions was beginning to show cracks. Convictions or not, a person's character doesn't suddenly change overnight.
".. I don't get it .." That single line sent Shigaraki into a frenzy. He clawed harder at his neck, voice breaking into an uneven rasp. "Why isn't it working?! Kurogiri—!"
The misty villain moved uncertainly at his side. Neither noticed the faint ripple that stirred at their feet—something darker than shadow stretching from behind Kurogiri, pressing against his outline for the briefest of moments before vanishing into him. No one else seemed to catch it.
"What are they talking about?"
Todoroki frowned looking at Ken and All Might. "I have no idea " The symbol of peace was equally daunted.
"Oh come on. What's going on here? Why why aren't you—why isn't it working?! Dammit! Don't tell me I was lied to."
He stomped, kicking rubble aside as his breathing grew increasingly ragged. His eyes fixed on Ken from the distance as he pointed. "You're supposed to obey me."
'Huh? Young Takumi?'
All Might wondered, turning to ken. 'What does he ..'
Ken shrugged as he raised his weapon. "Guess you'll have to get a refund. Because frankly, I ain't doing shit." Those were his last words before firing his rod straight at Shigaraki. Unfortunately, the hulking mutant got in the way. Catching it with one hand before throwing it back at rapid speed.
"I got it."
He called out, stopping any possible rash attempt to catch it from All Might. "NOMU, get them." Shigaraki hissed. "Tear then apart."
NOMU exploded forward like a cannonball, its massive frame cutting through the air with terrifying speed.
"Hmph!" All Might met it head-on, his own charge creating a sonic boom that shattered every remaining window in a three-block radius.
CRACK!
Their fists collided in the center of the street, and the world seemed to fracture around the impact point. The shockwave erupted outward in a perfect circle, pulverizing concrete, bending steel, and sending debris flying like shrapnel. The force was so immense that both Todoroki and Shigaraki were hurled backward, tumbling across the ruined street.
Everyone except Ken.
He stood unmoved in the epicenter of the chaos, his Infinity creating a perfect sphere of calm around him as destruction raged mere inches away. Chunks of concrete and twisted metal bounced harmlessly off the invisible barrier, while hurricane-force winds parted around him like water around a stone.
But this time, something was different.
NOMU, despite its massive frame and mechanical precision, was the one sent flying. Its hulking body sailed through the air in a graceful arc before crashing through the remains of a building with a thunderous BOOM.
All Might straightened, flexing his fingers as he stared at the settling dust. A grin spread across his bloodied face—not his usual media-friendly smile, but something fiercer, more genuine.
"That's it," he said, his voice carrying across the devastated street. "Your quirk truly has been suppressed."
Without hesitation, he launched himself after NOMU, his body cutting through the air like a missile. The creature was already rising from the rubble, its exposed brain pulsing with frustrated energy as it tried to process why its usual defenses had failed.
All Might didn't give it time to think.
"DETROIT..." His fist cocked back, power building like a dam about to burst. "SMASH!"
The punch connected with NOMU's chest, and for the first time since the fight began, the creature actually reacted to pain. Its eyes widened—a flicker of something almost human—as the full force of All Might's strength drove it deeper into the collapsed building.
Blood. Actual blood seeped from cracks in NOMU's skin where the impact had landed. Without Shock Absorption or its regeneration quirk, the monster was helpless against the Symbol of Peace's raw power.
'Two punches ...' The whole thing fell into ken's eyes. He had wondered how long the NOMU would last without his quirks against All Might.
Well, this was the answer. Two punches from a weakened All Might weakened further from the first round of fighting. It seemed Nomu's durability couldn't match it's raw strength.
He turned his attention to someone else.
Shigaraki was struggling to his feet, still disoriented from the shockwave. Looking at NOMU being beaten back, his hidden face crumpled at rapid speeds.
"Dammit!"
He roared. However, a gust of wind blew past him the next moment. Following which ...
SQUELCH!
"Gotcha Bitch!"
Blood splattered as Ken drove two rods directly through Shigaraki's shoulders.
'How ..'
The distance was less than fifty meters—child's play for someone who could move at super speed.
Instantly, Shigaraki's body went rigid, his Decay quirk nullified as paralysis spread through his nervous system.
"Tomura!" Kurogiri's panicked shout echoed across the battlefield. Ken had just located Shigaraki when a Warpgate opened under them.
"Not on my watch." He sped away from the gate before it could engulf both of them. Being pulled from his collar, Shigaraki's red eyes burned with fury and disbelief.
"Dammit! NOMU!"
Watching Ken evade, Kurogiri in the far distance yelled NOMU's name.
In the distance, All Might had NOMU pinned against the remains of a concrete wall. The creature was unresponsive after taking the second hit.
But at its master's call, NOMU's priorities shifted instantly.
The creature's blank eyes focused on Shigaraki's prone form, then at Ken standing over him. With a surge of raw strength, it shoved All Might back and launched itself toward its creator, ignoring the Symbol of Peace entirely.
"I don't think so!" All Might roared.
He caught NOMU mid-flight, his arms wrapping around the creature's torso as he redirected its momentum and pushed it away.
NOMU roared. Recognizing its opponent would never let him leave, he threw yet another punch forward. All Might met I head on.
"STAY DOWN!" Both fists connected. The result was devastating.
Nomu's arm burst apart, blood and flesh flying in all directions before it was sent flying itself.
All Might's punch was successful.
But this time, something went wrong.
"Ugh .." The symbol of staggered. Barely raising his hand to see it bleeding from shards embedded into it. "Dammit!" Those were his last words before smoked emerged from his form in torrents.
___
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