A few months earlier…
"Are you sure this will work?" Kiyotaka asked with a look on his face that lacked any emotion whatsoever while staring not at the Doctor beside him but the latter's most prized creation. (With the exception of his precious Nomu of course.) Which was a certain man with spiky blonde hair who happened to be placed within one of the special containers that was reserved for the Nomu. However, this man was not one of those foul beasts. Ayanokoji could tell that by only a single glance at the man before his eyes. But if that man wasn't a Nomu, then what the heel was he exactly? And of course, Garaki was able to predict that the protégé worthy of his Master's legacy would think as much.
"I'm quite sure. He might not seem like much. But I assure you he is far more dangerous than his physical appearance lets on. This man, Katsuki Bakugo is not to be underestimated no matter the circumstances." Garaki declared while recalling what he was told by some random police officers back when he was incarcerated. That's right. Kyudai Garaki had been arrested for a little while after the raid on Jaku General Hospital. This lasted until shortly after the defeat of AFO. And it was then Garaki had a premonition that his Master might have lost. He begged for answers. And what he received was-
"Hahaha. You really want to know what happened to that 'Master' of yours, eh? Well, he's dead." One of the two cops guarding his cell said while sipping a bottle of liquor. He was clearly drunk. And saw no reason to hide anything from him any longer. Even though he had been instructed by Naomasa Tsukauchi to NOT let the doctor know anything in relation to the Final War that had taken place between the heroes and the villains. Tsukauchi feared that any leak would reach AFO's ears even with the precautions they took to avoid that. But since AFO had been defeated, the drunk cops couldn't help but rub it in the doctor's face.
"You lie! He couldn't be killed! He was the most powerful man on this planet! Nothing could have killed him! NOT ANYONE AT ALL!" Garaki yelled out while gripping the bars of his prison cell with all his might. He had anticipated the possibility of a defeat should the heroes succeed in surprising his Master and the Paranormal Liberation Front, similar to the raid on their hideout that occurred a year prior. But killed?! Not even All Might was capable of such a feat! So, then who the hell could have done it?! No one! That's who! These cops are filthy liars! Nobody on this earth could have killed his Master! Especially not All Might's successor Izuku Midoriya! But that was the foolish assumption of the Doctor that was utterly destroyed by what the cops said next.
"You see that's where you're wrong, old man. It was… *HIC!* those heroes… wait what were their names again? Ugh… it's on the tip of my tongue. Help a brother out, pal?" The drunk cop asked his partner who was just as drunk if not more so than he was. He then let out another loud hiccup while his partner tried to remember. But this lasted for what felt like hours as neither of them could remember the names belonging to the heroes who saved the day. They were drunk after all. But this aggravated the Doctor to no end. Especially their incessant burping. And it only took so long before he had enough of it all.
"SPIT IT OUT ALREADY! WAS IT DEKU?! OR SOMEONE ELSE?!" Garaki shouted at the top of his lungs which caught the officers off guard. If they were somehow telling the truth, then the only possibility (Though he did not want to admit it) was Izuku Midoriya. All Might's protégé was the only person capable of defeating his Master much like the boy's predecessor did. Though killed seemed out of the question given the child's pacifistic nature. It just wasn't in his character to kill another person. At least that was what the Doctor was sure of. But to his utmost surprise, he couldn't be more wrong.
"Yeah! That was his *HIC!* name! It was the hero Deku who killed that piece of shit! But he wasn't alone! He had the help of some 'great murder god of destruction' … ring any bells?" The drunk cop gloated before asking his partner for details though the latter had already passed out due to being drunk as a skunk. It was then that the Doctor froze as if he was a block of ice in the arctic. He had never expected in a million years that 'Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight' or more specifically Katsuki Bakugo would have ever been capable of defeating his Master much less kill him.
However, they wouldn't have mentioned that child (Especially by his long hero name) unless he had actually somehow accomplished the deed of killing his Master alongside Izuku Midoriya. There was no longer any doubt in his heart, (If he even had one) that his Master was killed by the combined efforts of the heroes Deku and Dynamight. But even then, expecting Katsuki Bakugo to have been the one to land the killing blow was the height of hubris. There was no world where that could have possibly happened. That's why it could have only gone down like this! Dynamight must have caught his Master off guard after experiencing a near fatal attack.
'BOOOOOOM!' The result being that his Master had received an explosion to the face. One that gave him a significant amount of damage. After all, Bakugo's explosions were very lethal. But AFO surely still had his handy Regeneration Quirk! And thinking that he'll be able to heal from his injuries was when-
'SMASH!' AFO incurred a fatal hit that ended up killing him. Of course, this was all just guesswork coming from the Doctor. But he was quite sure of his deductions with what the cops said. They might have been drunk. But they were subordinates of Tsukauchi. That meant that they surely received intel that wouldn't have been anything less than the truth! Along with the fact that they hadn't been letting out any information before this then it was all too certain that something close to what the Doctor had predicted had somehow occurred! And that realization was…
… The straw that broke the camel's back.
"Hahaha…" Garaki laughed quietly. But that didn't last long as laughter grew louder and louder until he was practically screaming. Though his incessant laughter was like nails on a chalkboard for the officer who was still awake.
"Can it! Alright? *HIC!* That bastard got what he deserved! So shut your pie hole already! It's over! You… have lost." The officer snapped back with a shot before hiccupping again. This shout may have lowered Garaki's voice for the time being. But not for long at all.
"No, no, no, no, no… YOU HAVE LOST!" Garaki spoke before ending with a shout at the top of his lungs. The Doctor's sudden scream didn't catch the officer off guard like it had shortly prior to this. But what happened right after that did.
'BAAAAAAAM!' Suddenly and without any warning whatsoever the entire building they were in shook. This made the officer collapse to the ground like dominos. But in his drunken state it took a bit of time for him to stand back up. He then rushed toward the center of the room where there were many monitors. On the monitors were the footage of the security cameras of the various rooms within the top-secret facility they were in. After the mass breakout of villains from the prison Tartarus, Garaki was kept under strict personnel in a facility far away from any city. That fact was what made everything so shocking for the drunk officer! And that's why he had to see what the heck was going on! But by then it was already too late-
'CRASSSSSSSH!' The steel doors of the room that Garaki and the drunk cops were in were busted through as if they were made of cardboard! The loud noise made the officer fall onto his butt as he took in the horrific sight before him and the monsters staring back at him. One of them had the appearance of a giant humanoid bat. Another had the head of a wolf that was inserted on the body of a lion akin to a chimera. Lastly there was a humanoid one that was the tallest by far with row of teeth protruding around where their neck and shoulders were. These were undoubtably Nomu. But not just any Nomu. These were-
"Hmm. I heard only three. Drat. That must mean that the pesky heroes and the authorities apprehended the three others… no matter. The three Near High End Nomu are plenty to break me out of this filthy cell, don't you agree, you filthy fucking ingrate?" Garaki asked with a sadistic smile while the officer could only look at the monsters while tears slid down his cheeks. Garaki laughed to himself as he had been frozen in place much like the officer is right now. Except now…
… He gets a front row seat to the demise of the ingrate that to him was nothing more than a swine.
"PLEASE! DON'T KILL ME! AUGH!" The officer begged with every fiber of his being. But much like their Master, these monsters had no knowledge of the definition of mercy. And this ended exactly as you would expect, with the officer being torn to shreds until the only thing that was left of him was a bloodstain. His partner received a fate that was similar but luckily for him he was fast asleep and probably didn't feel that much pain in the end. Garaki was more than satisfied with the result. And shortly after that the steel bars of his cell were torn apart much like the doors were from before. Garaki then walked out of the prison cell (Or lack thereof) A free man. But not before smirking in delight at the bloody mess all over the floor.
"These cops were filthy ingrates who deserved nothing short of being locked up in a zoo like the animals they are. But this… this puts a smile on my face." Garaki declared while grinning ear to ear before skipping forward like a schoolgirl until he made his way to the vast array of monitors. It was then that he got a good look at what the security cameras were in the process of recording. That being the utter carnage and devastation that the Near Nigh-End Nomus had caused in mere moments. It was as if each of them was a hurricane. And before any of the unsuspecting people keeping the facility running knew it, they had been sucked up and obliterated without a trace by the winds of the hurricane.
Shortly after that, Garaki had made his grand escape, and with the help of his Nomu they were able to free the three other Near High-End Nomus. The heroes had just barely won the Final War against the villains and were in no shape to actually go up against any Nomu, much less the Near High-Ends. They were as the name suggests relatively close to the level of the High-End Nomu that had almost killed Endeavor and Hawks back in Central Fukuoka. Along with the High-End Nomu that Mirko fought back in Jaku Hospital. If three of the top five Pro Heroes almost died fighting them then none of the other heroes stood much of a chance.
Even the majority of the UA students that had fought in the Final War who might have been able to fight against these monstrosities were healing from their injuries in the hospital. (Of course, this included Izuku Midoriya) This meant that there was no one with the amount of raw power capable of vanquishing such foul beasts! And that was all according to the Doctor's calculations. This made things easy for him to concoct a plan that would make sure that Izuku Midoriya suffered a fate worse than death! And by using the special Nomu who had the Quirk that allowed him to traverse other worlds, it really was all too easy for him to do.
However, that's not all. Just before leaving his old world behind, Garaki had procured blood belonging to Katsuki Bakugo. It really wasn't all that hard given the youth's tenacity to fight to his dying breath. This in turn made him suffer numerous injuries that would surely kill most men. It was a given that Bakugo left behind plenty of blood on the battlefields he fought in both wars against the villains. And with just a bit of his blood, Garaki was able to do what he had done with the vast number of Quirks he had in his possession. Copy. Or more accurately-
"I was able to clone Katsuki Bakugo with a strand of his DNA. All I needed was a few of his white blood cells to do it. And this right here is the result! In a matter of days, he was able to gain the appearance of the man who had helped Izuku Midoriya defeat my Master! But like any clone, his body isn't sustainable for long periods of time." Garaki explained while admiring the physical appearance of the clone that was akin to the real Katsuki Bakugo. It was a shame if he were let out of the container then he would surely perish in a matter of months. That's why it was imperative to keep him in there for as long as possible. His lifespan was quite short, especially in comparison to the amount of time that the Doctor lived for.
However, these caveats could easily be overlooked for the advantages that this brought him. By creating a clone of Katsuki Bakugo, Kyudai Garaki was able to manipulate him in such a way that restrained the so called 'good qualities' that the man had. This was made possible due to this Bakugo possessing no memories belonging to the real version of him. This was the reason why when he would eventually face off against Izuku Midoriya, the clone would hold nothing back. And with the clone being susceptible to the words of his Master, he was made into a killing machine with a single purpose…
… To kill Izuku Midoriya! And for the man that Midoriya thought of as his best friend to be the one to kill him in the end, well that was a fitting end for the hero Deku in the eyes of the monster Kyudai Garaki!
Chapter 65: Deku Vs. Kacchan: Part 3
"KACCHAN!" I screamed at the top of lungs while rushing forward to the man that I couldn't believe was there! How could he be there!? But there was no doubt about it! That was Kacchan! No doubt about it! And he had just-
'Die.' Killed a man! How could he!? In my eyes Kacchan might have had qualities of him that a hero shouldn't have had. I was made apparent of those countless times whenever he bullied me. But that was all in the past!
'Izuku… I'm sorry.' He even apologized for it! But even if all of that was a lie… he would never kill anyone! Much less a human being! How could he!? HOW COULD HE!? KACCHAN?! WHY WOULD YOU RESORT TO SUCH CRUELTY? But before I could get an answer to that question, I was beaten to the punch. Or more specially-
'BOOOOOOM!' A massive explosion erupted and blew away all the trees in the vicinity! It even knocked me off my feet and sent me flying with them! But as I was in midair, I searched desperately for Kacchan with my eyes. But before I knew it-
"DEKU!" Bakugo snapped back at the top of his lungs and just as I turned my head to the side, my eyes shot wide open as I realized the place he had been hiding was right behind me! He must have used his explosions to get into the air! Crap! It's been so long since we last been around each other that I forgot his speed is comparable to that of a bullet train! Except he doesn't move in a single direction! He can pretty much fly wherever he wants with those explosions of his! I completely miscalculated, thinking that he would stay on the ground! And that would cost me greatly!
'BOOOOOOOOM!' Kacchan let out another massive explosion while gripping the back of my neck that sent us propelling faster than the speed to the sound and all the way to the ground!
'BAAAAAAAAM!' The ground cracked to pieces as if it were made of glass! The entire ground rumbled beneath us! All I could do was lay on my back while Kacchan stood upward victorious, while gripping my face. It was then that I remembered something similar happened some time ago. That's right. Our battle on Ground Beta. This happened back then too. Of course, Kacchan would resort to such tactics that he had used before! But back then I didn't have nearly as much strength as I do now!
'OBLITERATOR: AIR FORCE: FIFTY PERCENT!' I screamed internally before using my fingers to unleash a blast of concentrated air that blew away the soil beneath us! But it wasn't just the soil that blew away! Kacchan was also sent skyrocketing into the sky! Though he didn't seem to mind this as I stood up to see that he was continuing to be in mid-air by using his Quirk to perform consecutive explosions. But when I was able to get a good look at him was when I noticed that he had his gauntlets that made his explosions far more powerful. I knew that I wouldn't be able to hold back. But then it hit me.
"Augh!" I let out a shriek of pain as it felt like my head had been hit with a metal baseball bat a hundred times over. The pain was utterly excruciating but I ignored it till the pain subsided as I stared at Kacchan as the moon hung behind him. Of course he was smiling. He was giving me the opportunity to make the next move. Oh, how courteous of him. Well, I'll gladly take him up on his offer! But before I could-
'Hey kid! You know what will happen if you keep abusing the power of my Quirk! That brain of yours is going to be cooked! Is that what you want!? To leave your friends behind with nothing but tragic memories?!' Jokata yelled out internally as he couldn't understand why I'm pushing myself this far. Of course he can't understand! This isn't some run of the mill villain or someone acting if they are part of the League of Villains! This is Kacchan! He is my friend! Probably the best friend I ever had back in my old world! And now he is…
… waving his fingers back in forth in a way that screams 'Come and get me.' It's because I know just how powerful he is that I can't abide by my promises. After all, this guy aside from All Might is the strongest guy I know. And I can't let him kill anyone else. Not now…
… AND NOT EVER AGAIN!
'OBLITERATOR: AIR FORCE: SIXTY PERCENT!' I screamed internally before shooting up into the sky like a missile!
'WHOOOOOSH!' Before I knew it, I was heading straight for him as if I was locked on a single target. That target being him and him alone. But even as I was heading at him faster than the eye could perceivably blink, he saw me coming from a mile away. It was a given since this is Kacchan we're talking about! He can read my moves just like how I did the same to him all those times in the past! And just like back then when I predicted he would go for the shoulder throw during our first fight, he read me like a book!
'BOOOOM! BOOOOM!' Just when I was in range for an attack, Kacchan used one of his explosions to propel himself a bit further in the air before unleashing another explosion that sent him right behind me. But I figured he would do something like this! After all, when Kacchan uses a move once, he's bound to do it again! And that's why I was already charging an air bullet that was aimed right behind me for him! I didn't even need to have eyes in the back of my head to tell that he was smiling. And I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't smiling too. Me and Kacchan weren't always good at talking to each other…
'BAAAAAAAM!' But by fighting we were allowed to communicate with each other in a way that transcended words completely! And that was made readily apparent to both of us when our attacks collided with each other! My Air Force bullet vs his explosion! The result broke apart the clouds! And sent us both crashing back to the earth! My body slammed against the ground which made me spat out blood. And just as I rubbed the blood onto my fist-
'BOOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOOM!' He was already coming right for me with consecutive explosions! It was as if he was a fighter jet soaring through the sky at Mach five! No honestly, I'm pretty sure Kacchan is faster than that! That's why I have no choice but to give this everything I've got!
'WHOOOOSH!' The air reverberated back at me as I charged air bullets in both of my hands as Kacchan was just about to reach me! But before he could-
'OBLITERATOR: CONSECUTIVE AIR BULLETS: SEVENTY PERCENT!' I screamed internally before unleashing a vast array of air bullets from both of my hands as if they were the barrels of a shotgun! But Kacchan saw the bullets of air heading for him in slow motion and smirked knowing full well that I was once again stealing his moves. And of course, he couldn't let the copycat faker beat the original!
'BOOOOM! BAAAAM! BOOOOM! BAAAAM!' Each of my air bullets met with his explosions as they canceled each other out! But that didn't stop us from firing as many as we could fire until one of us gave out! But since I had barely been holding anything back from the start combined with the fact that every time, I use my Quirk my brain takes the damage I was the first to stop attacking! It was only the briefest of moments as my brain felt like it was being run over by a car. But-
'BOOOOOM! WHOOOOSH!' It was all Kacchan needed to unleash an explosion that sent him flying toward me with a single hand! And with his other hand he closed it into the shape of a fist! And then…
'BAAAAAAAAM!' He sent his fist straight into my chest! A regular punch from him would normally hurt. But this wasn't any run of the mill hit. It was calculated. And he hit me right where my solar plexus was. Not only that but he used the explosion from earlier to increase the force of his strike! It was all coordinated in such a way that maximized the damage tenfold!
"BLAUGH!" I coughed up blood while being sent flying until I hit a mountain that happened to be behind me. It was a given considering that we were in a forest and there were quite a few mountains here. Though that didn't make things better. Not in the slightest. If I hit a tree, then the wood would have been less painful. But mountains were hard as a rock. I could feel the bones in my back break as if they were being shattered like glass. Of course that's not what happened. But it sure felt like it. The result was that I couldn't do much of anything as I slumped and hit the ground below. And before I knew it, my eyelids closed, and I passed out.
Meanwhile…
"The explosions… they stopped." Sakayanagi commented with a dumbfounded look. What she was staring at was what was happening behind her. Or more appropriately what was 'no longer' happening. Just moments prior, there was explosion after explosion. She deduced that must be where Midoriya was sent to when he went through that portal! After all, those explosions weren't from him! They were from that guy who followed after him! He used explosions to send himself into the portal before anyone knew what happened! That's mean those two are fighting!
However, they stopped. That means either Midoriya won or… no. The thought of him losing, Sakayanagi couldn't even imagine it. No one who was on Midoriya's side could imagine actually being beaten. Shockingly it seemed like the opposition was just as surprised as they were about it. Or at least one in particular was.
"What the hell!? Is it already over?! That's not fair! You promised me that I would be able to thank him for everything that he's done for me! But if he's already dead, how the hell am I supposed to do that now?! And this hand is so damn annoying! AH MOU!" The girl with the hand on her face whined like a kid not getting what she wants. It was concerning that she was scratching her neck so aggressively. But no one expected such bratty behavior to come from someone who looked so menacing. Though what was even more surprising was her voice. It couldn't be. But it was the exact same as the girl they once knew. That girl being none other than Kei Karuizawa.
"K-K-KARUIZAWA?!" Hiyori shouted at the top of her lungs out of utmost surprise. She didn't mean to scream. But Shiina couldn't help herself! After all, her appearance was radically different! Her hair was white! And her clothes were completely black! Not to mention the embalmed hand covering her face! It made it all impossible to say that it was her! But by hearing her voice, it was indistinguishable from Karuizawa's voice! That made it clear beyond any shadow of a doubt that girl is Kei Karuizawa! And after taking off that embalmed hand on her face, that was proven completely.
"Phew. Now I can finally breathe properly. Ahh… that's much better. Oh, and Shiina-San, you are mistaken. My name isn't Karuizawa… so call me Decay. I mean you wouldn't want to end up like this little ol thing, right?" Decay replied while decaying the embalmed hand until there was nothing left of it but dust that was blown away by the wind. Was that her Quirk!? It had to be! But as Hiyori took a defensive stance, she was surprised to see Kei-or 'Decay' cracking her neck a bit. She even performed a few stretches until she stuck out her index finger in the direction of what was behind Hiyori. And when Shiina realized exactly where Decay was pointing, the former's eyes shot wide open. But before she could say a word about it-
"Say, that's where Deku and the explosion guy were fighting, right? What if… I go there and see if he's still breathing? Eh? What's got you pissed?" Decay asked the person who was behind her. It was the same person that she was ranting to earlier, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji. Except, he uncharacteristically appeared to be quite angry. He was gritting his teeth hard and clenching his fist tightly. He even seemed to be reaching for something in his pocket but stopped halfway before taking a deep breath as he regained his calm and composed attitude. Just what the heck was that about?
"Well, whatever. I'm gonna go. I've waited long enough to get what I want. And what I want is… Deku!" Decay declared before dashing forward! This made Hiyori blink her eyes out of sheer surprise! She had never seen Karuizawa run before. In fact, she seemed to be not very athletic (Much like how Shiina thought of herself) But looks can be deceiving and she couldn't believe her eyes that Karuizawa or whoever she's calling herself is quite fast! There was a distance of well over ten meters between them. And Decay had closed it in a matter of seconds! Had she always been that fast of a runner?! Hiyori couldn't say for sure. But what she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt…
'WHOOOSH!' Was that she couldn't let her pass! By doing anything but that, Hiyori would be risking Deku's life in the process! That's why she aimed one of her feathers at Karuizawa's legs and sent it right at them like an arrow! She couldn't let him hurt Deku! He was still alive! He had to be! After all-
'… I'm not going to die. I will twist fate and anything else into the shape I want with these arms. But even if I could do that alone… will you help me out Hiyori? Will you fight fate with me together?' They were going to fight fate together! And they were going to prevail no matter what! So, if it meant hurting Karuizawa a bit then so be it! But just as the feather was about to pierce Karuizawa's legs in a way that wouldn't do much damage but would make it way harder for her to run for the time being, she caught it in her hand! It was as if an explanation mark materialized right in front of Hiyori's head when Decay did it! Shiina knew that Karuizawa was fast but that's some crazy reflexes!
"Surprised? Don't be. I've hadn't had all that much to do as of late, so I've been working out just a little bit. I've also been eating all the right foods and making sure to keep my teeth squeaky clean while I'm at it. After all, a cute girl like me has to make sure she looks good, don't you agree… Shiina-San?" Decay asked while smiling showcasing her pearly white teeth and decaying the feather in her hands to ashes. But before she finished speaking, in the blink of an eye, she closed the distance between her and Hiyori! There wasn't much distance between them left! Even still it happened in an instant! And before Shiina knew it, Karuizawa's hand was right about to touch her face! But before she could-
'WHAM!' Hirata rushed over before either of them could perceive him! And before Decay knew what hit her, Hirata's fist knocked her right across the head! She then stumbled to her knees while Hirata stood in front of Hiyori and shielded her. But even though their relationship had been fake from the start, the sight of what she had become fueled Hirata with immense rage he could not hold back. Not just at her but at himself for hurting her just now. Even still, he couldn't hold himself back from saying what he said next.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, you idiot?!" Hirata yelled out with an expression full of anger and a voice that matched it. Though his voice was all that Decay needed to hear to know that he was super pissed off. But when she looked at him out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something else, was that regret? That made her smirk in delight, catching Hirata off guard.
"Hahaha… that kind of hurt. How shameful. I don't think you have any right to call yourself a man after ruthlessly hitting your ex-girlfriend, Yo~suke." Decay declared while standing up with a malicious smile on her face. Hirata froze in place and could do nothing but stare back at Karuizawa horrified at what she had become. But this made Decay grin even wider. Though she had no intention of giving Hirata the wrong idea about her. And since this is Karuizawa's ex-boyfriend, Decay really wanted to rub it in his face for who she really is.
"Oh, you must feel very sorry for Kei. I can't blame you in that regard. That poor girl has gone through so much heartache. More than enough to drive any normal person insane. I guess I'm the 'result' of that. The 'result' of Kei experiencing hell time and time again. I mean, all her negative emotions had to go somewhere, right? And where did they go? All. To. Me." Decay declared while pointing at herself while continuing to smirk deviously as if she was taunting Hirata and all those who held Kei Karuizawa dear. Except, that's exactly what she was doing. But Hiyori couldn't understand what 'Decay' was trying to say. It was as if she and Karuizawa were two different people. But as for Hirata-
"So, you're not Kei. Is that what you're trying to say?" Hirata asked with a serious look on his face. Though this response made a grimace form on Decay's face. She then narrowed her eyes on Hirata before replying to him.
"Did I stutter? Isn't that verbatim what I just said? Or was I not clear enough? Do I honestly have to spell it out for yo- Decay spoke but right when she was about to finish speaking, Hirata applied pressure to the back of her neck with a swift karate chop! The amount of power behind his attack that was amplified by Hirata's sheer speed made Decay collapse completely onto the ground. Decay knew that he could have just killed her easily. But he didn't. Not only that but where he hit her was where one of her pressure points was. All humans have pressure points and when struck with enough force, they fall unconscious. Of course, Decay, the devil she is, was not exempt from this rule. But this made her giggle while on the verge of passing out.
'Damn. Of course I can't keep up with that kind of speed. That's just ridiculous. What shonen manga did you come out of? Yosuke Hirata, you really are a lucky guy.' Decay thought internally before succumbing to the blow that Hirata landed on her. Though while this was going on, Atsuomi Ayanokoji, or rather Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had been watching the whole exchange play out silently. Not just because he was interested to see if Hirata had it in him to what was necessary by taking Karuizawa out. Of course, he was no murderer and chose the easy way out by knocking her out. Big mistake. One that will cost him dearly. But first-
"Finish your mission, Yamauchi. Let Operation: Gas Chamber commence once more!" Kiyotaka announced in order to catch the attention of his enemies who had been completely unaware Yamauchi was even on the battlefield to begin with! This was a given since he still had his gas mask on! But by doing this not only had he given away that piece of information but also a clear indication of what his plan was! Hirata then pinpointed who exactly was on the ground by his feet! The bodies of his classmates! Were they alive or dead!? He had no clue! He didn't even notice them with everything that had just happened! He was keeping his eyes solely on the people masquerading themselves as the League of Villains up to this point! But there was no time to lose! So, just as Yamauchi was about to use his Quirk-
'POW!' Hirata sent his fist crashing into Yamauchi face! More specifically his gas mask which broke into pieces the moment his fist connected with it! And before anyone knew what happened, even Kiyotaka Ayanokoji for that matter, Hirata grabbed him by the neck!
"Chairman Ayanokoji! What have you done!?" Hirata shouted while clenching Kiyotaka's neck while barely holding anything back! If Hirata was full of rage before then his anger now utterly went beyond the meaning of the word! At the same time, Yamauchi collapsed to his knees, Hirata had begun strangling the man he believed to be Atsuomi! Kiyotaka couldn't react quick enough! Not against someone who had the Quirk Overclock!
"Gah! Unhand me you foolish boy!" Kiyotaka yelled out while mimicking his father's voice to utter perfection along with how he would react in this situation! All to complete his transformation into the man he had murdered! And in the process of doing so, catching the attention of his allies! And most importantly-
"TSUKISHIRO!" Kiyotaka screamed at the top of his lungs as he barely had any air in his throat left! But Tsukishiro was already way ahead of him! The man wearing the costume belonging to the villain Mr. Compress, threw out a blue orb directly at the blonde man chocking his Master! But since Kiyotaka had called out the name belonging to his professor, Hirata knew that an attack would shortly follow! And before the orb could so much as graze him, Hirata dodged it completely! But not before taking Atsuomi with him!
"Now, I asked you a question! What have you done to my friends, you bastard!?" Hirata yelled out once more as he would not be asking Ayanokoji a second time! Kiyotaka then realized that he had gotten ahead of himself by doing exactly what his father would do in that situation! He should have waited for Tsukishiro to catch Hirata by surprise instead of calling out his name! But Kiyotaka believed that his father wouldn't just let someone strangle him! And by perfectly playing the role of Atsuomi Ayanokoji, was Kiyotaka's mistake!
'My eyes… I can barely keep them open. Yosuke Hirata is not holding anything back! At this rate I'll lose consciousness in nineteen seconds! And if I pass out Transformation's effects will be rendered moot! Tsukishiro will find out that my father is dead the moment it happens! And I can't use any of my Quirks either because then that would give away that I possess the AFO Quirk! Something that only I, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji have! Either way I go about it, I'll be exposed!' Kiyotaka thought internally while recalling that Tsukishiro knows that he has Warp Gate.
However, Kiyotaka can't use Warp Gate since that requires focusing intently on materializing a gate that gives the user a shortcut into any place they have seen and been to! But that can't be pulled off when the user's brain is basically going haywire by being choked! The oxygen that Kiyotaka or any human for that matter would normally inhale that sends blood to the brain is being canceled out by Hirata! Which means even if he wanted to use Warp gate, he can't! Just what will he do?! No. There was only one thing that he could do to keep up the lie! And that was to rely on his allies!
"Tw… ice." Kiyotaka barely managed to get those words out of his throat as there weren't even ten seconds left before he would pass out if Hirata didn't lessen his grip! But this made the blonde man tilt his head out of confusion.
"Ice?" Hirata muttered while turning his head to the side. His thoughts being that if one of the Chairman's allies possessed an Ice Quirk. But while this wasn't untrue, the person Kiyotaka was calling out too had no such Quirk! But Hirata didn't know that, and before he knew it, the man wearing Twice's costume already made his move and was closing in on him!
'He's fast!' Hirata thought internally before dodging out of the way while holding Atsuomi by his neck! But right when he did, what appeared to be mud took form into that of a person that strongly resembled the man who had just charged at him! They even had the same black and grey costume! It was almost as if they were the same person! And that startling sight caught Hirata completely off guard! And the newly materialized person did not waste that opportunity!
'BAM!' The newly formed double of Twice had uppercut Hirata before he knew what hit him! Hirata might have the Overclock Quirk but even he can't perceive things happening in slow motion all the time! And by being surprised so suddenly the man disguised as Twice was able to use that to his advantage completely! The resulting blow knocked Hirata to the ground and as a result, he let go of Kiyotaka in the process just as he was a second away from losing consciousness! Hirata noticed this and tried to get back onto his feet! But before he could-
"What the!?" Hirata yelled out while multiple people resembling Twice had materialized out of the blink of the eye! Was it when he was looking at Atsuomi for that brief second!? If so, then how did ten, no! How did twenty of them come out of the woodworks so suddenly?! There was no doubt about it! This had to be the work of a Quirk! And by that logic the Quirk's ability was multiplication of its user! But just when he realized that it was already too late! They had already pinned him down to the ground! The weight of them applying pressure to his limbs made it impossible for Hirata to escape! And this allowed 'him' to close the distance between them once more.
"My, my. That was quite a show you put on. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed by your speed. But even the fastest man alive has no chance against sheer numbers. But you already know that young Hirata-Kun. Take that as a lesson from a professor to his prized pupil." Tsukishiro declared while holding one of his blue orbs in his hands with the intention of catching his student as if he were a mere pet who belonged in a cage. But as he was about to do so, Tsukishiro heard something in the distance and before he could react-
'SLASH!' His right shoulder was sliced! Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a white feather and the very next moment one of those feathers was aimed right at his neck by the person possessing countless of them on her back.
"I strongly recommend that you do not hurt Hirata in any shape or form, Chairman. He's my friend. But you are my professor. Even so…" Hiyori spoke before her voice trailed off as she slightly cut Tsukishiro's neck causing blood onto the ground. But even though her words were clearly a threat, the look on her face told a completely different story. She was on the verge of tears. Quite a few people that she had known and thought fondly of had betrayed her one after another so that was a given. Even more than that, Tsukishiro knew that this girl couldn't kill him even if she wanted too.
"Oh, Shiina-san. You may want to protect the people you care about. But you're no killer. You like Hirata-Kun can't do what's necessary to ensure complete victory. That makes you weak. Weak people can and will only be used as stepping stones by powerful people. And that's why… you lose." Tsukishiro declared with his usual smile that was utterly fake. But even though Hiyori knew that her professor wouldn't give up without a fight, she hadn't expected another person to step in!
"GAH!" Hiyori shrieked as before she knew it someone had grabbed her by the head and lifted her up into the air with a single hand! Their sharp nails dug into her head! If they were to pierce her slightly deeper than they would puncture her brain! The thought of it made Hiyori's heart beat rapidly as she tried desperately not to scream. But that was made impossible by the sheer amount of pain that the person gripping her by the head is causing her! At this rate, she'll be killed! And that desire to live made one of her feathers move right where she wanted by stabbing the person right behind her! But then…
'BAM!' The feather was torn to pieces before it could even cause any damage. The person then chose to let go of Hiyori and toss her onto the ground as if she were trash. It was then that Hiyori got a good look at that person who had made her bleed from her head. The person, (If you could even call 'them' such a thing) had bright green scales for skin and a face that was shaped like a lizard. Their blonde hair was quite long and swept backward. It was a sight that seemed oddly familiar. But just where had she seen it before? But she got her answer by what the reptilian humanoid said to her.
"Where's Horikita, Shiina?" The person resembling the villain Spinner said but Hiyori didn't know that since she had no clue who that villain was! But the person in front of her was a completely different story! Her voice was deeper in a way that she was not used to since her voice had been overly bubbly in an almost obnoxious way. But that wasn't entirely the truth, because she had spoken just like this a few times before she had been expelled. That's right. This person was none other than-
"K-Kushida-Chan?" Hiyori muttered with a horrified expression while looking at Kushida towering above her. But this look made Kushida grit her sharp teeth hard. She couldn't help but glare daggers at the girl below her feet. The way Shiina was looking at her was as if she was a monster. And the thought of that-
'BAM!' Made Kushida step on Hiyori's left leg. She didn't use much pressure. Even so, by simply putting her foot on it as if she were squashing a lowly ant with her boot, sent pain all throughout Shiina's body.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!" Hiyori screamed at the top of her lungs as she felt more pain in that moment than she ever had in her entire life. And that pain continued and didn't stop for a second. For the young girl it felt as if all the bones in her leg had broken to pieces. So, it was sufficient to say that the pain was unimaginable for any normal girl such as herself. But that fact didn't make Kushida show any sympathy whatsoever for the girl she had once known once upon a time screaming bloody murder. In fact, the sound of her incessant screaming made Kushida grit her sharp teeth to the point that they could break to pieces.
"I ASKED YOU A DAMN QUESTION! NOW ANSWER IT, YOU BITCH!" Kushida demanded at the top of her lungs while sending her leg into the air showcasing her malicious intent to break Shiina's right leg. But before she could get her answer or hurt Hiyori further, the latter had disappeared without a trace. The moment she did, she turned her head ever so slightly knowing just who the culprit was. And before she could even get a good luck at his face she too disappeared as if she were never there to begin with. Both girls being contained individually in their own orbs possessed by none other than Tsukishiro!
"Forgive me. I had no intention of letting her kill Shiina-San. That's why she left me with no choice but to do what was necessary. Relax, she and all of your classmates will be just fine, Hirata-Kun." Tsukishiro declared before tossing one of his orbs at the young blonde-haired man and in the process of doing so, ridding him from this world. Now, with the three orbs in his hand, each containing students that at one point or another were associated with Class A, he stuffed them safely into his pocket before turning his attention to his Master.
"HAAH… HAAH… haah…" Kiyotaka gasped for breath until he regained the air in his lungs and was able to breathe normally. He had been driven to the brink of suffocation after all. Though the time that passed between him being given the chance to breathe again, till now was just barely thirty seconds. Thirty seconds was all it took to get rid of Izuku Midoriya's most powerful allies in one fell swoop! And now all there left were extras barely worth paying any heed to. Though it was for the best to capture them now before they cause a ruckus. In the ensuing chaos they did manage to subdue a few of their allies. And now it was time to end this.
"Tsukishiro. I will leave the rest to you." Kiyotaka declared as the older man nodded in affirmation before closing in on the two ANHS students who had watched everything unfold before their eyes. Sakayanagi's legs might as well have been jelly after hearing Hiyori's bloodcurdling scream. And even if she didn't hear that there was nothing that she could do about it. That's why she looked at Koenji as she desperately clung to hope. But those hopes were subsequently dashed by Koenji raising his arms into the sky signaling his surrender to their enemies.
"A wise decision." Tsukishiro declared before tossing two of his blue orbs at both Koenji and Sakayanagi as they disappeared without a trace. He then scooped them up under his sleeve. And with that all of their enemies had been defeated. But then…
'BOOOOOOOM!' A loud explosion could be heard in the distance. This completely caught Tsukishiro off guard as he was fully convinced that the man wearing the checkered mask had finished off Izuku Midoriya! How could he be so mistaken!? But as he looked behind him, he saw the person dressed up in the grey and black costume (His identity a complete mystery to even him) Albert Yamada who had refrained from acting in any way up to this point and his Master. Though there was a person missing from the scene! Just where did Kiyotaka run off too!? And right below his feet where Karuizawa should be…
… She too was gone.
Just moments prior…
"Ah." My eyes flickered open as I noticed Kacchan standing above me with a wide grin on his face. How long had I been passed out? Minutes? Hours? Days? I couldn't tell. Though hopefully too much time didn't pass by. I have to get back to where Hiyori and the others are. I must protect them from the villains. But as I thought that I struggled to get back up. It was then that I got a sense of déjà vu. The same thing happened back during my fight with the High-End Nomu. And what happened just after that was-
'… You can do it, Deku.' The final words belonging to Sakura sent a shiver down my spine as I tried desperately to get back up. But my legs wouldn't move. Was I scared? Yes. Of course I was. I don't want to hurt Kacchan. But he's backing me into a corner. If I don't do something about him soon then my friends are going to die. I can't let that happen. But Kacchan, he's my friend too. I… I can't just hurt hi- But before I could finish that thought he completely destroyed my thought process by what he said next.
"That's a damn shame. Guess I'll go kill someone else." Bakugo said figuring that would provoke Deku. He didn't know him all that well. But it seemed to work when he killed that guy from earlier. Nagumo, was it? Well, his name doesn't matter. But even though Bakugo hoped it would have some effect; he wasn't ready for what his words would entail. Because right when he said it, he heard Midoriya stand back up. And before he could move a single muscle-
'BAM!' Before Bakugo knew it, Deku was right in front of him. Bakugo raised his arm ever so slightly to where his foe was standing. But right when he did, Deku grabbed Bakugo's hand and clenched it firmly.
'CRACK!' Before shattering the bones in his hand! At the same time, Bakugo let out a primal scream! He immediately fell to his knees as the shock waves sent from his hand being broken went throughout his body. The immense pain made his entire body feel as if it was lit on fire after being covered in gasoline. The real Katsuki Bakugo might not have succumbed to this easily to pain. But this clone might as well have had no idea what the meaning of pain was up until this point! And now he was experiencing just how terrible pain is for the very first time!
"You… you aren't Kacchan are you?" The words that Deku said carried immense weight with them as if they sent Bakugo further into the ground as he could do nothing but stare back at the man showing him not a hint of mercy whatsoever. The clone immediately gritted his teeth and tried to paise his other hand but before he could-
'SMASH!' Deku landed a blow right in the center of his chest! The resulting attack launched Bakugo with a 'WHOOOOSH!' That sent him right into the mountain that was behind him!
"BLAUGH!" Bakugo coughed up blood as his eyes went white as he collapsed on the spot. Deku then looked at him for a moment before averting his eyes and walking in the direction of where his friends were. But before leaving-
"… I guess you really weren't him. The real Kacchan… is much stronger than you. And he would NEVER threaten to take away the lives of the innocent." Deku declared before sprinting away from the scene leaving the unconscious clone behind. But just as he was trying to reach his friends, someone else was pursuing him.
"He shouldn't be that far away. If my guess is right, then he should be somewhere over there. I really hope he's not dead yet. I still have to thank him for everything, but you already know that Ayanokoji~Kun." Decay spoke as she knew full well that Kiyotaka Ayanokoji was only a couple meters behind her. However, this was a mistake. She couldn't possibly know it, because the person that had been posing as him had used a copy of the Transformation Quirk. That's why she really had no clue, just who was behind her.
'Gloop.' The substance that kept their identity a secret, that appeared to be mud, fell from her face. That's right. 'Her.' This person was a woman. And not just any woman but one who had strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes. But that's not all. What she had nestled in her pocket was a knife. And as she closed the distance with the devil in front of her being none the wiser, while raising the knife-
'STAB!' Honami Ichinose stabbed her enemy who made it clear that she had the intention of killing the man she held dear to her heart.
To Be Continued…
Next Chapter: Absolute Evil
Go Beyond!
Plus Ultra!