The ground shook when All Might landed. Dust blasted outward, whipping at my cracked visor. Every villain froze mid-step. Even Shigaraki stuttered, his scratching hand pausing just long enough for blood to bead on raw skin.
The Symbol of Peace had arrived.
"All Might," Shigaraki whispered, voice low and venomous. "Finally."
Beside him, Kurogiri straightened his mist-shrouded form like a butler presenting the main course. "As expected, our calculations were correct. He came."
The Nomu twitched under rubble, then bellowed and burst free, sending chunks of concrete scattering like toy blocks. The monster's yellow eyes locked on All Might with a mindless, brutal hunger.
I forced myself upright, chest burning, HUD flickering with warning messages. My Morpher pulsed in ragged rhythm with my heartbeat.
[System Status: 31%]
[Color Strain Near Critical]
I was close to collapse, but I couldn't stop. Not when the Grid screamed inside me. Not when Nomu wasn't just a monster—it was a breach.
"All Might," I croaked, stumbling closer, "be careful. That thing… it's not just here for you. It's trying to sync with my power. The Grid. It's—"
He glanced back at me, eyes sharp even in battle-ready focus. "Young Ranger… I don't know what that means. But if it's dangerous—" He turned to the beast, muscles bulging as his smile widened. "—then I'll just have to end this quickly!"
The air itself cracked as he lunged.
All Might hit the Nomu like a meteor wrapped in muscle. The shockwave flattened cars and rattled the dome. The beast flew back into a wall, rubble collapsing over it. Villains gasped. For a heartbeat, hope flared in the students' eyes.
But the Nomu stood. The wall crumbled around it, dust sliding off its regenerating body. It stepped forward, unharmed.
Shigaraki's smile split wide. "Told you, All Might. It was designed to kill you. Shock absorption. Regeneration. You can't win."
"Ha!" All Might laughed, chest booming. "Don't underestimate me, villain!"
He charged again, fists a blur, slamming into the Nomu's chest in a storm of blows. The sound was like a drumline of explosions. Concrete cracked. Air boomed. The Nomu's torso dented under the force—then snapped back, muscles knitting instantly.
[Warning: All Might Output Insufficient Against Target's Regeneration]
My HUD didn't lie. Nomu could take him hit for hit. Maybe even more.
And worse—the Grid pulsed, a sickly green vein spreading through the data feed. Nomu's flesh flickered with faint circuitry patterns, like something inside it was trying to connect.
"Damn it," I hissed. "It's trying to link!"
The monster roared and swung. All Might blocked, shockwaves blasting us backward. I shielded my face, cracks spiderwebbing across my visor. My Morpher burned hot against my wrist, screaming alerts.
I had one option. One insane option.
I sprinted forward.
"All Might!" I shouted. "Let me tag in—just for a second!"
He didn't look at me, fists locked with Nomu's, muscles straining. "Young Ranger—stay back! This is my fight!"
"No!" My voice cracked, but it carried. "This thing's not just yours—it's ours!"
The Grid pulsed in agreement.
[Assist Node Resonance: Toshinori Yagi — 40%]
New Technique Available: 'Dual Drive'
I skidded to All Might's side, Morpher blazing. "Trust me!"
For the briefest moment, his eyes flicked to mine. Something passed between us—doubt, faith, madness. He nodded.
I slammed my palm against my Morpher.
"Dual Drive Initiate—Red Fusion!"
Scarlet light exploded outward, wrapping around me—then leaping into All Might like a second skin. Golden lightning sparked across his muscles, red circuitry veins tracing his arms. My HUD linked with his, two heartbeats syncing into one rhythm.
All Might's grin widened. "Now this… this is PLUS ULTRA!"
We moved together.
The Nomu swung. We countered. My sword flared in his fist, cutting arcs of crimson energy that blended with his punches. Each strike landed with the weight of two heroes, the Grid's energy amplifying All Might's raw power.
Nomu staggered. Regeneration kicked in—but slower, strained, like the Grid energy was interfering.
"Keep hitting him!" I yelled, chest burning with overload. "Don't let it reset!"
All Might roared, a titan of muscle and light. Blow after blow hammered the Nomu. The ground cratered, the dome shook, villains shielded their faces from the hurricane of force.
Shigaraki's grin faltered. "No… no, no, no!" He clawed at his neck until blood sprayed. "This isn't fair!"
Kurogiri hissed, "Shigaraki—calm yourself—"
"Shut up! He's mine!"
The Nomu roared, desperate, swinging wildly. One fist clipped me, hurling me into a broken pillar. My armor cracked, alarms shrieking.
[System Integrity: 12%]
I could barely breathe. My body screamed to stop. But through the haze, the Grid's hum deepened. A chord of unity. Of bonds.
[Zord Node Unlocked:
Prototype Access: Crimson Tyranno]
I gasped. "A Zord? Here?!"
The HUD displayed a massive silhouette—dinosaur-shaped, plated in crimson steel. My heart skipped. A Zord in MHA.
But summoning it here, in front of everyone? The risk of blowing my identity wide open—
The Nomu roared again, grabbing All Might by the waist. His grin slipped for the first time, teeth grit as the monster squeezed.
"All Might!" Midoriya screamed from across the plaza. Uraraka's hands glowed, helpless. Students cried out.
The choice was never really mine.
I slammed my fist into the Morpher.
"Summon Zord—Crimson Tyranno!"
The dome split with light. A crimson rift opened above us, roaring circuitry spilling through. Out of it descended a gargantuan dinosaur-shaped mech, plated in glowing scarlet, eyes blazing gold. Its landing shook the USJ, a roar echoing like thunder.
The class gawked. Villains froze. Even Aizawa's scarf stilled mid-swing.
"What… what the hell is that?!" Kaminari shrieked.
Shigaraki's grin snapped into madness. "YES! YES! I want it!"
The Tyranno's head lowered, eyes locking on me. The Morpher synced.
[Link Established: Crimson Tyranno—Combat Assist Mode Active]
The mech roared again, and panels across its chest flared, blasting Nomu with a crimson energy beam. The monster staggered back, shrieking as regeneration faltered under sheer overload.
"All Might!" I shouted. "Now!"
He didn't hesitate. With the Grid energy still coursing through him, he leapt high, fist cocked back.
"UNITED… STATES… OF… SMASHHHHH!"
His punch landed square in Nomu's chest, powered by both his strength and the Tyranno's beam. The monster howled, body splintering under force it couldn't absorb. Regeneration failed. Flesh tore. The Nomu blasted backward, through wall after wall, until it was gone, silence rushing in like a flood.
For a long moment, nobody moved. Villains gaped. Students stared. My HUD dimmed, Morpher sparking.
[System Integrity: 3%]
[Zord Prototype Disengaging]
The Tyranno flickered, then dissolved into a crimson rift, leaving only echoing silence. My armor shattered back into civilian clothes, knees hitting the ground.
I was empty. Drained. Done.
All Might stood tall, breathing heavy but still smiling. "Young Ranger," he said, voice like steel wrapped in warmth, "that was magnificent."
Shigaraki's scream cut the moment apart. He clawed his face raw, shrieking like a child denied candy. "NO! He was supposed to die! That power—it's MINE!"
Kurogiri's mist wrapped around him, dragging him back. "Enough, Shigaraki. Retreat."
And just like that, the villains vanished.
Silence lingered. Students rushed to me, voices blurring together. Uraraka at my side, Midoriya kneeling, Bakugo scowling but eyes burning with questions.
I looked down at the Morpher, its cracked surface still glowing faintly.
[System Status: Critical Sleep Mode Engaged]
Next Awakening: Unknown.
Darkness closed in. My last thought before collapsing was simple.
The Grid is in this world now.
And it won't leave quietly.