"What… what's going on?"
Shigaraki's voice cracked with confusion as he peered into the smoke. He had expected Nomu to easily catch Kaminari, so the massive blast that followed didn't make any sense.
"Kaminari…"
Midoriya, Tsuyu, and Mineta stared at the swirling dust with bated breath, a sinking feeling gnawing at them.
"Is… is he dead?" Mineta's voice trembled, his fear escaping in a panicked whisper.
But before anyone could respond, an all-too-familiar, booming laugh echoed from the smoke.
"Hahahaha!"
"It's fine now!"
And just as the dust began to settle, a towering, muscular figure emerged, a symbol of strength and hope. Holding down the monstrous Nomu with raw power, All Might grinned, his teeth gleaming as he declared, "Because I am here!"
"All Might…"
Kaminari's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the man standing between him and certain death. For the first time, he felt what it truly meant to be saved by a Hero. All Might wasn't just a symbol of peace.
"This… this is what a Hero is…"
In that instant, Kaminari felt something shift inside him. He'd always known that heroes saved people, but seeing All Might in action, standing between him and a monstrous villain, he understood on a deeper level. This wasn't just about heroism—it was about hope. About being the person who could pull others back from the brink of despair.
"All Might!!" Midoriya shouted, relief and awe evident in his voice.
"Oh, you've finally come!" Shigaraki's eyes lit up with a twisted excitement. "The game… can really begin now!"
All Might quickly assessed the situation, glancing at Midoriya, Tsuyu, Mineta, and the bloodied figure of Aizawa lying on the ground. Guilt and frustration flickered across his face. He berated himself silently.
How scared these children must have been… How hard their teacher had fought, all because I wasn't here…
"Nomu!" Shigaraki's voice was impatient, signaling his creation to attack.
All Might's eyes widened as he felt Nomu's strength increase in an instant. "Kaminari, get back!" he barked, his voice filled with urgency.
Without a word, Kaminari pushed himself backward, activating his high-speed movement to put as much distance as he could between himself and the impending clash. He knew his limits. A battle at this level was beyond anything he could handle.
"!!!"
Just as Kaminari distanced himself, a massive shockwave erupted. He found himself stumbling backward from the sheer force, barely able to keep his balance. It was as if an invisible wall of pressure was pushing him further and further back, a testament to the raw power clashing nearby.
"Oh… my… God…" Kaminari muttered, staring at the ground where All Might and Nomu fought. One powerful over-the-shoulder throw from All Might had left a crater in the concrete, at least half a meter deep and ten meters wide.
Seeing it in person… it's insane. I thought I understood his power, but this is on another level.
As Kaminari processed the scene, All Might appeared beside him in a flash, carrying Midoriya, Tsuyu, Mineta, and the severely injured Aizawa. All Might's speed was nearly incomprehensible, he'd managed to retrieve everyone in the blink of an eye.
"Kaminari, take Aizawa-sensei and get everyone out of here!" All Might commanded, his voice stern.
Kaminari could only nod in stunned agreement. The sheer magnitude of All Might's strength and speed left him speechless.
In the distance, Shigaraki's hands trembled, his voice laced with frustration and envy. "This guy… this… is true power…"
"Fighting, rescuing… all at once. He's truly a symbol of strength," he muttered, his mind reeling from the display.
Kurogiri, the smoky villain who had initially scattered the students, reappeared next to Shigaraki. "Shigaraki Tomura, we should maintain our distance and let Nomu handle him."
But Shigaraki wasn't listening. His gaze was fixed on All Might, his mind whirling. "But he's weaker than I expected… Maybe the rumors are true. Maybe… All Might really has gotten weaker."
Meanwhile, All Might faced Nomu once again, his gaze steely. He'd already felt Nomu's unnatural strength and resilience. This creature was unlike any villain he'd faced before.
Let's see just how much you can take!
"Carolina… SMASH!"
A powerful blow connected with Nomu, sending shockwaves through the air. Kaminari, Tsuyu, and Mineta, who were retreating with the unconscious Aizawa, could only watch in awe. But as Midoriya turned back, something in his heart pulled him toward the battle.
"All Might… he's in trouble!" Midoriya's face contorted with anguish. He entrusted Aizawa to Tsuyu and Mineta and, without thinking, broke into a sprint back toward All Might. His eyes shone with desperation, even tears beginning to form.
"All Might!! I… I still have so much I need to ask you! You can't go down like this!"
Seeing Midoriya's reckless charge, Kaminari groaned in frustration. He had no intention of going back into that war zone, but there was no way he could let Midoriya run to his death.
"Damn it," Kaminari muttered under his breath. Activating his high-speed movement again, he darted forward, catching up to Midoriya and stopping him in his tracks with a swift but gentle shock to the back of the neck.
"Kaminari?!"
Midoriya's wide eyes filled with disbelief as he collapsed, unable to move. Tears spilled down his cheeks, his mouth open in silent protest.
"Why… why are you stopping me? Don't you see? All Might is going to die!"
Midoriya's eyes were filled with anger, desperation, and… a plea. He was begging Kaminari to let him go, to let him fight beside his hero.
But Kaminari shook his head. "I know you don't get it, but if you charge in there, you'll just make it harder for him."
Before Midoriya could respond, a massive explosion rocked the battlefield. Fire, smoke, and ice filled the air, covering Nomu in a haze. Out of the smoke came Bakugo's furious yell.
"Get your filthy hands off All Might!"
As the dust settled, Todoroki's ice crawled across the ground, freezing Nomu's legs in place. "I heard you wanted to kill All Might," he said coldly, directing his gaze at Shigaraki. "I came to see it myself."
"We're here too!" Kirishima and Tetsutetsu charged in, striking at Shigaraki from both sides. But Shigaraki dodged with surprising agility, his movements smooth and practiced.
"A symbol of peace can't be killed by lowlifes like you," All Might growled, his face a mixture of anger and resolve. He knew what these students didn't—this was far from over.
Kaminari watched from a distance, his heart pounding. He'd never felt so helpless. Despite the apparent advantage, he knew this wasn't a battle the students should be involved in.
Then he saw it—Nomu's mangled arm and leg were healing right before his eyes. The flesh and bone regenerating at an unnatural rate.
"What the… isn't his Quirk just shock absorption?" Todoroki asked in shock.
Shigaraki sneered. "Who said he only had one Quirk? This is Super Regeneration."
He pointed at All Might, malice gleaming in his eyes. "This Nomu was created specifically to take down All Might at full strength."
Kaminari's mind raced. If only I had mastered that technique… maybe then I could make a difference.
But now, all he could do was watch, a silent witness to a battle that had clearly exceeded his limits.
"Get out of here!" he shouted to his classmates. "All of you! You're just going to hold him back!"
Todoroki, Kirishima, and the others looked back at him, the realization dawning on them. This was no ordinary villain, and they were not equipped to face him.
Kaminari's voice cut through the chaos, steady but full of urgency.
"This… is a fight beyond any of us."