31 31. Then there was light!

The dust settled like a blanket upon us, and Ojiro coughed up a storm, having inhaled a good bit of it.

I let go of him, and stood up on umweidly ground, teetering, threatening to give way beneath my feet.

Slowly, I made my way to the other side calling for the others.

"Momo!"

"Tsuyu!"

"Mina!"

My voice echoed in the makeshift cavern, shaking up some dust, when in the corner a muffled moan got my attention.

"...elp...here..." Momo's voice could be heard faintly, along with another set of labored breaths.

"Hold on!" I cried, running over to them and began to pull off the rubble from over them, revealing a metal exoskeleton propping up a cage, holding Momo and Tsuyu relatively safe from being pasta sauce.

Not completely though, as I noticed the metal rod impaling Tsuyu in the side.

"She...shit!" I said, lifting Tsuyu up gently and putting her on safer ground by her uninjured side.

"She protected me..." Momo sniffled, quivering, " .... and I failed her...."

I shook my head, walking up to her, and gave her a hug, stroking her hair comfortingly.

"It's not your fault. You did all you could. You made that exoskeleton, didn't you?

You saved her. And yourself. That's enough. That's more than enough." I said, softly, as she burst into tears, when a slab behind me crumbled away with a pop, and Bakugo emerged from within, waving away the dust.

He took a step froward, spotting me, and smiled evilly, opening his palms.

He swooped low, as sparks flew in his hands.

Before I could react, he flashed towards me, hitting me straight in the back of my shoulders, sending us tumbling.

Thankfully, the dust had soaked up some of his sweat, lessening the blow of the explosion, else I might have been in serious trouble!

Still, my shoulders were bruised rather bad, and in protecting Momo, so had my hands.

"Tch!" Bakugo spat, "You survived! Like a cockroach!"

"Yuji! Are you- blood, you're bleeding! Oh god!" Momo cried out.

"Are you okay?" I asked, looking her kindly in the eyes.

"You- sniff, You're the one who's injured!" Momo sniffled, producing a roll of bandages, hands shaking.

"Worry not!" I smiled goofily, trying to calm her, "For I am here!"

"Don't you dare ignore me!" Bakugo's voice came from behind me.

Immediately, I grebbed Momo tight, and rolled away, as Bakugo pulverized the ground where we had been moments earlier.

"Stay here." I said, letting go of her, standing up awkwardly as my broken hands came into view.

Momo's expression crumpled as she realized what had happened, when Bakugo, stood back up, climbing out of the hole he had made.

"Don't go...please!" Momo cried.

"Hehehehe....If I ran away from someone in need, what sort of hero would I be?" I said, back to her, facing Bakugo head on.

Finally, with my act ending, I could now focus on putting the blond bitch in his place.

And I was down and out of fucks to give about holding back.

"Die!" He shouted, sending an explosion at me, as a shelf appeared before me, and propelled forwards, negating the force of the blast.

It was something I had found out alongside shelf-portation.

I had telekinetic control over the books and shelves for a fraction of a second when they were summoned and unsummoned, helping me balance them in the increasingly inordinate inclinations I stacked them in.

This revelation though opened a whole new realm of possibilities to me.

Possibilities such as this.

"Hrrmgh! Why won't you die!? Why won't you understand your place in the jungle!?" Bakugo grunted in frustration, jumping over the shelf, as he french kissed another one tumbling back onto his butt.

On the other end, I steadied myself for a counter I knew was coming.

Almost to the point, Bakugo shot up, glaring, and then there was light.

The whole cavern lit up like christmas as Bakugo blew a flashbang in his palms, disappearing from sight.

Someone had learnt from my fight against the sludge villain!

An explosion sounded out to my left, rocking the rubble on that end.

But there was the faint treble of boots on my right.

Cheh! A feint!

He learned two new moves within seconds and applied them to his style!

This is why I hate geniuses!

Instantly, I pivoted on my heel, and raised my leg high in a kick.

Just in time too, as Bakugo appeared to my right, straight into my ambush, as I hooked my foot around the back of his neck and brought the kick down, slamming him face first into the hard concrete floor, breaking tooth and bone.

"Give up, Bakugo. Let's end this here." I said, giving him an out.

"Or else what?! You chicken shit bastard!" He cried, raising his fist at my leg.

I sighed, crushing his hand underfoot.

"Else, I will put you down like the animal you are!" I scowled, kneeling beside him, as I grabbed his hair, and slammed his head back into the ground, concussing him.

Finally, Bakugo calmed down, fainting from the punishment and likely overexertion, as I stood back up, shoulders wide, and turned to the others, smiling confidently, even as dizzyness overcame me.

"As I said. No need to worry, for I am..." I said.

"..HERE!" All Might jumped down, completing my sentence, just as I fainted from the pain.

Soon, though, I awoke to sirens and kisses, as Recovery Girl healed us, while Tsuyu was taken away for surgery in an ambulance.

"Is she...are they okay?" I asked, propping myself up, with pained grunts.

Recovery Girl looked at me incredulously for a moment as her features softened into a kind smile.

"Stupid boy....rest. They will be fine. So rest for now." She said, pushing me back down onto the stretcher, as Ectoplasm carried me over to the infirmary.

Quickly, and quietly, I brushed up against him, copying his quirk, formulating a new plan of action.

Perhaps it was time to take the real One For All too!