The scene opens with a news chopper flying over the destroyed Jaku City.
"This is an aerial view of Jaku City. Can you see this? About a third of the city has been transformed into vacant lots," the reporter says as we witness the destruction caused by Shigaraki. "Heroes, police, and rescue teams are evacuating those who are left. There are still a lot of people left!" We observe numerous people stuck in the city while heroes are trying to evacuate them.
"Crap! There are still a lot of people stuck in the city," Setsuna said with a worried tone. "If Shigraki reached there, it will be a disaster."
"As horrifying as that possibility is, we couldn't have anticipated Shigaraki's awakening and the overwhelming destruction caused by his quirk during our raid," Ryukyu said, her face marked with a frown.
"It's the same as the disastrous scene from Deika City last year. It's hard to see clearly through the clouds of dust! What in the world are the heroes fighting against?"
"Heroes themselves would like to know that as well," Monoma remarked sarcastically.
"Yeah, it feels like Shigaraki could whip out any convenient quirk from his sleeve whenever he needs. Not to mention that absurd strength he has even without his quirks... How are we even supposed to defeat a guy like him?"
"Together," Izuku said, offering a reassuring smile.
"And what if we fail?" Momo asked in a hushed tone.
"Well..." Izuku took a deep breath and continued. "We'll do that together too," he replied with a melancholic smile, but his expression quickly changed as he instinctively dodged a tub of popcorn hurled at him.
"Freaking moron! Quit quoting movies," Bakugo growled, shooting him an annoyed look. "And Ponytail, wipe off that stupid expression. Like hell, we're going to lose to a one, hand fetish guy."
"Hosu City, Camino Ward-- The large-scale terrorist attacks that started last year seem to be repeating themselves here in Jaku City," At U.A., a very stressed-looking All Might was watching the news with Eri.
"Yagi, do explain to me, why you are watching the coverage of the raid with a traumatized child?" Aizawa asked, glaring at All Might, who responded with a sheepish smile and an apology.
"Even with a large number of police and heroes dispatched here, no information whatsoever has been given to the press," we see Inko happily shopping outside.
"Mom..." Izuku whispered in a low, concerned voice, wondering what she had to do with any of this.
"Did the police know about the attack before it happened?" We see shots of the Todoroki family, with Fuyumi interacting with students at the school, Natsuo in class at his university, and Rei standing near the window with Rindou flowers in her hand.
Shoto and Endeavor tensed as this was the second time their family had appeared on the screen.
"In any case, there's no doubt that the damage from this attack is the worst of any attack up until now," we see Mitsuki Bakugo sitting at her house, enjoying tea while reading a book named 'Katsuki's Memories.'
Bakugo narrowed his eyes at the screen, ignoring his classmates who were making a fuss about the book in his mom's hand.
"What is happening in Japan right now? Where are we heading towards right now?" The reporter finishes as we see All for One, who is imprisoned in Tartarus, smiling to himself.
'All for One!' All Might thought, a strong sense of hatred filling his mind. 'That smile... that bastard must be scheming something with that evil mind of his.'
Going back to the battlefield, we see heroes still engaged in a fierce battle with Shigaraki. Endeavor, who is currently locked in combat with Shigaraki, unleashes a barrage of attacks towards him. However, Shigaraki effortlessly dodges each attack, all the while maintaining a sinister smile directed at Endeavor.
A little further away, Aizawa keeps his sight on Shigaraki, continuously erasing his quirks. Rocklock and Manual support him; Rocklock acts as his legs, and Manual uses his quirk to keep Aizawa's eyes moistened.
"It appears that even with Eraser constantly nullifying his quirks, we still struggle to contain Shigaraki," Endeavor said with sharp eyes observing both his moves and Shigaraki's.
"This only makes the situation worse for us since Shigaraki doesn't seem to have the limitations that we humans have," Mirko added.
"Exactly. Even with Manual's support, I will have to close my eyes at least once if I want to continue using them in the future," Aizawa commented, inwardly thinking, 'Ignoring the damage I've sustained due to not blinking thus far.'
Endeavor unleashed his Hell Spider attack at Shigaraki, but Shigaraki swiftly dodged it and appeared behind Endeavor. With a powerful punch, Shigaraki sent Endeavor crashing into Ryukyu, who was flying towards them to support him and all three of them crashed onto the ground.
"That's definitely going to hurt," Ryukyu grimaced as she saw herself crashing onto the ground.
Meanwhile, Rumi's eyes twitched in irritation as she witnessed her Ryu... no!! Seeing Ryuko being used as an impact cushion for Endeavor's fall.
"That hurt! Hey, Number One, was it the other arm?" Shigaraki taunted, his voice cutting through the clearing dust as he stood triumphantly atop Endeavor and Ryukyu's bodies. He mockingly held his fist in the air, reminiscent of Endeavor's iconic pose after his battle in Kyushu. "I feel bad waiting until after I saw what you did, though."
"Get off!" Endeavor yelled, launching another wave of fire at Shigaraki, who effortlessly dodged and jumped off the number one hero's body.
"It's honestly disturbing to see Shigaraki casually mocking two top heroes," Sero remarked, and nobody could deny his words. The situation really looked grim from the heroes' perspective.
"Why are the Nomus...?" Endeavor asked as he got back on his feet.
"I can control Decay now," Shigaraki said while staring at his hands. "I tried not to let it spread to the Nomu capsules, but I couldn't save all of them."
We see a memory of Shigaraki standing in front of five Nomu Housing Capsules that stored High-End Nomus, who had fought Mirko earlier that day. "They aren't going to suddenly get violent or anything?" Shigaraki asked Garaki, who was working on something behind him.
"Hm? No, they won't. They're activated by an electrical current," Garaki explained. "It's just one tap on this device. When they wake up, they'll follow the orders of whoever the settings designate. They're servants fit for the king of villains." Back in the present, Shigaraki had a smirk on his face as he recalled Garaki's words.
"Honestly, if I had to rank these villains, I'd place Doctor Garaki above Shigaraki," Momo thought out loud.
"Seriously!" Mina exclaimed. "You're really going to put that ugly doctor, who can't go even two minutes without screaming his soul out or wetting his pants, above the guy who destroyed half of the city with a single touch and is facing two top heroes without breaking a sweat? And here I thought you were smarter than all of us."
"I have several reasons for saying that," Momo said, sounding a little offended. "The most important one is the fact that without Garaki's superior mind, neither Shigaraki nor those Nomus would even exist in the first place. Then, there's also the possibility that he managed to replicate quirk-erasing bullets without Eri's blood. Lastly, he seems to be the most important pawn of All for One, considering how long he has been working for the man without being discarded like who knows how many of the people who were working for him..." Momo explained. "Just because someone doesn't have the combat ability of a nuke doesn't mean they cannot be more dangerous than one."
"Well said, Yaoyorozu," Nezu said in a pleased voice. "Garaki possesses a mind that can be rivaled by very few people in the world. However, what blinds him is his arrogance and his false sense of security, making him believe that no one is aware of his true identity..." Suddenly, a dangerous glint appeared in Nezu's eyes. "Soon he will realize just how wrong he was."
Near the battlefield, Kyudai gleefully praised Tomura for successfully saving some of the Nomus. "He used Radio Waves to generate the current needed to awaken them! He's become smarter!" Garaki exclaimed as we observe unnamed heroes struggling to hold their ground against these formidable Nomus. "But they're even more potent than the upper tiers... At least for the time being, let's refer to them as 'Near High Ends'!"
"Just punch him in the face already," Bakugo exclaimed in an irritated tone, shooting a pointed glare at Mic. "His voice is making me want to blow someone up," Bakugo added, small explosions popping in his hands. Sero, who was sitting close to him, immediately changed his seat, fearing for his life.
"Oh, no! Two of them are headed for Eraser!" Gran Torino exclaimed as he floated in the air using his quirk.
Gran Torino's words immediately put everyone in the audience on high alert.
"You two, hide!" He commanded Izuku and Bakugo as he swiftly moved towards Aizawa to assist him.
Izuku gritted his teeth, recalling Gran Torino's words: 'In the unlikely event that One For All is stolen, think about the worst-case scenario.' "The worst-case scenario..." Izuku mumbled, a flicker of fear crossing his eyes.
Iida glanced at the screen, then at Izuku, and thought, 'Yep, he's definitely going to do something dumb,' letting out a tired sigh.
Meanwhile, the battle against Shigaraki raged on. Endeavor launched another attack at Shigaraki, but he effortlessly evaded it by leaping high into the air, casting a glance in a specific direction. "If you can see me... then you should consider that I can see you," he remarked, noticing Aizawa at a distance, using his quirk-nullifying gaze on him.
"Shit!" Aizawa cursed under his breath because he knew that his death would spell the end for the heroes on the scene.
Immediately after Shigaraki landed back on the ground, he leaped toward Aizawa. "You're in the way, Eraser Head!" In an instant, he was within arm's reach.
'Like I'd... die here! If I'm killed, you'll be unstoppable!' Aizawa thought as he saw Shigaraki approaching him. 'I need to keep watching...until they graduate... and become heroes!' Memories of his students flashed before his eyes as he drew out a knife. "The one in the way is you!" Aizawa yelled at Shigaraki.
Tears welled up in the eyes of some 1-A students as their homeroom teacher's words touched their hearts, but right now, they were more concerned about the fact that Shigaraki was about to reach him.
'It's no good! I won't make it!' Gran Torino thought, realizing he was too far away to rescue Aizawa, and Shigaraki was on the brink of making contact with Aizawa.
"Shota!" Nemuri and Mic screamed, while Aizawa sighed and steeled his heart, preparing to witness his own demise.
The screen went black for a brief moment, then a sudden burst of green energy illuminated the scene.
"Huh!?" Everyone was stunned for a moment, but some of them quickly realized what had just happened and their eyes flickered towards a particular student.
As the screen flickered back to life, we see Izuku tackling Shigaraki, forcefully bringing him to a standstill.
"Why?!" Gran Torino exclaimed, perplexed, as Izuku and Shigaraki locked eyes and butting their foreheads against each other.
"Exactly! I told you to stay away from the battlefield, didn't I?" Gran Torino said, glaring at Izuku, who ignored him and continued staring at the screen.
"If Shigaraki can't use his Quirk, then let us fight, too!" Izuku declared, recalling Gran Torino's cautionary words about the worst-case scenario. He thought, 'Because of the Nomus, the heroes can't get here in time! There aren't enough people to go against Shigaraki. If Erasure stops working on him and he uses Decay again...'
"That... is actually a good point," Ryukyu remarked. "Keeping Eraser safe is our best bet for now."
"But still, it's not very logical for him to appear right in front of the enemy who is specifically after him," Jeanist said, glancing at Izuku while pondering. 'The boy seems to be very impulsive, which is not uncommon for teenagers, but is it truly the right choice to entrust a power like One for All to someone like him?'
"The worst that could happen is for us to lose Mr. Aizawa!" Izuku shouted into Shigaraki's face."He's protected us this whole time! The worst that could happen is losing him!"
Bakugo suddenly appeared from behind Izuku. "This time... it's our turn!" he declared, his mind flashing back to the memory of Aizawa bowing on national television for him.
Aizawa was genuinely moved... truly touched to witness his students coming to his rescue, but deep down, he wished they hadn't. He didn't believe his heart could withstand witnessing another person—especially one of his students—losing their life to keep him alive.
At the same time, Izuku somersaulted over Shigaraki's head, using Blackwhip to bind and restrain him, creating an opportunity for Bakugo. "Let's do this rationally! Armor-Piercing Machine Gun!" Bakugo roared, unleashing a barrage of small but powerful explosions at Shigaraki.
"Ha, take that, asshole!" Bakugo exclaimed with a triumphant grin, but it quickly vanished when...
After the attack, Shigaraki cleared the smoke with a casual swing of his hand, standing there unfazed by the assault. "Are you trying to set off fireworks or something?" Shigaraki taunted Bakugo, his tone mocking.
Bakugo gritted his teeth and clenched his fist in frustration upon seeing that his attack didn't even faze Shigaraki.
"Chill, Bakugo. Even Endeavor's attacks didn't work on him," Kirishima said, attempting to console his friend.
"Not helping, shitty hair..." Bakugo retorted, giving Kirishima a quick glare.
However, when he attempted to move, he realized he was still being restrained by Izuku.
However, this attempt proved futile as Shigaraki easily overpowered Izuku with his superior physical strength, sending him hurtling through the air.
"Yeah, that was never going to work, considering we already know how superior Shigaraki's raw physical strength is," Kendo remarked.
Meanwhile, Izuku clicked his tongue and began to ponder if there was any way to enhance Blackwhip's power aside from boosting it through One for All.
Then Shigaraki swiftly appeared in front of Bakugo and remarked, "Sorry, I'm not interested in you anymore."
Bakugo narrowed his eyes at the screen upon hearing Shigaraki's remark. 'I'll make you regret ignoring me, you bastard...' Bakugo thought to himself, his glare fixed on the screen.
But before he could do anything Endeavor appeared, delivering a blazing punch that sent Shigaraki backwards across the field.
Endeavor asked Izuku where Shoto is, who responded that he is not with them.
"You should have told me where you two were heading," Shoto said, casting a glance at Izuku and Bakugo. "I could have assisted you in the fight," he added with a dissatisfied frown.
Meanwhile, Shigaraki managed to halt his momentum, grumbling about how close he had been to incapacitating Eraser Head.
Nemuri didn't voice it aloud, but she felt genuinely grateful for Izuku and Bakugo's timely intervention. She also knew that Shota was deeply moved by his students' actions. However, he wasn't pleased with the fact that they now had to face an opponent that even the top pros were struggling against.
"His power and toughness are like that of All Might," Endeavor remarked.
"As long as I don't close my eyes, that power's all he's got," Aizawa added. "I'll try to keep my eyes open as long as possible."
"Deku, Bakugo, there's nothing we can do about you two being here now. I won't ask why you're here for now," Endeavor stated, just as Shigaraki once again charged towards them. "Support Eraser! Bakugo, protect Deku!"
Izuku took a deep breath, attempting to maintain a neutral expression on his face as frustration once again built up in his chest upon hearing about someone trying to protect him. Once more, he found himself grappling with the feeling of being weak, useless, pathetic... someone who could not be relied upon... someone who needed to be protected... someone who was far from what All Might was. At the end of the day, all he wanted was to look in the mirror without being haunted by guilt over All Might's decision to bestow the world's greatest power upon someone like him.
'If I can snatch Izuku Midoriya and leave this place...' Shigaraki contemplated as he charged toward the heroes.
'Like hell, we'll allow that!' Bakugo, Endeavor, Gran Torino, and Aizawa each thought to themselves.
However, at that very moment, a voice inside his mind compelled him to claim One For All. "One For All... Become mine..." he said as the voice in his head overlapped with his own, "...little brother," he said, shocking both him and Izuku.
"What!!!!" most people in the audience screamed, their gazes fixed on Izuku.
"Midoriya! Is Shigaraki really your brother?" Shoto asked, wide-eyed, while holding a book and pen in his hand.
"No! I'm pretty sure Shigaraki is not related to me!" Izuku hurriedly replied.
"Then why did he call you brother?" Ochako questioned.
"Well... he wasn't addressing me when he said that," Izuku explained. "I'm pretty sure he was referring to the first wielder of One for All, and also..." Izuku hesitated before uttering the next words, which made him wish that Shigaraki was actually related to him instead. "I don't think it was Shigaraki who said those words..." he added, pointing at the screen.
As Tomura dodges Endeavor's Hell Spider once again, he thinks about how that wasn't him speaking. 'Your sense of self is too strong, Master.'
Everyone's eyes widened as they realized what Izuku was trying to convey, particularly All Might and Gran Torino.
'Of course, a vestige... just like One for All,' All Might thought to himself.
'I'm not being made to do this because of a hallucination of your voice,' Shigaraki thought, a sinister smile stretching across his face. 'I thought about it back then. How even someone called the 'Lord of Evil' was made to surrender by the power of just one person,' images of the epic clash between All for One and All Might flooded his mind. 'I'm thankful for you bringing me up the way you did. I really am. But... I don't want to turn out like you. I want to be better than you. So, shut up,' he concluded, watching as All for One's shadow gradually receded within his thoughts.
Gran Torino felt relief upon witnessing All For One's failed attempt to take over Shigaraki's consciousness, but it pained his heart, even more, to see that Tenko... no, Shigaraki... was well aware that All For One had groomed him to be evil, and yet he continued on that path. This realization underscored that Shigaraki bore the full agency for all the evil he had committed, placing the responsibility solely on his shoulders.
"This is my will," Shigaraki declared, reaching his hand forward, only for it to be swiftly kicked by Gran Torino.
"Getting hit would be fatal, so dodging's my best bet! I did train a guy with crazy power!" Gran Torino exclaimed, a memory of training a young All Might flashing before his eyes. He then seized Shigaraki's shoulder and said firmly, anger evident in his voice, "Don't trample on Shimura's memory any longer!"
"Who's that?" Tomura asked, his voice dripping with boredom.
All Might and Gran Torino's blood boiled as they witnessed the blatant disrespect Shigaraki was displaying towards their mentor and friend.
Gran Torino recalled a conversation he had with All Might after the battle with All for One in Kamino...
"The blood relationship that my master severed for the sake of peace...!" All Might's voice echoed, the image of him sitting on a hospital bed still vivid in Gran Torino's mind.
"You're not looking at him as a villain anymore. You will definitely hesitate," Gran Torino had warned him.
All Might sighed, vividly recalling a conversation he had shared with Gran Torino. He couldn't deny the truth in Gran Torino's words. If he were still active in the field, his hand might have trembled before striking his master's grandson. Yet, whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, his successor did not share that kind of personal connection with Shigaraki.
Back in the present, Gran Torino flexed his muscles and bellowed, "Your existence pains Toshinori! It pains everyone!"
"Say what you want..." Shigraki said as he once again blasts out of Torino's grasp, almost kicking Endeavor's head off who coming to support Torino. Once airborne, his gaze locked onto Izuku, who returned his glare, "I'm taking it... One For All."
'I'd like to see you try!' Izuku thought fiercely, but unbeknownst to him, he had voiced his thoughts aloud, with One for All swirling around his body and a steeled expression on his face, capturing the attention of several onlookers.
At that moment, Bakugo appeared above Shigraki. "Just how much do you think you can ignore me? You must be high!" Bakugo shouted, targeting Shigaraki as he clutched the pin on his gauntlet, containing his nitroglycerin-infused sweat. "That guy's bait!" Bakugo roared and unleashed a colossal explosion, engulfing Shigaraki.
'Try ignoring me now, you bastard!' Bakugo thought triumphantly, a wide grin stretching across his face as he saw himself unleashing a colossal explosion at Shigaraki.
Immediately following Bakugo's attack, Izuku leaped into the air, bellowing, "Smash!" and delivered a forceful kick, that sent Shigaraki hurtling away.
"Nice kick," Rumi said. "I mean, the form was bad, and the technique could use some work as well, but it was good for a runt like you."
"Thank you!" Izuku responded enthusiastically, hastily jotting down her feedback in his notebook, which earned a small chuckle from Rumi.
Endeavor appeared behind Shigaraki while thinking about All Might's words on how he doesn't have to be the same kind of Hero as he was.
Many in the audience gazed at the screen with curiosity in their eyes, as no one was aware that the current No. 1 and the former No. 1 ever had a talk like that.
Endeavor charged at Tomura with a massive Vanishing Fist! while also utilizing Bakugo's explosion to amplify the force and firepower of his attack.
Aizawa, Rock Lock, and Manual who were positioned slightly removed from the heart of the action, stared at the display of firepower from Endeavor as the sheer intensity of his attack rippled through the surroundings and reached them as well.
'Can I do something like that?' Bakugo thought as he watched Endeavor utilize fire and heat from his explosion to enhance his attack. 'Maybe not fire, but I can definitely use the heat generated by someone else to increase my sweat flow and amplify my explosions.' Then, suddenly, his eyes went wide. 'Or I can install heating coils or something similar in my costume. That way, I can raise my body temperature. I guess I need to pay a visit to that crazy girl from the support department, the one Deku keeps praising for her work.'
Going to Gunga Mountain Villa's rear guard, we see Jiro suddenly overcome by fear and screaming as she senses something through her quirk. Kaminari, who had returned to the rear guard along with Komori and Honenuki, asked Jiro what was wrong. She informed them that something huge is beginning to move at the Villa.
"Gigantomachia..." someone in the audience muttered, as they all recalled the emergence of another disaster.
At the Villa, the awakened Gigantomachia burst through the ground and immediately grabbed hold of Mr. Compress, who screamed in fear and surprise. Gigantomachia placed him on his back, where Spinner was already positioned, along with Himiko, who was naked due to the recent use of her quirk. Seeing the naked Himiko flustered Mr. Compress, prompting him to hand her a spare costume stored in one of his marbles.
"How often does Toga lose her clothes that Compress has to carry an extra pair with him?" Izuku mused aloud, a slight blush coloring his cheeks.
"Izuku, I don't think we need to know that..." Momo said, her smile sickeningly sweet but not reaching her eyes.
"I... I just thought..."
"We don't need to know about that," Momo interjected with a tone that caused him to instinctively shut his mouth.
"Shigaraki really is awake then! Machia's got a good nose. Is he planning on taking us with him?" Dabi said while dodging Machia's attempt to grab him. "Wait a minute, Machia. There's someone I want to use," he said while walking towards Skeptic, who was busy with his laptop. Then he stopped in front of Skeptic, causing him to look up from his laptop. "I liked him from the second I laid eyes on him," Dabi said with a grin, while Skeptic asked what he was talking about. Without answering his question, Dabi turned around and said, "Okay, Machia,"
"I said..." Skeptic started but noticed Machia's hand reaching towards them. "Wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait--!"
"Once again, that Dabi guy seems to be on a completely different wavelength than the other league members," Setsuna said with a frown, while Endeavor and Hawks continued to glare at the man, wondering why he had chosen to bring that particular villain with him.
Outside the Villa, Mt.Lady continues her counter-attacks against Geten's ice, when she suddenly spots Gigantomachia standing in the ruined Villa.
Machia's nose twitched as he smelled... "Master... Master!" While the villains on his back discussed the sudden movement of Machia, they concluded that Shigaraki had awakened earlier than planned.
"I see... so Machia possesses enhanced senses that enable him to detect individuals from considerable distances," Nezu observed, diligently jotting down any valuable information he could gather about the giant.
Then, Machia started to run forward toward his master without caring about anything in his path, but Mt. Lady stood in his way, holding him back. The Heroes cheered her on while she struggled to keep him at bay, slowly being pushed backward. "I won't let you go that way!" Mt. Lady said, gritting her teeth.
Some students in the audience cheered for her, causing her cheeks to flush, yet she retained the determination in her eyes to halt the other giant, as she too cheered for her on-screen self.
Back at the rearguard, Kaminari inquired about the huge thing Jiro was talking about.
'Don't say it, don't say it,' he chanted in his mind, struggling to suppress his laughter. while Jiro was poised to jab him if anything inappropriate escaped his mouth.
Jiro informed them that she didn't know and asked Shoji, who had transformed one of his limbs into an eye if he could see anything. However, he denied it, saying that whatever that thing was, it was too far for him to see.
"I thought we had an advantage?" Mina asked, turning towards Momo.
"During the regular check-in earlier, they said the operation was going as planned..." Momo said, also feeling lost due to a lack of information.
"Well, it was going according to plan until it wasn't," Monoma remarked.
"What?! Those surrounding him were sent flying?" Suddenly, the hero who was there to watch over them received some concerning intel, prompting Momo to spare a worried glance at them. "Don't let the line fall back! Work-study students, stand by here!" he said and ran towards the front line with the other heroes present.
"The heroes are all gathered together, right...?" Mineta asked with a worried voice. "Why are things getting worse?"
'Yeah, we'd like to know that as well,' echoed in the thoughts of all the pros.
Meanwhile, Mt. Lady kept trying to stop Machia, who continued running towards Shigaraki, but she wasn't able to halt him in place. "Y-You're stupidly strong..." she muttered, gritting her teeth.
"See, Takeyama, I told you to build some muscles when you came to get my autograph two years ago," Rumi remarked, giving Yu a pointed look.
"Now is not the time..." Suddenly, Yu's eyes widened. "Wait! You remember that!"
"Of course I do," Rumi said with a teasing smirk. "It's not every day a giant girl waves her arms around to catch your eye."
"Could you please forget about that..." Yu pleaded, her face tinted with a blush.
"I don't think I will," Rumi replied, an amused smile playing on her lips.
On Machia's back, Skeptic cried out to put him down since he had to protect Re-Destro, but Dabi told him to stay quiet since the Heroes didn't know they were on his back yet.
"I've been waiting for you, Master! I'll go to you now!" Machia roared, not halting his run.
"You can talk?!" Mt. Lady exclaimed, still trying to halt his run. Meanwhile, the rest of the heroes were attempting to catch up to Mt. Lady and Machia, wondering why the 'walking disaster' had awakened and if something had gone wrong in Jaku. However, they were unable to do anything as the beast was too fast and strong.
"So... any ideas on how we're going to deal with this monstrosity?" Ryukyu inquired, directing the question towards her fellow pros.
"I believe our best approach is to subdue that creature before it even has a chance to move," Nemuri suggested.
"That seems to be our most viable option," Edgeshot chimed in. "I don't think we have anyone capable of single-handedly restraining that behemoth."
'Maybe I should seek Cathleen's assistance just to be on the safe side,' All Might contemplated. 'Perhaps she can also provide some guidance to young Midoriya while she's here.'
Suddenly, Geten used his quirk to rain ice shards from the sky, halting the heroes who were trying to pursue Machia. But before he could do anything else, he was quickly swallowed up by Cementoss's Cement. "No matter what happens, you should stake your life on your own job!" Cementoss declared.
"You know, it's really strange to witness Cementoss sensei's fierce side, considering he's usually such a calm and reserved person," Ochako commented.
At the same time, Edgeshot was engaged in a battle against Re-Destro in his 100% stress form.
"Why the hell is there another giant?!" Bakugo exclaimed, his voice dripping with annoyance and frustration.
"Fantastic, another name to add to the high-priority list," Aizawa muttered with a sigh, jotting down Re-Destro's name on a separate list.
'Gigantomachia's starting to move... That means... Tomura Shigaraki is awakening incomplete!' Re-Destro thought as he imagined Shigaraki as a butterfly breaking out of a pupa.
"Geez! Thanks for ruining butterflies for me," Toru quipped in a bitter tone.
"Our savior and liberator... What in the world did you people do to him?!" he yelled as he released dark energy from his body. "Follow Gigantomachia, Liberation Warriors! Now is the time for liberation!" he instructed his followers. "Start the revolution!"
"And now he can shoot energy from his body..." Monoma remarked with a weary sigh. "Why don't we have anyone who can pull off this kind of shit."
Returning to Mt. Lady, who was attempting to stop Machia but was unable to do so as he continued running, pushing her back.
Then we see Kumai Woods carrying Midnight on his back, both of them following next to Mt. Lady and Machia.
"Get closer!" Midnight said.
"I know!" Kumai Woods replied.
"Nemuri... what exactly are you attempting?" Aizawa inquired, his gaze shifting to her.
"Just a DIY version of something I proposed," she answered with a chuckle, though her heart was racing faster than usual.
"Lady! Hang on for just a little longer!"
"I'm trying...!" Mt. Lady responded, her face starting to turn red from all the effort she was putting into stopping Machia.
Once again, Machia's nose twitched. "The shortest distance to Master..." he said, then he grabbed Mt. Lady's leg and threw her across the forest. She ragdolled over the trees due to her being in her giant form while Machia continued his rush.
Yu winced, watching her on-screen self being hurled across the forest like that, prompting Ryukyu to offer a gentle rub on her back to provide comfort.
"Takeyama!" Kumai Woods screamed in worry.
"Don't look away! Follow him!" Midnight instructed him.
"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Kumai Woods replied.
Yu frowned upon witnessing Kumai and Midnight's interaction, but she understood that halting the giant took precedence over someone fawning over her. Besides, she would have scolded Kumai if he had prioritized her above dealing with that walking monstrosity.
"It's possible that the Jaku team failed," Midnight wondered aloud. "If that guy gets down to the city, it'll be an unprecedented disaster! We won't be able to stop him with strength!" She said and ripped a sleeve of her costume. "Bring me to his face!" She instructed Kamui Woods to get closer so she could put the beast to sleep with her quirk, Somnambulist.
"Roger!" Kumai Woods replied and started moving towards Machia.
"Nemuri, what are you—" Aizawa began, but he stopped himself when he noticed the determination in her eyes. He sighed and said, "I hope you know what you're doing."
'Even if I don't, what choice do I have?' Nemuri thought, a sad smile appearing on her face.
But they are caught off guard by the sudden burst of blue flames courtesy of Dabi.
"Shit!" Yu exclaimed, her eyes filled with horror as she witnessed Kumai being consumed by flames. 'Please be okay!' she silently prayed for his safety in her thoughts.
"See? They didn't realize we were here," Dabi said with a smug smile on his face.
"I'm going to crush that bastard under my heel," Yu seethed with anger in her voice.
"Get in line," Hawks retorted, his gaze locked on the blue flame user with a fierce glare.
However, Midnight managed to evade Dabi's attack.
Aizawa and Mic breathed sighs of relief upon seeing Nemuri emerge unscathed from Dabi's attack. However, their momentary relief was short-lived...
But Compress quickly threw some marbles at her. 'The League was on Machia's back!' she thought with wide eyes as the marbles expanded into heavy debris from the villa. "Damn it!" she said right before she plunged to the ground along with the debris on top of her.
"Don't underestimate the heroes!" Dabi remarked as we see Midnight getting crushed by a heavy piece of debris.
"Nemuri..." Aizawa said in a low, hushed voice, his eyes filled with fear – the fear of reliving the pain of losing a friend.
Mic, too, struggled to hold back tears, his body teetering on the brink of violent shivers.
Meanwhile, Nemuri simply closed her eyes, bracing herself to witness her own demise.
"A Quirk... that can stop that..." crushed on the ground, Midnight tries to move her body but barely manages to get on her knees. "Majestic... No, it's too big for him..." she said as blood dripped from her face. "We couldn't... do anything..." she said in a frustrated voice.
It wasn't just on-screen Nemuri who was feeling frustrated; the sentiment was shared among everyone in the audience as they witnessed their friend, teacher, and colleague in such a state. The feeling only worsened since neither they nor their counterparts on the screen could reach out to help her.
Back at the rear guard, the students who saw Mt. Lady being thrown off were wondering what was going on when suddenly... "Can you hear me, Creati?" Midnight contacted Momo, although it was clear from her voice that she was struggling to speak out loud.
"Ms. Midnight?!" Momo exclaimed.
Momo, who was sitting in the audience, tightly grasping Izuku's hand while trying to hold back her tears, was surprised to see Midnight contacting her during such a dire situation. 'She is going to inform me of her location, right?' she thought.
"You understand the situation, right?" Midnight asked.
"Yes, thanks to Jiro's hearing and Shoji's eye," Momo replied.
"No one can stop him with brute force..." Midnight said as her body quivered in pain. "I want you to put him to sleep..." she said, causing Momo to widen her eyes in surprise. "It's against the law, but under the circumstances... use anesthetics to put him to sleep," she continued, as we see a number of villains rushing towards Midnight, who was helplessly lying on the ground.
"What are you saying, Ms. Midnight?!" Momo asked in a surprised and worried voice.
"Make anesthetics to give to the heroes and then get out of there! If that's too hard, then evacuate right away," Midnight said, remembering her belief that Momo would become a great leader in the future.
"No... No, this can't be happening," Momo muttered to herself, her voice shaky as many thoughts raced through her mind. "I'm not a leader... I don't have the experience for this," she whispered, her voice tinged with frustration.
Suddenly, a villain attacked her from behind. She turned her head around and said, "I leave it to your judgment!" With those final words, the line went silent.
"Hello? Ms. Midnight?!" Momo shouted frantically into the comms, but there was no response.
Nemuri closed her eyes, struggling to hold back tears. Despite her efforts, a sad smile graced her face. It was undoubtedly a terrible feeling to witness her own demise, even though the screen didn't explicitly show it. She and those around her were mature enough to understand the implications of the scene.
Such is the life of a hero. Still, her only regret was not having a family to call her own. She had Shota, Mic, and her students crying for her at this moment, but she couldn't help but wish for the experience of coming home to a loving husband and excited children, eager to hear about her day.
Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a hand landing on her shoulder. She turned to her side and, surprisingly, it wasn't Shota or Mic; instead, it was Yu, staring at her with a frown. "Why are you making that face? You're not dead yet, you know. We're watching this to prevent these things from happening, so stop being all sad and stuff because the crying of these brats is already annoying."
A smile spread across Midnight's face as she pulled Yu into a hug. "Aww! I always knew you cared about me!"
"Get off me, you old hag!" Yu exclaimed, a deep blush on her face, as she tried to push Midnight away. She would never admit that Midnight was someone she used to look up to, a big influence on her while growing up, in front of the woman herself.
The U.A. students began to worry about what had happened to Midnight and if everything was okay, while Creati became stuck in a deadlock. 'Make anesthetic and give it to the heroes? But the heroes have all gone to help the advance guard... so, should we evacuate?' Momo thought to herself, biting her nails. 'Either way, she said to run away. From the way she was talking, Ms. Midnight is injured. Even so, she told us to run. That's how strong the enemy is. Oh, Ms. Midnight...' Frustration overcame her as she slammed her hand against her head.
"What are you going to do, Yao-momo?" Mina asked as explosions rang around them.
What are you doing!' Momo screamed in her mind, watching her counterpart's actions on the screen. 'Ms. Midnight entrusted me with such a big responsibility, and I'm just standing here like an idiot, unable to make a goddamn decision!' Instinctively, she mirrored her counterpart's actions and held her head in her hands.
"Momo, take a deep breath, it's okay," Izuku's voice gently reached her ears as he mustered his own courage and tenderly stroked her head. "I believe in you, you'll find a way to stop that thing."
"How can you say that?" she asked without lifting her head.
"Because I've seen how incredible, intelligent, and dependable you are," Izuku replied, his words laced with a reassuring smile. "And so does Midnight-sensei, right?"
It took a few seconds, but Momo's eyes widened as Izuku's words finally registered. She looked up only to meet Midnight crouched before her with a gentle smile gracing her lips. "Ms. Midnight...?" Momo's voice held a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.
"I see so much potential in you, Momo. You have the intellect, the compassion, and the determination to become an exceptional hero, and even more exceptional leader," Midnight's voice was soothing as she caressed Momo's cheek. "You may doubt yourself, but I have no doubt that you will overcome any challenge that comes your way."
Tears welled up in Momo's eyes, a radiant smile breaking through. "Thank you, sensei..." Momo's voice was soft but resolute. "I can do this. I won't let you down."
"I know you won't. After all, just like your boyfriend said, I know you're awesome," Midnight affirmed, rising and returning to her seat, a playful grin adorning her features as she left behind two blushing teenagers.
"Hey, Momo..." Izuku's hushed voice only reached her ears. "Your hair is really soft."
A faint blush painted her cheeks as she whispered back, her fingers subconsciously combing through her hair. "Thank you..."
"Are we going to run away with our tails between our legs?" Kirishima asked.
"Without doing anything...!" Sato exclaimed.
"Leaving Ms. Midnight behind!" Kaminari added.
Meanwhile, her classmates' comments were only adding to her frustration.
"Kirishima retreating from a disadvantageous situation isn't an act of cowardice," Aizawa said with stern eyes. "And do I have to remind you about what happened at the U.S.J when you and Bakugo prematurely launched an attack on Kurogiri, interfering with Thirteen's attack?" he asked, causing Kirishima to lower his head in shame, while Bakugo averted his eyes, not meeting his teacher's gaze.
Finally, it reached its peak, and she decided to speak.
"Earphone Jack, Tentacole!" Momo called out in a commanding voice. "Use sound to determine how far away he is and estimate how long it'll take him to get here! Get a rough estimate of the giant's size from your visuals!"
"Mudman, please lend us your strength as well!" Momo requested assistance from the student from their sister class. "Everyone, prepare to move!" she commanded.
"And there she is, the confident Yomomo who can get us out of any situation!" Jiro cheered, raising her fist in the air.
"Hell yeah!" Kirishima, Kaminari, and the rest of Class 1-A cheered along with Jiro.
"Moreover, Yaoyorozu, you needn't formally request our aid. Class 1-B is always ready to support our fellow students," Honenuki affirmed.
"Oi! He doesn't speak on behalf of all of us!" Monoma interjected.
"Yes, he does," Kendo promptly interjected, promptly rendering Monoma's protest void.
"Well, we can see him already!" Jiro said in a serious voice. "He's fast. He'll be here in less than a minute..." Suddenly, she paused, "...the sound changed! He's slowed down! A little," Jiro continued, as we see Mt. Lady clinging to Machia's waist, trying to stop him despite her body getting dragged on the ground.
"I haven't clung to a guy since middle school, damn it!" Mt. Lady yelled angrily with teary eyes.
"Don't tell me, Machia is the benchmark for the kind of guys you're into," Nemuri teased, feigning a tone of disgust.
"No, absolutely not!" Yu retorted, her voice tinged with irritation and a noticeable twitch on her forehead.
"Oh right, how could I forget..." a cheeky smile appeared on Midnight's face. "You have a thing for men who are built like trees, don't you?"
A deep blush spread across Yu's face as she turned away, not wanting to give Midnight the satisfaction of seeing her embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Midnight chuckled softly at Yu's reaction. She used these small interactions as a way to distract her mind from the disturbing images that had been haunting her since the earlier incident.
"The villain is about 25 meters tall!" Shoji said as he observed Machia with an eye he materialized on his hand. "He's even bigger than Mt. Lady!"
"That's because I wasn't wearing my heels," Yu grumbled under her breath.
Meanwhile, Momo was busy creating a bunch of vials of sedatives in the back. "It's been a year since we enrolled in U.A. I haven't been taught by any teacher to be a hero who turns their back on the enemy!" she said, her determination clear. Everyone agreed, holding a vial of sedative in their hand.
The students who saw themselves on the screen steeled their nerves to witness the upcoming battle but were still excited to see themselves in action.
"I will fight. The rest of you..."
"Don't say it. It sounds lame," Kaminari interrupted her. "If we put on our costumes and step outside, we're heroes!"
"Who would've thought you could come up with such cool lines every now and then," Jiro playfully complimented Kaminari, prompting a faint blush to tint his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Very well," Momo said, her grip firm on the vial of sedative. In the background, the blue flames burned brighter and larger than before, while the ground itself was visibly shaking now. "We will all... confront him here!" Momo declared with resolve.
Momo took a deep breath, her fist clenched with determination, and declared, "I've got this!"
To be continued...