MHA: Corruption Isn't A Villainous Quirk

The creature let out a guttural roar, swinging its arm through a row of cars, tossing them around like they were toys. Flames erupted as gas tanks ignited, sending thick black mushroom cloud into the sky.

For a moment, Ren considered leaving. This wasn't his fight. But then he noticed someone trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building nearby.

A child was crying, holding a stuffed rabbit. The heroes tried to keep the monster's attention on them, but it was all in vain.

The monster was more interested in the girl than anyone else.

"Damn it."

Ren cursed under his breath.

He yanked open the door and rushed out. He didn't want to play a hero, but he couldn't leave the child in such a place.

I can use my ability to tame the nomu… if that's even possible.

Because Nomu are artificial beings, Ren's abilities might not work on them. But he had to take a chance.

***

Meanwhile, Mirko was onto the beast. She charged forward, dodging the flaming debris. The next moment, she launched herself into the air, landing on the creature's back.

Locking her legs around its torso, she wrapped her arms around the nomu in a chokehold.

"Slow down, you bastard!" Mirko yelled through gritted teeth.

With a roar, the nomu reached over its shoulder, clawing at her with its massive hands. But Mirko didn't ease her grip at all. Instead, she dug her heels into its sides, trying to slow it down as it staggered.

Osprey tore through the smoke, bombarding the nomu's chest with her feathers. Simultaneously, Endeavor melted the road, all to slow down the nomu.

While the heroes were busy with the nomu, an officer reached the girl, trying to pull her out of the collapsed building.

Unfortunately, they couldn't stop the nomu for long.

It grabbed Mirko's arm and forcefully yanked her off its back before flinging her away. She got slammed into a building. The impact knocked the air out of her lungs.

Mirko fell to the ground, wincing in pain. The nomu had crushed her left forearm, while her right shoulder got dislocated by the second impact.

"Damn it!"

Mirko hissed in pain, but through the pain, she felt her heart beat faster. But it wasn't because of the adrenaline rushing in her veins. It was the sensation she felt whenever she was around Ren.

He… can't be here.

Mirko shook her head, but as she did, he caught a glimpse figure running toward the child trapped under the rubble. Her heart went berserk when she realized who it was.

"REN! STOP!"

***

Ren sprinted toward the girl, ignoring the chaos around him. For a moment, he thought someone was calling his name. But the roaring flames, the screams of terrified civilians, and the Nomu's thundering steps drowned every noise.

The only thing he could hear was the child's cries for help. By the time Ren reached her, a police officer was crouched beside her, trying to pull her free from the rubble. The girl looked at him but kept crying.

"It's okay," Ren said, crouching next to the officer. "We'll get you out of here."

"What are you doing here? Get back—this thing is dangerous!"

The officer yelled at him, but Ren ignored him. It would take too long to get her out alone. The officer looked at him, but then shook his head. Getting the girl out was more important.

Together, they lifted part of the collapsed beam trapping the girl. It was barely enough for the girl to crawl out. But they had no respite. The girl was free, but they were too late.

A massive shadow loomed over them as Ren was about to carry the girl. They froze, their eyes widening in fear. Ren didn't have to turn to know the nomu was standing behind them.

The officer whipped out his stun gun, aiming at the creature.

"Get back!" he barked, firing the weapon.

The wires shot out of the weapon and buried themselves into the Nomu's chest. But the monster barely flinched.

It mockingly glanced down at the officer and then at the wires. It yanked them free, feeling no pain. The officer tried hitting it with a baton, but couldn't.

With a single swing, the Nomu swatted him away like a fly. The officer's head exploded, and his blood got smeared all over Ren's face. The nomu's strength was terrifying.

Damn it… I should have left.

Ren tried to run. But his legs refused to budge. Just being around the nomu sucked away all his strength and willpower.

There was no time to think. He had to act.

He pushed the girl behind him and rushed forward, his fist slamming into the Nomu's leg. It didn't matter if his fist couldn't hurt the creature, he only cared about touching the beast.

Physical contact was a must for his quirk to work. He touched the monster's unnatural skin and activated the skill.

But nothing happened.

Ren blinked, panic creeping into his chest.

Where's the system notification?

Ren's heart pounded as he realized the truth. His ability didn't work on the Nomu as it wasn't human.

The Nomu stared down at him, its lips twisting into a grin. It slowly raised a massive fist, imitating Ren's action from a moment ago.

Ren thought of ways to save himself. But deep down, he knew it was all over. The fist came down—but just as it did, something whizzed past his ear.

But the nomu hit him before he could see what. Though the punch was much slower than he expected, the impact sent Ren flying. He hit the road and rolled over a dozen times before coming to a stop.

As his vision went dark, Ren noticed something strange.

A few strands of grayish-purple hair were stuck to the Nomu's arm.

What…?

That was his last thought before the world faded to black.

***

When Ren's body hit the ground, Mirko's heart stopped.

She forced herself to her feet, ignoring the searing pain in her hands, and charged toward the Nomu with a feral scream.

"Get away from him!" she roared.

Her legs coiled like springs before she shot into the air. Mirko aimed for the nomu's head, wanting to sever it with a kick. But the creature twisted sideways, dodging the attack.

Mirko landed between Ren and the nomu, her eyes darting between the two. But a moment later, she noticed someone walking up to Ren.

"Get away—!"

She yelled, but her voice cut off as the cloaked man threw something at her. Mirko looked down and noticed a few strands of hair buried in her legs.

As the man dragged Ren away, she tried to follow them, but her legs refused to budge. She could only yell as the cloaked figure disappeared with Ren.