As Deku made his way to the Chaos King, he couldn't help but think about their time as enemies.

The Chaos King. Real name: Yu Kawatu. The man was a literal nobody before he became the boss of the Discorders. Deku knew a few things about him before then, including that he was once at the bottom of the Discorder food chain. While his Quirk was powerful, he didn't make any moves for a while. The Symbol of Peace often wondered if Kawatu was simply in the right place at the right time, and he became the boss.

Well, king.

It was weird. The boss of the Discorders named himself the Chaos King for no real reason. He even passed up on calling himself Discord. Then again, he likely didn't want to be associated with the My Little Pony character of the same name. That denied Deku so many wonderful jokes.

But the Chaos King was no joke. He rallied different criminal groups and took over an island theme park. The island housed many people, including workers, burned-out civilians, and heroes. With the island locked down tighter than an American military base, Deku was sent in to liberate the island under cover of darkness. It was tricky to liberate an island full of civilians when the Discorders could execute people if they smelled a pro-hero or the military. When the island was liberated and the civilians returned to the mainland, the war against the Discorders began.

Kawatu had managed to buy his allies all over the world. He bought politicians, court justices, oil tycoons, arms manufacturers, and more. Politicians and justices ensured that his work could barely be disrupted. Oil tycoons supplied him with near-unlimited cash, and arms manufacturers built his Q-Series weapons. Near-endless shipments of Trigger and Quick Quirks were shipped through underground networks by drug traffickers, and human traffickers allowed him to produce a steady supply of Quirks.

Quick Quirks. It was another brainchild of Kawatu and another attempt to become the next All for One.

The Quick Quirk was a temporary Quirk factor that could be injected into the bloodstream and provide a temporary Quirk. The Quirk factor would pass through the system in a few days and not compromise the user's lifespan. Criminal enforcers who feared the Instant-Nomu serum had alternatives to power, and they always came crawling for more doses.

It made Deku sick just thinking about it. All for One was gone from the world, but Kawatu was hell-bent on becoming the next Symbol of Evil with his empire. Villain gangs owed him everything, politicians never lost when they worked with him, and drug traffickers made millions when smuggling his product.

It was like he never tore All for One's head off his shoulders ten years ago. His sacrifices meant nothing.

Deku clenched his fists. Even thinking about All for One would trigger the Third's Power, and he didn't want that to happen.

Deku started thinking about the Chaos King's Quirk as he approached his enemy.

Styx. The name was misleading if you didn't understand the reference, but Deku wasn't Deku for nothing. He knew the story of the Greek hero Achilles and how he was dipped into the River Styx as a baby. He knew the story of how Achilles was a monster on the battlefield, thanks to his invulnerable skin. It was only by the back of his heel that Achilles was defeated in battle.

The Chaos King boasted that he had no such weakness, as he survived countless blows from heavy hitters like Deku, Mirko, Endeavor, and many other heroes. Every part of his body was as strong as steel, and his strength matched his size. Yu Kawatu was a human wrecking ball. With all that power, however, only Deku found a weakness.

With his Quirk already so strong, Kawatu barely trained it, and it showed. During one of their fights after the Crisis Island fiasco, Deku realized that he punched the same spot on the Chaos King numerous times, resulting in red and raw skin forming. The Chaos King was no idiot and immediately noticed that he was vulnerable. He withdrew from the fight, regaining his strength in private.

Since that day, the Chaos King came to his fights well-prepared. He wore an undersuit that acted like armor and a custom set of steel knuckle dusters. These allowed more brutal hits while keeping his Quirk from wearing out with his punches. The Chaos King also stopped engaging in drawn-out fights with Deku, only fighting when necessary.

Today's fight was necessary for both of them.

Deku stood in front of the Chaos King. The Discorder boss threw the last piece of steel away and chuckled. He rose to his full height and started cracking his knuckles. "What an underhanded tactic by the Symbol of Peace, but it was effective. I never would've expected you to resort to bombing the hell out of me," he said.

Deku said nothing, prompting the Chaos King to continue. "You've fulfilled my expectations of you, and I couldn't be prouder. First, you eliminate Tomura Shigaraki, the would-be Symbol of Terror, and then brutally eliminate All for One. I hope to know where you found the strength to accomplish an impossible task, though I doubt you're in a sharing mood."

Silence from the Symbol of Peace. The Chaos King spread his arms out wide. "Have you nothing to say?! Look at you! Your spirit is soaked in the blood of the fallen before you! Your consciousness weighs heavy on your shoulders! I KIDNAPPED YOUR YOUNGER SELF AND BEAT HIM TO A PULP! Where is the rage? Where is the hero's righteous fury?!"

The villain cracked a smile. "Do I need to kill your mentor to bring it out?!"

WHAM!

Deku fired a single punch, moving faster than the eye could comprehend. The blow landed on the Chaos King's cheek, sending him flying through the rubble of the fallen metal titan. The Symbol of Peace was about to move after him, but a low rumble beneath his feet stopped him.

Danger Sense pinged a low-level threat. He didn't turn to meet the threat but allowed it to reveal itself.

Wolfram burst through the ground behind him with his fist primed for a surprise strike. His fist was wrapped in various metals with spikes on the knuckles. Wolfram threw the punch but missed Deku's head. The Symbol countered with a back fist, knocking him out. The villain fell backward, with his improvised gauntlet crumbling into pieces.

Creati didn't need to brush off her knowledge of lip-reading to know what the Chaos King was saying. The heart monitor connected to Deku's suit spiked before he delivered that punch. The Chaos King said something to trigger that response; the topic could've been anything.

The Everything Hero sighed. It was going to be a long night.

The Chaos King slammed into a shipping container, stopping his impromptu flight. As the villain rose, he allowed a light chuckle to escape. He wiped the blood from his mouth and looked at his hand. It looks like I got under his skin.

The villain stood straight as Deku appeared with a fierce look in his eyes. The Chaos King pulled his knuckledusters from his coat pocket as the Symbol approached. Slipping them on, the villain dropped into a fighting stance. "Tonight, we end this drawn-out fight, Izuku Midoriya! TONIGHT, I CLAIM ONE FOR ALL!" the Chaos King declared.

The villain did not give Deku a chance to retort. He leaped forward and punched straight at the Symbol. Deku deflected the punch, inviting the villain to press the attack by throwing powerful punches and swings. One straight punch was deflected by Deku's raised arm, scraping iron-like skin against the metal of the Full Shield. Deku stepped inside the Chaos King's space and delivered several jabs to the stomach.

As each punch landed, Deku noticed that something was underneath the suit. His blows did not have Deku's desired impact, almost as if there was armor underneath. The Chaos King started to push with another series of blows, each blocked or deflected by the Symbol of Peace. As Deku stepped back, his opponent stepped forward, keeping the two locked close.

The Class A spectators watched the two trade blows in awe. Bakugo, a longtime All Might fan, recognized that the two were trading blows of incredible strength. It was like watching the former Symbol of Peace fighting the Nomu. Both combatants were tanking their trading blows, sending shockwaves across the battlefield.

Incredible...

The Chaos King fired a straight jab, only to be blocked by a headbutt from Deku. The hero followed up with seven quick punches, starting at the base of the stomach, moving up the core before connecting with the underside of the villain's jaw. Thanks to Styx, the uppercut didn't knock out the villain, only stagger him. The opening allowed Deku to land more hits to the villain's core, testing the strength of the armor underneath.

It took five hits for the Chaos King to recover and grab Deku by the neck. He raised the hero off his feet and let go. Deku dropped into the path of a heavy punch. Deku blocked the punch with both arms crossed over his chest, but the momentum still sent the hero flying.

The attack had little effect as Deku used Blackwhip to latch onto the ground. Using his momentum and the elasticity of the Quirk, Deku pulled himself back and shot forward like a pebble from a slingshot. The Symbol of Peace pulled his legs in, and before he made an impact, he shot his legs out. The Chaos King didn't have time to move before being sent into the ground. Deku flipped in the air, reoriented himself, and fired another strand of Blackwhip. The strand connected with the villain, allowing Deku to pull back and launch into the villain's space to deliver another blow, this time with a roundhouse kick enhanced by the added armor around his legs. The Chaos King was sent skipping over the ground like a pebble over a lake.

The villain slammed into a shipping container, stopping him from going even further. The Chaos King groaned as he picked himself up, cursing the hero as he stabilized himself.

Deku approached, and the villain stopped. "Now I know that didn't do a lot of damage...but damn, that felt good!" He growled.

The Chaos King chuckled. "How very un-heroic of you. No hero worth their salt should take pleasure in beating criminals like you do," he said.

"Maybe...but after everything you've done to the world in our time, you deserve a reality check," Deku admitted.

The Chaos King smiled. "Well then, if you want to play that game, let's play properly." He reached for his sleeves and rolled them up.

Deku gasped as the villain rolled his sleeves up. The villain revealed a shiny set of metal gauntlets. The gauntlets had a familiar shade of purple glowing through them. When the Chaos King revealed them, he had the biggest smile.

"Do you recognize them, Deku? They are the advanced version of the Quirk Amplification Device that David Shield made many years ago. I hope you didn't think I would give the only one to a failure like Wolfram, did you?"

Deku growled as the Chaos King reached for the wrists. He turned a dial, activating the devices. Purple energy surged through the gauntlets, causing the villain's arms to steam. "In honor of the great Symbol of Peace, I'll start small. Let's kick things off with 20% output per arm. That's a good 40% increase to my base strength!"

Danger Sense started to ping for the hero. The Chaos King held his smile as he charged into the fray, slamming into the ground and creating a shockwave that blasted Deku away. The villain continued the assault, chasing after the Symbol of Peace. The Chaos King slammed Deku into the ground, only for him to knock him back into the air to throw more punches.

In between punches, Deku deflected one of the Chaos King's punches, giving himself a moment to breathe. He immediately noticed that the villain's arm was heavier than his regular punches, yet he still moved as light as a feather. The opening he created allowed him to escape the villain's brutal attack and open some distance between them.

Danger Sense was flashing. The device is more potent than when Wolfram had it against me and All Might. I need to be careful here. Look for limits, structural weaknesses, something!

Deku clenched his fists. "First, let's see if that glass jaw of yours is still there," he muttered.

Pouring One for All into his legs, Deku shot forward in the blink of an eye. The Chaos King didn't register his speed until the Symbol's fist moved upwards into his jaw. He immediately used Blackwhip to fling the villain into an open shipping container. Once he was in, Deku quickly slammed the doors, grabbed the bottom, and flipped it on one end, trapping the Chaos King inside.

Deku floated over the container and sighed. "His jaw was denser than I'm used to. It's a real difference and only at 40% capacity. Ideally, those two are the only ones he has, so his potential is 200%. Realistically, he must have another, so at least 300%. If I want to end this, I must do so quickly," he muttered quietly.

"JUST TRY AND END THIS, DEKU!"

The Chaos King burst through the doors and slammed into Deku. As the two flew through the air, the villain punched through the door and grabbed Deku's suit. The villain forced Deku through the door with a mighty pull and threw him across the battlefield.

Deku reoriented himself and aimed his fist at the villain. "Detroit..."

The villain couldn't stop himself from falling directly into Deku's sights. "SMASH!"

The hero fired a mighty punch, sending a powerful column of fist-shaped air at the villain. The force knocked him back into a Manchester Smash, sending the Chaos King into the port below. The shockwave sent debris flying in all directions.

Deku angled himself toward his enemy. "He's dense, but his weakness is still there. I need to wear him down," he muttered.

The hero prepared a full-on Smash to bury the Chaos King further. The villain, however, was ready. He rose and prepared a punch to strike back—the two punches connected, sending a shockwave of energy throughout the battlefield. Neither fighter showed any visible sign of distress at the connected attack.

Their connection lasted a second before the Chaos King grabbed Deku's outstretched arm and pulled him in for a knee to the gut. The attack knocked all the wind out of Deku's lungs. The villain punched the hero across the face before throwing him away. The hero didn't fly far before the Chaos King followed up with a hammer strike, sending him into the concrete below.

The Chaos King landed beside the hero as he struggled to stand. "Now, I KNOW that did a lot of damage because I haven't seen you like this in the time we've known each other. It's like being hit by a wrecking ball, right?"

Deku looked up as he breathed heavily. "Of course, you don't exactly have a right to complain. You always beat down my lieutenants like this, sank my ships, and tore through the lives of my subordinates. I call this true justice," The Chaos King proclaimed.

The villain threw his arms open wide. "Dearest hero, isn't this what you've always fought for? Didn't you say before that you'd 'beat my ass into the next century'? DIDN'T YOU PROCLAIM YOURSELF THE WINNER OF THIS WAR BETWEEN US?!"

Deku clenched his fist. The Chaos King smiled. He reached for his wrists and turned the dials again. "40% output per arm; 80% combined output!"

The Symbol of Peace immediately noticed the Chaos King grow larger as he powered up. The half-giant started looking like a full giant. The villain grabbed the flask clipped onto his belt and popped the top open. "To the rise of the Era of Chaos. Kampai!"

Deku couldn't stop the Chaos King from taking a swing of his flask. As he drank, he watched the Chaos King transform. His body changed into a man-lion hybrid. His hands turned into paws with incredibly sharp claws. His size grew even more, soon towering over the Symbol of Peace.

The Chaos King smiled as his face transformed to match a lion's. "Boss Livingston's Lion Quirk, matched with a mild Gigantification Quirk, a strength multiplier, and Poison Claws to round out the package. Congratulations, Deku! You have witnessed the birth of a new Quirk!" The villain growled.

The Chaos King extended his claws. "Behold, the Quick Quirk combination: Nemean Lion!"

S-Shit...

The Chaos King reached over and grabbed Deku by his suit. "Enjoy this brutal but brief beat down. It'll be the best one yet!"

While the fight rocked the port, Creati and Uravity watched at the edge of their seats. Izuku was stabilized thanks to their First Aid, but he needed proper care, and emergency services hadn't arrived yet. They were told a pro hero was on site, ready to guide them to the area, but no one said who.

DynaMight kept close to the hero course students. None of the remaining villains tried rushing toward them, and the captured sat quietly. None of them tried breaking their bonds or pleading to be released. Instead, they watched the fight and waited for a winner to be crowned.

One of the captured villains started laughing when the Chaos King revealed his Quick Quirk combination. "HE FINALLY USED IT! MY GIGANTIFICATION POWER!"

The rest of the villains were soon cheering for their boss. Creati sighed heavily.

Deku managed to block the Chaos King's enhanced straight jab, but the combined force of so many powers sent him sailing through the air. The villain crouched and launched, sailing straight toward the flying hero. He extended his claws and swiped at Deku.

Thanks to his enemy's massive size, Deku managed to slip through the claws. As he slipped between them, the young hero could hear a sizzling sound coming from them. Once he was clear of the danger, Deku pulled a fist back and fired a Smash at him. The Chaos King took a direct hit to the face, creating some distance between the two.

Deku fired Blackwhip at the Chaos King, binding the villain's arms and legs with multiple Quirk-enhanced strands. Activating Float, Deku held his spot in the air. "Kawatu, what the hell is wrong with you? Multiple Quirks and the Quirk Amplification Device? You'll burn your life force, even with those temporary powers!"

The Chaos King started to laugh. "Says the boy using multiple Quirks!" He retorted. "We have fought while you had an unfair advantage. There is no harm in trying to even the playing field, is there?"

Deku growled. "You are willing to become a monster to beat me once and for all?" He asked.

"I am willing to deal in devil magic to see you gone from this world!"

Deku stared into the Chaos King's eyes for a moment. He didn't see any lack of will in his statement. He pulled himself forward and slammed into the villain. It was comparable to slamming into a brick wall with a luggage cart. Deku's momentum disappeared as the Chaos King grabbed the hero and slammed him into the ground.

Deku groaned as he crawled away from where he landed. Danger Sense was blaring in his head, telling him to move. "80% OUTPUT! SMEAR THE GROUND WITH YOUR WORTHLESS GUTS, HERO!"

Before the Chaos King could smash Deku into a green splot of paste, Blackwhip erupted from the hero's back and stopped the villain in midair. With the immediate danger out of the way, Deku slowly got to his feet, his suit in tatters from the fight. The hero turned to the Chaos King and threw him through the air, sending him toward the cargo ship nearby.

The strands of Blackwhip kept the hero steady as he recovered. Before he could move, Danger Sense alerted him to several small projectiles flying toward him at incredible speed. Deku easily dodged each attack, sensing their presence up to the moment they passed him. He was about to move when a large shipping container flew at him.

Blackwhip moved to defend. Deku stamped the ground behind him with his Quirk while another wave of darkness erupted from his back and shoulders to catch the container. He saw the Chaos King charging at him with burning red eyes as he did. Deku tossed the container away and launched himself toward his enemy.

The two fighters slammed into each other's defenses, sending a shockwave of energy throughout the battlefield. Blackwhip was used to brace Deku's arm, allowing him to take more damage from the Discorder boss. The Chaos King, however, found the situation amusing. "You've had no choice but to brace yourself when meeting me. Dear gods above, Deku, it looks like you're already tired," the Chaos King taunted the hero.

"Well...it's not like I can take anything to restore my stamina," Deku retorted. "Besides, I'm just testing your strength. 80% total output? You're making me adjust my normal power level."

The Chaos King raised a brow. "Since you know so much about One for All, you should have a pretty good idea what percentage of power I used here."

Deku quickly broke the Chaos King's guard, spreading his arms wide. Deku stepped forward with both fists primed, and in a move that no one saw coming, the Chaos King was suddenly sent flying toward the cargo ship. As he flew away, the Symbol of Peace vanished into thin air.

Back with class A, Uravity and Creati eyed each other after Deku sent his opponent flying. "Not good. That burst of strength will only last as long as he has the momentum," the Everything Hero said.

Uravity nodded. "Deku needs to end this fight quickly." She turned to the Great Explosion Murder God. "Did you see what he has?"

DynaMight nodded. "Dual Quirk Amplification Braces. He had those hidden in some of the files we got. What's bad is that they came with a chest piece. If the damn nerd hasn't figured it out yet, that bastard has the potential to be a huge problem. Maximum output: 300%."

"Deku could lose this fight with one wrong move," Creati mused. "Uraraka?"

Uravity clenched her fist. "We need to be ready. Keep an ear on him in case something happens. We need a backup plan."

Deku hated making his friends and fiancee worry, but he couldn't help it. The man who likely tortured his daughter and stole her Quirk had enough defensive power to keep him at bay for the long haul, and he was already feeling his knuckles ache from punching that near-steel body of his. While the Full Shield helped him in that regard, even they had limits.

Deku also knew that he was on a time limit. The sudden burst of strength meant he went beyond his maximum power. Akin to an adrenaline rush, this burst of power was only temporary, and it tapped into a power Deku swore he would never use. If he wanted to end the fight, he would have to do it while in this state. If he failed, the Chaos King would only grow stronger.

Deku gritted his teeth as he sent the villain into an abandoned truck. The day was supposed to be a simple day in the city. He was supposed to take the kids to Minato, eat food, visit some shops, and then drive them home before resuming his boot camp on Monday. Not only had that plan imploded, but he was now running on fumes. He had been near nonstop since that afternoon, and the villain attack, train crash, and hunting for the culprits drained him of whatever he had left. He had to give his opponent some points for picking the right conditions to fight him with.

The Symbol of Peace chased after the Chaos King. The villain pulled himself out of the truck and swung a left hook into the hero's cheek, sending the green superhero into a nearby cargo ship.

The Chaos King panted heavily. He grabbed the gauntlets and turned the dials on them. "Combined energy output: 120%. This should kill him..." The villain sneered at his thought. "I'd rather he suffer first."

He leaped toward the hole that Deku made. Before he fell in, he turned the dials to 0%, reverting to his original form. The Quick Quirk combination faded, turning him back into a half-giant gray-skinned man. When the transformation was complete, he reached into his ruined coat pocket and grabbed his cell phone.

"It's time to break the Symbol of Peace..."

Izuku Midoriya was resting in his cot, far from the battle. Snipe and Uravity had confirmed that Emergency Services were on their way and he would be taken to a hospital. It would only be a matter of time.

As the fight progressed, one of Midoriya's fingers started to twitch. He started to grimace. Uravity stood nearby, and her blood ran cold when she saw him twitch. She had seen him react like that before.

Danger Sense was going off.