บท 64: Chapter 63: Finale?

"That's... class teacher Aizawa?!"

Kaminari, surrounded by crackling electricity, could already make out the scene ahead, even though he was still some distance away. His sharp eyes widened as he saw the bloodied figure of Aizawa-sensei pinned to the ground by a monstrous figure with an exposed brain. The sight sent a shock through his system.

"Did... did he lose? The class teacher…"

Kaminari had heard about how Aizawa fought off nearly a hundred villains by himself, and despite the overwhelming numbers, it still felt surreal to see the seasoned Heroes lying defeated in a pool of his own blood. After all, this was the man who commanded so much respect from his students.

He gritted his teeth and pushed himself harder, his body surging with electricity as he increased his speed by another 20%, despite the burning pain spreading through his muscles.

His eyes darted to the side and caught sight of a pale-haired boy, "Tomura Shigaraki" rushing toward Tsuyu and Midoriya by the riverbank. Panic welled up inside Kaminari as he realized how close Tomura's hand was to their faces. Even though he didn't know what his Quirk was exactly, he had a sinking feeling that nothing good would come of it.

"Please! Please let me get closer! Fifty meters... that's all I need!"

He was desperate now. Despite his earlier misgivings about becoming a Heroes, he knew one thing for certain: he couldn't stand by and watch his classmates suffer, especially not when he had the power to intervene.

He swore to himself, if he could just get within fifty meters, he'd shoot that silver coin on his fingertip straight through Shigaraki's head, without hesitation.

"Damn it! I'm too far—too slow!"

His heart sank as he saw Shigaraki's hand inch closer to Tsuyu's frozen face. The white-haired villain was mere moments from touching her.

*No!*

But then, Shigaraki's hand stopped, seemingly out of nowhere.

Kaminari blinked in confusion, only to realize the reason for the sudden halt. It was Aizawa, still conscious despite the blood covering his face, lifting his head just enough to activate his Quirk and erase Shigaraki's power.

"Cut it out, Eraser Head. You're really something else, huh?" Shigaraki muttered with annoyance, turning to look at the struggling teacher. But in the next second, Nomu's massive fist came down on Aizawa, slamming him back into the ground. This time, Aizawa lay still, unconscious.

*No!*

Midoriya's eyes flashed with anger and determination as he activated his Quirk, "One For All". His right arm glowed a brilliant red, and in an instant, he shot toward Shigaraki with everything he had.

"Put your hands down—!"

"SMASHHHH!!!"

The sheer force of Midoriya's punch created a shockwave that tore through the air, sending debris flying everywhere. The intensity of the impact was so great that the river nearby surged up like a tidal wave, crashing against the shore.

At the same moment, Kaminari reached within range, his eyes burning with the same determination. Without hesitation, he fired off his railgun, sending a golden beam of electromagnetic energy straight toward Shigaraki's head.

*BOOM!!!*

The combined force of Midoriya's punch and Kaminari's railgun sent a powerful shockwave across the battlefield. The ground trembled beneath them, dust and debris spiraled in the air, and the river's waves churned violently.

Even Kaminari, who had stopped his high-speed movement, was forced to brace himself against the violent winds. His platinum robe flapped wildly, nearly tearing off from the sheer force of the blast.

"...I've seen it before, but—man… where does all that power come from?" Kaminari muttered, his voice hoarse from the strain. He could barely comprehend the level of destruction Midoriya's punch alone had caused. It was like watching a missile go off, and he couldn't imagine how a kid their age could produce such a result.

As the dust began to settle and the wind died down, Kaminari's vision cleared, and he scanned the area.

"Is he dead?" he asked aloud, trying to see if Shigaraki had survived the combined attack.

There was no way anyone could survive both Midoriya's punch and a direct hit from his railgun, right? Even a seasoned Heroes would struggle to withstand such an onslaught.

But then, Kaminari's heart sank.

"It didn't work…"

Midoriya's voice trembled with disbelief as he stared at the towering figure of Nomu, standing unharmed in front of Shigaraki. The brain-exposed creature had somehow blocked both attacks, his monstrous body appearing completely unscathed.

"What… what the hell is that thing?"

Kaminari's eyes widened as the reality of the situation set in. That... thing had tanked both their attacks as if they were nothing. This was no ordinary villain. Midoriya's words from earlier echoed in Kaminari's mind:

"They've come up with a strategy to kill All Might, haven't they?"

Kaminari's chest tightened as he stared at Nomu. Was this monster specifically designed to take down the Symbol of Peace?

Shigaraki, who had been hiding behind Nomu's hulking figure, chuckled darkly. "That was quite a show, 'smash'... You must be one of All Might's little pets, huh?"

His mocking tone made Kaminari's blood boil, but then Shigaraki's attention shifted to him.

"And you..." Shigaraki's voice turned cold. "You almost killed me with that beam of yours. How ruthless for a Hero student."

Kaminari only smirked in response. "Ruthless? You must be new to this. If you thought I was playing nice, you're in for a surprise. Aren't you supposed to be a villain? Maybe you're just an intern, huh?"

The taunt stung Shigaraki, his expression darkening with anger. "Let's see if you can still talk like that after I'm done with you."

"Nomu! Get him!"

At Shigaraki's command, the massive Nomu abandoned Midoriya and the others, vanishing with terrifying speed as it charged straight at Kaminari. He didn't even leave behind an afterimage, it was as if he simply disappeared.

"So fast—way too fast!!"

Kaminari's heart pounded in his chest. He couldn't react in time. His eyes could barely track Nomu's movement, let alone his body. The monstrous figure loomed over him in an instant, and Kaminari knew he was out of options.

"Am I going to die here?"

*BOOM!!!*

Another explosion of air erupted as Nomu's fist slammed into the ground where Kaminari stood. Dust and debris shot into the sky, and the ground trembled from the force of the blow.

But something wasn't right. Shigaraki squinted through the dust cloud, his voice laced with confusion.

"What's going on?" he muttered, unable to see through the thick veil of dust.