As Bakugo, Robinn, and Kirishima sprinted toward the Central Plaza, the cracked, uneven ground suddenly exploded to their right. A trio of villains burst from the rubble in a blur of movement and smoke, clearly lying in wait.

  One of them threw a knife without warning.

  Robinn stepped in front of her teammates without breaking stride. Her forearm instantly transformed into stone, and the blade clanged harmlessly off it, skipping across the pavement.

  “Ambush,” she snapped, already stepping forward. “Go. The mist guy isn’t my fight.”

  Kirishima flinched, instinctively moving to guard her side. “Wait...”

  But she was already moving. Her stone arm shimmered, reverting to flesh as she rolled her shoulders.

  “You want to beat them, don’t you?” she said over her shoulder. “That’s the real threat. I’ll handle this.”

  Bakugo didn’t respond. He simply launched forward with a sharp blast of smoke and fire, rocketing toward the plaza with his teeth clenched and his hands already sparking.

  Kirishima lingered, hesitating, his gaze flicking between her and the path ahead. His jaw tightened. Then he gave a sharp nod and sprinted after Bakugo, boots pounding against the shattered floor.

  Behind them, Robinn met the villains head-on, stone fading from her arm as her eyes narrowed.

  The rest of the battlefield erupted.

  All Might arrived in a flash, just a blur of gold and blue and a rush of wind that blew loose debris skyward. Villains collapsed in his wake like paper targets, flung aside with brutal efficiency.

  Within seconds, he had reached the cluster where Aizawa, Midoriya, Tsuyu, and Mineta were cornered. Before anyone could react, he had scooped them up and reappeared safely beside the main staircase, dust still swirling in his wake.

  Then his eyes locked on the Nomu.

  Without hesitation, he charged.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  His first punch landed with a deafening boom. The Nomu’s massive frame barely recoiled. It didn’t fall or flinch. Just grinned with that stretched, broken jaw and empty eyes.

  Shigaraki chuckled darkly from across the plaza, hand twitching at his side.

  “That Nomu was built to take your punches, All Might.”

  All Might didn’t answer. He blurred forward again, relentless.

  He grabbed the Nomu and spun with force enough to crack the air, then drove it headfirst into the pavement with a suplex that sent shockwaves across the plaza. Concrete split. Dust surged. For a moment, the battlefield went still.

  But when the smoke cleared... All Might was no longer on top of the creature.

  Instead, a thick mist spiraled in midair, Kurogiri. His quirk had activated mid-attack, splitting the suplex with two warped portals. One cut across Nomu’s midsection, the other around All Might’s torso. The Nomu’s massive arms were still wrapped around him through the distortion, one clawed hand locked firmly onto All Might’s side, right where the old wound sat hidden beneath muscle and costume.

  Blood began to stain the fabric of his shirt.

  Kurogiri’s voice was calm, precise.

  “If I close the portals now,” he said, “he’ll be bisected, just like we planned.”

  All Might grimaced, but didn’t struggle. His hands tensed as he measured the timing. The blood from his side was now trailing in red arcs.

  Midoriya’s breath caught. He bolted forward, leaving Aizawa to Tsuyu and Mineta without hesitation.

  “ALL MIGHT!”

  He barely made it two steps before the mist appeared sharply infront of him, Kurogiri intercepting with a circular sweep of his portal, cutting him off cold.

  Then a sharp bang echoed.

  Bakugo launched in from above, driving an explosion straight into Kurogiri’s back. “I said don’t move!”

  Kurogiri was pinned by Bakugo. Then it was Todoroki’s turn to strike. He planted his foot, and a trail of ice surged across the battlefield. It crashed into the Nomu like a glacier, freezing half of its body in place, arms and legs, even part of the torso, locking it down like a statue.

  The grip on All Might’s side faltered.

  “You almost don’t sound like a hero,” Kirishima muttered to Bakugo, rolling his shoulder and cracking his knuckles.

  “Stuff it, Weird hair.”

  Kirishima saw the opening.

  “You’re wide open!” he shouted, hardening his arms as he lunged straight for Shigaraki.

  Shigaraki stepped back easily, his movements loose and slow like he wasn’t even trying.

  Todoroki, his breath visible in the cold air, kept his focus locked on Nomu. “Filthy villains like you won’t kill the Symbol of Peace.”

  All Might tensed, drew in a breath, then, using the freeze as leverage wrenched himself free. With a cry of effort, he broke from the Nomu’s hold and dropped heavily beside the students.

  His chest heaved. His side bled. But he stood tall.

  Across the battlefield, Shigaraki took a slow, thoughtful step forward. One hand in his pocket, the other twitching ever so slightly, his face hidden behind that grotesque hand mask.

  The air was thick with tension. A standoff.

  “Today’s children are incredible,” he said finally, his voice strangely soft. “You’re making the League of Villains look bad.”

  Then he tilted his head slightly toward the still-frozen Nomu.

  “Nomu.”