Chapter 102
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The Synonym
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[Divide Et Impera 1]
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...
Having come to realize what All For One's plan had been all along, Taka let out a scoff.
"So that's how you're gonna play it, huh?" He muttered as his expression grew serious.
There was no more mystery now. No more need to pursue an answer desperately.
This was it.
The moment of his supposed death.
His head snapped toward Aoyama, who was looking confusedly between him and his phone, and startled at the sudden glare.
"D-did something happen?"
"Seems asking you all this wasn't needed after all. We have to get moving."
"What do you—AAAAAH!"
Before he could finish his question, he was yanked by the cape and swept away as Taka took off.
Before long, the two were high in the air, Aoyama still yelling in a panic.
"Will you stop?" Taka gave him a done look.
"B-but what if you let me go, mon ami?!"
"There."
Taka let go.
Aoyama's face turned pale, and he nearly fainted on the spot.
But as he squeezed his eyes shut and braced for gravity to drag him down—he opened them again when it didn't.
"...?"
Instead, he found himself flying at roughly the same speed as Taka, wrapped in the crimson aura.
"… I forgot you could do that."
"Well, enjoy the ride then. It won't be long—we're going to U.A."
Aoyama blinked and looked down. They were at an enormous height, approaching the bay, flying at incredible speeds toward the other side of Tokyo.
However, they were moving unbelievably fast.
'I knew Monsieur Takahashi was fast… but not like this. Even his speed at the festival somehow feels lacking compared to—'
—BOOOOOOOM!—
His awe was cut short as a sonic boom went off in their wake.
He turned his head, gaping at the air rippling behind them.
'No, this is definitely faster…'
So even at that time during the competition he hadn't gone all out?
At this rate, they'd be at U.A. in under a minute.
Which was baffling, given they had been just 35 kilometers away a moment ago.
What was Taka's real speed?
With such thoughts running through his head, Aoyama stayed silent for a bit, processing everything.
After a second more or so, however, another doubt crept in.
"What about my internship, class rep?" Aoyama turned to Taka, looking a bit worried.
Taka shook his head. "With what's happening, I doubt it will matter much if you take an early leave."
Aoyama swallowed his words, looking down, wondering just what might have happened.
He was still ashamed of what he may have indirectly helped bring about, so he didn't voice the question.
He could only hope it wasn't too bad.
And like that, less than a minute later, they had reached their destination—descending onto the rooftop of the school.
Taka set Aoyama down gently, but didn't land himself.
"Are you not coming, class rep?" Aoyama asked, looking worried.
"No, I've got something to deal with. Sorry, I'm in a hurry. Nezu will come soon, so just wait for him here."
"…" Aoyama looked hesitatingly between Taka and the rooftop door.
Taka had a sense of what he might be thinking, so he kept his voice steady.
"Don't worry about Nezu. I'm sure he'll help you. He isn't the principal of a hero school for nothing… besides, you aren't the first criminal he's extended his hand to—or his paw."
"…?"
Ignoring Aoyama's confused look, and without bothering with a farewell given the urgency of it all, he shot back into the sky like a rocket, before curving off in the opposite direction, following the coastline.
Before long, he arrived at an empty, mid-construction building and descended into it quickly.
A minute or so passed with him there. Then—
-Swoosh!-
A figure shot out, ascending rapidly into the sky.
It wasn't Taka anymore, nor Auros.
It was Rockinesis, once again, his cape fluttering wildly due the air at such heights. His otherwise black eyes gleaming with a crimson glow as he looked forward with an intense gaze.
"Game's on, bitch."
And with those words—
—BOOOM!—
—he shot forward as fast as he could, easily surpassing the sound barrier in an instant.
Several rings of compressed air formed at his unnatural acceleration, the sound of several bombs going off in his path.
Yet, despite it, he didn't spare them even a glance.
He could worry about the sky police later.
Right now, it was time to cave in a bald villain's skull, and there was no time to waste.
As he accelerated to unbelievable speeds, the world around bending to his movement, his hand dived into his pocket, taking out his phone.
Then, after pressing on a few buttons, he put it on his ear.
"La Brava, can you explain me the overall situation?"
The villainess voice came from the phone, sounding enthusiastic as well as a bit worried.
{"Right away! Let's see—for the moment, only four of your classmates have had these villains appear near them. Bakugo Katsuki, Yaoyorozu Momo, Ashido Mina, and Kaminari Denki. Luckily, with all the heroes around, they are being able to somewhat fend off against all those villains."}
Taka's frown deepened. 'Those four? Why—?'
La Brava interrupted his musings. {"Also, the attacks weren't simultaneous. Those villains are appearing progressively on different spots as time goes on, so I highly believe more will pop up at your other classmates' locations who haven't been attacked yet."}
Taka nodded, expression grim.
'So in the end, it'll probably be a full assault against all of them.'
That was also part of why he'd brought Aoyama to U.A.
Technically the blonde was still a spy for all the villains knew, so it was unlikely All For One would move to kill him.
But given that the man somehow knew he'd been watching them, there was a chance he also had deduced Taka's awareness of Aoyama as the traitor.
Thus, there was a small chance he'd use this to get rid of the possible loose end. Hence, it had been safer to leave him at U.A. than at his internship.
Now that he was safe and sound, though, that still left eighteen classmates to cover.
Which meant only one thing.
"Clones." He muttered.
It was the only way in which he would be able to cover all that ground, and keep them sound for sure.
However…
'Shouldn't he already be aware of that as well?'
If All For One knew he was Rockinesis, then it was obvious he'd use that skill.
So what was he trying to accomplish with a situation he clearly knew the solution for? He doubted the man had somehow forgotten such a crucial fact.
Was this a test? Was it merely meant to confirm suspicions?
It seemed like too wasteful a use of Nomus for that, though.
"…"
He thought about it deeply, connecting it with the fact that his death had been announced as imminent.
'How would using my clones ultimately lead to my death?' He asked himself…
—and reached the answer almost immediately, eyebrows furrowing slightly in response.
It hadn't been hard. It was, after all, the main drawback of the clone skill.
Aura drainage.
Each clone would take a portion of his aura and hold it until it was defeated or dismissed. Only then would it return to him—and even then, only half of it, with the rest trickling back gradually over the next few minutes.
If he became depleted enough, he'd be weak enough to be taken down as easily as in Nighteye's vision.
So, he only needed to avoid the clone skill and that was it? His death event would be solved?
"…"
His eyes drifted to the live feed of the other cities on his phone.
There were other heroes there.
His classmates weren't helpless anymore, either. They still had a long way to go compared to where they'd end up in the show, but they wouldn't be so easy to defeat anymore, even by lesser Nomus.
But was he willing to gamble on the power of friendship and sheer idealism?
This was the real world. Accidents happened. One small mistake could be fatal, sometimes even with nothing apparently causing it.
He wasn't in the anime where Midoriya was destined to break through all odds and eventually triumph over All For One, and most of his classmates would be protected by the all-powerful plot armor as well.
And, again, this was All For One he was talking about.
The top villain of Japan, and perhaps the world.
His classmates were strong—but was he going to leave them facing a threat of unknown capabilities just because of the kind of optimism that only existed in anime?
They'd only been at U.A. for less than two months, for god's sake.
'Nah.'
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
[STATUS PAGE]
▸ Strength: (186 Base) 5,000
▸ Defense: (372 Base) 10,000
▸ Aura Projection: 132,970
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Total Aura: 147,412
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All For One's plan might be obvious. But he was wrong if he thought that spreading him thin was going to be enough. He was more than just clones.
And now that he knew what was coming, he'd make sure to engrave that lesson into the man's skull personally.
If he died in the process, then that'd be a shame.
With that settled, he didn't waste another second.
In one smooth motion, the figure cutting through the air at supersonic speed slowed sharply, then divided into two.
And then again. And again.
Until the lone figure had become ten.
Like a formation of birds, they arranged into a triangle with him at the head, cutting through the air.
As they flew, Taka checked his status.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
[STATUS PAGE]
▸ Strength: (186 Base) 5,000
▸ Defense: (372 Base) 10,000
▸ Aura Projection: 59,260
―――――――――――――
Total Aura: 147,412 → 73,702 (50%)
1st Clone's aura: 7,371 (5%)
2nd Clone's aura: 7,371 (5%)
3rd Clone's aura: 7,371 (5%)
...
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Ten clones, each carrying 5% of his aura. Incomparable to his full self, but more than capable of holding off whatever had been sent after his classmates.
There were eighteen in vulnerable positions right now. But ten clones was enough—some of his classmates weren't far from each other, so a single clone could handle two sites in sequence rather than needing one dedicated to each.
Plus, as La Brava had said, the attacks were progressive—which gave the clones time to deal with each threat before moving on to the next as it emerged.
Plan set, he got his classmates' locations from La Brava, relayed them to the clones, and assigned each to a sector.
"You all know what to do."
Then, he snapped his fingers.
"Whatever you say, boss."
"Let's smack these fuckers to the ground!"
"Let's fucking GOOO!"
—SWOOOSH!—
And the clones flew off—slower than him, but fast enough to reach their destinations in time.
None of his classmates had gone too far from Tokyo, which helped. Otherwise he would have needed stronger, fewer clones to ensure they arrived before things had already gotten out of hand.
He, meanwhile, remained in the air. Monitoring La Brava's updates and ready to act on anything new.
He held position near Shizuoka, in case All For One decided to be clever and struck there as well.
"..."
But as the minutes passed and, as La Brava had predicted, Nomus kept appearing at classmate after classmate's location, he shelved that option for now.
The attack seemed to be focused only on his classmates.
'What is he actually trying to accomplish?' Taka thought.
By now, most of the clones had reached their destinations and were handling the Nomus with little difficulty despite their reduced aura.
All For One had clearly sent fodder. Not whatever he had up his sleeve.
Was he really just testing whether he'd show up? Burning through Nomus for that?
As his confusion deepened, his mind went back to what Aoyama had said.
'He was interested in my relationships… how does this connect? Is he trying to see how far I'd go for them? Just riling me up on purpose?'
What was the angle here?
Whatever he was doing—it was only making him burn time.
What could he have actually gained from knowing who he was close to?
Yeah, he was friends with plenty of his class. But whatever this attack on them was, it was pathetic, not something he'd expect from that calculative bastard.
So the key of this wasn't his classmates—or his closest friends, from what it seemed.
So, if it wasn't his closest friends… who could it…
"...!" Taka's eyes widened.
Then, without wasting a second, he took out his phone again, opening his contacts.
-Click-
A second later, he called Aoyama.
The phone buzzed for a bit as the call connected, but luckily, it didn't take much longer before the call was answered.
{"Class rep?"}
"Hey, Aoyama."
{"It was just like you said. I'm with Monsieur Nezu right now. He agreed to help me, and help will also be coming soo—"}
"I don't have time to chat, Aoyama, sorry. I need you to answer one question."
{"Y-yes, no problem, ask away!"}
"In your report of my day to day, what did you tell All For One about…" He swallowed, "... Jiro?"
{"Jiro-san? Ah…"}
A pause, slightly awkward and guilty came from Aoyama.
Then—-
{"I tried to keep my personal impressions out of the report, mon ami, as he wasn't the type of person I'd share that with—but judging from his tone once I finished telling him, I believe he may have arrived at the same conclusion as I did. That you and her, well… share a deeper connection than is typical of friends."}
The instant those words came through the phone, Taka's eyes widened and he broke flying in a specific direction.
"Shit!"
He hung up.
That was it. The rest of the attacks had been a distraction, or rather, a way to weaken him for the main course.
… The real attack—was at her.
Realizing such a thing, he dumped all the aura held in his physical stats and redirected it to Aura Projection, pouring it into his speed.
He had to get there before something—
-Bzz-
'Goddamnit.'
That buzz was the last thing he wanted to hear right now.
He checked his phone.
[La Brava: Rockinesis, something different is happening at one of your classmate's locations!]
...
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| Chiba, minutes later… |
...
"Just… what the hell is that?" Jiro, standing behind the wreckage of a building, said in disbelief as she stared with wide eyes at what stood in the distance.
-Thunk.-
-Thunk-
-Thunk-
The ground trembled with each step it took, even from this far away.
There was no other word for it. It was a monster. Calling it a villain would have been an insult for something like that.
Even the Buster Union—heroes specialized in firepower and combat and one of the most powerful hero teams in the country, the team she was interning under—had done nothing to it, even with their best combined efforts.
They hadn't left so much as a scratch on its skin.
Nor had they fared much better themselves.
One attack from the creature and they were all blown away—along with a large portion of the surrounding city.
She too had been swept off by the blast, and ended up here, hiding in the rubble, watching as the monster now roamed around as if searching for something.
'Of course this had to happen at my internship,' she groaned internally.
Luckily, she still had her phone on her.
'I need to call for backup—but who is even capable of handling that thing?
Even if she brought in more heroes, wouldn't they just get blown away too?
This wasn't a situation she could handle herself—clearly.
But reinforcements didn't seem like the right answer either.
Maybe Aizawa with his erasure Quirk could help shut off whatever the Quirk the creature was using, giving other heroes an opening. Or All Might, to simply overwhelm it.
Or maybe…
Slowly, she picked up her phone, opening the message and being just about to tap onto Taka's contact.
But she paused as she noticed the group chat lighting up with several messages, and some of her parents' too.
"Goddamnit…!"
A minute or so later, she'd caught up on everything happening all across Japan.
'Just what in the world is happening?' She thought with a grimace.
She could rule out calling Taka now. With everything happening, he probably was busy dealing with something on his front as well, much like all her classmates.
He hadn't said anything on the group chat, so it was safe to assume so.
Calling the school for support also didn't seem ideal, given that all her classmates were being attacked, they were bound to have moved already.
The question remaining was when they'd arrive here.
'Hopefully they move quickly… but until then, I've got to do what I can.'
She couldn't fight that thing, that much was clear.
But she could help evacuate. She was inexperienced, but she'd seen enough hero work from the Buster Union this past week, and attended enough USJ classes to manage something useful.
Taking a steady breath and quieting her heartbeat, Jiro rose from her hiding spot.
She slipped to a better position, then pressed one of her jacks into the rubble and opened her senses, searching for any cry for help.
The rumbling steps of the creature were deafening—but she pushed through it, and then—
"…Help…"
—she caught it, locking onto the sound and calculating roughly where it was coming from.
Swallowing her hesitation, she began making her way through the wreckage.
Eventually, she arrived.
An elderly man, trapped under debris.
Fortunately, not beyond what she could move herself.
She got to work, carefully lifting away pieces of concrete and warped metal, sometimes struggling with a heavier piece but pushing through regardless.
However, just as she was nearing his rescue—she noticed the steps had grown closer.
They were under a collapsed building, so she doubted the creature could spot them from a distance.
But cautious, she decided to risk a glance outside. With its size, it could easily step on them without even noticing—so she had to be ready to move if it turned their way.
However, the moment she looked—
"…!"
She met gazes with it for one brief instant before pulling her head back. Cold sweat ran down her back as panic struck her.
And what was worse…
-Thunk.-
-Thunk-
-Thunk-
The steps quickened, and grew louder.
A clear sign she had been found out.
'Crap.'
—CRCRKCKKKC!—
A horrifying sound of concrete and metal being ripped apart came from overhead.
She shielded herself from the falling debris, then finally got a clear view of what was now there once the destruction ceased.
Only to find herself staring directly into the creature's eye, which was barely visible with the night falling, only visible in the dim moonlight.
"Kyoka Jiro… Kyoka Jiro, you are her, aren't you? I found you!"
Without hesitation, it lunged, its enormous hand diving toward her.
She readied herself to use her jacks, not about to just let it do as it pleased.
But just before the hand could reach her—
—SHRIEEEEEEK—
An unnatural sound split the sky above—like a missile descending, like a nocturnal predator diving for prey. A shriek that heralded something catastrophic.
And then—
—BOOOOOOOOOM!—
An enormous force slammed into the creature, powerful enough to send it at least a mile away, despite its size and weight.
However, as a result, the shockwave devastated what remained of the building in an instant, forming what appeared to be a tornado from just the sheer force alone, shattering windows, ripping metal apart, and reducing chunks of concrete into dust.
Yet through all of it, and to her bafflement, she and the old man remained untouched. Not a single piece of debris reached them, and the wind that obliterated everything around them passed harmlessly by.
The sound, too—loud enough to shatter every window in the vicinity in one go—barely registered as more than a distant pressure despite the immensity of what she had just witnessed.
As she recovered and looked toward where the creature had been sent, she turned toward the source of all that.
A wry but genuinely excited smile formed on her face.
'That kind of entrance…'
Slowly, a figure descended from the point of impact, landing right in front of her.
Long stylish robes. A mask she recognized anywhere.
Sure enough.
It was him.
Rockinesis.
"AAARGH!"
Suddenly, the creature rose from the wreckage, letting out a furious roar.
"Who is it?! Who is interfering with my master's orders?!"
The monster—no, Gigantomachia looked around with fury, veins popping up at his forehead and neck.
"Machia, long time no see."
Then, suddenly, a voice echoed inside its head, like a thought that wasn't really a thought.
And the voice… it was too familiar for him not to recognize—instantly snuffing out all his anger in one instant.
"Master?!" The giant man asked, looking around desperately with a hopeful look.
All For One's voice laughed.
"No, you idiot." Then it shifted to a different voice. "... It's me."
Instantly, the voice registered Gigantomachia's mind as his eyes widened, reminiscing about another time, another mission he had set out to do months ago.
A mission he failed, because a powerful man had appeared, and fooled him into thinking he was his master.
A failure that had brought the disappointment of his master.
And now, he was back.
"YOU!"
That thought filled him with fury.
In response, he began growing—his frame expanding, his skin thickening.
"It's you… the man who made a fool of me!"
His eyes locked onto the distant figure standing in front of Jiro, robes drifting in the wind, facing him without the slightest trace of fear.
"This time, I won't make that same mistake. MASTER TOLD ME TO GRIND YOU TO DUST, SO I WILL!"
"Good." The man's voice echoed in his head.
-Smack-
He cracked his fist into his palm.
"Round two it is."
...
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-To Be Continued…-
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(A/N: Rematch time has come, four to five months after their last fight.
Before Taka was only able to hold Machia off, and somewhat injured him at the cost of all his aura.
Now he is several times stronger than before, and he most certainly has a lot more in his repertoire to use against the villain. He may be weakened by his clones, but will that be enough, I wonder?)
[Divide Et Impera 1]
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...
Having come to realize what All For One's plan had been all along, Taka let out a scoff.
"So that's how you're gonna play it, huh?" He muttered as his expression grew serious.
There was no more mystery now. No more need to pursue an answer desperately.
This was it.
The moment of his supposed death.
His head snapped toward Aoyama, who was looking confusedly between him and his phone, and startled at the sudden glare.
"D-did something happen?"
"Seems asking you all this wasn't needed after all. We have to get moving."
"What do you—AAAAAH!"
Before he could finish his question, he was yanked by the cape and swept away as Taka took off.
Before long, the two were high in the air, Aoyama still yelling in a panic.
"Will you stop?" Taka gave him a done look.
"B-but what if you let me go, mon ami?!"
"There."
Taka let go.
Aoyama's face turned pale, and he nearly fainted on the spot.
But as he squeezed his eyes shut and braced for gravity to drag him down—he opened them again when it didn't.
"...?"
Instead, he found himself flying at roughly the same speed as Taka, wrapped in the crimson aura.
"… I forgot you could do that."
"Well, enjoy the ride then. It won't be long—we're going to U.A."
Aoyama blinked and looked down. They were at an enormous height, approaching the bay, flying at incredible speeds toward the other side of Tokyo.
However, they were moving unbelievably fast.
'I knew Monsieur Takahashi was fast… but not like this. Even his speed at the festival somehow feels lacking compared to—'
—BOOOOOOOM!—
His awe was cut short as a sonic boom went off in their wake.
He turned his head, gaping at the air rippling behind them.
'No, this is definitely faster…'
So even at that time during the competition he hadn't gone all out?
At this rate, they'd be at U.A. in under a minute.
Which was baffling, given they had been just 35 kilometers away a moment ago.
What was Taka's real speed?
With such thoughts running through his head, Aoyama stayed silent for a bit, processing everything.
After a second more or so, however, another doubt crept in.
"What about my internship, class rep?" Aoyama turned to Taka, looking a bit worried.
Taka shook his head. "With what's happening, I doubt it will matter much if you take an early leave."
Aoyama swallowed his words, looking down, wondering just what might have happened.
He was still ashamed of what he may have indirectly helped bring about, so he didn't voice the question.
He could only hope it wasn't too bad.
And like that, less than a minute later, they had reached their destination—descending onto the rooftop of the school.
Taka set Aoyama down gently, but didn't land himself.
"Are you not coming, class rep?" Aoyama asked, looking worried.
"No, I've got something to deal with. Sorry, I'm in a hurry. Nezu will come soon, so just wait for him here."
"…" Aoyama looked hesitatingly between Taka and the rooftop door.
Taka had a sense of what he might be thinking, so he kept his voice steady.
"Don't worry about Nezu. I'm sure he'll help you. He isn't the principal of a hero school for nothing… besides, you aren't the first criminal he's extended his hand to—or his paw."
"…?"
Ignoring Aoyama's confused look, and without bothering with a farewell given the urgency of it all, he shot back into the sky like a rocket, before curving off in the opposite direction, following the coastline.
Before long, he arrived at an empty, mid-construction building and descended into it quickly.
A minute or so passed with him there. Then—
-Swoosh!-
A figure shot out, ascending rapidly into the sky.
It wasn't Taka anymore, nor Auros.
It was Rockinesis, once again, his cape fluttering wildly due the air at such heights. His otherwise black eyes gleaming with a crimson glow as he looked forward with an intense gaze.
"Game's on, bitch."
And with those words—
—BOOOM!—
—he shot forward as fast as he could, easily surpassing the sound barrier in an instant.
Several rings of compressed air formed at his unnatural acceleration, the sound of several bombs going off in his path.
Yet, despite it, he didn't spare them even a glance.
He could worry about the sky police later.
Right now, it was time to cave in a bald villain's skull, and there was no time to waste.
As he accelerated to unbelievable speeds, the world around bending to his movement, his hand dived into his pocket, taking out his phone.
Then, after pressing on a few buttons, he put it on his ear.
"La Brava, can you explain me the overall situation?"
The villainess voice came from the phone, sounding enthusiastic as well as a bit worried.
{"Right away! Let's see—for the moment, only four of your classmates have had these villains appear near them. Bakugo Katsuki, Yaoyorozu Momo, Ashido Mina, and Kaminari Denki. Luckily, with all the heroes around, they are being able to somewhat fend off against all those villains."}
Taka's frown deepened. 'Those four? Why—?'
La Brava interrupted his musings. {"Also, the attacks weren't simultaneous. Those villains are appearing progressively on different spots as time goes on, so I highly believe more will pop up at your other classmates' locations who haven't been attacked yet."}
Taka nodded, expression grim.
'So in the end, it'll probably be a full assault against all of them.'
That was also part of why he'd brought Aoyama to U.A.
Technically the blonde was still a spy for all the villains knew, so it was unlikely All For One would move to kill him.
But given that the man somehow knew he'd been watching them, there was a chance he also had deduced Taka's awareness of Aoyama as the traitor.
Thus, there was a small chance he'd use this to get rid of the possible loose end. Hence, it had been safer to leave him at U.A. than at his internship.
Now that he was safe and sound, though, that still left eighteen classmates to cover.
Which meant only one thing.
"Clones." He muttered.
It was the only way in which he would be able to cover all that ground, and keep them sound for sure.
However…
'Shouldn't he already be aware of that as well?'
If All For One knew he was Rockinesis, then it was obvious he'd use that skill.
So what was he trying to accomplish with a situation he clearly knew the solution for? He doubted the man had somehow forgotten such a crucial fact.
Was this a test? Was it merely meant to confirm suspicions?
It seemed like too wasteful a use of Nomus for that, though.
"…"
He thought about it deeply, connecting it with the fact that his death had been announced as imminent.
'How would using my clones ultimately lead to my death?' He asked himself…
—and reached the answer almost immediately, eyebrows furrowing slightly in response.
It hadn't been hard. It was, after all, the main drawback of the clone skill.
Aura drainage.
Each clone would take a portion of his aura and hold it until it was defeated or dismissed. Only then would it return to him—and even then, only half of it, with the rest trickling back gradually over the next few minutes.
If he became depleted enough, he'd be weak enough to be taken down as easily as in Nighteye's vision.
So, he only needed to avoid the clone skill and that was it? His death event would be solved?
"…"
His eyes drifted to the live feed of the other cities on his phone.
There were other heroes there.
His classmates weren't helpless anymore, either. They still had a long way to go compared to where they'd end up in the show, but they wouldn't be so easy to defeat anymore, even by lesser Nomus.
But was he willing to gamble on the power of friendship and sheer idealism?
This was the real world. Accidents happened. One small mistake could be fatal, sometimes even with nothing apparently causing it.
He wasn't in the anime where Midoriya was destined to break through all odds and eventually triumph over All For One, and most of his classmates would be protected by the all-powerful plot armor as well.
And, again, this was All For One he was talking about.
The top villain of Japan, and perhaps the world.
His classmates were strong—but was he going to leave them facing a threat of unknown capabilities just because of the kind of optimism that only existed in anime?
They'd only been at U.A. for less than two months, for god's sake.
'Nah.'
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
[STATUS PAGE]
▸ Strength: (186 Base) 5,000
▸ Defense: (372 Base) 10,000
▸ Aura Projection: 132,970
―――――――――――――
Total Aura: 147,412
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
All For One's plan might be obvious. But he was wrong if he thought that spreading him thin was going to be enough. He was more than just clones.
And now that he knew what was coming, he'd make sure to engrave that lesson into the man's skull personally.
If he died in the process, then that'd be a shame.
With that settled, he didn't waste another second.
In one smooth motion, the figure cutting through the air at supersonic speed slowed sharply, then divided into two.
And then again. And again.
Until the lone figure had become ten.
Like a formation of birds, they arranged into a triangle with him at the head, cutting through the air.
As they flew, Taka checked his status.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
[STATUS PAGE]
▸ Strength: (186 Base) 5,000
▸ Defense: (372 Base) 10,000
▸ Aura Projection: 59,260
―――――――――――――
Total Aura: 147,412 → 73,702 (50%)
1st Clone's aura: 7,371 (5%)
2nd Clone's aura: 7,371 (5%)
3rd Clone's aura: 7,371 (5%)
...
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
Ten clones, each carrying 5% of his aura. Incomparable to his full self, but more than capable of holding off whatever had been sent after his classmates.
There were eighteen in vulnerable positions right now. But ten clones was enough—some of his classmates weren't far from each other, so a single clone could handle two sites in sequence rather than needing one dedicated to each.
Plus, as La Brava had said, the attacks were progressive—which gave the clones time to deal with each threat before moving on to the next as it emerged.
Plan set, he got his classmates' locations from La Brava, relayed them to the clones, and assigned each to a sector.
"You all know what to do."
Then, he snapped his fingers.
"Whatever you say, boss."
"Let's smack these fuckers to the ground!"
"Let's fucking GOOO!"
—SWOOOSH!—
And the clones flew off—slower than him, but fast enough to reach their destinations in time.
None of his classmates had gone too far from Tokyo, which helped. Otherwise he would have needed stronger, fewer clones to ensure they arrived before things had already gotten out of hand.
He, meanwhile, remained in the air. Monitoring La Brava's updates and ready to act on anything new.
He held position near Shizuoka, in case All For One decided to be clever and struck there as well.
"..."
But as the minutes passed and, as La Brava had predicted, Nomus kept appearing at classmate after classmate's location, he shelved that option for now.
The attack seemed to be focused only on his classmates.
'What is he actually trying to accomplish?' Taka thought.
By now, most of the clones had reached their destinations and were handling the Nomus with little difficulty despite their reduced aura.
All For One had clearly sent fodder. Not whatever he had up his sleeve.
Was he really just testing whether he'd show up? Burning through Nomus for that?
As his confusion deepened, his mind went back to what Aoyama had said.
'He was interested in my relationships… how does this connect? Is he trying to see how far I'd go for them? Just riling me up on purpose?'
What was the angle here?
Whatever he was doing—it was only making him burn time.
What could he have actually gained from knowing who he was close to?
Yeah, he was friends with plenty of his class. But whatever this attack on them was, it was pathetic, not something he'd expect from that calculative bastard.
So the key of this wasn't his classmates—or his closest friends, from what it seemed.
So, if it wasn't his closest friends… who could it…
"...!" Taka's eyes widened.
Then, without wasting a second, he took out his phone again, opening his contacts.
-Click-
A second later, he called Aoyama.
The phone buzzed for a bit as the call connected, but luckily, it didn't take much longer before the call was answered.
{"Class rep?"}
"Hey, Aoyama."
{"It was just like you said. I'm with Monsieur Nezu right now. He agreed to help me, and help will also be coming soo—"}
"I don't have time to chat, Aoyama, sorry. I need you to answer one question."
{"Y-yes, no problem, ask away!"}
"In your report of my day to day, what did you tell All For One about…" He swallowed, "... Jiro?"
{"Jiro-san? Ah…"}
A pause, slightly awkward and guilty came from Aoyama.
Then—-
{"I tried to keep my personal impressions out of the report, mon ami, as he wasn't the type of person I'd share that with—but judging from his tone once I finished telling him, I believe he may have arrived at the same conclusion as I did. That you and her, well… share a deeper connection than is typical of friends."}
The instant those words came through the phone, Taka's eyes widened and he broke flying in a specific direction.
"Shit!"
He hung up.
That was it. The rest of the attacks had been a distraction, or rather, a way to weaken him for the main course.
… The real attack—was at her.
Realizing such a thing, he dumped all the aura held in his physical stats and redirected it to Aura Projection, pouring it into his speed.
He had to get there before something—
-Bzz-
'Goddamnit.'
That buzz was the last thing he wanted to hear right now.
He checked his phone.
[La Brava: Rockinesis, something different is happening at one of your classmate's locations!]
...
°
°
°
| Chiba, minutes later… |
...
"Just… what the hell is that?" Jiro, standing behind the wreckage of a building, said in disbelief as she stared with wide eyes at what stood in the distance.
-Thunk.-
-Thunk-
-Thunk-
The ground trembled with each step it took, even from this far away.
There was no other word for it. It was a monster. Calling it a villain would have been an insult for something like that.
Even the Buster Union—heroes specialized in firepower and combat and one of the most powerful hero teams in the country, the team she was interning under—had done nothing to it, even with their best combined efforts.
They hadn't left so much as a scratch on its skin.
Nor had they fared much better themselves.
One attack from the creature and they were all blown away—along with a large portion of the surrounding city.
She too had been swept off by the blast, and ended up here, hiding in the rubble, watching as the monster now roamed around as if searching for something.
'Of course this had to happen at my internship,' she groaned internally.
Luckily, she still had her phone on her.
'I need to call for backup—but who is even capable of handling that thing?
Even if she brought in more heroes, wouldn't they just get blown away too?
This wasn't a situation she could handle herself—clearly.
But reinforcements didn't seem like the right answer either.
Maybe Aizawa with his erasure Quirk could help shut off whatever the Quirk the creature was using, giving other heroes an opening. Or All Might, to simply overwhelm it.
Or maybe…
Slowly, she picked up her phone, opening the message and being just about to tap onto Taka's contact.
But she paused as she noticed the group chat lighting up with several messages, and some of her parents' too.
"Goddamnit…!"
A minute or so later, she'd caught up on everything happening all across Japan.
'Just what in the world is happening?' She thought with a grimace.
She could rule out calling Taka now. With everything happening, he probably was busy dealing with something on his front as well, much like all her classmates.
He hadn't said anything on the group chat, so it was safe to assume so.
Calling the school for support also didn't seem ideal, given that all her classmates were being attacked, they were bound to have moved already.
The question remaining was when they'd arrive here.
'Hopefully they move quickly… but until then, I've got to do what I can.'
She couldn't fight that thing, that much was clear.
But she could help evacuate. She was inexperienced, but she'd seen enough hero work from the Buster Union this past week, and attended enough USJ classes to manage something useful.
Taking a steady breath and quieting her heartbeat, Jiro rose from her hiding spot.
She slipped to a better position, then pressed one of her jacks into the rubble and opened her senses, searching for any cry for help.
The rumbling steps of the creature were deafening—but she pushed through it, and then—
"…Help…"
—she caught it, locking onto the sound and calculating roughly where it was coming from.
Swallowing her hesitation, she began making her way through the wreckage.
Eventually, she arrived.
An elderly man, trapped under debris.
Fortunately, not beyond what she could move herself.
She got to work, carefully lifting away pieces of concrete and warped metal, sometimes struggling with a heavier piece but pushing through regardless.
However, just as she was nearing his rescue—she noticed the steps had grown closer.
They were under a collapsed building, so she doubted the creature could spot them from a distance.
But cautious, she decided to risk a glance outside. With its size, it could easily step on them without even noticing—so she had to be ready to move if it turned their way.
However, the moment she looked—
"…!"
She met gazes with it for one brief instant before pulling her head back. Cold sweat ran down her back as panic struck her.
And what was worse…
-Thunk.-
-Thunk-
-Thunk-
The steps quickened, and grew louder.
A clear sign she had been found out.
'Crap.'
—CRCRKCKKKC!—
A horrifying sound of concrete and metal being ripped apart came from overhead.
She shielded herself from the falling debris, then finally got a clear view of what was now there once the destruction ceased.
Only to find herself staring directly into the creature's eye, which was barely visible with the night falling, only visible in the dim moonlight.
"Kyoka Jiro… Kyoka Jiro, you are her, aren't you? I found you!"
Without hesitation, it lunged, its enormous hand diving toward her.
She readied herself to use her jacks, not about to just let it do as it pleased.
But just before the hand could reach her—
—SHRIEEEEEEK—
An unnatural sound split the sky above—like a missile descending, like a nocturnal predator diving for prey. A shriek that heralded something catastrophic.
And then—
—BOOOOOOOOOM!—
An enormous force slammed into the creature, powerful enough to send it at least a mile away, despite its size and weight.
However, as a result, the shockwave devastated what remained of the building in an instant, forming what appeared to be a tornado from just the sheer force alone, shattering windows, ripping metal apart, and reducing chunks of concrete into dust.
Yet through all of it, and to her bafflement, she and the old man remained untouched. Not a single piece of debris reached them, and the wind that obliterated everything around them passed harmlessly by.
The sound, too—loud enough to shatter every window in the vicinity in one go—barely registered as more than a distant pressure despite the immensity of what she had just witnessed.
As she recovered and looked toward where the creature had been sent, she turned toward the source of all that.
A wry but genuinely excited smile formed on her face.
'That kind of entrance…'
Slowly, a figure descended from the point of impact, landing right in front of her.
Long stylish robes. A mask she recognized anywhere.
Sure enough.
It was him.
Rockinesis.
"AAARGH!"
Suddenly, the creature rose from the wreckage, letting out a furious roar.
"Who is it?! Who is interfering with my master's orders?!"
The monster—no, Gigantomachia looked around with fury, veins popping up at his forehead and neck.
"Machia, long time no see."
Then, suddenly, a voice echoed inside its head, like a thought that wasn't really a thought.
And the voice… it was too familiar for him not to recognize—instantly snuffing out all his anger in one instant.
"Master?!" The giant man asked, looking around desperately with a hopeful look.
All For One's voice laughed.
"No, you idiot." Then it shifted to a different voice. "... It's me."
Instantly, the voice registered Gigantomachia's mind as his eyes widened, reminiscing about another time, another mission he had set out to do months ago.
A mission he failed, because a powerful man had appeared, and fooled him into thinking he was his master.
A failure that had brought the disappointment of his master.
And now, he was back.
"YOU!"
That thought filled him with fury.
In response, he began growing—his frame expanding, his skin thickening.
"It's you… the man who made a fool of me!"
His eyes locked onto the distant figure standing in front of Jiro, robes drifting in the wind, facing him without the slightest trace of fear.
"This time, I won't make that same mistake. MASTER TOLD ME TO GRIND YOU TO DUST, SO I WILL!"
"Good." The man's voice echoed in his head.
-Smack-
He cracked his fist into his palm.
"Round two it is."
...
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-To Be Continued…-
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(A/N: Rematch time has come, four to five months after their last fight.
Before Taka was only able to hold Machia off, and somewhat injured him at the cost of all his aura.
Now he is several times stronger than before, and he most certainly has a lot more in his repertoire to use against the villain. He may be weakened by his clones, but will that be enough, I wonder?)
