The situation is still chaotic with the mounting numbers of victims getting larger by the moment. The heroes in attendance managed to collate together other people, forming a circular defensive formation in the stands to protect the weak and injured in the middle. Even some of the civilians managed to work up the courage to chip in their strength because in this situation, the laws don't matter much in an emergency such as this.
On the other hand, after his plan has failed so terribly, Cementoss has managed to quickly utilise the cement to hold his ground and escape being brutalised. He turned to creating fortresses and fortifications for other people. This is where the support students gathered to effectively make use of their creations but even that wasn't of much use when the Naishoten and her duplicates could tear through them like putty.
Not to mention, when Bakugou got tapped out by having his arms removed, --is that her thing?-- Midoriya took over his role as her primary distraction. And in typical shounen protagonist fashion, his indomitable will and unwavering determination is pushing him pass the limits of what her can usually handle of his inheritance. At some point in the middle of it all, Kenta also joined in with him, using his quirk to try and match Midoriya's output.
Though by the looks of things, his body can't keep up with it's own strength currently...
The Naishoten weaving between their attacks, causing them to fumble and inflicting friendly fire. --Entirely from Kenta of course, I beat spacial awareness into Midoriya a while ago already-- And when they closed in on her for a pincer attack, she even inserted more bodies between them either by creating more duplicates or by pulling in anyone unlucky enough to be close to her at the time.
Then there also the fact that that girl has been chasing Manga for a while now. His voice has already gotten pretty sore because of how much he's been using his quirk but the Naishoten is very eager to catch his for some reason. Might be because he's a kami.
Don't know what they want to do with him exactly. A sacrifice perhaps?
With this much upheaval, it's odd that All Might hasn't appeared yet. Did they get him too like they did with Midnight? I mean, we still haven't found her accomplices.
This is a dilemma.
What to do? We're all at an impasse. The enemy has super strength, invulnerability and seemingly inexhaustible numbers. In cases like these, you'd normally attack the source of the manpower but I don't even know if it's gonna have any other effect than knocking her off her feet.
A saving grace is that I can differentiate between the original and her duplicates because the main body is thee only one wielding a marching snare stick.
Although, looking at this situation again, no one would really fault me for trying to go lethal, right? I mean everyone already saw that she didn't even get a scratch on her after everything so isn't normal to assume she can take on bigger attacks?
'Worth a shot. I just need a chance.' An idea came to me. "Hey, Set. Mind running an errands for me?"
~~~
While Tokage set off her mouth to relay the message to Shiozaki and Honenuki, Kizuko was stealthily pumping up a dozen heads with as much as they can handle without them glowing.
He figured that he should at least try the common tactic against self-duplicating enemies; going after the source, or in this case, the main body.
There's no guarantee that it'll work, and even if it did, Kizuko is still wary about her accomplices. They have yet to make an appearance and their numbers and abilities are also likewise unknown.
But even still, he had to at least try.
Tokage tapped his shoulder, the signal that they're ready.
He nodded to the greenette once, then at Kuroko, and everything went dark.
The redhead's smog filled the entire area. Nearly everyone was surprised for their own reasons. Most because of the darkness, others because of the suddenness of the development, and one because she overlooked such magic density.
Before anyone was harmed, heads came from within the wispy darkness to bite and pull and push them away from danger. And just in time, the little girls sparked in electricity, keeping the smoke away from directly touching them as they look around searching for where their victims would be.
Meanwhile at the same time, Honenuki softened the ground and dove in. He didn't need too see where he was going, he had a small piece of Tokage in his balled fist, giving him directions as to where to swim. Behind him, Ibara's vines are following, burrowing quietly thanks of the now mud-like consistency of the ground.
The Naishoten swivelled her head left and right in eerie calm, the current predicament nothing more than a nuisance to the girl as evident by the smile that never once left her face. And yet, even without expanding his senses, Kizuki felt that she radiated anger.
Then from underneath her feet, she felt herself sink ever so slightly before she was immediately cocooned in numerous vines. The green tendrils sped upwards towards the patchwork sky like a flower reaching for the sun. Around it in a circular formation are Kizuki's heads, they didn't hesitate as they shot their laser blasts. The powerful beams of shining red coming from twelve different directions and the sturdy green vines that put up openings at the last seconds.
Briefly, from certain angles, did their combined attack resemble that of a blossoming flower.
One by one, the duplicates reacted as if prompted by a command. They resumed their search for more people as if nothing is happening.
They failed.
Such sentiment crossed the minds of those involved and frustration showed on their expressions. Proving that her invincibility was in matched, Kizuki furrowed his brows as he clicked his tongue. 'Plan B it is, then.' He thought to himself.
Knowing that the plan was moot, he focused his attention to the heads he had scouting the halls within stadium. He figured that whatever it was that was fueling either the duplicates or the invincibility, it would be in the hands or quirk of an Daiguji.
He expanded his senses before violently withdrawing them back to himself and spilling the contents of his stomach, Kuroko patting his back for a second before having to go back to her fight. There were too many people, too many that were scared or determined or chasing an andrenal high, all of those emotions blended together to create a screaming cacophony that shook him to his core.
Kizuki grunted in frustration at having to do this the hard way.
Heads both minutes old and brand new were sent out in search of the accomplices, his hope wearing thin and annoyance mounting. Now, now he just needs some time.
'Hm?' Movement from above brought me out of my musings.
Suddenly, an small arm tore through the prison of vines. Then another, both arms widened gap they created and the Naishoten was free once more.
Her eyes glowed with intensity as she scanned the crowd before she made eye contact with me. "You..." A grin, one too wide to humanely fit on her face, grew. "You will be a good addition for our cause."
'Things just got more troublesome.'
~~~
'How could this all happen?' All Might thought to himself as he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Currently, the Symbol of Peace is in a dilemma. The villains were in front of him and yet he can't stop them. His expression is grave as his head was forcefully turn to the TV screen by the hand holding his head.
He had been anticipating today's events and has been enthusiastic at the growth of his protégé, eagerly awaiting for the sports festival to begin. Everything had been going well up until the freshman representative was halfway through her speech, it was then that these men in traditional priest uniforms broke into the room and began attacking him in wild abandon.
He couldn't use his full strength indoors, it would only cause unwanted destruction and harm whomever was unfortunately enough to be in the seats at the behind and above the walls. Due to this, he has tried his best to apprehend his foes in a more subdued manner, only to have this backfire against him horribly.
The people he was up against were not afraid of fatal injuries, attacking with such a brutality that was borderline suicidal. He found out the hard way that the villains were impervious to the blows he dealt, shrugging off his offensive like one would swatting a fly.
Outnumbered and outmatched, Japan's greatest hero quickly succumbed to his own accumulated injuries and was subdued in turn by what he guesses to be the quirk of one of the priests. Worse still, the entire exchange had been caught on camera, a flying mask with wings and claws holding a phone resting on the palm of a bland-looking man.
"Bear witness, Japan! Your so-called symbol has fallen!" The scene on the television was switched to the perspective of the mask-camera. All Might sees his own bloodied form broadcasted for all to see. "See how even your greatest warrior has fallen by the grace of the great Kami! Hear me, unenlightened citizens! Why is that we put these men and women on a pedestal, when all they have is a virtue of their birthright?!" The manic look in his eyes made All Might shiver in discomfort. He wanted to talk, but he cannot manage more than mangled groans without a jaw. "We, who are oppressed, who are discarded and thrown out, forgotten and tossed aside, implore those who feel the same! Join us, for enlighten awaits! It is only by the grace of the great Kami of which we are can find solace! It is only by their powers that we may be able to be free!"
The man gestured towards the other priest. "Look at them! They too, were once abandoned by the world, Mutants and quirkless!" He pointed at one of them. "Him! He was abused and tortured simply because they saw him more as a beast than man!" He pointed to another person. "Him! Simply because he was born lacking!" And another. "Her! Simply because her parents and peers were scared of her quirk! Look at them now! They now look no different from you, they now have powers like you, they now live happier lives! This is only possible because the great Kami have granted us mercy, bestowing upon us boons and granting our wishes! Why waste away for people who care not about your well-being?! Why work for a society that hated you for existing?! Nay, I say! No longer shall we be oppressed! The new pantheon of Shintoism will welcome all with open arms! Pray and we shall listen! Wish and we shall give! All are equal under our great Kami!"
"""""""Long Live the Great Kami!!!"""""""