This article will contain spoilers from My Hero Academia Season 6, episode 5, "The Thrill of Destruction", currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
When My Hero Academia last left off, most of the Heroes were struggling to maintain control over the situation, however, things seemed to be weighing in their favor overall. The overwhelming power of Twice is no longer an issue and Dr. Ujiko has finally been captured, however, Hawks is trapped in a rather sticky situation.
The High-End Nomus and their expeditious regeneration abilities are proving to be quite problematic for Team Endeavor. Meanwhile, X-Less and an unconscious Shigaraki have been left alone in the secret laboratory at Jaku Hospital; which is the biggest blunder the Heroes could possibly make!
A Shift of Power
Team Endeavour has made significant progress with their evacuation process and the last of the civilians are about to high-tail it out of the city. The last of the Nomus are being exterminated at Jaku Hospital, with only three High-End Nomus left to deal with. Eraser Head seems to have his guys relatively under control, but Endeavor is struggling to take his target down while also keeping Mirko safely away from the battle, but thankfully, the reinforcements have finally arrived. Gran Torino, Ryukyu, Rock Lock, and Backdraft team up to assist the No 1 Hero in decapitating the awakened Nomu, taking her out of commission for good.
Unfortunately, X-Less gravely miscalculates his own predicament as the unconscious Shigaraki's babysitter and inadvertently creates the perfect scenario to kick-start the villain's heart. Within seconds, the laser-eyed Hero is turned to dust before Shigaraki sends a shockwave of decay through the hospital, subsequently creating a deadly ripple effect with incredible momentum. While the Pro-Heroes flee for their lives, Deku's spidey senses suddenly begin to go crazy on the other side of town as the original One For All user urgently passes on words of caution.
Birds of a Feather
Back at the Villa, the Fataxi is making its getaway and putting some distance between themselves and the villains, however, when Dabi's blue flames erupt from the building, Fumikage Tokoyami cannot simply sit tight. With Dark Shadow's assistance, the young hero breaks free of Fatgum's hold (the first one to ever achieve such a feat!) and races off to help his mentor. Fatgum ejects his remaining passengers and tells them to make a run for it so he can chase after Tokoyami, in complete awe of the youngster's strength and courage.
Dark Shadow manages to build up enough momentum to knock Dabi off his feet right before he delivered the final blow, but it seems like they may be too late after all, as Hawks' wings are completely burnt to a crisp. To make matters worse, much like his teacher, Tokoyami is not well-suited to counter Dabi's Quirk, as the light from his inferno forces Dark Shadow into submission. The pair manage to maneuver their way out of Dabi's reach but the sadist is hot on their heels with a supercharged attack, however, in amongst all the chaos, Geten's ice wall (in)conveniently gets in the way.
"Freed From the Shackles of Humanity"
Shigaraki may be troubled by the cold and a slight headache, but overall, he appears to be in relatively good shape for someone who had only completed 80% of a complex procedure. He seems to be fully aware of his Quirk's new capabilities and how much control he now has over the decaying process, and, without a moment's hesitation, Shigaraki unleashes an implausible amount of power. From one single touch, the chosen one creates a destructive domino effect that snakes through the surrounding area and completely demolishes Jaku Hospital, and not all are lucky enough to escape. Crest and many others join X-Less on the list of fatalities as Dr. Ujiko celebrates his victory as it becomes evident that nothing will stop Shigaraki's onslaught.
Deku, Bakugo, and the rest of the evacuation team kick things into overdrive as they try to clear the straggling bystanders away from the danger Moe Kamiji realizes that the pathways of communication have been severed and it's every man for himself. The Wild Wild Pussycats, Shoto Todoroki, and Deku (with a 40% Cowl) each try to somehow stem the flow of the rapid decay, but Shigaraki's Quirk simply continues on its rampage.
The Villains who are trapped in the Gunga Mountain Villa basement share in the mad scientist's glee as Gigantomachia starts to show signs of life, and when the handheld radio suddenly crackles with Shigaraki's voice, the monstrosity is more-than-ready for action! The villains are recovering from the surprise of the heroes' attack and steadily begin to form a united front with Geten and Re-Destro taking charge, and there seems to be little that the Heroes can do about it.
Next Up: Encounter Part 2
Shigaraki has shaken off the last of the cobwebs and is on the move, spreading devastation in his wake as he touches everything like a kid in a candy store. Similarly, Gigantomachia creates his own path of destruction back at the Villa, leaving Team Edgeshot with a mighty task on their hands.
The wheels appear to be falling off for the Heroes on both sides of their carefully planned attack and their survival rate starts to get quite questionable. Endeavor plans to take it upon himself to incapacitate Shigaraki, but does the No 1 Hero have what it takes to overwhelm such an unstoppable force, or will Deku need to jump in with One For All to save the day (again)?