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…
The earth trembled, even as explosions of raw power erupted several meters in the air.
Soon, two figures descended like meteorites, crashing down just meters apart.
-Rumble…-
The first, standing amidst the rising dust, was All Might. He glared fiercely at his opponent, though he still kept that trademark smile of his.
However, unlike his brilliant appearance at the start of the raid, his pristine suit was now torn in several places, his once-vigorous hair sagged under gravity, his back hunched, and faint mist was beginning to pour from his body.
He was reaching his limit.
The second figure, standing rigid and tall, was All For One. His faint, wheezing breaths betrayed his exhaustion, but unlike All Might, he still radiated energy and bubbling hatred.
His smooth suit was coated in dust and torn in several places, albeit less severely than All Might's… but what stood out most was the chunk of his face now exposed where his mask had crumbled. The pipes that supplied him oxygen were bent, twisted, and hanging uselessly.
One glance was enough.
They were both running on their last legs.
"Hahaha…" All For One's laughter echoed across the destroyed valley that had once been a peaceful ward.
"What are you laughing at?" All Might growled, raising his fists, ready to clash again.
"You tell me, All Might… The way you fight now, the way you lag behind… injury or not, isn't it a bit much?"
All Might's brows tightened.
Even without a mouth visible behind the remaining mask, he felt it—All For One was smiling.
"... You passed on One For All, didn't you?"
All Might froze, his smile curving down.
And then, it fell completely.
"Izuku Midoriya. He's your successor, isn't he?"
A chill shot down All Might's spine. "You bastard… how did you—?!"
"Judging by your face, I hit the nail, didn't I?" All For One cackled, the mocking sound making All Might's blood run colder. "I had only suspected it, considering the similarities I had seen during his brief appearances, and some information I got a hold of... But now, you've confirmed it for me. Thank you, All Might… I'll make sure to remove another future annoyance before he grows too powerful. I won't make the same mistake I did with you."
"You bastard—I WON'T LET YOU!"
—BOOOM!—
With a thunderous kick, All Might launched himself forward, winding up a punch.
All For One caught the blow between his palms. His eerie laugh vibrated through the broken pipes of his mask.
"What's wrong, All Might? Hit a nerve?!"
"You!"
The two began exchanging blows again, soaring into the air, and ripping across what remained of the battlefield as shockwaves tore apart the last fragments of the ward.
All Might slammed All For One into a collapsed building, pinning him to the debris and smashing a fist into his exposed face.
-Thud!-
-Crack-
A sickening crunch echoed, and a pained groan escaped the villain.
But with a sudden opening, All For One slipped a Quirk-enhanced strike through All Might's guard, blasting him away like a rocket.
"Uwaaaagh!"
All Might shot across the sky, too damaged to stop his own momentum.
And what was worse, right in his path was the helicopter currently broadcasting the fight live.
At that speed, he'd tear through it like paper. The people inside wouldn't even have time to scream.
But before disaster struck—
"I got you…!"
A small figure shot into the trajectory.
Gran Torino.
He intercepted All Might midair, redirecting his momentum before the two spiraled down and crashed safely onto the ground below.
-BOOOM!-
A plume of dust rose as the two crashed, but both heroes resisted the impact, slowly pushing themselves to their feet like nothing.
"You took too long." All Might muttered, wiping a smear of blood from his mouth.
"You're just too damn fast… And I was busy looking for the damn kid."
"Young Suzaku! Where is he?!" All Might's head snapped toward Gran Torino, only now realizing he had left Suzaku in the battlefield's chaos while he focused on his archnemesis.
Gran Torino's face scrunched in frustration. "I don't know. We were told he helped some injured heroes escape, but he was gone after that… I combed the whole ward and didn't find a single trace of him. The kid has red hair, doesn't he? You'd think he'd be easier to spot!"
"Do you think he left?"
"Hopefully. Because if he hasn't, he sure is good at hiding!"
All Might's smile returned at that.
'Yeah… Young Suzaku isn't foolish. He must have already left… and if that's the case—Then I'm the only one left who has a duty to fulfill!'
Fueled by that thought, he straightened, muscles tightening for one final push—just as All For One, already recovered from the last blow, descended in front of them. Stopping in the air, as if enjoying looking down on them.
"Your punches are weakening, All Might…" All For One taunted. "You almost remind me of that pitiful teacher of yours. So much ambition, yet so little ability. No wonder she died so pathetically."
"You, don't you dare—!"
Gran Torino snapped, "Toshinori, get a hold of yourself! Because you let him rile you up like that years ago, he put a hole in your stomach. Don't answer him—channel that anger into your fists!"
"Kgh—right, sir." All Might shook his head sharply.
"As expected of the top hero!" All For One mocked. "Even in front of such words, your spirit remains steady… Then how about this?"
He raised a finger.
"Shigaraki Tomura—the one who attacked your precious U.A. camp, the public face of the League of Villains, and the one whom you raided minutes ago… he is the grandson of that master you adore so much. Nana Shimura."
"…"
Silence swallowed the battlefield.
Gran Torino and All Might froze, their expressions switching at rapid speeds—disbelief, confusion, shock, then a surge of pure, unfiltered fury tearing across their faces.
"You… you… BASTAAAAAARD!"
This time, not even Gran Torino could reach All Might in time.
The Symbol of Peace shot forward at supersonic speed. He crashed into All For One with such force that the villain skidded backward for miles, the ground splitting open in his wake.
Gran Torino snapped out of his trance and prepared to burst after them, until—
"Help…"
A voice reached him. A civilian's voice.
One that, strangely, felt too close.
Gran Torino turned, and to his surprise, an injured woman now lay not far from him—someone who absolutely hadn't been there a moment ago.
He rushed to her, though suspicion flickered behind his eyes.
"Help… please, get me out of here…" she pleaded.
"You… where did you come from?" Gran Torino asked, checking for wounds.
"Someone rescued me. He heard me calling for help and pulled me from the wreckage. Then he carried me here and left me next to you."
"Someone?"
"A red-haired kid. I thought he'd say something to you, but the moment he set me down, he just… vanished."
"Red-haired—?!" Gran Torino's eyes widened. He immediately scanned the ruined landscape for any trace of crimson, but found nothing. "When did he leave you here? When exactly?"
"Just seconds ago."
"That's not possible. Where could he—?!"
Gran Torino kept searching, baffled, then looked back down at the woman in his arms. Her breathing was weakening by the second.
He wanted to go searching for that kid, if he was still here, then it was his duty to bring him away from the current fight.
But the woman in his arms needed help right now.
However, he also couldn't leave Toshinori alone on the battlefield—not when All For One's words dug so deep. If it continued like that, there was a chance All Might would make a mistake… one that would cost him dearly.
'Damnit, what should I do?!' He gritted his teeth, mind torn between all the things he had to focus on... But then—
"That's…!"
He caught sight of several figures suddenly dashing past in the distance. One of them was Mirko, who shot him a smug salute as she passed.
Instantly, he knew: All Might wouldn't be fighting alone.
After a few seconds of disbelief, Gran Torino sneered and turned around.
"Alright then… looks like it's time for the new generation to pull their weight." He tightened his grip on the woman. "Let's go, lass. I'll get you somewhere safe."
As for the kid... he wouldn't be stupid enough to get anywhere near that brutal fight, would he?
Gran Torino shook his head.
Needless to say, there was no one sane who would voluntarily get close to them unless they were Pro Heroes.
'I'll get this girl somewhere to get treated, and then come back to search for him.'
And with that, he blasted away from the battlefield.
…
°
°
°
| Back to the fight |
…
"YAAARGH!" All Might let out a guttural roar as he hammered All For One's face with all the ferocity he had left, driving the villain across the battlefield. They plowed into the remnants of a collapsed building, rubble scattering everywhere, but All Might's rage didn't falter.
-Bang!-
-Bang!-
-Bang!-
Punch after punch rained down, breaking what remained of All For One's mask, blood spraying with every impact. All Might didn't let up; fury had fully overtaken him.
But just as it seemed All For One's breaking point was near—
—BANG!—
A single counterblow slipped through.
All For One had pushed past the barrage just long enough to strike. All Might was blasted back, skidding across shattered concrete until he finally dug in and stopped. The moment he glanced down at himself, he stiffened.
His ribs were broken—some poking outward beneath the skin.
"Kgh—!" Then, to make matters worse, he staggered, coughing up a thick mouthful of blood.
Steam burst from him in a sudden, uncontrolled wave as his muscles shrank and his frame withered. His cheeks hollowed, and his spine curved... Showing his true self.
'So I've reached... my limit.' He thought, bitterly.
And to make matters worse, seconds after his retransformation, the helicopter currently recording the battle live began hovering in the sky, the lens of the camera held by the cameraman reflecting a single spot of light that hit All Might's weak frame.
It captured everything—his weakened body, his exposed true form, the real All Might—for all of Japan to see.
And, as All Might realized this, All For One rose, groaning from the beating he had endured, but not without keeping his trademark cruelty.
"Hahaha… how does it feel, top hero, to have the world see you for what you truly are? All that effort in keeping your image, in being this pillar—and in the end, this is all you amount to! HAHAHA!"
His laughter echoed across the dead landscape.
But as All Might stayed silent, something in that laughter wilted. Slowly, All For One's grin faded.
Because in spite of everything—his injuries, his humiliation, his body failing, the pillar he had built over his entire life crumbling apart—All Might's eyes still burned with that same unshakeable resolve.
He still had more to give.
The hero, hidden deep within those glowing blue eyes, was not yet dead.
A moment of silence stretched... then, All For One sighed.
"I forgot, for a moment, how annoyingly spirited of a child you are. I suppose there's no point dragging this out any further... I had meant to let Tomura finish you, but with this new variable in play, I might as well take the pleasure of destroying you myself."
He raised his hand, muscles swelling grotesquely as energy gathered in his palm, ready to unleash it for one last time.
In his weakened form, just one attack would be enough. All Might, the strongest hero, would be torn to shreds in an instant.
But just as the attack was about to shoot—
—FWOOOOSH!—
A torrent of fire surged in from the side, threatening to engulf him.
All For One redirected his blast toward it on instinct, releasing the energy at the last second.
—BOOOOM!—
Then, the shockwave dispersed the flames, ripping them apart.
And as the blaze vanished, a figure remained standing in its wake, its voice powerful and furious.
"All Might, what's with that pathetic form?!"
Endeavor, who emerged from nowhere, barked, his eyes bloodshot as they locked onto All Might, not sparing All For One even a glance.
"An annoying fly has come to butt in." All For One clicked his tongue and quickly prepared another air cannon to blow Endeavor away.
"Not so fast, villain!"
But before he could, a thin red line suddenly shot toward him, forcing the villain to dodge, halting his attack in the process.
Moments later, the line halted mid-air—revealing Edgeshot in his stretched form.
All For One's focus turned to him, readying yet another attack to get rid of him first... but yet again, another figure burst in.
"Take this, you wrinkled potato!"
Mirko crashed in with a powerful downward kick, forcing All For One into a hasty retreat once again.
"All of you…!" All Might gasped, stunned by the sudden support.
"Don't think you're getting all the fun!" Mirko snickered as she landed, barely sparing a glance for All Might's frail new form.
She was here to fight, not to fuss over whatever was up with All Might's form.
Endeavor also shot All Might a brief look, then clicked his tongue and refocused on the villain "Hmph. This isn't over. Once we finish this bastard, you're explaining yourself, All Might!"
"Take a break to recover, we'll take it from here," Edgeshot spoke confidently from the air.
Then, without even waiting for a reply, the three newly arrived heroes charged at the main villain again. Resuming a ferocious battle of three against a really strong one.
For a moment, All Might smiled faintly—but when he tried to stand straighter, a sharp pain shot through his ribs, cutting the smile short.
"Shit…"
He glanced at his trembling hand.
His power was fading.
He wasn't only at his physical limit—One For All itself was nearly spent. What little remained was slipping away.
It truly seemed his hero career wasn't making it past today.
All Might exhaled softly, mind wandering back through the long path he had walked since inheriting this power.
The responsibility he had carried. The goals he had fought for. The people he had met. All of which had made him into what he was today.
So many fights, so many losses... And in the end, here he stood, fighting the biggest threat for once and for all.
It… had been a good run, hadn't it?
A gentle smile touched his face.
Then—
-Poof…!-
His body swelled—one last time.
The pain in his ribs was immense, enough to make him buckle… but he was the Symbol of Peace. He still had a duty, a grudge to pay, one from many people through the years.
One that had been running for too long.
"Today, the cycle ends."
Muttering that, All Might stepped forward.
"Because I'm here."
He didn't need to rest.
Now, he needed to end it for once and for all.
Their last battle.
—Booom!—
And so, All Might shot forward. Joining the battle.
The clash intensified immediately. All For One's senses flared to their peak as he struggled not to be caught off guard by the coordinated attacks closing in from all sides.
"So many flies buzzing by... begone."
He raised both hands, muscles bulging, and aiming to blow the three heroes away.
-Tack!-
But before they could shoot, two large hands caught both his palms.
"Focus on me, All For One." All Might smiled brightly, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
—BANG!—
Then, he smashed his forehead against All For One's head.
The villain was quickly knocked back, but before he could even recover, the three other heroes jumped in, attacking from all sides.
He dodged and sometimes got hit, but he brushed the damage off easily.
Unfortunately, each time he tried to get rid of the three heroes, All Might appeared to punish him for looking away.
Forced entirely onto the defensive, he was overwhelmed by fire, piercing, paralyzing strikes, thunderous kicks, and crushing punches.
What was worse, his earlier beating at All Might's hands had left him sluggish. His industrial mask, which had helped control the damage he had sustained in his body, was gone. Making him even weaker.
At this rate… defeat was certain.
He didn't fear defeat—it would merely delay his plans.
But with Suzaku in the equation, he could not allow himself to be imprisoned now. Nor to let that brat get away into safety.
So, he needed an opportunity, something that could turn this losing fight around in one instant.
A leverage point.
"...!"
And then—he found it.
No, not it.
Him.
A faint curl tugged at the corner of his mouth. Then it widened into a full grin, a quiet chuckle escaping him.
Edgeshot, striking at that moment, narrowed his eyes. "What are you planning, villai—?!"
His words cut short as All For One redirected his shockwave—not at them, but straight downward.
—BOOOOOOM!!!—
The blast tore the ground apart, sending a massive shockwave outward and hurling the heroes back—even All Might.
However, it wasn't enough to knock them out of the fight, and they quickly recovered, darting toward the epicenter of the dust cloud right away.
But then, as the dust cleared and the villain's figure came into view, all the heroes saw something that stopped them cold in their tracks.
"T-that's…!" All Might's eyes flew wide, mirrored by every hero around him.
Dark liquid pooled beneath All For One.
And held tightly in the villain's arms… was someone.
Someone that everyone recognized instantly.
'Why are you there—?!' All Might roared inwardly.
Red hair. Red eyes.
'—Young Suzaku!!!'
…
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-To be Continued…-
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(A/N: Finally, AFO screwed himself without realizing.
Illustration next chapter, which this time actually shouldn't take much if I lock in, but I never lock in, so who knows.)