The Nomu army Midoriya got from All For One was nothing like the mass-produced knockoffs used in the U.A. USJ invasion. Those were so weak that even Endeavor alone could take out a bunch. But against the police, who mostly relied on firearms and had weak Quirks, even mass-produced Nomu were unstoppable monsters.
"Go!"
With that simple command, the Nomu army behind Midoriya charged straight at Tsukauchi and the large group of police officers behind him. Since they had been pre-programmed with orders, even these brainless creatures could carry out simple tasks. While they couldn't execute complex maneuvers, they were more than capable of subduing the officers without killing them.
The police immediately opened fire, but their bullets were useless against the Nomu. The moment a bullet sank into their bodies, their regenerating muscle tissue pushed it right back out. After all, All For One always used body-enhancing Quirks to create Nomu, making them more suited for direct combat.
With the police completely overpowered by the Nomu, Midoriya walked straight into the police station as if no one was there to stop him.
At that moment, someone stepped in his way.
It was Officer Tsukauchi, gun in hand, aiming directly at Midoriya Izuku. His intent was clear—if Midoriya took even one more step forward, he would pull the trigger.
"Stop! Midoriya Izuku, what you're doing now is destroying society's order!"
"I'm just breaking outdated rules that no longer fit the new era. And let's be real, the only person who can truly uphold order in this society is All Might. You know what I mean, don't you?"
As Midoriya finished speaking, Tsukauchi slowly lowered his gun. He knew Midoriya was right. No matter how society changed or what orders came from above, one thing would never change—Tsukauchi was, first and foremost, All Might's closest friend.
"Go. Before All Might gets here…"
"Thanks."
After a quick word of thanks, Midoriya Izuku headed deeper into the police station. Tsukauchi could only sigh helplessly.
As a police officer, he couldn't just let an "enemy" walk free. But with the Nomu army already swarming the station, he had no choice.
Being a police officer was his duty. But being All Might's friend—that was his greatest pride. He would never let the "Symbol of Peace" be sacrificed for someone else's schemes.
Hopefully, Midoriya Izuku could put an end to this mess.
Following the intel Kurogiri had gathered earlier, Midoriya quickly found the prison where Shigaraki Tomura was being held.
Technically, with Kurogiri's warp gate Quirk, breaking into a prison would have been easy. But to avoid fueling negative rumors about All Might, they had to do it this way—storming in head-on.
Standing outside the cell, Midoriya Izuku met Shigaraki Tomura's surprised gaze.
"You?!"
"Let's go."
Midoriya's fingers transformed into steel wires and slashed through the prison bars and the Quirk-suppressing restraints on Shigaraki Tomura's hands.
Shigaraki stretched his sore, stiff wrists before looking at Midoriya Izuku with suspicion.
"Why are you the one rescuing me? Where's Kurogiri? What about 'Sensei'?"
"..."
Midoriya didn't feel like explaining.
Was this guy an idiot? All For One had clearly abandoned him, yet Shigaraki Tomura still trusted him completely. Was he just stupid, or was All For One's brainwashing that terrifying?
"Sensei didn't come? I need to see him!"
"Ugh…"
Midoriya let out a long sigh.
This guy was hopeless.
But now wasn't the time to argue.
"Kurogiri, open the gate. We're leaving!"
Midoriya Izuku gave the order, and Kurogiri's warp gate appeared before them.
Just as Midoriya was about to step through—
"Sorry, but you're not escaping this time!"
A figure suddenly emerged from the wall, phasing through it.
With a precise and powerful strike, he hit the solid part of Kurogiri's body.
In an instant, the warp gate disappeared, and Kurogiri collapsed, unconscious.
"What!?"
"Just like Sir Nighteye said, Midoriya, you really showed up!"
The person who appeared was none other than Togata Mirio. He emerged from his hiding spot in the wall and took down Kurogiri in one swift move. Based on intel from U.A. students and information gathered from recent battles, they had pinpointed the biggest threat in the League of Villains—Kurogiri's teleportation ability.
If they didn't take down Kurogiri first, there was no way they could capture Midoriya Izuku and the rest of the League of Villains. That's why Togata Mirio had one clear goal: wait for the right moment and take Kurogiri out in a single strike.
"Damn it... we walked right into their trap!"
"Sorry... I really owe Sir Nighteye an apology for this one."
Togata Mirio apologized awkwardly. Midoriya Izuku quickly put the pieces together. It all made sense now... Right now, the public was completely against All Might. If the League of Villains secretly rescued Shigaraki Tomura, it would only make it look like they were working with All Might.
Sir Nighteye would never let that happen. And he had also guessed one more thing—Midoriya Izuku wouldn't just stand by and watch. That meant the League of Villains would definitely launch a large-scale operation to rescue Shigaraki Tomura.
So what was the next move?
Let the League of Villains successfully break Shigaraki Tomura out? That might seem like a good outcome... but in reality, it wouldn't change much. Even if the rescue was flashy and obvious, people would still blame All Might for failing to stop it. As the No.1 hero in charge of Shigaraki Tomura's custody, he wouldn't be able to shake off the suspicion.
There was a better plan—use Shigaraki Tomura as bait to lure in someone even more important.
Sir Nighteye knew that Midoriya Izuku was a die-hard All Might fan. That meant whatever action he took would revolve around Shigaraki Tomura.
Whether he came to rescue Shigaraki Tomura or went to the extreme and tried to eliminate him, Midoriya's goal was always to protect All Might's interests.
Sir Nighteye was a hero. But more than that, he was an All Might fanatic. And the best way to help All Might through this crisis was to set up another All Might fanatic—Midoriya Izuku.
Right now, Midoriya Izuku was Japan's most wanted criminal. If the government framed All Might for negligence, they could always claim it was part of a bigger strategy to catch Midoriya. That way, no one could argue against it, and the public's doubts would be silenced.
And so, Midoriya's attempt to save Shigaraki Tomura played right into Sir Nighteye's hands.
This was the true nature of All Might's former sidekick—his cunning, calculating mind hidden behind a pair of glasses.
"So, Midoriya, you're not getting away this time."
Togata Mirio cracked his knuckles. He had been waiting for this moment for far too long.
Aside from Sir Nighteye and Togata Mirio, no one else— not even All Might—knew about this plan.
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