MHA:MPR CH25 - USJ INCIDENT (3)

A/N: Double Release (1/2)
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The wheel above Shiro’s head spun, before his Titan form collapsed to the ground with an earth-shattering crash. The enormous body flattened several more villains under its weight, sending up a thick cloud of dust and debris that momentarily obscured the battlefield.

[Mission Complete! Reward: 20,000XP], the system announced in its usual monotone voice, the notification faintly glowing in Shiro’s peripheral vision.

The sound of his fall echoed through the battlefield, drawing the attention of everyone present. The villains, who moments earlier had been paralyzed by fear, erupted into cheers. Emboldened by what they perceived as the defeat of the massive Titan, they began to move with renewed confidence.

“It can’t be... His punch was almost as strong as All Might’s...” Bakugo muttered, his voice uncharacteristically quiet as he stared at Nomu with wide eyes. His hands trembled slightly, a mix of shock and fear surging through him as he stared at the creature that had taken Shiro down.

Aizawa, stunned by the devastating scene, began to move toward Shiro, but Shigaraki intercepted him in an instant. With a swift swipe of his pale hand, Shigaraki grazed Aizawa’s wrist. The exposed skin cracked and crumbled, revealing raw muscle underneath.

Gritting his teeth, Aizawa swiftly erased Shigaraki’s quirk in retaliation, his sharp gaze fixed on the villain. ‘His quirk is dangerous... It seems to break down the human body,’ Aizawa analyzed, trying to suppress the pain radiating from his arm.

Seizing the opportunity created by Aizawa’s momentary distraction, Shigaraki threw a punch, landing a solid blow that sent Aizawa sprawling to the ground. Standing over him, Shigaraki sneered, his pale lips curling into a wicked grin.

“It must be overwhelming to have a student die on your watch, Eraserhead!” Shigaraki taunted, his voice dripping with mockery. The sneer turned into a low chuckle, which quickly escalated into a full-blown maniacal laugh. Gesturing toward Shiro’s collapsed Titan form with its crushed skull, Shigaraki bellowed, “MAYBE ALL MIGHT WILL COME QUICKER NOW!”

Aizawa’s anger boiled over, and despite the pain wracking his body, he forced himself up. His eyes burned with determination as he charged at Shigaraki. But before his fist could connect, Nomu appeared in a blur, moving with inhuman speed to intercept him.

The monstrous creature grabbed Aizawa and slammed him into the ground with enough force to break the floor. A sickening crack echoed through the battlefield as Aizawa groaned in pain. Nomu twisted Aizawa’s arm with terrifying strength, the grotesque sound of shattering bones ringing out.

Meanwhile, Midoriya, Asui, and Mineta, who had arrived a few minutes earlier, hidden in the water unnoticed, froze in terror. The sight of Shiro’s broken face and Aizawa’s brutalized body was almost too much for them to process.

“S-Shiro... Mr. Aizawa...” Midoriya stammered, his voice trembling. His wide, panicked eyes darted from Shiro’s motionless body to Aizawa, pinned under Nomu’s monstrous grip.

Bakugo, having just defeated another villain, noticed the dire situation. His eyes narrowed as he gritted his teeth. Without a moment’s hesitation, he launched himself toward Aizawa, explosions propelling him through the air. “GET OFF HIM, BASTARDS!!” he roared, the force of his voice filled with fury.

‘Kacchan!’ Midoriya thought, worried for Bakugo.

Nomu reacted effortlessly, swatting Bakugo away with a single motion. The blow sent Bakugo hurtling through the air, his body slamming into the ground several meters away with a heavy thud.

Midoriya clenched his fists, his body trembling violently. ‘I can’t let this continue... I have to do something!’ he thought desperately. But no matter how much he willed himself to move, his legs refused to obey.

Shigaraki, standing amidst the chaos, smirked with unrestrained glee. “It’s over,” he declared, his voice filled with sadistic satisfaction as his eerie eyes scanned the battlefield.

Suddenly, a notification appeared before Shiro’s eyes, glowing brightly.

[Adaptation Complete.]

Shiro, seeing the notification, grinned. ‘It’s about time...’ he thought, no longer suppressing his Titan form’s natural regeneration.

A large plume of steam began to rise from Shiro’s massive body, obscuring the battlefield even further. The face of his Titan form, previously caved in, quickly began reconstructing itself.

Noticing the steam, Shigaraki’s smug grin faltered. His eerie red eyes narrowed as he muttered, “What’s this?” His gaze snapped back to Shiro’s seemingly lifeless form.

Midoriya and the others stared in awe as the steam billowed from Shiro’s body. ‘What’s going on...?’ Midoriya thought, his heart pounding as he watched the broken face of Shiro’s Titan form become whole once more. The armored plating reemerged, covering Shiro’s face.

Slowly but surely, Shiro rose to his full height, his glowing blue eyes locked onto Nomu with an intensity that sent shivers through everyone watching. Steam continued to hiss and rise from his regenerating form, and his wide grin exuded unshakable confidence.

‘He’s regenerating too? What the hell is this thing?’ Shigaraki thought, his gaze narrowing in disbelief. ‘Nomu has been engineered to be strong enough to kill All Might, so how?! How is he standing—no, completely healed?!’

Shiro’s distorted Titan voice boomed, reverberating across the battlefield. “The beast’s name is Nomu, was it? Bring it on! I’ll entertain you until All Might arrives!”

Shigaraki’s initial confusion gave way to a sinister grin. “Fine. As you wish,” he sneered. “Nomu, warm up with our guest. I’ll handle the rest. It’s not like Eraserhead can fight anymore!” His maniacal laughter echoed as he gestured toward Shiro.

At Shigaraki’s command, Nomu leaped off of Aizawa, landing in front of Shiro with a force that sent debris flying.

Watching from the water, Midoriya finally found his voice. “NO! SHIRO, DON’T FIGHT THAT THING!” he yelled, his voice desperate.

Shiro ignored Midoriya’s pleas. Raising his massive fist, he brought it crashing down onto Nomu with all his might. The resulting impact sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, forming a deep crater and burying Nomu beneath his hammerlike hand.

“How’d you like that?” Shiro taunted, his grin unwavering. “This warmup isn’t looking too great for your pet!” His glowing eyes flicked toward Shigaraki, mockery evident in his expression.

Asui, still crouched in the water, called out, “You’ve got this, Shiro! Ribbit! We believe in you!”

Mineta, peeking out from behind her, shouted, “Yeah! Even though you’re also a creepy monster, at least you’re a good guy!”

Shiro turned his massive head toward Mineta and raised a brow. “Huh?”

Mineta, realizing his slip, ducked back behind Asui. “Never mind!” he squeaked.

Shigaraki’s grin twisted into irritation. “Stop messing around, Nomu! KILL HIM!” he bellowed.

Beneath Shiro’s hammer fist, the ground trembled as Nomu began to rise, lifting Shiro’s massive hand against its weight.

‘So strong...’ Shiro thought, feeling Nomu’s sheer power pushing back against him. His fingers twitched as he struggled to hold Nomu down.

Shigaraki’s attention shifted to Midoriya, Asui, and Mineta. A cruel smile spread across his face as he began walking leisurely toward them. “Well, then,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “It looks like more guests have arrived.”

Reaching the trio, Shigaraki crouched down, his covered grin widening as he extended his decayed hand toward Asui’s face.

“Ribbit—!” Asui croaked, frozen in fear as Shigaraki’s hand rested gently on her face.

Mineta and Midoriya watched in horror, their bodies trembling. But nothing happened.

Turning back to the battlefield where Aizawa lay battered, Shigaraki sneered. “You’re so persistent, Eraserhead. It’s just so cool!” His voice dripped with mock admiration.

Seeing Shigaraki distracted, Midoriya gritted his teeth. ‘This is my chance.’ His heart pounded as he leapt from the water with all the courage he could muster.

“SMASH!” Midoriya yelled, pulling back his fist and channeling every ounce of power into his punch aimed at Shigaraki.

The force of the attack was immense. The gust of wind it generated blew away several villains, shattered the lights in the USJ, and caused Shiro to shield his face with his massive arm.

Midoriya landed, his chest heaving as he stared into the settling dust. ‘I did it?!’ he thought, hope surging through him. ‘I got a good smash in without breaking my arm!’

But as the dust cleared, his expression of triumph turned to horror. Standing before him wasn’t Shigaraki—it was Nomu. The monstrous creature had moved fast enough to block the attack effortlessly.

‘Nomu?!’ Midoriya’s thoughts froze as he stumbled back.

“Shit,” Shiro muttered. His Titan form broke into a sprint, massive legs shaking the ground with each step as he raced toward Nomu.