The Nomu monster’s devastating punch had sent me flying straight into the central fountain.
Along with the water gushing from the broken pipes and the debris of the fountain, it was a godsend.
From the start, engaging this thing in close combat was suicidal.
Its shock-absorbing Quirk was overpowered, not to mention its super-regeneration ability.
To kill it, I had to destroy its cells faster than it could heal itself.
And I knew exactly what I needed to do.
“Alright… let’s all in.”
I took a deep breath, activating my Quirk on my forearms.
My skin quickly transformed into the cold, ash-gray color of a high-grade, super-heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant Nickel-Chromium alloy.
This would be the armor protecting my arms from the hellish thing about to be unleashed.
The moment the monster lunged at me with lightning speed, I instantly dodged, performing a long slide across the wet ground to avoid its massive punch.
As I slid, my alloy-clad hands plunged down, grabbing the fragments of concrete from the fountain.
Concentrating all my willpower, I frantically restructured the atoms in my palms, transforming the handful of fountain fragments into pure Na and P4.
“Taste this, you fuckface!”
I spun around, throwing the newly created handful of sodium and white phosphorus directly at Nomu’s exposed face.
The moment the pure sodium came into contact with the water streaming over the monster’s body, an extremely violent and intense chemical reaction occurred.
BOOM!
A small explosion flashed.
The immense heat released from the reaction immediately activated the white phosphorus.
Upon encountering oxygen in the air and fueled by heat, the white phosphorus burst into a fierce blaze of dazzling yellow flames, emitting thick, toxic white smoke.
The phosphorus flames clung to Nomu’s wet skin like ravenous leeches, frantically burning its flesh.
The monster let out a bloodcurdling roar of agony—a twisted, inhuman sound.
But that wasn’t enough!
Its cells began to regenerate, new skin sprouting up, trying to push the flames away.
“I’m not fucking giving up yet, you cunt!!!”
I yelled, frantically draining every last bit of my Quirk’s energy.
I leaped backward and somersaulted to avoid the monster’s blind but deadly swings.
Each time I landed, my hands reached down to pick up fragments, transforming them into deadly chemical projectiles and throwing them at it repeatedly.
Throw.
Dodge.
Transform.
Throw again.
A series of deafening chemical explosions rang out.
Sodium exploded, creating extremely potent alkaline chemical burns, while white phosphorus relentlessly clung to the newly regenerated flesh, continuing to burn deep into its bone marrow.
The heat from this homemade furnace was so intense that the surrounding air warped.
Nomu writhed, its massive body gradually collapsing under the destructive force of the chemical flames that couldn’t be extinguished by water.
It struggled weakly until it was nothing more than a pile of charred bones and flesh, only then could I stop with peace of mind.
…
The ruined space of U.S.J.
suddenly fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the crackling of embers and the drifting of toxic white smoke.
On the edge of the square, five figures stood frozen like stone statues.
Midoriya Izuku, Asui Tsuyu, Mineta Minoru, Ojiro Mashirao, and even Todoroki Shoto – who had just managed to freeze the criminals in the vicinity before rushing over—all stared wide-eyed at the pile of ashes at Ryuga’s feet.
They had no idea that what had just been destroyed was a “Nomu” – an artificial entity without consciousness.
In their eyes, what Ryuga had just burned alive, screaming in agony until it crumbled into dust, was a human being.
A criminal of flesh and blood.
Mineta was the first to break down.
He collapsed to his knees, covering his mouth with his hands, vomiting uncontrollably from the pungent smell of burnt flesh and the utterly brutal scene that had just unfolded before him.
Tsuyu trembled, clinging tightly to Ojiro’s arm.
Her usually large, round eyes were now constricted with horror.
She looked at Ryuga – who stood amidst the white smoke, his body drenched in blood – with a completely unfamiliar gaze.
It wasn’t the gaze of a classmate, but of a cold-blooded murderer.
Shoto clenched his fist, the flame on his left shoulder flickering and then dying out.
He himself possessed incredibly powerful firepower via his father before, but Ryuga’s use of chemicals to “torture” and burn his opponents to the bone was something far beyond the concept of a Hero’s fighting style.
It was too cruel.
Too extreme.
And Midoriya Izuku.
He, who always worshipped peace and salvation, stood motionless, his face drained of all color.
His emerald green eyes trembled violently.
In his mind, the image of a “Hero” had crumbled halfway.
This wasn’t a fight to protect.
This was a massacre in the name of justice.
Izuku’s mind was completely blank; he wanted to scream at Ryuga why he was doing this, but his throat was choked, unable to utter a single word.
…
As the last flame died down, Ryuga lost his balance and collapsed onto the cold ground.
His body was weak, his muscles torn apart after the excessive use of his Quirk.
The pain from his wounds and exhaustion overwhelmed him like a storm, trying to plunge him into the darkness of unconsciousness.
But in Ryuga’s hazy mind, a powerful obsession, like an invisible chain, pulled him back, preventing him from closing his eyes:
“I mustn’t faint…
Absolutely not…
Toga…
That crazy girl…
if I’m away from home for too long…
she’ll definitely cause a huge mess…”
He gritted his teeth until blood came out, using his last ounce of strength to keep his eyelids from drooping, lying gasping for breath, his chest heaving in the puddle of dirty water.
“You…
What the hell did you do to my Nomu?!”
Shigaraki Tomura’s ear-piercing, frenzied scream rang out.
He glared at the ashes of the “perfect masterpiece” his Sensei had bestowed upon him.
All his self-satisfaction and arrogance were blown away, replaced by utter humiliation and rage.
He had been ruined by a mere schoolboy like a joke!
“I’ll kill you!
I’ll tear you to dust!”
Tomura’s face contorted with rage.
He lunged forward like a ghost, his five fingers spread wide, aimed directly at Ryuga, who lay motionless on the ground.
At that speed and in Ryuga’s current state, a single touch would cause him to vanish completely.
BANG!
The large doors of U.S.J.
were suddenly blown open by a tremendous gust of wind.
A colossal figure emerged from the dust and smoke, carrying an overwhelming aura that swept away all the darkness in the cathedral.
“Everything is alright now…”
A deep, powerful voice echoed throughout the hall, causing the ground to tremble.
“Because I’ve arrived!”
All Might’s sudden appearance and the immense pressure from his leap created a powerful whirlwind, sending Tomura flying back several meters before he could reach Ryuga.
“Tsk!
All Might…!” Tomura gritted his teeth, his fingernails clawing frantically at his neck until it bled as he saw the Peace Symbol appear.
“Tomura, we must retreat.
Without Nomu, we have no chance of defeating All Might in this state.” Kurogiri’s low voice echoed as a black, misty spatial portal quickly enveloped Tomura.
Despite his intense anger and desire to tear Ryuga to shreds, Tomura understood the current situation.
He glared at Ryuga one last time, his eyes filled with murderous intent, promising a brutal revenge, before completely disappearing into the darkness of the portal and vanishing along with Kurogiri.
…
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
The clock’s steady ticking echoed in the silent space.
I opened my eyes.
What met my gaze wasn’t the fiery sky of the Fire Zone, nor the hunched figure of Ojiro Mashirao.
It was the stark white ceiling of the hospital, partially obscured by the night, along with the cold, pungent smell of disinfectant characteristic of hospitals.
I moved my lips.
My throat was parched, as if I’d swallowed a handful of hot sand.
“Ugh…
ugh…”
A weak groan ripped from my throat.
I instinctively tried to prop myself up.
But the moment that thought flashed through my mind, a terrifying, sharp pain, like thousands of red-hot needles piercing my brain, struck me.
“Aaa…!!!”
I screamed, but the sound that came out was only a pathetic, choked sob.
Pain.
The pain was so intense that cold sweat immediately broke out, soaking the hospital bedsheet.
I trembled as I glanced down at my body in the dim light of the special ward.
The sight before me made my heart skip a beat.
My left arm was encased in a stark white cast, fixed with thick metal splints, suspended by a pulley system.
Both legs were completely immobile.
They were tightly bound from the thighs down to the ankles, heavy as two dead logs.
And that wasn’t all.
My chest, shoulders, and arms were covered in layers of bandages, plastered on top of each other like an Egyptian mummy.
I lay there.
Motionless.
Helpless.
A complete cripple.
This hospital room was luxuriously spacious.
Perhaps it was the intensive care unit for UA students after the shocking attack at U.S.J.
But that spaciousness only served to highlight a cruel reality.
I’m all alone here.
No one’s beside me.
No worried family members.
No friends surrounding me, asking how I am.
Even my classmates from Class 1-A…
they’re probably busy with their own wounds, or being comforted by their families after their recent nightmare.
And me?
I’m just an outsider.
A wandering soul thrown into this world, carrying the ridiculous illusion of power of someone who “knows the future.”
I close my eyes, letting the darkness engulf my mind.
What were you thinking, you idiot?
I asked myself.
The question repeated itself like a broken piece of music.
I thought I had a powerful Quirk like a miracle from God, with the entire plot of the story in the palm of my hand.
I thought that with ten months of arduous martial arts training, I could shoulder the weight of the world.
I thought…
I was the protagonist.
“I’ll change the plot.” “I’ll save Himiko Toga before she sinks deeper into the abyss of darkness.” “I’ll be the reclusive hero, turning around this entire My Hero Academia world.”
Ridiculous.
Utterly ridiculous!
A hardcore delusional fool.
Reality had slapped me hard in the face.
Just against two petty criminals, who weren’t even named in the original storyline, I struggled to the point of nearly losing my life.
I had to resort to the most brutal method, using my tungsten-coated fists to smash a human’s head just to survive.
I had become a bloodthirsty monster.
And worse…
I was a weak monster.
Above all, all my plans for Toga.
My plan to approach her, to save her with understanding and compassion, has all fallen apart.
She must have left long ago, long after I arrived.
How could a pathetic, defenseless person like me dare to dream of saving a catastrophic, psychotic murderer like Himiko Toga?
She would probably just look at me with contempt, then plunge that sharp knife straight into my heart the next time we meet.
I’m useless.
I’m pathetic.
I’m nothing in this world full of monsters and superheroes.
Tears.
That hot, salty liquid began to well up from the corners of my eyes.
They slowly rolled down my temples, soaking the pristine white pillow.
I didn’t want to cry.
I really didn’t want to show weakness.
But the tears just kept flowing uncontrollably.
I wasn’t crying because of physical pain.
I was crying because of the overwhelming helplessness gnawing at my soul.
Crying because I realized how terrifyingly alone I was in this strange world.
I hated myself for crying.
But I hated myself for everything else more.
“Damn…
damn it…”
Click.
The soft sliding sound of the hospital room door cut through the gloomy atmosphere.
I jumped.
Instinctively, I quickly wiped my eyes with the back of my right hand, trying to take a deep breath to regain my composure.
It must be the night shift nurse checking the room.
I didn’t want anyone to see me in this pathetic state of crying.
“Just get out.
I’m fine, leave me alone…”
I spoke hoarsely, my eyes still fixed on the ceiling.
There was no answer.
Only very light footsteps, so light they were almost inaudible, slowly approaching my hospital bed.
Along with them came a scent.
It wasn’t the usual strong smell of antiseptic alcohol.
Instead, it was the smell of rust…
the smell of fresh blood mixed with a faint scent of wildflowers that permeated the room.
I turned my head towards the door.
Under the dim moonlight filtering through the glass window, the silhouette of a nurse stood tall beside my bed.
She wore a pale pink nurse’s uniform, her hair neatly tied back.
But her face was completely shrouded in the darkness of the night.
In her hands…
there was no tray of medicine or syringes.
In one hand she held a silver scalpel, its sharp blade reflecting the moonlight with a cold, gleaming light.
In the other hand…
was an old-fashioned pager – exactly like the one I left at home – its monotonous green light flashing.
Beep.
Beep.
The pager’s dry, monotonous sound echoed in the deathly silence.
“Oh fuck…”
I tried to use my right hand to support my body, but the pain from my splinted legs reminded me that I was completely immobile.
I felt like a piece of prey tied to a chopping block.
The nurse tilted her head slightly.
A soft, melodious giggle, like the tinkling of wind chimes but carrying a chilling undertone, emanated from her.
“Hehe…”
Then, a horrifying scene unfolded before my eyes.
The nurse’s flesh began to transform.
A gray, viscous liquid, like thin mud, suddenly erupted from her pores, covering her entire body.
The gray mud peeled off, dripping onto the floor in large chunks, carrying away her pale pink nurse’s uniform into thin air.
Beneath the melting gray mud was a completely naked body.
Her porcelain-white, smooth skin reflected the moonlight.
The slender, supple curves of the young woman were revealed without a trace of concealment in the dim light.
But I had no mind to be moved or blush.
Because what was staring me in the face was the face of the person who had just appeared.
Her familiar, messy, straw-blonde hair was styled into two tangled buns.
Her amber eyes, with narrowed pupils like a cat’s, were filled with madness and extreme excitement.
Two sharp canine teeth protruded from behind her lips, forming a wide grin that stretched from ear to ear.
Himiko Toga.
She was standing right in front of me.
Completely naked, one hand holding a scalpel, the other a pager, bathed in the bright moonlight.
“Hello~ You damn bastard who tied me up~”
Toga’s voice was sweet and coquettish, like a little girl talking to her dream lover.
But the murderous aura and madness emanating from her were so intense it made it hard for me to breathe.
I froze.
My brain completely shut down.
Why?
Why was she here instead of leaving as usual?
“Toga Himiko.” I mustered all my composure and courage to utter that name.
Toga’s cat-like eyes instantly lit up.
She leaned forward, propping one hand on the mattress right next to my hip.
The distance was so close I could smell her warm, sweet breath, and…
the faint scent of blood.
“Wow!
You know my name?
That’s amazing!”
Toga exclaimed, her face flushed with excitement.
She pressed her face against my neck, taking a deep breath like a pet sniffing its owner.
“So fragrant…
You smell so good.
The smell of blood mixed with the smell of iron…
and the smell of despair too!”
A cold scalpel suddenly pressed against my cheek.
Toga gently traced it, the blade so sharp that even the slightest force was enough to leave a thin, red, bleeding line on my cheek.
She stuck out her small tongue, licking a drop of blood that had just seeped from the blade, her face showing immense satisfaction.
“That day, when you kidnapped me and tied me up so brutally,” Toga whispered in my ear, her voice chilling.
“The way you looked exactly like him, the way you made me drink blood and that pungent stuff, and the way you stripped my panties and tied me up in that humiliating position!
Oh, I was really moved then, you know?”
I felt a chill run down my spine.
“This pager…” Toga held up the flashing pager in front of me, giggling.
“I didn’t think you’d leave this at home for no reason.
Thanks to the GPS on the pager, I managed to find my way here~”
She crawled onto the bed, collapsing right on top of me.
The weight of a young girl’s soft, naked body pressing down on my bandaged chest didn’t bring any excitement, only overwhelming fear.
The scalpel in Toga’s hand slowly moved from my cheek down to my neck, then move right next to my left eye.
“But…”
Toga’s excited expression suddenly faded.
Her cat-like eyes narrowed, radiating a bone-chilling coldness.
A frantic threat was evident in every expression.
“You look so pathetic now.
Weak.
Helpless.
Like a broken toy.
Completely different from before~ I wish I could be one with you~”
She gently pressed the scalpel against my chest.
The sharp pain made me wince.
The bright moon outside the window was suddenly obscured by a dark cloud.
In the dim light of the hospital room, Himiko Toga’s face – mad, wild, yet devilishly beautiful – was etched into my mind.
A plot-changing plan?
A plan to save the villain?
It doesn’t matter anymore.
Before me wasn’t an anime character easily tamed with a few words of morality, but a living entity, a real psychopathic killer holding my life in the palm of her hand.
Any word I uttered now could determine whether I would breathe tomorrow.
And I needed to choose my words carefully…