Silence fell in the center of the U.S.J. The villains, the students, and even Aizawa and Thirteen were stunned by the actions of the Terumi siblings.
Even the Nomu was paralyzed for a second, as if its dead mind awoke only to evaluate what had just happened.
That second was used by Mei to jump to her other half's side, at which point Tetsumaru lifted them both on a cloud of sand and, under everyone's gaze, they turned around and took off at full speed, as if all the demons on earth were chasing them.
A heartbeat later, the Nomu came to its senses and with a mere tensing of its muscles, it broke the Iron Sand holding it. Tetsumaru didn't bother trying to manipulate it. There was no point anymore.
The creature took a stance similar to that of an athlete about to start a marathon. The ground beneath its feet cracked as its muscles seemed to writhe, new eyeballs almost completely formed and fixed on the backs of the shinobi duo.
With a somewhat exaggerated explosion, the Nomu advanced at full speed, the air wave displaced by its sudden pass made the facility tremble, destabilizing the villains in the vicinity.
In less than two seconds, it positioned itself behind Tetsumaru and Mei, its fist swinging in a wide arc, like a mace.
Mei extended her palm as both of them jumped upwards, the only moderately safe place. A large amount of water emerged from her seal, intending to slow down the monstrous fist.
If there was any effect, neither of them could notice it, as the water was displaced just like the air, as if it weren't even there.
Foreseeing this situation, Tetsumaru manipulated the Iron Sand that he had slipped under their clothes, using it to pull themselves away from danger. An effective way to move in the air, where their chakra and speed meant nothing.
As soon as they touched the ground, both shinobi ran in different directions. Nomu, whose original orders were to kill Tetsumaru, chased the black-haired boy.
Unwilling to reveal his superior physical capacity, Tetsumaru once again mounted a small sand platform, creating walls of Satetsu behind him to stop the Nomu's advance.
For her part, Mei retreated to Aizawa's position, intending to pressure the guy with the hands and force him to change the Nomu's orders.
In normal circumstances, they would have preferred Aizawa to take the beating he would receive in the canon rather than put themselves in danger.
But they didn't come to this world to do as they pleased. They came to have a good life, to redeem themselves in the eyes of a Deity. How would they do that if they threw someone else to the wolves to save their own skin?
For his part, Aizawa noticed the kunoichi approaching at high speed, a speed that could easily compete with Iida's and in a less scandalous way, somehow. A glance at her emerald eyes, fixed on Shigaraki, told him everything he needed to know.
Given that he was right next to the villain when he ordered the Nomu to attack Tetsumaru, he could reach the same conclusion as Mei.
He momentarily turned to see his student jumping between several sand platforms in the air, avoiding the shockwaves the Nomu sent with its punches, each one capable of disabling him with a single touch.
He wanted to go to his aid. Regardless of his bored and severe attitude at times, Aizawa was a hero and Tetsumaru was his student.
More anxious than anyone, Aizawa put all his effort into Shigaraki.
It was the best option to offer help to Tetsumaru: pressure the man who gives Nomu orders.
—Just hang on, kid. If you dared to disobey us, it's because you have some trick up your sleeve— Aizawa thought as he turned to attack Shigaraki.
—Damn it, damn it, damn it. Who the hell is that brat and why hasn't Nomu killed him?— the villain muttered with irritation.
—That brat is my student and that supposed weapon to kill All Might doesn't seem like much— Eraser Head commented, getting the desired result when anger filled his opponent's mind.
Shigaraki's attention was completely focused on Aizawa, his hands ready to annihilate this annoying hero. But in his unrestrained anger, Tomura Shigaraki didn't consider two important things.
The first was that Eraser Head wasn't looking at the Nomu, so his Quirk-erasing ability wasn't aimed at his weapon. The second was the reddish-brown haired girl in a blue dress who gouged out the Nomu's eyes a few moments ago.
Having ignored these factors, Shigaraki moved to touch Eraser Head, who allowed him to lay his hands on him.
The expression of joy that distorted his face changed to disbelief as Eraser Head remained firm against his touch. An instant later it was replaced by pain, agony, the lack of air, and horror at the alarm his body was sending to his brain.
He was lifted a few centimeters into the air, his eyes wide open, just like Aizawa's.
He landed back in the same position, his whole body trembling and his mind, once filled with bloodlust, now an absolute blank.
He tilted his head a little, just enough to see a foot wearing sandals that left the toes exposed right between his legs.
Bile rose in his throat and his legs... He stopped feeling his legs. All three legs.
—Uuuurkkk— he barely mumbled, the sound competing with the vomit to leave his mouth.
Aizawa closed his eyes with regret. A phantom pain momentarily ran through him. Not just him. Both the rest of the villains and the students who witnessed the whole event, including Bakugo, Kirishima, and Todoroki, who had just arrived, felt sick at the sight.
Terumi Mei had just landed a brutal kick to Tomura Shigaraki's balls.
—Tetsumaru... I think I messed up— Mei reported timidly to her other half. For his part, Tetsumaru didn't have time to answer, not even through their bond. That Nomu chicken is more dangerous than he gave it credit for.
Mei's expression didn't change at all, still maintaining that half-smile that gave her a mysterious charm. But Aizawa could notice the crack in that calm expression.
The reason was simple: Tomura Shigaraki had no air to speak. Judging by the foam that was dripping from the edges of the hand on his face and his visible eye rolled up, perhaps he wouldn't be able to speak at all and order Nomu to come save him.
Which meant...