Story 1 - Chapter 3: MHA - Liberation

“Midoriya-chan, are you okay? Your finger isn’t broken, right?” Tsuyu asked as they made their way out of the water and stepped onto the muddy edge of the Flood Zone. Her round eyes blinked with quiet concern.

Izuku flexed his finger a little and winced. “No, I don’t think so. It hurts, yeah, but I managed not to actually break it…” His voice trailed off, sounding distracted. Even while answering, his mind kept circling back to the strange energy he had used. That strange power—Haki, or whatever it was—where had it even come from? Why did he know how to use it instinctively? Was it really his original Quirk all along?

“That’s a relief.” Tsuyu’s shoulders eased just a little.

Mineta, who had been nearly hyperventilating earlier, finally let out a shaky breath. “Yeah, that’s seriously good news! If you can fight without breaking yourself every time, then we might actually survive this mess.” He wiped sweat from his forehead, clearly forcing himself to calm down.

Tsuyu gave a thoughtful nod. “Good news indeed. But can you use that ability again if you need to?” Her tone was steady, more practical than relieved.

“I hope so,” Izuku admitted honestly. He wasn’t confident at all. Deep down, he could feel that what he’d managed earlier was only the bare minimum, the simplest form of the ability. If he were doing it right, then his body—his skin—should have visibly changed, hardened in some way. That image was lodged in his head as if it had always been there, but he couldn’t explain why or how he knew it.

Noticing Izuku’s expression shift, Tsuyu quickly interrupted before he fell too deep into thought again. “Anyway, shouldn’t we decide what to do next?”

Her words pulled him back to reality. He straightened up, forcing his focus onto their situation. “You’re right. For now, the smartest move would be to find help. If we stick to the waterside, maybe we can avoid running into trouble at the Central Plaza.” He looked in that direction while speaking, though his brows knit together. ‘Is that really the best choice?’

Both Tsuyu and Mineta followed his gaze.

“The Plaza…” Tsuyu murmured. “Aizawa-sensei’s still over there, holding back that massive group of villains. There’s no way one person can keep that many under control forever.” She pointed, making it clear what Izuku had been trying not to think about.

Once the idea was spoken aloud, he couldn’t push it aside anymore. “Sensei must have jumped into the fight to protect us. He’s trying to hold them off alone, even if it means overextending himself.” Izuku clenched his fists.

Mineta’s eyes went wide, panic rising again. “W-wait. Midoriya, you’re not saying we should—”

“Of course I’m not saying we should throw ourselves into the middle of that fight!” Izuku cut him off quickly. “But maybe… maybe there’s something we can do to help him!” His voice carried a sudden determination, the kind that made it clear he had already made up his mind. If he could really use One For All without breaking his bones, then he had no excuse to sit back. He had inherited the same power as All Might. That meant he could fight too.

By the time the three of them reached the edge of the Central Plaza, the situation was as bad as Izuku had feared. Aizawa-sensei was still standing, still fighting, but he was locked in combat with a particularly unsettling villain.

The man had pale, almost sickly-blue hair, and his body was covered with dismembered hands—gripping his face, clinging to his neck, clutching his arms. Just looking at him made Izuku’s stomach tighten. ‘Are those… real? Or just some kind of costume?’ He hoped for the latter.

His hope didn’t last long. The villain lunged forward, seizing Aizawa’s arm with one of his bare hands. The moment all five fingers pressed down, the skin of their teacher’s elbow began to crumble—disintegrating right before their eyes.

“Sensei!” Izuku shouted.

Aizawa reacted instantly, wrenching himself free and counterattacking with a sharp punch. He even managed to dodge the follow-up, but the damage had already been done. His arm showed the clear mark of decay, even as he pushed through the pain to knock down two weaker villains who had tried to rush him during the opening.

Izuku’s brain went into overdrive, analyzing everything he had just seen. ‘Touch-based disintegration. It activates when all five fingers make contact. The rate of decay is fast—just a few seconds for a whole body. Extremely dangerous.’ His thoughts sharpened as if carving notes into his mind.

The reality was clear. This wasn’t just a strong villain. This was someone lethal.

Fortunately, Aizawa had already taken care of most of the weaker villains. The scattered bodies of unconscious henchmen proved that much. But the real problem hadn’t disappeared. Two opponents still remained on the battlefield—the pale man covered in hands, and the massive, bird-headed creature towering behind him.

The man with the hands didn’t even bother to hide who the real threat was. “Unlike me,” he said with a twisted grin, “Nomu here is the actual boss.” With a casual flick of his hand, he sent the monster lumbering toward Aizawa.

It wasn’t even a contest.

Aizawa’s Quirk erased Nomu’s ability the moment their eyes met, but it didn’t matter. The monster’s physical strength alone rivaled All Might’s. Every swing of its fists carried terrifying weight, each strike smashing into Aizawa’s defenses like a hammer against glass. It wasn’t long before the underground hero was knocked around like a ragdoll.

Izuku’s breath caught in his throat. ‘Even without its Quirk, it’s that strong? This isn’t a strength-type Quirk… Nomu is naturally that powerful. If its ability isn’t strength-based, then what is it?’ His fists trembled as the realization hit him. ‘That thing… it’s their weapon against All Might!’

“Tell the Symbol of Peace,” the hand-covered man gloated, his voice filled with sick delight, “he’s wanted by the Artificial Human, Nomu!” He practically laughed as Nomu slammed Aizawa into the ground again.

Artificial Human…? Izuku’s eyes widened. Cold sweat trickled down his back as he imagined the implications. If they can mass produce something like this, Hero Society wouldn’t just be in danger. Humanity itself would be finished.

“Nomu!” the villain barked suddenly. “Don’t kill him yet. He should live long enough to see the show. Wait for All Might.”

The monster froze mid-motion and pulled back, obeying instantly.

Behind Izuku, Mineta whimpered, his voice cracking. “M-Midoriya, this is too much! We shouldn’t be here. We’ll be killed if we stay. Let’s just run away!”

But Izuku didn’t answer. His entire body felt heavy, weighed down by a familiar, suffocating sense of dread. Something was coming. Something worse.

The villain on the plaza raised his arms, speaking loudly for everyone to hear. “The Symbol of Peace will come sooner or later. Why don’t we prepare him a little welcome gift? Something that’ll break his pride when he arrives.” His words dripped with malice as he glanced down at the battered Aizawa lying on the floor.

And then, it happened.

The man with the disintegration Quirk moved. His body blurred, his speed so overwhelming that none of the students could normally have reacted in time. One moment he was across the plaza, the next his hand was already stretched toward Tsuyu’s face.

But just before his fingers could touch her skin, his hand stopped—frozen only a few centimeters away.

Because Izuku was there.

He had moved without thinking, driven by the strange sensation inside his head. That instinct, that awareness of intent, had allowed him to read the villain’s action before it even happened. His hand clamped tightly around the man’s wrist, preventing the touch. Anger burned in his eyes as a single thought flashed through his mind—Observation Haki.

“Well, now,” the villain said, tilting his head slightly, almost amused. “Impressive. A quick one, aren’t you? Faster than a student has any right to be.” His other hand began to lift, reaching for Tsuyu’s face again.

Izuku gritted his teeth. “Leave her alone!” he roared, pouring every ounce of willpower into his body. Energy surged through his limbs as he reinforced them, his muscles brimming with borrowed strength.

“Smash!”

Without hesitation, Izuku swung his fist, striking directly at the villain with everything he had.

He struck out with full force—but he didn’t hit Handsy. His fist collided with something massive, solid, and unyielding. The bird-headed creature had shifted just in time, blocking the punch before it reached its intended target. Dust rose into the air from the shockwave of his strike, but the monster stood firm, completely unharmed, while Izuku’s arm throbbed sharply from the impact. Pain seared through his muscles, but it wasn’t broken. He could still fight. He had to.

“Nice punch there,” Handsy said with a crooked smile as the dust began to settle. The Nomu now stood fully before Izuku, towering above him in its enormous, imposing height. “You called it a ‘Smash,’ huh? Following in All Might’s footsteps? Well… whatever, kid.” His voice carried amusement, but there was no warmth in it. Before Izuku could respond, Handsy’s hands lunged forward, aiming this time at both Tsuyu and Mineta.

Instinct took over. Somehow, his body moved almost automatically. Every limb was still coated in Busoshoku Haki, allowing him to unleash One For All with less restraint than ever before. Pain gnawed at him from the immense strain on his muscles, but he forced himself to ignore it.

In a blur, he scooped up both of his classmates, landing beside the barely moving form of Aizawa. “Tsuyu, Mineta,” he said calmly, voice steady despite the ache that pulsed through every joint. “Take Aizawa to safety.” His gaze never left Handsy and Nomu. Energy practically radiated from his body, a faint sparkle outlining him from head to toe.

“…No… run… you three… bring yourself to safety…” Aizawa muttered weakly, voice raspy, barely coherent.

Izuku shook his head firmly. “There’s no other choice. I’m the only one who can hold them back. You two get Sensei to safety, and then get help. This is our only chance.” His words were quiet, serious, yet carried the weight of absolute resolve. Protecting his classmates meant enduring the pain, the fear, the danger—even if it meant risking his life.

“Kero… be safe, Midoriya-chan.” Tsuyu’s eyes met his briefly, filled with worry, as she lifted the upper part of Aizawa’s body. “Help me, Mineta.”

The small boy hesitated, tears pooling in his wide eyes, before locking gaze with Izuku. Slowly, he bent down and grabbed the teacher’s legs, his voice barely above a whisper. Together, they began carrying Aizawa toward the stairs, each step measured and careful.

“Oh, how heroic,” Handsy said, the sound of amusement and malice mixed in his tone. “Do you know that you’ll die here, kid? No one escapes a fight like this alive. Someone like you… you have too much potential. You’re far too dangerous for us to ignore.”

Izuku’s expression hardened. Calm settled over him like a mantle, focusing all his energy on the battle before him. “So be it,” he said quietly, every word precise. “But I won’t let you pass. I won’t let you hurt my classmates.”

Power surged through him, every muscle brimming with energy. One For All combined with Busoshoku Haki wrapped around his body like armor, sparking faintly with every heartbeat. His eyes shone, radiating determination and raw power. “Who are you? What do you want with us?”

“Me?” The villain’s smile widened, eyes gleaming with madness. “I am Tomura Shigaraki, leader of the League of Villains. My goal is simple: kill All Might and tear this false society apart.” His voice dripped with malice. “But you? You don’t matter. You won’t see any of it. Nomu! Kill the brat!”

Izuku’s mind raced, thinking back to the brief moment earlier when he had tried to punch Shigaraki. The artificial human had only moved when it heard the command, responding instantly to protect its master. ‘It only acts when he commands it or to defend it’s master… Nomu doesn’t move on its own.’

Every muscle in Izuku’s body tensed. He wasn’t just facing a villain—he was facing a controlled weapon, a walking engine of destruction responding only to one person.

Nomu moved faster than Izuku had anticipated, its massive fist swinging directly at him. Every instinct screamed danger, but his weak Observation Haki flared just in time, allowing him to sense the incoming strike. He dove sideways, narrowly dodging the blow, and immediately countered with a full-power punch to the creature’s side. The impact should have cracked steel—or at least left a dent—but the Nomu didn’t even flinch.

‘Impossible.’ Izuku winced as the recoil of One For All surged through his body. His arm ached violently, the backlash of using his power at this level almost unbearable. ‘This was supposed to be my hundred percent… My punches should rival All Might’s, and yet it just tanked it.’ Another punch swung at him. He rolled aside instinctively, barely keeping pace, while his mind raced. ‘I’m not as strong as All Might yet. One For All is still transferring. If it weren’t, he wouldn’t have a Quirk anymore. But even so… I should have at least hurt it a little. Does it have some kind of defensive Quirk?’

“Eh, you’re strong, kid,” Shigaraki’s voice called out from the side, laughter bubbling through the chaos. “But Nomu was specifically designed as an anti-Symbol of Peace. Its Shock Absorption Quirk will block any damage you throw at it. Too bad for you. Don’t worry, though—you won’t be alone in heaven for long.”

Absorption, not nullification… Izuku’s mind raced as he forced himself to focus. He already knew he couldn’t sustain this for long. His body ached, his Haki weakening with every second. There was only one strategy left: overpower Nomu as quickly as possible.

Summoning every ounce of strength he could muster, he launched a relentless barrage of punches. His arms glowed faintly with Haki as he struck again and again, refusing to give the creature a chance to counterattack. Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, the creature began to show signs of damage.

Shigaraki’s calm voice cut through the air. “Impressive. You’ve figured out the weakness of Shock Absorption. But I forgot to mention one thing: Nomu also has super-regeneration.”

Izuku froze mid-punch. The cracks and dents he had fought so hard to make began to mend themselves almost immediately. ‘I’m going to die here,’ he realized, the truth hitting him harder than any punch could. Willpower drained from him like water through a sieve. His Haki flickered and died.

“Seems like you’ve run out of steam,” Shigaraki said, advancing with predatory precision. The crackling energy around Izuku had vanished, and the villain’s five fingers pressed directly against his chest. “I want to finish such a promising hero myself.”

Pain flared as his chest began to disintegrate where Shigaraki’s fingers touched. With one final surge of desperation, Izuku poured every last shred of willpower into a hundred percent punch, shoving Shigaraki away with an impact that shattered the villain’s arm. But the relief was fleeting. While Shigaraki crashed into the ground, the Nomu was already moving, unstoppable and merciless.

The creature’s massive fist collided with Izuku’s chest, smashing directly into his ribcage. The world spun violently, the air ripped from his lungs, and he felt his body launched backward like a ragdoll. As he tumbled through the air, the distant cries of his classmates from the stairs reached him, fragmented and horrifying.

‘I’m sorry, Mom…’

The darkness swallowed him whole. The world went silent. He died.