Chapter 37: Pushing Past the Limit
"Who are you?"
Tomura Shigaraki stared directly at Akio Tatsuma.
"How do you know the abilities and characteristics of that Nomu?"
Akio shrugged.
"Just a guess."
Shigaraki froze for a second.
"…You guessed it?"
Then he burst out laughing.
"As if anyone could guess something like that."
He waved a hand impatiently.
"Nomu. Kill him."
Akio didn't hesitate.
He pulled out the last Quirk Supplement and used it immediately.
At the same moment, the black Nomu moved.
Its attack arrived almost instantly.
Shoto Todoroki reacted first, freezing the ground beneath the Nomu's feet, while Aizawa launched his capture weapon to bind the creature's arms.
Using the opening, Akio jumped forward and landed behind the monster. Both palms pressed against its back as lightning erupted around him.
"Thunder Shock."
Electricity exploded outward.
The flash of lightning was blinding.
But Shigaraki only scratched at his neck, unimpressed.
"Don't bother," he said casually. "Lightning doesn't scare it."
The Nomu shuddered once, then shattered the ice trapping its legs.
Its arms flexed violently, throwing Aizawa aside like a rag doll.
Akio tried to jump back—
But he was a fraction too slow.
The Nomu's fist smashed into his body.
He flew dozens of meters and crashed hard against the ground, blood spilling from his mouth.
If he hadn't raised an air barrier at the last moment, that punch would have killed him outright.
"Akio!" Todoroki's face changed as he rushed toward him.
But Shigaraki stepped forward.
"You should worry about yourself."
The Nomu lunged for Todoroki, its massive hand reaching for his head.
Something inside Todoroki snapped.
A fierce determination filled his eyes.
Both hands slammed forward.
"Ice Burst!"
An enormous glacier erupted instantly, freezing the Nomu into a towering ice statue.
Nearby, Aizawa forced himself back into motion despite his injuries. His capture weapon wrapped around Shigaraki's body as he tried to restrain the villain leader.
Meanwhile, Izuku Midoriya stared at Akio lying motionless on the ground.
His eyes turned red.
Did… he die?
Akio had always been so strong.
So confident.
And now—
One punch had dropped him.
The Nomu tore itself free of the ice again.
It moved like a machine, emotionless and relentless.
Shigaraki's will drove it.
Whoever he decided should die—
would die.
Todoroki froze it again, buying precious seconds.
Then he glanced toward Akio.
Akio wasn't unconscious.
He was breathing slowly, controlling the pain.
Three of his ribs were broken.
It hurt like hell—but he could still fight.
And in that moment, Akio realized something clearly.
His earlier confidence had been naïve.
This black Nomu was a monster.
A creation beyond reason.
Right now, only All Might could truly defeat it.
The Nomu shattered the ice once more.
Todoroki's stamina was running low.
Just freezing it repeatedly was already pushing him to his limit.
Then the monster lunged again.
Before it could reach him—
Midoriya moved.
Tears streamed down his face as he sprinted forward.
He already knew what would happen.
Using One For All like this would destroy his arm again.
But that didn't matter.
He couldn't just stand there and watch his friends die.
"Stop it!"
Midoriya accelerated and drove his fist into the Nomu's back.
"Smash!"
A powerful shockwave burst outward.
Midoriya blinked in surprise.
His arm wasn't broken.
It had been a perfect strike.
But the next moment, his heart sank.
The Nomu's body hadn't even cracked.
The punch had done nothing.
Midoriya's face turned pale.
What kind of monster is this?
His strength meant nothing.
He couldn't save anyone.
He couldn't even save himself.
The crushing guilt made his knees buckle as he sank to the ground.
Then a voice spoke beside him.
"Sometimes the problem isn't that you're weak."
Midoriya looked up in shock.
Akio slowly pushed himself to his feet.
"Sometimes the enemy is just too strong."
Midoriya stared at him.
"…Then what do we do?"
Lightning burst around Akio's legs.
He launched forward again.
"We become stronger!"
His hands moved rapidly, lightning gathering around his body.
"Lightning Style — Lariat!"
In a flash of blue light, Akio spun past the Nomu.
The attack cut across its waist like a blade.
For the first time—
The Nomu was injured.
Dark blood spilled from the wound.
Akio landed roughly and staggered.
"…Still not enough."
His strength gave out and he collapsed forward.
Midoriya rushed forward and caught him.
"Akio… thank you."
In that moment, Midoriya understood something important.
The world wasn't peaceful.
Villains existed everywhere.
Darkness existed everywhere.
If he couldn't change the world yet—
Then he had to change himself first.
Only when he became strong enough could he truly protect others.
Across the battlefield, Shigaraki had been watching everything.
When he saw the Nomu's body cut open, his pupils shrank.
He turned toward Aizawa.
"What's that kid's name?"
Aizawa breathed heavily.
"What? Interested in him?"
Then he added quietly:
"Or are you afraid of what he might become?"
Shigaraki's irritation exploded.
"So annoying…"
He rushed straight toward Akio.
That kid had to die here.
Otherwise he would become a serious threat to the League in the future.
Aizawa tried to intercept him—
But Shigaraki slipped past.
Too fast.
Too late.
Then—
"Out of my way!"
A furious shout echoed across the battlefield.
Bakugo Katsuki rocketed forward.
His palms glowed bright red as a massive explosion detonated toward Shigaraki.
Smoke and dust filled the plaza.
Midoriya grabbed Akio and leapt away from the blast zone, landing beside Aizawa.
Aizawa glanced down at Akio's unconscious form.
"…Nice work," he told Midoriya.
Shigaraki slowly stepped out of the smoke.
His arms hung loosely at his sides.
His eyes swept across the students.
"Why do you all keep getting in my way?"
He laughed suddenly.
"Is it because of heroic justice?"
His voice twisted into something almost hysterical.
"U.A. High School shouldn't exist."
"The world doesn't need heroes."
He raised his blood-streaked hands and laughed louder.
"Soon everyone will understand."
"What we're doing… is for the world."
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