Izuku settled into a combat stance, muscles tense, gaze fixed on his enemies. Before him stood seven Nomus, each with quirks boosted to a brutal level, likely carrying the most dangerous quirks from Class A and B. And among them, the two beings that shouldn't exist. The atmosphere was heavy, the air vibrating with the pressure of their presence. There was no room left to hold back.
A dry stomp on the ground was enough to mark the start. The ground rumbled and smoke rose violently, spreading into a dense curtain charged with energy, enough for Endeavor and Shoto to have cover, to breathe it in, and recharge so they could handle the less troublesome enemies. But first… the field had to be split.
In less than a blink, Izuku was already in front of his evil self, his fist charged to unleash a Detroit Smash straight to the face. However, the strike was blocked. The Bakugo Nomu emerged like a living wall, stopping the impact and countering it with a fierce explosion that shook the stadium. The shockwave pushed him back, but didn't knock him down.
Izuku recovered immediately. He gritted his teeth, his eyes analyzing every detail. The speed at which it moved couldn't be Bakugo's alone. That movement wasn't just brute force or explosions, it was maneuverability and power in the legs. And there they were: Iida's engines embedded in the Nomu's heels. And if what his evil version said was true, it also carried Class B's quirks. That meant it could copy.
That meant only one student… Monoma.
They really were clever.
—Good try —said his evil self with a twisted smile—. These Nomus have clear orders: protect me and kill you. You won't be able to touch us. Hahaha.
Izuku looked at him in silence and smiled coldly.
—Perfect. Because you're not my target… They are.
At that instant, a black whip emerged from his mouth, slithering out to ensnare the Bakugo Nomu. Izuku yanked it with brutal force, as if it were a mere doll, and used it as a weapon to catch the other Nomus. One after another they were hooked and dragged violently, until all of them were hurled against the arena walls. The crash of the impact made the stadium's structure tremble, tearing sparks and dust loose on collision.
Izuku wasted no time. He launched himself again, landing beside Endeavor and Shoto. Without taking his eyes off his enemies, he whispered through his teeth:
—Handle those two. I'll take care of the Nomus.
With another powerful leap he rose into the air, the tension built up in his body bursting as he descended like a projectile. The Bakugo Nomu, still staggering, barely had time to react before the two collided. Both fists crashed together with tremendous force and a roar of pure energy shook the entire stadium, breaking the stands and making the arena's foundations creak.
The battle had truly begun. Chaos was about to unfold, and every instant promised a war that surpassed anything the heroes had ever known.
Izuku could only smile with joy.
֎֎֎
A deafening roar shook the entire corridor. The ceiling cracked open all at once, hurling heavy debris that fell like projectiles onto the Nomus. But the Nomu with Jiro's silhouette was hit the worst: she brought her hands to her head, staggering as a thread of blood escaped her mouth.
Momo didn't hesitate. She immediately drew two net guns, materializing them with a snap, and fired point-blank, wrapping up the two Nomus who were left trapped amid the dust and concrete fragments.
—¡¡Run!! —she screamed with the full force of her lungs.
The group didn't think twice. They bolted toward the stairs, stumbling over wall debris, cutting through clouds of dust and dodging pieces of metal still falling from above. The corridors creaked as if they might collapse at any moment, and every step grew more desperate.
—¡What were those things?! ¡Why did they look like Jiro?! —Mineta shrieked, his voice breaking with fear as he ran on the edge of panic.
—I don't know… —Momo answered, breathing hard as she scanned every corner at full speed—. But they were waiting for us. If it weren't for that crash… we wouldn't have gotten out of there.
Momo glanced for a moment at Jiro, who was white as paper, eyes wide open.
—That thing had my Jacks… ¡and my hero costume! ¡It even blocked my detection! How could it do that?
Momo, breaking into a cold sweat, answered without stopping her run:
—If it had multiple Jacks, it only needed to generate opposing waves to cancel out yours. Looking at its body it seems it can generate multiple signals, that would show that… ¡¡Watch out!!
A whistle cut through the air. A Jack shot out at full speed, straight toward Ashido's head. At the last second, Momo shoved her hard to one side, sending them both crashing to the ground. The cable struck the wall behind her, exploding into a thousand pieces and leaving a smoking crater. If she hadn't dodged, her skull would have been blown apart.
The corridor rumbled with a tearing roar that shook the ground. From the darkness emerged the Jiro Nomu, its throat letting out a scream so powerful it shattered the glass of nearby windows. The air grew heavy, thick with dust and debris falling from the ceiling.
Ashido froze, the color draining from her face.
—That… that was going to…
—¡Alien girl, focus!— Tetsutetsu roared, hardening into steel just in time to stop a Jack that struck him in the chest. The blow was so brutal it lifted him off the ground, making him spit blood before he fell to his knees.
—¡¡Tetsutetsu!!— Kendo screamed in desperation.
The attacks multiplied. Sharp Jacks shot out from every direction, piercing walls and ricocheting off the ground with lethal force. Some managed to dodge them by pure reflex, but the injured were the most vulnerable.
Shoji lunged forward, spreading his multiple arms to shield Sato and the other wounded he was carrying, who could barely stay on their feet. A Jack pierced one of his extra limbs, tearing through muscle and skin, making him growl in pain as he protected them with his body.
On the other side, Kendo unfolded her giant hands, using them as improvised walls to shield the wounded. Each metal strike shattered flesh and bone on her arms, making her stagger. Blood ran down her fingers, but she still didn't stop blocking with desperate fury.
—¡Guys, hold on!— Momo ordered, suddenly materializing several metal shields that deployed in a row in front of the group, blocking a barrage of attacks that would have finished them all off. —¡Follow me! If we turn this corner we can escape…
She didn't finish the sentence. A Jack whistled by inches from her leg, opening a clean, deep cut that tore a strangled scream from her. The pain made her stagger, but her eyes burned with determination, adrenaline surging to the very depths of her being. Without losing a second, her hands were already moving: she materialized a thin, gleaming sword, raising it just in time to deflect another projectile heading straight for her chest.
The corridor turned into a field of sparks and steel. Every Jack that shot out was answered with a precise slash; the blade rebounded off the metal, throwing off sparks that lit up the dust-choked gloom. There was no room to breathe: with every block, Momo was forced to step back, her arm numb from the impact, as she searched for gaps in the frenzy of blades.
Suddenly, she switched tactics. While blocking with one sword, she materialized a compact metal shield in her other hand. She raised it just as a group of three Jacks struck at once, making the air boom. The blow pushed her back several meters, her feet sliding over the debris-covered floor, but she managed to hold her guard.
—¡I'm not falling here!— she spat with blood, with a strength she didn't even recognize in herself.
In the middle of the exchange, she took advantage of the seconds she bought with the shield: small cylindrical bombs emerged from her exposed abdomen. With quick, trembling movements, she began sticking them to the walls, one after another, all while still blocking and deflecting projectiles. Her breathing was ragged, her uniform torn and stained with blood, but she didn't stop for even an instant.
When the last device was in place, she pressed the detonator.
—¡¡BOOOM!!
The corridor exploded in a storm of fire, dust, and debris. Chunks of wall flew through the air, the ceiling rumbled, and the shockwave dragged everything in its path. The Nomu roared furiously, its silhouette disappearing into the smoke as the structure collapsed on top of it. The path was blocked by tons of concrete and twisted metal, partially burying the monster under the rubble.
The roar faded among the rubble, and for the first time, the corridor fell into a suffocating silence, barely broken by the group's ragged breathing. The fight had ended there, and calm began to seep in among those present. Momo could finally breathe easy.
—¡¡Aaah!!— that scream put Momo on alert immediately, but the fright fell apart within seconds when Ashido threw herself onto her in a hug that sent them both to the ground.
—¡¡Aaah!!
That scream put Momo quickly on alert, but it was quickly broken by a hug from Ashido, who threw herself at her, sending them both crashing to the ground.
—That was amazing, Momo! I didn't know you were that strong —Ashido exclaimed, laughing energetically, relieved.
—It's true, you surprised me —Kaminari added with a smile, still catching his breath—. You moved so fast and with such impressive technique.
—Kero… seriously, Momo-chan, you were amazing. How did you get so strong? —Tsuyu asked as she helped her up.
Momo, blushing a little, smiled tiredly.
—Well… Izuku is very demanding in his training. He's really brutal. He'd already taught me to react fast, hitting me nonstop with his whips, without giving me a single moment to breathe. He's a great teacher, I'm happy because he made me stronger —she said, all cheerful.
But… the whole group went pale at the same time.
—¡Izuku doesn't hold back!— they all shouted in unison.
The chatting and compliments would have gone on, if not for a speaker on the wall beginning to crackle with static before letting a voice through.
—Can you hear me? Yes? I'm glad you're safe, students —it was Director Nezu, his tone laced with worry.
—Director Nezu… it's good to hear you —Momo answered, exhausted but relieved.
—There's no time to lose. They've stopped the Nomu, but they haven't defeated it. The heroes, like the teachers, are still busy evacuating civilians, but if you follow my instructions you'll be able to get out saf…
A brutal roar shook the entire corridor. The impact was so violent it knocked them to the ground, and for an instant Momo thought the whole stadium was going to collapse on top of them.
Heart racing, all she could manage, in a thread of a voice thick with worry, was:
—What the hell is Izuku doing?