Trust me, guys, I HAVE a life! I just misplaced it and can't seem to find it atm.

Btw, just because I kill off a character doesn't mean I hate them . . .
I just found greater purpose in their death than in their life.

Really been dragging my feet through this chapter. Sure hope it turned out alright.
=================================

Today was going to be..really rough...

"HAH! ONLY ONE OF OUR CLASSMATES LEFT FOR GETTING THEIR QUIRK REMOVED! MUST BE A REAL SHAME, HUH? BEING SURROUNDED BY COWARDS!" Someone slapped Monoma real fast. The bratty blond fainted. The hero students from classes both A and B were standing in the lunch hall together, waiting for their time to shine. Eraserhead left to be placed somewhere around the front lines at a safe but still useful distance, leaving only Vlad King with the kids. Zeya and Mineta weren't among them. They left with a couple other heroes a while ago. Bakugo was still in the hospital. Everyone wore their hero costumes in preparation, mentally adjusting to the prospect of war.

While commotion and agitation stirred amongst the kids, Shoto noticed his green haired friend was no longer standing behind him. He looked around, finding the greenette sitting atop a table, his fingers forming a triangle shape to prop up his forehead with.

"Hey, Midoriya.." Shoto sat down beside the freckled one.

"Yeah..?" His voice was so weak, Shoto immediately catching on.

"What's wrong??"

"Nothing.." Izuku lied. He lied like he always did... He knew All For One was after his quirk. He just knew it. All of these people were put in danger because of him simply being here. He should have run away weeks ago, back when everything was peaceful. Then, none of the refugees would have to flee like they now had to. None of his own friends would be put in danger because of him.

Oh, how stupid this was.

And now he wasn't even being allowed to enter the front lines. No, he'd be caged inside the UA building like a prize waiting inside a flimsy pinta...against an opponent with a very large bat.

Grinding his teeth, "..I need to get out there and fight!"

----------

They appeared from the surrounding city. Starting in one big cluster, the villains all followed Tomura. Just behind him a little to the left...was none other All For One himself, walking calmly with his hands held behind his back.

"Kurogiri is here again, isn't he?.. So why can't we just teleport into the fortress?" Tomura complained to his master, who only grinned as his blood red eyes fixed on the massive obstacle ahead.

"I have a big friend on his way right now.. It would be rude of us not to open the door for him. And besides, the most fun part about being a villain is watching the world tremble at your flex of power~ You should be able to handle this, Tomura.." His student smirked a little at that. As did Ryo, who was a little further in the back of the crowd between Dabi and Kurogiri.

Hundreds of little holes opened up inside the wall, revealing an army of self aiming mini guns.

"You're up, Kurogiri."

Without speaking a word, the misty Nomu wrapped a blanket of shields around the approaching villains. The hundreds of machines let loose, showering the villains in bullets. More dark portals opened up beside the dark mass, redirecting those exact same bullets back to their senders. The guns were taken out one after another, but it was not yet safe to exit the dark mist.

As the villains drew nearer still, a row of concrete opened up, an army of massive battle bots shoved out of the ground via lift. This army attacked. Kurogiri's redirected bullets did very little to the machines. Another villain would need to be dispatched.

Ryo broke from his place and jogged up beside the tallest villain. "All For One! I can-" But the eldest only held up his hand, urging that the Esper wait a little longer.

"My other Nomu can handle this just fine.."

His...other...Nomu?

Following the dark mass of villains, a screeching army of monstrous emerged. Fangs and claws sharpened, genetically modified bodies fit for fighting, the monsters charged past in unison, taking on the army green droids in a flurry of might and terror. Ryo grimaced a little at the sight of all of them... So this was a Nomu..then.

Gotta say.. they weren't exactly the most appealing creations of man to look at.

As the army, whose skin ranged from light gray to a dark pitch, fought off the machinery and remaining guns, Kurogiri's mist cleared away in the front to reveal the wall.

Tomura sneered as he took center stage. This was too easy. All he had to do was tap the wall... and it all came tumbling down.

----------

"Does anyone here have any good long ranging abilities!!?" Monoma was now going around asking for quirks to complete his set, though he was being strategic about it now, leaving a slot empty should he soon come across a villain with a good quirk. He placed his hand on Kirishima's shoulder from behind, startling both him and the people he was talking to. "Hey! Thanks for that!"

"Ummm... Sure?" But the blond had already whisked himself away. Monoma later touched Denki Kaminari as well, sharing his quirk. All the kids were getting increasingly nervous as the reports came in one after another on Vlad's device.

Not only were the villains within the campus walls, but they were trashing the place already. Luckily, the heads up from Zeya meant the campus was now FLOODED with heroes... But would that be enough? Even though the fight had only just begun, one hero had already died and another two were greatly injured.

""Eraserhead is being targeted. We need backup immediately!"" Vlad's device hollered, sending shivers down the spines of every child in there.

Izuku gritted his teeth and furrowed his eyebrows. As did many others in his class.

They wouldn't take away Aizawa.. They wouldn't win this war!

----------

Aizawa had never seen this kind of strength in an opponent before. Even while his quirk was active, the long white haired villain still possessed something close to the strength and speed of All Might in his prime!!

Ryo wasn't much of a problem. Blind and helpless, he was only saved by Kurogiri's portal swallowing him up and spitting him out of the hero's range of vision. Wait, Kurogiri-?! Aizawa looked around for that Nomu..but couldn't find him anywhere. The hero hissed lowly. The very thought of his past friend's corpse being forced to oppose the side of good was just appalling to him. Couldn't Oboro simply rest in peace??

Manual, Majestic, and Crust stuck by his side, not yet needed and hopefully it would stay that way. Tomura was clearly targeting him. Ryukyu and Endeavor fought him in the sky where he was most helpless, but even then it looked like he was the one with the advantage!

"Eraserhead, behind--!" Majestic warned. But there was little Aizawa could do in preparation for an attack from behind. Luckily, Crust was there to defend the preoccupied hero from a rabid Spinner on the loose, blades out and readily able to help his friend achieve his goal in taking the darkly clothed hero! Majestic rose the four of them up into the air on platforms of spirals, leaving the gecko villain behind. Good timing, too, because any later and the men would have been washed away in the wave of Twice doubles pouring over the grass and rock.

All were at a loss when Tomura Shigaraki punched through Ryukyu's hand, his own bearing between his fingers..the quirk erasing bullet. Aizawa hadn't the time to react. One second, it was in the villain's hand. The next, the prick of its needle shot through his arm. The hero hadn't even a moment to think. He pulled out his knife, and chopped off his own leg!!

"Eraserhead!!" Majestic and Manwel rushed to the hero's side, Crust flying to the front to defend from any following attacks without breaking Aizawa's line of sight. Manwel helped Aizawa fix a touret to his leg while Majestic repelled the approaching Nomu. But Endeavor and the now greatly injured Ryukyu wouldn't be enough to fend off the relentless Tomura. He was coming in fast! Breaking free from the two, kicking off of the dragon lady, and headed straight for Crust!

"SSSMMMMMAAAASSHHHH!!!" Izuku sprung through the sky, kicking the villain square in the jaw! "Don't worry, Aizawa!. You have saved us all so many times already!.. Now it's my turn to save YOU!" Tomura hurtled into the ground and crashed with a mighty thud. He was back up in seconds, glaring up at the green haired brat.

"So, you finally decided to show up, huh?!" The evil one grinned. Izuku activated both Float and Black Whip while he stood there in the sky, staring the villain down. He closed his fists and gritted his teeth. Tomura sprung off of the ground. Izuku focused OFA onto his legs again. But...he miscalculated the villain's trajectory by a few feet. Tomura shot straight past Izuku. The kid turned slowly, eyes opening wide in agony stricken horror...Crust falling to dust at his left. He couldn't take his eyes off the sight.. The hero's ashy body falling to the ground like snow.

"DEKU!" Shoto came flying in, rocketing through the sky in part thanks to his own quirk and the quirk of Ochako. The dual hair colored kid thought quickly, forming an ice barrier in the air over Izuku. Tomura landed on the ice, the frosty blue and white cracking and shattering into a thousand pieces! Deku stared up, eyes wide with horror as the villain's terrifying eyes bore down on him, grinning from cheek to cheek.

He wanted this quirk for himself.

Endeavor got in the way of that. The hero shot a blast of fire through the wall of ice. The fire was so hot. So bright. Izuku deactivated his Float quirk just so that he could fall away from it quicker. Tomura shrieked, paralyzing him just long enough for the #1 hero to grab the young villain and roast him even more. Tomura's screams were agonizing. Every bit of his skin was burnt apart.

"Incoming!!" Dabi laughed as he was air dropped from above thanks to one of Kurogiri's portals. He landed on Shoto, wrapping an arm around the kid as he grinned at his father. "Honestly, Dad, if you really wanted to burn another kid you should have just stuck with the original." As Endeavor was trying to cool himself down from that mighty move, Dabi went ahead and sent a few more blue flames his way. It was Endeavor's turn to writhe, hissing in pain. This blue inferno was extreme, fueled by Dabi's hatred; it didn't help any that the flame hero was already overheated from his last move! Any more of this and he might just cook!

Shoto gritted his teeth and grabbed Dabi's arm that was around his throat, freezng it instantly. "Toya, you need to stop this now!!"

"Aww, thanks, bud. I was starting to get a little hot there." The eldest grinned at his brother. Shoto snarled. If he wanted to cool down, then!... The teen froze his eldest brother, surrounding him entirely in ice! Dabi was unable to move, but otherwise was fine since his quirk was just special like that. Thanks to the added weight, however, the two Todoroki brothers tipped over, Shoto's flame no longer strong enough to hold them in the air. The two tumbled toward the ground, Shoto screaming for the first time as he descended head first. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. Luckily, Gran Torino flew in, kicked through the ice, grabbed Shoto by the arm, and jumped off of Dabi still partially in ice to escape the villain with Shoto. Another dark portal swallowed Dabi up and spat him out at Endeavor. Dabi chose then to explode from that ice, forcing his dad to drop the charred Tomura.

"We need to help Endeavor!!" Shoto.

Torino redirected his rocket feet. "Alright!" They tackled that threat.

Tomura fell to the ground, forming yet another crater around him. He was too weak to stand this time. His regeneration wasn't functioning quite as well thanks to Aizawa's quirk. He laid there and groaned while a crowd of Twices crowded nervously around him.

"Is Tomura here?!" A familiar voice gruffed.

"Yeah yeah, this way!" The Twices helped to lead the League Member. It was Spinner. He may not have the best quirk, but, he was here to fight for his friend 'till the very end.

"Crap! You can't regenerate!" Spinner fell on his knees beside Tomura, appalled by the sight. "One of you go get Mr. Compress! He should have some more medical supplies on him!!"

"No..." Tomura croaked. He rose a shaky hand, pointing up at Aizawa. "..He... Get rid of..his quirk..." But Spinner could only snarl up at the sky.

He couldn't do anything of use out here. In fact, being completely honest, he didn't even know why The League accepted him at all.

There wasn't much to his story. Like Serizawa, he was a shut-in thanks to the way people always treated him and his quirk. .. He felt he didn't really have a purpose. Until Stain came along, that is. He had a purpose then...to rid the world of corrupt heroes. ... As far as the issue regarding the green haired kid went, he was torn. He wanted to help The League to achieve Stain's goals, but, it was also Stain who said that boy was worthy.

"You're not going to kill the kid, are ya?" Spinner asked his injured friend gruffly.

Tomura chuckled, struggling to sit up. "Not as long as he doesn't make too much of a fuss. I'm only after his quirk."

"If you can, give him to me after, alright?" The villain had a sneaking suspicion that all the kid needed was a tap in the right direction... He still could be the great hero Stain labeled him worthy to become. Tomura idly nodded, not really giving much thought to the deal he'd just somewhat agreed to.

Guess they'd just have to see how things turned out.

----------

While Deku fought Tomura high in the air where very few could reach him, the classes 1A and 1B had officially entered this war as well. It was beyond mayhem. No one could say they were entirely prepared for this. But the teens at least had each other to rely on. Naturally, everyone broke off into little groups, fighting in smaller, divided units. There was no class rivalry out here. All students fought as one. If ever one group was being overwhelmed by Twice doubles, Nomu, and the occasional Shimazaki appearance, another would rush in to help. This way, no one person or group was overwhelmed. The only exceptions being Kaminari and Monoma, who both needed to find a distant spot in order to activate the electric quirk.

Shoto was off fighting Dabi with his dad, Izuku was in the sky fighting Shigaraki with Gran Torino, Bakugo was in the hospital still, Zeya and Mineta were on some other quest, and, well, everyone was separated. It was a lot. That was for sure.

Monoma was pushing himself harder than he ever had before. He exploded in the field of villains with a thousand or more volts of electricity all around him, turning the many doubles to goop and paralyzing the two gray Nomu in range. He stopped the moment his mind started to get a little foggy. It was now a little harder to focus, so he used a quirk that wouldn't require much of that. His entire body hardened into a formidable weapon. The blond proceeded to plow through whichever clones were left. This felt...so cruel. Undoubtedly his peers felt the same way. There was just something off about looking someone in the eyes before ending their life. Even if they were only doubles, it was still rough. A Nomu snuck up on the blond, smashing his body into the ground. The kid hardened his body even more as the disfigured creature stomped him even further into the ground! There wasn't anything he could do! He was stuck!

Suddenly, his attacker shot up into the air, shrieking and flailing. It joined a dozen other Nomu up there in the sky, useless and unable to attack children.

"Are you okay?!?" Ochako fell on her knees beside Monoma, who released his quirk, tissue softening in time to feel the resonating ache throughout his body.

He groaned a little, pushing himself up. "Yeah.. Mostly..." He couldn't think straight and now his body was all sore. But, guess that was to be expected in a terrible battle like this. Ochako gasped beside him suddenly. Both looked up and shrieked as another Nomu charged their way.

Saving them, another blond shot out of the ground! "POWWWEERRR!!" Mirio grinned. Ochako and Monoma sighed in relief.

"Wait, where's Eri!?" One blond exclaimed to the other.

Mirio laughed half heartedly, phased into the ground, and leapt again up through the floor. "Don't worry! Eri is escaping with everyone else under the campus as we speak!" Hearing that made Monoma smile.

"That's...good to hear.."

thud...thud...thud...thud...thud...

Something was approaching in the distance. Something BIG. Everyone could feel it now if they paid any attention. The very earth beneath them vibrated.

-----

' 'Mount Lady, get ready!! And watch your feet!' '

"You won't have to worry about me.." The woman grinned. She nodded to her associates and started to grow. In the distance, shoving aside entire buildings came a monster with a large, rocky jaw and spikes jutting from its back.

The thing was determined to join the fight, mumbling "master.. master.. master.." again and again under its breath.

Mount lady hid with her back pressed against the wall. Once the massive being passed through the gap in the wall, three individuals pounced it at once! Ibara from class 1B dug her viny hair into the earth, which exploded out of the ground under Makia and tied up his feet. Best Jeanest controlled a dozen or so thick cable wires, which he used to tie around the villain's waist. And Mount Lady tackled the other giant's head, sending him plummeting into the ground. The hero roared with intensity as she pried open the villain's mouth. "Ghhh-Gang Orca, hurry up!!"

The whale hero was already sprinting, a massive vile of a sleeping drug -- since Zeya confirmed thie villain was immune to poisons -- contained within a massive capsule in his arms! It was like a game of (American) football. The Nomu his opponents, capsule the ball, and the open mouth of the struggling mountain of a villain his goal. He shoved and kicked through the gathering Nomu, other heroes jumping in to help him fend them all off. At last, the orca managed to shove it into his mouth! Mount Lady forced the other giant's jaw closed at once. A few more minutes of struggling followed, but, he soon passed out there on the ground, useless to his master.

"Whew!" Mount Lady stood tiredly, wiping sweat from her brow and rubbing her hands together. "Time to take out some other--"

All For One went from frowning to grinning.

A stinging tingle sprung up in the woman's heel, rippling up her leg until it encompassed her whole body. But before she could even react, the lady giant's body completely exploded!

Blood trickled down like rain over the students. All were stricken with horror..

Izuku, despite his best efforts fighting Tomura alone in the sky -- since Gran Torino had just been taken down -- crashed into the ground beside his spread out class. He was barely able to break his own fall, sustaining more damage than he already had.

Up there, Tomura was weak...but fighting. Relentlessly.

"Deku!" Ochako cried. But then she turned slowly as red started sprinkling down, staining her hair. Her eyes trembled as they landed on the murderer... It was not just any Nomu, but a Nomu with a terrifying quirk.

The Chisaki Nomu.

Six disgusting, fleshy arms sprouted from its dark, warped body. It's mask was merged with its very flesh, recognizable clothing remaining on his body only as a reminder to all of the heroes the great disease they allowed to fester and grow.

All For One, still standing high in the sky above them all, extended his hand to give the Nomu a direct message.

' Take those hiding underground hostage. And kill whoever gets in your way. ' The Nomu nodded. Deku rolled onto his stomach, gripping his bleeding side as he stared ahead at the new arrival. He growled, tightening his other hand into a tight fist. He could barely see any more out of his left eye. Heh...just like Dad- He couldn't afford to lose focus right now. Izuku growled, forcing his arms and legs to pick himself up again.

"Deku, let me help!" Ochako crouched down beside her classmate, about to activate her quirk when suddenly he stopped her.

"No.." He used Black Whip instead to push himself the rest of the way up. His left leg was obviously broken, useful for nothing but a pain generator. Ochako was a little broken as well, having obtained a few cuts and a sprained wrist. But...she watched her friend warily, genuinely concerned for his health. Though he had grown..unlocking most of his new quirks, he couldn't be expected to keep going on like this!

The masked Nomu was visited by Ryo, who crouched on the masked creature's shoulder like a little bird. He mumbled and pointed down, a little off to the Nomu's right. Understanding, the Nomu turned his attention to the ground. One of its longer, lower arms touched the ground and creating before it a hole in the earth. One big enough for it to crawl through. Both Izuku and Ochako gasped.

"NO-" Deku screamed. For he knew right away what this creature was trying. Over the coms, everyone had been just recently updated on the whereabouts of the second last group of evacuees. About half of those people were some of the students' own parents and closest friends. Eri among them. Deku's own mother among them.

But he was weak, broken, and bleeding out. He couldn't hear Ochako's words, but she grabbed his arm and barked something rather harsh at him as he stumbled forward, desperate to reach the Nomu in time.

"You kids get back!!" A pro hero jumped into the fray, standing protectively in front of the students while glaring the monster down. Ochako tugged on Deku a little, who relented just to give the pro some space. It was Rock Lock, the hero with bushy black hair, darker skin, and a green and yellow lock themed costume. He snarled at the villain, feeling somewhat personal about seeing Chisaki again like this, since he was one of the heroes sent to arrest him all those months ago! "Uravity, make sure Deku gets medical attention! I'll handle this guy!!" He sprinted forward, rushing to close the space between them quickly before that hole Chisaki's corpse was creating got any bigger. Then, at the very edge of striking range, he threw both of his hands on the floor. "Deadbolt!!" His wrists twisted while his hands braces the concrete, essentially nullifying the Nomu's most valuable quirk.

Its mission halted for the time being, the Nomu's dead eyes glared the nearest hero down. Rock Lock grinned, though he eased to the side, starting into a sprint around the Nomu to further draw his attention away from the teenagers behind him. The two didn't move as he would have hoped, meaning he would have to draw the fight away from the two if he didn't want them getting involved.

Unfortunately for him, the Nomu could manipulate all matter. Not just the ground. Nomu Kai touched the puddle of blood collecting all around them on the ground. The liquid recessed in his direction, collection around the flesh of each of his six arms to play with. The blood was hardened into countless knives, which each of his six arms threw at the hero at once! Rock Lock threw out a floating tile to cover his vitals and braced for a distasteful blow.

Shing-shing-shing-shi-

The tiny blood-knife army slammed against a shield of blood. Rock Lock opened his eyes, having to crane his neck quite a bit to reach the head of his aid. It was Vlad King, standing like a brick wall between the Nomu and fellow hero. Vlad held the button to his earpiece as he flared down the agitated creature. "Get Zeya on the line! ... ZEYA! YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THAT A NOMUAFIED KAI CHISAKI WOULD BE HERE!!!" Rock Lock could hear the girl's stuttering on the other end from where he stood. Vlad sighed, his shoulders dropping just a little. "Yes... I'll be safe..." The other hero caught Vlad smiling a little. "That problem child..." He uttered.

"Alright then." Rock Lock spoke up as he grabbed the other guy's shoulder and stood beside him, bringing the other back to the here and the now. "I'll make sure that thing doesn't dig, and you make sure I make sure that thing doesn't dig! Got it?!"

"Loud and clear!" Vlad lowered into a battle ready stance, his gauntlets secreting enough blood to form blades around his forearms with. The two heroes jumped into action, with the collective goal of drawing the fight away from the children.

Deku stretched out his hand as the two fought, the Nomu himself revealing a few extra quirks; mostly buffs/add-ons to his original.

|| Temperature Control : once he touches an object, he can make it colder or hotter almost instantly ! It'll take a few seconds to reach critical levels, though !
|| Condensing : Assisting what his main quirk can already do, this one basically just makes it a heck of a lot easier to shrink objects by cramming their molecules into a smaller space ! Doesn't work as well on living things aside from himself !
|| Consumer : while touching a certain molecule, he can draw more exactly like it towards himself, even if they aren't touching ! It has to be very precise, though! So, basically, he can't steal all of someone's blood by touching another's, thanks to the difference in blood type!

Deku was helpless here. In front of him stood a monstrous being threatening the lives of his own family, and behind him was another villain threatening the lives of his friends! He had to choose between one of the other, and even then he was undeniably weak!

'If only... I was strong enough... If only.. Mob was here...' The teen's one unharmed eye widened a little. 'Mob IS here..!'

-----

He was suddenly inside the world of the inner mind, where the vestiges resided. The void around him was entirely black save for one crumbling, half of a room where a row of tall chairs stood strongly in a half circle around him. His clothes were still missing, though a cloud of mist covered much of his body. Thanks to some extra time in here and training in general, he could now speak properly to all of them.

...Not like that made much of a difference. The one he needed right now still refused to speak with him. Mob: the swarm of firey black energy with bright white, empty eyes. Mob's form sat in a chair, staring the greenette down from the very end of the line of thrones. Reigen's misty pink vestige sat between Mob's and All Might's, also unable to speak.

The lot of them stared intently at the greenette who had so urgently called this emergency meeting.

Izuku just about had it! Though he understood why, he still wanted the full power he KNEW he now had within him! The teen's jaw clamped tight, stuck between intensely angry and on the verge of tears.

"MOOOB!!! I know you can hear me! Please!! I need to use your power! Just this once! Let me SAVE them! Let me save all of them!!" But Mob's little avatar didn't move a muscle. Not a blink or twitch. Even Reigen's vestige looked around, a little confused. Izuku stomped his foot. He knew he was being petty, but still! It stung to know such a useful power was in the palm of his hand, but he couldn't use it! "Please, does anyone have any ideas at least? What should I do??"

After a moment of silence, the first user, Yoichi, rose from his seat and crossed the half a room to reach the child. He placed his hand on Izuku's bare shoulder, staring into his eyes with such clarity and sadness.

They'd all just barely fought off Shigaraki a few minutes prior from stealing this quirk, knowing the real threat was merely lurking, waiting for the boy to grow weak.

"...I don't know..." He admitted.

The boy's eyes dropped open wide. This room full of adults had no more ideas than himself. A tear slipped from the teen's eyes, one that fell onto the very real concrete of the very real world. The sounds and sights of reality reentered his thoughts. The young hero stood and spun in a slow circle. No matter where he looked, everyone needed help. Everyone needed his assistance, and everyone needed a hero...

But he couldn't be there for all of them.

He couldn't be the hero who saves everyone...

He was just him.

Your average quirkless middle schooler, now high schooler, who was gifted a lot of power.

Power that was useless if he didn't make a decision. He needed to make a decision!

But...what first?

...

A rumble rose. Izuku's head spun, peering over his shoulder. He gasped as a new army of clones charged their way through the campus. He activated One For All at once, forcing his broken leg to carry some weight as he prepared to fend these guys off.

"Woah woah, we're here to help!" The first running past him rose his hands defensively.
"Yeah, man, we're on your side!" Another clarified. Izuku had a hard time believing that, but, as he watched this clone army run along in striped suits, he had to let down his guard a little.

These guys really were helping. Suddenly, his friends were no longer in so much danger. Suddenly, it was a little easier to decide. Deku sighed a breath of relief as this wave of clones acted as promised, as friends and not foes.

..He almost smiled.

Izuku checked to see who he could help out with the most. Since they were no longer in so much trouble anymore thanks to the new wave of doubles, classes 1A and 1B set their eyes on Chisaki, mainly those who could shoot projectiles or otherwise use long range attacks. And thanks to Rock Lock pushing his quirk to its limits, the Chisaki Nomu was unable to manipulate anything but the puddles of blood on the floor and his own flesh. Suddenly, things were beginning to look a little promising.

Izuku caught sight of Tomura soaring through the air again, shooting straight for Aizawa! The teen freaked. "NOO--!!"

-----

He didn't know if this could take this any longer. Already he'd been holding his eyelids open for at LEAST five minutes! Manwel's water bending quirk sure made things easier, but he needed this villain to be dealt with already! He didn't want to have to keep staring at this crusty burnt nugget any longer!

Though it was taking Shigaraki a little longer to heal than what he was hoping, he was still healing supernaturally fast! Now, only about seventy-five percent of his body was caked in burns. He even had a few patches of long white hair growing back out.

It was mostly a defensive game that Tomura played. The old man was easy enough to take out with a simple smash into the ground. It was that kid he was having trouble with! But, now that Izuku was torn between battles, he thought it was finally time to take the offensive!

"Hey..." Manwel thought aloud to the other two heroes standing around him. "Why do you think the Nomu's regeneration and insane strength works when none of their others' do..?"

"Hmm.." Majestic scratched his chin. "...Something to do with the lab experiments, maybe?"

"The quirk must be someone else's." Aizawa spoke. The first time he'd uttered anything other than a sharp order or muffled swear in a while.

"Huh?" The other two paid him extra attention.

"My quirk can cancel out any quirk other than a mutation quirk... And this level of regeneration and strength doesn't exactly count as a mutation. No.. This is someone else's quirk at play. ... Someone who's somehow able to make others infinitely stronger remotely..where I can't see them." As if Tomura was getting paranoid that these guys were figuring it out, he suddenly turned his attention fully onto Aizawa again. With impressive strength, Shigaraki flung himself in the air, fighting through Majestic's barriers and platforms to reach him within seconds!

Tomura grinned as he reached his hand out. The very top of his middle finger tapped the hero's right eye. All he needed was to gouge out both eyes, and he would be free to do as he pleased.

...Sorry, Eraserhead. You were cool while you laste--

There was a tightness in his chest. Something deep within suddenly said no.

This was something he didn't need to destroy. Something a tiny fraction of his child self gripped onto so dearly.

...Not everything needed to be destroyed. Just the bad things... The things that make people suffer.

And his favorite hero was not one of those things.

Tomura's nail scratched down through Aizawa's cheek as his fingers curled together into a fist, drawing blood, but gouging out eyes it did not.

Aizawa was met with a firm punch to the face. One that knocked him out cold, throwing him back off of Majestic's platform. Both of the other heroes dove down for him. Tomura grinned happily as the stinging in his skin drew away quicker than before. His regeneration aided by the massive flow of power.

THIS was more like it!!!

"YOU LEAVE AIZAWA ALONE!!!" Deku charged in again, continuing their fight from before. Only now, it was his few quirks against Tomura's MANY! Danger Sense was going off every other second in this fight. There were no breaks. No chances to let things calm down!

Izuku lassoed Shigaraki's body with Black Whip. The villain used this to his advantage, swinging around mid air and cutting the tendrils off at the right time to hurl the kid into the ground! Izuku kicked the ground beneath him to save himself from complete annihilation, but now both of his legs were broken! He sat on the floor for a short while, gasping and whining at all the pain surging through his body. Tomura landed on the ground before the greenette with a wide grin. He didn't even say anything. Just stumbled toward the other with a determined, boastful look in his eyes.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Izuku's ears were drawn to the following smaller sounds of metal clicking against the ground. His head spun around, eyes wide to see All Might himself standing there! Nested in one arm of the retired hero was the fainted Gran Torino. In the other hand: a gun. Three bullet holes spilled blood through Shigaraki's chest. The young man only smiled down as the wounds easily closed up, afterward turning his attention directly onto All Might.

"Think you can still be a hero without your quirk, old man~?" The villain grinned. All Might's frown deepened.

"You know... Your grandmother and I were good friends.. She was my mentor-"

"-And you think I care about that crap?! I am going to destroy things, plain and simple! That includes this world of heroes! You all just make me sick!! You claim you want to save people, but the only thing you actually care about saving are yourselves!!"

"Shimura.." In a more warning scold kind of way.

"Don't you DARE bring up my family name!!!" Tomura charged the retired hero. All Might rose his gun to shoot, but, as the villain approached...he found a little too late he simply couldn't. That determination to save his student had completely vanished..now that it was he who was in imminent danger.

..And he didn't really want to kill Nana's grandson...

"..N-NOOO!" Time seemed to slow as Deku picked himself up with Black Whip. He found himself moving in the way of Shigaraki, ready to be the body to block that incoming attack. All Might's bright eyes shot the boy's way, terror and dread overcoming him at once.

'No... I DON'T want to be the reason...that Midoriya dies..'

Deku was pushed out of the way. Rather, shoved. He fell into the ground, only looking up at the last second, right as Bakugo stood in his stead in front of All Might! However, he wasn't just acting as a human shield as Deku was about to. Both his arms aimed at the villain, streams of light beaming through their thick bandages. "STOP TRYING TO DO THIS BY YOURSELF!!!"

BOOOM!!!

It was an explosion strong enough to rattle the sky! All, even those the blond teen was saving, fell back and rolled over the pavement. Tomura flew off through the air, body split into five or more different burnt up chunks, presently unconscious. Bakugo fell to his knees, his stubs bleeding profusely now that they had no more arms to enter. The right half of his face managed to get blasted as well, right ear destroyed. The firey blond flopped onto his stomach, passing out.

"..Ka....KACHAN!!" As realization set in, pain washed over the teen in surging waves.

What was... What was he going to do now?