[31] USJ Incident {4}

[Central Plaza]

Aizawa's capture weapon snaked out, wrapping around another wind-user who'd been trying to flank him. These villains were getting predictable. A quick yank sent the criminal flying into a wall, where he slumped unconscious.

His eyes burned. Too much quirk usage. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear the irritation.

"Eraserhead." The voice came from behind him.

Aizawa spun, facing a lanky man covered in what appeared to be severed hands. Next to him stood a figure in tactical gear wearing a mask – not the cheap kind his current opponents had been sporting, but something military-grade.

"Shigaraki," the masked man said, his tone bored. "I told you, I'm not here to fight."

"But Ghost-" Shigaraki's fingers twitched against his neck. "He's right there. Just-"

"My orders were clear." Ghost crossed his arms. "Observe. Gather intel. That's it."

"Your boss-"

"Is only working with your 'Master' as a courtesy." Ghost's voice carried an edge of contempt. "I'm here for one specific target. The rest doesn't concern me."

Shigaraki scratched his neck harder. "You're useless. Kurogiri!"

The mist villain materialized beside them. "Yes?"

"Get rid of him. Send him to the mountain zone or something."

"I wouldn't," Ghost warned. "Unless you want Eclipse involved in your little... operation."

Aizawa watched the exchange silently, gathering information. Eclipse. He'd heard whispers about them – a shadow organization that was based in Kyoto.

Shigaraki's scratching intensified. "Fine. Watch then. Watch how a real villain handles things."

He lunged at Aizawa with frightening speed. Aizawa activated his quirk, hair rising as he negated whatever ability those hands possessed. He dodged right, capture weapon already moving to counter.

Shigaraki was fast though. His fingers grazed Aizawa's elbow. The pain hit immediately – like his flesh was crumbling away.

Decay quirk. Need to keep distance.

"You're good," Shigaraki said. "But can you keep those eyes open forever?"

He pressed forward with a series of wild swipes. Aizawa weaved between them, looking for an opening. His capture weapon caught Shigaraki's wrist, but the villain simply grabbed the fabric. It disintegrated when Aizawa blinked.

Ghost stood off to the side, seemingly focused on something in the distance. The Conflagration Zone, maybe? Aizawa filed that detail away for later.

His eyes were killing him now. Each blink brought Shigaraki closer to landing a fatal blow. The villain was learning his patterns, adapting.

"You heroes," Shigaraki spat. "Always playing by the rules. It makes you weak. Predictable."

Aizawa didn't waste breath responding. He needed every ounce of focus to stay alive.

"Ghost." Shigaraki's voice carried a whine. "At least tell me about the one you're watching. Give me something interesting."

"No."

"Come on! We're allies!"

"We're not." Ghost's tone remained flat. "And that information isn't for you."

Shigaraki's next attack carried more rage than precision. Aizawa capitalized, sweeping the villain's legs. But as Shigaraki fell, he managed to grab Aizawa's shoulder.

The pain nearly made him black out. He staggered back, vision blurring.

"Nomu," Shigaraki called. "Your turn."

The monster appeared behind Aizawa before he could react. One massive hand closed around his arm.

Crack.

The pain was immediate, overwhelming. Through the haze of agony, he heard Ghost speak again.

"Crude." The masked man sounded almost disappointed. "Your 'weapon' lacks finesse."

"Shut up!" Shigaraki scratched harder. "You think you're better than us? Then do something! Fight!"

"No." Ghost turned away. "I've seen what I needed to see. Kurogiri?"

The mist villain hesitated, looking at Shigaraki.

"Let him go," Shigaraki growled. "He's useless anyway."

A portal opened beside Ghost. He paused before stepping through.

"Word of advice," he said. "Your 'Master' isn't the only one with plans. Remember that."

The portal closed, leaving Shigaraki seething. He turned back to Aizawa, who was still struggling in Nomu's grip.

"Stupid Elite thinking they're special," Shigaraki muttered. "Nomu. Break him."

The creature slammed Aizawa into the ground. Pain exploded through his body. As consciousness faded, his thoughts went to his students.

Please... let them be safe.

In the mountain zone, Ghost emerged from another of Kurogiri's portals. He pulled out a phone, typing quickly.

"Target located. Proceeding with surveillance."

The response came immediately: "Understood. Maintain distance. Do not engage."

Ghost deleted both messages, then focused on the distant figure of Yoichi Nakamura.

"Interesting," he murmured. "Very interesting indeed."

[Entrance]

I mapped the safest path between zones. Two jumps. That's all I'd need to reach the entrance. The first teleport left geometric light trails as I emerged near the central plaza, staying low behind some debris.

The scene below made me pause. Aizawa-sensei was fighting someone covered in... were those hands? A masked figure stood off to the side, watching. Something about his stance set off warning bells.

No time to analyze. Second teleport.

I materialized at the entrance, nearly tripping over Thirteen's crumpled form. Their suit was shredded, exposing the void beneath.

"Jesus." The word slipped out before I could stop it.

Shoji's head snapped toward me, multiple arms tensing. "Nakamura? How did you-"

"Teleported. What happened here?"

"The warp villain," Ashido said, her voice uncharacteristically quiet. "He turned Thirteen's Black Hole back on them."

I pressed two fingers against Thirteen's neck, counting the weak beats. "They're alive. Barely."

A scream echoed from the plaza. The sound made my teeth ache.

"That was Aizawa-sensei," Uraraka whispered.

My heart stopped at the sight of Aizawa's broken form beneath that abomination. The thing - no, that monster - had its massive hand wrapped around our teacher's head, slowly crushing it against the concrete.

Time slowed. The familiar silver-white barrier materialized around me, stronger than I'd ever made it before.

"Nakamura, don't-" Shoji reached for me with three arms.

Too late. I'd already mapped the jump.

The world twisted, geometric light trails marking my path as I teleported directly between Aizawa and the monster. My barrier flared bright, a dome of infinite space separating us from the creature.

"Oh?" The hand-covered villain tilted his head. "What's this?"

The monster slammed its fist into my barrier. The impact should have shattered concrete, but instead met the endless void between spaces.

"Interesting," the villain mused, scratching his neck. "Nomu, break it."

Another hit. Then another. Each impact sent ripples through my defense. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I maintained the barrier. Behind me, Aizawa made a wet, choking sound.

"Shit." I knelt beside him, keeping one hand raised to maintain the barrier. "Sensei, hold on."

His eyes found mine, unfocused but aware. Blood matted his hair to his face.

The Nomu's next strike cracked my barrier. A spiderweb of fractures appeared in the silver-white surface.

Not good.

"You're strong," the villain said. "But Nomu was designed to kill All Might. Your little shield won't last."

He was right. Two more hits and my barrier would shatter. I needed to move now.

I grabbed Aizawa's shoulder, careful of his broken arm. The lotus in my eyes spun wildly as I calculated the jump back to the entrance.

CRACK

The barrier splintered further. One more hit.

"Running away?" The villain's voice dripped with mock disappointment. "How boring."

I ignored him, focusing on the jump. The world bent around us just as the Nomu's fist shattered my barrier.

We materialized at the entrance. The geometric light trails hadn't even faded before Shoji and Uraraka were at our side.

"Holy shit," Ashido breathed, staring at Aizawa's mangled form.

"The pros will be here soon," Shoji said, using his duplicated arms to carefully lift Aizawa.

"They better hurry." I wiped blood from my nose - another lovely side effect of overexertion. "That thing down there... it's not normal."

"What do you mean?" Uraraka asked, helping me up.

"The villain said it was designed to kill All Might."

That statement hung in the air like a guillotine blade.

"We need to get out of here," Shoji said. "Both Thirteen and Aizawa-sensei need immediate medical attention."

I stared at Aizawa's broken form as Shoji cradled him carefully. Blood dripped steadily onto the concrete. Behind us, that monster - that thing - stood waiting in the plaza. My legs still felt weak from the barrier overuse, but I forced myself to stay upright.

"We need to move them," I said, gesturing to both Thirteen and Aizawa. "Get them somewhere safer until help arrives."

Hagakure's gloves trembled slightly. "What about that... that Nomu thing?"

"I'll handle it."

"No." Uraraka grabbed my arm. "You can barely stand."

I gently pulled free from her grip. "If that thing comes up here, we're all dead. You saw what it did to Aizawa-sensei."

"Then we run-"

"To where?" I asked. "That warp villain can cut off any escape route. And what about the others still scattered around the USJ?"

Silence fell over our group. I could see the realization hitting them - we were trapped, and that monster was between us and any hope of rescue.

"At least let us help," Shoji said, his duplicate mouths frowning.

I shook my head. "Focus on protecting the teachers. Get them somewhere defensible." I managed a weak smile. "Besides, I've got this."

"Bullshit," Uraraka whispered. "You're going to get yourself killed."

"Nah." I stretched, feeling my quirk slowly recovering. "I'll win."

Before they could stop me, I teleported halfway down the stairs. The geometric light trails faded as I started walking toward the plaza.

"Well, well," the hand-covered villain mused. "It seems we have a hero in our midst after all."

I kept walking, each step measured. The Nomu stood motionless beside him, waiting for orders. That masked man from earlier was gone - small mercy, I supposed.

"What's wrong?" The villain scratched his neck harder. "No witty comeback? No heroic speech?"

I stopped about twenty feet away. "Do you want one? I could probably come up with something appropriately dramatic."

He laughed - a dry, rattling sound. "Funny. But humor won't save you. Nomu."

The creature blurred forward. I barely had time to raise a barrier before its fist connected.

"Stronger than before," the villain noted. "But still not enough."

He was right. That single hit had taken more out of me than I wanted to admit. I needed a different strategy.

The Nomu attacked again. This time I teleported behind it, trying to analyze its movements. The thing was fast - frighteningly so. But there was something mechanical about its actions. No wasted motion, but also no adaptation.

It follows orders, I realized. Literally.

"Getting tired?" the hand-covered villain asked. "Your barrier's weaker than before."

I let the barrier drop completely. "Don't need it."

"Oh?" He tilted his head. "Nomu, kill him."

The creature lunged. I stepped left, letting its fist pass inches from my face. The wind from the punch ruffled my hair, but I'd already read its trajectory. Another step, this time right, as its follow-up strike cratered the ground where I'd been standing.

"Stop dodging!" The villain scratched harder at his neck. "Nomu, faster!"

The attacks came in rapid succession now. Each one could have turned me to paste, but the Nomu's movements were... clean. Too clean. I slipped between punches, analyzing its patterns. Three-hit combinations. Always three, then a brief reset.

"You're pissing me off," the villain growled.

I ducked under another swing. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

The Nomu's next attack pattern shifted slightly - four hits instead of three. I read the change in its shoulder movement and adjusted, weaving through the strikes like they were coming in slow motion.

"How?" The villain's voice cracked. "Nomu has shock absorption and super strength! You shouldn't be able to-"

"Technique," I said, sidestepping another blow. "Your 'weapon' hits hard, but it fights like a robot. No adaptability. No instinct."

To demonstrate, I stepped inside the Nomu's guard. A quick palm strike to its elbow disrupted its next punch. The creature's programming took a full second to recalibrate - more than enough time for me to dance away from its counter.

"Shut up!" The villain was scratching so hard now that blood ran down his neck. "Nomu was designed to kill All Might! You're nothing!"

"Designed," I repeated, letting contempt color the word. "That's the problem. Real fighters adapt. Learn. Your pet here just follows its programming."

The Nomu charged again. This time I stood my ground, waiting until the last possible moment. Its fist passed through the space where my head had been as I ducked, simultaneously driving my knee up into its solar plexus.

The blow would have crippled a normal person. The Nomu didn't even flinch.

"See?" The villain laughed. "Physical attacks are useless!"

"Noted." I created a small blue barrier around my fist, then slammed it into the Nomu's jaw. The impact of infinite space against immovable flesh produced a sound like breaking glass.

The creature staggered back half a step.

"What?" The villain stopped scratching. "That's impossible-"

I pressed the advantage, combining martial arts with precisely-placed barriers. Each strike carried a fraction of infinite space, bypassing the Nomu's shock absorption. It wasn't enough to do real damage, but it proved my point - the thing could be hurt.

"Stop it!" The villain's voice rose to a shriek. "Nomu, kill him! Kill him now!"

The creature's next attack came faster than before. I barely managed to raise a barrier in time.

Right. Don't get cocky.

The Nomu charged again. I read its approach, noting the slight tell in its footwork. Three steps to close distance, then another three-hit combination. I counted the rhythm in my head.

One. Two. Three.

I moved with the attacks instead of against them, redirecting rather than blocking. The Nomu's strength worked against it - each missed strike carried it slightly off balance.

"You're starting to bore me," the villain said. "Nomu, use your speed."

The creature vanished. I sensed movement behind me and teleported instinctively. The Nomu's fist passed through empty air as I reappeared several feet away.

"Now that's interesting," I said. "It can match my teleportation speed."

The villain giggled. "Not so confident now, are you?"

I wiped sweat from my forehead. The constant teleporting was draining, but I couldn't risk taking a direct hit from something that fast.

The Nomu blurred forward again. I read its trajectory and teleported - not away, but into its path. The creature's programming didn't account for prey that moved toward danger. My barrier-enhanced punch caught it square in the throat.

"You little-" The villain's curse cut off as the Nomu stumbled back, actually showing signs of damage.

I pressed forward, combining teleportation with precise strikes. Each blow carried a micro-barrier, using infinite space to bypass the creature's defenses. It wasn't enough to do lasting harm, but it proved the Nomu wasn't invincible.

"Enough!" The villain raised his hand. "Kurogiri!"

The mist villain appeared beside him. "Yes?"

"Bring it."

A portal opened above the Nomu. Something fell through - a syringe filled with red liquid. The creature caught it and immediately jammed it into its neck.

"Oh, that's probably bad," I muttered.

The Nomu's muscles bulged. Its movements became more erratic, less predictable. When it charged this time, I barely managed to teleport away in time.

"Better!" The villain clapped. "Much better! Now kill him!"

The enhanced Nomu was faster, stronger, and most worryingly, starting to adapt. Its attacks no longer followed rigid patterns. Each strike came from a different angle, forcing me to expend more energy dodging.

I teleported behind a piece of debris, buying seconds to think. The villain's laughter echoed across the plaza.

"Running away?" he called. "Where's all that confidence now?"

The Nomu smashed through my cover. I rolled left, coming up in a defensive stance. My legs shook slightly - too much quirk usage, too quickly.

"Getting tired?" The villain's voice dripped false concern. "Don't worry, it'll be over soon."

He was right about one thing - I couldn't keep this up much longer. Each teleport drained more energy. My barriers were getting weaker. And now the Nomu was actually learning, adapting its strategy with each exchange.

I needed to end this. But how do you beat something designed to kill All Might?

The answer hit me as I dodged another enhanced strike.

You don't.

I just needed to survive until help arrived. Keep the thing focused on me, away from the others. Every second I bought was another second closer to the pros showing up.

"Come on then," I said. "Show me what that juice did for you."

The Nomu charged. I met its attack head-on, barrier flaring to life around my fist. The impact when we collided sent shockwaves through the plaza.

We traded blows at speeds that would have turned normal humans to paste. Each of my strikes carried a fraction of infinite space, while the Nomu's attacks could have leveled buildings. Neither of us was really hurting the other, but that wasn't the point.

I just had to keep its attention. Keep it fighting me instead of going after the others. Keep buying time.

The villain must have realized what I was doing. His scratching intensified.

"Stop playing with him!" he screamed. "Finish it!"

The Nomu's next attack carried even more force. My barrier shattered on impact, and pain exploded through my arm. I teleported back, buying space to recover.

Okay, that hurt.

"Finally!" The villain laughed. "Your quirk's at its limit, isn't it? No more barriers. No more tricks."

I flexed my injured arm, testing the damage. Not broken, but close.

"You know what's funny?" I asked, buying seconds to catch my breath. "You keep talking about how your pet was designed to kill All Might."

"Because it was!"

"Yeah." I grinned. "But I'm not All Might."

The villain's scratching paused. "What?"

"You built the perfect weapon to fight the Symbol of Peace. But I don't fight like him. I don't have his strength, his speed, his endurance."

"You're still going to die."

"Maybe." I shrugged. "But your weapon? It's learning the wrong lessons. Adapting to the wrong style. By the time All Might gets here, the Nomu will have spent all its energy learning to counter me."

The villain's hands dropped to his sides. "You... you're stalling."

"Finally figured it out?" I laughed. "Took you long enough."

"Nomu!" The villain's voice cracked. "Kill him now! Right now!"

The creature blurred forward, faster than ever. I teleported at the last second, but this time the Nomu predicted it. Its fist caught me in the ribs as I reappeared.

Pain exploded through my chest. I hit the ground hard, rolling to absorb some of the impact. Definitely some broken ribs there.

I struggled to my feet, tasting copper. The Nomu's footsteps thundered closer. My quirk was nearly drained - one more teleport at most. Not enough to get away.

Well, this is gonna suck.

The creature closed the distance in a blur of motion. I tried to raise a barrier, but only managed a faint shimmer of silver-white. Its fist rushed toward my face-

CLAP

Reality twisted sideways. Suddenly I was staring at spiky red hair instead of certain death.

"Dude, you look like shit," Kirishima said, helping me stay upright.

"What-" I blinked hard, trying to process the change. "How-"

"DIE YOU FUCKING MONSTER!"

An explosion lit up the plaza like a miniature sun. Through the smoke, I saw Katsumi raining hell on the Nomu, each blast pushing it back a step.

"GET UP BROTHER!" The voice came from my left. Todo stood there, hands ready to clap again. "OUR BATTLES SIDE-BY-SIDE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED!"

==========

[Next time on "My Hero Academia: Limitless"]

"Young Nakamura faces his greatest challenge yet-" All Might coughed, crimson spattering his sleeve. His skeletal form hunched over the recording booth microphone.

"Toshinori-san, please stay seated." Principal Nezu adjusted his tiny tie, whiskers twitching. "Recovery Girl was quite clear about your condition."

"But the USJ-" Another wracking cough. "The students need-"

"Are being handled by our capable staff." Nezu's beady eyes fixed on the time readout. "Now then, shall we continue the preview?"

All Might gripped the microphone stand. "Next time: A desperate battle against overwhelming odds! Young Bakugo unleashes her full power while Young Todo demonstrates the true meaning of friendship! And Young Nakamura-" He doubled over, blood trickling from his mouth.

"Perhaps I should take over?" Nezu suggested, producing a handkerchief.

"No, no. I can-" All Might wiped his chin. "Young Nakamura must overcome his limits or face certain defeat! Plus..." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I need to be there."

"What you need is rest." Nezu's tail swished as he hopped onto the sound board. "The story continues with 'USJ Incident {5}' Will our students survive this villainous assault? Can All Might recover in time? And what dark secrets lurk behind the Villains' attack?"

"Principal Nezu, the emergency exit-"

"Is locked, Toshinori-san." Nezu adjusted the gain levels. "Now, about that prescription Recovery Girl left-"

All Might staggered to his feet. "Young Midoriya and Nakamura are fighting for their lives while I sit here doing voice work!"

"Indeed they are." Nezu produced a thermos. "Tea?"

"This isn't time for-"

"It's Recovery Girl's special blend."

All Might froze mid-stride. "You wouldn't."

Nezu's whiskers twitched again. "Try me."

"You're enjoying this far too much," All Might muttered, slumping back into his chair.

"I assure you, I take no pleasure in-" Nezu paused, tilting his head. "Actually, that's not entirely true. Now then, about that tea..."