—I don't want you to get any more involved. We don't need another student in danger— Eraser Head said coldly to his students, including Mei herself, as he turned toward the direction in which Tetsumaru had dragged the Nomu, in order to keep it away from his classmates.
Aizawa also noticed that he even used some of his sand to move the unconscious bodies of some villains, so that the Nomu wouldn't end up killing them with some random attack. That almost made him smile slightly.
But his smile vanished when his eyes suppressed that monster's quirk, and despite that, its punches still sent out bursts of wind that could tear his student apart if they managed to touch him.
—Is this its base strength? — the hero wondered.
Meanwhile, Tetsumaru was starting to break out in a cold sweat. Although his original intention was to appear like a capable student who was barely able to evade the Nomu, it turned out that, in fact, that was the case.
He knew that even unleashing all the power he could currently wield wouldn't be of much use. Saving the comparison, it was like a random Chūnin getting involved in a fight with the Raikage. That's how great the difference was between Tetsumaru and the Nomu in physical terms.
The only reason he could evade it was his abnormal reaction speed, provided by the inheritance of this incarnation, as well as his unique manipulation of the Satetsu. Without it, he would have fallen long ago.
Tetsumaru narrowed his eyes at the feeling of calamity that tickled the back of his neck.
Following his inherited instincts, he pulsed chakra into his feet and took a great leap to the side, making sure to leave a trail of Sand to make it seem like that output of power didn't come from his body, but from his Iron Sand.
One must maintain one's self-misinformation for as long as possible. That means being a shinobi.
Less than a second after jumping, his small platform vanished in an explosion of wind, courtesy of the Nomu's fist.
Although the chicken looked stupid, it had changed its strategy from jumping towards Tetsumaru, choosing instead to send those aerial shockwaves with each of its punches.
It looked like a hunter shooting at a bird, however ironic that was. The worst part was that Tetsumaru couldn't afford to land now.
Without Mei to cover him, he risked getting a Super Smash on his ass before he could even blink. Did the chicken also scream that?
While he was being shaken like a ragdoll by the shockwaves and the displaced wind, he noticed Eraser Head quickly approaching the Nomu.
Tetsumaru rolled his eyes. Hadn't they avoided the beating the sensei was going to receive? Now it seemed like he was going to end up in a wheelchair anyway.
—We underestimated the power levels of this cursed world... And we overestimated our own strength— he reprimanded himself in his mind. Despite being aware that they were not the Kage they incarnated, the duo had overestimated themselves by comparing themselves to their classmates.
And they forgot that they were just children. These villains are not spoiled students from another school. They are genuinely dangerous people, whether they want to admit it or not.
Eraser Head attempted to tackle the Nomu, his scarf wrapping around the monster in order to restrain it. His teeth clenched and his feet left furrows in the ground as the Nomu stirred a little, tightening its restraints and dragging its owner.
Its repulsive eyes glanced at the hero and it raised its fist. With the other hand, it held the scarf and pulled it, drawing Eraser Head directly into a not-very-friendly encounter with its fist.
At that instant, a compressed ball of Satetsu hit the Nomu's fist with all the force the shinobi could exert, managing to slightly deflect the attack—just enough for Aizawa to twist and avoid direct contact.
The hero was sent flying by the shockwave, hurt but with no broken bones. Tetsumaru considered it a victory.
—You were supposed to take the opportunity to escape!— Aizawa growled at his student.
—We don't know exactly where our classmates ended up. If I run in one direction and by chance there are other students in the way, that chicken could turn them into paste without even realizing it— Tetsumaru retorted. Aizawa had to agree with him.
But that didn't change the terrible situation they were in. A situation that worsened as the cries of surprise from his students reached the hero's ears.
Aizawa turned to see Shigaraki being swallowed by a portal from Kurogiri. Mei, Todoroki, Bakugo, Midoriya, and the others got away as much as possible, unwilling to be taken to who-knows-where once again.
In the opposite direction, Thirteen lay injured, though in better condition than in the original work. But what hadn't changed with respect to the canon was the fact that Iida managed to escape and call for help.
Tetsumaru, who had noticed that, smiled with relief before sending a sea of Satetsu against the Nomu. He knew it wouldn't do much, but the point wasn't to hurt it.
He rose into the air, forming a giant pillar with Sand, showing for the first time his ability to form three-dimensional bodies. Aizawa retreated upon noticing his student's intentions.
With an explosion of sand, concrete, earth, and wind, the Nomu freed itself from the Sea of Satetsu that surrounded it, only to receive a giant pillar right in the face.
The Sand construct crashed like a spear plunging into the earth, cracking the ground and burying itself several meters deep with the Nomu right in the center.
Mei smirked at the astonished looks of some of her classmates. Bakugo was just boiling with desire to show how much greater devastation he could cause with his explosions, while Todoroki was unimpressed by the feat.
The boy could create gigantic icebergs with his ice. In comparison, Tetsumaru's technique wasn't that special.
Just what the duo wanted them to think.
As expected, the pillar was pushed up by a Nomu's punch, the Satetsu construct dissolving before hitting the roof and surrounding Tetsumaru, ready to be used for defense or to hide from the monster.
But it was not necessary. Before the Nomu could continue its pursuit, the doors of the U.S.J exploded. An imposing figure crossed through them, his massive body vibrating from the energy coursing through him.
—Do not fear! For I Am Here! — All Might announced to the relief of everyone present.