Angel: Another big episode and...I think we all can guess why. And honestly, you guys might wanna brace yourselves for what happens before and after that big moment. Especially in the next chapter. Some people might not like me for what I did in the next chapter, take that as you will, because it does involve Izuka. And...yeah, I'm sorry if these two chapters upset people, believe me, I was legit crying writing this specific episode and I'm crying again just remembering why.
"Sorry to break it to you...but I have no interest in this path towards progress you speak of. Or your journey," He lifted up his hand to send out more fingers. "Or of how you changed, Hana. You're still the same to me no matter what happens."
He then swung the fingers forward, knocking Best Jeanist, Edgeshot, and Mirko back with ease. He tossed Katsuki aside like he was nothing. At the same time, he released his hold on Izuka. She flinched as she looked up, using a flying star to zoom after him. Katsuki hit the ground just as Izuka swooped in to catch him. It disappeared underneath her so that they landed softly. "Katsu! Oh my god!" She examined his limp right arm with her eyes, daring not to move it. It was most likely broken to the point where it would hurt to move it...
'That was...the strongest attack I've got...' Katsuki shook while looking past his girlfriend. Blood was over the right side of his face from when Shigaraki broke his arm... 'Is he really this far beyond my level? And look at Izuka...she had her back snap and yet she's bearing through that pain for my sake...' Looking at up at her, he could see the girl with tears in her eyes, but also gritting her teeth in pain.
"Your aims? Your views on the world? Please," Shigaraki mocked both of the students. He stared out to all of the heroes on the ground. "Katsuki Bakugo. If there's a single thing I'm interested in when it comes to you...it's him. You're the person who's closest to both Izuku and Izuka Midoriya. That's perfect. Because it means he'll definitely be here."
Izuka flinched as she overheard this, her arms shaking. She felt sick to her stomach hearing this from him...and if she didn't have her back affected, she would've attacked the villain no problem. Because having him talk about her brother and Katsuki like this was starting to piss her off...
"And it means...that he'll get to witness me tearing apart Galaxy into dust...Izuku Midoriya...and One for All. Izuka Midoriya...and Galaxy..."
Izuka looked over her shoulder...actually feeling scared of him for the first time in a while. She could just tell in the tone of his voice that he was going to continue this with them until they were bloody and beaten...and with his advantage over them, she had no idea how much longer they were going to last against someone like him. 'Little brother...where the hell are you?'
Izuku was still on his way over to Coffin in the Sky, hoping that he wasn't too late to help everyone...
Back at the building powering Coffin in the Sky, Mr. Aizawa was furious over what just happened to two of his students. "DAMN IT! Mandalay. Is Midoriya close?" He held onto Neito's wrist, who looked towards Katsuki and Izuka in worry.
"I can't reach him," She reported back from down below.
"You could earlier!" He pointed out angrily; his students were in danger, and all he could do was watch. So it was already getting to him...
"Even without the electromagnetic barrier, radio waves disrupt my power," She explained as calmly as she could, looking back at her radio. "I've heard nothing but static for a while now."
"My students are hurt," Mr. Aizawa gritted his teeth, looking back inside. "Jeanist! Mirko! Edgeshot! You have to protect Bakugo and Mido. Please!" Katsuki tried to stand up, Izuka's eyes shaking as Shigaraki was approaching them. Right now, they needed time to recover, so they weren't in the best shape to fight him. "They have big plans to graduate from UA, and ultimately become the number-one heroes together as a team! That last one might not have been Bakugo's initial goal, but it's one that he wants to succeed at...!"
As the smoke from the earlier attack cleared, Tamaki slowly stood up...looking to what was left of UA. It was still standing, but just barely at this point as the walls and windows were badly damaged. "Oh, man...our school...you know, Hado," He gently reached out to his hood. "I, um...was looking forward to our graduation ceremony. I was gonna invite Mido to it...so she could see me. Otherwise I'd be disappointing her as a friend..." Nejire walked up with a weak smile, her waves spiraling around her hands. He then stared at Katsuki specifically, remembering having seen him in Izuka's class when he and Nejire trained them. So...that's him, huh? Yeah...there was no way I could compete with that. I can tell that she cares for him a lot, and he does for her too. I'm glad she found someone that she's happy with...
"Then we'll have one," Mirio stated out of nowhere, even though he wasn't in the area beforehand.
"Should you be up here?" Tamaki called out to him.
"Just following the instructions they gave me! When this is over, let's talk Principal Nezu into having a bonkers graduation party for us!" Mirio responded in excitement to the two. "A real rager!"
"That'd be fun," Nejire had a wistful look on her face at the thought...but in order to do that, they had to win first.
"Can we win this?" Tamaki looked up skeptically, unsure if they were really any match for Shigaraki.
"We can at least protect everyone until Midoriya gets here," Mirio finally came out of hiding as Nejire clenched her fists tightly. "So put a smile on your face!" Tamaki took a bite out of some food he always kept on handy from his equipment. Mirio looked up with a small smirk, kneeling between the two. "Let's show this guy the power of the Big Three!"
Katsuki let out a painful groan as Shigaraki stomped on the top of his head, pinning him down. He was doing the same with Izuka's back, causing her to grit her teeth in pain. "Sounds like Izuku Midoriya was supposed to be warped here. Excellent. No doubt he'll be making his grand entrance sometime soon," More fingers reached out as they clumped together...he then grinned down at the two students. "Now that I think about it, it's kinda a good thing my Quirks aren't working," He stomped on them harder. "But I bet Izuka would look real good if she bled out in your arms, or Midoriya's. Either one would be just as satisfying." He grinned evilly at the thought, and Katsuki's heart dropped to hear that. It almost reminded him of the Kamino Incident, and that was starting to set him off...
"I'll fucking kill you if you lay even one disgusting hand on her...!" Katsuki gritted his teeth angrily. "Shut your-" He was kicked by the chin, being lifted up into the air. His gauntlets were easily broken into pieces and then he was grabbed by the throat. Katsuki let out his explosions from his support item.
"No...!" Izuka cried out as she looked up in horror, trying and failing to break free. But once again, her back was making it difficult to move. Katsuki...if there's one thing you can do for me, it's to stop this...! She squeezed her teary eyes shut, moving down her head as she was shaking.
"He'll arrive to find your corpse instead of a pile of dust. That boy got so angry when I skewered you last time. So did Hana, actually. Which means you'll be the perfect present to toss at their feet...an example of why Hana needs to know what kind of hero society we're in!" Shigaraki growled while Katsuki gasped for breath.
"Stop it, you're hurting him...!" Izuka cried out, but was ignored as Shigaraki stomped on her back harder, causing her to shout in pain. Katsuki glanced down at her, wishing that he wasn't so badly injured right about now. If he wasn't, he would certainly break free.
"You're a zealot obsessed with All Might, if I recall. And for some reason, you seem to be too, Hana. Well, here's a reality check, you two. No matter how high you attempt to fly, you'll always be garbage compared to One for All."
Katsuki flinched and so did Izuka, who gripped the ground hard with her fingers. She then looked behind her in surprise. "Nejire Pike!" Nejire fired a spiral attack from behind. Shigaraki turned around, holding up Katsuki as a shield.
"No, don't!" Izuka shouted in fear and the periwinkle-haired girl froze. She immediately redirected her attack so she could miss on purpose. Shigaraki extended his fingers towards her with a grin, only to be grabbed from behind. He looked over his shoulder...to see that Tamaki was the one who had a hold on him.
Vast Hybrid. Octopus Mirage! Because he had digested octopus legs earlier, he was using those to keep his hold on Shigaraki, and while being camouflaged. "With added Scorpius Toxin!" He shouted as he activated the poison through the legs, pulling them away from the villain. A purple spot started to grow from where he was pierced.
Venom. A mouth grew on his arm...sucking out the poison through it easily. Nejire and Tamaki gasped sharply, Shigaraki letting out a laugh. "Was that your secret weapon?" He ridiculed, extending his hands towards Nejire. "My body continues to adapt!" The fingers were now in every direction, mouths even opening up from them. "If you keep up these weak attacks...you'll be dead in no time!" Nejire and Tamaki got away as fast as they could. Shigaraki had a giant grin on his face, still holding Katsuki's neck. Izuka was shaking underneath his foot as the pain was getting worse the longer his foot was pressing against it. And he knew that fully well... "Don't you have anything stronger?"
A hand reached out to grab Katsuki from the fingers, revealing to be Mirio. Shigaraki gasped as he didn't feel himself holding the neck anymore, turning around to see what had happened. His foot moved, but it was enough for Mirio to kick up Izuka into the air, dragging her over so he could catch her with the other arm. "Heads up, Jeanist!" He shouted while tossing both students in the air. Izuka blinked in alarm from the sudden move, only for Best Jeanist's fibers to wrap around her and Katsuki. The two were then dragged away safely to Best Jeanist. "Nice catch." He turned to Shigaraki, the fingers fazing right through him while Shigaraki tried to attack him.
"I know you. You're another one of their pawns," Shigaraki remembered seeing his sudden return to the hero scene in Jaku. "We met in Jaku. You've got that stupid face."
"The name's Lemillion," He corrected with a small glare. "I'm on double duty as messenger and guard today. My job's to intercept any villains other than you who try to crash the fight. And to make sure information's flowing smoothly between all parts of the arena." As he spoke, the fingers continued to twist, spin, and move. "It's a perfect gig for me, since I get around so fast." He then landed on a pile of fingers. "But now, I gotta fight. I can't just watch!" He got onto his feet, jumping up to avoid another attack. "Why are you so destructive?" He couldn't help but ask.
"I don't like our current society. It's failed us on every level. Don't like Hana either, she's gotten to be more annoying," Shigaraki glanced away, remembering how Izuka continued to fight and defy him. And he would've been able to get her to stop doing so if he had been able to give Katsuki the finishing blow.
Nejire flew around, trying to search for something. She then swung her arm back as her wave spun around her hand. "There you are!" She shouted as she fired a Nejire Wave.
"Oh, I get it," Mirio jumped out into the open again, seeing Nejire's attack coming his way. "You're upset because you've never had any friends!" Nejire's power than wrapped around his arm, and his response...caught Shigaraki off guard to say the least. The next thing he knew...he was stopping to think about something. Getting close isn't a problem, but I can't hurt him much. By myself. I'll bring Hado's energy with me, and serve it up right in his face! He thought while he clenched his powered-up fist, falling towards Shigaraki. "If you had people you cared about...you'd see things differently!" Nejire's power gave him a boost as he flew forward, gritting his teeth as he got ready to punch. Mirio dealt it out onto Shigaraki's head, knocking the villain backwards. "There are a million things in this world you shouldn't destroy!" The attack pushed Shigaraki all the way back towards a wall of fingers, keeping him there. We can't let Shigaraki gain any more traction before Midoriya gets here! Gotta keep him busy! All of this was mainly a distraction, though he still meant every single word. He just hoped that Izuku was on his way, and fast since half their team was already down.
Best Jeanist walked over to Izuka and Katsuki on the ground. "Dynallista!" Best Jeanist bent down to them both. "Let me see your injuries. I'll stitch you both up. Quickly." He watched as Katsuki slowly got onto his feet, though it was painful. Izuka twitched as she slid her legs close to slowly sit up, wincing hard. "We're still in dire need of your firepower." However...he saw something wet drip onto Katsuki's right arm. He gasped...as he saw tears falling down from Katsuki's left eye. He couldn't see the boy's face...but he could still tell how useless Katsuki felt right about now. Izuka blinked slowly as she stared at him...the only time anyone saw him cry...it was towards Izuku for how he felt about the entire Kamino Incident. That he felt like he was the reason All Might retired, that Izuka had to fight All for One. But now...it wasn't just about that anymore. He felt like even with all of his efforts...he was still behind, still weak to do anything. Even with Izuka as part of a hero team.
"K-Katsu..." Izuka murmured down at him as she never thought she'd see him like this...and it was heartbreaking. She didn't even know what to do or say at the moment because she had never seen him cry before. When he showed emotion towards her...never once did he shed tears in front of her. Heck...even the first time he hugged her after Kamino, he didn't cry. I...I didn't think he'd ever show this side of himself to me...oh, Katsu. I wish there was something I could do...
Best Jeanist faltered, knowing how the boy felt right about now. "Let me give you two first aid. We can handle the rest ourselves. Shigaraki is operating on a level we couldn't fathom. You're both here because you fought him before, despite only being students. But that prior experience isn't going to be of any more help to us. Take time to recover."
Mirko had gotten back up and was using her legs against the expanding skin.
"You did an excellent job, Dynallista," Best Jeanist reassured them both softly. "More than enough. Rest now."
Izuka bit her lip as Best Jeanist used fibers around her back to help with her spine. It wouldn't entirely fix it, but it was the quickest fix he had. She slowly reached out to Katsuki, cupping his left cheek to wipe away his tear. He then reached out to gently grab her hand, stopping her all of a sudden. She blinked as she still couldn't see his face, and he didn't look towards her either.
"Right side," He murmured, to the disbelief of both Best Jeanist and his girlfriend. Mirko kicked as Edgeshot wrapped around the fingers using his Ninpo, flying away. "Fingers. Pattern," His voice was weak, but they could still hear him. Izuka flinched, looking over her shoulder at Shigaraki slowly. Edgeshot zipped around to avoid the attacks. "Feint. Right. Time it. Wrap around. Back."
Best Jeanist's eyes were shaking as he realized...Katsuki was planning to go back in. And by the looks of Izuka's face, she didn't disagree with the boy either. In fact, she was watching Shigaraki closely from her spot. No...they're badly injured... Sweat and little sparks fell from Katsuki, who could only stare up ahead with tears in his eyes, but they were not falling. Izuka gripped the grass hard, little stars falling from her neck. Yet they're still...
Shigaraki flew backwards from Mirio's attack. The wave spiraled around his fist as he was still clenching it. "If you did have friends...there's no way you'd be doing this!" He declared while Nejire's wave went away. "You'd want to protect them!" He could see the hit mark where he attacked just seconds ago. "Destruction would be the last thing on your mind!"
Inside of Shigaraki...there was still a piece of Tenko left in him. And he heard everything that Mirio just said. "Friends?" He murmured softly...remembering when he was actually in school. Because...even though at home he suffered...he still had people he played with.
"Mikkun and Tomo were feeling left out, so I told them we should make up our own game," His eyes looked a little worn out, scratching at his eyelid. "We pretended to be pro heroes. You know, saving people and stuff?" It was this kindness from his friends, and their encouragement that made him even want to be a hero. Because it gave him hope that despite being five with no Quirk...he would get a power. And no one else in school would even talk to him because the rest of them had Quirks already.
"I've got friends," Shigaraki spoke up...much differently, as if Tenko was speaking through him. The man then looked up with a growl. "Mikkun and Tomo said I was really nice, and Mon always barks to go on walks with me! And she would play heroes with me when Dad didn't want us to!" He pointed right at Izuka, baffling her as she overheard. "So there! You've got no idea what you're talking about!" Mirio was just as stunned by the sudden defense Shigaraki gave, as he was not expecting that response either. "You don't know me! I've got plenty of friends!" Even his voice sounded like a crying child a little towards the end...leaving both Mirio and Izuka in stunned silence. Shigaraki couldn't close his mouth, as he had no idea where that came from all of a sudden. The next thing he could understand, it was just pouring out of him...
"Whoops. Sorry," Mirio murmured, feeling like he hit a nerve unintentionally...the fingers dove in and he disappeared within them. He then reappeared to think about what had just happened; he had never seen a reaction like that from any villain... What was that just now? Sounds like I must've brought up a sensitive subject. My bad, and him pointing at Callista only further confirms it. More importantly... He stared down at the villain not too far below him. Compared to the tentacles he's sprouting, his main body is super durable. Super tough. Even using Hado's power at close range didn't put a scratch on the guy! The hit mark was already healing itself. This is really not good for us.
Shigaraki put a hand over his face, trying to figure out for himself what came over him. This body was complete...so why do I feel a schism? He looked up with a dead stare. Tomura and I are supposed to be fully combined. No delineation. But there's something else. A part of us that isn't fully fused He felt this when he tried to use Decay earlier, but ended up hesitating...to the point where he couldn't touch the ground. And he could feel that hesitation from somewhere deep inside of him that separated from who he was supposed to be... A presence that's neither Tomura nor All for One. Shimura...
Deep inside, Tenko was trapped by various hands...but was still active, his eyes shaking in fear. But Shigaraki on the outside didn't feel that whatsoever. He knew that if he continued like this, that side of him would further delay him... I can't let this go on. He then slowly turned around, causing Mirio to gasp. He watched Shigaraki move away the finger tentacles surrounding them both...as the villain was walking towards Best Jeanist, Izuka, and Katsuki. They could only stare in silence.
"Hey, wait!" Mirio cried out, trying to go over to help, but got knocked down in the process.
"No more distractions. I've got work to do," The villain immediately dismissed him.
Mirio gritted his teeth while jumping over as fast as he could. I think I touched a nerve back there. He wavered, just a little!
"Hado, Tamaki," Mirio spoke up to them both. "The two of you should make the first move. When he's distracted, I'll make my big debut to pull Bakugo and Callista out of the way. After that, I'll stall for time, since I can get in close to his main body without taking a bunch of damage." And with that, he ran off, the two following behind him. "Of course, I probably won't be able to hurt him, so there's a limit to how long I can keep his attention. That's why..." He leapt up into the sky, the other two following his example as they listened. "In truth, what I'm really doing is buying time for you, Tamaki!" Tamaki looked at him wide-eyed, unsure if he was up to the task, but his friend gave him a thumbs up in return.
"Come on," Best Jeanist challenged, moving his fibers in front of Izuka and Katsuki. "Do your worst, you walking atrocity!"
Shigaraki's cape expanded to have sort of a same reaction as Best Jeanist's fibers. "Don't push yourself. I got a pretty solid hit in earlier," He then smirked while pulling at his cape. "In fact, I'd bet you're barely able to stay conscious right now."
Nejire flew in from behind, preparing her attack. "I won't let you hurt anyone else!" She shouted angrily while flinging multiple waves. Ryukyu had came to mind...and she didn't want the same to happen to any of the three. Her attacks missed as Shigaraki ignored her, continuing to step forward. When he had said no more distractions...he had meant it. He grinned evilly at Izuka, who didn't look up at him. Instead, she seemed to be lost in thought about something...
"This place was tailored to defeat you. It's your Coffin in the Sky!" And that was the name of the location for the floating stronghold, since it would be the place where Shigaraki would be stopped.
"Seems like, in actuality...you designed your own coffins," Shigaraki contradicted as Mirio, Edgeshot, and Mirko continued to fight back, but weren't any closer to the villain. Nejire kept up her attacks, and he glanced over his shoulder. "It's time to lie down and close the lid," His eyes widened while his hair twitched, causing her to whimper a little. As Nejire Wave hit the tentacles, the fingers absorbed it and went flying towards her. One of them managed to scrap her left side hard enough that it ripped her costume and left a scratch. Nejire didn't let up as she punched, letting her waves fly. She was in pain, but she also wasn't going to let that stop her either. Not after what she had been through to get to this point...
"Hey, hey!" Nejire replied cheerfully in middle school. "Your Quirk lets you stretch out your fingers really long, right? Do you think that'll come in handy?" She replied curiously, her hair spiraled into pigtails. "And if your fingers are stretched out, is it super difficult to type? Must be strange..."
"That girl's crazy," A student commented, put off by her...behavior.
"Hey, hey, Keiko," She ran over to some girls with a smile, taking Keiko's hand. "How does your brush Quirk work? Like, if you clean the tub or polish your shoes, is your arm all gross when you turn it back to normal? I guess then you'd have even more cleaning to do. That is so weird."
She ran up to another classmate that was reading. "Maki!" Maki yelped from being called out, his short hair growing out in surprise. "You can grow your hair out, yeah? Is styling it a lot of work?" She reached out to her own hair, wishing it was just as long. "Do you want to open a wig store? Ooh! Or maybe be a ghost in a haunted house. I wonder. Interesting..." Her eyes shined a little as she was just so curious, but at the same time...a lot of other students found it pushy.
"Hey, you. Listen up," Someone spoke to her from behind.
"Uh, yes?" She turned around with a smile, her eyes shining brighter as she looked excited. "What is it?"
"Just because you've got a Quirk that can do anything doesn't mean you have the right to look down on the rest of us," The student stated, surrounded by others who weren't too happy with Nejire either. She stared in silence as...she never stopped to think about how she could come across to other people.
"Why are you so annoying?"
"No one wants to hear your voice."
And with her Quirk, she had gotten into UA.
'The more I wanted to know about other people...the more they withdrew and avoided me' She blinked as she was turned away from everyone. After what happened in middle school...she stopped being herself, and didn't make friends in the process. No one wanted to be her friend with the way she acted...so she just stopped asking questions and being excited about Quirks. She couldn't even remember the last time she smiled...
'Until...'
"Um," Tamaki spoke up shyly, his mouth quivering. Nejire turned to him with a blank look. He stared at her wide-eyed, Yuyu and another student staring at her with smiles. "He-heroes?" He covered his eyes with his hand, not wanting to look Nejire in the eye. She could only blink, wondering what he was doing until he gave her a thumbs up. "Do you have any favorite pros, or...?"
Nejire stared at him with an open mouth, as...ever since middle school, nobody dared approach her. But now...Tamaki, someone who wasn't even good at socializing...took the first initiative. The boy next to Tamaki gave a sheepish smile while Yuyu stared at Nejire in awe. Her eyes twinkled a bit as she stood up. Tamaki gasped sharply, his hair standing on end.
"Hey, hey, why are you hiding your face like that?" Nejire slid in closer and he peeked at her with one eye. "Isn't it hard to see what's in front of you?"
"Um..." He turned away to hide again. "It's, uh..."
"Is that a yes thumbs up or just a reflex?" She stared at his thumb, feeling like with him talking to her, not the other way around...her previous self could be comfortable around them.
"Well, Mirio said..."
"Are you okay?!" She yelped as Tamaki was sweating bullets. "Should you be sweating and shaking so badly? How strange!"
"I've made a mistake..." Tamaki murmured in utter dismay; it was Mirio who convinced him to go over and talk to her. Because to Mirio, she needed to cheer up, and he figured to have Tamaki talk to her to help him with his talking skills. Which...sort of worked. And it was kind of like what Mirio did with Tamaki when they first met. Nejire started to talk a mile a minute, the other classmates looking on happily, especially Yuyu.
My life now...it all goes back to that first question.
Mirio popped out of a bush with his butt sticking out, his head underneath it. Tamaki walked over to introduce him with a grin.
That's how I got to know both of you. How our friendship started to bloom.
Nejire looked up with a happy smile, laughing out loud as Mirio's Permeation left him naked...Tamaki rushed over to cover him up immediately.
Getting close to you guys made me so much stronger.
She let out an angry yell as she reached out her hands, sending out a huge spiral wave. As they hit the finger tentacles, Shigaraki didn't even stop to turn around, still focused on the two Class 1-A students. Nejire gritted her teeth angrily. I know what Vast Hybrid can do. It takes some time to activate. But Togata and I know you, Tamaki Amajiki! You can do this!
She continued to fire in a specific direction, but what she was hitting was hidden by the smoke.
"Zebra Tarantula, plus Dragon Fruit, plus Spider Crab, plus Sika Deer, plus Japanese Chestnut..." Tamaki was stating all types of ingredients...as Nejire was powering up a giant arm coming from his body made up of everything he had eaten. "Plus Nejire Hado's energy!"
The more you eat, the more possibilities you have! Nejire thought while continuing to power up Tamaki's arm.
If there's one person here who might be able to damage Shigaraki right now...it's you, using your Quirk without holding back! Mirio continued to run through the tentacles, Shigaraki in sight as he gritted his teeth.
"Have confidence in yourself, Tamaki," Mirio stated to his friend, who looked at him wide-eyed.
I believe in you. Do your best...Suneater!
Tamaki narrowed his eyes as Shigaraki was in his eyesight, having used his camouflage. "If I fail, he'll kill everybody here. The battle, this whole operation, will be over..."
"You should be proud of your work, Tamaki!" Fat Gum had a big smile towards his student.
"Wow! You're so awesome!" Both Eijiro and Tetsutetsu shouted in awe.
"You have an amazing power, dude." Mirio smiled towards Tamaki, having faith in him. "And it's just going to get better, I'm sure of it."
Izuka gave a sheepish smile towards half of her defeated class. "We may be first-years, but my class doesn't give up when it comes to villains. Togata-San is like that too, of course, and I don't know what my brother will come up with. But having a lot of respect for people is something we both share, right?"
Those words were rays of light... Tamaki looked up with a glare. Treasures gifted to me by people I respect. Up until now...I haven't been able to accept them. Even when Callista said she didn't carry the same feelings as mine...she still turned me down in a way that I could never be angry with her. Because the weight of such words might have crushed me His arm powered up thanks to Nejire's wave, his cape flowing behind him. It was so much easier to be self-deprecating instead His other arm turned into a claw, plugging it into the bigger one. Thank you...everyone. Especially you, Callista. We didn't talk much after work-studies the first round, but...your reaching out meant a lot to me. And...when you become a hero...I'll be proud to say that we knew each other from UA! Now the weight of your words...is making me stronger than I've ever been! He watched as a bright light was in front of him, pointed right at Shigaraki.
"More petty tricks!" He shouted as he flung his arm over.
Vast Hybrid. Plasma Cannon! Tamaki gritted his teeth as the giant laser from his arm shot off, hitting Shigaraki dead on and blasting away some fingers in the process. "GET WRECKED!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, Shigaraki letting out a growl as he tried to hold it back.
"Why can't you understand?!" His finger tentacles expanded, but then Mirio came in to punch him in the face hard. The light overtook Coffin in the Sky, and then shot out of the fortress to disappear into the sky...
Manual was the only one who could look at what just happened, a little terrified by just how much power UA's students had...he let out a light breath, unable to close his mouth. Smoke filled the area, Nejire panting heavily. Tamaki was the same as Best Jeanist stared at something. The third-year boy faltered...as finger tentacles came in with a vengeance. He flinched and jumped backwards to avoid them, one of Best Jeanist's fibers grabbing him to pull him out of the way. Mirio let out a growl as he stared at just how much more there were now...Blood flew from Nejire's stomach, looking down in dismay.
"It didn't work?!" She had NEVER seen anyone be able to dodge Tamaki's Plasma Cannon...
"Not strong enough..." Shigaraki stated while Best Jeanist had moved his fiber away from Tamaki. "Think about it! Would Golden Age All Might have died from a measly attack like that? Of course not!" He revealed himself from the smoke, gritting his teeth as he was getting more and more frustrated with them by the minute. "Why are you people so dense?!"
Tamaki faltered as he stepped back, looking up ahead. With Plasma Cannon being his strongest attack, he had no idea what to do now...
Katsuki got onto his feet, as did Izuka. Shigaraki froze, looking to the side. Neither of them moved or attacked. Best Jeanist stared with bated breath as both of them walked forward. "Use your first aid on the others," Katsuki spoke up quietly, walking past the hero.
"Make sure you keep them at a safe distance with your fibers. Otherwise Shigaraki will target them, and make their injuries worse," Izuka walked to join Katsuki's side. Her back was in slightly less pain, but she was also choosing to ignore it.
"Wait!" Best Jeanist cried out, knowing that against Shigaraki...after facing him off before, the two could probably die. Hence why all of them had heroes with them to make sure...that something like that didn't happen.
Blood fell from Katsuki onto a blade of grass while Izuka's foot slipped a little. However, she managed to stand back up after a few seconds. With her back the way it was, she felt like it would give out. But she wasn't going to allow it...not until they did what they needed to. Shigaraki gritted his teeth angrily, growling towards the duo.
"I've gotta defeat him..." Katsuki whispered, tears still going down his cheek. "Right, Izuku...kitten?"
She didn't say anything as she continued to walk, knowing that her answer wouldn't satisfy him. Her dark purple aura appeared around her body. Defeating Shigaraki...that would make it all worth it to him. And she didn't know it, but...her silence was all Katsuki needed. Because he was silently promising to her that he would make sure she would never suffer again from the League. The only way to do that...was to finally be rid of Shigaraki once and for all.
"No, please! Don't do this!" Best Jeanist begged, his fibers reaching out. Before he could actually stop them, the two zipped forward, Katsuki having used his Cluster. Izuka was using Lunar Energy, despite her injuries. Shigaraki didn't move as the boy reached out his hand, sparkles appearing from it. Izuka swung her hand with Comet Burst, both of them firing in unison towards his face. The two then landed safely behind the impact, Katsuki glancing over his shoulder.
"Right side."
Shigaraki swung to attack them, only for the two to disappear into thin air. Katsuki landed safely behind him. Izuka followed soon after, part of Katsuki's item falling to the ground. Both were left panting heavily, the last bit of Katsuki's mask flying away. Izuka's hair fell out of her ponytail after a few seconds, her hair tie burning off. Not that she really cared right now. Cluster was still sparking around the boy, and Izuka's Lunar Energy was still activated. Mirio gasped sharply at what just happened, as did Edgeshot, Nejire, Tamaki, and Mirko.
They dodged the attack! Best Jeanist looked at them wide-eyed...since no one had been able to dodge Shigaraki until now. Shigaraki spun around to send finger tentacles their way, but missed. Katsuki appeared right behind him with his hand reached out, Izuka above Shigaraki. She spun around her arms as some meteors appeared right above her head.
Quirk, Explosion. His palms secrete a nitroglycerin-like sweat he can detonate to create powerful blasts. The newest move in the boy's arsenal is Cluster, which had some side effects he wasn't aware of until this very moment. The attack is pulled off by storing up sweat and launching the droplets, an act that's extremely hard on the glands in his palms. As he focused on victory and stored up more and more volatile sweat, it began to leak out of pores all over his skin, not just his hands. The resulting full-body explosion gave him even more speed than he was used to.
Quirk, Galaxy. Her body creates shooting stars and she utilizes the 8 planets to use them against her enemies. She's unlocked moves from all 8 planets, and can surround herself in both Solar Energy and Lunar Energy. Both of which she didn't truly understand their effects until now. Solar Energy gives only a slight boost of power, similar to One for All at say, 8 percent. And when she focused on saving everyone on her path to become a hero, she unlocked Lunar Energy, giving her more powerful attacks to pull off. The results are giving her speed she had to get used to and pulling off some sick moves!
Everything hurts... Katsuki thought, but didn't let up at all. He then thought of when Izuku threw his ball during the Quirk Assessment test on their first day...and when Izuka's arms burned up a few times. Fighting while in pain. Trying to spot an enemy's tell. You're...already old pros at this...aren't you? He thought about...all the times Izuku got stronger, little by little, sometimes even against Katsuki himself...similarly, he thought about all the times Izuka pushed herself, stood up for herself, proved her worth...and even sometimes managed to bring out his softer side. Hell...when he wanted her to get angry with him for what he did in the past...she didn't even do that the first time. Hey, Izuku...Izuka...can I...still catch up to you? He held out his sparking hand, his eyes wavering...as he really hoped that the day would still come...because if so, all of this would have been for nothing.
My back is screaming at me to stop...but I can't Izuka gritted her teeth while flinging down meteors, but the finger tentacles prevented her from getting a proper hit. She thought about when she used her Quirk for the first time against the sludge villain...and when Katsuki helped her so many times. Not just physically with training, but emotionally too. Fighting alongside All Might when I wasn't capable...all of the times I've been put to the test. I...I am a symbol, title or not, huh? Someone people can look up to... She remembered all of the times Izuku supported her, and she slowly got past her shyness, sometimes because of Katsuki. And all of her friends being by her side no matter what anyone said or did...like when she refused to let herself be bothered by the rumors during the School Festival. Hey...Katsu...let's keep working together...and surpass Izuku once we open up a hero agency...isn't that right? She continued to throw down meteors and comets.
Why are they pissing me off so much? Hana was bad enough...they don't have One for All Shigaraki thought while glancing behind him. He's an extra. The same as that pathetic cockroach... He was referring to Kudo...who was just like Katsuki in more ways than one. So why is it that panic is rising in me? He growled while powering up his arm, looking towards the bright glow that Katsuki was giving off now. Above him, purple light was shining from Izuka. And then...he thought of the smiles from both Kudo and Hana.
"I'LL OBLITERATE YOU!" He declared furiously while lunging forward. Izuka grunted angrily, flying down and pushing Shigaraki away from Katsuki. She already had to see him get choked and his arm breaking...she was not going to let him lay another hand on Katsuki while she was still around. Shigaraki growled from her interference, turning towards her next.
The next thing he knew...Katsuki found himself in his own void, like with the twins. Except...he didn't have much surrounding him. Yellow and purple reached out to him and he glanced over his shoulder. While he was wearing his UA uniform...he was looking at the floating vestiges of Toshinori and Izuka. Izuka's was the dark purple one, and...like Toshinori, he couldn't see her true appearance, she was just covered in dark purple. He faltered as he stared at the two.
"Oh...That's right." He reached out to the back of his neck, feeling a little awkward. And he was speaking...in the softest voice he had ever gave. "I, um. Well...Whenever I finally got to meet you...I was, uh...I was kind of a punk." Even though he should've been happy that his childhood hero saved him...he was still rude towards All Might a few times in the past. Even after the man couldn't continue being the number-one hero anymore. "Because of that...I never really saw the right time to bring this up, but..." Katsuki dug into his pocket, having retrieved something. In his hand...was an All Might ultra-rare collectible trading card. And he could still remember the day he got it, being so happy...and so were the twins. Izuku shared it with Izuka, but it still meant the world to all three of them. "Man..." He looked kind of embarrassed as he smiled. "You have no idea how much I wanted your autograph."
Katsuki glanced up at Shigaraki's fingers heading towards Izuka.
Back in his void...he reached out to take Izuka's hand, looking up at her. "Izuka Midoriya…we've been through so much together and I don't know what I can say to you," He looked away bashfully as...this sort of stuff wasn't something he was used to. But...for her, he would, because she needed to hear it. "There's too many things…but here's something new that I've kept in me for a long time now. I wasn't able to do enough for you in Kamino. That fight…I was actually scared of what could've happened if I had just held onto you like I should have."
Katsuki reached out to the girl, hooking his leg around her armpit. She prepared herself to be flung towards their opponent.
He bowed his head to her vestige, shaking. "I'm sorry for not being strong enough for you…at any point in our time at UA. I don't wanna feel like I failed you…and I don't wanna watch that either. I know I haven't said this to your face, but…"
Katsuki used his leg to fling Izuka away from the two before Shigaraki could actually hit her as intended.
He felt his heart beating as he looked up at Izuka's vestige again. "I've…always loved you. Even when I kept denying it…I knew. I couldn't tell you before…because you've advanced so much. Even though I want to be number one…that's you to me. I'm scared that I'll never reach you. That I can't save you from someone like Shigaraki." He watched as the vestige had tears streaming down her face. Which...broke him a little. He didn't want to see her cry...but he had to ensure her future at the same time. He wasn't going to let anyone take away her chance of being a hero...even himself.
Izuka looked at Katsuki wide-eyed, as did everyone else. The girl's eyes were shaking towards Katsuki in horror, shouting as she reached out her hands. However...she was unable to move thanks to the high speed he threw her at.
"It won't make up for everything I put you through…but I know you'll understand one day…without me. Because I won't give you away like that. If I do…you'll only be doing it for me." His eyes saddened...knowing that she would be heartbroken without him. But...it was either his life or hers right now. And he wasn't going to let her stop him. "So for as long as you become the hero you're destined for…don't ever leave."
Izuka spun around and then rolled roughly onto the ground. And then Katsuki felt the impact on his heart...as Shigaraki struck him there with his attack. Nejire reached out her hand, Mirko, Mirio, and Tamaki trying to assist as well. The blast then sent Katsuki flying. Once Izuka stopped rolling, she looked back with bated breath as she watched him soaring. Best Jeanist gasped sharply as Katsuki flew past him rapidly, spinning around and landing on his back. "KATSUKI!" The short girl called out while running over, tears falling from her face as she tried to process the last few seconds. I can't believe he just did that…why? Why did you pull me away?! We were supposed to do this together…! You can't just do that at the last minute! Oh my god...is he okay?!
As she continued to run...Katsuki's All Might card flew to the ground, falling limp next to him.
"According to reports from volunteer weather watches, the Kanto, Chubu, and Kansai regions are experiencing unexpected temperature spikes," A weatherman reported on a local bulletin, showing various areas. "Given this radical departure from the forecast, it's possible sudden storms will form around these areas." People in the UA shelter were watching the current broadcast.
"I don't like the sound of that," Mitsuki Bakugo remarked, a hand over her cheek. She knew that Katsuki and storms weren't the best combination... "Our poor kid. He really hates the rain." If only she and Masaru knew what just happened to their son and what he did for Izuka. The rain clouds started to appear, and thunder struck above Coffin in the Sky.
"You thought you could catch me off guard by replaying our fight from earlier," Shigaraki stated...as the others were on the ground. "Even though you've seen how well I adapt?" Tamaki coughed out some blood, himself and his teammates unable to move now... "We came prepared for anything. The demon lord's body is a marvel." Edgeshot was shaking while sitting on his knees, looking towards Mirko and Nejire... "Don't you get it yet? Your part is over." Shigaraki saw Izuka running, but oddly enough, made no effort to stop her. He grinned while surrounded by his finger tentacles, Best Jeanist also taking off into a run. "From now on, this is our story."
"Hang in there," Best Jeanist looked at the boy wide-eyed. "This might hurt, but...you'll be-" He faltered while reaching out his hand, the storm above getting worse. He shuddered as he stood up, his eyes shaking as he stared.
The green-haired girl finally arrived to see Katsuki. She immediately came to a stop and then froze. Her eyes shook as she took in the sight in front of her. No...he...he can't be...
Manual, Neito, and Mr. Aizawa...could only look in horror. "His heart..." Best Jeanist whispered while Mr. Aizawa was shouting towards Coffin in the Sky. The entire sky above the structure was black now...as the rain started to fall. However...no one could really focus on that anymore. Because Katsuki Bakugo...was lying next to his crumbled All Might card. Blood was on his mouth...and where Shigaraki hit him in the heart. He was pale while on the ground...and he wasn't moving at all.
Izuka's heart dropped as she stared at her boyfriend, her mouth wavering. She also...couldn't stop shaking at the horrible sight in front of her being etched into her memory.
"A...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" She let out a bloodcurdling scream so loud that everyone stopped to look at her. Well...everyone that could look at her, that is. Staring at him...she didn't want to believe it...but the sight was the truth. Katsuki Bakugo...the one who bullied her, ridiculed her...but became the love of her life...was dead. And Shigaraki could only smirk upon hearing her emotional, painful shout.