In a certain sense, the way Nomu fought was quite straightforward.
Nomu relied entirely on its inhuman strength and speed, along with its incredible regeneration and ridiculously high defense. It was brute force over finesse—just like All Might.
Konata already knew that Midoriya Izuku had inherited All Might's quirk. But the fact that Midoriya's One For All punch had no effect on Nomu led Konata to conclude that its defense must be absurdly strong. And yet, unexpectedly, her single, casually swung slash—without any buffs or added power—was enough to cut off Nomu's arm, purely thanks to the sharpness of Shana's katana, Nietono no Shana.
"…So it was a weapon designed specifically to counter All Might?"
Konata stood upright, gripping Nietono no Shana tightly.
"Midoriya, you can take on that black fog guy with the teleportation quirk, right? Can you stop him from using his quirk for a bit? If he coordinates with others, I'm going to be in serious trouble…"
As she said this with her back turned to Midoriya, the blade in Konata's hand began to glow red-hot. Flames licked up the katana's surface, as if it were igniting. The tiny embers floating in her hair became more active, even hopping lightly as if dancing on her head.
"Don't attack the creep with the hands on his face. I'm not sure I can hold off this monster if you do. Can you manage that?"
"Yeah!!"
Midoriya wiped his eyes with his sleeve and nodded firmly.
"Oh? You really think you can stop Nomu?"
Konata had just finished speaking when Shigaraki Tomura's voice rang out quietly. At the same time, a mass of warped black fog appeared silently at her feet. A pale hand shot out from the mist and grabbed her knee with pinpoint accuracy.
In a flash, a pain even worse than when Nomu had twisted her limbs shot through her mind. Meanwhile, the previously motionless Nomu lunged at her, its massive fist hammering toward her shoulder.
…Is this guy for real!? Aren't villains supposed to wait until the grunts are defeated before making a dramatic entrance!? What kind of sneak attack is this?! You're totally ruining the villain image!!
Even in such a critical moment, Konata found herself mentally ranting.
Her electromagnetic field had cooled down and was ready. There was no need to dodge…
Without hesitation, as if giving up on defense, she swung Nietono no Shana at the incoming hand with all her might.
As expected, before the blade even touched the hand, it retracted back into the mist. But the damage was already done—her knee was a bloody mess, with bones faintly visible. A second slower and her leg would've been snapped clean off.
So much for anime logic where villains wait for you to finish monologuing or charge your ultimate attack…
Staring at the massive fist barreling toward her, Konata barely managed to brace herself with her sword. But brushing against the wound sent a sharp wave of pain through her body.
She couldn't delay any longer. Her transformation time was almost up. One final push to drive Nomu back with her electromagnetic field—then retreat.
"SMASH!!!"
Before she could act, a figure leapt in front of her, fist raised high.
BOOM—!!
The collision of two tremendous forces kicked up a storm of debris. Amidst the explosive roar, two vastly different fists clashed midair.
Even at full strength using 100% of One For All, Midoriya wasn't at a disadvantage in terms of raw power.
But it didn't matter. Nomu had been created specifically to defeat All Might. Just as Midoriya prepared for a desperate clash, he was suddenly lifted into the air. Through the howling wind, he heard a girl's irritated voice:
"So, did you even listen to a word I said, you idiot!?"
"That's…"
Asui, carrying a heavily injured Aizawa-sensei alongside Mineta, looked up instinctively—and froze.
Not just her. Everyone still in the USJ, whether fleeing or fighting, looked skyward at the dazzling sight.
Flames surged along the blade like molten lava, flowing up and extending beyond the tip, forming a massive fiery blade even longer than Konata's body. But what truly caught everyone's attention was the pair of enormous, flame-wreathed crimson wings on her back.
"That girl… is that Midoriya she's holding?"
Everyone also noticed the injured Midoriya clutched in her arms, as well as the serious wound on her right leg, with blood continuing to drip from the gash.
BOOM!!
A massive explosion rang out. Bakugo Katsuki, ignoring the enemies he'd just defeated, immediately leapt off the building and dashed toward the plaza.
"Dumbass… you better not die!!"
Elsewhere, Todoroki Shoto looked skyward, then sprinted toward the same direction. Behind him, the hillside had been entirely frozen over, with dozens of enemies immobilized in the ice.
"Hold on tight."
Taking a deep breath, Konata snapped at Midoriya.
"Huh…?"
Midoriya panicked, face beet red, clearly flustered.
"I said hold tight. If you fall, that's on you."
She didn't have time to worry about modesty. Letting go of Midoriya with one hand, she let him cling to her as she raised the oversized Nietono no Shana overhead.
All this had taken only a few seconds. By the time Shigaraki reacted, Konata had already begun her strike.
"Black Fog!!"
Sensing danger, Shigaraki shouted desperately. But before he could finish, Konata slashed downward with a massive swing.
A colossal wave of fire tore through the air, leaving a crimson arc as it crashed down toward the trio below.
The firestorm hit instantly. With a deafening roar, the entire plaza was engulfed in flames. The next second, dust and embers erupted skyward, creating a glittering, radiant spectacle.
It was a breathtaking, devastating display.