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Little One! LITTLE ONE! IZUKU!!
Izuku was dimly aware of Serosh’s voice. He could feel the Spirit’s claws digging into his shoulder. He could smell Aizawa’s spilt blood. He could see the terrified look on As- Tsu’s face as Shigaraki darted forward, hand outstretched to grab the girl’s head. Everything was happening so fast! He couldn’t do anything!
Izuku… Cast me off for but a moment. Time is of the essence. Now is not the time for nobility or rules. This is a fight to the death, for survival! Change, adapt, overcome, I care naught! But you must MOVE!
Izuku cocked his head to the side, trying to rationalize Serosh’s words. He didn’t have time. Shigaraki was mere inches from Tsu now. True fear gripped the greenette’s heart and all rational thought vanished. Instinct took over.
Then, he moved .
Aizawa tried to get a bead on Shigaraki to Erase the youth’s quirk. He could see him, but one eye wouldn’t open. It was swollen shut from the Nomu smashing his face into the ground.
If we get out of this, I should work on Erasing with only one eye, he thought. He gave a cry of warning as Shigaraki neared Asui, urging the girl to move. But she was frozen in fear.
Shigaraki placed a finger on the girl’s face.
Then he was gone.
Aizawa blinked his good eye.
Across the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, all action ground to a screeching halt as a pulse of something emanated from the center of the dome. All eyes, both student and villain, turned to the source: a green haired youth crouching over the leader of the assault. Shigaraki choked out an order and the Nomu swung a fist at the student’s unprotected back. Izuku’s free hand shot up and caught the punch, holding it fast. The Nomu tried to escape and in return for its effort, sailed beside its master towards the black mist that was Kurogiri. Master and slave screeched as they landed, glaring furiously at the student.
Izuku was breathing heavily, his chest folded over his legs and his back forebodingly absent of his constant companion. Students and villains alike looked on with both confusion and terror as Izuku’s green hair lightened to a stringy white held back by a rustic gold crown the shone dimly in the low light.
Izuku brought his hands to his chest and dragged his fingertips across it as he bent backwards, unleashing a challenging roar to the heavens.
“ RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!! ”
Everything was still as the youth straightened, exhaling a puff of breath. Shigaraki’s eyes widened in fear as they met Izuku’s gaze. The former greenette’s emerald eyes were sharp and foreboding, flecked with gold.
“ I had hoped it would not come to this. ” The voice emanating from Izuku was far removed from his normal timbre. The words he spoke were soft, yet they cared a regal strength that reached all within the dome. “ What courtesy you have failed to show us by appearing here… I shall return upon you a thousand fold. ”
“What is this?!” Shigaraki spat. “You’re not high enough to have a second phase!”
Izuku ignored the petulant youth and bent his knees, raising his hands in a rough approximation of a martial stance.
“ Now I fight as Hoarah Loux, ” the student intoned. “ Warrior. ”
“NOMU!”
With a piercing shriek, the Nomu surged forward, arms raised to grapple Izuku. It shuddered as Izuku met the assault and held it fast. With a twist, Izuku brought the Nomu’s back to his chest and wrapped his bloody arms around the abomination’s neck. With a sharp squeeze followed by an almost comical ‘pop’, the Nomu’s head separated from its body. Its eyes went glassy and the head hit to floor with a wet ‘thup’. Remarkably, the body still struggled. Then Izuku placed his hands on its broad shoulders and pulled.
Students and villains alike gawped at the display of sheer power as the Nomu’s corpse split in half, spraying blood and viscera into the air. Izuku’s face was a placid mask as he stared at Shigaraki’s rapidly paling countenance. The youth took a step and Shigaraki flinched hard .
“Kurogiri!”
With a rush of mist, the youth’s chaperone appeared beside Shigaraki and dragged him through a portal.
Silence fell on the USJ as everyone tried to understand what they’d just witnessed.
Then Izuku collapsed.