Chapter 75

Stake Your Life, Hero! (賭せ! ヒーロー) is the seventy-fifth chapter of Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia.

Summary
In the forest, Shoto Todoroki (while carrying an injured Kosei Tsuburaba) and Katsuki Bakugo run through the forest. Seeing that the situation is chaotic, Shoto decides that they should head back to the facility to regroup. While running to the facility, Shoto and Katsuki encounter a villain; Katsuki asks Shoto who is supposed to be ahead of them, to which Shouto answers Fumikage Tokoyami and Mezo Shoji. Moonfish is admiring something on the ground, a severed arm. However, the villain realizes he has work to do and cannot afford to be distracted by the severed arm, and turns his attention to Katsuki and Shoto.

Outside the forest, Mandalay fights Spinner. Spinner is about to strike Mandalay with his sword. However, Mandalay uses Telepath to distract him and evades his attack. Mandalay slashes Spinner with her cat claws, injuring Spinner. Seeing her fellow villain in trouble, Kenji Hikiishi uses her Quirk to pull Mandalay towards her. Suddenly, Tora punches Kenji which frees Mandalay from Kenji's grasp. Tiger punches Kenji again, but this time Kenji is able to block Tiger's attack. While getting up, Mandalay informs Tiger that she is unable to communicate with Ragdoll, which she considers strange since she normally answers her immediately.

Meanwhile, Izuku Midoriya prepares to fight Muscular while protecting Kouta Izumi. Muscular takes off his cloak and activates his Quirk. The battle between Izuku and Muscular begins. However, Izuku is taken by surprise by the villain's empowered speed, causing Izuku to be smashed into the rocky wall. Before attacking again, Muscular asks Izuku where Katsuki Bakugo is because targeting Katsuki is his job. Muscular attacks again, but Izuku uses his One For All: Full Cowl's enhanced speed to evade in the nick of time. Muscular kicks Izuku into the rocky wall again; Izuku lies on the ground injured. Izuku is shocked at the incredible strength and speed of the villain's Quirk. Izuku activates One For All Full Cowl again and punches Muscular. Surprisingly, Izuku's enhanced punch does not do anything against the villain. Muscular smacks Izuku onto the ground again and reveals that his Quirk enables him to augment the muscle fibers that sit beneath his skin, granting him great strength and speed. Muscular considers Izuku an inferior version of him; he torments Izuku for thinking that he can save the child with his hollow strength, mocking Izuku for being unable to back his words up and laughs at the injured Izuku.

Just as Muscular is about to finish Izuku off. Kota throws a rock at the villain. Kouta asks Muscular if he tormented his parents just as he is tormenting Izuku. Muscular is surprised that the Water Horse duo had a child and considers their meeting to be fate. Kouta blames the villain for his evil actions. However, Muscular criticizes Kouta for trying to put the fault on him while admitting that he does not hold any grudges for the loss of his eye. He says the Water Horse duo wanted to stop his desire of death and everything that transpired was a result of that intersection. Muscular further says that the fault should be blamed on the ones who try to act even though they cannot do anything. Muscular prepares to strike Kouta and calls his parents pathetic to think they could stop him even though they were incapable.

Suddenly, Izuku jumps at Muscular using One For All: Full Cowl, telling him that he is the one at fault. Izuku analyzes that the villain's speed surpasses his own and the only slight chance of victory is to close their speed gaps. Izuku punches Muscular with his broken arm, trapping it between the villain's muscle fibers. Muscular mocks Izuku for thinking that his plan to put them in a position where speed does not matter will work since his inferior strength will not save him. However, Izuku tells Muscular that his job as a hero is to put his life on the line for the sake of others; with no other choice, Izuku decides to unleash his Quirk's full power: One For All 100%.