Chapter 36: Shana

As that voice rang out, a terrifyingly immense pressure came crashing down from above Shigaraki Tomura. He might not have seen what happened overhead due to his limited angle, but lying on the ground, Konata saw it clearly.

It was Midoriya Izuku.

Earlier, even before the Nomu had acted on orders, Midoriya and his group had used the waterways to sneak around to this location. The enemies lurking in the water had already been wiped out by them beforehand, so their journey had been relatively smooth.

Seeing Konata and Aizawa Shouta fight with such composure, even Mineta Minoru couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Based on how things were going, it seemed like their victory was only a matter of time. But just as they let their guard down, the sudden arrival of the Nomu taught them what true despair looked like.

Not one of them could track the Nomu's movements. In mere seconds, Aizawa-sensei was brutally injured, and Konata had her limbs twisted and broken—completely overwhelmed.

Logic screamed at them to flee, but emotionally, Midoriya couldn't stand back and do nothing. Even though his body trembled in fear, he still rushed in.

With Asui Tsuyu flinging him into the air, he focused everything on the hand-covered young man. Even if this strike left him unable to fight afterward—even if it wouldn't do any damage—he still let out a furious roar:

"SMASH!!"

BOOM—!

Smoke and dust exploded outward from the immense force. Midoriya panted lightly and instinctively looked at his arm.

Unlike the usual aftermath of using One For All, where his arm would be swollen and fractured, this time, his right arm was perfectly intact.

No broken bones… did he actually manage to regulate the power correctly this time?

Before he could fully process what just happened, a horrifying killing intent surged toward him from directly ahead. A massive black fist punched through the smoke, growing larger in his view.

The beaked monster…

Midoriya's heart sank instantly.

Even though he'd deliberately attacked from the furthest point to maximize the element of surprise, the Nomu had still intercepted him—just like it did with Konata's earlier Railgun blast. Completely unscathed.

There was no dodging this. Was this the end? Dying at the hands of this monster…?

"IDIOT"

Suddenly, a voice rang out. Amid crackling blue-white electricity, an unexpected figure appeared in front of him and crashed into him, knocking him out of harm's way.

BOOM——!!!

The next instant, the Nomu's massive fist struck the girl who had dashed in to save him. It was like a meteor had slammed down. The riverbank exploded under the impact, sending up a tsunami of dirt and debris.

"Konata…"

Sitting numbly on the cold ground, Midoriya stared at the cloud of smoke caused by the blow. His mind went completely blank.

A direct hit like that… There was almost no way anyone could have survived. He had seen it himself: the Nomu's massive black fist made contact with the girl's small body.

Which meant… she was dead?

"Tch. And you want to be a hero? Charging out like that—were you trying to get me killed too? I swear, your reckless behavior is going to be the death of me someday! Dumbass."

The first time they met, back at that maid café, the rescued girl had angrily served him coffee with a scornful expression.

"Midoriya-kun, don't worry—you'll absolutely pass. Just the fact that you dared to rush out and save someone makes you worthy of being called a hero!"

Under golden sunlight, she clapped him on the shoulder with a bold grin.

"As a hero, the most important thing is staying calm no matter the situation. You all still have a long way to go before you can truly call yourselves heroes~"

Calmly seated at a desk, she spoke these words casually.

She had clearly still been able to act then. Even if he hadn't rushed in, she had the perfect chance to strike. She had said it herself: staying calm was the most important thing… Yet she had still jumped in to save him.

Why?

Midoriya stared blankly at his own hands, doubting himself for the first time.

[Passive Skill Unlocked: Electromagnetic Field]

While active, if struck by a melee attack, the field will break and immediately knock back all nearby attackers. If they collide with an object, they'll be stunned for 1 second.

Ranged attacks will be automatically nullified, after which the field begins recharging.

Cooldown after breaking: 40 seconds.]

"Nomu! Who said you could harm the one Sensei wants—"

Shigaraki's angry voice came from the smoke, but he didn't finish his sentence. The Nomu wasn't where he expected—it had been blown back dozens of meters. How…?

Realizing something, he turned sharply to the massive crater left by the Nomu's punch.

As the dust cleared, a figure gradually emerged.

Fire fell from the sky—but not as flames, rather like soft snowflakes.

Amid the drifting fire powder stood a girl, her presence radiating pride and power.

Her long hair glowed like molten steel, blazing red-hot. A deep black coat, shaped like a cloak, billowed dramatically as she landed.

From her sleeves peeked slender fingers, tightly gripping a long sword—its blade glowing with searing heat and eerie beauty.

Her fiery hair flowed down to her waist, with crimson embers scattering behind it.

And in the midst of it all, she stood firm—this girl with hair like flames.

Known as Flame-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter, she now appeared in her most iconic form.