Welcome back to "Through the Rough", everyone! The "Heroes: Rising" Arc is now in its final stages, with every villain except for Nine defeated! But he's proving to be stubborn, and most of the other heroes are either worn out or unconscious. So let's see just how they can still fare in the battle ahead!
Enjoy!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
Standing outside of the hospital room, Holy exhaled a sigh. The victim of the villains' attack had finally regained consciousness, so now he could be questioned. A foreboding feeling came across the dual-type Quirk user, who wondered just what their foes were after. Inside the room, Hawks and Feather were speaking with the man.
"Cell Activation?" the former uttered after hearing the explanation from the now Quirkless victim.
"That's right," the man replied with a nod, sitting on a bed in a gown while an IV tube was attached to his right arm, "I could only manipulate the cells in Type A blood though, so I was fairly limited…" he mentioned ashamedly, "It's not a power that's very helpful to most people, honestly…" he admitted.
"I'm certain that you saved a lot of people thanks to it," Feather chimed in reassuringly to his surprise as he blinked, cracking a smile. Hawks grinned, knowing that while her blunt personality was aloof, it was also kind and heroic. However, he did want to get to the heart of this conversation as quickly as possible.
"Mister Shimano, do you have any family?" he asked somewhat curiously.
"A daughter and son," the hospitalized practitioner answered, "We live on Nabu Island," he added in explanation. Hawks narrowed his eyes in thought.
'That's pretty far…' he inwardly noted, mapping out the location in his head, 'but Nabu Island is still within the culprit's range,' he mentioned through his thoughts.
"Nabu Island, hm?" Feather repeated, "I understand that hero course students from UA are there on a recommendation project," she pointed out, turning towards Hawks, "Sponsored by the Hero Public Safety Commission, right?" she guessed.
"Yeah," he replied with a tilt of his head. Just then, he felt a buzz in his pocket. "'Scuse me," he said, pulling out his phone and opening the door to walk out. The I.U.A. Hero narrowed her eyes onto him.
"Of those that attacked you…" she continued to the victim, pulling out her phone and showing him blurry images of the Dark Stars, "did any of them resemble the figures in these images?" she inquired.
"…No, I don't think so…" he answered honestly.
"Hm," Feather hummed, "Perhaps they were keeping lookout…" she inferred.
"I'm sorry that I can't help much," Mr. Shimano apologized, catching her attention.
"It's fine," she assured, swiping across her device to bring up another picture, "Were these the villains that attacked you?" she asked as she showed him an image consisting of three mugshots for Chojuro, Kiruka, and Hoyo.
"Yes," the victim answered, "There was also that masked man who stole my Quirk," he added.
"Do you have any idea as to why he would steal your Quirk in particular?" Feather questioned on, arching an eyebrow.
"Hmm…" he hummed in thought, thinking back to the encounter he had with the villains, "He said… he finally found it…" he remembered as he narrowed his eyes, "I'm guessing for my Quirk in particular," he concluded.
"Probably because it's a healing-type…" the I.U.A. Hero inferred, putting her hand onto her chin, "What Quirks do your children have?" she asked him.
"My daughter's power is called Hologram, which lets her make illusions of whatever she imagines," he explained in response, "And my son has a more advanced version of my Cell Activation, which works on all blood types," he mentioned. Sunset blinked in surprise at that detail. If it turned out the villain who stole Mr. Shimano's Quirk couldn't use it because of his blood type or someone else's…
'There are far too many coincidences here…' she thought, standing up straight. One thing was certain though. She knew where the villains were.
"Miss? Is something wrong?" Mr. Shimano asked in concern. She instantly dashed towards the door to his surprise. During the time they were having their conversation, Hawks was leaning on the wall just beside the room, having his phone up to his ear.
"What is it?" he asked upon answering the call.
"A fishing boat sailing near Kyushu just received an SOS message," a male member of the Safety Commission responded through the line, causing him to slightly widen his eyes in surprise as he lightly gasped, "Villains have attacked Nabu Island," he told him, "They're requesting help," he mentioned as the Wing Hero started running towards a nearby exit.
"That's the suspect who's been taking people's Quirks!" he exclaimed in realization, passing by Holy as she blinked in surprise.
"What?!" the Safety Commission member yelled out of shock. Hawks burst through the door to head outside, jumping onto a railing and flapping his wings before hurriedly flying off.
"Send a rescue team there as fast as you can!" he requested immediately as he turned a corner, "And someone get in touch with UA High School!" he added as an order.
"UA? Why?" the man on the other end of the call asked.
"Because they have students there!" Hawks yelled in reply, soaring onwards, "As part of the project the Safety Commission sponsored!" he mentioned loudly, "Class One-A from the Hero Course was sent to Nabu Island," he explained, "which means they're facing those villains alone!" he pointed out in a panicked tone. Back in the hall, Holy was flabbergasted.
"What is going on…?" she questioned in concern.
"Holy!" Feather called out, getting her attention as she turned to see the Eye of Venus Quirk user hurry past her, "We need to go!" she insisted, enticing her colleague to follow her.
"Did you figure out something about the villains?!" she presumed as they ran down into the lobby, heading through the sliding doors.
"Unfortunately, yes…" Feather answered, running over to get inside her comrade's sports car on the passenger side, "The villains were targeting Shimano because of his Cell Activation Quirk, which I assume they needed for the next phase of their plan," she explained as Holy got in, starting the vehicle, "However, because Shimano's Quirk was of the wrong blood type, they needed to find another that would work no matter what," she told the dual-type Quirk user.
"And who would that be?" she inquired.
"His son," Feather replied to her shock. Immediately, the sports car zoomed off down the streets.
"Hawks must've learned something relating to that as well…" Holy realized, letting off a grimace, "Get in touch with Justice and the others," she advised of her colleague, who was quickly swiping through her phone, "Have them contact all the top heroes they can," she added in instruction.
"Of course," Feather responded.
X
The rumblings outside made those in the cave murmur worriedly with fright. Glancing back at them, Fumikage grimaced. Even with the number of villains dwindling based upon how a set group of the students were gathered in the cavern, it sounded like some of them were becoming much more difficult to deal with.
"Hey, guys!" a voice cried out, getting his attention as he looked over to see Shiki at the entrance with Pino atop his head, "Glad to see you're all okay…" he noted, letting the little android down.
"Shiki, thank goodness!" Toru exclaimed.
"Hold on, you're not fighting?" Rikido inquired out of surprise.
"Witch told me to come straight here," the Satan Gravity Quirk user responded as he walked over, "Anyone else make it?" he questioned.
"Over here!" Mina called out, causing him to look over to see her and Koji there, waving to him.
"Arsenal was also present, but he went off to recover and perhaps assist anyone still struggling against our foes," Fumikage told Shiki.
"In that case, I should, too," he decided, turning around and heading off.
"Ah, Shiki!" Toru yelped.
"You all heard that lightning a little bit ago, right?" the Satan Gravity Quirk user assumed of his classmates, "If that mask guy's already using that Quirk, then everyone who's gotten hurt is gonna be in trouble," he pointed out, clenching his fists as his energy markings appeared upon them.
"Granbell…" Fumikage uttered.
"I promise I'll be back as quick as I can!" Shiki vowed, flying off.
"It's probably better if he's out getting the others," Koji admitted, "In the meantime, let's make sure we can safeguard the people," he insisted of his classmates, earning nods in response from them. Thunder was rumbling on Nabu Island. In the aftermath of the massive lightning bolt that struck, leaving dozens of craters and darkening the sky with clouds, now the only student heroes seemingly left to protect the Shimano children were the four on the high plateau. Rebecca looked over, seeing the figure of Nine slowly trudging towards them. She clenched her fists tightly.
"Shoji, take Katsuma and Mahoro and go," Mashirao instructed to their masked classmate, getting her attention as she looked over the Dupli-Arms Quirk user. He seemed reluctant as he cradled the two frightened children in his arms. How could he not be? Some of his toughest friends were just taken down by their lone foe…
"Please, just do it!" Kyoka insisted firmly.
"…You can count on me," he assured after another moment, turning around and running off.
"Rebecca, you go with him," the Earphone Jack Quirk user insisted of her friend, causing her to perk up in surprise.
"Wha-?! No way!" she argued instantly with a shake of her head, "I can't leave you guys after—!"
"In case he gets through us, Shoji's gonna need some extra help to back him up before he gets away," Kyoka explained, interjecting the Cat Leaper Quirk user's remark. She balled her fists, grimacing in frustration. But she took a deep inhale through her nose to calm herself while shutting her eyes.
"It better be just in case, Kyoka," she told her. She nodded back in promise, letting Rebecca hurry off after Mezo. The Dupli-Arms Quirk user had formed a long stretch of appendages to pull himself up the high stone wall of the castle ruins, allowing the ash blonde-haired girl to hold onto him with the children. They landed down and ran hurriedly alongside each other. Down below, Nine was weakly walking along a bridge as he took notice of them.
"I… found you…" he breathed out raggedly. He felt another throb in his body. "Ergh!" he grunted, grabbing at his chest. Time was running out. Meanwhile, Kyoka plugged her earlobes into the amps at her wrists as she rushed towards the bridge. Mashirao hurried over to the other side of it, using his tail to spring himself high into the air.
"Heartbeat Distortion!" Kyoka roared, sliding onto her knees before slamming her wrist amplifiers against the ground in a grunt. A powerful sound emitted from them, shattering the earth as it broke up towards the oncoming Nine.
"Twirling Tail Dance!" Mashirao yelled, spinning down and striking the other side of the bridge hard with his tail, making it also break. With both ends collapsing, the entire bridge crumbled as Nine fell. Both student heroes smiled in relief at their efforts… but suddenly, Mashirao found himself ensnared in the jaws of a blue, dragon-shaped entity that was shot towards him.
"Ojiro!" Kyoka cried out right before being snatched by another one as they both slammed the two student heroes into the castle wall. All the while, the dragons lifted Nine up towards the peak as the glowing cracks on his face grew. But he was determined to see his goal through. In the meantime, Mezo and Rebecca were running towards an opening into the ruins.
"There's the escape route…" the former noted as he kept going. The latter knew that getting into the catacombs would most certainly grant them a metaphorical safety net, at least until Nine wore himself out completely because of his Quirks. However, she couldn't help but glance back and widen her eyes.
"He's coming!" she warned, causing Mezo to grimace underneath his mask. He stopped to glance back himself… and barely took a laser to his left arm in time to defend the kids he was carrying. More were coming his way, enticing him to turn around and take them to his backside, protecting the two children as the laser cut through his skin. One blast caused him to lurch forward, dropping Katsuma and Mahoro onto the ground. They quickly sat up and widened their eyes to see the Dupli-Arms Quirk user weakly stumble before he fell onto his knees, with Nine walking towards him from behind. But he spread out his arms and patagia defensively.
"Don't stop!" he cried out to the children, who looked extremely frightened as they both shook, "Keep moving…!" he pleaded. Nine was ready to fire off more lasers, only to suddenly end up ambushed by bursts of blue light that struck him from nearby. He reflexively put up energy barriers to shield himself from more, seeing that they originated from Rebecca's Happy Blasters as she continuously fired, yelling all the while.
"Miss Rebecca…" the Shimano children uttered out. Nine growled with frustration. And then, he widened his eyes, quickly throwing up another set of energy barriers to his left to block powerful sonic waves sent towards him, causing sparks of electricity to crackle as they struck. They originated from Kyoka's left boot, as she had plugged her earlobe jack into it while bleeding from the head.
"Kyoka!" Rebecca exclaimed upon noticing her.
"You two have to get out of here!" the Earphone Jack Quirk user yelled to the children. Understanding that now was their best chance to keep the villain from Katsuma and succeed in getting him away, Rebecca lunged forward, letting her wing-like markings expand upon her legs.
"Stay with each other!" she cried out.
"Don't look back!" Mashirao shouted, bleeding from the head as well while lunging towards the villain with his tail at the ready.
"GOOOOO!" Mezo bellowed, drawing several fists as he jumped out at Nine. The villain surrounded himself within a dome-shaped barrier, taking all four attacks at once. Rebecca gritted her teeth as she tried desperately to push through it with all her available might. But it wasn't enough as the dome suddenly blew apart in a huge explosion of light with a burst of wind, blowing the student heroes all away in yells as they crashed through the surrounding stone walls. The resulting dust and dirt cleared away quickly afterwards.
"GRRRKKK!" Nine grunted out as he felt his body palpitate even worse than before, grabbing at his chest again. But now, nothing stood in his way from getting to what he desired. Or so he thought. A figure suddenly slid in before the frightened children.
"Huh… huh…" Rebecca breathed out heavily with her Happy Blasters in hand. She was bleeding from her head, but was still standing as the pair of kids behind her stared in awe.
"Miss Rebecca…" they uttered out.
"Hah…" Nine exhaled exasperatedly, "Stubborn fool…" he muttered out with disdain, wincing as he felt another uncomfortable palpitation in his body. The Cat Leaper Quirk user tossed aside her weapons, letting them clatter onto the ground.
"You two get ready to run," she advised of Katsuma and Mahoro, causing them to blink in surprise, "I won't be able to hold out for long…" she admitted, letting her markings expand as her appearance changed.
"You're… gonna fight him alone?!" the little pigtailed girl exclaimed in question. Assuming her Overdrive appearance, Rebecca clenched her fists.
"Both of you, run!" she insisted, shooting herself forward in an instant. Nine was quick to throw up an energy barrier with his hands, which she struck with her right foot fiercely, trying to push him back. He let out a grunt.
"This… power…!" he winced out, looking to see the angered expression upon the Cat Leaper Quirk user's face. She managed to push him in another grunt, followed by lunging at him again. He fired off a multitude of lasers from his fingertips, which she was swift to evade as she closed in. He grimaced, noticing the blue bio-electricity crackling around her. She clenched her left fist tightly.
Before Nine could do anything, she slammed it into his stomach, blowing him back instantaneously. Rebecca winced, yelping with pain as she grabbed at her arm. Tears pricked her eyes as she widened them, spotting the forming cracks upon her hand, trailing up to her elbow.
'Why am I already cracking…?!' she wondered inwardly, seeing her arm shift back to normal, 'Is it because I'm using One For All at full blast with my Overdrive?' she presumed, grimacing a little, 'No, don't worry about that…' she insisted of herself, 'Katsuma and Mahoro need to get to safety…' she noted through her thoughts, 'That means I have to use every ounce I got to keep this guy back!' she affirmed inwardly, dashing forward as she spotted Nine standing up, 'Go beyond, Rebecca!' she added to herself, 'Be Plus Ultra!' she exclaimed inwardly, closing in on the villain.
"You damn fool…!" he cursed, unleashing several blue dragons from his back as they attempted to ensnare the Cat Leaper Quirk user. She leapt around them with ease, though was finding herself unable to locate an opening.
'If I don't stop him before my Overdrive wears off…' she began to herself as she grimaced, 'I'm a goner!' she realized.
"DIE!" Nine roared, having the draconic constructs close in on her, about to ensnare her in their jaws. She clenched her fists, rearing her right leg back.
FLASHBACK
"All Might?" a little Rebecca said in confusion as she stood outside a TV store with Izuku, watching footage of the number one hero taking down several villains.
"Mm-hmm!" the freckled boy beside her responded with a nod, "He's the greatest hero ever!" he proclaimed excitedly, "I'm gonna be just like him one day!" he added. The ash blonde-haired girl looked back at the screen, seeing the hero laugh proudly after subduing his foes. She tilted her head.
"He's… kinda creepy…" she admitted.
"HUH?!" Izuku yelped in shock.
"But…" Rebecca continued as he blinked, "it's really cool that he helps so many people," she pointed out, "I wanna be someone like that, too!" she mentioned, letting off a grin. The freckled boy beside her beamed with delight.
END FLASHBACK
'Izu…' Rebecca uttered inwardly as the draconic constructs came closer, 'I'm going to help everyone I can!' she vowed, swinging her right leg forward fiercely.
"SSSSMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH!" she roared fiercely, striking the dragons to make them shatter like glass. The force of the attack was enough to blow Nine off of the plateau, as his coat flew off into the air. Just as they reached the entrance to the catacombs, Katsuma and Mahoro looked back to see the Cat Leaper Quirk user fall toward the ground, her right leg practically looking like shattering glass as all sorts of cracks ran along it.
"MISS REBECCA!" the little boy screamed, seeing her land down upon her stomach. She winced with pain, though managed to revert her right leg back to normal as the cracks disappeared. She sighed with relief, transforming back to normal. Her eyes were droopy as she could barely see ahead of herself as she panted for air.
'Just… please…' she pleaded inwardly, 'Stay… down…' she begged through her thoughts, closing her eyes as she was about to lose consciousness.
"Ergh…" a voice growled out, causing her eyes to jolt open. She looked out and gasped with fright to find Nine trudging out from the cloud of dust, hyperventilating but still moving. The Cat Leaper Quirk user grimaced with frustration, unable to move. She could only watch as the villain made his way past her. He stopped for a moment. "If it's any consolation…" he began, "I would've liked to have taken your Quirk…" he admitted to her shock. She clenched her teeth.
"Don't you dare… hurt those kids…!" she shouted, trying to push herself up, only to grimace again before falling down. Paying her no mind, Nine continued his approach toward his target. Katsuma and Mahoro were both in tears. All of their heroes had been defeated. There seemed to no one left to save them now. No one brave enough to take a stand… As she took a look at her scared little brother, Mahoro knew what she had to do.
"Keep running, Katsuma!" she cried out to him while standing up.
"No, don't Mahoro!" he pleaded, but she had already made up her mind.
"It's fine! Just go!" she assured, running towards Nine as he gasped, "STAY BACK!" she demanded of the ragged villain as she stopped in front of him, "DON'T YOU COME ANY CLOSER TO MY BROTHER!" she shouted, outstretching her arms. He still approached, albeit slowly. "I TOLD YOU TO STOP!" she yelled, bravely lunging out at him. Katsuma widened his eyes in fright. Nine had grabbed his sister by her neck with his left hand, holding her up as she tried to pry herself free of his grip. Another throb of pain surged through his body as more of his cells were dying. He grabbed at his chest, still holding Mahoro while tightening his hold on her.
"Mahoro, no!" Rebecca screamed with fright.
"Unless you want your sister to die right now…" he threatened to Katsuma, who was shaking with fear, "you'll get over here!" he ordered.
"Run away…!" the little girl gasped out to her brother, "Escape…!" she pleaded desperately, struggling to breathe from the villain's grip.
"Now I can turn my desire…" Nine began as the cracks forming on his face grew, "into… a reality…!" he declared in between ragged breaths. His grip tightened on Mahoro, whose tightly shut eyes welled with tears. Katsuma was tearing up profusely, with snot coming out from his nostrils as he sniffled. His sister was about to die in front of him if he didn't surrender himself.
"Please… Katsuma…!" she begged, wanting nothing more than for him to stay safe, even at the cost of her own life. So many emotions were welling up within her little brother as he tightly shut his eyes. All the fighting that the Class 1-A students and the Shining Star Heroes had gone through to protect him, his sister, and the islanders… was all because of him. It was his Quirk the villain wanted. He was what caused all this. And he had enough of seeing the people who were protecting him suffer as a result…
Without thinking, he lunged forward.
"NNOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed as he ran towards Nine, "I can't just give up!" he declared despite being afraid and in tears, "I promise I'll protect you, Mahoro!" he assured.
"KATSUMA!" Rebecca cried out. Seeing him approach, Nine quickly tossed aside the little girl he held before reaching out at Katsuma desperately. He was finally about to obtain the cure he needed. The power he desired. But suddenly…
"SMAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Izuku roared as he lunged in and struck Nine fiercely in the face with his right foot. Katsuma's teary eyes widened in shock.
"Izu…!" Rebecca gasped out with a smile. The impact of her boyfriend's kick sent Nine tumbling across the ground hard in a trail of dirt and dust.
"AAAHHH!" Mahoro screamed as she was falling towards the ground. Thankfully, Katsuki lunged in and caught her with his right hand, pulling her into his arms as he landed safely on the ground. Trying to regain his footing, Nine slid to a stop, only to suddenly be punched in the face by Hermit.
"I don't think so, you bastard!" she shouted, followed by letting the villain become ensnared by Sister's bladed whip. She smirked, pulling him down onto the ground.
"You're up, Witch!" she called out. Leaping onto the scene was the Sorcery Quirk user, who readied a light under her right palm.
"EDENS GLITTER!" she exclaimed, engulfing her target with a pillar of light as he screamed. In the meantime, Izuku landed down next to Katsuma.
"Sorry I'm late," the freckled teen apologized, taking a ready stance.
"You're okay…" Katsuma uttered, amazed that he and Katsuki were still alive.
"That was very brave," the Sorcery Quirk user remarked with a smile towards him, having seen what he did to try and save his sister, "You did well," she complimented, "We're proud of you," she added warmly. Izuku also grinned at him. The little boy started to tear up, but managed to smile with relief as his eyes shook. Meanwhile, Katsuki set Mahoro down onto her feet.
"Bakugo!" she exclaimed with relief, "You're alive!" she noted happily.
"Weren't you listening?" he questioned back, causing her to blink in confusion, "I'm gonna be the number one hero," he stated firmly, "I'll end up better than every pro, even All Might!" he declared. Mahoro smiled at him afterwards. Now she didn't think of his dream as ridiculous.
"Kacchan…" Rebecca uttered out, catching his attention as he glanced over to see her trying to push herself up. He turned to face her.
"Stay out of this now, Rebecca," he advised of her, "You did enough," he affirmed.
"No…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user growled, willing herself back onto her feet, "I'm… just getting started…!" she proclaimed in between breaths. The Explosion Quirk user was surprised, but then huffed with a smirk.
"Then don't go getting in my way…" he advised. Mahoro looked on at the pair in amazement, seeing them run over to join with Izuku and the Shining Star Heroes. Getting to his feet, Nine grimaced.
"You… defeated your counterparts…?!" he inquired of the trio of android heroes.
"It wasn't hard after realizing they weren't really the people we knew," Hermit pointed out in response.
"Unlike us, we remember our old lives completely," Sister added, "But yeah, we did hold out on some hope…" she confessed, clenching her fists angrily. Witch then stomped forward.
"I doubt you were the mastermind behind their appearance here," she pointed out, "That said, you're going to tell us everything you know about the one responsible for their return…" she declared darkly.
"Ergh…" Nine growled, realizing that he was cornered.
"Take your sister and run!" Izuku quickly instructed of Katsuma.
"Right!" he responded, running over and grabbing Mahoro's hand with his right, "Come on, sis!" he beckoned as they ran off quickly, leaving the heroes to gather together and face down the lone villain.
"Rebecca, catch," Sister said, getting the Cat Leaper Quirk user's attention as she barely managed to take hold of her Happy Blasters that were flung her way, "Hermit just gave those a temp upgrade," she pointed out, "And I'll heal you guys up as you fight," she added to the group.
"Thank you, Sister," Witch responded gratefully, "Let's go!" she insisted.
"Right!" her colleagues responded, dashing after her. Izuku and Katsuki were the first to launch themselves forward at their foe. They slammed their feet against the energy barrier Nine quickly conjured to block them, with a burst of wind to follow. However, their opponent was growing more strained by the second, feeling another palpitation in his body.
"How could you have possibly avoided my lightning?!" he asked amidst the rushing wind.
"You stopped us with that before!" Izuku grunted out in response before he and his classmates broke through the barrier, shattering it like glass as Nine tumbled back along the ground.
"So we planned for it!" Katsuki pointed out as he and the others proceeded forward, with him readying his left palm for an explosion as it glowed, "And used that idiot Kaminari as a lightning rod!" he added in explanation. Far in the distance at the large crater as the smoke cleared was none other than the Electrification Quirk user, who had an extremely dopey look on his face. Electricity sparked all around his trembling body as his pointer finger was raised to the sky.
"Uh… thanks, maybe?" he managed to utter out before falling over onto his side.
"That lightning Quirk of yours seems to be the most dangerous to your body's health…" Hermit noted as she slid in from the side, assuming her Overdrive form in a flash of light, "Logical Arm Blast!" she roared, slamming her left fist against Nine's face before he could think to defend from her attack. His shield then went down as he was bombarded by a flurry of blue energy pellets shot from Rebecca's blasters, all while Sister had her hands upon her back, healing her in the process.
"Edens Gale!" Witch exclaimed, unleashing a powerful gust of wind from her hands onto the villain, who grimaced as he tried to form another energy barrier to defend himself. However, he was thwarted as Izuku lunged out with his feet aimed forward like an arrow.
"SEATTLE… SMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!" he roared, slamming his feet into his target's stomach, causing him to spit up blood. Katsuki then blasted himself over, using the added momentum from the wind to punch him squarely in the face, breaking his nose. He tumbled back along the ground, though he managed to regain his footing, breathing heavily.
"Ghhrrkk…!" he grunted out, gritting his teeth as more bits of his suit were coming off him. He was almost entirely defenseless. "Not… yet…!" he exclaimed in between breaths, unleashing a pair of blue, dragon-shaped entities from his back as they lunged out in a spiraling pattern toward his foes.
"Paradise Lashing!" Sister yelled from afar as she ran forward, swinging her bladed whips again to cut into the draconic constructs, followed by…
"SMAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!" Izuku bellowed as he lunged out and kicked right through the dragons fiercely thanks to the cuts the Heal Atomizer Quirk user had given them, shattering them into pieces.
"DIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!" Katsuki roared, blasting himself up off of the ground before enveloping himself in a wheel of flames that burned towards Nine. He quickly threw up an energy shield to defend himself, being caught up in a massive explosion that pushed him to the very edge of the cliff. To his surprise though, the fire surrounding him suddenly started to zoom backwards, almost it was being sucked in…
"Edens…" Witch's voice started to echo, causing Nine to gasp in realization as he saw that the flames were being entirely controlled by the Shining Star Hero, removing the smoke as well, "INFERNNNO!" she bellowed, unleashing a powerful torrent of fire that engulfed him completely, while also breaking apart the island ledge.
"WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Mahoro screamed as she and her brother tumbled back from the force of the blast. She quickly managed to latch onto a rock before taking hold of her brother's arm. "Get down!" she advised, pulling him behind the rock as they looked on at the fiery display.
"Hah… hah…" Witch breathed out in exhaustion, putting her hands onto her knees. Izuku and Hermit jumped over to her side, while Katsuki came down in front of them, using an explosion from his left hand to soften his landing. The four of them looked out at the fire engulfing their foe.
"Heh," Katsuki chuckled with a smirk as he wiped at his nose with his left thumb.
"That was a risky move, Witch," Hermit pointed out while transforming back to normal, "And you're still not a hundred percent from earlier, right?" she presumed.
"It's fine…" her fellow Shining Star Hero affirmed as she took a deep breath and stood up, "This battle isn't over yet, I'm afraid…" she mentioned to the surprise of the others.
"So the others are all inside the cave?" Rebecca inquired of Sister as they hurried over.
"Anyone who's still standing, that is," the Heal Atomizer Quirk user confirmed in response, "Those guys are our last line of defense in case things get really dicey…" she mentioned with a grimace.
"Depending on how the villain decides to counterattack now, we might need to retreat into the catacombs…" Hermit pointed out.
"Bastard didn't seem like he was in best state when he wailed on him just now…" Katsuki commented.
"Yeah…" Izuku agreed.
'Still, he could have another trick up his sleeve, like those tubes that drugged him earlier…' he recalled, clenching his fists. From within the flames, most of Nine's suit had been torn asunder, with the entire upper half of it gone, save for his back, neck, and his left arm. It was over. He wasn't able to heal himself. He wouldn't be able to his dream through.
'No…' he uttered inwardly, 'This isn't… over!' he declared inwardly, balling his hands into fists. Thunderclouds were building even heavier than before, swirling about the island sky, 'I… can't… stop… now!' he stated through his thoughts, with more glowing cracks forming along his torso, 'I won't let it end like this!' he added firmly to himself, even as his cells were rapidly dying out, 'I will have my new society…' he promised inwardly, clenching his teeth tightly as the cracks at his face grew, 'NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES!' he bellowed through his thoughts, with the tubes at his back shattering to pieces as a huge purple light expelled from them.
All of a sudden, the flames were blown apart as his four foes braced themselves from the wind's force. As they dissipated, it revealed Nine floating thanks to a small vortex he had formed at his feet, along with one swirling over his head. The luminosity coming from his broken tubes shined a purple as he glared down his enemies with clenched fists. He then spun himself counterclockwise, creating three fiery vortexes that came together into a giant, flaming tornado that crackled with lightning. Its force blew by the student heroes as they shielded their eyes from the dust and dirt being blown about.
"A tornado…!" Izuku gasped as he and the others looked up at it, while the wind settled around them slightly.
"He can control all types of weather…!" Katsuki realized, seeing the flaming tornado tower over the whole peninsula. Lightning was crackling about the darkened sky as well, threatening to erupt at any moment.
"This is bad…!" Hermit gasped out as she looked at a holographic display she brought up, "His Quirk's not just manifesting these tornadoes, it's also got the potential to form hurricanes and tsunamis!" she warned.
"Seriously?!" Sister exclaimed.
'What now?!' Izuku wondered in concern, glancing back to see the Shimano children still positioned behind the rock, 'Katsuma and Mahoro are still here!' he noted inwardly as a lightning bolt narrowly missed hitting them as they ducked, 'On top of that, everyone who's evacuated could be in danger, too!' he realized, remembering that the others in the catacombs with the civilians were the last line of defense, with some having not regained consciousness yet. Katsuki gritted his teeth.
'He's gonna end up destroying this whole island!' he pointed out through his thoughts, seeing lightning rain down and strike as more vortexes of fire were forming all around the peninsula. Witch took on a determined expression.
"Hermit, Sister, we have to use that," she told her fellow Shining Star Heroes, causing them to widen their eyes in surprise.
"Hey, are you serious?!" the Heal Atomizer Quirk user exclaimed.
"What if it doesn't work?!" the Master Code Quirk user inquired worriedly.
"We don't have a choice," Witch affirmed, "The longer we wait, the more likely the chance that villain has to strike us down," she noted out, "So please…" she pleaded, holding her hands out to her colleagues. They looked to each other worriedly for a moment, unsure as to what to do.
"Aw, dammit…" Sister cursed, going over and grabbing the Sorcery Quirk user's right hand, "If this works, it works," she affirmed, earning a nod in response from Witch. She then looked over expectantly to Hermit, who blinked in surprise. She seemed hesitant, but ultimately relented and took her colleague's left hand.
"Hey, what are you guys about to do?" Rebecca asked in concern.
"Protect the children, Rebecca," Witch advised as a reply, much to the surprise of the Cat Leaper Quirk user, "Izuku, Katsuki," she said, causing the two boys in question to perk up, "We'll need your help," she confirmed, "If you attack the tornado at different points, we can finish the villain," she told them.
"Are you sure?" Izuku inquired.
"If it doesn't work, then—"
"It'll have to," Witch stated, interrupting Katsuki, "Upon our names as not only the Shining Star Heroes, but as people who swore to protect you all," she continued, "we won't waver here," she affirmed.
"Exactly," Sister agreed, while Hermit nodded. Rebecca's eyes shook. She then hurried back over to Katsuma and Mahoro, leading them towards the entrance to the catacombs.
'We have to stop him…' Izuku realized, taking a ready stance, 'We can't hold back!' he inwardly declared. Energy began surging through him steadily, with red glowing lines appearing along his body as they glowed brightly. 'One For All…' he began to himself, closing his left hand into a tightened fist, 'ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!' he bellowed through his thoughts as the green electricity sparked brightly around him.
"Let's do this…" Katsuki said as small explosions crackled off of his palms like firecrackers. The bodies of the three Shining Star Heroes glowed as they glared up at the impending vortex.
Even with the massive, flaming tornado before them, they steeled themselves. They weren't going to give up.
"I'll blast this villain with everything I've got!" Katsuki declared, setting off an explosion from him his palms aimed backwards to propel himself forward, while his rival dashed after him.
"DETROOOIIIITTT…" Izuku started to roar, reeling his left fist back as he approached the tornado from the front, "SMAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!" he exclaimed, punching at the vortex fiercely.
"HOWITZER…" Katsuki began, blasting himself into the air and firing off explosion after explosion, spinning around to gain momentum as he flew towards the tornado, enveloping himself within his own twister, "IMPAAACCCTTT!" he bellowed, striking it with a powerful blast that was stronger thanks to the added momentum and oxygen.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" both Katsuma and Mahoro cried out, ducking behind the rock for cover as debris flew about everywhere.
"Mister… Deku!" the little boy of the two exclaimed. Izuku found himself struggling against the sheer force of the tornado, with his glove and sleeve ripping off as it pushed him back. He dug his feet into the ground, staying firmly in place. Above him, Katsuki was enduring the same struggle. His right glove and bandages were torn away by the tornado as he continued blasting into it, trying to break through.
"NOW!" Witch exclaimed. The brightness surrounding the three androids' bodies formed a mass of light in front of them. "EDENS… BUSTERRRRR!" the Sorcery Quirk user exclaimed as a beam of luminosity shot out, striking the fiery vortex fiercely. Rebecca shielded the Shimano children from the force of the attack with her body, seeing that it was slowly pushing the tornado back.
"Almost…!" Izuku grunted out, sounding strained. But then, Katsuki was suddenly caught up in the vortex.
"Oh shit!" Sister exclaimed, while the others gasped.
"KACCHAN!" Rebecca screamed in fright. Meanwhile, the beam striking the flaming tornado was suddenly blown away, much to the shock of the Shining Star Heroes.
"No way!" Hermit gasped out.
"Tch…!" Sister scoffed, "I knew it was gonna be a long shot, but I didn't think we'd be screwed this bad!" she exclaimed with panic in her tone, while Witch's eyes were shaking. Izuku was the only left to take on the vortex.
He desperately tried, even as his arm was breaking with every grunt he took. But unfortunately, he too was blown back by the tornado before getting sucked in. The Shining Star Heroes also met the same fate. They all screamed helplessly as they were spun around by the vortex's force.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Mahoro screamed as the debris from the tornado was about to strike her and her brother, who shut their eyes and braced themselves, holding onto each other. Rebecca held her arms around them with her back turned, shutting her eyes.
"Mahoro!" Katsuma yelled. They were about to die… But suddenly, Mezo leapt in, spreading his arms defensively to cover and protect them as boulders and rocks fell from the mountain, which was being struck continuously by lightning, breaking it apart in huge blasts of dirt and dust. Down in the catacombs, the islanders felt the rumbles as they all yelped with worry. More rocks were coming down from the mountain, collapsing onto the opening.
"The entrance!" Koji exclaimed. Reacting quickly as some rocks tumbled inside, Rikido stepped in and caught them with his bare hands, holding them back. However, he ended up getting his head hit by debris in the process, causing it to bleed.
"Sato!" Toru cried out.
"I think I can hold this…!" he grunted, keeping his hands firmly pressed against the rock to hold it and the others piling on, "Just keep them all back!" he advised of his classmates. Even so, they both looked on at their friend in worry. More rocks were piling onto the entrance, practically sealing the cavern as everything was going dark. Koji balled his trembling fists. He was scared… but also ashamed. His Quirk wasn't suited for battle or protection. What was he supposed to do?
And without thinking, he hurried over and pushed back the rocks alongside Rikido.
"Wha-?! Koda?!" he yelped in surprise upon seeing him there, "What are you doing?!" he asked out of shock.
"I'm… helping!" the Anivoice Quirk user grunted out in response while pushing as hard as he could against the piling rocks, "I know I'm not as strong as you, Sato…" he admitted ashamedly, "but I can't just stand by and let you do this alone!" he declared in a firm tone as he pressed his hands against the rock.
"Me neither!" Toru suddenly yelled as she ran over and pushed back against the rocks as well.
"Hagakure…!" Rikido gasped.
"We're… heroes, after all!" she pointed out, grunting as her gloved hands desperately tried to push the rocks away, "We gotta do whatever it takes to protect the people!" she exclaimed. Rikido was astonished by his classmates' insistence and courage.
"…Right!" he agreed, pushing hard with them as the islanders looked on with worry. What was happening outside?
END
Decided to stop here just to add a bit more tension. Nine might be the last villain standing, but he won't go down without a fight. And our heroes are understanding just why that is. Thanks for reading, everyone!
See you next time!