Chapters 33, 37, 38, 36 under repair
Reparado.
"And what might that be, Doctor? Has there been some trouble with the Nomus and their multiple Quirks?" All For One possessed numerous Quirks. If they needed one, he could provide it. After all, there were many he could no longer use in his weakened state.
"N-no, production is proceeding perfectly." He was monitoring his creations and was very close to completing the "High-End," one of his greatest masterpieces to date. "It's about your successor."
"You mean Tomura? What's wrong with him, Doctor? He has shown nothing but improvement since the U.S.J. attack." On the other end of the line, All For One smiled sinisterly. His plans had encountered unexpected but welcome variables. "You've noticed the change, haven't you? He's much more focused than before."
"Yes, Master, and that is precisely why I need to speak with you. Young Tomura's attitude is too... unpredictable." He couldn't find the exact word to express his concerns; he just knew something was wrong with the boy.
"And that's perfect. An unpredictable villain has a greater chance of surviving and succeeding." The corrupt scientist did not share that opinion. His instincts told him they were facing a greater evil. "Trust me, Doctor. This recent development Tomura has shown is just what we needed. Once we succeed in passing 'All For One' to his body, we will be at the dawn of a new era, one not seen since my glory days."
He had never doubted his master's words before, but this time was different.
Something about Tomura was simply... wrong.
But he was no one to contradict All For One; he valued his life far too much for that.
"I understand, Master. I apologize for bothering you so improperly." He humbled himself; only that man was capable of eliciting such a reaction from him. "Just... when the time comes, will you still take control of young Tomura?" He needed to be sure. If the boy were given free rein over "All For One," they could be facing...
"I haven't decided yet. Amusing, isn't it?" A soft but clear laugh came through the communicator. He couldn't suppress the shiver that ran down his spine. His master was truly terrifying when he chose to be. "Until recently, I was only focused on nurturing Tomura enough to provide a useful vessel in which to announce my return to the heroes. But now, I'm reconsidering things."
"Wh-what do you mean, reconsidering?" He couldn't be. His master couldn't be seriously considering sharing his reign with that unstable and dangerous brat.
"Yes... after all, 'two kings are better than one,' isn't that how the saying goes?" The constant tapping of All For One's fingers filled the silence between them. "Continue your good work, Doctor, and I will take care of mine." The frequency cut out. He was alone again.
...Alone, to reflect on the small but ever-growing threat that was Shigaraki Tomura...
The master doesn't understand. That boy isn't following our rules like some stray dog. He began to work on his Nomus, a mechanical, ingrained habit he couldn't help but perform. He's forging his own path using our resources. He still remembered when his master had first presented the child to them.
He was weak, naive, timid, and malleable... very malleable.
But now... he had no idea what he had become.
And for a logical man like him, that was never a good sign.
"It will be a test of courage!" The excitement in Pixie-Bob's voice energized several of the students. "First, Class 1-A will go in, and Class 1-B will have to scare them! Then, we'll switch roles!"
So this is where it begins. Personally, I couldn't care less about their explanation. I knew it was best to stay at the main camp until the danger started. But Kota... he's at the foot of the mountain, and if I don't save him, Muscular will kill him. I hadn't interacted with the kid at all.
Curiously, the incident at the bathhouse, where Mineta tries to scale the wall to see the girls, never happened.
It might be because I had previously threatened him with my Blackwhips, and Midnight was there to back up my threat.
Alright, remember who the main threats are. One For All remained carefully stable, like a calm ocean waiting for its next unfortunate victim. Muscular is the top priority since I'll be facing him myself. Moonfish will run into Bakugo, Shoto, and later Tokoyami. Kendo and Tetsutetsu have to stop Mustard to keep the gas from spreading, and... I was struggling to remember the exact order of events and who was involved, which frustrated me to no end. Now is not the time to forget... Uraraka and Tsuyu run into Toga, and that's when her obsession begins...
The League of Villains, its core members, and those who tried to stop them—all of that was what mattered now.
Mr. Compress doesn't fight anyone until he kidnaps Bakugo. Aizawa and Vlad King face Twice's clones disguised as Dabi. That leaves Spinner and Magne... those two fought the Pussycats. Ragdoll is presumed dead, although in the end, she only loses her Quirk. I formed a mental map of the large forest. The most important battles took place in the center and along the sides, except for my own fight, which happens practically on the imaginary boundary line of the mountain. Aizawa is more than capable of protecting the stragglers in my class, and the same goes for most of the others. The groups for the game were already being assigned.
Class B had long since spread out into the forest, looking for good spots to ambush my classmates.
Aizawa, for his part, was taking away those who needed extra lessons.
Midnight and Present Mic were personally assigning pairs, not drawing them by lottery as I remembered.
...How curious...
My nervousness was slowly but surely building. This was our second major clash with the now-complete League of Villains.
At the U.S.J., my overconfidence sent everything to hell. This could turn out even worse...
Calm down. Between One For All and Fa Jin, you can simulate 100% and beat Muscular. Then you can help the others without any broken bones, and... This time, the power began to flow in small, calming waves, which helped me immensely. Thanks... I'm... I'm a little scared of all this. I received a strange sense of agreement from it in return. I know we have a little more help now, and that everyone is a bit stronger than before, but... they can die.
That was a strange realization. They can die.
It sounds so simple, yet it carries such an immense weight.
I can have all the power in the world, but it won't be up to me whether they live or die. In the end, only they can protect themselves.
Anyway, I'm getting way ahead of myself, and the attack hasn't even started. I approached my teachers. There weren't many of us left without a group, and they were looking at their lists to decide who to pair us with. "Excuse me, Ms. Midnight, do I have a partner yet?" She looked at me, and it was as if a metaphorical lightbulb went on over her head.
"Midoriya! You'll go with Todoroki!" That threw me off a little. Wasn't he supposed to be with Bakugo? "I was thinking of putting him with your classmate Bakugo, but you two get along better, right?"
Another unexpected change. I don't know how dangerous this could be.
"You don't have to change things. If you want, I can..."
"Actually, I agree with the idea," Shoto interjected, to my dismay. "Can we really do that, ma'am?"
"Yes, you can. You two go get ready while Yamada and I finish organizing the rest." She cracked her whip for dramatic effect and turned her back on us again.
This isn't good, but it's not a total disaster either. I'll think of something on the way. I let out a tired sigh and started walking toward the entrance of the forest. It was flanked by two torches to add to the atmosphere. "Are you ready, Shoto?"
"Of course. It's very difficult to scare me."
"Sure. I'll pretend to believe you to keep your dignity intact."
We fell silent after that. My mind was racing, planning for what was about to happen and how to react.
Muscular had a Quirk that I could only defeat with brute force.
His muscle fibers were too resilient to be permanently torn, and he could always generate more. If I got into a battle of attrition, waiting for his Quirk to hit its limit, I wouldn't stand a chance.
The fight would drag on for too long, leaving too much room for error with the other events.
I have to beat him the same way as in the original story: with a single blow more powerful than his own fibers. If I use One For All at 70% and add Fa Jin on top of that, I could simulate a Pseudo 120% of power. The idea was risky. I didn't know what the consequences would be for my body. My ligaments and tendons are in good condition. I've only broken the bones in my hands less than three times. There have been several tears, but Recovery Girl has treated them effectively. I wasn't in a deplorable state, but I couldn't afford to be reckless either.
If my body could withstand a hypothetical 120% even once, that single blow had to count.
Wear him down, and then a final blow to finish it. It'll work... It has to. For a moment, One For All's flow ceased, and then, just as quickly, it surged back with all its might, generating an impressive boost of power. Yeah, let's destroy him. A silent agreement formed between us. We had to defeat him, no matter what.
"It's our turn, Izuku." Shoto was already starting down the path, where the trees formed a clear trail that would be hard to get lost on.
I didn't answer, simply following him. This time, the silence was mutual.
He was focused on whoever might try to scare us, while I was waiting for the inevitable blaze Dabi would cause with his blue flames. I rhythmically shook my hands, storing up kinetic energy.
I wasn't going to take any chances.
The eerie calm was unsettling. The tension inside me grew with every step.
If Shoto noticed my rigid posture, he didn't say anything.
The only distinguishable sounds were our footsteps and the faint glow of the few fireflies illuminating the area.
The rest was... nothing.
Find Kota, defeat Muscular, help the others... The thought repeated over and over in my head. Prevent Bakugo's kidnapping if possible and allow the heroes to set up their raid to stop the League. Suddenly, as if it were some cruel joke, my "Danger Sense" went off. Where?
The negative intent was coming from...
Behind us! I grabbed Shoto by the shoulder and shoved him to the side, saving him from being hit by— Muscular! What the hell?! Behind him was a dark portal, Kurogiri's work.
A second blow was aimed at me. Only because I was on high alert did I manage to dodge it, leaping back to create distance from my enemy.
The portal closed, and in that instant, chaos erupted.
A large cloud of gas was released in the central area of the forest, and at the same time, bright blue flames could be seen rising in the distance.
I didn't need to be a genius to know Dabi was there.
"You're Midoriya? Green hair and eyes. Yep, it's you!" Muscular sounded thrilled. Killing me was going to be a real pleasure for him.
Just like at the U.S.J., everything had gone to shit.
"You know me? I hope Shigaraki hasn't been telling my name to too many of you. It ruins the special significance." I settled into a fighting stance, accepting that I'd have to accelerate my plans. If he's here, it means Kota is still alone on the mountain. That's good; it saves me a trip. A tense smile spread across my face.
His prosthetic left eye, combined with the purely insane grin on his face, made him a truly terrifying sight on his own.
Shoto had positioned himself beside me, having recovered from the initial shock with relative ease.
"How do we fight him, Izuku?" Steam rose from both sides of his body. He wasn't going to back down, even if I asked him to.
"First, we need to get him out of here. An open space would be ideal." I gave him a sideways glance and saw him nod slowly. He also knew we couldn't fight comfortably in a place with so many trees and obstacles. "And second, we have to give it our all. He's strong."
"I won't deny that. You can feel his power." Frost began to creep across the ground around him, his fire side held in reserve for now. "Despite this sudden and terrible situation... I'm excited to fight by your side." A laugh escaped me.
"Me too, Shoto... Me too." I tensed my body, released 20% of One For All, and waited for my enemy to make the first move.
"You got the nerve to ignore me when I'm right in front of you? You'll pay for that!" His muscle fibers expanded along his right arm, and he lunged at us, breaking into a dead sprint. "I'll kill you!"
From his bar, sipping a glass of fine whiskey, Shigaraki smiled.
Just as he had predicted...
The wheels of fate had begun to turn, and no one was going to stop them.
Author's Note:
Hey.
What did you think of the chapter?
The camp attack has begun, and with it, one of the changes I had already planned.
I wanted Muscular to go directly to Midoriya instead of the other way around, giving it a more dangerous and justified approach due to Shigaraki's new attitude.
The fight will happen in the next chapter and will have the addition of Shoto participating in it.
On another note, I wanted to have a chat that included All For One because I love his villainous attitude of someone whose victory is already assured.
He never gets flustered, no matter how lost the battle seems, and he gives the impression that everything is happening exactly as he wants it to.
And Doctor Garaki has his reservations about Tomura. I already have a set path for that character; he will be important from now on with the whole theme of Shigaraki and his rise as the new Symbol of Evil.
I know this chapter was a bit short, but I wanted to publish it today to thank you all for the 800 followers.
It's a number I never expected to reach, not now or in the future. As I said in my community section, I started here at the beginning of this year without many expectations, and I'm still surprised by it all.
The positive reception of this story and my others is incredible. I know they're not the best, but I thank you for supporting them anyway.
You are all amazing.
Take care of yourselves. See you next time.