WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Vol. 28, by Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb Cook and John Hunt, available now in English from Viz Media.
My Hero Academia Vol. 28 has just hit international shelves and it's an explosive continuation of the Paranormal Liberation War that began in Volume 27. Covering Chapters 268-276, the war spirals out of control for the heroes as the villains mount their counterattack. It's a massive battlefield divided into three fronts, with Endeavor, Aizawa and Mirko fighting Nomu in the underground laboratory of Jaku Hospital, Shigaraki's trusted allies rallying against Hawks and other pro-heroes at Gunga Mountain Villa and several prominent members of Class 1-A evacuating civilians at the edges of Jaku City.
The volume opens with Endeavor, Crust, Present Mic and Aizawa in a bloody fight against the high-end Nomu in the underground laboratory. Aizawa is the linchpin of the hero team with his ability to erase the regeneration Quirks of the Nomu, turning otherwise unbeatable odds into manageable fights. The Nomu known as Woman realizes that Aizawa is responsible for her Quirk being erased, and breaks into a sprint to escape his disabling effect.
Deeper in the laboratory, a bloodied Mirko smashes into the vat Shigaraki is floating in, leaving deep cracks in its glass. Dr. Ujiko is horrified at the destruction she's wreaked upon all his creations. Nomu tentacles sweep Mirko up, but Endeavor arrives just in time for the save. He cauterizes her lost arm, saying he owes her for taking on all the Nomu back here alone.
Mirko insists that he needs to go finish Shigaraki off -- they can't let him wake up. It's then that Woman slithers from the top of the vats and attacks them. Aizawa is still fighting multiple Nomu when Mirko contacts all the heroes in Jaku Hospital, telling them all about Shigaraki's capsule and making it clear that under no circumstances should they allow him to awaken.
Aizawa realizes that Woman is probably fighting Endeavor, but he's currently erasing the Quirks of three Nomu and can't afford to move forward if it means letting them use their powers again. Ordering Present Mic and a hero with a laser-beam Quirk called X-Less to move on ahead, he and Crust stay behind to hold off the Nomu.
Dr. Ujiko takes advantage of the heroes' distraction to attempt waking Shigaraki. He hates to do it when Shigaraki is only 74% complete, but he's out of options. But Present Mic bursts in and sends sonic shock waves towards the vat, making it and others shatter into a thousand glass shards. Windows shatter and everything goes up in water and steam. Closing in, Present Mic lands a vicious punch on Dr. Ujiko, thinking back to the days he, Aizawa and Shirakumo were UA students who dreamed of opening an agency together. Dr. Ujiko ruined that dream.
Dozens of heroes flood in as backup, and a teary Dr. Ujiko cries about how everything is now over. X-Less sees a strange humming machine in the back of the lab and realizes that the surrounding tubes must have shielded it from damage. He decides to destroy it just to be safe.
As Present Mic carries Dr. Ujiko out of the hospital, the doctor tells him how he was the original scientist who proposed the Quirk Singularity Theory. Mic says that he'd have to be over 120 years old if he was telling the truth. It turns out Dr. Ujiko's Quirk doubles his lifespan while sacrificing physical mobility, and he presented it as an offering to All For One. The Quirk residing within him now is a mere duplicate of his original, which is how All For One has lived so long. While he's at it, Dr. Ujiko also reveals that back when he killed Shirakumo to turn him into Kurogiri, he really wanted to get his hands on Aizawa instead.
Meanwhile, Shigaraki is trapped in a surreal dreamscape. He sees his sister Hana, who apologizes for ratting on him the night he killed her. His mom appears and looks at him with concern, but his abusive father is there as well. Shigaraki disintegrates him. The last thing he sees is All For One ordering him to come to him before the story cuts back to Dr. Ujiko.
The doctor explains that All For One foresaw his downfall and entrusted all he had to his successor. He took a duplicate of his Quirk for himself ... and gave the original to Tomura Shigaraki.
In the dreamscape, Shigaraki's family converge on him and wrap their hands around his throat, choking him in an effort to prevent him from waking. His grandmother, Nana Shimura, is there choking him too. He disintegrates them all, coldly telling them, "Don't reject who I am." This occurs at the same time a ripped cable in the real world -- from the machine X-Less destroyed -- sends a spark through the water pools near Shigaraki. His body shudders back to life.
A little while earlier, at the Gunga Villa Front Line, Tokoyami swoops in to defend a badly burnt Hawks from Dabi. The villain tells him that Hawks just stabbed a man in the back who was only trying to protect his friends. The Quirk match-up between Tokoyami and Dabi is a bad one, but Hawks realizes that Dabi's taunting remarks are a trick to stall for time between flame blasts. This is their chance to flee.
Tokoyami vaults out of the villa with Hawks in his arms, crashing several floors below. Dabi looms over them and lets out a blast of fire, but they're in the midst of a raging battle, and a massive ice attack from Geten -- which sends Mt. Lady flying -- nullifies Dabi's attack, allowing Tokoyami to get away.
Back in Jaku Hospital, Shigaraki finally unleashes his Decay Quirk. The pro-heroes all flee in horror as the decay spreads to things he hasn't even touched, rapidly disintegrating the hospital. Gran Torino uses his speed to outrun it with Present Mic and Dr. Ujiko in his arms. Endeavor jets out, carrying an unconscious Mirko, while Ryuku uses her dragon form to carry as many pro-heroes as she can to safety.
Aizawa runs to get aboard Ryukyu, but a disintegrating Nomu seizes his ankle. Crust rushes in to break Aizawa free, but the cost of doing so is his own disintegration. He smiles at Aizawa and gives him a thumbs-up as his final act.
The decay continues past the hospital, sweeping away Jaku City, and at the evacuation zone Deku screams for everyone to run. He's been stationed there alongside a number of students -- including Todoroki, Ochaco, Bakugo, Tsuyu and Iida -- and together they use their powers to help as many evacuees flee as they can. Deku realizes that Shigaraki must be responsible for the destruction.
Standing alone amid the ruins of Jaku, Shigaraki is wearing X-Less's cape. He obliterated everything in his surroundings except the machine X-Less destroyed. It's revealed that the machine was designed to mass produce Quirk-erasing bullets, and Shigaraki is disappointed most are now ruined. He calls up Gigantomachia on his phone, ordering the monster to bring the others to him.
Endeavor descends from the skies with a flaming fist. He burns Shigaraki, but it doesn't hurt him as it should. The no.1 hero realizes Shigaraki's strength and speed aren't human ... and that he's regenerating. It seems Shigaraki now has Nomu enhancements.
Pocketing some of the Quirk-erasing bullets, Shigaraki reflects on how he has all this power but doesn't feel anything. Something inside him is urging him on, telling him to go after One For All. He mutters its name and Endeavor repeats it in confusion. Deku hears it over the communication lines.
Using the Search Quirk stolen from Ragdoll earlier in the series, Shigaraki zeroes in on Deku's location. He leaps through the air towards him as Endeavor pursues. It doesn't take long for Deku to realize Shigaraki is hunting him, and he flees from the evacuees to prioritize their safety. He contacts Endeavor on a private frequency to tell him there's a chance Shigaraki is after him specifically and Bakugo follows him as backup.
Deku reveals that he can use One For All at 30% consistently now, and is able to draw on 45% at moment of impact. But it's not enough to escape Shigaraki, who corners Deku and Bakugo.
Suddenly, Gran Torino zooms in to fly them away. He tells them they don't stand a chance, and that Shigaraki will be brought down by all the pro-heroes that are left. Ryukyu, Manual, Rock Lock and Aizawa arrive to join Endeavor. Aizawa thinks about how taking Shigaraki down is the reason he's still alive while Crust and Shirakumo have perished.
He erases Shigaraki's Quirks, but the villain's Nomu strength, speed and durability enhancements are still in effect. Manual uses his own Quirk to keep Aizawa from blinking, which would free Shigaraki to attack at full power. All the remaining heroes attack.
Gran Torino urges Deku and Bakugo to stay hidden. They protest, but the elderly hero warns them that Shigaraki managing to steal One For All would be the worst-case scenario. That's when they see Shigaraki hurtling towards their teacher with the intent to kill.
Unable to idly watch, Deku and Bakugo leap into the fray.
