Revival Celebration

The Meta Liberation Army's Revival Celebration (再臨祭) is a conflict orchestrated by Re-Destro to destroy the League of Villains and signal the second advent of the Liberation Army.

Prologue
Word of the League of Villains' antics has spread across Japan, prompting a villainous revolution that has challenged Hero Society. In the eyes of the Meta Liberation Army, this is unacceptable. Only Destro is to receive credit for the revolution that will liberate metas and destroy the status quo.

The League of Villains proves troublesome for the forces of light, so the army hidden in the shadows decides to take action. The top brass believes that the League are enemies to the Liberation Army and track down a potential connection to them. Destro's son, Re-Destro promises his allies that they will end the League of Villains.

Not long afterward, Re-Destro's followers capture the broker Giran and interrogate him for information on the League. Giran refuses to cooperate even when bribed. Re-Destro is forced to take matters into his own hands and tortures the broker himself.

Re-Destro cuts off all the fingers on Giran's right hand and places each one of them at one location the League of Villains has appeared. The broker refuses to talk, but Tomoyasu Chikazoku manages to recover his deleted client data. Re-Destro calls Twice using Giran's phone and tells the villains to check the news. The news reports each of the missing fingers and Re-Destro introduces himself as the Grand Commander of the Meta Liberation Army.

Tomura Shigaraki brushes it off as he's busy and asks that Re-Destro release Giran and call back later. Re-Destro refuses and reveals he has over 100,000 warriors waiting to strike. He tracks their phone to the Niigata mountains and threatens to call Pro Heroes on them if they don't go to Deika City. They spread Giran's fingers out in the shape of their solute, as proof of the Liberation Army's resolve.

Re-Destro gives Tomura the choice of waiting to be captured by the heroes or going to Deika City to be eliminated by the Liberation Army. Mr. Compress believes the army's use of a satellite tracker puts the League in checkmate. They're expected in Deika City within an hour but they still need to get Gigantomachia to submit to them.

Twice is emphatic about rescuing Giran and demands they save him. Himiko Toga and Compress try to calm Twice down, and Tomura takes his mask to shut him up. Tomura claims he has a plan and contacts Doctor Ujiko. He immediately declines Compress' plan to use a High-End Nomu but Tomura has another idea. He asks about Gigantomachia's remaining rest time and Dabi's location. Tomura finds both conditions favorable and plans on leading Gigantomachia to Deika in order to have both sides destroy each other.

Confident, Tomura has the Doctor Warp the League to Aichi Prefecture. Compress reveals that they still have just under two hours before Gigantomachia wakes up, meaning they'll have to fight themselves. Dabi is annoyed over getting dragged into a fight and Twice berates him for not wanting to help Giran.

Himiko notices someone approaching them and the villains get ready for a fight. Slidin' Go reveals himself and that he's simply an escort. He leads them through the ghost town to two of the Liberation Army's leaders.

Tomura has already realized it, but Trumpet reveals Deika City is a liberated district where 90% of the people are soldiers fighting for them. The Hearts and Mind Party Leader claims this day is a celebration of the Liberation Army's revival and starts the festivities immediately. The destruction of the League of Villains commences at the snap of Trumpet's fingers.

Incident
Suddenly, several local everyday citizens start attacking the villains with their own Quirks. Compress recognizes Trumpet as a politician with a powerful following. Twice demands to know where Giran is and Trumpet directs him to the tower where the broker waits with Re-Destro. Tomura sees Trumpet as just a mini-boss while two low-level enemies charge at him. In an instant, Tomura turns them to dust and tells his team to head for the tower.

Excited, Himiko says infiltration is what the League is good at. However, just as she runs off, the ground beneath Himiko's feet explodes. Curious calls out Himiko and asks for an interview on how a high schooler fell to madness.

Giran and Re-Destro watch the chaos from the tower. The broker claims that the army is foolish and that the League's Nomu will tear the city apart. Re-Destro firmly believes without All For One that the League has limited access to Nomu, and a League without Nomu is weak.

The villains spread out, ambushed from every angle by warriors for liberation that prove to be strong. Himiko refuses to answer Curious, but the publishing director has never given up on a story before. While boasting about her ambitions, Himiko slashes one of the warrior's throats and disappears. She goes straight for Curious, but her subordinates repel Himiko.

Himiko crashes into a store and recovers managing to impale most of her assailants using the needles from her bloodsucking equipment. However, Curious has taken countermeasures and used her Quirk to turn her subordinates' blood into explosives. This takes Himiko off guard, leaving her bloody and injured. Curious demands to know why Himiko threw away a normal life after interviewing her old family and friends. Despite her injuries, Himiko responds with a bloody smile and says her life is perfectly normal as it is.

Fascinated, Curious affirms her belief that Himiko's life is the manifestation of a negligent society. Himiko collapses and Curious goes over to comfort her, telling her that society pushed her into becoming a villain because Himiko's Quirk meant she could never be normal. Curious hopes to publish the tale of Himiko's story so she can be a martyr for Quirk liberation.

Himiko manages to flee and uses a small dose of blood to transform herself into Ochaco Uraraka, though she’s still wearing her real clothes as normally she removes them when using her Quirk. Before Curious' warriors finish her off, Himiko reveals she can use Ochaco's Quirk and manages to levitate all of her enemies high above the battlefield. In her final moments, Curious listens to Himiko's final statement, where the villain makes it clear she's happy trying to become the people she loves. Left with a great quote for a killer story, all of Curious' squad members falls to their deaths. Along with Curious herself in the process.

In the central tower, Skeptic reports the death of Curious to Re-Destro. Skeptic believes Curious shouldn't have been on the front lines. Re-Destro sheds a tear for his lost comrade and commends all the warriors fighting for liberation. The liberation army is recording the ongoing war to construct a film that depicts the innocent townsfolk of Deika defending themselves against a villain attack.

One hour and twenty minutes before Gigantomachia wakes up, the League of Villains continues struggling against the army's countless warriors. Trumpet brings the Hearts & Mind Party's campaign van into the battlefield to announce the news of Curious's death. Compress believes that Trumpet is acting as the preacher for the large flock of soldiers.

All of the warriors in the area swarm together to destroy Tomura. Weary from weeks of fighting Gigantomachia, Tomura's emotions are warped by his drowsiness and his mind flashes with memories from his past. Despite his state of mind, Tomura manages to counter the swarm of soldiers and disintegrates them all with a single swipe of his hand.

Dabi decides it's time for him to seriously fight as well when suddenly a hooded warrior nearly crushes him using giant fists made of ice. Dabi is impressed that his assailant was able to sneak up on him and admits that growing stronger has helped him pick out tough opponents. The warrior clad in snow gear asks why the League's only wide-range attack has held back so far. He implies that perhaps something is wrong with Dabi's meta-ability. Dabi dispels this theory with a wave of flames that melts the warrior's footing.

The hooded warriors collects ice from all nearby buildings until it molds into a giant dragon-like form. He boasts that he has trained his Quirk farther than heroes and those who study to be heroes in school. The grand master helped him become stronger, prompting Dabi to taunt him about living a sad life thus far. The elements of their Quirks collide and change the entire battlefield.

With the battle of ice and fire separating the League of Villains from each other, Compress takes a moment to collect his thoughts. He's close to Dabi, while Spinner and Tomura are together. Compress doesn't know where Himiko and Twice went off to, but Skeptic of the Meta Liberation Army does. Twice finds Himiko in a scary state, hidden inside of a shed. Skeptic sends his shadow puppets after Twice, exploiting his mental trauma by making them look like his unmasked self. Skeptic plans to draft Twice into the army so his Quirk can be put to great use for the Grand Commander.

Twice doesn't understand why people looking like him are trying to kill Himiko. Skeptic draws out Twice's trauma thanks to information stolen from Giran. Twice frantically tries to save Himiko and the League he belongs to. Skeptic's puppets subdue him and snap his arms. Despite being in great pain, Twice is elated that he hasn't disappeared, proving once and for all he's not a Double. Twice conquers his demons and launches his counterattack, threatening the Liberation Army with the true power of his Quirk.

Twice creates clones that double each other endlessly until there is an entire army of them. Sad Man's Parade floods the streets of Deika with clones of Twice. Re-Destro watches from the tower in awe and is surprised to see one of Skeptic's schemes fail. Irate, Skeptic asks the Grand Commander to rescind that statement and claims he will never fail. Skeptic storms out to handle Twice, and Giran taunts the army for losing their numbers advantage. Re-Destro claims Geten will counter quantity with quality.

Geten's ice is all but destroyed by Dabi's overwhelming flames. Mr. Compress struggles against other nameless warriors and asks for help. Dabi refuses and tells Compress to seek aid from the Sad Man's Parade. Twice plans to double both his friends over and over to create a nation of villains. Compress warns him not to because they need fodder to weaken Gigantomachia when he arrives. The ice warrior annihilates a large chunk of Twice's army despite Dabi's fire.

Confused, Dabi questions where this ice appeared from. Geten reveals he's been hiding the true power of his Quirk and froze nearby water to extend his powers. Geten believes a liberated future is one where one's social status is dictated by the strength of their Meta Ability. Irritated, Dabi believes that existence is pitiful and asks his opponent to die. Geten says it will be Blueflame who dies because his own flames have been eating away at his body.

Doctor Ujiko watches from his lab, amused by Tomura's plan backfiring. Even so, he knows this isn't what All For One would want. He says tells Gigantomachia that the successor is trying is hardest without any sleep and plays a recording of All For One's voice, waking the beast. Gigantomachia smells his surroundings and heads off to find his masters successor.

Tomura and Spinner get closer to the tower, but there's even more resistance in that area. Warriors ambush both villains from all angles until the Sad Man's Parade reaches them. Tomura asks Twice to cut a path to the tower and rescue Giran. He knows Twice is fond of the broker and entrusts him to lead the way. They're located by Trumpet's van and he rallies the warriors on Tomura's position. Spinner realizes each of Trumpet's speeches gets his followers riled up and believes he can't allow him to wear down Tomura anymore.

One of Twice's doubles reaches the tower and ascends the elevator until he finds Re-Destro and Giran. Re-Destro admits he had a lot of soldiers guarding the tower and is impressed by Twice's Meta Ability. Twice creates more doubles, including clones of Tomura, Dabi, and Compress. Re-Destro makes the first move, destroying one of Twice's doubles with a single finger. He claims he'll kill Giran if he uses his Meta Ability again, but the doubles of Dabi and Compress attack.

Re-Destro activates his Meta Ability and enlarges his arm. A single enhanced swing is enough to obliterate the lineup of doubles. Twice clones himself again before disappearing and goes to check on Giran. Re-Destro claims the League is foolish for opposing them and says they will crumble in the face of our will. Tomura's double survived the skirmish and saves the double of Twice. Re-Destro is excited to see Tomura face to face and tells him the story of the mother of Quirks.

A woman gave birth to a Meta child and was discriminated against and killed by anti-meta people. Before she died, she claimed her child had a "Quirk". Even with the reformation of Quirk laws and the rise of heroes, the suppression of someone's Meta Ability has gotten even more severe. Destro set out to create a world where this woman's child could express their power freely. Re-Destro asks how a petty gang of thugs who do nothing but destroy could ever match up to the history of liberation.

Tomura only replies by asking Twice to cushion Giran's fall. He saw his true self outside, and he knows he's going to touch the tower. Tomura destroys the entire tower with a single touch. He faces off with Re-Destro in a hulking form and surmises he's the boss. The Detnerat CEO laments Tomura missing his question from earlier.

Twice tries to give Himiko a transfusion making a double of her for the blood. Skeptic arrives on the battlefield and tries to capture Twice himself. Spinner tries to attack Trumpet because he's a high ranking official in the army. Trumpet dons his Sevens Loud mask and pushes his followers to their limit. He claims a weak Meta like Spinner is hardly a threat. Even so, Spinner does what he can to ease Tomura's burden. Tomura begins his battle with Re-Destro by destroying the ground, but he's quickly overpowered by the Grand Commander's Stress Meta Ability.

Re-Destro manages to crush much of Tomura's hand using his enlarged fingers. Doing so, the Grand Commander believes this will stop Tomura from using his powers. Memories come flooding back to Tomura and he suddenly activates his Quirk using his two remaining fingers, cracking his enemy's hold on him. Re-Destroy is confused by the outcome and knocks him away. Tomura's head starts filling with memories of his family and Re-Destro believes the young man is in the process of awakening his true self. Using 80% Liberation, Re-Destro increases his stress and uses Stress Output Burden to blow Tomura away along with a large portion of the city.

The Grand Commander suddenly receives a transmission from Skeptic. Skeptic warns his leader that the League had a monster lying in wait and never played all their cards. The giant has arrived, Gigantomachia is here and tears his way through Deika City. The message doesn't come through clearly to the Grand Commander and he's distracted by Tomura's defensive instincts. Tomura managed to block his burden attack and the young man admits all he's capable of is destruction. Re-Destro says there can be no future in a destroyed world and prepares to end their fight.

Tomura recalls his past completely and his Quirk reawakens to it's true form. The other members of the League notice Gigantomachia has arrived and rush to save their leader from the giant. Even at 100% Stress, Tomura destroys Re-Destro's burden attacks with ease. Tomura starts comparing his desire for destruction to his enemy, causing the older man's powers to recede due to his stress suddenly reducing. Re-Destro can't come to terms with his feelings toward the newly crowned angel of death. He clads himself in his Claustro armor to revamp the power of his Meta Ability to 150%.

Geten flees his fight with Dabi to confront Gigantomachia, only to be easily cast aside and defeated. As Gigantomachia effortlessly runs through the fodder of the MLA, Compress realizes they severely underestimated his power. Compress requests the Doctor warp them away immediately, but Daruma refuses. Re-Destro realizes that he feels admiration for Tomura because the young man has actually been utterly liberated and freely expresses his Quirks power no matter what with no remorse. Even Gigantomachia stops his rampage to watch his master's successor's next move. As the entire city watches, Tomura prepares a world-ending counterattack.

Trumpet uses his van to hurry to Re-Destro's side. Spinner manages to cling himself to the vehicle thanks to Twice's help. On the main battlefield, Tomura places his hand on the ground and immediately destroys his surroundings. Re-Destro tries to escape but even he can't avoid the destruction after shedding his armor. Tomura's power grow ever stronger as he successfully melds his bloodlust with bliss. Truly liberated, Tomura destroys the majority of the city within just a few minutes as his hair turns pure white.

With Deika reduced to ash, Gigantomachia watches in amazement. The decaying effect got to the Grand Commander's legs, so he was forced to cut both of them off. Tomura taunts him for starting this war and Trumpet's van arrives for reinforcements. Seeing that Tomura is the one truly worthy of Destro's legacy, Re-Destro calls off his forces and concedes the Meta Liberation Army to Tomura Shigaraki. Impressed, Gigantomachia finally accepts Tomura and admits he's a true successor.

Aftermath
Tomura utilizes the Detnerat CEO's money and joins forces with the MLA. One week following the battle, a false story was released to the media. It was spun so it appeared as citizens defending themselves against a villain attack. They're widely considered heroes who heeded the call of duty.

Inside a large mansion, each the League of Villains members recovers and dines on sushi. Skeptic takes them all underground, where Re-Destro addresses his followers. He announces that the MLA is being reborn under the leadership of Tomura Shigaraki, someone who is truly the manifestation of their beliefs.

The joint forces of the MLA and the League of Villains is renamed the Paranormal Liberation Front. Tomura is assigned nine lieutenants made from his allies and the upper brass of the former liberation army. Following the announcement, Tomura contacts Doctor Ujiko, who agrees to grant him the power he desires.