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This forest is a tangled mess of vines and thorny branches. The trail that once existed here has long been forgotten and abandoned, with roots and weeds invading the once open space.
And yet Kurogiri manages to traverse the terrain with ease, moving across the landscape like the living shadow he is. He's searching, searching for something valuable, something that has been long lost in these woods.
"Aw, there you are."
He's found his destination. Hidden within these thick woods sits a massive sinkhole. A crater where the earth decided to swallow up an entire section of this dark forest.
Rubble and boulders line the bottom while the limbs of dead trees and decay stretch out from underneath their rocky tombs.
The site has been barred off as well with torn police tape encircling the entire sinkhole. And forgotten excavators and bulldozers lie dormant at the bottom, almost like they were pulled into the collapsed sinkhole.
Kurogiri eyes the scene warily, still in search of his prize.
That is when he spots the smallest of shifts within the rocks and decay.
"Be calm my friend." He speaks gently, listening carefully as something large drags itself across the bottom of the sinkhole. "Do not be afraid. I was merely wondering if you'd like to come out and…play?"
[PLAY "My Hero Academia Season 3 - Opening | ODD FUTURE"]
I Keep My Ideals; Sorezore
Izuku Midoriya and Henzu Uuichi are standing back to back facing away from each other as their story of transformation from friends to enemy's flashes between them.
No Tenmei Wo Ooo
The camera P.O.V. zooms upward, traveling through space at lightspeed.
What's going through? (Instrumental)
The Omnitrix glows green, floating between a pair of Galvins hands.
Subete Wa Mi Kara Deta Sabi
Izuku runs out of Mr. Baumann's store before jumping on his hoverboard with the man chasing after him angrily.
Haburi Yoku Fuyashita Kuro Rekishi
He begins laughing as Megawatts swarm around him and into the bright sky.
Arito Arayuru Mono Wo Sutetari
One of the Megawatts glides past Ochaco Uraraka who lets out a cheer as she leads Class A around a running course.
Mi Ni Oboe No Nai Unmei Ni
Katsuki Bakugou begins shouting as he tries to overtake her, but she just runs faster, earning his angrier.
Korosare Kaketa Koto Mo Attashi
Principal Nezu walks in front of the U.A. staff along with the WWPC before passing by a pillar. Leaving just him along with Thirteen, One-One, and Gran Torino before passing another pillar.
Shinda Me Wo Shite Ikita Jiki Soredemo Kyou Mo Ikasareteru
The pillar moves to reveal Nue standing in front of Vilgax's Legion with the League of Villains standing behind him.
Tte Koto Wa
SevenSeven appears in front of the camera P.O.V. and shoots the screen.
What's going on? Mada Sou Yari Nokoshiten Darou
Ochaco Uraraka and Tomura Shigaraki stand back to back as their respective mentors look down at them before the two begin to walk away from each other.
Syuusei No Shiyou No Nai Hibi No Naka Demo
Izuku looks on at a photo of him, Inko, and a faded out figure before closing his eyes as All Might appears behind him. All Might fades out leaving Hisashi in his place. Hisashi turns and let's loose a torrent of flames.
What's going on?
Xylene leaps from the flames, her eyes aglow with Telekinesis as she launches multiple boulders forward.
Hito Towa Chigau To
Tetrax stands firm, a wave of diamonds swallow up the nearby flames as he glares into the camera with a stoic look.
Mitometa Ue De
The diamonds melt together to reveal Lucy Mann smiling as she jumps forward to deliver a flying kick through the flaming air.
Kanousei No Rutsubo Hiraku, Ah
The fire forms a circle to reveal Cinder smirking up at a snarling Vilgax; the two glare each other down.
Dreaming
The two enemies clash creating a shockwave destroying everything around them.
Ishi Gyakusou Shikakui Sora
Civilian's runaway in panic as animalized Nomus terrorize the city all the while All for One looks on from his tower.
Kokoro No Sukima Umenu
Suddenly Pro Heroes from across Japan appear and fight the beasts head on.
Akenu Yoru Kara
All for One looks on before looking up to see something coming at him at high speed.
Nukeyou~
All Might roars as he lets loose a furious punch at his nemesis.
Mirai
The opposing powers clash creating a giant explosion of power!
No Kaizou Do Sage Bokura Wa
Zooming out it's revealed that the explosion is a clash between orange and azure flames courtesy of an enraged Shoto Todoroki and a deranged Dabi.
Me Wo Sorashite Wa Naritai
All around them Class A & B fight the League of Villains' Vanguard Action Squad head on;
Bakugou uses a Howitzer Impact against Moonfish.
Iida Recipro Bursts past SevenSeven.
Tsuyu hopes over a knife wielding Toga.
Mono Nante Naito Uso Buita Hibi Wo
A pink glowing Ochaco races towards a grinning Charmcaster. As massive violet-runed tendrils curl and spiral around her form.
I Keep My Ideals; Sorezore No Jinsei
A red hued Nue and green highlighted Izuku charge at each other as chaos ensues around them.
Ai Mo Yume Mo Kiken Na Hodo Kantan Ni Hi Ga Tsuichau Nosa
The two opposing colors spark and clash like thunder and lightning across the battlefield, with Izuku transforming between Shocksquatch, Humungousaur, and more.
The two back away from each other before charging once again this time both of them in their human forms as their foreheads clash with each other.
Gongu Nari Sorezore No Tenmei
HEROES NEVER DIE; IT'S HERO TIME
Silhouettes of past Izuku and Henzu are walking with each other, with Henzu's arm flung over Izuku's shoulders.
Wo ~
All highlighted with neon green Deku, Uravity, Ground Zero, Pinky, Kraab, Tetrax, Cinder, and All Might stand in a line before the all red highlighted Nue, Ragnarok, Sunder, Rojo, SevenSeven, Techadon, Malware, and an imposing Vilgax towering over them all.
(Illustrated by Drag0n5on)
Ch.74 Bleeding Shadows
"RAAAAAA!" A rampaging Dark Shadow crashes through the forest. Its massive claws and limbs thrash throughout the brush, crushing the trees in its wake and shattering them to pieces causing a rain of splinters and leaves to fall from the sky.
Moonfish's living corpse slowly rises off the ground, his web of blades prying him off the ground like a horrific spider. "Flesh… Slabs of meat… No good… Can't allow it… I'm the one who gets to slice them open… DON'T STEAL FROM ME!"
His blades pierce the monstrous Dark Shadow's hide but they're nothing to it.
"You don't matter. Insignificant bug!" The raging beast crushes the blades under its claws with ease.
While holding Shoto back, a cruel smirk stretches across Bakugou's face. "Now finish him."
"RAAAAAA!" Dark Shadow takes Moonfish, smashing past his blades and grabs the villain. And with a roar prepares to do him in!
But then a massive blur of a figure dashes out from the remaining trees. It zooms right into Dark Shadow leaving a blazing trail of green electricity in its wake before snatching Moonfish right out of its grasp.
"REEEeee!" Dark Shadow shrieks with agony and fright, its mass temporally shrinking under the light of the sudden lightning bolt.
Everyone's shocked, from the injured Izuku to the stunned Shoji, they're all frozen by the appearance of the intruder. But none are more upset or shocked than Bakugou and Izuku.
"Oh. What's the matter, Blasty?" Nue flashes a jagged tooth grin, his limbs flex as his tendrils and tail whip through the air. "Weren't expecting me? Ehehehehe!"
Bakugou's fists clench at his sides, his nails digging into his palm in an attempt to stop himself from shaking. "What are you doing here Uuichi?! You got a death wish or something?"
Izuku can feel the cold sweat dripping down his body, despite all his nerves and instincts screaming for him to run despite his exhaustion.
But Nue seems to be loving this, those expressions are exactly what he wanted to see. "Ehehehe. Why so tense? Aren't you happy to see your old friend?"
"No. Not particularly." Izuku responds, his voice switching between a cautious whisper and an angry growl.
"Man, when did you all turn into such buzzkills?" Nue teases, his tendrils whipping this way and that between the two. "Especially you Blasty? Wanting to cut the fun short? I thought for sure you'd be up to throw down. Ehehe. It'd be just like old times."
"HUH!?"
Nue certainly knows Bakugou's triggers because he's instantly set off. "What's wrong with me? What in the fuck is wrong with you, Uuichi?! You got a death wish or something? Cause I'll fucking kill you, you ugly BASTARD!"
"Ehehehe." Nue smirks back, as his extra arms set the shaken but recovering Moonfish down. "Believe it or not I'm actually in a good mood right now. Out of everyone I wanted to see today I found my two most favorite people."
Izuku shrinks into Shoji's arm. None of this is good. This only confirms what Muscular said, they really are after the students. They're after Bakugou and Uraraka? But why? What's their endgame?
Bakugou snarls, his palms snapping with tiny Explosions. "I hate to disappoint you, but you're not gonna be pulling any bullshit with us! Not unless you want us to tear your extra arms off and use 'em to beat your ass?"
"You guys made your point!" Izuku quickly interrupts, clinging desperately to the chance that maybe, just maybe, they can all get out of this confrontation. "The villains are stronger and more organized than we thought. We get it! We'll pass on the message."
Everyone from Shoto to Shoji are stunned by his words.
Even Bakugou's at a loss. "Deku what are you-"
"Listen you got your friend back, let us get ours, and then we'll be on our way."
His friends are stunned but they soon understand Midoriya's intentions. He's trying one last time to appeal for mercy. But even so none of them relax knowing full well it's not gonna play out like they wish.
In fact, Nue looks almost like the plea for mercy was nothing more than a punchline to some sick joke. "Ehehe. You hear that Moonfish? They want us to let them go and go back to their friends."
Moonfish shakes in his binds and lets out a starved moan. "No… We have job… Have to WORK…!"
Nue shrugs back in reply. "Sorry boys but my coworker's a real stickler for the rules. Look I totally get it. You all want to be together. So…" With a flex his muscles contrast and bulge, tendrils crack the air, and his bloodlust drools out between his mangled fangs. "I'll take all five of you."
'Well, nobody can say that I didn't try.' Izuku thinks with a grimace.
He takes a moment to quickly survey the scene: Dark Shadow's recovering from Nue's electrical shock and will soon be rampaging again. And Todoroki is guarding an unconscious Kosei Tsuburaba who's lying on the ground beside him, leaving his arms free.
'We could make a run for it. But we'll have to deal with Dark Shadow first and then grab Tokoyami. That'll take too long. And we have Tsuburaba to worry about and Todoroki isn't the fastest especially if he has to carry another person. And Shoji can't carry all of us.' Damnit, if only he wasn't so exhausted and injured, he might be more of a help. 'If only the Omnitrix would recharge already!'
Sharing a look with his allies it all appears they've come to the same conclusion. That they can't run from this. Not from Nue.
Steeling himself, Shoto attempts one more time to end the conflict with ice starting to coat his right side. "Think carefully. We have you outnumbered."
"Outnumbered?" Nue scoffs sarcastically. "I thought you were the educated types. Why don't you try counting again?" Raising his arms to the side, his sides begin to stretch like putty before a complete duplicate of Nue's entire form comes into being. "I'll raise you. 1. 2. 3!"
"Ehehehehe!" With wicked howls and laughs three monstrous Nues stand before the teens. Their claws and fangs all sneering with cruel and vile intent.
Accompanying them, Moonfish's Bladed Teeth stretch out, pierce the ground, and using the leverage his body begins to rise as the web of teeth expand.
"RAAAAAA!" And like a rising behemoth from the depths of hell, Dark Shadow rises again in the background; his rampaging ready to begin all over again.
And even though the students couldn't find this situation any more disastrous, Nue and his clones find it nothing short of perfect.
"Ehehehe! Let's get this party started, boys!"
Before the remaining safe haven that is the WWPC's lodge, a swarm of giant mutant bats are shrieking their way across the night sky. With narrow bodies and wings twice as long as they are, they tear through the sky at blazing speed. Razor sharp talons line their wings as monstrously jagged fangs pierce out from their long-hinged jaws. Their beady yellow eyes glow in the darkness with ferocious savagery as drool and spit spew from their maws as they screech. "SKREEEEEEEEE!"
*PEEEW!*
A glittering laser beam pierces through the air and shoots down several of the flying monsters. Causing them to plummet right out of the sky like shot down planes.
"J'en peux plus! There's no end to them!" Yuga Aoyama cries out as he continues to fire beam after beam into the air but soon his stomach shakes and growls causing him to whimper. "But there's an end to my bowels! Ow…!"
Rikido Sato slides past, using all his strength to pull a mutant bat down by its talons while its wings flap desperately in an attempt to escape. "We're almost through them all!"
Well, that's not entirely true. A good number of man-sized bats are still flapping around in the air. But seeing their comrades get beaten down the ones remaining are more hesitant to attack.
"Ooh, man!" Denki Kaminari whines, holding his head in his hands as sparks fly off his body. While a squad of mutant bats try to snap at him through the veil of electricity. "I don't know about you guys, but I don't know if I can keep this up for long…"
From across the shriek-filled battlefield, Mina Ashido's antennas twitch towards the west, alerting to someone's overwhelming fear and anxiety. "Sero! Quick! Give us cover!"
She points towards the trees to the west.
"O-okay!" Hanta Sero aims and fires, creating a net of Tape that sticks to the top of the trees and stretches to the ground creating a protective corridor of Tape between the forest and the lodge.
And right on time too as Yui Kodai rushes out from the woods with an unconscious Ibara Shiozaki, and Juzo Honenuki slung over her shoulders.
A Hardened skinned Neito Monoma lets out a gasp when he sees them. "It's Kodai and she has Shiozaki and Honenuki!"
"Good eyes Ashido!" Sero throws Mina a big thumbs up. "I never even knew they were there."
Mina smiles back albeit sheepishly and with some reservation as her antennas continue to twitch with Emote. "Y-yeah…"
Kodai is struggling to run while trying to carry both Ibara and Juzo, but she stumbles over the weight and falls.
"Skreee!" Seeing an opening the nearby monsters dive in, shredding through the tape before lunging for the poor girl.
"HAA!" With a roar Eijiro Kirishima rushes in and body checks the monsters away with his Hardened body. Running in like a living battering ram. "Keep moving!" He grabs the unconscious Juzo off her hands. "I'm right behind ya!"
Kodai nods, taking Ibara in her arms and runs for the lodge with Kirishima hot on her heels.
Safeguarding the lodge like a savage guard dog, Vlad King uses his combat experience and Quirk to fend off and bash in any mutants that dare encroach the structure.
Catching a mutant bat in a clot of hardened blood, Vlad King calls Kodai and Kirishima over! "Quick! Inside! Take 'em inside!"
They rush in but Vlad King stops Kodai before she does. "Kodai. Did you happen to see anybody else?"
Kodai hastily nods her head while letting out little awkward squeals and hums. "Hmmm! Hmmm!"
Vlad King let's out a sharp gasp. "What?! Kendo and Tetsutetsu, both ran off with Hitoshi Shinso of Class A to take care of some kind of smog villain?!"
Kodai frantically nods her head in confirmation.
Meanwhile, Sato is taken back by their bizarre conversation. 'He understood her?!'
Vlad King stops to think, growing frustrated at how little they know. 'Smog? I didn't even know that was an issue. Just how much do we not know about the situation? Is that the reason why no other students have returned? Are they unable to?!'
Kodai looks horrified, frantically looking around as if the rest of Class B or A will suddenly appear.
"Damn villains." Vlad King says aloud with a growl, crushing the captured mutant bat with a sickening crunch. "This attack is more organized than I thought."
"Still underestimating us, hero?"
That cold tone yet burning with malice sends a chill down Vlad King's spine.
A villain seared in scars and stitches steps out from the shadowy forest with the kind of attitude one has when walking into a bar versus a battlefield.
"Don't you know that arrogance can burn down the world, hero?" Dabi smirks, his turquoise eyes gleaming blue under the light of his burning azure fist.
Vlad King steps in front of Kodai, shielding her and the unconscious Ibara in her arms. "Kodai. Get inside and take care of your classmates!"
Kodai hesitates, looking conflicted, but decides to listen and rushes inside.
Standing off against the villain, Vlad King cocks his fists like he's Henry Cavil and marches forth ready to give the beat down of his life.
But Dabi simply smirks back and waits for the hero to make the first move.
"Raaah!" Vlad King charges with his fists ready to fly.
Dabi responds in an instant, unleashing a stream of blending azure flames. But Vlad King turns his body just barely grazing past the searing flames and continues to charge. And with his speed he's able to react first and land a solid punch into the villain's torso.
He can feel the villain's ribs breaking under his knuckles but soon that texture of flesh and bone melts away becoming like tar and mud. And with a knowing smirk the clone melts away to nothing.
Vlad King is astonished by this, he's at a loss but before he can make sense of it the sudden wave of burning heat rushes him from the side.
Acting fast he unleashed a veil of hardened blood, shielding him from the sudden eruption of azure flames. But the pressure is too much as he gets launched back. Landing hard on his back against the ground with burns scorching his frame much to the surrounding students' horror.
"Better stay on your toes." Somehow another identical villain appears from the forest, much to everyone's shock.
As Dabi enters the clearing before the lodge he finds his arms bound to him by a net of tape. Looking over he finds a kid with some messed up looking elbows pulling him back with a strand of tape.
"Not sure how you pulled that trick! But you're not going anywhere!" Sero yells, sweating beads as he knows full well, he can't do much against fire.
And Dabi knows it too. "Oh really?" He teases, turning the tape to ash with a simple spark of flames.
But Sero was just a distraction allowing Mina to run up and give her hand a try, throwing a splash of Acid at the villain.
Despite having permanent burn scars all across his body, Dabi doesn't want to add anymore, quickly rolling out of the way. As he rolls back onto his feet, he prepares to return the favor but just as the flames expunge from his palms a glittering laser zooms in and snuffs the flames out.
While clearly suffering from painful bowels, Aoyama fires another Naval Laser foreign the villain back while also giving Mina a chance to put some distance between them.
"Annoying brats." Dabi growls, finding himself surrounded from all sides by Aoyama, Sero, Mina, and a quivering Denki.
Meanwhile, Sato and Monoma have rushed to Vlad King's side.
Monoma slides under the hero's arm in order to help lift the hero back onto his feet. "Sir. Can you stand?"
"I'm fine." Vlad King growls in pain but does his best to bear it as he pulls his arm away from Monoma. "Steel yourselves, we'll need all our might to take this villain down."
Despite holding himself well up to now, Dabi doesn't like the prospect of being surrounded even by wannabe heroes.
"So, annoying." But like a kid getting a mischievous idea, his hands shoot out to the sides and suddenly an eruption of blue flames completely takes the villain.
"Waaaah!" The students scream and jump back, the flames so hot that their hairs begin to singe and burn off.
Vlad King acts quickly using his Blood Control to shield Sato and Monoma, the two closest students and hurl them back away from the flames.
The flames expand in bursts, forcing the students to run away. The heat is so intense that the nearby trees turn ablaze.
And Dabi is absolutely enjoying himself, thrilled by the students' panicked and terrified reactions. "What's the matter, heroes?! Can't take the heat?!" The flames rage all around him, surrounding him in an inferno of azure. With the students unable to do anything to get near him.
"This is what it means to be a hero right?! To fight awesome villains?! Come on! If you can't handle me then none of you have much of a future!"
Just as he's about to unleash hell on earth for these punk kids, his personal hellfire vanishes. Simply cuts off and vanishes into thin air leaving nothing but him surrounded by nothing but still hot air. But he's not surprised and quickly assumes the cause. "Oh, you're back."
Shota Aizawa leaps over the villain, with a terrified Kota Izumi clinging to his back. "They do have a future!" He spins and his foot lands squarely into Dabi's jaw, snapping it and causing the villain's form to melt away to tar. Aizawa lands just beside the pile of tar with a nasty scowl. "I'll make sure of it."
"Mr. Aizawa!" His students and even Monoma cry out in relief, they're so grateful to see him to the point that Denki even has tears streaming down his face.
As he sets Kota down, Aizawa glares down at the offending pile of tar. "Damn, villain. I was really hoping that was his real jaw."
The students pause as sweatdrops appear on their heads. 'So violent.'
Denki looks over to his classmates with a grimace and comments. "Not sure who's worse, him or the villain?"
A burning branch falls and nearly scorches his head causing the boy to jump and shriek. "Wahh! Shit! The fire's spreading!"
Although the flames haven't spread far they're still turning every tree bare that they can reach.
But without a word or having to be told, Kota simply but hesitantly walks over and dowses the flames with streams of water.
Seeing the flames retreat and blowup steam, Sero gives the little dude props. "Nice job kid."
Kota gazes at him with annoyance but soon relaxes and decides not to be a snarky kid for once. "Don't mention it." He goes back to focusing on the flames, which are already starting to die out.
With the fires contained and the few mutant bats left still too nervous to take on the collect group, Aizawa turns to his coworker for a status report. "Catch me up."
"Only three students have returned." Vlad King regretfully explains. "One of the villains was producing a poison gas to incapacitate the others. But Kendo's leading a team to subdue said villain."
Well that only confirms both of Aizawa's worst fears: the students have been attacked and the rest are fighting back. "The students are taking a more active role than I'd like but considering the situation that might be for the best." But then again. 'Or it might be for the worst.' Aizawa thinks as his mind flashes to the clearly injured Midoriya.
After having gotten Juzo taken care of and Kodai setup inside the lodge, Kirishima re-emerges from the lodge and runs to Aizawa's side the moment he sees him. "Mr. Aizawa! Are they really after Bakugou?!"
Mina rushes over too. "What about Ochaco?! Is she okay?!"
Aizawa so badly wants to tell them that they're both okay and safe. But he can't bring himself to lie like that to their faces. They deserve the hard truth, they all need to know the full depth of the situation no matter how dire it is. "I don't know…"
Judging by the looks on their faces that was clearly not the answer they were looking for.
"I'm sorry. But I promise you I'll make sure to bring them home." With that he turns back to Vlad King and speaks. "I'm going back out there. I'll bring back whomever I can and return."
"Very well" Vlad King nods in understanding, already forming a plan of defense with the students he has available. "Be careful."
He nods back and prepares to head up but another glow of blue arises from within the woods once again.
"Leaving so soon?" A cruel smirk stretches across Dabi's stitched up face as four more identical clones follow close behind him. "But I just got here, Eraser."
The students all cower or brace themselves before the clone army with Kirishima scooping up Kota and shielding him in his embrace.
Aizawa's frustrations mount but he keeps a level head as his hair begins to rise. 'Hang in there, everyone. I'll be there as soon as I can.'
Charmcaster looks on with vile glee in her eyes. Throwing up tubes of chemicals into the air, her Alchemy Quirk washes over them leaving behind a set of thin floating masses of glowing amethyst-crystals. "This is for standing in my way, URAVITY!"
The narrow clouds compact and fire out like amethyst missiles, swerving and snaking in the air like magical comets, and coming from all sides before imploding upon impact.
"AAAAaahhhhh!" Hovering in the air, entrapped in Mage Claws, Ochaco and Tsuyu are helpless to the explosion of sparkling purple fire and smoke.
All the while Charmcaster, Toga, and their minions watch on with ecstasy. Their vile eyes shining under the brilliant show of fireworks above.
Too bad it was all for not.
"Damn. You just couldn't let me have this could you, Little Girl?"
Scorched and clearly burnt by the attack, a clearly injured Ochaco and Tsuyu slowly land off to the side of the warped-forest. They're alive but clearly injured with both their skin and clothes being covered in scorch marks.
And although it was quick, Charmcaster saw what happened. Right before impact Ochaco managed to wiggle her arm free and unleash a Ryou Sphere back at the Mage Claws. Causing them to explode prematurely. But obviously the explosion still caused some damage.
"Tsu~! Ochaco~! Just look at you!" Himiko Toga gushes, in complete awe of the burns and cuts littering the two girls' bodies. "You both look so adorable~!"
"God you're twisted." Charmcaster admonishes but when she says this there's an almost impressed look on her face.
To which Toga blushes in response. "Teeee~."
Meanwhile, Ochaco and Tsuyu finally reach the ground, nearly stumbling as they do but they're able to catch and support each other, preventing them from collapsing out right.
"Tsu. Can you stand?"
"Y-yes. Kero." Tsuyu responds, despite her wobbling legs.
"G-good." Ochaco hovers over her making sure she won't fall over.
"Ochaco. We should run."
Ochaco blinks, taken back. "What?"
"We have to escape. We can use our Quirks to defend ourselves but I'm sure Mr. Aizawa meant that we should use them to get back to the lodge. We should go."
"W-we tried that." They just tried that and it failed. "Running away is no longer an option." Although she wishes it was. "There's only one way out of this."
"But Ochaco-"
"We don't have a choice." Ochaco's heart is beating a thousand times per second; honestly it feels like it's going to explode. And yet she tries, she tries to keep herself from showing it. Staying stock still as she turns her gaze towards the villains and their minions. "Even if we ran away they might come after us or they might go after Bakugou or someone else. We have to stop them here, while we can." It's what Deku would do, too. Knowing him he's probably running around out here doing that very thing.
But Tsuyu still seems unsure and instantly scared of the prospect. But also deep down…she knows that their only chance to survive this is to fight back.
"Charmcaster!" Ochaco screams, her entire body illuminates with the power of OFA. It radiates off of her like waves of pink as she channels her best Bakugou impression. "What was with that shitty lightshow? Was that supposed to be your fucking Trump Card?! Talk about lame! DIE!"
Everyone's stares back in awe and/or confusion at the girl.
Tsuyu especially blinks twice wondering if Bakugou's spirit possessed Ochaco for a second there.
Actually, Ochaco finds it cringe as well. But it's all she can think to do. Bark loud enough and maybe their attackers will back off. Maybe. "We can take anything you throw at us! Oops. Wait, that was everything you had. Wasn't it?!"
That was the wrong thing to say as a Cheshire smirk stretches across Charmcaster's face. "No. It wasn't."
Shit. Ochaco was really hoping that wouldn't be the case.
From out of the mouth of her grotesque purse, Charmcaster reveals a clay orb of sorts that's lined with purple glowing orbs making it almost look like a twisted version of a Pokéball. Undoubtedly the capsule is filled with vial ingredients and chemicals, but what Ochaco has no idea. And so Charmcaster throws it to the ground and the orb explodes into a cacophony of violet sparks and smoke, as Alchemy takes its hold over the ground, the gorilla golems, and Charmcaster herself.
"Honestly I'm glad you survived. Otherwise, I wouldn't have an excuse to bring out my real Trump Card!" Charmcaster laughs and rising out from within the massive cloud of smoke are a set of swirling clay tentacles.
They are as long as the very buses that brought the students to this camp. And they're as thick as the warped trees that surrounded them. A trio of tentacles stand out being larger than the others with spade-like ends tipped with thin feathery crystals of violet. These feathered tips wave in the air along their respective arms as sparks of violet bio-electricity dances off of them.
And then as the smoke finally clears, Ochaco and Tsuyu are stunned to find a giant clay jellyfish floating above the transmuted forest. Its grey and brown claimed body is thick but somehow spongy, waving and convulsing in the air. Purple glowing runes decorate its body, allowing it's hue to overtake the surrounding darkness.
And finally fused to it all is the witch herself. Charmcaster stands floating within a bubble at the center of the giant "Scyphozoa." Protected by the monster's garbage truck-sized bell and a web of thin electrified tentacles that are holding the pink illuminating bubble in place.
Toga watches on with admiration before breaking out into a fit of giggling and cheering. "Yay~! Yay~! So cool~. Tehehehe~!"
Meanwhile, Ochaco and Tsuyu rightfully cower before the levitating menace, they're bodies shaking with fright.
And for Charmcaster it is an oh so delightful sight to behold. "What's the matter, Little Girl? What happened to that kickass attitude of yours? Was it all talk? Or do you really think you can stand up to ME!?"
*WAAAaaaaa…!* The Scyphozoa lets out a low rumbling wail as its sparking tentacles rise and prepare to deliver a devastating onslaught.
Tsuyu pulls on Ochaco arms begging for them to run. "Ochaco, we don't stand a chance!"
"Yes, we do!" Ochaco shouts back more to convince herself than anything. "We have too…"
She takes a breath, steeling herself. "If we run away then these villains will only turn their attention to everyone else! We can't allow that!" One For All reignites within her, coursing through her arms and legs like a set of glowing boots and gauntlets. "We have to do what we can to get everyone home!"
Charmcaster's grin widens, this is exactly what she wanted.
"CHARMCASTER!" OFA rockets its holder forward, allowing her to fly like a pink comet as she lets out a righteous roar. "VENUS SMASH!"
A surge of pure power is unleashed upon the massive Scyphozoa as Ochaco's fist slams against its head releasing cloud of smoke and wind.
The gravity user whizzes by and lands, sliding against the ground before turning back assuming she done the monster in. "Looks like I know magic too. Because I just made your monster disappear!"
"Don't get cheeky with me!"
With a swing of its massive tentacle, the Scyphozoa washes away the smoke to reveal that it's completely unscratched by the attack.
"But if you wanna be my magical assistant then how about we start by cutting you in half?!" *WAAAaaaaa…!* With a wave of her arm the Scyphozoa mimics its master's movements and launches several tentacles at the girl.
Ochaco leaps to the side, away from the incoming tentacles but they're moving too fast, they're going to catch her. And so in order to defend herself Ochaco fires back a Ryou Sphere in an attempt to blast the incoming tentacle away.
It hits, stopping the tentacle much to her relief, but it's short lived as the tentacle remains unscathed and quickly shakes off the effects of Zero-Gravity to Ochaco's horror. 'My attacks! They're-'
"Nothing! Hahaha!" Charmcaster gleefully howls from inside her protective bubble. "That's the beauty of my Scyphozoa! I created her specifically for you, Uravity! This beast is immune to the effects of Zero-Gravity! And physical attacks are harmless to her!" And all it took was a combination of a Jellyfish corpse, some feathers, chemical mixtures, and some ingenuity. "You might as well be punching a bag of water! Hahaha!"
"Ochaco!" Witnessing her friend find herself in an unwinnable situation, Tsuyu finally decides to jump into action. Hoping to maybe lash up the monster's tentacles together with her tongue or anything really to give Ochaco a fighting chance.
"Wait, don't go!" Toga suddenly appears, cutting off Tsuyu's path. "Let's play~! Let's play~! "Let's start with a makeover~." Toga blushes while flashing a knife in one hand and a syringe in the other. "You'll look so cute with just a little more blood~."
"Tsu!" Ochaco tries to rush to Tsuyu's side, but a set of tentacles block her path.
Using OFA she tries to charge right through, but the flexible and kinetic energy absorbing limbs holds and propel her back while also delivering a nasty violet shock.
"Aaaah!" Ochaco shrieks, being forced back by the agonizing shocks.
"None of your tricks are gonna work this time, Little Girl! There's nothing you can do that can harm me. You might as well be a Quirkless nobody!"
Spinning around Ochaco finds herself surrounded from all sides by the sparking tentacles, and above her floats the evil sorceress and her leviathan of a pet.
And with a merciless howl Charmcaster sets the monster upon her. "How's that for a TRUMP CARD!?"
Chaos. That's the word to use when describing this scene.
Trees lie crumbled and scattered across the battlefield as flicks of embers and small flame begin to spread, throwing up clouds of thick heavy smoke.
As the repetitive bangs of consistent Explosions echo throughout the battlefield.
Bakugou unleashes another blast of heat, blasting his opponent while simultaneously rocketing himself backwards. Putting some distance between him and his monster of an opponent.
Out from the smoke and heat, Nue [1] leaps out and is ready to give the punk a good thrashing. "Hahaha! I've been waiting a long time for this, Blasty! Hahahaha!" He goes in for a dual fisted punch, but Bakugou leaps away.
Following him Nue [1] fires a stream of water after him.
"No kidding? So have I!" Not risking his Quirk being weakened Bakugou quickly rockets away but not before shouting back.
Normally he'd temper his Explosions, like Todoroki warned him earlier, but considering that Dark Shadow smashed most of the trees and now they're up against a freak like Uuichi, Bakugou figured this could be the exception.
And so, launching himself at Nue [1] and swerving around the jets of water, he manages to unleash a giant Explosion upon the villain with a mighty roar. "DIE!"
The Explosion hits and actually manages to blast Nue [1] back until his shell hits a burning stump of a tree.
And despite having been put on his ass, Nue [1] couldn't look more thrilled. "Hahaha! Just like old times, hey!"
With smoke rising from his palm, Bakugou smirks. "I'm pretty sure I kicked your ass back then too."
"Hehehe, did I give you concussions back then? Because that's not how I remember it!" With a roar Nue [1] jumps right back into the fight with savage energy.
"RAAAAAH!"
Oops. it appears they forgot about the monster rampaging within the darkness. Using the smoke and trees to shield itself from the burning light of the flames and Explosions, Dark Shadow's claws whip through the branches right for Bakugou and Nue [1].
The two are forced to leap away as the giant claws sink into the ground.
"Wait your turn!" Nue [1] barks over to the rampaging Dark Shadow. "I'll deal with you afterwards!"
"Yeah!" Bakugou slides to a stop and immediately rockets himself right back at Nue [1]. "Right after I make this freak's face uglier than it already is!"
"Hahaha!"
A thunderous clash roars through the forest as a fiery Explosion meets an electrical beam. Causing literal sparks of fire and lighting to fly across the scene.
The sparks ignite more sparse fires through the crumbled forest, and Shoto even has to duck as sparks of electricity nearly graze his head. He'd move but with an unconscious Tsuburaba lying beside him, he's not too keen on moving or leaving him there.
Acting quickly, he tries to contain the fires, putting up barriers and trails of ice where he can. "Bakugou, the fires! Shit. It's all a mess out here."
"Good!" Having just leaped past one of Dark Shadow's claws, one of Nue's clones, Nue [2], smashes right through Shoto's barrier of ice. "That's just how I like it! Hahaha!"
"Monster!" Shoto tries to freeze him in a glacier but Nue [2] dashes away with a quick burst of XLR8 speed.
"Hahaha!"
Shoto slaps the ground, causing a sheet of ice to wash over the ground. And it works as Nue [2] dashes right over the ice.
Only it doesn't slow him down or throw him off course like he hoped. Instead, the clone swerves and dashes across the ice with full control. "Oh, so close! But no cigar!" It's all thanks to XLR8's ability to manipulate friction, ensuring that the thin slippery ice isn't a bother one bit. "If you wanna stop me you're gonna have to go all OUT!"
Upon his proclamation Nue [2] unleashes a crashing wave of diamonds, hoping to bury the dual-elemental teen in an avalanche of crystal.
Holding his ground, however, Shoto counters with his own wave of giant icicles.
The two crystalline forces crash into each other like mountains of glass.
"Hohoho! That's it!" Nue [2] howls in amusement before the shadows in his peripheral begin to shift and move. "Huh? GAH!"
One of Dark Shadow's giant flailing limbs bats the monster clone away and lets out a monstrous roar before turning its attention to Shoto. "RAAAAAH!"
But the attack never reaches Shoto as he's forced to use a burst of flames to repel the shrieking monster. "Hang in there, Tokoyami! We'll save you soon!"
"Aaaaah!' Still bound to his own demon, Tokoyami howls in pain as he so desperately struggles to contain it.
And while this is all going on, you have Shoji and Izuku dealing with their own monster: Moonfish.
"Job to do… Have to WORK…!" Webs of bladder-teeth bend and twist, propelling Moonfish forward as his elongated blades act like spider legs. Spider legs that nearly impale a fleeing Shoji and Izuku at every turn.
"He's right on our tail!" Izuku screams, still too injured and exhausted to run on his own, so all he can do is pray that Shoji can outrun the psycho.
"I know! I know!" Shoji yells back as he runs for his life, with his only free limbs turning into extra sets of eyes to keep a look out for every blade coming their way.
"Flesh…! I want your FLESH…!"
Shoji ducks and dives them both out of the way as webs of bladed-teeth pierce the ground and air. A few stray blades manage to graze them but barely.
All the while Moonfish approaches closer and closer before he's directly above them.
Seeing this Izuku screams for Shoji to dodge. "Shoji!"
"Fresh… bloody…FLESH!" Moonfish lunges for them, trying to sink his maw into their heads but only for a shadowy claw to intercept his path.
"RAAAA!" Dark Shadow shrieks and wails, his limbs flailing and forcing Moonfish back.
The villain demonstrates some expert acrobatics, twirling himself away from the pursuing claws.
"RAAAA!"
Moonfish isn't the only one who needs to worry about Dark Shadow as the monster turns its claws onto the kids.
"Shoji! The embers!"
With a big wave of his arm, Shoji flaps air down into a burned log. The embers reignite and with a whoosh, hot flames burst into the air.
And just in time to repel the attacking claw. "RAAAA!" And with a wail Dark Shadow retreats into the smoke, turning its attention to someone else.
"This situation, it's gotten far too chaotic." Shoji breathes, exhausted as he backs away front he flames he himself reignited. The smoke it's producing is already getting to him and his extra senses. "I'm afraid to say, but your plan's gone awry."
Izuku knows. Frustratingly so.
"What are we supposed to do now? Do we grab Bakugou and Tokoyami and make a run for it?"
"We could but I don't think Nue is gonna let us walk away. Especially not when he has a grudge against me and Bakugou. Also, we'd have to deal with Dark Shadow first."
"Not to mention Todoroki's defending Tsuburaba. Looks like something got to him already." Even though the Class B student is unconscious it's clear that he's in pain and having trouble breathing. Whatever happened to him, couldn't have been anything good. "So, then. What's left for us to do?"
"Set me down."
"What?!" Shoji stares back at him in betrayal. "I'm not leaving you here."
"It's not that. My Quirk should have recharged by now. If we can turn me into Wildvine I'll be able to heal myself and have enough stamina to get us all out of here."
The way Shoji's looking at him you'd think Izuku just said something groundbreaking. "You'll be at full strength. And have enough limbs to carry us all!"
"Exactly."
Shoji hurries to set him down, albeit with a gentle touch but even as he sets Izuku down the boy hisses in pain as Shoji accidentally grazes his broken arm. "Sorry."
"It's okay. A little pain never killed anybody." Izuku jokes even though the searing pain is really unbearable.
Not believing him for a second, Shoji slowly and gently grips and raises Izuku's left arm making sure not to hurt him again. "I'm afraid I don't exactly know how your support item works."
"It's fine. This is good." With his arms free, Izuku is finally able to grip the fully recharged Omnitrix. He hurries, spinning the dial, trying to find Wildvine's silhouette. "I just need the right transformation. And then…we'll be safe!"
He jinxed it.
Nue [3] leaps out right behind Shoji, breaking through the barricade of smoke and flame like a demon. Izuku can only watch in horror as Nue [3] speeds past Shoji's form and slams a giant clawed hand right onto Izuku's exposed wrist.
"Midoriya!" Shoji cries out as Izuku screams in pain just as his entire body's swallowed up in a ball of green light.
Shoji quickly spins around to address the attacker but a strong backhand from Nue [3]'s throws him aside. "Stay back, octopus!" He turns his sneer back down at the little midnight snack. "This meal is mine!"
"Ha ha… I get it. You're a real funny guy." Upchuck snarls and tries but fails to get to his feet. Left to still suffer from his cuts, bruises, and broken arm. Even so he tries to keep up that little spunk of an attitude. "But no one's gonna make a meal out me!"
Nue [3] smirks back, happy to find that the little punk still has some bite to him. "You didn't really think I didn't know you'd try to pull some twisted morphing trick? Why would I allow you to transform into what you wanted?" He reels back his fist and roars as he goes in for the killer punch. "Sorry, but you don't get a choice!"
Before the fist lands, Shoji rushes in and scoops up the helpless Gourmand before making a mad dash to escape.
"I thought I told you to stay out of this, octopus! Oh, well." With a shrug Nue [3] nods over towards the nearby pillars of smoke. "He's all yours."
"Ugh…" The smoke whips away with the wind, to reveal a salivating Moonfish being suspended in the air by a web of Bladed-Teeth. "Your flesh…. Give to ME….!"
With a starved moan, he lunges for the fleeing duo once again. Leaving Nue [3] behind to watch and laugh at their inevitable impalement.
Shoji is running at full speed, moving across the smoke-filled battlefield at breakneck speed. While swerving and diving out of the way of Moonfish's pursuing blades.
"Flesh… Let me taste…!"
"Are you kidding?!" Shoji screams, his arms swinging at his sides with a dizzy Upchuck tucked underneath. "Pretty sure it's bad form for a psycho to ask permission?!"
"Raaa…!" With a groan Moonfish dives down allowing his Bladed-Teeth to get ahead.
They extend and pierce the ground of Shoji's path, creating a net of sharp knives.
"Waaa!" Shoji's forced to a stop but before he can react more and more blades spring down, entrapping them completely from all sides with a hungry set of jaws drooling overhead.
"No run… Eat… Complete job…!"
But before the villain can complete his job, a set of long stretchy tongues propel out and pry a section of the bladed net apart in seconds.
Moonfish and Shoji are left speechless as Upchuck swallows the blades whole, chewing them up like pieces of crunchy cereal.
"My body might be weak. But my stomach is not! BLEEEGH!" With a belch Upchuck unleashes an explosive glob right back up at the villain.
Not sure what's happening, moonfish spins himself away but his blades get caught by the glob, which explodes and breaks apart his Quirk causing him to plummet.
"Hehehe." Upchuck smirks like he's done something wicked cool even though he's being carried around like a book under Shoji's arm. "Looks like he didn't have the stomach to face the likes of UPCHUCK! Hahahaha-Ow! Oh, everything still hurts…"
"Well, I see your mouth is working just fine." Nue [3] approaches, having watched the somewhat gross display. "I'll fix that real quick!" He charges, zooming straight for Shoji and Upchuck.
Shoji leaps into action, quickly shoving Upchuck onto his shoulder like he was a bazooka. "Say hello to my little friend!"
"BLEEEGH!" With a squeeze Upchuck fires, launching an explosive glob right at Nue [3].
With a grin, Nue [3] takes it, blocking the impact with his crystal arm. "I want you to spill your guts, Deku!" With a swing he launches a rain of shards back at the teens. "Hell! I'll spill them myself!"
Shoji holds Upchuck out like a Proton Pack only for Upchuck to swallow up the incoming shards like an overpowered vacuum cleaner.
Licking his lips, Upchuck rubs his glowing belly. "Mmh, delicious. But a little bitter."
Nue [3] scowls in response.
But that only makes Upchuck's smirk grow wider. "BLEEEGH! BLEEEGH! BLEEEGH!"
With Shoji directing him, Upchuck rapid fires explosive loogie after loogie at Nue [3].
The clone panics, forced to dash away and dodge the incoming explosives. But he gets caught, getting himself blasted away in a burst of green goop and power.
Seeing this, Shoji finally allows himself to hope. "We have him on the ropes!"
"BLEEeeegh…" He spoke too soon as Upchuck tries to upchuck only to find out that he's out of ammo.
It couldn't have happened at any worse time as a starving moan screeches through the nearby smoke. "Job… In the way…!"
Like a bug that just won't die, Moonfish makes his return with his metallic pincers out and ready to devour his next meal alive. "FLESH…!"
They were distracted. Giving Moonfish the time he needed to get close and lung in, giving them no chance to flee. His Bladed-teeth are already half–way through the air between them, with each of their razor-sharp tips aimed for their heads.
With literally no time to spare, Shoji reacts off pure instinct doing the very first thing he can think of. He throws his free arm up and at the same time duplicates more and more flesh arms over his own limbs. And just in time too as the Bladed-Teeth pierce their way through the fleshy limbs, causing massive amounts of blood to gush out like a sprinkler.
"Shoji! No!" Upchuck screams, watching in terror as Shoji's Dupli-Arms squirm and flex as more and more limbs stretch out to intercept the web of expanding blades.
Shoji winces but holds his ground, staying firm all throughout. "If you're willing to break your body. Then someone like me should go even FURTHER!"
Twisting his pierced limbs, the thin blades snap and bend away with the opposing strength, creating a big enough window between Shoji's fist and Moonfish's open maw.
With one arm still holding Upchuck, Shoji's upper three left arms squeeze and twist together while growing hand upon hand before spiraling together with eight fists at the end.
"COMPACT PUNCH x8!" With a mighty swing Shoji's twisted combo of fist smashes through the last of the blades and right into Moonfish's open jaws. Giving him exactly want he wants his fleshy knuckles crash into the villain's jaw so hard it instantly snaps and maybe even his skull too as his head is thrown right into the dirt with such force one might think an anvil was just dropped onto it.
Moonfish goes still, jaw dislocated as bits of broken blades lie scattered around him. All the while little croaks and moans of pain wheeze out from his unconscious corpse.
Coming down from his adrenaline high, Shoji takes a step back, lowering his arms which are absolutely stained with his own blood. But thankfully because of his Dupli-Arms, his extra limbs were enough to sacrifice in order to protect his main body leaving him with nothing but horrible blood stains with only a number of minor cuts littered across his webbed arms.
With a shaky breath, Shoji raises his head, peering down at the villain with cold disdain as he delivers the final line. "Chew on that. Villain."
Despite his friend's recklessness and bloodied arms, Upchuck can't help but smile; impressed by both Shoji's iron will and his killer one liner. Maybe he should jot it down in his notebook so he can try to use it later?
Too bad not everyone can be just as impressed. "You assholes!" Outraged Nue [3] plunges himself right back into the fray, charging straight across the battlefield and making a beeline right for them. "When I'm done with you they'll need to run a DNA test to identify the bodies!"
"Mi-Upchuck!"
"I know! But I have to refuel first!" Upchuck hurries, his tongues lapping up any nearby debris, mainly burning logs and branches before chewing them up and swallowing them whole.
"If you're starving for a fight? Then how about a knuckle sandwich?!" Nue [3] shrieks with killing intent as he makes his final approach. "Give up! Not even two of you can beat me!"
Despite his claim, Upchuck doesn't deter. In fact, he only grows more confident. "But what about three?"
"Huh?!"
Taking a page from Moonfish's playbook, a crazy eyed Bakugou leaps out from the wall of smoke and fire. His hands are already sparking with Explosions that only swallow up the nearby flames in giant bursts. "DIEEEE!"
He unleashes one hell of an Explosion, one that completely overtakes the flanked Nue [3].
No matter how tough his hide is, he feels the fire burning into him as he's blasted off his feet and away.
Bakugou lands behind Shoji and Upchuck, swearing all the while as smoke bellows from his colling palms. "Take that you rat Bastard!"
"God, I hate you!" An enraged Nue [1] appears right after Bakugou, leaping over the wall of smoke and fire. "Why can't you just crash and burn?! Gah?!"
Moving in midair, he's caught off guard when he's greeted by a cool collected Shoji.
Shoji smirks underneath his mask as he holds Upchuck out like he's a machine gun. "Boom."
"BARFING BEAM!" Knowing his que, Upchuck belches out all he has left in the tank, firing off a beam of devastating explosive goop.
The beam splatters into Nue [1] at point blank range, sending him fly back across the smoke-filled battlefield. And right into a distracted Nue [2] who was smashing his way through Shoto's newest lair of icicle walls. With an explosive boom Nue [1] slams into his clone, propelling them both back and crashing into the woods much to Shoto's shock and relief.
Watching a resounding green explosion occur in the distance, Bakugou throws Upchuck an uncharacteristically impressed smirk. "Ehehe. Nice." Still being held underneath Shoji's arm, Upchuck smiles back and gives the blonde a big thumbs up.
With the coast clear the three hurry to Shoto's side just as the dual-haired teen props the unconscious Tsuburaba back onto his back. "Thanks for the assist."
"Assist?!" Bakugou roars, offended. "I could have handled those bastards all on my own!"
"Of course, you could have."
Shoji leans down, offering to take the unconscious Tsuburaba off his hands. "Here. Allow me."
"Thank you."
Moving together they gently transfer the Class B student onto Shoji's back. While keeping the still injured Upchuck propped up with one arm and his shoulder.
As they complete the transfer Shoto spots movement from Nue and his clones in the tree line. "He's…they're watching us."
Shoji's arms stretch out, forming eyes at the ends that immediately start scanning the smokey landscape. "Probably staying back since we were able to regroup."
"Midoriya. Bakugou. You two've known him the longest. Have any clues to beating him-them?"
Bakugou responds, answering Shoto with full seriousness. "Yeah, just one. Kill him."
Shoto gives him a deadpan stare while sarcastically remarking. "Enlightening."
Upchuck, however, takes the assignment seriously and thinks it over. "Is it me or was Nue…weaker?"
They all pause and stare at him like he's gone insane.
"I mean they all seem physically weaker than the original. And if he can clone himself then why not make more? Does he have a limit?"
Shoto thinks on it, considering how Nue is a copy of Midoriya's own powers. Like how Monoma can gain other's Quirks albeit a slightly weaker version. "He's splitting his power." Shoto realizes.
"That's it!" Upchuck confirms with a nod. "When he divides, he must also be splitting his power. Which means-"
A superior evil grin stretches across Bakugou's face. "Individually, his clones are weak."
"Which explains why Nue was so quick to allow Moonfish to fight in his place." Upchuck thinks, recalling how Nue [3] could have fought them one on one at any given moment. "It also explains why Nue wasn't moving as fast as XLR8 and how we were able to out pace him at times. It's because he's not as fast."
The others are putting it together as well, like Shoji. "He's limited. The more clones he throws out the weaker they all are."
"Exactly. Together they equal a fully powered Nue. But individually they only have ⅓ of his power." Upchuck explains before considering. "Even so, they're still dangerous. And from the way they're acting. It seems like they still have their core personality and memories."
Bakugou considers that, taking personal measures to note it. "Do they…?" But before he can think too much into it he spots movement from within the plumes of nearby smoke. "Huh? Hey! Look out!"
They all have barely enough time to dodge as a giant shady claw nearly buries them all into the dirt.
Shoji watches, frightened as the giant claw drags itself across the ground, gauging at the earth as it retreats. "We still have another problem."
Upchuck scowls as he sees the Nue clones rushing back in for another round. "Make that three more!"
As a rampaging Dark Shadow rises over the thick black smoke the teens are left wondering which problem, they should deal with first: the razing shadow demon or the chaotic devils?
It's a slippery slope. Literally. The slope is steep and rocky, with barely any support, threatening to have any of their knees or hands to go sliding out from under them. It also doesn't help that neither Momo or Awase can go ahead and try to stand up thanks to the thick layer of tangled branches and thorny vines hanging just over their heads. And so, they're forced to crawl along the ground, slipping between the bases of the trunks and roots.
Awase peers back, feeling hesitant about moving. "Are you sure this is where that signal is coming from? OW!" He lets out a sharp yelp as Kraab scuttles up from behind. .
"Yes. Now move your ass or I'll move it for ya!" Kraab waves his pincer in the air, threatening to pinch Awase again.
And it works as Awase turns back around to keep going but he lets out another yelp as the shadow in front of him moves on its own and rises.
"Kekeke!" Kuroiro's head springs out from the shadow, like a whack-a-mole, looking not at all guilty for scaring his classmate. "Don't worry. There's a clearing just up ahead."
Awase relaxes, letting out a sigh. "Aw, finally."
Kuroiro was true to his word as they all have the chance to stretch when they come upon a open clearing atop one of the smaller mountains. It's a rocky cliffside, wide and clear of trees or shrubs with a perfect outlook over the entire valley forest.
Momo cautiously approaches the edge, but falling is not her concern, but what she sees in the distance. "Just look out there."
They can see the glow of the WWPC's lodge, and the purple smog from before is gone. But, unfortunately, not too far away they can see that a section of the forest is being ravaged by blue flames. Hell, further away from there they can spot pillars of smoke rising from campfire sized flames, all the while some monstrous creature shifts around in the darkness. And finally, somewhere between the dark monster and the burning blue flames, another monster is floating in the air, seemingly bouncing slowly as bursts of violet and purple blasts discharge around it.
Kuroiro quivers and shakes as he takes in the scenes below. "It's complete chaos down there."
A part of Momo wants to make a comment, to lie and say that everyone's okay, the heroes will make sure everyone's safe…but she can't bring herself to lie like that. But if she wants it to be true then they should do what they came here to do. "Kraab. Where is this jamming device?"
Rotating around, Kraab quickly scans for the device. "It's somewhere right around here."
"This is the place?" Awase looks out, finding nothing but larger boulders and an uneven clearing. "There's nothing here."
"And where is Ms. Ragdoll?" Momo points out. "There's no sign of her either."
Nobody has an answer for her. Because…they can't.
Feeling the weight as well, Kuroiro looks out one last time to the clearing only to finally spot something of use. "Hey, look! Right over there! Is that it?"
They all look over, peering over the nearby rocks and quickly spot what caught his attention. A device that's no bigger than a basketball is sitting right there unattended atop a nearby boulder. It's almost egg shaped with stubby tripod legs, and surrounded in a purple almost armor looking design, with a thin antenna rotating at its top.
"That's it!" Kraab immediately declares. "That's the jamming device!"
"Then why are we just staring at it?!" With a smile Awase runs off for the device with a cackling Kuroiro sprinting right behind him. "Kekekeke!"
"Wait a moment!" Momo calls after them. But then she notices movement as something massive crashes through the nearby brush and she screams in panic. "LOOK OUT!"
"GRAAAHH!" Whatever that thing is it immediately lunges for Awase, its huge, long set of jaws snapping through the air and right at his head.
"Aaaahh-!" Awase can only scream as he's met with rows of teeth, all before Kuroiro tackles him and throws them both to the ground, allowing the giant set of jaws to clamp shut together.
The attackers speeds past, having been moving far too fast, skidding across the ground before quickly crawling away to protect the device.
Momo hurries over as Kuroiro pulls Awase away. "Awase! Kuroiro! Are you both alright?!"
"Barely!" Awase screams while rubbing his neck. "That thing nearly took my head off!"
Kraab eyes the ambusher disdainfully. "What is that thing anyway?"
Momo looks and nearly stumbles back in pure absolute horror as her mind flashes back to the U.S.J. Attack.
Before them a Nomu with mint-green skin and an extremely muscular physique is scuttle across the ground before them. Six retractable arms are protruding from its back, with only two holding up chainsaws, while the other four are supporting the beast. Extending out like legs, seeing as how the monster's own left kneecap appears to have been shot.
Behind it a massive crocodilian tail slides across the rocks with massive scales and leathery hide. With its only attire being a pair of ripped black pants and kneecaps. Its brain is also exposed, acting like a crown over a grotesque face of a deformed alligator.
"It-It's a Nomu!" She exclaims.
The boys and the cyborg are stunned, their eyes going wide in horror.
"A Nomu?!" Awase repeats. "Like one of the ones that attacked Hosu?"
"The very same." Momo confirms, grimly.
Kraab eyes the snarling beast, like it's a feral animal that needs to be put down. "So that's a Nomu? Nasty piece of work."
"Graaah!" Seemingly growing impatient, the Nomu, or rather Chainjaw, roars and flings itself forward. Its arms flailing widely, dragging it forward as the two free arms swing the chainsaws without any coordination.
Despite having to drag itself, the Nomu's moving at a breakneck pace, forcing the teens to dive out of the way as it stampedes on by.
"It's like a wild animal!" Kuroiro shouts, having melted into the ground and letting the beast run on by.
"Graaah!" Seeing a living shadow pop out in front of him the monster decides to kill it, swinging one of its chainsaws down at the apparition.
Using his Quirk, Kuroiro ducks back into the shadows just before the Nomu can slice his head off. It misses but the roaring chain hits the rocks, causing the metal to grind and spark.
The sparks illuminate the dark clifftop and causing the nearby shadows to vanish and thus launch Kuroiro out from his cover.
"Tsk!" Kuroiro gasps, shocked to find himself exposed.
Taking advantage of the situation, Chainjaw lunges for him again, this time coming at him with both chainsaws!
"Awase, now!" Coming up from behind the monster, Momo and Awase rush in and throw a massive blanket over the creature, getting it tangled and giving Kuroiro and them enough time to flee.
"Graaah!" Chainjaw quickly gets to severing apart the blanket, but the material was specially designed by Momo, causing the threads to rip apart and stretch into the very gears of the chainsaws as they spin. All before they become a tangled mess, becoming so clogged that the chains aren't even able to move.
"Mindless. Absolutely mindless." Kraab watches as the Nomu struggles to break free of the tangled mess that itself created. "It can't even think for itself. All it knows is what it's told to do. And that is to…"
As he speaks the monster tears free of its binds.
"Kill."
"GRAAAHH!" Chainjaw barrels towards them, its chainsaws flailing in the air despite being jammed.
Already having formed a plan, Kraab leaps up and latches himself onto Awase. "Run kid!"
He doesn't need to be told twice. Sprinting off in the opposite direction of Momo and Kuroiro.
"Oi, Leatherface!" Kraab calls out in an attempt to distract the beast. "I've got your stereotypical horror movie teenager right over here! Come and get him! Slice up all his juicy bits!"
Awase can feel the betrayal like a knife in the back, and what's worse is that he comes to a horrible realization at the same time. "I'm the DISTRACTION!?"
"Graaah!" A responding roar from a now pursuing Chainjaw is all he needs for an answer.
"Ahhhh!" Awase takes off, running frantically with the rabid Chainjaw hot on his heels.
"Quick!" Kraab calls out to the others from Awase's shoulder. "Now's your chance to go for the device!"
Momo seems hesitant but realizes that the sooner they stop the device the sooner they can help Awase and Kraab. "Quick, hurry!"
She goes with Kuroiro beside her.
Acting like it has some kind of sixth sense, Chainjaw's head snaps back towards them and it immediately gives up chasing Awase for them, Turning away slowly as it skids to a stop.
Awase, noticing the shift in attention, comes to a split-second decision. "Where do you think you're going?!" He slaps his hand against the monster's ankle and ground, Welding the two materials together and gluing the creature in place. "HA!"
Unable to move, and angered, Chainjaw takes a swing back at him. "Graaah!"
Much to Awase's surprise, the chainsaw never reaches his skin thanks to Kraab jumping in the way. Using his hard metal head to take the full force of the blow. But it's too great, and although Kraab takes it without much issue, the power behind it is enough to launch both him and Awase away.
Seeing this Momo stops and calls out their names. "Kraab! Awase!"
Kraab's eyes blink in and out of focus, as sparks fly out from the new dent in the side of his head. "G-Go!"
Awase is beside him, feeling just as dizzy. "W-we got this!"
"You heard them!" Kuroiro pulls her away, hurrying them along.
"Graaahh!" Like a guard dog that doesn't know it's on a leash, Chainjaw lunges and lunges for the pair but with its leg welded to the ground itself it's unable to budge even an inch forward.
But with its preset orders driving it mad, the beast roars and does what a beast does when trapped. It sacrifices a limb.
Holding down the trigger, one of the chainsaws manages to snap free of the tangled yarn, causing it to rev up at full gear once again. And without a hint of reservation the Nomu swings down and slices off its own leg.
"GRAAAHH!" With a howling roar the chainsaw tears away at its flesh and bone, causing blood to splatter and spray across the overlook. And then finally with a sickening crunch the bone gives away and the last of the muscle is torn off, freeing the monster.
"GRAAAHH!" It takes off, moving without remorse or a hint of pain even as its stump of a leg is dragged across the rocky earth.
Realizing that they can't outrun it, Momo lets Kuroiro go as she prepares to fend it off herself. "I'll cover you! Get the device!"
"Are you insane?!" Kuroiro shouts. "That's a giant monster! What can you do to stop it?!"
But Momo just holds her ground, her hand reaching down slowly behind her back as she does, her hand slowly clutching around the hilt of her weapon.
"GRAAAHHH!"
"YAOYOROZU!"
"OCHACO!" Tsuyu's scream explodes through the air, desperate and helpless, as she's unable to do anything but watch as her friend is whipped across the dark sky.
*WAAAaaaaa…!* Sparks of violet bio-electricity flash with every whip and swing of the Scyphozoa's arms that manage to connect with Ochaco. Which are most of the strikes.
And with every strike and shock Ochaco struggles to turn the tables. Using a combination Zero-Gravity on herself and producing gusts of whirlwinds with midair OFA punches and kicks are enough to keep her in the fight. And the only way she's been able to, or at least try to, evade the incoming attacks.
"AAAAAAH!" She howls in pain, as one of the sparking tentacles manages to swing in from the side and strike her down.
Ochaco's body bounces off the ground, with her head facing down, she struggles to shove herself off the ground but the sound of tentacles whipping through the air alert her. And using Zero-gravity and OFA she manages to shove herself so hard off the ground that she rockets straight up, evading the incoming tentacles at the last second.
However, another set of tentacles are already on their way to her. Hoping to catch her in midair.
Acting fast, Ochaco greets them with a VENUS SMASH. The attack connects and the tentacles whip violently but remain relatively unharmed and unphased. Wiggling they shake off the kinetic force of the attack and resume their attack.
"EHEHEHEHE!" Charmcaster's derange cackling fills the air, chiming in with the sounds of Ochaco's own screams and the cracks of the tentacles whipping through the sky. "Yes! Fight! Fight back! I want to see you struggle! I want to see you BREAK!"
'Not good!' Ochaco thinks while zooming up in the air to dodge one tentacle and then letting herself free-fall to avoid another. 'I-I can't keep this up! But I have to! I have to stop her!'
She chants this over and over in her head. But it's not enough she can feel her limbs straining, her body growing exhausted, even more so with every OFA powered punch and Ryou Sphere she uses. And she's becoming slower and slower because of it. And so she's relying on the tactic of flying up and then removing the Zero-Gravity on herself to plummet and avoid more attacks.
But it all catches up to her during her last plummet when a lone tentacle manages to grab her by the left arm and send jolts of bioelectricity into her system.
"AAAAAhhh!" Ochaco cries out in agony as an aura of violet electricity surges through her system.
"Hahahaahaha! Yes!" Charmcaster howls, gleefully cackling from inside the Scyphozoa. "This is it! The moment I see the fire in your eyes. Die. Out."
With a snap of her fingers the Scyphozoa's tentacle cracks and tightens like a chain wrapped around a stick. And with a horrible snap Ochaco's arm lets out a horrible crunch.
"WAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Pain. Pain. Pain. it's all she can feel. She can't hear anything. She can see anything but violet sparks. All the while it feels like her entire arm's been set ablaze and chopped up. But in reality, it was her entire arm snapping.
Soon the electrical surge subsides, and Ochaco's left dangling in the air Unable to react. Unable to move as her head goes in and out of consciousness. Her vision blurring, unable to focus. Left hanging by her arm like a broken doll. Her arm horribly mangled, having already turned black with internal bleeding and bruising.
It's a gruesome sight, but one Charmcaster relishes in. "That's it. That's what I wanted to see. But it's not quite perfect yet."
Ochaco's vision returns, but barely, a still fuzzy mess but her focus returns just enough to watch Charmcaster raise her arms up to her sides from within her central bubble. On the witch's motion, Ochaco can see the monster's massive tentacles surrounding her from all sides, becoming a sort-of torturous birdcage.
"All we're missing… Is a Crushed Spirit!" With Charmcatser's declaration the Scyphozoa closes the cage.
But like a lightning bolt a pink fleshy rope shoots up and grabs Ochaco by the ankle and quickly pulls her down and away just as the crushing tentacles close together with a thunderous clap.
"NO!" Charmcaster is seething with rage, watching as Tsuyu's tongue quickly pulls Ochaco down to ground level. "Give her back! She's MINE!
The Scyphozoa launches into action, redirecting all its tendrils at the frog girl.
"No way! You're insane!" Tsuyu shouts back, carrying Ochaco along in her tongue, she hops and leaps across the warped forest, with the tentacles falling all around her like bombs from the sky. But none manage to hit.
"Squirmy Little Frog, aren't you? Well try to avoid all this!"
Tsuyu's movements and evasion tactics are nothing like her friend's. Able to quickly change direction and react faster than Ochaco can in the air and especially without her Support Item. Using her tongue to pull them in last minute directions or sticking to and leaping from seemingly impossible angles. Tsuyu is able to stay ahead of the tentacles and make it to a section of the woods that had not been warped by Charmcaster's Alchemy Quirk.
*WAAAaaaaa…!* The tentacles snake through the trees and try to snatch the girls away but Tsuyu's too quick, managing to stay inches away from them. But much to Charmcaster's frustration and irony the Scyphozoa's much too large to fit through the trees, and with the canopy so thick as it is she can't even make them out once their away from the glow of her electrified limbs. "Raaa! Come back here! You can't hide from me forever!"
But Tsuyu will sure try her damned best to do so, holding Ochaco to her back, she takes off running for the lodge.
Stirred by the jostling and distant screaming, Ochaco fades in and out of consciousness but still aware enough to know what Tsuyu did for her. "T-Tsu… T-Tha-...Than-"
"Save your strength." Tsuyu cuts her off, her focus keeping her on high alert. "We're not out of woods yet. So stay focused. Kero."
Despite the searing pain and agony coursing through her, Ochaco cracks the smallest of smiles and the weakest of chuckles.
Thinking she's lost it, Tsuyu quickly becomes concerned. "What is it?"
But Ochaco continues to giggle before choking out an answer. "You said…a pun; out of…the woods. Eh eh…"
Tsuyu rolls eyes but she can't help but smile, taking comfort in the fact that Charmcaster did, in a sense, fail. Ochaco's spirit's still intact.
But their bodies might not be as Tsuyu spots the shine of a small blade swinging out from behind a thick tree.
Acting with reflexes she didn't even know she had, Tusyu manages to slide right under the blade and spring up, latching herself to a trunk of a tree.
"Ooh~! Girl talk? I wanna join in~!" Toga bashfully cheers, acting all sweet and cutesy despite dashing for them with a bloody blade and a large syringe in her hands.
"Stay away from us!" Tsuyu pulls herself and Ochaco away, leaping away from the blade.
"Aw~. Don't be mean!" Toga, ironically, begs while actively trying to stab the both of them.
With a lash of her long tongue, Tsuyu strikes Toga's wrist. The force and shock of the strike breaks her grip, and she drops the knife.
Left with only the syringe Toga takes a stab at their backs but Tsuyu, now knowing Toga's preferred method of attack, easily sidesteps and allows the syringe to sink into the side of a tree instead.
And with one weapon gone and the other disabled Tsuyu strikes back using her tongue like a whip to slap Toga away!
The strike shoves her back, but Toga quickly recovers. Taking a moment, she contemplates going for her knife before remembering she has more on her. But with Tsuyu aware of her combat she runs off and away into the woods, quickly vanishing under all the cover and darkness,
Tsuyu stops, already knowing how this game will play out. And so, she holds her ground staying on high alert especially since Ochaco can't move. Heck she's not even sure if Ochaco's even conscious but the hot labored breath on her neck and the slight shift of Ochaco's head on her back is enough to tell she is.
"Where'd…she…?" Ochaco tries to ask but the pain is too much, her arm dangling uselessly at her side reminding Tsuyu that they'll need to wrap that up soon.
"I don't know. S-she might have some kind of camouflage or teleporting Quirk?"
And so with all that in mind they stay on high alert, eyes peeled for the smallest hints of movements or disturbances.
And it comes in the form of a single leaf. Just a plain simple leaf gently making its way to the ground, dancing through the air innocently.
But without even thinking Tsuyu takes Ochaco and throws her as far as she can. And spinning around Tsuyu has just seconds to grab Toga's wrists before she can impale her with her second knife.
The two collapse, with Tsuyu on her back and a grinning Toga on top, both struggling against the other to get the knife to go the opposite direction.
"Hiya, Tsu~!" A feline-like grin stretches across Toga's blushing face, sending chills down Tsuyu's spine.
"TSU!" Ochaco's adrenaline rises up giving her enough strength and motive to prop herself up and throw a single Ryou Sphere.
To which Toga demonstrates some surprising acrobatics, flipping up and through the air and letting the sphere fly away and implode against the canopy, creating a gaping hole.
Ochaco throws one more, a smaller weaker one, but it still flies after Toga. But it never reaches as the villainess vanishes once again into the unknown.
Suddenly the canopy is ripped open, the top branches cleared away in seconds by some invisible blade. But it was not a blade but a set of massive sparking tentacles ripping their way through the forest.
"There you are!" Charmcaster laughs, having spotted the explosions of Ochaco's Ryou Sphere, "Did you really think you could escape ME!?"
The Scyphozoa launches its tentacles after them each one winding through the forest and branches like deadly serpents.
Despite the pain and haze, Ochaco's adrenaline reaches its highest peak giving her enough energy to prop herself against a tree and pick herself up even with one arm. 'Not yet. We're not done yet!'
Her right arm glows bright with One For All as the power congregates at her fist. "VENUS SMASH!"
Ochaco throws her fist, not at the incoming tentacles, but to the ground. The power of the attack is enough to generate yet another whirlwind. With this one to the ground, it rips and crashes in all directions, washing past the tentacles before reaching the main body of the Scyphozoa. The raging wind sweeps through the Scyphozoa causing its levitation to falter. As a result, its attacking tentacles waver and veer off course.
Ochaco lets out a sharp gasp of surprise. 'It worked!' Perhaps the wind disturbs the creature's own flight and it's unable to keep its balance. Before when she was generating whirlwinds, they were small and precise, meant for single targets. But what if the wind was directed towards the main body? What if she covered a larger area? "VENUS SMASH!"
Ochaco releases one last OFA powered punch in the direction of the Scyphozoa. The wind rips through the forest, clearing away leaves and branches and bits of bark, the wind howls and races past the tentacles before crashing into and past the Scyphozoa's head.
And like a paper bag in the wind, the Scyphozoa struggles and falters, seemingly losing balance despite floating in the air. Even Charmcaster's thrown off, confirming Ochaco's suspicions.
The body can take physical attacks and her Ryou blasts, but the main body also serves as a hovering pad and the wind is enough of a disturbance to throw off. Which means that there is a chance!
Summing the last of her strength, Ochaco's entire body glows bright, illuminating the entire forest almost like it was on fire with pink flames. "RAAAAAA!"
But before Ochaco can release all she has; a knife flies out from a nearby bush and embeds itself deep into her thigh.
"Aaaahh!" She falls to her knee, concentration broken and her fist swings off course. The wind thrusts towards the ground instead, and with all the power she put behind it the raging whirlwind is enough to knock Ochaco right off her own feet.
"Sorry, O~cha-co~." Toga giggles, blushing all the while as she admires Ochaco's bleeding leg and broken arm. "But Charm-chan really wants to play with you~. Teehee~."
Oh no. That was all she had. Ochaco can't even move anymore. The strain on her arms and body are too much, feeling like painful cramps preventing her from moving an inch. She's helpless to resist as one of the Scyphozoa snakes in and hoists her up.
"Ochaco, no!" Tsuyu cries out, unable to do anything as Toga cuts her off.
"Got you now." Charmcaster hisses, a wide grin slowly stretching across her face as she reels Ochaco in close until only the transparent shield of Charmcaster's bubble's between them. "I've been waiting for this. I've had to wait and watch as you and your little friends played "hero." But look at you now. You're nothing but a little doll for me to abuse and tear apart!"
Ochaco tries to move. Tries to summon One For All. Tries to move her fingers to make herself weightless. But she…she can't summon the strength to do it. Her injured arm. Her exhausted body. Her bleeding leg. It's…it's too much.
"Soak it in, Little Girl! Let the suffering sink in! And then, tell me. How does it feel? To have finally LOST!?"
Chainjaw stampedes across the clifftop clearing, both of its chainsaws flying through the air widely despite only one of them able to actually rotate its chain.
And yet Momo stands her ground, facing the monster with determination despite Kuroiro's shouting for her to run. Her hand trailing to her back where she clutches a hidden weapon.
"GRAAAHHH!" Not fazed by the prospect of a free kill, Chainjaw swings forth it's spinning blade,
CLANG. Metal meets diamond as Momo brandishes her Zircon Blade.
She pulled it out from behind her back, its shape small like that of a dagger but the moment she brandished it the blade expanded, popping open and stretching to its full size in milliseconds.
The two weapons clash, spinning blades grinding against the crystal with sparks flying in all directions.
Momo holds her ground, her grip shaky but able to bear the brunt. Thankfully her training during this camp is paying off. And she's extremely glad she stowed her blade away with her during the Test of Courage. She didn't think she needed it but she liked to keep it on her person ever since the start of camp.
However, the Nomu's superior strength soon reveals itself, causing Momo's grip to shake even more as the chain slowly slides down the crystal blade, towards the hilt of the sword. "Kuroiro hurry! Get the device!"
But the shadow teen is stuck in astonishment, frozen in place with his jaw left hanging open.
Momo shifts her weight and shifts her blade allowing the chainsaw to slide up and away from her hands, and with a swift swing the chain breaks away, rendering the chainsaw useless.
"Kuroiro, now!"
Whether it was the snapping of the chain or the roar of her shouting, Kuroiro isn't sure but he snaps out of his stupor and scrambles for the device, which is only yards away now.
"Graahh!" Somehow sensing their intentions, Chainjaw ditches its broken chain in favor of backhanding the girl, tossing her aside before charging after the shadow.
"No!" Momo screams, hurrying to pick herself up. "Kuroiro! It's after you!" She thrusts her blade into the ground causing the blade to shoot out a thin train of crystals after the monster. But the trail's not fast enough, it'll never reach it before the Nomu reaches her ally.
Kuroiro, while still making a mad dash for the device, shrinks away into the shadows, zooming forward quickly covering several yards in a few seconds.
But as he zooms across the clearing the Nomu swings its last Chainsaw down, smashing it against the ground but it's enough to have the metal grind and break apart, sending sparks everywhere.
And with the parks lighting up the area, Kuroiro is kicked out from the shadows and forced to run. "Shit! Shit! Shit! SHIT!"
The Nomu is hot on his heels with its long set of jaws snapping at his legs. All the while a thin crystal trail races to catch up.
"SHIIIIIT!" With no time left Kuroiro dives for device and actually manages to tackle it right off its perch.
"Graahh!"
With Chainjaw right over him Kuroiro spins around and holds out the device like a shield. And just in time as the monster's giant claw slams into the device knocking them both back.
Kuroiro hits the ground hard, hissing in pain, but most of all he's shocked to find the device is completely unscathed; having withstand the force of the blow. "So much for breaking it…" He quickly examines the device without spotting an obvious off switch, dial, or anything. "Wait… How do you even shut this thing off?! It's completely alien to me!"
"Graahh!" With a snarl Chainjaw lunges for the boy but is caught off as Momo's crystal trail finally catches up. Creating a thin wall between it and its prey.
"GRAAAHHH!" It roars and claws at the crystal wall, smashing its fists against it and even trying to bite through it. It then tries to climb on over only for the wall to expand upward even more.
While keeping her concentration on maintaining the barrier, Momo observes from the monster's actions from afar. 'Such madness. It's mindless. A mindless beast!'
Kuroiro nervously watches the beats mindlessly attack the transparent barrier. "It's ferocious…"
"Try savage." Kraab pops into view, scuttling over to Kuroiro in a hurry. "Quick! The device!"
"R-right!"
Kuroiro sets it down giving Kraab the perfect chance to examine the purple-cladded device. 'That tech…!'
He recognizes it. However, he can't think much of it as Kuroiro interrupts his thoughts. "Weren't you with Awase?!"
"GRAAAHHH!" With a final roar it smashes through the thin crystal wall like a car smashing through a window.
"Aaahhh!" Kuroiro and Kraab jump as the monster lunges for them, but it can't reach them.
"GRAAAHH-... !" Chainsaw seems just as perplexed, unable to move forward, struggling as something is holding it back. Peering back it finds that its limbs have been Welded into the crystals.
"Try getting out of this!" Awase declares, rushing it and welding more and more of its extra arms to shards of crystals and earth.
"GRAAAHHH!" Outraged, it tries to break free, its muscles bulging and ripping, its feral programming forcing it to try and rip its own arms off just to have the ability to move. Even without its arms it can still rip their flesh apart with its massive jaws.
Unable to stand by and watch, Momo charges in from behind her Zircon Blade poised high over her head. As she rushes in, the Zircon blade shifts and morphs until it becomes a crystal warhammer. "I will not! Allow you! To hurt my friends anymore!"
She brings the hammer down on the monster's exposed brain sending a shocking jolt down the monster's entire nervousness system.
At the same time Kraab, with his hacking rod of a pincer inserted into the device, prepares to deactivate the jamming signal. "And neither will I."
Together the device goes dark just as the Nomu stumbles and collapses, left hanging in a prison of welded crystal, too stunned and too damaged to move.
With both the device and the Nomu going silent the teens and the cyborg are left in sudden silence. Each of them out of breath and yet holding their breaths in anticipation as if expecting something else to happen.
"That's it?" Awase frowns, thinking that there'd be some kind of big single or explosion once the jamming device was shut off.
"I was expecting more." Kuroiro comments, thinking it was all rather anti-climactic.
"Quiet!" Kraab shushes them, he's trying to focus, as his eyes blinking rapidly like a telegraph sounder.
Momo quickly assumes Kraab's actions. "Kraab, are you contacting the police?!"
"I'm contacting everyone!" Kraab explains in a hurried pace. "The police. The heroes. Everyone from here to Musutafu's gonna be alerted." And that includes the Plumbers.
But for Awase and the others it also means something else. "Then that means…"
A wide grin stretches across Kuroiro's face. "We really did it."
Momo is nearly brought to tears of relief. That means that soon the nightmare will be over. The villains will be caught and arrested. And everyone will soon be safe and sound. "Everyone…help's on the way."
Kraab looks up, probably to say something snarky albeit out of good fun, but his expression takes a hard turn downward when he peers up at the teens. "No… We're too late…"
The teens stop, dread rising within them with Kraab's warning, and with much hesitation they stop and follow his gaze towards the darkened night sky.
Awase frowns since he's not sure what he's looking at. "Is that…a storm cloud?"
Kuroiro shakes his head in but is still unsure himself. "That's one weird cloud then. You think it's one of Midoriya's?"
It is not. Momo knows it's not. She recognizes that swirling dark mass in the sky. It's the same phenomenon, she herself and her classmates fell victim to during the U.S.J. Attack.
And with a whisper she answers back with faltering resolve. "That's not a storm cloud."
Leaning against a tree, Dabi seems at ease even as the forest burns all around him. Leaning back, he gazes into the sky, toward the swirling shadowy mass. "Already? Shit, this is taking too long."
Twice immediately cuts in way too abruptly and shouts. "It's your own damn fault! Hey, you're trying your best."
Up in the sky, soaring high above the forest and the mountain valley, a swirling mass of pure darkness eclipses the entire sky.
"As I have promised." Kurogiri boasts, glaring down at the forest and all the chaos unfolding underneath his piercing gaze. "A new playground just for you. Now go! Play to your heart's content!"
From out of the Warp Gate a giant mess of a mass creeps through. Its massive size rains down across the forest like an avalanche!
Nue gets blasted back by a combination of Shoto's flames, Blasty's Explosions, and Upchuck's loogies. Despite the setback his other two clones remain in combat with the squad of annoying teens all the while Dark Shadow continues to rampage in the background. And yet as he's thrown across the forest he remains undeterred, enjoying himself far too much.
However, before he can reengage he spots the Warp Gate in the sky, just as it closes away and vanishes. "Shit. Out of time."
"Time to go." Right on cue, Kurogiri appears behind him with that same poised yet condescending demeanor.
"Is it too much to ask for five more minutes?"
Kurogiri's eyes narrow in warning. "I've already allowed you to play longer than what was permitted. Let the others have a turn."
'What's with all the talk about playing?' But Nue shoves that thought aside and instead turns back towards the raging battle. "Not until Deku pays!"
"Calm yourself friend."
Nue and Kurogiri stop their bickering, both turning their attention towards the interrupter.
A mysterious man stands perched upon the nearest pine, his silhouette outlined by the light of the full moon and obscuring his appearance.
The man of mystery gives the two villains a tip of his top hat and bows like a performer that's just taken the stage. "This is a performance. This forest is our stage, and we are the performers. Good Nue, if you'd be so kind as to perform a vanishing act I can assure you it will put our dear audience on the edge of their seats." He gestures towards the raging battle, implying that said audience members are the wannabe heroes themselves. "Let their fear and uncertainty plague their minds. And let our guest-star shine and perform for them! And that is when I will perform the closing act."
A part of Nue wants to slap this thespian loving dude out from the tree, but he thinks better of it. Figuring it wouldn't do any good, especially with Kurogiri watching him like a hawk right now. "Yeah. Yeah. I more or less wanted to stretch my legs. I had my fun."
With a whistle his clones stop engaging in combat with the teens. The clones taking to the forest and vanishing in the burning smoke so the teens can't see them speed around and fly back to their original host. Once together the two clones reemerge into the prime Nue.
Cracking his neck and rolling his arms from the soreness, Nue gives Kurogiri the go ahead. "Kurogiri get us out of here."
Kurogiri nods and turns back to their mysterious ally. "We'll leave the rest to you."
The man of mystery graces Kurogiri with a smile from behind his white mask. And with a flourish the villain poses like that of a great performer, meanwhile, all around him globs of orange moss begin to grow and spread across the forest. "Believe me this will be a show that no one will soon forget."
And with that we have Ch.74! So, what did you all think about the different fight scenes? I hope it wasn't too confusing when we switched from scene to scene.
In other news, we only have 1 chapter left until the Forest Training Camp is over and done with. And then we begin the KAMINO WARD ARC! WOOOO! It's gonna be good!
That said, the next chapter will take a lot longer to post and the next Omake will not be until the week before I post (unless the chapter is already done). I am going on a trip real soon and I will be without wi-fi for all of it. So, no computer for me. Which means I can't work on the chapter. So yeah, don't expect any updates any time soon
But there is something I need to ask you guys, and this will determine future updates: Would you guys prefer Sooner Updates with shorter chapters or Slower Updates with longer chapters?
I think it's clear that I cannot do longer chapters in the span of two weeks. Longer chapters take between 3-4 weeks to write for this story. So, I need to know if people want half chapters that leave on awkward cliffhangers or a full chapter with a beginning, middle, and end?
*I know some of you wanted a very personal fight between Bakugou and Nue. Sorry you didn't really get that this time but trust me they're gonna have a rematch in the near future (in the next arc or so). And that'll be a far more personal fight between the two. Promise.
*Fanfic is undergoing some maintenance issues. Mainly that every 90-days or so everyone's account will reset and the "E-mail Notification" or "Email Opt-in" will be turned off.
Everyone needs to go into their Account Settings and set "Email Opt-in" to Yes. Otherwise, you will not be getting alerts or emails about chapter updates from my story and all other stories on this site.
Responses for "Guest" reviewers from Ch.73:
Atom king: This is incredible chapter with everyone fighting their own battles with Ochaco and Tsuyu fighting charmcaster and Toga, Kraab teaming up with Momo and two class b students to find and destroy the jammer along with finding ragdoll which again I hope that she doesn't lose her powers and that someone else loses theirs, izuku and Shoji having to deal with an out of control dark shadow only for Nue to show up use his lighting on him to weaken him and finally an long awaited rematch is about to happen Nue vs Bakugou, I have to say is bakugou is die probably painfully too.
Guardian-Sigil: Since you enjoyed last chapter so much I have to know what was your thoughts about this one. I hope it was everything you were hoping for
Joel: Hey Mr. Sigil! So I was revisiting Chapter 53, and I know that the Easter egg of Naofumi's Tanuki park was a spin on a scene in the Goofy Movie, but based on the name, is it also a reference to Shield Hero? Yknow, considering the MC, Naofumi Iwatani, has a companion, Raphtalia, who is a Racoon or Tanuki ish humanoid?
Guardian-Sigil: Yes it's a double reference. One level it a reference to the Goofy Movie and the other is Shield Hero.
Grimm: I really liked the chapter, I want to see how the kamino arc will be, and what consequences it will bring and what differences there will be, continue like this with the fanfic
ps: thanks for the advice and for answering my questions
Guardian-Sigil: Oh I so want to show what'll happen too. But we have to continue through all this. But we're getting there
And no problem
Guest: I am aware Thirteen is a girl too, but I am keeping the pronouns "they/them" for them. Since when I started this story, their gender had yet to be revealed and as thus I am saying that for this story those are their preferred pronouns.", so instead of spending some time and do some edits you rather just go with this? That's kinda lazy if you ask me I know fic writers that would fix that
Guardian-Sigil: It's not me being lazy. It was a conscious decision. Why? Because A good friend of mine asked me to keep Thirteen's pronouns as "They/them." I did NOT keep it because I was lazy. And I did not think it was necessary to share that
Metal Lizard: So since The Secret Saturdays are in this and that there are monsters to I thought of some monsters that can make a appearance with The Secret Saturdays
Zinogre-Monster Hunter
Leshen-The Witcher
The Night Feeder-Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal
Giraffes-The Owl house
The Red Bluster-The Sea Beast
well those are the monsters and The Secret Saturdays will be appearing later I don't know when but it will be good and their reaction when Hisashi came back to Japan.
Guardian-Sigil: I definitely like some of these. I love Monster Hunter and the Owl House, oh and Sea beasts and Primal. But that said there are no promises I will use any or most of these monsters. Since if/when I introduce the Secret Saturdays it'll probability only be for one arc or so
Guest: I know tokage will be very happy to see hugemugasaur
Guardian-Sigil: She will be
Guest: I wish the story was a little longer
Guardian-Sigil: So can I get some feedback. Would you prefer sooner updates or longer chapters with slower updates? Because I don't know what's better yet. Heck these last two chapters were originally gonna be one big chapter but I sliced it in half in order to post in two weeks rather than 4 weeks
Guest: I saw someone talking about making a love Triangle for Izuku to have in your fanfic to add some drama in your series, like I can picture Ochaco and Mina having a crush on Izuku and wanting to be with him, as well as other Ben 10 girls that could want him too, but what do you think, will you actually put a love triangle relationship in your fanfic?
Guardian-Sigil: No, because I'm not doing ships
I might do epilogue couples but that's it. I have no interest in writing about romance. Teasing it. Sure but going out of the way to have full on chapters about it, no
Hellboy: With each new alien comes with new fights with villains and I can see some interactions with some Pro Hero's that would be interesting. Midnight with Gutrot to see if her quirk can work on Gutrot but his chemical's can probably block her perfume and Gutrot would also be Immune to her quirk.
Sir Nighteye with Brainstorm to see if Sir Nighteye's quirk which is Foresight granted the user the ability to accurately predict all of the target's future moves and actions for an entire hour Brainstorm can use his knowledge to outsmart Sir Nighteye's quirk and predict his own predicament.
Mirko with Kickin Hawk they are both good at fight with their hands and feet so they can fight each other or team-up.
Endeavor with Heatblast to see with of there powers can burn brighter.
Fat Gum with Eatle both need to eat for their power to work and are both durable.
Guardian-Sigil: All good combos for sure
I like the Brainstorm and Sir Nighteye especially
Guest: You should do more quirkless hero deku stories
Guardian-Sigil: Sorry but let's focus on one story for now
I'm Hellboy: I got to say Nue and Sevenseven don't mess around and it makes me wonder which new alien will be next? Swampfire Bloxx Astrodactyl I don't know but Izuku will need whatever he can to fight back these villains will not show mercy.
Guardian-Sigil: I guess we'll have to wait see. Those are all good guesses though. That said it's actually gonna be a while before we see a new alien so don't expect anything until maybe near the end of the Kamino Ward arc
DeadCool14: Well, things are going from bad to worse. Pretty hype of seeing Kraab working with less appreciated members of class B
That explanation with Aizawa and Shinso with the wind was really cool, makes a lot of sense, I never thought it that way before but yeah; that cloth is strong but it's still cloth so how do you use it? Watch the wind
I think Humungousaur's shrinking could be useful, he could use it to dodge an attack coming from above or bellow him; like someone throws Tetsutetsu or Kirishima at him and he shrinks down two feet to dodge them
Toepick's power isn't hallucinations:
"Toepick's only known way of defeating his enemies is with his extremely scary face, which taps into the primordial fears locked in all beings' subconscious and primitive brains. Toepick's face is so hideously horrifying that almost no being in the known universe can look at it without being scared to the point of turning pale white. If someone were to take a photograph of Toepick's face, the picture would come out blurry, but it would still make people uneasy.
The sight of Toepick's face can cause adverse effects. The most common of these effects are the inducement of terror and insanity, as a Dwarf Star-powered Psyphon was so terrified by Toepick's face that he begged him to stay away in-between screams of terror.
Toepick's face can also induce nausea, as shown when Argit vomited several things he had eaten."
You should check his wiki page for all his abilities and weaknesses
What would the name of the Emotlyst's homeworld?
Would Hisashi know some actual plumbing?
And on that note, are the Midoriya's a family of Plumbers like the Tennysons or is Hisashi the first one?
Guardian-Sigil: So, how'd you like Kraab's teamup? It was a little short buuut there were so many other team ups and fight scenes that I need to cut things down somewhere
I'm still not gonna introduce Humungousaur's shrinking. I still that's dumb and was made up to cover how loose the Ben Ten creators were with continuity and attention to detail
As for Toepick…OOoooooh that makes a lot of sense. I guess I just liked the idea of hallucinations so i went with it. But that explanation is still pretty cool to me
Emotlyst homeworld? You know I never even considered it before. How about… "Nirvana Motus"? ("Motus" means "Emotion" in Latin)
Does Hisashi know some actual plumbing…well he thinks he does. Like how most Dads think they can fix things on their own. Hence why the Rustbucket is still a hazard with all its utilities and appliances
BlueRanger-Lyric: /Ym3CHGFgVnc
Hey, since they've now made redesigns of all the original Ultimate Aliens, I'm now curious about something, since it seems highly likely they you'll make the whole Ultimate gimmick be exclusively Albedo's thing and with the release of this video, will you be using only the original Ultimates or will you actually using some of or all of the redesigns of the Ultimates in your fanfic?
Guardian-Sigil: So you don't need to send me the Ink Tank links. I've been subscribed to them for a while
And if "IF" I do Ultiamte aliens. Then yes I will use MOST of their designs. But original designs like for Humungousaur, Echo Echo, Swampfire, and others will stay. And I might use redesigns of others like Wildmutt or Cannonbolt
Grimm (again): Hey what a fight between twice and ditto would be like, for me it would be very funny to see it since double doesn't take ditto seriously because of his height, which makes him angry and helps him show off with a new technique, at least he fights, showing him that he doesn't I underestimated. From his height, I was thinking that Ditto uses his half-clones to build mass like Luffy, allowing him to stretch or enlarge his fists, like Kendo.
PS: I hope you recover from the covid
Guardian-Sigil: A fight between the two would be fun. Not sure how I feel about the power upgrade. Definitely inspired by Ink Tank's Ultimate Ditto design
Also thank you, I am all good now
DeadCool14: Will Ditto sing Eri the 'Countries of the World' song?
Would Kickin Hawk be one of the aliens that will have his powers changed? Because I always thought he could be like Taskmaster from Marvel; he can copy and replicate someone's fighting style and even predict their next moves, but it would take a lot of concentration
When Eon shows up, will he have Quantum Break powers? It's a video game about time travel, it's really good and the powers are sick, please check it out
What if when Deku gets Ghostfreak back he could stay in the sun but only temporarily before his second skin burns off, which would give a purpose for him to have said skin, because otherwise it really has no point aside from hiding his tentacles, which, again, is pointless. And the reason it doesn't work now is, again, my theory that Zs'Skayr just can't create one like the rest of his species and the one he has now is a fake construct created by the Omnitrix to make him look like an average Ectonurite
Guardian-Sigil: Ditto should, shouldn't he? Maybe that'll be an Omake one day
I never considered changing Kickin Hawk's powers. But going the Task master route isn't a bad idea at all
I have no knowledge of Quantum Break so I'll check that out. Also Eon will NOT appear in the main story. If you want to understand why please read the "Special Announcements" chapter
Also I'm not changing Ghostfreak's weakness. The sun is his kryptonite. Period.
Felipe: I am aware that you already said that you do not want to use the ultimates, I have an idea of how to use them and even if you do not use it I want to get it off my chest, the Omnitrix has a lifesaving function that transforms the user when he is in a deadly situation correct ? Well, my idea on how to use them is basically that you make the Omnitrix monitor izuku's vitals, when adrenaline and everything else that has to do with stress and what a person feels when they are in danger reaches a certain point, the omnitrix comes to the conclusion that the power he is currently using is not enough so it activates the "ultimatrix mode" and maintains the transformation in ultimate for the time he has left, then when the danger passes and izuku's vitals return to normal the Omnitrix comes to the conclusion that the danger is over and just goes back to normal, my idea is that you basically turn the ultimatrix into a function or a modality of the Omnitrix that cannot be operated or activated manually but just works on auto, that way you can use ultimates from time to time but giving an explanation on why izuku can't just use it any time he wants, I think it works fine
Guardian-Sigil: Not a bad idea. I'll give you marks for creativity on this one. Not sure I'll go with it but I for sure will consider it
Guest: Ochako losing…Good
I know that sounds bad but this needs to happen or she becomes a Mary Sue. Now she does needs to lose in something related to school as well and it's all good.
Guardian-Sigil: Yeah that does sound bad and I never meant for her to be a Mary Sue. It was just an unnoticed byproduct of trying to make sure Izuku has struggles of his own. I took a lot of inspiration from the Spectacular Spider-Man series on how the MC has struggle over struggle, so when he does get a win it's more satisfying. But I failed to notice that I didn't balance that out for Ochaco until it was too late
BlueRanger-Lyric: I found an image of a Red Deku that you could use for Albedo's Izuku form, you know, for after it takes damage the same way it does in the original show, but what do you honestly think of it and will you use it?
. /pin/650629477416862671/
Guardian-Sigil: Thanks but I have an image and getup already in mind
