Red eyes shot wide open as more and more feathers sprouted out of her body.
She could feel a burning warmth pouring through her hand and spreading through her whole frame, but she didn't think much of it.
Until it was gone.
Yuu had to let go as her form enlarged, her bones cracking as if breaking, her beak sharpening, her talons grew claws large and sharp, and her grey feathers faded into silver.
Jeanist had to pull them all back using his wires as Sora's form continued to expand to the point that she was at the same height as the school.
Still, the large wings continued to wrap her as if protecting her, cocooning her as she was about to be reborn.
" Ryukyu..." Sora approached her mentor once after a mission with a question that had been bouncing around in her mind for a while. " Say... have you ever... hated your transformation?"
Sora shifted uneasily as it felt like prying.
Ryukyu's Quirk allowed her to possess the properties of a dragon, but transforming was never a full requirement. She had seen the woman spring forth wings and claws separately, and her skin would grow scaly when she needed to defend herself on the instant.
It was exactly like Sora's Quirk.
Ryukyu blinked at her for a moment and then smiled. " I admit... There was a time I did."
The girl's eyes widened.
" I grew up out in a village, and you know the heteromorphs were rarely acknowledged there. My own transformation was no better. Some were cool with it, while others spoke behind my back." Despite the heavy story, Ryukyu continued to smile. " There were times I wished I didn't have such a Quirk. And honestly, I tried not to use it at all."
It was odd coming from the woman who transformed all the time.
" What made you change that mindset?"
Ryukyu's face beamed.
" Friends..."
That startled Sora even more.
" Even when I enrolled in a hero course, I still refused to transform, believing that I didn't have to. But I had friends who pushed me beyond my limits, who made me realize it's okay to be myself. There might have been still those voices who spoke behind my back, but they faded into the background for me. What really mattered were the people who accepted me as who I was and drove me to do my best. I chose to listen to those."
Sora didn't understand it back at the time.
But now, it was different.
Shoji, who knew of her transformation and kept quiet about it out of respect, yet still tried to help in his own way.
Uraraka and Asui, who had figured it out as well, but never pushed it, and treated her the same way they always did.
Midoriya, who encouraged her.
And finally Yuu, who had comforted her when she hated herself the most.
Those voices were what mattered.
And she knew that no matter what shape she would take.
They would still support and cheer for her.
And what she needed to do was...
Go beyond... Plus Ultra!
Her wings unfurled, revealing the gigantic form of a bird with a large black beak, sharp teeth, four large wings, and claws that could dismantle almost anything.
And hovering over the large wings was a silver halo of light.
Sora let out one shriek before taking to the sky.
The shock wave almost threw everyone off, but Jeanist had already secured them with wires.
Sora glided in a circle before diving and then soaring towards the coffin from below, helping whoever was slowing it down to keep it aloft.
Yuu struggled to the edge of the platform, watching the large bird flapping its wings in rhythm while supporting the huge metal chunk.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
He didn't know how she did it.
And he didn't care.
All that mattered was that his angel was fine.
However, one thing became clear to him.
He looked at his metallic hand, clenching its fist as a plan began to take shape in his mind...
Bellow them, the throttles revved, and the weight Gentle and Sora were struggling to lift reduced.
" Did it get lighter?" The giant bird asked in a deep voice.
" It's La Brava! You did it!"
" It's not over yet!" Sora told him. " Not all the engines are back, and they have gotten some damage as well. They're probably working beyond their limits and might fail at any moment."
" So we have to lower it while we can. Got it!" Gentle nodded.
On the energy center, Twice's duplicates swarmed the small platform and were heading towards the main building.
Without the barrier, nothing could have stopped them.
" We will have to detach the energy center!" Yuu cried out.
" Are you mad!" Power Loader shot from underneath the ground. " If we do that! There would be no energy left to keep this thing going!"
" And if we don't! We'll be swarmed by Twice! You think those two could handle that weight?" His point was valid. " This is the only rational solution we have! Everyone who could move, sever the cables!"
" And those on the other side?" Jeanist asked.
" I already took them into consideration! Komainu! Please!"
The dog Yokai struggled to his feet. " You're a slave driver, you know that!"
With Yuu's elements, Jeanist's metal wires, Komainu's sharp wind, and Power Loader's strength, they managed to push back the invading enemies and cut off the cables. With that, the energy center started to drift down under the weight of the Twices.
Right out of his sight, Yuu saw Aizawa and Present Mic getting swallowed by Kurogiri.
" Sensei!"
Kaminari somehow managed to get rid of the Twice copies swarming them, but they were still plummeting.
That was...
Until the rumbling thunder came.
" You could have given me a warning first!" The large bird growled as he circled back to the main coffin, allowing the humans to slide down his back, safe and sound.
Yuu clicked his tongue.
Now with their teacher gone, Shigaraki was truly loose.
He looked back down at Midoriya, who was holding the villain, worrying for his friend's safety...
________________
Away from them, a certain villain was just about to rip apart Hawks while the other heroes were swarmed by the Twice copies.
" I've had enough!" Pixie Bob manifested huge pillars from the ground to hold the swarm, but they were broken, and the villains were still multiplying nonstop.
Just as the crowd passed her, about to stomp her as she fought to stay up, they froze.
They literally froze.
Pixie Bob finally managed to free herself and looked, wide-eyed, at the area where the Twices stopped moving.
" Using my Quirk... On this level... is really taxing..."
The woman looked back, only to see a girl in a black and green body suit with Shiketsu's signature hat on her head. She had a green glass goggle propped over the cap's brim as she narrowed her eyes, blood flooding from them.
" You did well! Hakuja!"
A laugh boomed from overhead as the frozen enemies were swept skyward by wind currents, clearing the way for Yumei's eyes to be set on the next batch.
Everyone she glimpsed, they went completely still.
" Don't burden yourself..." Shishikura told her as he lowered Hawks to the ground after he and Utsushimi had just saved him. " Your eyes seem to be in a bad state!"
" Sorry, Senpai," the girl wiped the blood on the back of her hands. " But I hate selfish people the most. I will not afford to be like them, and slack off because of my own well-being."
" That mindset is dangerous!" Shishikura shouted.
" Don't try, Senpai!" Yoarashi laughed. " If Hakuja decided to get something done, she would see it through to the very end!"
" You shouldn't encourage her!"
" Inasa! Hurry up and clear my line of sight!"
" Yes, Ma'am!" He raised his arm and again, all the frozen Twices were flung in the air and thrown away.
All the heroes launched unlimited attacks on the growing mass while Yumei stepped into the fray, freezing the villains in sight. Yoarashi kept hovering above her, clearing off those who had already stopped.
That opened the chance for more of them to focus on All For One.
But that had nothing to do with her.
She had already tried to use her Quirk on All For One the moment she could lay eyes on him, but the villain could not be chained.
Right now, the only way she could help was by dealing with the swarm.
Fighting against an ever-growing army was taking a toll on Yumei's eyes, but she couldn't stop.
You broke through my chains... with nothing but sheer will... she gritted her teeth, eyes glowing brighter... I must go beyond my own limits as well... Or I will just be a hypocrite...
From above, she could see Yoarashi engaging with All For One, but his support for her didn't waver.
It wasn't just you... Everyone... Every single one of us... Are breaking their limits!
Dark Shadow cornered All For One, but it didn't seem like he would be holding for long.
Neither for that matter, was she.
She had been fighting and freezing all along, using her kusarigama to handle the foes that got too close to her.
But she finally faltered, and a Twice copy stabbed her in the back.
The girl let out a pained cry, just as Shishikura and Utsushimi came to her rescue.
" Utsushimi! Use your illusion and get her out of here!" The older student ordered.
" I still... can fight..." the girl groaned, pushing herself off the ground and ignoring the pain in her shoulder where she had been stabbed.
" Not with that wound, no! You've done more than enough already! Get out-"
But they were denied even that.
Their eyes widened as the swarms of Twice doubled, tripled... even went beyond that.
Yumei looked up, wanting to freeze them, but her vision went blurry. She could no longer see clearly.
And her Quirk was rendered all but useless.
The last thing she remembered was Utsushimi hugging her and Shishikura standing to shield them with his meat masses, before it all went black...
________________
15 Minutes Earlier
Near Jaku
Ai panted as she managed to take down her foe, but she quickly had to drop her weapon and cover her ears as a high sound wave swept through them.
For her, who had manifested animals' sharp senses, it was pure agony.
It felt as if someone was trying to split her head with an axe.
She struggled to look up, finding villains fighting midair.
Mount Lady tried to take care of them with a huge wrench, but Gigant Machia arose, bunting her from behind.
Seeing him, memories flooded through Ai's mind.
Of their last fight against him.
Of the losses they had to bear.
Of the teacher they had lost.
And yet again, she was unable to do anything, merely shaking as she watched the giant beat the hell out of Mount Lady.
Just as she thought the woman was done for, Ashido stepped in, using concentrated acid, strong enough to burn her skin, to melt Machia's fingers.
She then quickly changed direction and went to help Kirishima and Shinso.
The girl was in a lot of pain, and Ai could already see that. The burns on her skin alone made her shiver.
But Ashido didn't stop.
To the very end, she kept fighting.
Mina-chan...
Ai frowned, slapping her face hard before rushing off towards Mount Lady just as Machia raised his other arm.
The giant was fast for his size, still...
" Shrink!"
The girl called, and the woman did exactly that. Although that would mean she would be flattened under the giant's hand.
Yet she chose to believe in Ai.
" You might be quick, but..." She brushed her fingers over one of her small dolls, and she shot up in neck-breaking speed.
Machia slammed his hand on the ground, but one of his eyes widened slightly at the lack of feelings underneath it.
" You can't beat the fastest runners ever, cheetahs!" Ai shot out from behind him, Mount Lady on her back.
The giant turned on them, sweeping with his claws, but Ai's speed was on another level.
However, it seemed the girl was having a hard time controlling it.
Machia was about to deliver another attack when a voice called out to him, and he went stiff the moment he answered.
Shinso used his binds to climb onto him, ordering him to swat those floating in the air, to which he obeyed.
Letting Mount Lady down, Ai moved quickly to grab Shinso as he retreated before he could be flung as well.
With that, most of the villains were caught as they fell into Honenuki's softened ground.
Those who remained airborne were forced down by Tobio.
With that, the fight over Machia ended.
Or so they had thought.
In the end, with All For One pressing hard on the heroes, Kirishima and Shinso got on Machia to join the fight along with the other pro heroes and several of them who could still fight as backup.
Kirishima seemed torn between leaving the injured Ashido behind and fulfilling his duty of escorting Shinso, when Ai stepped in.
" I'll look after her."
The boy seemed really thankful as he bowed his head in gratitude. " Thank you very much!"
And hopped atop Gigant Machia...