The scene opens up with Izuku kneeling next to restrained Gigantomachia while his eyes locked onto the colossal beast. His inner thoughts echo, 'Connect... all our hopes,' while a series of poignant flashbacks take us through the pivotal moments of the ongoing war. 'Our hopes... Our desires... are connected even now.'
"I still can't believe that all of these things... all those battles, the injuries, and the sheer destruction, all occurred in just one day," Mina exclaimed, her disbelief evident in her voice. "Honestly, it still feels like we're trapped in an endless nightmare, one that just keeps getting worse."
"But despite that, just as Midoriya said, everyone's efforts and sacrifices will bear fruit in the end," Nemuri said with a reassuring smile. She then lowered her voice to a hushed tone, almost muttering to herself, "Because if they didn't, I shudder to think about where things might go from here."
The scene transitions to a few minutes before the present moment, where Jeanist finds himself aboard a cargo plane heading toward the battlefield while watching Dabi's broadcast. 'Domestic prosecution has escalated this much? You were waiting for this, weren't you, Dabi?' Jeanist said as the cargo plane's ramp slowly lowered, and bundles of carbon wires began to glide out of the aircraft. 'When they were unable to prevent great damage... I will not allow things to go the way the League of Villains wants!' he declared as he leaped out of the plane.
"Hey, Denim head, where in the world did you manage to acquire all these industrial wires and a fucking cargo plane to drop you off?" Bakugo demanded.
"First of all, don't call me that. And to answer your questions, it's quite simple, connections," Jeanist replied, casually shrugging his shoulders.
At the same time, on the battlefield, Dabi descends upon Endeavor, engulfed in raging flames, as he begins to use Flashfire Fist: Prominence Burn.
Once more, all eyes in the room focused on the Todoroki father and son, serving as a chilling reminder that the notorious villain known as Dabi was, in fact, none other than Toya Todoroki, Endeavor's eldest child and Shoto's older brother.
Suddenly Dabi finds himself bound by carbon wire along with the other members of the League including Gigantomachia. Noticing that the wires were coming from above, Dabi looked up and saw Jeanist descend towards them from the say while announcing, "Sorry for the delay! Best Jeanist is on the job again starting today!"
"Bastard...! You're supposed to be dead. It was a real corpse!" Dabi complained as he remembered seeing Jeanist's corpse in the bag. "Why are you alive?"
"If you're greedy, you'll come apart at the seams... like cheap denim!" Jeanist asserted firmly, prompting Dabi to click his tongue in annoyance.
"What kind of replay is that?" Rumi grumbled, scratching her head as she attempted to decipher Jeanist's cryptic words. "Also, do you have to bring denim into every single thing?"
"I am pretty sure Dabi understood the meaning behind my words, which is good since those words were directed at him. And yes, denim reigns supreme as the finest and most exquisite fabric in the world," Jeanist replied with conviction.
"Hell no! It's all about soft and fluffy cotton, and there's no changing my mind," Mirko countered with a defiant huff.
"Just because you're alive doesn't mean my past will disappear," Dabi said as a blue glow surrounded his body, increasing the temperature of his flames. With a sly grin, he added, "Right, Shoto?" while looking at Shoto, who was soaring above him.
Enraged by Dabi's statement, Shoto moved to punch his brother as blue and orange flames clashed.
"What the hell is this Dragon Ball shit?" Kaminari asked, his face a picture of bewildered amazement. "And how the heck is he glowing like that? Is he about to transform into Super Saiyan Blue or something? Ahh!!! I have so many questions!"
"Calm down!" Jiro said, delivering a light smack to Kaminari's head. "It's not as complicated as it seems. Midoriya, please explain."
"Huh? Yeah... well, Dabi is basically generating fire from every inch of his body and using it both as a shield and a weapon, attempting to incinerate the wires that are restraining him," Izuku clarified. "And judging by the way he's going at it, it seems like he couldn't care less about getting burned in the process, which makes him even more dangerous."
Meanwhile, Mr. Compress cannot believe that Gigantomachia has been pinned down, while Spinner, tied up with Tomura, feels like something on his body is about to break.
"Please, get something broken. The fewer of you we have to handle, the better our odds of winning," Setsuna quipped in a lighthearted tone. However, she did think that Spinner's quirk was cool as she couldn't help but imagine how a similar mutation might manifest if the lizard aspect of her own quirk were more pronounced.
Spinner ponders over Jeanist and his enhanced reinforcements and comes to the conclusion that Gigantomachia's stamina is not infinite, as before when they arrived at Jaku City, he suddenly looked out of breath the second he finished following his orders. Spinner understands that Machia can't go all out without any instructions, so he attempts to wake up Tomura so that he can begin the destruction he was talking about.
"It seems that Machia is really just a puppet who won't move a muscle unless he's ordered to do so," Gran Torino said while rubbing his chin. "Well, that or in self-defense, but even then he only repels his opponents without bothering to hunt them down."
"If that's the case, maybe we could use that to our advantage when we deal with this thing," Aizawa said, already trying to come up with a plan to handle this walking disaster.
Suddenly, Nejire appears from behind, attempting to strike Tomura with Nejire Flood. But before she can hit him, blue flames engulf her, much to the horror of Shoto and the others present.
"Nejire!" Mirio, Tamaki, and Ryukyu cried out in horror, their faces etched with dread. Even Ochako and Tsu wore pale expressions of shock.
Nejire, herself, paled as she witnessed the blue flames consuming her. She couldn't suppress the instinct to hug herself tightly and rub her arms as her counterpart descended toward the ground.
"Oh no, Endeavor! You did it again! You burned someone again!" Dabi chimed in with a malicious grin, his voice dripping with glee, as unconscious Nejire began to plummet towards the earth. "A young person with a bright future, burned again by your flames!"
"This bastard!" Ryukyu growled, her eyes locked onto the screen, a burning desire to tear the white-haired villain apart coursing through her. "How dare he harm my student and laugh about it like that?"
Mirio, on the other hand, was tense. Of course, he was furious at Dabi and his attitude towards one of his best friends, but more importantly, he was worried that Nejire's counterpart was falling to her death right now.
Reacting swiftly, Iida sprang into action, darting forward to catch Nejire before she could crash onto the ground.
A collective sigh of relief swept through the audience as they witnessed Iida swoop in to rescue Nejire from what could have been a catastrophic injury, if not certain death.
"Thank you for saving me," Nejire expressed her gratitude with a warm smile directed at Iida.
"There's no need for thanks. I simply did what any hero would do," Iida replied modestly.
Meanwhile, Dabi blazed with intensity as the carbon wires that had restrained him were incinerated by his flames. Shoto, frantic and desperate, pleaded with Dabi to stop.
"Todoroki, I know how you feel about Dabi, but I don't think it's the best time to try and reason with him," Momo said.
"You are right. Even I don't think my counterpart's words would be able to get through Toya's head, considering the state he is in right now," Shoto said while shaking his head. "Besides, I'm sure that aside from Dad, he hates me the most."
On the ground, Izuku clenched his teeth while struggling to rise from the ground. 'Move! Stand up, Izuku!' he told himself. 'It's just pain! Todoroki's suffering the most, and he's still fighting!'
'Aizawa-sensei was right. I feel utterly useless now, having injured my arms and legs in the fight against Shigaraki. Why-'
"Izuku, you can't hold yourself responsible for not being able to engage in every battle," Momo interjected in a calm voice as Izuku realized he had spoken his thoughts aloud. "You must understand that without you, our side would have crumbled as soon as Aizawa-sensei was incapacitated. So stop blaming yourself for every problem that appears around you."
Izuku and Momo locked eyes for a moment before Izuku surrendered with a sigh. "You're right; I shouldn't bear the weight of everything. But it's hard not to when I see people suffering around me, and I can't do anything to help them."
"I understand that, and I'm not saying it's a negative trait," Momo reassured him. "However, if you keep stretching yourself thin like this, you won't be able to help anyone at all," Momo said while Izuku fell into contemplative silence as he absorbed Momo's words.
Jeanist, despite coughing up blood, extended another wire and ensnared Dabi's body. Within his thoughts, he admonished himself, 'Hey, don't look for excuses! If the number one hero is completely defeated here, this country will collapse!' With unwavering resolve, he dispatched more wires towards the villains in the hope of keeping them restrained.
"That's precisely why Endeavor's counterpart needs to pull himself together," Edgeshot remarked firmly. "I understand it may come across as harsh, but this isn't a moment for the No. 1 hero to stand there with that pathetic look on his face when literal teenagers are fighting for the country's future."
Endeavor, who heard that, hung his head because even if the words spoken by Edgeshot felt like stabs, he couldn't say that the ninja hero was wrong.
Meanwhile, teetering on the brink of consciousness, Tomura's thoughts wandered to his childhood home, his family, and his burning desire to destroy them, along with the relentless itching that plagued him.
'This boy...' Gran Torino sighed wearily. At times, he couldn't escape the thought of how differently events might have unfolded if he had broken his promise to Nana and continued to watch over her child, even after she severed their connection. While the old man carried the weight of self-blame for this, little did he realize that deep within One for All, Nana grappled with similar self-reproach.
Then, with a steely resolve, he lifted his gaze, his crimson eyes locking onto Machia as he issued his command, "Destroy it, Machia..."
Instantly, upon receiving Shigaraki's directive, Machia let out a deafening roar and commenced a furious struggle against Jeanist's restraints.
'He got stronger!' Jeanist exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock as the carbon wires began to fracture and break away from Machia's body, while he struggled to contain him.
"It's genuinely terrifying how three simple words from Shigaraki were enough to rekindle this newfound strength in Machia," Ochako remarked, a shiver running down her spine.
Elsewhere, as the Heroes battled the Near High-End Nomus, half of the forces on both sides were reported to be out of action. Suddenly, four of the Nomus altered their course and set a course for Tomura's location.
"Damn it! Shigaraki must have somehow signaled those Nomus to assist Machia and create a diversion for Jeanist so they could escape," Rumi exclaimed, clicking her tongue in frustration.
"If that's the case, this is really, really bad, isn't it?" Toru asked, her face filled with concern. "I mean, Midoriya, Bakugo, and Hado-senpai are down, and Shoto is locked in a fight with his brother. That leaves only Iida and Endeavor to defend Jeanist from the Nomus."
"Assuming Endeavor can even summon the willpower to move," Monoma added, casting a skeptical glance at the flame hero.
Burnin swiftly discerned their intentions and raced after them, intent on launching an attack. However, a worm-like Nomu lunged from behind, closing in on her. Just as it was about to reach her, it was intercepted by another Hero, and allowing Burnin to catch a fleeting glimpse of the hero and his red cape in action.
'Wait, that cape!' Izuku thought with wide eyes, as he recognized that cape.
Mirio, who was sitting a few seats away from Izuku, had a similar reaction. The only difference was the fact that he couldn't contain his excitement at the mere thought of returning to the field.
Meanwhile, 'He's gotten even stronger! Just what kind of Quirk does he have?!' Jeanist pondered, his thoughts racing as he extended additional wires in a desperate attempt to keep the behemoth restrained while he struggled to maintain control over Machia.
"It's not just 'a quirk,' but multiple quirks that must be hand-picked by All for One himself," Nezu clarified. "However, the worrisome aspect is that this perfectly sentient war machine, capable of obliterating cities with ease, is completely under the control of both All for One and Shigaraki."
"That's precisely why we need to ensure that Machia doesn't receive any orders from either Shigaraki or All for One," All Might emphasized.
The clash between the Todoroki brothers continued as Dabi and Shoto clashed with each other.
"You said you pushed the villains to act? Natsu almost died, too, you know!" Shoto's voice trembled as he confronted Dabi. "Why?! You cried, clinging to Natsuo, didn't you?"
A crazed grin twisted Dabi's face as he responded, "If Natsu died...! That would've been just fine, Endeavor would've suffered."
"Are you crazy, you bastard?!" Shoto exclaimed, his eyes brimming with tears upon hearing Dabi's chilling words.
Dabi's manic smile remained as he retorted, "Yeah, I am, Shoto, your big brother can't feel anything anymore!" he exclaimed as he began to push back against Shoto. "I can finally kill you."
Shoto once again clenched his fist as he was reminded that Toya had deliberately tried to kill Natsuo, who still mourned for his death, and Toya here, wanted to kill him just to get back at their father.
A part of him could empathize with Toya's pain, having been a victim of Endeavor's relentless pursuit to surpass All Might himself. He could even understand why Toya wanted to kill their father. However, Shoto could never condone what Toya had done to their family and to innocent people just to get back at their father.
But what terrified him most was how close he might have come to following in his brother's footsteps if he hadn't found friends who guided him to the right path.
While the brothers continued clashing, Spinner gave words of encouragement to Machia, urging him to break free from the restraints. Suddenly, Mr. Compress told Spinner to look behind Best Jeanist, where he spotted four Nomus arriving at Best Jeanist's location, preparing to strike.
As Nomus closed in on him, Jeanist took a deep breath and let out a sigh. He glanced at the screen, surveying the dire situation and recognizing that the odds of someone coming to his rescue were exceedingly slim. Nearly everyone around him was either incapacitated or grappling with something else.
'I guess this is where I meet my end,' Jeanist thought grimly. 'Well, it appears my comeback was destined to be short-lived.'
Izuku, too, noticed this perilous situation and urgently urged himself to move. 'With their power evenly matched right now, if Jeanist loses concentration, the giant will break free!' Izuku thought. 'Move! If I use Float and Blackwhip, it won't matter that my limbs aren't working properly.' He gritted his teeth, mustering every ounce of willpower to mobilize his body.
He wasn't the only one trying, as Bakugo and Nejire were also making the same effort. Meanwhile, Endeavor remained frozen in place with a stunned expression on his face as he watched his two sons fight.
'Do something! Move, damn it! Go and defend Jeanist!' Izuku, Bakugo, and Nejire urged their counterparts, acutely aware that Jeanist was the sole barrier preventing Machia from whisking Shigaraki away and potentially killing several of them in the process.
Meanwhile, Endeavor seethed with frustration as he watched his counterpart stand there helplessly, merely observing his elder son attempting to murder his brother, all due to his own past sins. 'You're the No. 1 hero, for heaven's sake! Be of use to your allies!' he silently berated himself.
'No one's been saved yet!' Izuku thought as he screamed and struggled to move his body while the Nomus closed in on Jeanist. 'Don't be someone useless who can't even save a single person, Izuku! Go help Jeanist!'
Momo watched with concern as Izuku's counterpart struggled to move, yet still berated himself as useless in his own mind. 'I really need to address Izuku's self-blaming nature,' she thought to herself, recognizing the destructive pattern.
However, an inner voice nagged at her, labeling her a hypocrite, reminding her that she, too, had a habit of blaming herself when circumstances took a turn for the worse.
And then just as the Nomu was on the brink of striking Jeanist, a face emerged from the ground. "Power!" the hero exclaimed as he surfaced. "One more time! Power...!" he exclaimed and quickly dispatched the four Nomus using his Quirk, Permeation.
Amidst the somber atmosphere that had engulfed the auditorium, a fresh wave of relief and excitement surged through the onlookers as they witnessed Mirio's counterpart stepping onto the battlefield.
"Togata senpai!" Izuku exclaimed, his smile widening. "I knew it was you as soon as I saw that red cape! Anyway, I'm thrilled that you're back!"
"Me too, Midoriya! Me too!" Mirio replied, his own excitement palpable as he rejoined the battle, eager to assist his friends and juniors.
"Lemillion?" Izuku gasped, his eyes widening in astonishment, while Mirio beamed at him. "Lemillion... What's he doing here?"
"We were contacted by the villa! I rushed over using Permeation! The villain hideout Nighteye Agency was in charge of is pretty close!" Mirio explained before once again sinking into the ground, musing to himself, 'Just a six-month break. It doesn't even feel nostalgic!'
"Oh, yeah, that reminds me, didn't you lose your quirk during the Shie Hassaikai raid? So how are you using Permeation right now?" Nejire asked, her head tilting in curiosity.
Mirio's smile widened even further as he contemplated how he had regained his quirk. "I have a pretty good idea of how I got my quirk back," he replied, the realization dawning on him. 'I suppose I'll need to prepare a lot of apples and apple candies as a thank-you gift,' he thought to himself, already planning his token of gratitude.
Mirio's thoughts drifted back to the day before the raid when he found himself in the 1A dorms, engaged in a conversation with Aizawa. Gathered in the room were also Izuku, Ochako, Tsu, Nejire, Tamaki, and Eri.
"I heard, especially from Bubble Girl, that tomorrow there'd be an operation to wipe out villains on a national scale, and I want to help, too," Mirio declared, determination resonating in his voice. "These past two months, Eri has been practicing using small amounts of her energy on bugs and lizards. I was by her side the whole time, seeing the results of that," he continued and bowed in front of Eri. "Eri, I'm sorry that I'm basically using you! Will you please try it on me? Your Rewind."
A resolute expression adorned Eri's face as she turned toward Aizawa, who nodded approvingly. She stepped forward and gently caressed Mirio's face with both her hands. "Don't be sorry. That's why I've been practicing," Eri replied, a warm smile gracing her lips.
Returning to the present, Mirio expressed his gratitude to Eri as he emerged from the ground and rejoined the battle.
"Ah, that makes sense!" Nejire and many others who were aware of Eri's quirk nodded in understanding. Those who were unaware of her power stared at the screen with a mix of awe and intrigue as they pieced together what she had accomplished.
"Eri has grown so much," Izuku remarked, wiping a tear from his eye. "Just look at her, she's learned how to control her power and helped Mirio senpai get back his quirk," he added with a heartfelt smile.
"By the way, a fair and friendly warning," Nezu interjected, rising from his seat and fixing his gaze on the audience, especially the pro heroes. "Eri is under U.A.'s protection, and her well-being is our responsibility. I kindly request that none of you disclose or discuss anything you've learned about her quirk with anyone outside of this room. And if you do... well, let's just say there will be consequences. Is that clear?" Nezu's message was met with pale faces and nods of agreement, as he returned to his seat with a satisfied smile.
"Even so, I don't have enough power to knock out a Nomu in one blow," he admitted, skillfully evading the Nomus' assaults as more of them closed in. "S-Someone! Heelp!" he called out, a note of urgency in his voice.
"Yeah, some backup would be greatly appreciated right now," Mirio replied, rubbing the back of his head.
"You know, if anyone's got a comeback, awakening their quirk, or tapping into some godly power, now's the time," Kaminari chimed in, casting a particularly pointed glance at Izuku, who conspicuously avoided eye contact while whistling to himself. "Hey, Midoriya! Don't ignore me! Come on, dude, unleash something like Sun God Powers or a Devil Union or maybe even a Rage Beast Mode, you know."
"What on earth are you talking about, Kaminari?" Izuku asked, bewildered. "Besides, One for All doesn't work that way," he sighed, then turning to Yoichi, he inquired, 'It doesn't right?'
I'm pretty sure it shouldn't, but with you being its current holder, I can't say for certain anymore,' Yoichi responded, while the other holders, including All Might's consciousness, nodded in agreement, leaving Izuku even more puzzled than before.
The perspective shifted to Bakugo, and his thoughts drifted back to the Explosions from when he protected Izuku from Tomura. 'I've never felt anything like it,' he thought as he realized how they were nothing like they were before, being faster, stronger, and more condensed than usual.
"See! I knew it!" Kaminari cheered. "I had a feeling someone was going to awaken!"
"Shut up, Dunce Face!" Bakugo retorted, glaring at Kaminari. "It looks like my explosions are even more powerful than before, and they've got this weird rainbow-colored particle effect going on," he observed. 'Let's see how much of an impact I can make with these beefed-up explosions.'
'The sense of danger from impending death. I have to save them!' he thought while propelling through the air with these new explosions, as he made his way over to Jeanist and defended him as he attacked the Nomus.
'That speed...' Bakugo's thoughts raced as a sly grin crept onto his face. 'And damn, those explosions look stronger than ever. Maybe, just maybe, I've got a shot at competing with Deku after all... no, screw the "maybe." I'm going to surpass Deku. I just need to put in twice... no, thrice the effort he does.'
Iida immediately followed behind, as he delivered a powerful kick, sending a Nomu hurtling away from Bakugo. "Bakugo! I only took my eyes off you for a second! You can't move! You'll die!" he scolded Bakugo with concern in his voice.
"Shut up, Four Eyes! What do you want me to do, sit on my ass with all this chaos going on around us?" Bakugo retorted, wearing an annoyed frown.
"I get your point, Bakugo, but moving around too much could exacerbate those injuries of yours," Iida reasoned.
"Just like I told Deku, a couple of measly stab wounds aren't going to keep me down," Bakugo countered, dismissing Iida's concern. "Besides, you're overreacting. It's not like my heart stopped or something," he added, rolling his eyes.
Nejire, undeterred by the injuries inflicted by Dabi's flames, joined the battle, utilizing her Quirk to attack the incoming Nomus.
"Nejire-Chan! Are you all right?" Mirio asked, concern written all over his face.
"I'm fine now that you're here! It's strange!" Nejire responded with a confident smirk.
"I'm relieved to see that you're all okay," Ryukyu expressed, letting out a sigh of relief. "But those injuries..."
"It's okay. Just some burn marks. They won't slow me down," Nejire replied, managing a smile for her mentor. However, Ryukyu could still discern the uncertainty lurking in Nejire's eyes.
Meanwhile, amidst the chaos of battle, Jeanist addressed Bakugo, "Can you look beyond yourself now, Bakugo?" Jeanist inquired referring back to their prior discussion about his hero name.
"That was a temporary name!" Bakugo scoffed, dismissing his previous name as temporary. "I wanted to tell you... From today, I'll be known as..."
The audience, particularly Class 1-A, appeared genuinely intrigued by this revelation. After all, only two individuals from their class had yet to choose their hero names: Shoto, who was still exploring his hero identity, and Bakugo, who was in an ongoing verbal battle with Midnight over specific words he wanted to incorporate into his name.
Bakugo himself leaned forward in anticipation, eager to learn what hero name he had settled on.
Bakugo smirked at Jeanist and said, "Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight!" he declared
"Awesome!" Bakugo exclaimed, a grin stretching across his face. However, there was an unusual silence from everyone else in the room. And why was that? Because...
"Kacchan, didn't Midnight-sensei say you could use the word 'Murder' in your hero name?" Izuku reminded him, with a strained smile on his face.
"That's correct; I did not approve it," Nemuri chimed in with an exasperated sigh. "You know what, Bakugo? I surrender. It'll be quite the spectacle when merchandise companies butcher your name, and reporters incessantly question you about having a god complex," she added, a wicked grin crossing her face.
And Bakugo's declaration got unique reactions from unique people. Like...
Jeanist believes the name to be childish.
Bakugo frowned upon hearing that, while Jeanist nodded in agreement with the assessment that the name was childish.
Iida finds it to be too long.
Bakugo glared at Iida, who averted his eyes, maintaining a strained smile on his face.
Nejire calls it too violent.
"Yeah, it really is," Nejire concurred with her counterpart, while Bakugo's frown deepened into a scowl, a tick appearing on his forehead.
Both Mr. Compress and Spinner agree that the name is lame.
Now, Bakugo was gritting his teeth, and small explosions popped from his hands in frustration.
Mirio calls it a good hero name, calling it fun while Bakugo shouts that it's not meant to be, as he crashes into the floor.
"That's it! The next person who mocks my hero name gets a blast to the head!" Bakugo exclaimed, his hands crackling with explosive energy.
"But I was just praising the name," Mirio said, tilting his head in confusion, failing to grasp what had provoked Bakugo's anger.
"A bright future won't come to a society without energy and humor," Mirio said quoting Nighteye's words. "Please excuse me. That's my motto!" Then he leaped into the air, "It looks like their boss can't move," he said as assessed the restrained Shigaraki and the League members. "Let's hold them back here and wrap things up!"
A smile graced Mirio's face as his counterpart quoted his late mentor's words. It served as a poignant reminder that he was determined to become a great hero to honor Nighteye's memory.
Meanwhile, the aerial battle between Shoto and Dabi raged on. Dabi, with a twisted sense of amusement, remarked, "They look like they're having fun over there!" his gaze briefly shifting towards the Heroes locked in combat with the Nomus.
"Fun, he says... They're out there fighting for their lives, giving it everything they have, and this guy has the audacity to call it fun," Ochako remarked with a deep frown on her face, expressing her disapproval.
He then lunged towards his brother, embracing him tightly as he intensified the ferocity of his blazing flames. "While you look like you're having a tough time, poor thing," he taunted.
"You too, bastard... your body's burned..." Shoto retorted in a strained voice.
"Todoroki needs to break free from that hold because I highly doubt Dabi cares about getting turned into charcoal if it means he can harm Endeavor in some way or other," Mina observed, casting a glance at the dual-haired boy. However, it was apparent that Shoto was barely registering anything happening around him, as his complete focus remained fixed on the screen.
"I'm glad you were raised to be a kind boy. I'm fine. I'm really happy right now," Dabi remarked, casting a glance at the Endeavor who was frozen in the same spot ever since Dabi's revelation. "Look at that face. Even though the doll that's his greatest masterpiece lost to the firepower of his failure and is about to die..." Dabi observed, referring to Endeavor's stunned countenance. "Hey, look! He's broken!" Dabi erupted into manic laughter. "Shoto! If you get burned by my flames, what kind of expression do you think Dad'll show me?" he inquired with a malevolent grin, his madness taking hold.
Endeavor clenched his fist, his gaze locked onto the screen, but it wasn't directed at Toya. No, he was glaring at his counterpart on the screen, seething with anger at the hero who stood there like a pathetic moron, while one of his own children was on the brink of killing another. What was he doing? Just standing there like a failure... a failure who had let down his wife, his oldest child, his other children, and now, if his counterpart didn't act, he would fail his youngest child once again.
Suddenly, Dabi found himself forcefully separated from Shoto as Blackwhip coiled around him. Confusion flickered across Dabi's face as he looked around, realizing that Izuku was the one who had interrupted their battle while floating in the air.
"Yes! Finally!" Izuku exclaimed, his relief palpable as he saw himself back in action. More importantly, he was glad that he was able to save Shoto.
"Midoriya!?" Shoto said, his eyes widening in astonishment. Honestly, given the extent of Midoriya's injuries, he hadn't expected the boy to get back up... or float, for that matter.
'Lemillion and the others are backing up Jeanist. Wait for me, Todoroki! Even if I have no strength in my limbs...' Izuku's thoughts were filled with determination as he recalled his training with Blackwhip. "Blackwhip, Froppy Style!" he exclaimed, and a tendril was shot forth from Izuku's mouth rather than his arms, swiftly entwining and restraining the villain.
"'Ribbit'!?" Tsu exclaimed, her eyes glued to the screen, her lips curving into an amused smile. "Out of all the aspects of my quirk, I'm genuinely surprised you decided to replicate my tongue, 'ribbit,'" she quipped, her smile lingering as she glanced at Izuku who just offered her a sheepish grin while rubbing the back of his head.
"More importantly, Izuku," Momo began, staring at Izuku with an exasperated expression on her face. "You actually found a way to produce Blackwhip from your mouth, and honestly, I can't decide whether to applaud your creativity or be concerned that you'll come up with even more ways to fight with busted limbs."
"Don't worry, Momo," Izuku reassured her with a smile. "I promise I won't break my arms anymore if I absolutely don't have to."
"Hey, hey. Don't poke your nose in another family's business!" Dabi retorted as he incinerated Blackwhip with his searing flames.
"It's my business, too! Todoroki is a good friend! And Endeavor is my teacher who made me stronger!" Izuku shot back. "The past will not disappear. That's why... I'm looking at the Endeavor who's working hard now."
"You're not Endeavor!" Izuku shouted at Dabi, his words finally having an effect on the stunned Endeavor, who clenched his fist. "Don't talk about Endeavor's flames! It's your Quirk, isn't it?!"
"That line..." Shoto muttered to himself, a flicker of recognition in his eyes as he recalled Izuku shouting the same words during their match at the sports festival. It had been that very line that made him realize that Half-Cold and Half-Hot was his quirk. Regardless of what he did with that quirk, for better or worse, he alone was responsible for his actions. Neither Endeavor nor his mother could be held accountable for the choices he made while using his powers. 'Midoriya is right. Even if it was Dad's actions that pushed Toya to become what he is now, the blame for all those innocent lives he took, the destruction he caused with the League, and all the other horrible things he's done rests solely on him.'
Meanwhile, Endeavor stood in silence, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. He couldn't fathom what had just transpired. Midoriya, the young man whom he had regarded as little more than a stepping stone for his son, with whom he had barely spent six months, was defending him. Yet, upon reflection, he realized he shouldn't be so surprised. He recalled the advice the green-haired boy had given his son: 'If you truly hate him, it's fine if you never forgive him. But you're a kind person... that's why you're waiting.' Those words had made him realize that Shoto was waiting for him to make things right. But that made him wonder if he could ever make things right... if he could ever become someone who could be forgiven by his family, and more importantly... if he even had any right to hope for that forgiveness.
"Everyone knows that! But don't you feel bad for me?" Dabi asked, his smile eerie as he addressed Izuku. "The crime committed by an ally of justice... That's me! It's not that evil is flourishing! It's just that justice is collapsing. I'm just showing all you emotional types where the blame lies!" Dabi's words echoed, even as Bakugo and the others continued to battle the relentless Nomus on the ground.
"A hero without emotions is just an enforcer," Izuku vocalized his thoughts. "And I do feel sorry for him. But that doesn't mean I'll let him harm Todoroki or anyone else."
'But sometimes the world requires an enforcer to accomplish the task, and emotions can be a hindrance in such situations,' Second commented in response to Izuku's words.
'You're correct; even heroes have their limits. However, before reaching that point, I believe I'll continue striving to be the kind of hero that All Might was for me,' Izuku responded.
As Dabi's words hung in the air, Izuku felt a strange sensation in his head again, "I felt this earlier, too!" izuku realized, his senses heightened as he noticed that Gigantomachia was on the brink of breaking free from his restraints.
"The future that's about to come will be chaos where all that lip service and stuff will be blown away just like that!" Dabi declared, his voice filled with foreboding, as Gigantomachia roared, rising to his feet and nearly breaking free from Jeanist's restraints.
The room's atmosphere grew even tenser than before, with everyone on the edge of their seats and their hearts gripped by fear and anxiety. They were acutely aware of the kind of monster Machia was, the level of devastation he could unleash, and the grim reality that none of the heroes on the scene were in any condition to confront such a calamity.
Izuku summoned Blackwhip from his mouth once more, poised to intervene, but before he could react, he saw Endeavor, driven by sheer determination and every ounce of his remaining strength, soared toward the colossal Gigantomachia. With a resounding blow, he struck the villain and brought him crashing down, although Endeavor himself began to lose consciousness in the process.
"Finally decided to make yourself useful, huh?" Aizawa remarked dryly. "Well, not that I'm complaining, especially since it looked like Midoriya was ready to throw hands with that giant... throw his busted hands at that giant."
"But it seems that I'm too out of the fight now," Endeavor said with a somber expression on his face.
"So now it's just Jeanist and a bunch of injured kids..." Edgeshot summarized and let out a tired sigh. "The odds keep getting worse for our side."
Gigantomachia attempted to resist, but inexplicably, his strength waned, and he collapsed to the ground, leaving the League members bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
"The report from the villa said there was no effect... The anesthetics are working!" Mirio exclaimed with relief.
"It worked..." Momo said, tears welling up in her eyes. "Izuku... it worked... the sedative worked..." She spoke with a trembling voice while squeezing Izuku's hand. He smiled at her and gently placed his other hand over hers. And she wasn't the only one; everyone who had been involved in the Gunga Mountain Villa raid was overwhelmed with emotion as they realized that their efforts and the sacrifices heroes had made had not been in vain.
'I do not know who accomplished this... but our hopes are being spun together!' Jeanist thought as we see glimpses of Gunga Mountian Villa where students and heroes were assisting those injured by Machia's rampage.
Aizawa and all the teachers couldn't help but swell with pride upon witnessing that their students, despite enduring immense hardship – both physical and mental – were still on their feet, offering assistance in any way they could, and exemplifying the spirit of heroism.
'The fact that the anesthetics kicked in at the eleventh hour... I don't think it was a coincidence. Many people chipped away little by little, with whatever meager power they had, at this giant's powerful stamina and spirit, weakening him until the anesthetics could take effect. That's what I believe,' he continued his thought, as we see images and current status of the heroes who had perished or suffered severe injuries during the war.
Once again, Jeanist's thoughts and the images on the screen served as a stark reminder of the numerous casualties and irreversible injuries that heroes had endured thus far. However, they couldn't deny the fact that, after multiple disheartening turns of events, they now glimpsed a spark of hope and the possibility of emerging victorious in this war.
'Though each thread by itself may be thin, they can be twisted together to form a rope. If even one thread had broken, we would not have gotten this result! That's what I believe!'
Jeanist's words truly lifted the mood in the room, rejuvenating those who had been feeling disheartened for various reasons. It instilled hope within them, reassuring them that their contributions, no matter how small, held significance in the grand scheme of things.
"Damn it, things were just starting to heat up, too! Right?!" Dabi exclaimed as he and Shoto continued their intense clash.
"Your body's overheating, right?" Shoto remarked, creating ice that was instantly vaporized by the searing heat radiating from Dabi. "But if this is a battle of wills, then we've got the upper hand!"
"I'd expect no less from his greatest masterpiece," Dabi taunted while grinning at Shoto, his flames growing even more intense. "As your big brother, I'm so proud!" he said as the battle between the Todoroki brothers raged on.
'I'll have to step up my game and prevent Toya from causing more harm,' Shoto thought, clenching his fist. 'I may not be the cause of Toya becoming Dabi, but as his younger brother, it's my duty to put an end to his actions and knock some sense into him.'
Meanwhile, Lemillion continued to engage the Near High-End Nomu. "The heroes over there are fighting a tough fight. Their movements are simple, but their speed and tenacity aren't normal," Mirio speculated. "Each one is probably as strong as the Nomu from Kyushu. These aren't specs that should be given to a common soldier!"
"I couldn't agree more," Sero chimed in with a frown. "These Nomus should be like mini-bosses in their own right, not just regular mobs."
Bakugo, on the other hand, found himself struggling to maintain his footing as a flying Nomu closed in on him. Weakened and battered, he managed to weakly raise his hand, intending to unleash an explosion, but before he could, Iida sprang into action, delivering a swift kick that sent the airborne Nomu hurtling away.
"Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight, get back!" Iida demanded. "You can't take any more hits. You're in no condition to fight!"
'Damn it! I can't say anything back, and he's right, anyway,' Bakugo grumbled internally, clicking his tongue in frustration.
"See, Bakugo, even your counterpart is starting to grasp what I'm saying," Iida remarked.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it already," Bakugo replied with an eye roll. "Besides, Deku is more banged up than me, go and annoy him."
"You're right! Midoriya-"
"Iida, don't... just don't," Izuku interrupted, holding his hand up in front of Iida's face. "I already have Momo to keep me in check."
Together with Iida and Nejire, they continued their valiant efforts to distract and fend off the relentless assault of the Nomus.
'I'll keep dodging to keep the fire away from Jeanist!' as she deftly dodged the incoming attacks, committed to keeping the Nomus away from Jeanist.
'Even if we can't defeat him, I'll stick it out until that giant quiets down completely,' he committed to himself, launching a powerful kick at a Nomu.
A smile crept onto Jeanist's face as he observed Iida, Nejire, and Bakugo doing everything in their power to protect him. This display filled him with hope for the future and ignited excitement at the prospect of collaborating with this new generation of heroes.
'The resources that were used on the giant can finally be moved over to the League of Villains!' Jeanist thought, his eyes starting to bleed due to the strain of overusing his Quirk. Yet, he persisted, tightening his restraints on the League members, determined to hold them at bay.
Gasps rippled through the audience as they witnessed blood trickling from Jeanist's eyes.
"W-w-what's happening?" Mina stammered in disbelief.
"Quirk overuse," Jeanist calmly explained. "It appears that I'm on the brink of collapse as well, but it doesn't matter. I can't cease using my quirk now, not at this critical juncture when things are finally falling into place in our favor," he declared with unwavering determination in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Mr. Compress found himself in a frustrating situation, unable to reach the neatly bound cables restricting his movements. "The binding is so neat that I can't touch the cables. I need to be able to touch them to activate my Compress," he thought, wiggling his hands in an attempt to grasp the elusive wires. "In a predicament like this, I can't believe all I can do is grope around my own behind."
"Oh, right, Compress and his ridiculously overpowered quirk," Ochako remarked as she recollected her encounter with Compress at the summer camp. "Now that I think about it, he could have been a huge asset at my parents' construction sites. But of course, someone with such a convenient quirk had to become a villain."
Turning his gaze toward Shigaraki, Mr. Compress couldn't help but voice his exasperation. "Shigaraki, you're no better. You summoned us here, right? We were all supposed to gather and then get violent together, right? What'd you have to go and get beaten for? This is basically a trap now!"
"It's just as Spinner said. We haven't done anything yet... Dabi too... And Toga... And me... None of us have reached our dream yet! We can't let it end here!" Mr. Compress said, his voice filled with determination. However, their resolve was cut short as Jeanist executed his Ultimate Move, Blackout Bind, choking them into submission.
"Hmm... Jeanist, aren't you, you know... choking them a little too hard?" Yu inquired, a hint of concern in her voice, as she wondered if Jeanist was trying to cut off their oxygen supply.
"And?" Jeanist responded with a deadpan expression. "Listen, I know it might seem like I'm attempting to end them, but all I'm doing is trying to render them unconscious. And if, by chance, I happen to snap someone's neck... well, I doubt anyone will even remember their name amidst the countless innocent lives they've taken on their path to the battlefield," Jeanist stated in a calm and detached tone, which left many students feeling uneasy.
"But that won't happen because Jeanist has impeccable control over his quirk," Aizawa interjected, giving a pointed look to Jeanist. "The situations you're witnessing on the screen are not everyday occurrences. Remember, we are heroes, not executioners. We don't kill villains unless it's absolutely necessary or in self-defense. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sensei!" the students responded in unison.
"I'm sorry; my anger towards these villains got the better of me. I should be more careful with my words," Jeanist whispered an apology to Aizawa. "Especially around the students," he added, and Aizawa simply nodded in understanding.
'I'll show you all... the greatest show on earth!'
"Please, don't. I think we've seen enough twists already," Mina whined, though she knew her pleas were unlikely to be heeded, and the villains were bound to spring yet another surprise.
To be continued...