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CHAPTER 12: The Dark Tide Rises

Your legs shook beneath you as you watched the water settle around Hydrax, her body now limp and motionless beneath its weight. For a moment, everything was still. The roaring storm that had surrounded you moments ago was gone, replaced by a strange silence that felt both eerie and temporary. You knew this wasn't the end of her, but for now, the immediate threat was neutralized.

You exhaled shakily, exhaustion pulling at every part of your body, but you forced yourself to stand tall. Beside you, Midoriya was breathing heavily, his green eyes wide with concern as he glanced between you and Hydrax.

"Good job, Mizushima," he panted, offering you a reassuring nod. "You did it."

"Thanks," you muttered, barely able to muster a smile. "But it's not over yet."

You both knew that the real danger was still looming. Hydrax was just one piece of the puzzle, and somewhere in the chaos, the real mastermind behind this attack was waiting-Tomura Shigaraki. And if the League of Villains had a leader as dangerous as Shigaraki, things were about to get much worse.

---

You didn't have long to catch your breath. The sounds of distant battles echoed through the U.S.J., the roars of villains and students clashing filling the air. But the one sound that stood out above the rest was a harsh, unsettling laugh that sent chills down your spine.

Turning your gaze to the center of the facility, you spotted a figure moving through the shadows-Shigaraki. His unsettling presence was unmistakable, and beside him, the dark mist of Kurogiri swirled menacingly.

Midoriya tensed beside you, and you knew he had spotted them too.

"We need to be careful," Midoriya whispered, his voice barely audible over the din of the fight. "He looks the big brains behind this whole thing and from the looks of it, things are about to escalate."

Before you could respond, a sudden blast of energy rippled through the air, and you turned just in time to see Eraser Head-Aizawa-sensei-fighting off a group of villains with his usual precise and calculated movements. His scarf whipped through the air, disabling one villain after another, but even from where you stood, you could see that he was getting tired. The relentless waves of villains were wearing him down.

"Aizawa-sensei is in trouble," you muttered, your heart racing. You wanted to help, but you didn't know how much more you could give. Hydrax had taken almost everything out of you.

But just as you started to move toward him, Shigaraki made his move.

"Erasure Hero... You're getting in the way," Shigaraki growled, stepping forward with an unsettling grin. His fingers twitched, ready to unleash his deadly quirk-the one that could decay anything he touched.

"Sensei!" Midoriya shouted, but before either of you could react, Shigaraki lunged toward Aizawa, his decaying fingers outstretched.

---

The world seemed to slow for a moment, your heart pounding in your ears as you watched the scene unfold. Aizawa-sensei's scarf snapped forward, wrapping around Shigaraki's arm, but it was clear he was struggling to maintain control. Shigaraki was too close.

And then, the air around them shifted.

"Ah, but we have a little surprise for you," Shigaraki sneered, his hand inches from Aizawa's face. "Something special just for you heroes."

The sound of heavy, thudding footsteps echoed through the air, and from the shadows emerged a massive figure-a towering creature with bulging muscles and an unsettlingly blank expression. It moved with terrifying speed, its body almost unnatural in its strength and power.