Chapter 39: The Trap Springs! The League of Villains Faces U.A.’s Fury!

"Holy crap..." Kaminari stopped dead, looking up with his mouth hanging open. "This thing is massive."

Kirishima stood next to him with his arms crossed and a huge grin on his face.

"Totally manly! U.A. really goes all out when it comes to our training."

Kyoka walked behind them with her hands in her pockets and a laid-back attitude.

"Close your mouth or you're gonna swallow a fly, Kirishima. Although you've got a point, building a place like this must've cost a fortune."

"Hey, don't make fun!" Kirishima scratched the back of his neck, laughing a little embarrassed. "It's impossible not to get pumped about something this big."

Izuku walked in silence while he watched the gigantic dome. The structure was big enough to fit several full buildings without a problem, and the windows lining the base reflected the sunlight with a metallic shine that gave the whole place a futuristic look.

A training center specialized in rescue, with different climate and disaster zones... I can learn so much here it almost scares me to waste the opportunity.

Ochako appeared at his side with light steps and a radiant expression.

"Izuku-kun, look at the size of this thing! Do you think we'll get to explore every area today?"

"Probably just one or two," Izuku answered while he kept walking. "Thirteen's gonna want to make sure we get the basics down before letting us loose in the more dangerous zones."

Momo walked behind them with her notebook open, taking notes about the building's architecture.

"The layout of the space suggests that each disaster zone is completely isolated from the others. That means they could trigger a controlled fire in one section without affecting the rest of the facility."

"Wow! That sounds super dangerous... but at the same time it's awesome!" Ochako said, her eyes shining.

The automatic doors slid open with a soft hiss when the group walked in. The inside was even more impressive than the outside.

In the center of the entrance, waiting for them with a relaxed but commanding posture, stood All Might. His smile beamed while he watched the students walk in one by one. Beside him, the hero Thirteen tilted her astronaut helmet slightly in welcome.

"Welcome, young heroes!" All Might's voice rang through the whole space with infectious energy. "I'm glad to see the trip hasn't drained your spirits. The real training starts right now!"

Iida stepped forward and called out:

"All Might-sensei! It is an extreme honor to have your presence during this valuable learning experience!"

"Does he always have to talk like some military robot?" Kaminari whispered to Kirishima from behind.

"I think he was just born that way, dude," Kirishima answered with a grin. "Gotta admit his discipline is pretty cool though!"

All Might kept going with his speech while he paced back and forth in front of the group.

"Today you have the great opportunity to learn from Thirteen, a true authority in the field of rescue. Always remember that a hero's calling is forged when they protect the lives of others with courage. I'll be watching each one of your progress closely!"

The number one hero's presence sparked instant reactions from the students. The initial murmuring quickly turned into a respectful and focused silence. Bakugo clenched his fists hard, his eyes locked on All Might with an intensity that bordered on obsession.

I'm gonna show him I'm the strongest out of all these extras, and I'm gonna make sure he remembers my name after today.

Izuku noticed Bakugo's expression and felt a chill run down his spine.

Bakugo's in max competitive mode, which means he's gonna try to outshine everyone with ridiculous aggression during training. Better stay far away from him.

Thirteen stepped forward, raising a hand to call the group's attention.

"Good morning, students. As All Might mentioned, today you'll be learning the fundamentals of rescue in hostile environments. The U.S.J. has multiple training areas carefully designed to simulate real disasters: fires, floods, landslides, electrical storms, and avalanches."

The hero pointed at the different zones while she spoke, her voice calm but firm.

"Each area presents unique challenges that require specific strategies. It's not just about using your Quirk in the most powerful way possible. It's about thinking clearly under pressure and putting the lives of the victims above everything else."

Ochako raised her hand with excitement.

"Thirteen-san, are we gonna work in teams or individually?"

"We'll form small teams depending on the assigned area," Thirteen answered. "But before we start, I need everyone to understand something fundamental about rescue work."

The hero paused for dramatic effect before continuing.

"Your Quirks are incredible tools, but they can also become deadly weapons if you're not careful. My own Quirk, Black Hole, can suck in and pulverize anything it touches. In the wrong hands, it could kill someone in seconds. That's why it's crucial that you learn to control your power in moments of extreme stress."

The mood turned heavier after those words. Even Kaminari stopped joking around and paid full attention.

She's right. If I touch someone the wrong way while I try to activate Train, I could make the situation worse instead of helping.

Just then, the air in the center of the plaza began to distort. A swirl of dark mist appeared out of nowhere, expanding rapidly until it formed a huge portal that floated several meters above the ground.

Thirteen snapped her head toward the phenomenon with alarming speed.

"All Might..."

All Might stepped forward, his expression shifting from friendly to completely serious in a heartbeat.

Human figures started pouring out of the portal one after another. Dozens of people with varied appearances, all dressed in dark clothing and masks that hid their faces. The group kept growing until there were at least fifty individuals scattered across the plaza.

And then a creature came through.

It was an abomination ripped straight out of the worst nightmares. Its muscular body was covered in dark, rough skin, with an exposed brain bulging grotesquely out of its skull. The yellow eyes showed no kind of emotion or rationality.

Holy shit, what kind of monster is that? Even Ectoplasm is hotter than that thing, and that's saying something.

Kirishima took a step forward with a huge smile on his face.

"Hey, this has gotta be part of the training! These special effects are crazy realistic!"

Bakugo snapped his fingers, sparking small explosions in his palms.

"Finally something interesting. I'm gonna wreck all those extras in less than a minute."

Aizawa appeared behind them with a hand raised, stopping them in their tracks.

"Stay put. Those are real villains."

The students froze while they listened to their teacher's words.

"R-real villains?" Ochako whispered. "But how... how did they get in here?"

All Might didn't hesitate. He stepped forward firmly, planting himself between the students and the epicenter of the invasion. His towering muscular body acted as both a physical and psychological barrier. He spread his arms slightly to the sides to cover the line of sight of the kids, making sure no surprise attack could reach Class 1-A. His usual smile vanished into a hard, severe line that reflected the gravity of the situation.

The villains will appear, and at that exact instant, before they can even blink, they'll have already lost. Their leader will be neutralized and their cheap army will face a force far beyond them. The students will watch, from a safe distance, a flawless demonstration of efficiency.

Nezu's words came back to his mind. The principal had planned this carefully, turning the villains' ambush into a perfectly orchestrated trap.

A figure broke away from the group of invaders and walked toward the front with uneven steps. He was a thin man covered head to toe in severed human hands. One of the hands covered his face like a grotesque mask, leaving only his red eyes visible through the fingers.

Tomura Shigaraki stopped several meters away, scratching his neck impatiently while he stared at the hero's golden figure.

"Look at him, Kurogiri..." His voice came out raspy and slow. "The game isn't bugged today. The final boss is waiting for us right at the entrance. How considerate of you to make our job easier, All Might."

A figure made of dark mist materialized next to Shigaraki.

"That is correct, Tomura Shigaraki. The number one hero is precisely where the academy's itinerary indicated."

Shigaraki kept scratching his neck with more intensity, leaving red marks on his skin.

"We came here with a very clear purpose. We wanna see how many hits the Symbol of Peace can take before he breaks."

All Might held his rigid stance, his eyes locked on the leader of the League and on the massive grotesque figure that stayed motionless beside him.

"I don't know how you've managed to slip past the academy's security, but this is the end of your raid." His voice was deep and resonant, without a trace of doubt. "Take a step back. If you try to lay a single hand on these students, YOU WILL FACE THE FULL FORCE OF JUSTICE."

All Might didn't possess a specific Quirk to sense danger in any supernatural way, but his combat instinct was extraordinary, sharpened by decades of facing every kind of threat. Through it, he perceived the creature as a complete anomaly. There was something deeply unnatural in the way its yellow eyes stayed perfectly still.

Shigaraki let out a dry laugh, pointing forward with a free finger.

"Justice? What a joke. You always come with the same boring speech about saving people," he said, scratching his neck with annoyance. "You think you're everyone's protector, but today you're gonna fail. Doesn't matter how much you try to cover them with that huge body of yours. This Nomu was built for one purpose: to destroy you."

He paused before continuing:

"Nomu, finish him. Let's show these little brats how their precious Symbol of Peace breaks."

All Might frowned while he weighed the situation.

My active time is already limited because of the injury, but this situation doesn't give me room to hesitate. If that monster really was designed to handle my strength... a held back punch isn't gonna be enough to stop it.

Then he launched himself forward at a speed that went beyond the students' ability to track him visually. His right fist loaded up with a massive amount of power while he shouted the name of his technique.

"DETROIT... SMASH!"

At the same time, the Nomu lunged straight at All Might with equally absurd speed.

The clash of fist against fist created a shockwave so violent that it shattered the ground beneath their feet. A massive crater formed instantly, launching debris in every direction. The villains closest to the epicenter were sent flying through the air, crashing against the walls and columns of the building.

Izuku had to cover his face with his arms to protect himself from the chunks of concrete flying at him.

What kind of monster can take a hit from All Might and stay standing? This strength doesn't make any sense.

Dozens of villains who had been watching from the rear started moving. Some ran toward Thirteen, others toward Aizawa, and a large group headed straight for the students.

All Might pushed off the ground the moment he saw the villains move.

"You won't!" he roared, stretching out his hand to reach them.

The Nomu cut into his path. The creature ramped up the frequency of its attacks in an instant, creating a wall of punches that intercepted the hero's charge halfway through. All Might was forced to plant his feet and raise his arms to absorb the impact. The continuous barrage forced him to focus entirely on deflecting the blows and counterattacking on the spot. With every clash of knuckles, the pressure of the air shot out in waves that cracked the ground beneath them and made the ceiling beams shake.

Aizawa leapt forward, activating his Quirk while his capture weapon unraveled from around his neck.

"Thirteen, keep the students back! Don't let them get anywhere near the fight!"

The capture bands shot out, wrapping three villains at once and slamming them into the ground with brutal force. Aizawa rolled to the side, dodging a knife attack before erasing the attacker's Quirk with a single glance.

But there were too many. For every villain he took down, two more showed up to take his place.

Behind the students, the air started warping again. Kurogiri materialized with his misty body expanding rapidly, getting ready to open multiple portals around the group.

"Allow me to scatter you across the entire facility," the villain murmured in a calm voice. "It will be much easier to eliminate you when you are separated and afraid."

The moment Kurogiri tried to open the portals, Aizawa turned his head toward him and activated his Quirk. The villain's dense silhouette collapsed in an instant, revealing his true physical form and the metal supports holding his neck. The moment he lost control of his ability, the portals that were starting to surround the students closed before they could fulfill their purpose.

Kaminari let out all the air he'd been holding without realizing it.

"Holy fuck..." he whispered. "We almost... we almost got swallowed up."

Kyoka elbowed him in the ribs, though her own hand was trembling slightly.

"Shut up and breathe."

Kurogiri stepped back with obvious surprise in his voice.

"A Quirk erasure user... How troublesome."

The villain didn't seem scared, and dozens more were on the way, running in from different directions with weapons in hand and Quirks activated.

Until, all of a sudden, the concrete structures near the entrance started to shake. Cracks appeared on the surface before the walls split open.

From one of them came a sultry, amused voice that echoed across the whole space.

"Got a spot for me in this fight? I sure hope so."

Midnight emerged from the structure with her hero costume fully visible.

From the other cement structure came Present Mic with his throat speakers active and a huge grin on his face.

"YEEEEEEAH! Listen up, you third-rate villains! It's showtime! Welcome to the worst decision of your lives!"

The villains running toward the students stopped dead, staring at the two pro heroes who had just appeared out of nowhere.

Kurogiri backed up several steps, his voice losing some of its earlier composure.

"This is impossible... We had no information about additional heroes being present at the facility. How is it that...?"

Midnight smiled mischievously and, with one swift tug, ripped a section of her costume open, releasing her sleep aroma into the air.

"Oh, how naive of you, sweethearts... You thought you were gonna ambush a group of defenseless students, but really, you just walked straight into my playground."

Present Mic aimed both hands at the largest group of villains, adjusting the amplifier on his neck before opening his mouth wide.

"YEAH! LISTEN UP, VILLAINS! This is the only warning you're getting from me! Surrender right now or get ready to go deaf for a whole week! LET'S GO!"

Ochako grabbed Izuku's arm tight, her voice shaking slightly.

"Izuku-kun, what's going on? Are we really being attacked by villains?"

"Yeah, but we're safe," Izuku answered while he kept his eyes on the fight. "The teachers had this planned from the start. We just gotta stay back and let them handle the situation."

Momo appeared on Izuku's other side, her expression serious but controlled.

"The coordination between the teachers is remarkable. Aizawa-sensei is neutralizing the most dangerous Quirks while Midnight and Present Mic handle the numbers. It's a perfectly executed containment strategy."

Kyoka walked over to the group with her hands still in her pockets.

"This is absolutely insane. Did they really come here to attack U.A.? What kind of idiot thinks that's a good idea?"

In the center of the plaza, All Might and the Nomu kept trading blows at a speed that made it impossible to follow each individual movement. The crater beneath their feet kept expanding with every impact, and the shockwaves created a constant wind that whipped through the inside of the facility.

Shigaraki watched the fight from a distance, scratching his neck so hard that it started to bleed.

"No... This isn't right. This wasn't the plan. All Might was supposed to be the only one here, maybe with a couple of extras to get in the way. Where the hell did all these heroes come from? They're cheating... It's a goddamn glitch in the game."

Kurogiri shouted from where he was locked in combat with Aizawa:

"We have been deceived, Tomura Shigaraki. U.A. knew we were coming and prepared an ambush. We must retreat before the situation worsens."

"NO!" Shigaraki spun toward him with visible fury in his red eyes. "I'm not running away! We came here to kill All Might and that's exactly what we're gonna do!"

Even while he spoke, the villains around him were starting to drop one after another. Midnight had already knocked out at least twenty of them with her Quirk, and Present Mic had taken out just as many more with concentrated blasts of sound.

Aizawa kept moving between the remaining enemies with brutal efficiency, neutralizing Quirks and bringing down bodies with his capture weapon.

The ambush had completely failed.

And in the middle of it all, All Might finally found an opening in the Nomu's defense. His fist loaded up with even more power while he pulled back a step to build momentum.

"Time to end this! TEXAS SMASH!"