Chapter 57: All for One
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I know the Almighty is already getting here while the other heroes are fighting off Nomu, he should be here in about half a minute. So it's time to put my chattering skills to use.
- Shigaraki, we should definitely get out of here. - Compress noticed the tense atmosphere.
- You know who I am...basically expected, the committee guessed it too, no wonder you realised too.
- I was expecting a different reaction, maybe fear or surprise. My interest in you led me to ask Tomura to invite you. Unfortunately, he misunderstood my request, and there was a misunderstanding between us. - in a businesslike tone, speaking All for One, in the midst of the ruins. - I would like to make you an offer, exactly as my apprentice, Bakugou Katsuki, did.
- To become part of your faction? Um, let me think about it...' I pretended to think about it, putting a hand to the bottom of my helmet. - No. Definitely not.
- And you won't tell me why? I can give you powers you could only dream of.
- By my logic, a hero is a winner and a villain is a loser. Why would I join the losing side when history is written by the winners? And heroes go in the direction of creation, and villains, on the contrary, to destruction. I'm more in favour of the former.
- So that's the position from which you look at heroes and villains...simple enough. - he said in a disappointed tone.
- I want a quiet life with a lot of beautiful girls at my side, to explore interesting quirks and technologies, and to develop myself, to master mechanisms, but your goal - domination and tyranny, so banal and boring, that I want to yawn.
- Master, his chatter is annoying,' Shigaraki said angrily, his hands out in front of his face, intent on lunging at me.
- Yeah, I'm bored of this conversation too. That's alright, even if you don't join me, your quirk will serve my purposes perfectly. - He extended his palm towards me, on the back of which, there was a small hole.....
- The distraction by dumbfounding was a success. - I pointed my finger at the sky with a small spot, which wasn't a spot at all, but Toshinori, who was coming here at a couple of speeds, straight at All for One with his fists out. He, however, caught both fists in his open palms, holding them up effortlessly, even despite the accompanying air waves.
- I'll make you pay for everything! All for One! - shouted the Almighty loudly.
- You're going to kill me again, eh Almighty! - With a chuckle, he replied.
The shockwave was so powerful that it scattered everyone in different directions, raising a huge funnel of building debris and dust into the air. Even I was pushed aside, but I was able to put up a few barriers in time.
- You're slow. From the bar to this place is about five kilometres. It took you about thirty seconds to get here after I sent Noma...' All for One said, kneading his right arm. - You are weak Almighty.
- Look at you, why are you wearing that mask?! Since when did your neck grow a plant?! Can't you even breathe without it?! - he said angrily, which is very true. All for One has tubes connected to the mask and neck plates that should make it easier for him to breathe. - Where is young Bakugou?!
- I have moved her to a safe place. - I turned to the Almighty, who only now noticed me, and while he was having a dialogue with the villain, I healed Jins and the others, and teleported them away.
- You're the vigilante who helped me in the battle against Nomu. - He remembered me from that time. - Thank you for saving the young Bakugou.
- Thank you later. Almighty, take the All for One on your own, and I'll take care of the rest of the League. - I turned to Shigaraki, who was looking at me with eyes far from friendly.
- I'm afraid I can't let that happen. That's why I'm here. - suddenly the fingers of the All for One lengthened into some red harnesses that grabbed my legs, and threw me towards the entire buildings destroyed by my carcass.
- I won't let you escape, Shigaraki! - The Almighty lunged at him, but his nemesis, the muscles in his left arm bulged, from which then released a huge kinetic wave that also knocked the Almighty into flight towards the undestroyed buildings.
- Air pressure, metal skeleton, four explosive quirks, and three quirks of physical reinforcement. That's a fun combination, I think we should add a couple more boosting quirks. - he said. - Get out of here, Tomura. - Tomura used the All for One's tourniquet fingers again, jamming them into the unconscious Kurogiri.
- Wait, but can't you teleport us yourself? - Magne asked, referring to the way they vomited up the grey slurry that had transported them here.
- I'm afraid my teleportation is not so good Magne. I can't teleport long distances, much less can I teleport to myself, or away from myself. Moreover, the object of teleportation must be someone I know well. - he explained, and suddenly, the unconscious Black Mist opened a large portal. - Forced activation of a quirk. - Apparently he used a quirk that activates a quirk without the user's initiative.
- Let's go Shigaraki, we can't handle the Almighty and the vigilante at the same time. - Magne spoke, turning the unconscious Dabi into a ball and hiding it in his pocket.
- Master...' Shigaraki said one last time before running off into the portal with his accomplices.
- You did a good job of helping your student escape...but that won't save you from death! - I climbed out of the pile of rubble, leaning on a piece of the roof.
- Heavenly Fang! - I teleported to the side of him and flew at him, hitting him with my light-charged fist, but the freak was as strong as the Almighty, so the blow didn't even scratch him.
- Is that the best you can do? I expected more, Aoyama-kun praised you so much. - He grabbed my helmet and ripped the front of the helmet off, revealing my face. - Your quirk is mine from now on! - With one hand, he held me by the shoulder with a firm grip, and put the other palm to my face.
- Get off me, you mistake of nature! - I snapped at him, beating him with strengthened fists, but my blows were like mosquito bites to him. Through his hand, and specifically the hole in his hand, he tried to take my quirk, which was evident from the strange scarlet-coloured energy sparks on his hand. But then shit happened, he couldn't absorb my quirk, but suddenly there was a huge burst of photonic energy, pushing All for One away from me.
- What...happened? - I struggled to get off my knees.
It tried to absorb your Plus-Alpha gene. Except a quirk has a connection to specific soul shells, which can be interpreted as a soul shard, and it's what makes each quirk individual. And when it tried to absorb your quirk, it tried to absorb the shard connected with the quirk along with it, All for One. Without the original user's soul shard, the quirk would not work.
'Very interesting Umbra, why hasn't it absorbed my power?'
He can't, because there are two shards responsible for your quirk, yours and the self-consciousness shard - me. And I was able to resist absorption, only it took energy from the domain, which is what caused the explosion.
- I couldn't take your quirk...I wonder if that's only ever happened to One for All wielders before. - enigmatically said All for One. - You are truly unique...and your uniqueness beckons to have your quirk in my collection, Mizuiro.
- Young Mizuiro!? - said the dumbfounded Almighty, who freed himself from the rubble by jumping up high and seeing my face without the front part of my helmet. - What are you...you are Tengu!
- There's no point in revealing my secret identity now, and there's no point in it anymore. - I looked up at the helicopters flying around with reporters. There's no point in hiding my face now that I'm in the camera's lens. - I must deal with him as soon as possible, or he'll destroy the whole city.
- Toshinori! - That old man, Gran Torino, has flown in to help. - What's this shk... you're a Tengu, aren't you?
- Then talk, first smash the villain's face in. Create a construct: Artillery volley! - I used a long-range gun construct on the villain, there's no point in hiding anyway, so it's better to use your entire arsenal. However, even this All for One calmly reflected with his hands. - How annoying you are! - I used gravity to take control of a large chunk of a building and buried All for One alive with it.
- You're a tough kid. Toshinori, is that your receiver? - said Gran Torino, impressed by my abilities.
- Yes...no...it's complicated. - He replied, spitting up blood, apparently he's already at his limit. - Young Mizuiro, I won't fight with you to tell you what's right and what's wrong, but I'm sure you became a vigilante for a reason...can you keep fighting?
- Yes.' was all I said as I saw a figure in a helmet and dinner jacket come out of the rubble.
- Even though I came here to save Tomura... - I uttered, barely the Almighty was right in front of him, bringing his fist up as a grey slurry erupted from behind Gran Torino's mouth, moving him so that Toshinori's fist slammed into him. - If you want a fight, you'll get one. - he finished his monologue, but I managed to put up a few barriers that absorbed Toshinori's punch.
- Detroit Smash!' The Almighty pulled Gran Torino back on him, and with his other hand he struck his foe with a blow of crushing power, but the latter also struck with a fist reinforced with various quirks. The wave from the collision of the two fists, was ten times more powerful than before.
- For I despise you. - he went on to say. - You killed all my supporters, and for this outrage you are called the Symbol of Peace. You stand at the top of society, on top of people's bodies. That's quite a view, isn't it?
- You're a hypocrite. You've killed thousands of people yourself. - I threw my fists at him, but he threw me backwards into the sky.
- I'm sorry, but if you think you can hold it together, you're wrong. There are other heroes here, along with the villagers who need help. So many worthless people desperate for your protection. - threw him a barb from the All for One.
- Shut up!' He grabbed All for One's arm with all his might. - All you can do is play and manipulate other people's lives like toys! You bastard! - he swung his fist, putting the rest of his strength into the blow. - Destroy! Steal! Manipulate! People in this world, just trying to live their lives, and you destroy all their work! That attitude.
- It's not gonna work. - I was about to unhook the hero from himself with my free hand, but I teleported in just in time to grab his arm.
- Kick him in the face! - I yelled.
- ...I can't forgive him! - I kicked him in the face, smashing his mask to pieces and knocking him into the ground, creating a small crater.
- You let your emotions get the better of you? - said the villain, showing his ugly face, devoid of most of the necessary facial components. And even so, he was still alive, but the Almighty's limit was already at its limit, half of his body gradually shriveling up. - I've heard something like that somewhere before...ah yes, from your mentor. Shimura Nana. For a hero with ideals and aspirations for the best, she was such a helpless, worthless weakling. Her death, a real disgrace to the hero.
- Don't you dare speak her name, you bastard! - The Almighty was furious, but the freak, once again, released a kinetic wave from his palm, throwing us back.
I wasn't far away, rolling on the ground a couple of times, but Toshinori flew high into the sky and almost hit the helicopter, but Gran Torino caught him and landed safely.
- Tomura has worked hard to shake my confidence, and all I have to do is put a stop to the here and now. - Standing amidst the rubble of buildings, he tensed both hands, apparently about to get serious.
- But did you know, Almighty, that I hate you as much as you hate me? I killed your teacher, but you also took something precious from me. So I want your death to be as ugly and disgusting as possible! - The muscles of the enemy on his arm inflated again, but now the inflated muscles were bigger, so the blow should be more powerful, he directed his palm towards the Almighty and Gran Torino, the old man flew away and Toshinori was going to dodge, but he saw the girl behind him in the rubble, so he was going to take the blow on himself.
- I won't allow it. - I lunged at the enemy, from the opposite side, but he extended a second, exactly the same arm.
I created as many barriers as I could in front of me, but I couldn't protect the Almighty. The kinetic wave was so strong that it broke through all the barriers I'd created, but since they absorbed most of the damage, it didn't hurt me much, just caught my armour and shattered it.
The aftermath of the impact was enormous, and if there were any buildings left untouched, it was now just one huge wasteland of rubble and debris. Gran Torino was hit only briefly, the old man fell to the wreckage exhausted. But in the place of the Almighty, all that remained was a haggard and exhausted man with an outstretched fist.
- What's with the sunken cheeks and eyes? A pitiful form, not the strongest hero. But don't be ashamed, it's your true form. - Mocked his enemy All for One, as the cameras from the helicopters filmed everything that happened here, and the whole world now saw the real Toshinori.
- My body may rot and become ugly, but even if the world sees it...my confidence will not fade! I'm still the Symbol of Peace! And you can't shake my will! - He clenched his bloody fist with unyielding confidence.
- Amazing...even with everything, you continue to persist. In that case, this news won't surprise you. - He raised his index finger. - Shigaraki Tomura, Shimura Nana's grandson. - He said something that even I didn't expect.
- ...Lies. - The Almighty didn't want to believe it.
- It's true, you know I never lie. - All for One put his fingers where his face used to have dimples. - What I'm wondering is, where did your smile go? Ha-ha-ha-ha!
- Almighty, don't listen to him. He wants to break you in front of all the people looking at you now. - I teleported over to him and hastily began to heal him. - I respect the Almighty as a strong man with an indomitable will, and I don't want to be disappointed in you before your time.
- Yes, you are right Mizuiro...There are so many things in the world that a hero must protect.... - Toshinori gathered all the strength in his right arm, causing it to regain its former pumped-up shape. - ...And that's why we won't lose!
- Huh? You still have enough strength left for just one punch, right? With or without the punk's support, I should be prepared. - The villain soared into the sky, but he was suddenly hit by a jet of fire, which of course did him no harm.
- What a sorry sight, Almighty!? - A disgruntled Prospector and the rest of the heroes, including Lady Mountain, Kasatka and Jins, who I had healed.
- Sure, there weren't the best specimens out there...but they'd already handled Nomu...what else would you expect from number two, though. - Spoke indifferently to All for One.
- Almighty... - Todoroki Sr. wrinkled his face, apparently realising that he had wasted his life and ruined it for his family. - WHAT A PATHETIC FORM!? - he shouted in a voice full of despair.
- What good timing. - I sarcastically remarked. - HELP THE PEOPLE IN THE RUBBLE PLEASE, AND WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THE FACELESS VILLAIN! - I loudly told them what I wanted them to do. And as my face was visible, many, including the Prospector, realised who was behind the vigilante's guise, and Todoroki was especially unhappy, for I had once beaten him.
They listened to me, and quickly led the men out of the wreckage, carrying those who were wounded on their backs.
- You have a lot of confidence, Tengu. - He used one more quirk, a shockwave was released from his body that swept all the heroes aside. - It's time to put the talking down, let's get down to reality. Your death. - the right arm of the All for One began to enlarge and add more elements. - Metal skeleton, four explosive, three reinforcing, multiplication, coupling, steaming, bone drill. - his arm grew to a huge size, with mutated flesh and flecks of metal, but in energy terms, it's got a lot of energy.
- I have assembled the most appropriate combination of quirks for the kill. I will crush you. - he said in a pathetic voice.
- Oh shit...I didn't want to use it, but now I have no choice. - A compartment in the armour's sternum opened up with a quirk accelerator and clicked on it. The device turned on and the armour gained an extra layer of protection. And now the accelerator, worked both as a power source and a mutation accelerator, so a bright blue light was emitted from under the armour.
Under the power of the Quirk Accelerator, I was equal in strength to the All for One, and now I would be able to kill him, if I didn't die first. If in the form of a phantom, I was amplified ten times, now the effect was twice as great, but the consequences should be more difficult.
'Warning. Critical state body mutation threshold.'
'Awakening (100%) [Unlocked. The Plus-Alpha mutation process has started.]
My body was abruptly pierced by a sharp pain, as if I was being gutted alive, but with a creak, I could still move.
- Bastard. - I clenched my fists in pain and tension.
- I'm not the only one full of surprises. - as the Almighty and Gran Torino stared at me.
- Almighty...we need to overpower him quickly...holding this form is unbearably painful. - I gritted my teeth.
- Don't get your hopes up. - All for One flew straight at the Almighty, intending to kill him with everything he had, and the latter prepared to attack him back.
- Heavenly Ram! - I teleported into the sky and swooped down on All for One, knocking him to the ground, causing a small earthquake, and began beating the freak rhythmically, aiming for the remains of his mask, with his breathing tubes almost intact.
He's not a helpless man, however, and soon hit me with a huge paw, and by inertia, I was swept far away in the direction of an entire city.
- Have you forgotten about me?! - The Almighty got close to him and with all his might struck the ugly face of the freak with his charged hand.
- Is that all? You weakling! - The villain's left arm also began to increase in size.
- I'm back, freak! - appeared from behind the portal, from the back of All for One and grabbed him, squeezing him in a vise so that he could not move from his seat. - Now Almighty! - I commanded Toshinori to take action.
- Sayonara...All for One. - he said his farewell words and, gathering all his strength for one last blow.
- United States of Smash!' the Almighty delivered a final blow to his enemy's head, driving his face into the ground. 'United States of Smash!' was the last and strongest of the Almighty's moves. The blow was incredibly powerful, so much so that it caused a giant tornado, forcing, helicopters to fly away from the epicentre of the battle.
- It's not over yet. - I teleported the exhausted Almighty a few hundred metres away, away from here, and then turned to the unconscious All for One. - Turns out I was wrong to be afraid. You're not scary at all, just a simple lowlife looking to satisfy his ambitions. Prepare to die. Prepare...for Celestial Annihilation! - I exclaimed, and the orbital cannon, took up a suitable position, and then unleashed a beam of energy, of colossal power, directly into All for One, and me, as I had to hold him down to prevent him from escaping his fate, perdition.
I had no fear for my life, even if I was wounded, the armour would take most of the damage.When a volley of sunlight burst from the sky, my enemy's body was vaporised, until even his bones were decayed, and the ground beneath us disappeared, becoming a huge crater in the middle of the city. I didn't die, because the Quirk Accelerator was absorbing energy from the beam, and I was absorbing energy from it, but I couldn't move.
I don't know how long it took before the volley of light stopped, but when it did, my armour simply collapsed, as did the quirk accelerator, and I fell to the ground, unconscious.