"C-can Lock… can he really win?"
Jiro Kyoka clutched the hem of her clothes, fingers trembling. Her face was pale with worry.
She knew Lock was strong—she'd seen it herself—but Tomura Shigaraki had said it outright:
Nomu was a weapon created specifically to fight All Might.
For a moment, no one could answer her.
Neither the students of Class 1-A nor Hero No. 13 spoke. A heavy, suffocating tension pressed down on everyone's hearts.
Letting a student—even one who was already a licensed Pro Hero—stand alone against such a monster…
As a teacher, No. 13 felt a deep sense of shame.
Yet she also knew the cruel truth: stepping forward herself would only make things worse. Even if her Black Hole Quirk could theoretically erase Nomu, one mistake would end with countless students dragged in as collateral.
"Master will win."
The clear, resolute voice cut through the silence.
Everyone turned in surprise.
Barug—still dressed in her maid outfit—stood straight-backed, her expression calm and unwavering.
"He will win. Absolutely."
No hesitation. No doubt.
Whether it was the way she addressed Lock, her blind confidence, or both, the certainty in her voice made everyone freeze for a heartbeat.
Two sides faced each other.
The generals stepped forward.
At this moment, the situation of U.A. versus the League of Villains could be summed up in eight words:
The general decides the war.
Whoever wins here decides everything.
BOOM!
The ground exploded.
Concrete shattered and debris sprayed as Nomu launched itself forward, driven by pure instinct.
In less than a blink, the monster crossed the distance—moving at a speed the naked eye could barely register.
Its arms rose high.
A single punch.
CRASH—!!!
The shockwave tore through the air like a hurricane. Violent wind pressure forced everyone nearby to squeeze their eyes shut.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
When the first wind finally dissipated,d and the stinging in their eyes eased, no one had time to marvel at Nomu's power—
Because something far more shocking filled their vision.
Ice shattered everywhere.
Countless fragments of frozen crystal burst apart, scattering through the air like glittering rain.
And there—
Lock stood calmly in place.
With one hand.
He had caught Nomu's punch.
Not bare-handed.
His forearm was encased in thick, jagged ice, layered and reinforced like armor.
"Ice Form—Demon King's Forearm Armor!"
Ice-Make magic condensed into a front-arm gauntlet, massively reinforcing his strength.
Combined with the steel-enhanced physical power of Sky Dragon Slayer Magic—
Two amplification magics overlapped.
Enough to withstand a pseudo–ceiling-level blow.
Before Nomu could react—
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Lock tightened his grip, locking Nomu's fist in place so it couldn't pull away.
His free hand ignited.
A terrifying surge of flame exploded from his knuckles.
BOOM—!!
The punch slammed straight into Nomu's chest.
The flames didn't just strike—they spread, roaring across Nomu's body, turning it into a blazing mass of fire.
Lock released his hold, leaping backward as the flames raged.
Gasps echoed around the battlefield.
But then—
Nomu twisted violently.
With a rough shake of its body, it scattered the flames.
When the fire cleared—
Not a single burn mark remained.
"…What?"
"That didn't hurt it at all?!"
"This is insane…"
A wave of despair swept through the students.
Lock felt the shift in morale immediately. Without hiding anything, he spoke plainly:
"Don't panic. Nomu has multiple Quirks—Shock Absorption and Super Regeneration. He was injured."
His voice was steady, grounding.
"The impact of Fire Dragon's Iron Fist was absorbed. The burns were instantly healed."
He didn't care if they wondered how he knew.
Right now, his words were like a stabilizer injection.
The despair faded, replaced by tense focus.
On the opposite side—
Tomura Shigaraki's eyes went wide.
His fingers clawed violently at his neck, scratching until blood streaked down his skin.
How does he know?
How does he know Nomu's Quirks?!
Nomu was his last trump card.
His only reliance.
Tomura hated unplanned variables.
He wanted Nomu to crush Lock. To tear him apart. To erase hly.
But now—
Nomu couldn't even gain the upper hand.
"…Forget it."
Tomura's breathing grew ragged.
"Nomu! Attack him! Tear him apart!"
Under the frantic order, Nomu's pupils rolled upward. Its fists clenched, and it charged again.
Lock narrowed his eyes, icy light leaking from the thin slits.
"Annoying… especially at this size."
He had already confirmed it.
Head-on combat wouldn't work.
Shock Absorption + Super Regeneration—
This was the perfect tank combination.
He could clash again and again using Demon King's Forearm, but in the long run—
He would lose.
Nomu didn't tire.
Nomu didn't think.
Nomu didn't run out of stamina or magic.
So the way to break the deadlock was—
"—Enter system space."
Time froze.
Sound vanished.
Everything faded into stillness.
In the familiar azure void, Lock's thoughts accelerated tens of thousands of times faster than reality.
Nomu hung frozen in front of him, mid-charge.
Lock twisted his shoulders lazily and even yawned.
He glanced at the bottom-right corner of the interface.
Fame Points: 35,000+
Not much change since the school term began. After all, U.A. life didn't exactly generate publicity.
In short, I'll need to spend points.
"Let's draw first."
Defeating the Four Ninja Turtles earlier had earned him a B-rank lottery.
Might as well use it now.
"Use B-rank lottery."
The silhouettes of countless mages spun before his eyes.
[B-Rank Lottery Initiated…]
[Congratulations to Host (Lock) for obtaining 'Charm' Magic from Bola.]
[Charm Magic: Influences the target's mind. Ineffective on those aware of its nature.]
At the same instant, experience and usage knowledge flooded into him.
Bola—
A throwaway villain from Fairy Tail. Barely more than a plot device to introduce Lucy to Natsu.
And Charm Magic?
Only effective on the opposite sex.
In simple terms—
A magic for picking up girls illegally.
"…Hm."
A dangerous idea briefly surfaced.
Cough.
Lock shook his head violently, forcing those thoughts away.
Not now.
This draw was unlucky.
Completely useless for the current situation.
"…Then."
He looked back at his Fame Points.
"Time to exchange magic."
---
A/N: 40+ Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded.
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San