Chapter 32: The Symbol of Peace and the Swordsman
The air inside the Unforeseen Simulation Joint didn't just grow heavy; it completely stopped moving.
The towering figure of All Might stood at the shattered entrance. He wasn't smiling. The trademark, booming grin that usually brought comfort to millions and struck fear into the hearts of villains was completely gone. In its place was a look of pure, unadulterated fury.
"I had a bad feeling, so I tore away from my chat with the principal and came here," All Might said, his voice terrifyingly calm as he ripped off his blue tie. "I saw Iida on the way... and got a rough idea of what happened."
Down in the Central Plaza, Shigaraki Tomura smiled, his chapped lips stretching into a grotesque grin. "Ah. We've been waiting for you, Hero. You're the main piece of trash."
Before anyone could blink, All Might vanished.
There was no sound, only the violent aftermath of his speed. A massive shockwave of displaced air tore through the plaza. In the blink of an eye, the sheer wind pressure knocked out the remaining low-level thugs who were still conscious. In a fraction of a second, All Might had scooped up Aizawa's broken, unconscious body.
A millisecond later, he appeared right beside Midoriya, Tsuyu, and Mineta. He grabbed all three of them, carrying them away from the water's edge and dropping them safely near the edge of the plaza.
The blistering wind from All Might's movement had completely caught Shigaraki off guard, ripping the disembodied hand right off his face and sending it tumbling to the floor.
"Go to the entrance," All Might ordered the students, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Take Aizawa with you."
Shigaraki paused. He slowly reached down, picking up the severed hand and carefully placing it back over his face.
"It's true..." Shigaraki muttered, his raspy voice laced with dark amusement. "He's gotten slower. He is definitely weaker than he used to be."
"All Might, wait!" Midoriya yelled, panic returning to his voice. "That brain villain... it took my 100% Smash and didn't even blink! It's too strong!"
"Young Midoriya! I appreciate the warning," All Might said, standing tall and finally flashing a confident smile. "But it's fine!"
All Might turned back toward the center of the plaza. His eyes locked onto the terrifying scene that was still unfolding.
Zoro was still standing his ground, his boots digging deep into the cracked concrete. He had the pure white Wado Ichimonji clamped in his teeth, the Sandai Kitetsu in his right hand, and his third sword in his left. The three blades were crossed, holding back the massive, dark fist of the Nomu.
The sheer physical pressure was insane. The air around them trembled from the kinetic energy.
A student is holding back that monster?! All Might thought, genuinely shocked. His physical strength and balance... they are completely off the charts!
"Hey, kid," Shigaraki scratched his neck, looking at Zoro with intense annoyance. "You're in the way of the main event. Nomu. Squash him."
The Nomu let out a guttural, bird-like screech and pulled its other massive fist back, preparing to smash Zoro into the ground.
"Carolina..." All Might roared, closing the distance in a single, explosive bound. He crossed his arms in an 'X' shape, aiming straight for the Nomu's exposed chest. "...SMASH!"
The dual-handed chop slammed into the Nomu with the force of a meteor. The impact created a massive blast of wind pressure that pushed Zoro back. Zoro smoothly disengaged, sliding backward on his boots and lowering his swords. He narrowed his eyes, watching the Number One Hero at work.
But as the dust from All Might's attack cleared, the result was horrifying.
The Nomu hadn't moved. It had taken All Might's signature attack point-blank and didn't even flinch. It simply stood there, its dead eyes staring blankly ahead.
"It doesn't work, does it?" Shigaraki laughed darkly. "Nomu has Shock Absorption. Any blunt force, whether it's your punches or that kid's Smash, is completely useless. In order to cause damage to Nomu, it would take slowly tearing his flesh apart. But whether he lets you do that or not is a different story."
Zoro stood a few yards away, his mind working instantly. Shock Absorption? So blunt force is useless against it. It spreads the impact out. Zoro looked down at the Sandai Kitetsu in his hand, a dangerous smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. But a blade doesn't cause a shockwave. It cuts.
Before Zoro could move, All Might grabbed the Nomu by the waist and slammed it backward into the concrete in a massive, earth-shattering suplex.
BOOM!
A massive crater formed in the plaza. Midoriya and the others watched in awe. "He got him!" Mineta cheered.
But their cheers died instantly.
From the dust, Kurogiri's warp gate had opened underneath the Nomu. The top half of the Nomu had been warped through the floor and came out of another portal directly behind All Might. The Nomu's massive, clawed hands sank deep into All Might's sides, right where his old, fatal injury was located.
Blood sprayed from All Might's mouth as the Nomu crushed his ribs.
"Kurogiri's warp gate..." Shigaraki gloated. "We trapped you in your own suplex. Now, Kurogiri, close the gate and tear the Symbol of Peace in half!"
"ALL MIGHT!" Midoriya screamed, completely abandoning logic and sprinting forward toward the villains.
Kurogiri shifted his mist, preparing to engulf Midoriya as well. "How foolish..."
BOOM!
Before Kurogiri could move, a massive, fiery explosion blasted him from the side. Katsuki Bakugo materialized from the smoke, slamming his hand directly onto the solid metal neck brace hidden within the mist—the exact weakness Zoro had exposed earlier. Bakugo pinned Kurogiri violently to the ground.
"I figured it out when you dodged that swordsman!" Bakugo roared with a feral grin. "You're only hiding behind this fog!"
At the exact same time, a sudden, freezing wave of ice rushed across the plaza floor.
Shoto Todoroki appeared on the right flank, sliding on his own ice. The glacier crawled up the Nomu's right side, freezing its massive arm and leg solid.
"I heard your plan to kill All Might," Todoroki said coldly. "The Symbol of Peace won't die easily."
The freezing ice weakened the Nomu's grip on All Might just enough.
"Now!" All Might grunted, trying to pry the frozen fingers off his bleeding side.
"Stand back, Number One," a calm, demonic voice echoed through the ice.
All Might's eyes widened as a green blur bypassed Todoroki.
Zoro didn't hesitate. He knew exactly what to do. The ice had made the Nomu's incredibly tough flesh brittle and stiff. He rushed forward, his three swords perfectly aligned.
If punches don't work, let's see how you handle a sharp edge.
Zoro leaped into the air, spinning his body.
"Two-Sword Style..." Zoro growled, pulling his arms back. The air around his blades seemed to warp with intense, cutting pressure. "Nigiri: Maguma!" (Double Slash: Demon Bear!)
Zoro swung the Sandai Kitetsu and his normal sword downward in a devastating, cross-shaped slash aimed directly at the Nomu's frozen right arm.
SHNK!
There was no shockwave. There was no blunt impact. There was only the terrifyingly clean sound of steel slicing through frozen muscle, bone, and tendon.
The Nomu let out a horrifying screech as its entire right arm, from the shoulder down, was cleanly severed. The massive, frozen limb fell to the concrete floor and shattered into pieces.
The students gasped in absolute shock. The invincible monster had just been dismembered!
All Might used the opportunity to tear himself completely free, jumping back to stand beside Zoro, Todoroki, and Bakugo. Eijiro Kirishima also arrived, joining the formation.
"Incredible, Young Roronoa!" All Might breathed heavily, holding his bleeding side. "You actually cut it!"
"He said it absorbs shock," Zoro smirked, wiping a drop of sweat from his forehead. "You can't absorb a blade splitting your cells apart."
Bakugo grinned fiercely, holding Kurogiri down. "We've got them pinned! The mist guy is down, and the big brute lost an arm! It's over!"
Shigaraki stood completely still. His red eyes stared at the Nomu's severed stump, and then shifted to Zoro.
Instead of panicking, Shigaraki began to laugh. A dry, raspy, terrifying chuckle that echoed across the ruined plaza.
"You guys are really something..." Shigaraki said, his voice dripping with madness. "But you kids are playing a game you don't understand."
Shigaraki pointed at the Nomu.
"I told you Shock Absorption was his Quirk," Shigaraki grinned. "I never said it was his only Quirk."
Suddenly, the Nomu's screech deepened. From the severed, bleeding stump of its shoulder, thick, disgusting muscle fibers began to violently erupt and weave together. Tendons snapped into place, bones formed out of thin air, and dark skin stretched over the new mass.
In less than three seconds, the Nomu had completely regrown a brand-new, fully functional, massive right arm.
Zoro's eyes widened slightly. Bakugo's grin vanished. Todoroki froze.
"Super Regeneration," Shigaraki whispered. "Nomu isn't just a tough guy. He's a highly modified biological weapon engineered to take 100% of your power, All Might."
The Nomu stepped forward, roaring with pure, restored fury.
Zoro tightened his grip on his swords. The smirk returned to his face, fiercer than before.
A monster that heals? Zoro thought, his blood pumping with adrenaline. Guess I'll just have to cut it into smaller pieces.
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For Advanced Chapters:
Chapter 40 is now available: Obstacle Race
How will Zoro deal with Zero Pointer ? The Fall? , and also The Minefield?
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