The silence after the explosion was deafening.
Students huddled near the entrance, battered and bloodied but alive. Izuku leaned against Uraraka, his legs threatening to give out. 15% had dropped back to 8%, and exhaustion was hitting him in waves. His arms hung heavy at his sides. Every muscle screamed for rest. His ears were still ringing from Bakugo's blast.
Thirteen lay nearby, unconscious, their space suit torn and damaged. Yaoyorozu had already done what she could, but the hero needed proper medical attention. Soon.
Yaoyorozu worked over Aizawa's broken form, her hands moving with practiced precision as she created bandages, antiseptic, splints. Her face was pale, focused, refusing to look at the damage too closely.
"His arm is bad," she muttered, more to herself than anyone. "The decay stopped, but the bone... I need to stabilize it before we move him. Someone find me something rigid—a pipe, a piece of debris—"
Shoji was already moving, crossing to a pile of wreckage and pulling out a fallen metal bar. "Will this work?"
"Yes. Thank you."
Tsuyu stood guard nearby, her tongue ready, eyes scanning the plaza. She hadn't relaxed since they'd gotten here. Probably wouldn't until this was over.
Mineta sat against the wall, grinning through the exhaustion. "I can't believe I'm alive. I literally cannot believe I'm alive. I'm going to live to see tomorrow. I'm going to go home and hug my mom and never complain about her cooking ever again."
"Mineta." Izuku's voice was tired. "Save your energy."
"Right. Right. Saving energy." Mineta slumped further against the wall. "This is me saving energy. Very energy-efficient."
Kaminari was sprawled on the ground nearby, still sparking occasionally. "I think I fried myself again. Is my hair standing up? It feels like it's standing up."
Jiro glanced at him. "It's always standing up. That's not a good metric."
"But is it MORE standing up than usual?!"
"Shut up, Kaminari."
Bakugo, Kirishima, and Todoroki formed a loose defensive line a few meters ahead. Kirishima's hardening was still active, his skin rough and rocky. Todoroki's left side pulsed with cold, ready to unleash ice at a moment's notice. Bakugo's palms crackled with small explosions, his eyes locked on the plaza.
No one spoke. Everyone watched.
The plaza was a warzone. Cratered ground from Aizawa's fight. Scattered villain bodies. Debris everywhere. And in the center, the massive Nomu stood motionless beside Shigaraki, its exposed brain pulsing with that sickening rhythm. Black flesh, distorted muscles, hands that looked like they could crush steel.
Kurogiri floated at the edge, mist swirling.
Kirishima muttered under his breath. "What are they waiting for? Why aren't they attacking?"
Todoroki's voice was calm, analytical. "They're regrouping. Assessing the situation. That creature might be strong, but the villain's not an idiot. He knows we're not the real threat."
Bakugo clicked his tongue. "Let them wait. I'll blast that thing myself when they're done."
"You tried that already." Kirishima pointed at the Nomu. "Didn't do much."
"I wasn't going all out!"
"Sure you weren't."
"Shut up, shitty hair!"
Izuku watched the exchange with half his attention. The rest of him was focused on Shigaraki. On the way he scratched his neck. On the way his eyes kept darting around—to the exits, to the roof, to the students.
He's waiting for something. Or someone. He's nervous.
Then Shigaraki's voice echoed across the space, scratchy and agitated.
"Kurogiri. Report."
The mist villain's form shifted. "One student escaped. The fast one. He's already outside the facility. Multiple pro heroes are converging on the area."
Shigaraki froze.
His scratching stopped. His whole body went rigid.
"One escaped?" His voice was calm at first. Too calm. "One? You let ONE escape?!"
His hand moved to his neck. Started scratching again. Faster. Harder. Skin flaked off under his fingers.
"That means pros are coming! All Might might not even bother showing up! He'll just wait with them! This whole thing—this whole PLAN—"
He was unraveling. The League villains around him shifted nervously, giving him space. Even the Nomu seemed to sense something was wrong, its head tilting slightly.
"We came here to kill All Might! That was the point! That was the WHOLE point! And now he's not even—he might not even—"
His scratching grew more frantic. His voice rose in pitch.
"Do you have any idea how long we planned this?! How many resources we poured into it?! And you let ONE STUDENT—"
His eyes landed on the students. On Izuku.
The one who hit him. The one who taunted him. The one who made him bleed in front of everyone.
"You." Shigaraki's voice dropped. His scratching stopped. "You're the one."
Izuku met his gaze. Didn't flinch. Didn't look away. Didn't give him the satisfaction.
Behind him, he heard Uraraka's breath catch. Felt her grip on his arm tighten.
"What's wrong?" Izuku's voice carried across the plaza, calm and flat. "Didn't get enough?"
Shigaraki's face contorted. His hands clenched into fists. His whole body shook with rage.
"You—you little—"
He was sputtering. Actually sputtering. The leader of the League of Villains, the one who'd orchestrated this whole attack, was sputtering like a child having a tantrum.
"Nomu." His voice cracked. "Kill them. ALL of them! Start with that one! Start with HIM!"
The Nomu turned.
Those empty black eyes locked onto the students. Muscles coiled. That massive form shifted, ready to move.
Everyone tensed. Bakugo's palms crackled louder, sweat exploding into actual sparks. Todoroki's ice spread across the ground in a defensive wall, freezing the debris around them. Kirishima hardened fully, his skin taking on that rocky texture. Tsuyu's tongue flexed, ready to strike. Mineta scrambled to his feet, hands going to his head, popping out sticky balls.
Uraraka grabbed Izuku's arm tighter. "Izuku—!"
Izuku pushed off her, stepping forward despite his legs screaming. Despite every instinct telling him to stay back.
If it comes for us—if I have to—
He positioned himself in front of the others. Not because he thought he could win. Because someone had to.
The Nomu took a step forward. Then another. The ground shook with each movement.
Kirishima's voice cracked. "It's coming! It's actually coming!"
Kaminari scrambled backward. "I can't fight that thing! I literally cannot fight that thing!"
Jiro grabbed his collar. "No one's asking you to, dumbass!"
Todoroki's ice wall grew higher. "Bakugo. If it breaks through, hit it with everything you have. I'll freeze it in place."
Bakugo's palms were already blazing. "I know what to do! Stop telling me what to do!"
Mineta was crying again. "WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"
Tsuyu's voice was steady, but tight. "Kero. Not helping."
Izuku's hands clenched at his sides. 8% flickered around him, weak compared to what he'd need. If I push to 15% again—if I can just slow it down—
Then—
The doors behind them exploded inward.
Not just opened. Exploded. Metal and concrete flying everywhere, shards of debris skittering across the floor. Students threw their arms up to shield their faces.
A figure stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the light. Yellow suit. Red tie. The jacket was already off, tossed aside somewhere. His sleeves were rolled up. His fists were clenched. Muscles bulging. The full form.
And then—that voice. That unmistakable, powerful, earth-shaking voice.
"I AM HERE!"
All Might.
He wasn't in his hero costume. He was wearing his teacher's suit, dust-covered, sleeves rolled to his elbows, ready to fight. But the form was there. Full power. Full presence.
He was here.
Silence.
Then Uraraka's voice, cracking. "ALL MIGHT!"
Kirishima's laugh was half-hysterical. "HE CAME! THE SYMBOL OF PEACE CAME!"
Kaminari was staring. "That's—that's really him—that's actually him in a SUIT—"
Jiro let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "About damn time..."
Tsuyu's shoulders dropped. Her tongue relaxed. "Kero..." Relief flooded her voice, made it sound almost weak.
Mineta started crying again. "We're saved! We're actually saved! I'm going to live! I'm going to—"
"Mineta." Izuku's voice was tired but amused. "You're crying again."
"I DON'T CARE! LET ME CRY!"
Todoroki's ice receded slightly. His expression didn't change, but something in his posture relaxed. His shoulders dropped a fraction of an inch.
Bakugo clicked his tongue but didn't look away from the figure in the doorway.
Izuku felt something loosen in his chest. A weight he hadn't realized he'd been carrying.
He came. He actually came.
All Might's eyes swept the plaza. Took in Aizawa's broken form. Thirteen's unconscious body. The battered students. The villains. The Nomu. His expression darkened.
"Young Iida made it." His voice was steady, powerful, filled with that unmistakable presence even without the costume. "He told me everything. You've all done incredibly well." He stepped forward, rolling his shoulders. "Now let me handle the rest."
Shigaraki's face cycled through emotions. Rage. Frustration. Something almost like fear.
"Nomu." His voice cracked again. "Kill All Might. NOW!"
The Nomu moved.
Faster than anything that size should move. Its fist connected with All Might's gut with enough force to crater the ground—
All Might didn't budge.
"Is that all?!"
The battle began.
They watched in awe as the Symbol of Peace and the monster clashed.
Each punch sent shockwaves through the plaza. The ground cratered beneath their feet. The air itself seemed to shake with every impact. All Might's suit ripped at the shoulders as his muscles bulged, the fabric tearing under the strain. The wind from their blows whipped through the plaza, sending debris flying, forcing the students to brace themselves.
Kirishima grabbed onto a pillar to steady himself. "The wind—it's insane—"
Kaminari was nearly knocked over, grabbing Jiro's shoulder. "I can't—stand—"
Todoroki planted his feet, ice anchoring him to the ground. "This is the power of the number one."
Jiro pressed her earphone jacks to the ground, steadying herself against the vibrations. Her eyes widened. "I can feel his heartbeat through the ground! It's—it's going crazy—"
Mineta was pressed against the wall. "HOW CAN YOU FEEL ANYTHING OVER THIS?!"
The Nomu was strong—absurdly strong. It matched All Might blow for blow. Took hits that should have pulverized anything and kept coming. Its shock absorption ate the force of All Might's punches. Its super regeneration knitted flesh back together as fast as it was damaged.
Shigaraki laughed from the sidelines, the wind tearing at his clothes. "You can't kill it! It was made to kill YOU! Every punch you throw just makes it stronger! It's got shock absorption AND super regeneration! It's PERFECT!"
All Might's eyes narrowed. He grabbed Nomu by the arm, started pounding it into the ground with relentless fury. Each impact sent cracks through the plaza floor. The wind grew stronger, more violent.
But Izuku watched differently. He saw what others didn't.
It's not working. The shock absorption—it's neutralizing his power. And the regeneration—it won't stay down. All Might's pushing past his limit just to keep even. And his limit... his limit isn't what it used to be.
He thought about the beach. About the hours they'd spent together. About the way All Might coughed blood after using his power too long.
He's burning through his time. Fast. Too fast.
Izuku's eyes drifted to Shigaraki.
Standing apart now. Gloating. Watching All Might struggle with a smile on his face. Exposed.
Shigaraki. The leader. The one who ordered this attack. The one who almost killed Aizawa. The one who wants to destroy everything.
His mind raced. He thought about the future. About the League. About all the death and destruction Shigaraki would cause if he got away today.
If he escapes now, he'll come back stronger. More villains will follow him. More people will die. Aizawa might not be the last teacher we lose. Some of us might not be so lucky next time.
His hands clenched at his sides. His jaw tightened.
Shigaraki needs to be stopped. Today. Here.
He pushed off the wall. His legs screamed. 8% flickered around him, green lightning barely visible.
Uraraka grabbed his arm. "Izuku?! What are you doing?!"
He looked at her. At her worried eyes. At the tear tracks on her cheeks.
"Stay here. Protect everyone."
"Izuku, no—you can't—that's their leader—!"
"I know."
"But—!"
He pulled his arm away gently. "I'll be back."
Before she could respond, he was moving.
Shigaraki didn't notice him at first. Too focused on All Might. Too arrogant. Too sure of his victory.
Izuku closed the distance—8% Full Cowling, Bast reflexes, Flexible trait all flowing together. His first strike aimed for Shigaraki's ribs, right where he'd hit him before.
Connected.
Shigaraki gasped, stumbled, whirled around with wide eyes.
"YOU AGAIN?!"
Izuku didn't answer. Didn't give him time to recover. He flowed—Kujin Style sweep, trip, strike. Shigaraki was fast, faster than expected. He'd kept up with Aizawa's Erasure, survived against a pro. He dodged some hits, blocked others.
But Izuku was better.
Months of training with All Might. Hours of combat practice. Master Hand-to-Hand guiding every movement. He read Shigaraki's movements before they happened, predicted his counters, stayed one step ahead.
Strike to the shoulder. Crack. Shigaraki hissed in pain.
"You think you can hurt me?! You're just a student! A CHILD!"
Kick to the knee. Shigaraki staggered, almost went down.
"When I get out of here—when I get my hands on you—I'll decay every part of you! I'll make you WATCH while I—"
Palm strike to the chest. Shigaraki flew back, hit the ground hard.
Izuku was on him instantly—pinning, controlling. His hand moved from Shigaraki's wrist to his throat. One strike. One clean strike. A palm to the windpipe. A thumb to the carotid. It would be over. No more Shigaraki. No more League. No more threats to his classmates, his teachers, his mom.
For a moment—just a moment—he saw it. Shigaraki's eyes going wide. His body going limp. The fight ending. Permanently.
Would that be so wrong? After everything he's done? After everything he'll do?
Shigaraki's eyes were wild. Raging. But underneath that—fear. Real fear.
"KUROGIRI!"
The mist villain convulsed.
His body—his whole body—shuddered violently. His eyes went blank. Then red. Then something else entirely. His form started breaking apart, mist swirling uncontrollably.
Kurogiri roared—a sound no mist should make, a sound of pain and rage and something breaking. His warp gate exploded outward, uncontrolled, massive, swallowing everything around him.
What the—
The warp grabbed Shigaraki, yanked him away. Izuku reached out, grabbed Shigaraki's arm—
He pulled. Hard. 8% strength. All of it.
He felt bone give. Felt it snap under his grip. Felt the arm bend wrong.
Shigaraki screamed—a high, broken sound that echoed across the plaza.
But Kurogiri's warp was too strong. It pulled Shigaraki free, leaving Izuku with nothing but a broken arm's worth of satisfaction and a handful of blood.
Shigaraki's face, twisted in pain and fury, disappeared into the portal.
Izuku stood there, breathing hard, staring at where he was. At the spot where Shigaraki had been. At the blood on his hands.
I almost had him.
Behind him, All Might roared.
All Might had Nomu pinned. He wasn't just trading blows anymore—he was overwhelming it. Each punch came faster, harder, more devastating than the last.
The Nomu's shock absorption couldn't keep up. Its regeneration couldn't keep up. Flesh tore and didn't heal fast enough. Bone cracked and stayed cracked.
All Might grabbed Nomu and launched into the air—higher, higher, until they were both above the dome. Then he drove it down. Slammed it into the ground with enough force to create a massive crater. The Nomu bounced. All Might was there, waiting. Another punch sent it flying again.
They rose into the sky, a whirlwind of fists and fury. The students could barely track the movements.
Then—All Might appeared above the Nomu, fist cocked back, every ounce of power concentrated into one final blow.
"PLUS... ULTRA!"
The punch connected.
The Nomu rocketed down like a meteor, crashing through the dome roof—through the same hole it had made—and slammed into the plaza floor with earth-shattering force. The impact sent cracks spreading across the entire area. Dust and debris exploded outward.
Silence.
The Nomu didn't move.
All Might landed nearby, steam rising from his body—but still in muscle form. Still standing.
Shigaraki was gone. Kurogiri was gone. The remaining villains fled, scattering like roaches, running for the exits, pushing past each other in their desperation to escape.
The battle was over.
Students picked themselves up slowly, staring at the hole in the roof. At the crater where Nomu lay motionless. At each other.
Kirishima's voice was hoarse. "We... we won?!"
Kaminari looked around like he couldn't believe his eyes. "I think we won?! Did we win?!"
Mineta was laughing and crying at the same time. "WE WON! WE ACTUALLY WON! I'M ALIVE! WE'RE ALL ALIVE! I'M GOING TO—" He stopped, looked at his hands. "I'm going to need therapy. But I'M ALIVE!"
Tsuyu let out a long breath, her whole body relaxing for the first time since the flood zone. "Kero..." A relieved, exhausted kero that said everything.
Todoroki's ice receded completely. He said nothing, just watched All Might standing in the center of the plaza.
Jiro pulled her earphone jacks out of the ground. "It's over. It's actually over."
Sero slumped against a wall, arms dangling. "I can't feel my arms. Is that normal?!"
Ojiro's tail drooped behind him. "I think we're all running on adrenaline at this point."
Tokoyami's Dark Shadow flickered weakly, retreating into his coat. "The light... too much light..."
Bakugo's palms stopped crackling. He stared at the plaza, at the destruction, at All Might. His expression was unreadable.
Uraraka was already running.
Not toward the plaza. Toward Izuku.
She crashed into him, grabbed him, checked him frantically. Her hands ran over his arms, his chest, his face, looking for injuries, for blood, for anything wrong.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! Going after their leader alone?! Again?! You could have died! He could have—that thing could have—you just—you just RAN at him—!"
Izuku let her check him. Didn't have the energy to stop her.
"He needed to be stopped."
"By YOU?!"
She was crying. Actually crying. Tears streaming down her face.
He didn't have an answer.
Yaoyorozu approached, still holding bandages. "Is he hurt? Midoriya, are you injured?"
"I'm fine. Tired. Not hurt."
She looked at his hands. "You have blood on your hands."
He looked down. Red. Drying. Shigaraki's blood.
"Not mine."
She held his gaze for a long moment. Then nodded. "We'll need to document everything. For the report."
"I know."
Bakugo walked past them, shoulders rigid. He didn't look at Izuku. Didn't acknowledge him.
But he stopped. Just for a second. Not quite turning.
"...Almost had him."
It wasn't praise. It wasn't friendly. It was a statement of fact, delivered flat, like he was talking to himself.
Then he kept walking.
Izuku watched him go. Didn't respond. Knew better.
All Might stood in the plaza, breathing hard, steam rising—but still on his feet. Still in form. He looked at the students, at Aizawa, at Thirteen. He nodded once. Proud.
Then he turned and walked toward the exit, toward the pros who were arriving. Away from the students. They wouldn't see what came next.
From the entrance, Iida's voice echoed: "EVERYONE! I BROUGHT HELP! PROS ARE—"
He stopped mid-stride, taking in the chaos. The cratered plaza. The unconscious villains. The students. Aizawa's broken form. Thirteen's injured body. The hole in the roof.
"What... what happened?!"
Kirishima clapped him on the shoulder, still running on adrenaline. "You missed it, man! You missed ALL of it! All Might showed up, fought that giant brain monster, punched it through the FLOOR—"
Kaminari was still sparking. "And Midoriya went after their leader and BROKE HIS ARM—!"
Jiro jabbed him with an earphone jack. "And we all almost died like twelve times—!"
Mineta was still crying. "I need a hug!"
Iida stood there, processing. His arms were still chopping from the run. His engines ticked down behind his calves, steam rising from the exhaust vents.
"I was gone for... fifteen minutes."
Tsuyu looked at him with those wide, tired eyes. "Kero. A lot can happen in fifteen minutes."
Later, Izuku stood apart from the group, staring at the hole in the roof. The sky was visible through it—grey, cold, indifferent. Uraraka found him, stood beside him without saying anything.
Her hero costume was torn at the shoulder, her helmet long since discarded somewhere in the chaos. Scrapes covered her arms. Her hands were raw.
"He got away," he said.
"You hurt him."
He looked at his hands. The blood was drying, flaking off. "Not enough."
She didn't have an answer for that. Neither did he.
The sounds of the plaza filled the silence behind them. Yaoyorozu directing students to help with Aizawa. Kirishima recounting the fight to Iida for the third time. Mineta still crying, quieter now. Sirens in the distance, getting closer.
Uraraka tugged his sleeve.
"Come on. Yaoyorozu needs help with Aizawa-sensei."
He looked at her. Her face was still tear-streaked, her costume torn, her hands scraped. But her eyes were steady.
He nodded.
He followed her back to the group.
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Author's Notes:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/RagingBladeSeer
If you're enjoying the series and want to read ahead (or just help keep it going), consider checking it out — every bit of support means a lot. Thanks for sticking around and being part of the journey!
15 CHAPTERS ADVANCE OF STARTING WITH BLACK CLOVER
5 CHAPTERS ADVANCE OF MHA: LIMITED CHAOS GACHA
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NOTE: The main difference between the original deku and this Izuku is being able to stomach the idea of doing what must be done. Now I'm not saying when it comes to a battle of wills the original deku is weak, it's just that their priorities lie somewhere else. Still this izuku has not yet experienced the feeling of killing someone so hesitations can still happen, although in the original Izuku believed tomura capable of redemption the price for it was already too much. I understand tomura had a really tragic backstory, even if he had reconnected to his lost past and idk change or returned to his orignal roots. By that point in time he had killed hundreds or probably thousands, but it does remind me a bit of sukuna and yuji shibuya situation somewhat tho. But shigaraki had still somewhat of a bit more control and awareness when it comes to the atrocities he had commit in the name of AFO than yuji's situation of actually no control. Glad they still killed shigaraki in MHA tho, since that might have been mercy instead. No one will be understanding with a kill count of thousands even if he was demented or something.
Here's the 2nd chapter I promised