With All Might's furious shout, the force of his clash with Nomu erupted like a bomb. Shockwaves rippled outward, shattering the ground in every direction, leaving the area around them battered and broken.
Chunks of debris were hurled into the air, spinning wildly as they collided with each other, breaking apart into smaller, more dangerous fragments that whirled around the two titans.
Tomura Shigaraki, caught in the violent gusts, managed to flip and twist mid-air, landing gracefully despite the chaos. Bakugo, Todoroki, and the others, meanwhile, were thrown back, struggling to stay on their feet against the overwhelming force.
As for Kaminari and Midoriya, they were further away, so they only had to crouch down slightly, bracing themselves as the waves of pressure washed over them.
"Holy crap!" Kaminari exclaimed, watching the battle unfold in awe. "Is this real life or are we in Dragon Ball?!"
Even seventy meters away, all he could make out were blurry outlines of All Might and Nomu. Their arms moved so fast they were barely visible, even as afterimages. It was as if two giants were locked in silent combat at the center of a hurricane, their movements too fast for the eye to follow.
"This… this is the power of the top heroes?" Tetsutetsu stammered, watching the scene in disbelief. His usual confidence was shaken, and he looked to his classmates with wide eyes.
"Damn it, I can't even get close!" Shigaraki growled in frustration, looking toward All Might and Nomu with a mixture of shock and irritation. He clenched his fists, coming to a grim realization.
"Kurogiri," he said, his voice laced with a sinister edge. "Forget All Might for now. Teleport us over to the kids. Even if Nomu can't take him down, as long as we kill a single student, our mission won't be a total loss."
Kurogiri nodded, understanding the dark intent behind Shigaraki's words. Without further delay, his shadowy form surrounded Shigaraki, and they both vanished.
Kirishima, still bracing himself against the gale, looked around frantically. "What should we do? We can't even get close to All Might!"
"Like I know!" Bakugo snapped, furious with his own inability to make a difference. The frustration and helplessness gnawed at him, his fists clenched in anger.
"Kaminari was right," Todoroki said, eyes narrowed as he created an ice wall to shield them from the wind. "This isn't a fight we can interfere in."
Despite his calm words, Todoroki's mind drifted to someone else he'd been trying to outdo all his life. "Is this… the level of power you were chasing all along, Endeavor?"
"Look out!" Kaminari's voice cut through the chaos, sparking with urgency.
At that moment, Bakugo's reflexes kicked in. He spun around, instinctively raising his palm and firing an explosion directly behind him.
"Boom!"
The blast was deafening, sending smoke and flames billowing outward. Todoroki and the others shielded their faces, using their quirks to deflect the aftershock.
As the smoke cleared, Shigaraki stood there, smirking despite the surprise attack. He looked at Bakugo with a twisted grin. "Not bad. You sensed my approach without any warning. Impressive."
Bakugo glared at him with fierce determination, his voice dripping with malice. "You think you can sneak up on me? Try it again, and I'll blow you to pieces, you freak."
Kaminari and Midoriya arrived just in time to hear this exchange. With the strongest students of Class 1-A now gathered, they began to surround Shigaraki and Kurogiri, preparing for a standoff.
Shigaraki ignored Bakugo's threat and instead sized him up with newfound interest. "You'd make a great villain, you know? You're practically one already."
Bakugo snarled, "Shut up! I'll kill you!"
"Everyone, split them up!" Kaminari shouted, quickly assessing the situation. "We need to isolate him! Bakugo, keep that smoke guy busy! Tetsutetsu, Kirishima, support him!"
Bakugo didn't even bother responding. With a glare of defiance, he launched himself toward Kurogiri, explosions at the ready. "Don't tell me what to do, you damn spark plug!"
Todoroki, meanwhile, silently took Kaminari's orders to heart. He summoned a towering wall of ice, separating Shigaraki from Kurogiri and forcing them into two separate battles. The towering ice wall gleamed, and for a brief moment, Kaminari couldn't help but admire the sheer power Todoroki wielded.
The son of Endeavor sure knew how to make an entrance.
Todoroki glided back down on an ice slide, landing beside Kaminari. His expression remained stoic. "You wanted him isolated? Now's your chance."
"Right." Kaminari grinned, taking out a coin and aiming it at Shigaraki, who was now dodging Todoroki's icy onslaught like a ninja.
From behind, Midoriya was clearly overwhelmed. He shifted from foot to foot, looking between both battles, unsure where to lend his aid. "What should I do?!"
Kaminari didn't spare him a glance. "No clue. Just don't get in the way. Look for an opening if you see one!"
By this point, Shigaraki was only about ten meters away, closing in as he weaved between the ice structures. Kaminari knew he couldn't afford to wait any longer. He aimed, his eyes narrowing.
The railgun flashed.
A golden streak of energy cut through the air at lightning speed, but Shigaraki had already predicted the attack. He sidestepped just as Kaminari fired, letting the shot whiz past him and dissipate harmlessly into the air, leaving behind a faint scent of sulfur.
"Heh," Shigaraki sneered, extending his hand toward Kaminari. "It's just a fast bullet. As long as I can dodge it before you fire…"
His fingers reached for Kaminari's face, aiming to grip him with that deadly touch!"
Under the meticulous training of his 'master,' he had undergone countless combat drills. Relying on his own strength and experience, he believed he could easily defeat these kids who had just entered high school!
"Become a sacrifice in my quest to overthrow this society, kid..."