The water-drill around Ren's arm spun faster, whirling with such force that the air vibrated. Droplets sprayed outward, cutting thin lines into the cracked stone floor beneath his feet. His hair clung to his forehead, soaked, his teeth clenched from the raw power building inside him.
Nomu roared, charging again, muscles rippling unnaturally. Its body had shrugged off flames, bullets, even Eraserhead's vicious takedowns.
But Ren wasn't just attacking with strength anymore.
He was evolving.
"Let's see you tank this," Ren growled and launched forward.
He met Nomu in mid-dash, twisting at the last second. His spiral-drill of water slammed straight into the side of Nomu's chest, drilling deep with a screeching, wet screech as it tore at the beast's flesh.
Nomu screamed—a sharp, animalistic sound that echoed across the plaza.
The impact sent both of them flying. Ren hit the ground hard and rolled, coughing, while Nomu crashed into a destroyed support pillar and cracked it down the middle.
"Finally… that did something," Ren muttered, pushing himself up slowly. His right arm trembled from the recoil.
His stolen shock absorption had protected him from shattering his own bones.
But it wouldn't last forever.
"THERE!" Momo pointed from behind a shattered wall. She, Ibara, Kinoko, Jirou, and Itsuka had disobeyed the "stay put" command and followed the sounds of battle.
They saw Ren panting, water circling around his feet like he was standing on a whirlpool.
Kinoko gasped. "Is that… Nomu?"
"It's enormous," Ibara whispered, gripping her rosary tightly.
"He's hurt," Jirou muttered, her jaw tight. "And he's still fighting."
Ibara stepped forward. "I must go."
"Not alone," Momo said. "We help—together."
---
Back in the Plaza
Ren turned to see them rushing in, forming a loose line behind him.
He blinked in surprise. "I told you—"
Jirou cut him off. "Shut it. You always try to do everything alone."
"Because if something happens to you—"
"Then we fight together so it doesn't," Momo snapped.
Ibara stepped beside him and gently touched his arm. "You're not alone anymore."
Ren looked away, hiding the sudden flicker of emotion in his eyes.
"Fine," he said. "But stay behind me when I drill that bastard again."
Nomu had already regenerated most of the damage, but it moved slower now. Maybe from exhaustion. Maybe because it recognized Ren as a threat.
The beast roared and charged again.
Ren turned to the girls. "Disrupt it. Buy me time to build the drill again."
They nodded.
Kinoko threw a burst of spores—harmless but blinding, fogging the Nomu's vision.
Ibara sent her vines wrapping around Nomu's legs, holding it in place.
Jirou used her speakers to emit a focused shockwave that made the monster flinch.
And Momo, with sharp efficiency, launched a net of insulated wires created from her quirk to try and slow it down further.
Ren gathered every drop he could feel—the mist, the sweat, the water still lingering in the air. The drill formed again, more refined this time.
He ran.
And this time, he leapt, twisting in the air, bringing the water-drill down straight onto Nomu's shoulder.
The impact blasted water and blood everywhere.
Nomu roared and finally, finally—collapsed to its knees.
The shoulder was mangled beyond instant regeneration.
Ren landed heavily, falling to one knee. The backlash was worse this time. Blood ran down his temple.
But he smiled.
"That's one for my parents," he whispered.
Shigaraki screamed in frustration.
"He's not supposed to be strong! That's not fair!"
He moved forward—but stopped when the girls stepped protectively in front of Ren.
Jirou clenched her fists. "Back off, rotten fingers."
Momo aimed a taser baton made from her quirk.
Shigaraki hissed, twitching. "You're all going to—"
Then, a sudden wind hit the dome.
ALL MIGHT had arrived.
The Symbol of Peace stood tall at the edge of the plaza, cape fluttering, eyes blazing.
Ren looked up, a mix of relief and awe.
"Finally…" he whispered, then collapsed into Jirou's arms.
The battle ended swiftly with All Might's arrival. The villains retreated with Kurogiri's warp gate, dragging a heavily damaged Nomu with them.
Ren was taken to Recovery Girl, and the girls waited by his side the whole time.
When he finally opened his eyes, he was greeted by five concerned, beautiful faces.
He chuckled weakly. "I must be in heaven."
"You're in a nurse's bed, dumbass," Jirou muttered, but her voice cracked.
Ibara smiled softly. "You fought like an angel."
Ren looked around and smirked. "So… how mad are you, for i fought a life-and-death battle?"
They groaned in unison.
"You're insufferable," Momo said—but she sat down and held his hand anyway.
After chatting a bit he asleep again.