Nomu's crushing grip slowly weakened. All Might jolted in pain, but he didn't waste the opportunity. With one swift move, he broke free and leapt back to a safe distance.
Shigaraki's gaze dropped to Kurogiri—pinned helplessly to the ground by Bakugo, completely immobilized.
"Now… with my escape route gone, things are getting worse," he muttered under his breath.
Slowly, Nomu began to rise again—his body in shambles from the ice, torn apart and fractured. But then… it began to regenerate at an alarming rate, flesh and bone knitting back together as if nothing had happened.
Todoroki froze, shocked. Midoriya and Bakugo mirrored his reaction.
Nomu lunged at Bakugo with blinding speed—and before anyone could react, an explosive impact tore through the air, the force distorting the very atmosphere.
In that chaos, Kurogiri managed to break free. Todoroki and Midoriya gasped—Bakugo had survived, already far from the strike zone.
"All Might… he pulled me away just before the hit landed," Bakugo murmured.
As the smoke cleared, All Might could be seen flung far back, completely spent, his body bearing the full brunt of Nomu's blow.
"To protect my comrades… I had no other choice," he muttered to himself. "Just like now… That amateur—he wanted to fight me, to defeat me, didn't he?"
"You believe brute force is the answer," Shigaraki continued mockingly. "Isn't that your so-called idealism? Is that really what a hero is?"
All Might said nothing. He stared down Shigaraki with a fiery glare—Kurogiri, now free, stood loyally beside him once more, and Nomu loomed behind them… just a puppet.
Then Shigaraki raised both arms, making a relaxed, almost casual gesture.
"You know, All Might? It pisses me off. We both use violence—so why are we labeled so differently? Hero and villain? In this world… we're divided into good and evil. But what does a symbol of peace even mean? Strip away the surface… and it's all just violence."
All Might stepped forward, his gaze intense, voice razor-sharp.
"Nonsense. People say that villains who kill for their ideals… their eyes will burn with madness.
But you? You just want chaos. You're drunk on destruction—and in the end, that pride will crush you."
Then—Midoriya, Todoroki, Bakugo, and Kirishima stepped up beside him, standing tall, shoulder to shoulder with the Symbol of Peace.
"Three versus five," Todoroki muttered.
Midoriya quickly followed. "And Kacchan already figured out Smoke Guy's weakness."
"This fight's insane," Kirishima added, "but with All Might on our side—we can win!"
"NO!! RUN, ALL OF YOU!" All Might shouted, stretching out one arm to keep them back.
Todoroki raised an eyebrow, his voice cool and firm.
"If it weren't for us… this would've ended a lot worse."
"Y-Yes! I understand!" All Might exclaimed. "And I thank you, young Todoroki! But now… let a professional show you what it means to fight seriously!"
***
All Might surged forward like a thunderbolt, only to be intercepted by Nomu. The two collided in a flurry of punches—blows so fast and powerful that the very air around them roared, echoing with the thunder of their clashing fists.
"T-They're trading punches…" Midoriya whispered, barely able to track the battle with his eyes. It was a clash beyond human perception.
Amid the storm of blows, All Might spoke, his voice sharp and resolute.
"He absorbs power, right? So there must be a limit. You said he can take 100% of my strength? Then I'll just go beyond 100%!"
Nomu staggered backward—finally showing signs of strain. And in that fleeting opening, All Might reeled back his fist, raising it high into the air for one final strike.
"TAKE THIS—PLUS ULTRA!!!"
The punch shattered Nomu's jaw and launched him skyward. He crashed through a concrete wall, punching a massive hole through it, and was sent flying even farther beyond.
Now… All Might stood, bloodied, bruised, his costume torn to shreds—yet that unmistakable, unwavering smile remained etched on his face.
He stepped forward, his gaze locked on Shigaraki, whose expression was one of utter disbelief.
"Well then… villain," All Might declared, his voice filled with fire, "let's finish this."
Shigaraki clenched his teeth, his eyes wild with fury—as if on the verge of leaping forward.
"YOU DAMN CHEATER!!!"