All They Had to Do Was Become Stronger

"Who exactly are you?" Shigaraki Tomura stared at Chiffon. "Why do you know this Nomu's Quirk and characteristics?"

"I guessed."

Shigaraki Tomura: "???"

Like hell anyone could guess that. Shigaraki Tomura laughed in fury. "Nomu, kill him."

Without hesitation, Chiffon took out a Quirk Supplement from his pocket and used up his last dose.

At the same time, the Nomu's attack arrived in an instant. Shoto Todoroki and Shota Aizawa moved simultaneously—the former froze the Nomu's feet, while the latter bound its hands. Chiffon leaped into the air and landed behind the Nomu, pressing both hands against its back as lightning flared.

"Thunder Shockwave."

The Nomu's back instantly convulsed with violent vibrations, tangled lightning crackling across it in a terrifying display.

"Don't waste your effort. It isn't afraid of Lightning," Shigaraki Tomura said, scratching his chin. "The Quirks you rely on to survive are so pathetic before it. Go on, savor your despair."

The Nomu shuddered, instantly shattering the ice around its feet. Then it flung Shota Aizawa away. Chiffon hurriedly jumped back, but he was still a step too late. The Nomu was incredibly fast, and its fist had already struck him.

Chiffon flew dozens of meters away and spat out blood. If he hadn't deployed his Air Barrier, that punch might have killed him.

"Chiffon!" Shoto Todoroki's expression changed as he rushed toward him. That single punch had sent Chiffon flying so far; his life could be in danger.

"You should worry about yourself first." Shigaraki Tomura narrowed his eyes. The Nomu charged at Shoto Todoroki, raising a hand to grab his head.

An unprecedented fighting spirit erupted from Shoto Todoroki. He brought his hands together, then thrust them forward with all his strength. A Great Ice Explosion appeared in an instant, freezing the Nomu into a massive sculpture.

Shota Aizawa was indeed a Professional Hero worthy of being a teacher. Though exhausted, he could still display strength beyond the ordinary. Moving with strange footwork, he followed his white binding cloth as it wrapped around Shigaraki Tomura. It was good enough if he could ease everyone's burden even a little.

Izuku stared blankly at Chiffon lying motionless on the ground, his eyes suddenly reddening. Could Chiffon... be dead?

He did not dare imagine it. Chiffon, who had always been so outstanding, had been knocked down by a single punch, his fate unknown. That punch from the Nomu seemed to contain limitless power. Izuku had only ever seen that kind of power from All Might.

Like a war machine, the Nomu felt neither pain nor fatigue. After breaking free from the Great Ice Explosion again, it relentlessly charged at Shoto Todoroki. Shigaraki Tomura was its will; whoever he wanted dead had to die.

Shoto Todoroki knew he was no match for the Nomu, but buying even a little more time was worth it. After using Great Ice Explosion again to freeze the Nomu, he turned to look at Chiffon lying nearby.

Chiffon was neither dead nor unconscious. He was resting. He knew his condition very well: three broken ribs. It hurt terribly, but he had not lost his ability to fight.

At that moment, he also realized how naive his thinking had been. The Black Nomu truly was not something he could contend with yet. He had no idea how such a creature had been made, but its strength was unbelievably powerful.

Other than All Might, practically no one present was a match for this Black Nomu, let alone with Shigaraki Tomura and Kurogiri added to the mix.

The Nomu broke free once again, and Shoto Todoroki was beginning to reach his limit. His stamina was finite, after all. Fighting the Nomu had drained too much out of him, and he was struggling to cope.

Just as the Nomu was about to grab Shoto Todoroki, Izuku finally erupted and charged toward it. Tears shimmered in his eyes, but there was even more determination there.

He knew that if he threw this punch, his right arm would be ruined. But nothing mattered more than his friends and classmates. He could never stand by and watch them die!

"Stop it!" Izuku suddenly accelerated and threw a punch into the Nomu's back. "Smash!"

"Boom!"

After his impulsive strike, Izuku was delighted to discover that his right hand had not been crippled. That meant he had thrown a full-power punch.

But in the next moment, his face turned ugly. There did not seem to be even a scratch on the Nomu's back. The punch had been ineffective; it had not even hurt the enemy.

What kind of enemy was this?

Izuku's face went pale. He felt like he was going to die. He could not save everyone, and he could not even save himself. Why? Why am I so useless? Why can't I even control my strength properly?

A deep sense of self-blame lingered in his heart. Izuku sat down weakly and faced reality.

"Sometimes, an individual's strength is not the greatest strength. And it does not mean you are useless—it just means the opponent is too strong." Izuku turned around in surprise. Chiffon slowly stood up and straightened his back. "So what should we do?"

Lightning wrapped around Chiffon's legs as he shot toward the Nomu. His hands shifted continuously, seemingly gathering an overwhelmingly powerful force.

"It's simple. We just have to become stronger!" Chiffon shouted. "Lightning Style: Lightning Plow Hot Blade!"

He flashed past at blinding speed. Amid the dense Lightning, a gash was cut across the Nomu's waist. Red liquid flowed out, proving that it had been injured.

"Looks like I was still a little short." Chiffon weakly fell forward. Izuku hurriedly jumped up and caught him, tears welling in his eyes. "Chiffon, thank you."

At that moment, Izuku seemed to understand many things. He also understood that this world was ultimately not peaceful. Enemies were everywhere, and darkness was everywhere. Since he could not change the world, he would change himself first.

When he gained that ability someday, it would not be too late to change the world.

While Shigaraki Tomura was occupied with dealing with the others, he saw Chiffon strike again—and with a single blow, Chiffon had cut open the waist of the Nomu, whose body was incomparably tough.

His pupils contracted as Shigaraki Tomura looked at Shota Aizawa. "What's his name?"

"What, are you interested in him?" Shota Aizawa said between breaths. "Or are you deeply wary of his strength and potential?"

"You're so annoying." After dodging Shota Aizawa's attack, Shigaraki Tomura sprinted toward Chiffon. He had to kill this brat, or there would be endless trouble in the future.

"Not good!" By the time Shota Aizawa reacted, Shigaraki Tomura was already rushing toward Chiffon. His white binding cloth swept out, but Shigaraki Tomura dodged it. There was no time.

"You disgusting bastard, leave him to me."

An unabated roar rang out as Bakugo Katsuki rushed over at high speed. His hands shifted from red to crimson as he unleashed a massive Explosion at Shigaraki Tomura.

Smoke and dust filled the air. Izuku carried Chiffon and leaped out of the danger zone, landing beside Shota Aizawa. Shota Aizawa glanced at Chiffon, who seemed to have fallen unconscious, then said to Izuku, "Well done."

"One after another, all of you get in my way. Why? Because of a hero's justice?" Shigaraki Tomura walked out of the smoke with his hands hanging at his sides. His gaze swept across everyone. "U.A. High School has no reason to exist. The world does not need heroes either. Soon, everyone will understand that what we're doing is for everyone—for this world!"

Shigaraki Tomura's bloodstained hands hung at his sides as he suddenly began to laugh. His laughter was twisted and chilling, as though endless pain and sorrow filled his heart, along with the burning will of black demons that wanted to tear him to pieces.

A reader pointed out an issue, and it has been corrected. Thanks for the reminder—I was careless.