MHA: The Sentry

_____[POV: Third person]_____

The roar of the bat-winged Nomu echoed through the skies, its black silhouette slicing through the air like a distorted blur.

Izuku propelled himself backward, narrowly dodging the creature's outstretched claws by mere centimeters. His HUD flickered frantically as the sensors tried to calculate the enemy's erratic flight patterns.

"He's fast. Really fast."

"Jarvis, calibrate the missiles for advanced tracking."

"Understood, sir."

The compartments on his shoulders opened again. A new wave of missiles shot out, seeking the Nomu with absolute precision.

The creature let out a roar, folding its wings and entering a free fall, dodging almost all of the projectiles. The ones that hit its body exploded in flames and metallic fragments.

Izuku kept his eyes on the display.

"That should have at least damaged him…"

Then, his expression hardened as he saw the data on the HUD.

Minimal damage.

When the smoke cleared, the Nomu was still practically intact. The spots where the missiles had hit were already showing clear signs of regeneration.

"Of course… he has accelerated healing."

Izuku felt a shiver of frustration. His current arsenal was non-lethal, programmed to incapacitate and neutralize without killing. But that meant his weapons weren't strong enough for someone who could recover so quickly.

The Nomu roared again, violently spreading its wings and charging at him.

Izuku increased the power of the thrusters, spinning in the air to avoid the attack. The Nomu shot past like a bullet, the pressure of its passage nearly throwing him off balance.

"If this keeps up, this fight will take too long."

He needed more power.

He needed everything the armor could offer.

"Jarvis." He clenched his teeth. "Release 100% of the armor's capacity."

"Affirmative. Removing all safety restrictions."

A red signal flashed on the HUD.

[MODE: OVERDRIVE INITIATED]

At that moment, the entire structure of the armor readjusted. Plates expanded, hidden vents released new heat outlets, and the thrusters drastically increased their power.

Gradually, the bright energy from the suit's heat vents grew more intense as the overload system kicked in.

The thrusters now burned with an absurd intensity, his body surrounded by waves of heat and static electricity.

The Nomu, which had turned around and was preparing to attack again, had no time to react.

Izuku exploded forward, appearing in front of the creature with a sonic boom.

He delivered a direct punch, hitting the Nomu's chest with full force.

BOOOOOOM!

The impact sent the monster hundreds of meters backward, tearing through the sky.

But even with the overwhelming blow, Izuku saw the Nomu's flesh rapidly regenerating.

"He's still standing…?"

The monster roared, flapping its wings and stabilizing itself in the air. Its empty, beastly gaze fixed on Izuku again.

The young hero clenched his fists.

"He's still a person."

Even though he was a villain, Izuku couldn't just end him.

"I need to find another way to stop him."

The Nomu charged again.

This time, Izuku didn't retreat.

He charged as well.

Izuku dodged by millimeters, evading the sharp claws while launching overloaded thrusters.

The skies became an intense battlefield, blue lightning flashing every time the armor's thrusters propelled Izuku in impossible curves.

Then…

In the midst of the exchange of blows, the armor's radar alerted to a high-speed object approaching.

Izuku furrowed his brow, looking to the side.

A massive black figure shot past like a missile, zooming between him and the winged Nomu.

The two paused for a moment, watching the body speeding through the sky.

Izuku blinked.

"What… was that?"

----------------------------------------

The dust from the impact was still in the air when Hagakure's trembling voice cut through the silence.

"Ryuji… is he… is he okay?! He's still alive, right?! PLEASE, TELL ME HE DIDN'T DIE!"

Before anyone could respond, the sound of a sudden explosion made them jump in shock.

And then, from the depths of the crater, Ryuji emerged unscathed, brushing off his suit as if he had just tripped on a step.

"OH MY GOD! I WAS SO WORRIED!" Hagakure shouted in relief.

Momo, who was further back, let out a heavy sigh, clutching her chest.

"That was… terrifying."

Ojiro blinked a few times, still trying to process what had happened. "He really took all that and didn't get a single scratch? He was being buried alive..."

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Kirishima burst out in excitement, his eyes shining. "SO MANLY! SO TOUGH! RYUJI IS THE MAN!"

Jiro poked her ears with her fingers, still feeling the echoes of the impact ringing in them. "That was so loud…"

Todoroki remained silent, his serious eyes scanning the battlefield ahead.

But then the rest of the students shifted their attention. In the middle of the group, Rice Cake was still sitting, completely upright, like a majestic sentinel guarding her allies.

The great white wolf, standing three meters tall, looked almost like a mystical creature, her fluffy fur swaying gently, her crystal-blue eyes shining like jewels.

"LOOK AT HER!" Mina was the first to speak up, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

The students quickly gathered around, one by one, expressing pure admiration.

"She looks… so elegant now," Momo commented, impressed.

Jiro laughed. "And to think she saved us from that mist… thank you, Rice Cake!"

The wolf didn't respond verbally, but her chest puffed out subtly, clearly accepting the praise with dignity.

Mina smirked mischievously, snapping her fingers.

"Okay, but what if… now that she's big, maybe I can actually touch her…" Mina said with a sly grin.

Before anyone could warn her, she leaped forward, hands outstretched.

And in a white flash, Rice Cake simply vanished from sight.

Mina face-planted into the ground.

"Huh?! How is she still that fast?!" She lifted her head, confused.

Rice Cake reappeared a few meters away, sitting in the exact same position as before, as if nothing had happened.

"...I feel rejected," Mina pouted, crossing her arms.

"She still won't let anyone touch her," Kaminari chuckled softly.

"Regardless, we need to stay focused. We're not out of danger yet," 13 said firmly, trying to bring the group back to reality.

"That's right! Now let's head for the gate and get out of here as fast as we can!" 13 declared, assuming her experienced hero stance.

Grrrrrrr…

Everyone froze.

Rice Cake's body stiffened, and in one fluid motion, she rose onto all fours, growling deeply.

The fur around her neck bristled. The air around her lupine form began to shift.

"U-uhm…" Mina gulped. "Did she just… get nervous because of us?"

Then, before they could process it, the four-armed Nomu emerged from the forest.

The monster charged forward quickly, leaping from the top of one of the rubble piles, heading straight for the students.

"SHIT!" Kaminari yelled, stepping back.

The monster raised its four muscular arms, ready to strike. But before it could even touch the ground, Rice Cake acted.

With a fierce roar, she opened her mouth. The air around her began to compress right in the center, and then…

*SFX: BOOOOOOM!*

A powerful blast of compressed air shot out of her mouth, hitting the Nomu like an invisible bazooka shot.

The Nomu was thrown back with absurd force, its body hurled away as if it had been hit by a high-speed train.

Before anyone could react.

Rice Cake leaped after it. But she didn't just jump—she literally walked through the air, using her quirk to create invisible steps of wind as she pursued her target.

The class stood completely still.

The only sound was the wind blowing.

"Did you guys just see what I saw?" Kaminari broke the silence.

"Yeah," Jiro said, blinking slowly.

Mina gulped.

"I never thought I'd say this in my life but… I'm kind of scared of Rice Cake now."

Sero pointed to the sky, where the wolf was disappearing in the direction of the Nomu.

"She's LITERALLY walking on air, guys."

Hagakure shivered. "It's official. Rice Cake is way scarier than she looks!"

13 finally snapped out of her shock.

"This doesn't change the fact that we need to get out of here!"

"Right, right!" Momo nodded quickly, still in awe.

With that, the students and 13 began running toward the gate… not noticing that Todoroki had left the group and was heading toward the battlefield.

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Ryuji hovered in the sky, arms crossed, watching the cloud of dust and debris dissipate in the distance.

"So, you're still alive?" he murmured, his golden eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Well, it would've been a drag if you'd died so quickly."

From amidst the rubble, a monstrous roar cut through the air.

The Nomu emerged from the devastation unscathed, its wounds already completely regenerated. Its grotesque body crackled with every movement, and its heavy breathing expelled a thick, hot mist.

Ryuji smiled.

"Need a little push?"

With a casual motion, Ryuji extended his hand and pulled the Nomu toward him using telekinesis.

The creature didn't even have time to react. One moment, it was roaring among the debris—the next, it was inches from Ryuji's face.

"Now, get closer..."

*SFX: CRACK!*

Ryuji drove a devastating punch straight into the creature's head. The impact caused the air around them to explode in shockwaves. The Nomu was sent flying backward like a meteor, soaring through the sky for several meters.

But it recovered mid-air, landing heavily on the ground.

And before Ryuji could make another comment, the creature lunged forward and grabbed him by the arms.

Ryuji's smile faded for a moment as he felt a strange tingling sensation.

His golden aura was being drained.

"Huh?" He raised an eyebrow. "So, you've got that quirk too?"

Ryuji remembered this power well. Rikiya Katsukame, from the Shie Hassaikai, used this ability to drain the life energy of others to strengthen himself.

But there was one problem.

Ryuji literally had infinite life energy.

This meant that while the Nomu tried to drain him, it was like trying to drink from an endless ocean.

The Nomu tightened its grotesque body around Ryuji, attempting to crush him.

"Trying to crush me? Buddy, do you have any idea how deep in shit you just got yourself?"

With insulting ease, Ryuji grabbed the Nomu's wrist.

"Alright, that's enough. Now, get off."

He tossed it aside like it was a bag of trash.

The Nomu was thrown brutally, but before it could fly too far, Ryuji shot after it, cutting through the sky like a golden bullet.

He appeared beside the creature mid-air and delivered a punch so fast and powerful that the Nomu was sent flying even farther.

But Ryuji wasn't done and charged forward again.

Another punch.

*SFX: BAM!*

And another punch.

*SFX: BAM!*

And another.

*SFX: BAM!*

Each impact sounded like thunder. Each strike made the air vibrate and tremble. In the blink of an eye, Ryuji overtook the Nomu and positioned himself above it, his eyes glowing intensely.

"Now… let's see if you like a barbecue."

Two golden lasers shot from his eyes, hitting the Nomu dead-on. The creature roared in pain as it was hurled straight into the ground below.

*SFX: BOOOOOOOM!*

The impact caused a full-blown natural disaster.

Trees were swept away like paper. The ground sank under the absurd pressure. The entire area became a sea of destruction.

Ryuji descended calmly, landing amidst the chaos.

"Now, let's see if—"

Before he could even finish his sentence, the Nomu emerged from the dust, its wounds already completely regenerated.

And it was already preparing a monstrous punch, and Ryuji responded in kind.

The two blows collided… or at least they were supposed to.

The air split.

The force of both punches was so colossal that neither fist even touched. The pressure between the two generated destructive waves that exploded in all directions.

It was a display of pure, absolute power.

The remaining vegetation in the forest was annihilated instantly. The ground shook violently, cracking in every direction.

The shockwave traveled through the U.S.J., making the entire structure tremble. Even the distant zones felt the impact.

Ryuji narrowed his eyes. "This isn't good…"

He realized the Nomu had grown stronger. Was it because it had absorbed his life energy?

If it continued to drain that energy, the Nomu could become even more powerful and uncontrollable.

And that could put all his classmates and teachers at risk.

"Alright then. Playtime's over."

He interrupted the attack and delivered a brutal kick to the Nomu. The creature flew like a missile, smashing through several rocks along the way.

But before Ryuji could prepare for another attack, a giant fist came out of nowhere and hit him square in the face.

The impact sent him flying backward through the air.

Before he could recover, the Nomu was already on the other side. Throwing another punch and chasing after Ryuji.

This time, the monster grabbed Ryuji's leg before he could react. And it began slamming him from side to side like a ragdoll.

Each impact destroyed more and more of the ground around them.

For a moment, Ryuji stayed quiet until he snorted. "That's enough. The fun's over."

Then, the Nomu's arm simply exploded with a quick punch. Blood and flesh flew everywhere as Ryuji finally broke free.

He hovered in the air, brushing off his clothes.

"Congratulations, man," he muttered, looking at the creature. "You managed to ruin my tough guy pose."

The Nomu didn't care; it was already regenerating, preparing to attack again.

Ryuji sighed.

His eyes glowed gold, and his aura exploded around him.

And then, he charged at the Nomu once more. The Nomu also charged at him again, using both of its grotesque arms to try and crush him.

But Ryuji caught both of its hands at the last second.

For a moment, it seemed like they were in a stalemate of strength, but only for an instant before Ryuji began to overpower it effortlessly.

"I'll use just a little more force..." he murmured.

And then, in a precise motion, he twisted the Nomu's arms in opposite directions, tearing the limbs from its body.

The Nomu screamed, but the sound was cut off instantly as Ryuji delivered a devastating uppercut straight under its chin.

The punch was so powerful that it obliterated the entire upper torso of the creature.

But that wasn't all.

The impact generated a massive explosion of air, so destructive that it completely swept away the roof of the U.S.J.

The clouds were cleared instantly.

And above all, a colossal hole opened in the sky, revealing the stars and the dark void of space.

Ryuji looked up, seeing the damage he had just done—a literal hole in the atmosphere.

He scratched the back of his neck.

"…Okay, maybe I used a 'little' too much force."

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Moments before the impact between forces and destruction of the roof of the U.S.J.

The heavens roared.

Izuku shot forward, his body transforming into a trail of bluish-green light as the thrusters reached a new level of power. The wind whipped against his metallic suit, the heat from the acceleration generating supersonic shockwaves.

The Nomu also surged forward, its membranous wings beating violently, propelling it like an aberration from the skies. Its empty, animalistic gaze was fixed solely on Izuku.

The collision was brutal.

The two clashed mid-air like two meteors on a collision course, the force of the impact reverberating in a thunderous shockwave.

Izuku twisted his body in the air, dodging a deadly strike that grazed the helmet of his armor.

Before he could counter, the Nomu swung its claws in a devastating arc.

The impact resonated through Izuku's armor, and he felt the blow tear through the outer layers of metal. His HUD flashed a red warning, indicating structural damage.

"It managed to damage the titanium alloy?!"

The Nomu didn't give him time to think.

It charged again, delivering a fierce attack to Izuku's chest.

Izuku was sent flying backward, spinning through the air, his body piercing through the clouds like an out-of-control projectile.

But he didn't lose control.

The rear thrusters ignited at full power, quickly stabilizing him.

His green eyes glowed behind the visor, his mind processing every detail of the fight.

"Its attacks are strong, but they still follow a pattern. Once Jarvis finishes analyzing its pattern, I'll break through its defense."

He clenched his fists.

"Time to fight back."

Izuku exploded with speed, leaving an electric arc in the sky.

This time, he wasn't just exchanging blows—he was dominating the exchange.

Every dodge was precise.

Every punch was faster, more accurate.

His body danced between the Nomu's assaults, dodging claws and jaws as if he knew the attacks before they even happened.

The Nomu roared in frustration, trying to hit him, but Izuku was too fast. He appeared behind the creature in the blink of an eye, punching its ribs.

The impact deformed the monster's side, sending it flying uncontrollably.

But Izuku followed.

With a metallic snap, he raised his arm and fired a repulsor beam, hitting the Nomu in the chest.

The creature howled in pain, its wings fluttering in the air.

Izuku didn't give it a break.

He shot higher, reaching it, and then grabbed its bat-like wings with the newfound immense strength of his armor.

The Nomu writhed, trying to break free, but Izuku didn't let go.

With a quick motion, he activated the web launchers on his arms. The strands wrapped around the wings, tightening with force.

The Nomu, now without flight control, began to freefall.

The wind whistled fiercely as they descended at high speed, breaking through layers of air like a falling missile.

But Izuku wasn't done.

The static electricity around his armor intensified.

His thrusters realigned, additional jets expanding on his elbows and shoulders.

His visor glowed as the HUD prepared the next attack.

"Time to end this!"

MACHINE GUN BLOW

With the thrusters providing maximum support, Izuku began to unleash a barrage of rapid, devastating blows against the Nomu.

His fists struck the monster at an absurd speed, each punch fired like a cannonball. The force was so great that shockwaves formed on the creature's back as the two descended like a human projectile toward the ground.

The Nomu tried to regenerate, but the blows were too fast for its healing factor to keep up. Each punch left its body more destroyed, its structure more unstable.

And then…

The two collided with the ground of the U.S.J. with devastating force.

A crater formed on impact, dust and debris rising from the destruction. The sound echoed across the battlefield, as if a bomb had exploded.

Silence fell for a few seconds.

The dust began to settle.

And in the center of the crater…

Izuku stood, his armor slightly damaged, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.

Beneath him, the Nomu lay motionless, its body trembling weakly, its regenerative factor struggling to recover after being destroyed blow after blow.

Izuku looked down at the creature, his expression serious.

He hadn't killed.

But he hadn't held back either.

The armor glowed faintly, indicating it was still functional.

Izuku let out a sigh.

"I did it…"

But before he could relax…

The air crackled as a deafening sound traveled across the entire field. The ground shook violently, cracking in all directions.

"What the hell?!"

----------------------------------------

The deafening sound of the impact between Ryuji and the larger Nomu still echoed across the battlefield. The ground continued to crack, and dust danced in the air like aimless specters.

But even amidst this absolute chaos, Rice Cake did not stop.

She ran through the air, her paws never touching the ground, propelled by the invisible force of the wind that responded to her will. Every movement was precise, fluid, as if she were gliding through an invisible river.

The four-armed Nomu roared, trying to retaliate. But with every attempt to attack, it was struck by an air cannon from above and the sides. The white wolf never stayed in the same place.

Another shot hit the monster, forcing it to retreat, its wounds regenerating every instant.

With a frustrated roar, the Nomu planted its four arms into the destroyed ground, tearing out a huge chunk of earth and hurling it straight towards the giant wolf.

The debris flew like a meteor, shadows swallowing Rice Cake for a moment.

But she did not flinch.

The air around her concentrated into a single point, and in a single instant—

*SFX: BOOOOOOOM!*

She fired a compressed air cannon with brutal force.

The huge chunk of earth was reduced to dust, the debris scattering across the field like a rain of rubble.

But amidst the destruction, the figure of the Nomu emerged.

Using the debris as a distraction, it charged forward at full speed, its four arms raised to strike the wolf with crushing force.

But the air around the Nomu changed and became denser, its movement slowing down.

The air resistance had increased drastically.

And then—

*SFX: WHOOOOOOOSH!*

A massive wave of air hit it like an invisible hammer, pushing its body downward.

With a thunderous crash, it was slammed into the ground, a crater forming around it.

The Nomu tried to get up, but it couldn't. The pressure on its body was absurd, as if tons of air were crushing every inch of its existence.

And then, Rice Cake landed in front of it.

Her eyes gleamed like blue diamonds under the moonlight.

She opened her jaw, and within it, the air around her trembled violently as it gathered at the center.

The invisible force of the wind trapped the Nomu, and before it, the white wolf charged an attack that would end it.

And then, the shot hit the Nomu's upper body head-on, disintegrating its flesh before it could even scream.

The impact was so violent that the ground beneath it sank, forming a huge ridge of earth and debris.

For a few seconds, nothing moved.

The wind blew gently.

She raised her head to the sky...

And howled in victory, her song echoing across the battlefield.

----------------------------------------

Aizawa was already exhausted. His body ached, cuts and bruises accumulated as he took down villain after villain.

The debris scattered across the plaza made movement difficult, and his eyes burned from the continuous use of his quirk.

But he couldn't stop.

Every second he kept the villains occupied was another second for the students to escape.

And then, amidst the destruction and dust, a shadow of Shigaraki moved.

"Don't you ever get tired of playing hero?" The scratchy, disdain-filled voice echoed.

Aizawa barely had time to react before he felt something coming from the side. He rolled backward, narrowly dodging the skeletal hand that tried to grab him.

If that attack had landed, it would have been the end.

But he was surrounded.

The villains around him were already moving to attack him all at once.

"Tsk… I can't avoid everything…"

But before any blow could hit him—

*SFX: FOOOOOOOOOSH!*

A brutal frost swept across the plaza.

The ground beneath the villains froze instantly, their legs trapped in thick ice.

Aizawa stepped back, his eyes narrowing as Todoroki appeared right behind him.

"You looked like you needed help, sensei," the boy said, his voice devoid of emotion.

The ice rose rapidly, completely immobilizing the villains.

Except for Shigaraki. He had already jumped back, avoiding being caught in the attack.

His face twisted in pure irritation.

"First that golden brat, then some weird armored guy, then a giant wolf running through the air, and now another one gets in the way?!" Shigaraki clicked his tongue in frustration.

The perfect plan was falling apart.

But then, beside him, Kurogiri emerged in a dense purple mist.

He had finally regained consciousness, but his posture was far from elegant.

He was trembling, his body visibly unstable. It was obvious that Ryuji had crushed some of his ribs.

Shigaraki immediately vented his frustration.

"WHERE WERE YOU?!" He screamed, his voice overflowing with hatred and irritation.

Kurogiri tried to speak, but Shigaraki didn't wait for an answer.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MEANTIME?!"

The mist villain narrowed his glowing eyes, still trying to recover, while Aizawa and Todoroki remained on guard.

Aizawa, despite his exhaustion, analyzed the battlefield. Most of the villains were down, with only Shigaraki and Kurogiri still standing to fight.

But something continued to deeply unsettle him.

Ryuji…

Aizawa couldn't ignore the deafening sounds echoing from the other side of the U.S.J.

They were sounds that shouldn't exist in a normal fight.

They sounded like… something divine colliding with something monstrous.

But before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, Shigaraki vanished from his spot and reappeared behind him through the mist—

The teacher jumped back, but Shigaraki was already reaching out to grab his arm.

Todoroki reacted instantly, trying to launch another freezing attack—

But everything was interrupted.

By the explosion.

A colossal wave of air erupted from the other side of the U.S.J., advancing like a relentless storm.

The roof of the U.S.J. simply… vanished, and the night sky was revealed in an instant.

But not just that—all layers of the atmosphere were pierced.

The destruction opened a massive hole, where space and the stars became visible.

Aizawa froze.

Shigaraki and Kurogiri stopped moving.

Even the villains trapped in the ice were in absolute shock.

This wasn't just a display of raw power—it was something that transcended the limits of nature itself.

A terrifying silence settled for a few seconds.

Everyone present fixed their gaze on the middle of that stellar void, feeling for the first time the fear of the unknown they had so long ignored.

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(A/N: This chapter was a lot of work to put together, but it was also really fun. I wasn't really thinking about holding back the MC too much in this confrontation, since he's literally a nuclear bomb compared to the bacteria around him. So I thought about having him make a "small" slip-up with his strength and end up causing this mess here. I genuinely think it's cool to have these absurd displays of power every now and then. And the next chapter will be pure chaos after this. Anyway, I'll stop here for now. I need to rest a bit because this chapter drained a lot of my energy. See you in the next update!)