"His speed… it's gotten so much faster!"
Shina Etsuha's eyes sharpened as he caught sight of the sludge erupting from the sewer.
Compared to their previous encounter, Mud's power had clearly increased in just a few days. His movement speed alone far exceeded Shina Etsuha's expectations—he surged forward almost like teleportation, instantly engulfing Midoriya Izuku!
"So, you're that guy's classmate, huh?" Mud's body swelled like a balloon as it pressed Midoriya Izuku down from above. Then it coiled around him like a serpent, binding him completely. The massive green sludge opened a grotesque mouth and began pouring into him.
"Don't worry, I'm not a cruel person," Mud sneered, white teeth forming across its face. "I just need your body. Once I swallow you, I can get close to that guy as your classmate, right?"
His voice twisted into a delighted laugh.
"Relax. It'll only hurt for about forty-five seconds… and then it'll all be over."
"Mmmph—! Mmmph!!"
Midoriya Izuku's mouth was completely blocked. He could only make muffled, desperate sounds.
Why… why here?
Why me?
"I don't want to die yet!!"
Midoriya Izuku struggled with everything he had—but Mud's strength was like an insurmountable wall. His resistance meant nothing, like a lamb drowning in a flood.
He couldn't breathe.
It felt like all the strength was being drained from his body. His arms grew numb, his face completely submerged in sludge. Even as he tried desperately to inhale, all he drew in was foul, suffocating mud.
This was it.
He was going to die.
"Izuku!"
Shina Etsuha reacted instantly, instinctively moving to freeze Mud's lower body and pull Midoriya free.
But just as he was about to act—
A powerful hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.
Startled, Shina Etsuha looked up.
Standing before him was a towering, muscular man—his presence overwhelming, his appearance straight out of a comic book.
"It's okay, young man."
"Because… I am here!"
For a moment, the air itself seemed to freeze.
"All Might?!"
Mud's pupils shrank violently.
Even with a second quirk, he was no match for All Might.
The instant he recognized him, Mud's body stretched outward dozens of meters, hardening like steel as it lashed forward in a desperate attack!
Bang!
The blow struck the wall beside All Might, exploding with force. Using the opening, Mud immediately abandoned Midoriya Izuku and launched another assault.
"All Might—die!!"
With a violent motion, his body split apart midair, forming thick, powerful tendrils that whipped forward like monstrous tentacles.
"Oh?" All Might said casually. "It's only been a few days, but you've gotten stronger."
Despite the ferocity of the attack, All Might didn't even bother to counter directly. With a simple shift of his body, he avoided every strike effortlessly.
Then, in one smooth motion, he twisted his waist, drew back his fist, and gathered all his power into a single point.
"Texas Smash!"
The storm began.
It wasn't even a direct hit—just the sheer wind pressure from the punch.
But it was enough.
The violent hurricane blasted Mud's body apart in midair. He tried to resist, to reassemble—but the overwhelming force hurled him like a cannonball, tearing him apart before he could react.
His entire body exploded into fragments!
"This… is just wind pressure?!"
Bang!
Chunks of viscous sludge splattered across the ground, flowing in all directions.
"Is this the power of the number one Hero…?" Shina Etsuha murmured, unable to hide his amazement.
Even standing nearby, he could feel the crushing pressure of that attack.
And that had only been the wind.
If the punch itself had landed, even a liquid body like Mud wouldn't have stood a chance—it would've been obliterated completely, with no hope of recovery.
"I'm… saved…"
Midoriya Izuku struggled free from the sludge, trembling.
But he had already reached his limit.
Using the last of his strength, he looked up at the man who had saved him.
"All… Might…"
Then his vision went dark, and he collapsed.
"Huh, looks like he'll be fine," All Might said, catching Midoriya Izuku mid-fall. After checking him over and confirming it was only a simple loss of consciousness, he let out a relieved breath.
Then he turned to Shina Etsuha with a bright, confident smile.
"In a situation like that, you should call for help from an adult instead of trying to handle it yourself with your quirk, young man!"
"…Got it," Shina Etsuha replied, nodding.
Then, without hesitation, he pulled out two large cola bottles.
"You'll probably need these, sir."
Only now did he take the time to properly observe All Might.
Even in his transformed state, All Might's physique was overwhelmingly impressive—muscles packed with power, a towering height of over two meters, and an aura that radiated pure heroism.
It was the kind of presence that naturally inspired admiration.
"Cola bottles?" All Might blinked in surprise.
Then he immediately understood—these were meant to contain the scattered sludge.
"Well done, young man!" he said, giving Shina Etsuha a thumbs-up. "That's a huge help!"
"You're welcome."
Shina Etsuha paused for a moment, studying All Might carefully.
Then, suddenly, he spoke.
"All Might… are you injured?"
"…Huh?"
All Might froze.
..
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