Chapter 4: I Need a Hero

Alright, so I'm going to rant about a few things before we dive back into the story.

First of all, I am not going to rewrite this story AGAIN just because one person out of over a thousand is unsatisfied with what I have so far. This story is only three chapters…you have NO idea what I have planned for Ichigo. I understand that having him use his Fullbring powers would have made him more equal in strength to the rest of the MHA characters, but I wanted to challenge myself in going with a different approach.

Yes, I am aware that he is vastly more powerful than everyone in the MHA universe (save for possibly All Might at his full power and All For One). And no, I am not implying that All Might or One For All are his equals in strength; I'm just saying that they could put up a somewhat decent fight.

Yes, I am also aware that fight scenes will become boring if Ichigo simply continues to win without much effort.

It blows my mind that some people can be so judgmental of this story when I've only published three damn chapters. I have MANY things already planned out for this, and I have already prepared multiple scenarios where your concerns will be addressed. For the love of all that is holy, please learn the virtue of patience!

I hate to come across as angry and frustrated, but when people send me high and mighty reviews that don't even allow me the courtesy of a response link, I will post my replies to them here. Your 'criticisms' don't come across as well-meaning and constructive. They honestly seem more condescending and belittling than anything else.

To be frank, I couldn't care less what your opinion is. I enjoy writing this story, and several hundred people appear to enjoy reading it as well.

And, just for the sake of that one Guest Reviewer, I will say that if you'd even bothered to read my Author's Notes in the VERY FIRST CHAPTER, you would know that this story does NOT take place after the Thousand Year Blood War Arc. Instead, it begins almost right after Ichigo gets his Soul Reaper powers back during the Fullbring Arc.

Guess what that means? He doesn't even know who Yhwach is at this point, and is considerably less powerful than he is at the time of the Quincy King's defeat.

Now then, I was also recently informed that another author has quite literally been copying this story and editing a few things here and there before passing it off as his own work. As I hope you can understand, this has also contributed to my frustration. Not only is plagiarism ILLEGAL, but it is also just morally unacceptable. I do not claim to own My Hero Academia or Bleach, but the idea of this story is still my own.

Thankfully, I managed to convince this other author to edit his story considerably. However, just in case he is reading this, I will say that I will continue to monitor his work just in case he decides to revert back to copying me.

AlucardsBro OUT!

There were many things that got on Ichigo's nerves…

For example, he hated it when Kon acted like a lecherous pervert.

He also got thoroughly annoyed when Nel accidentally drooled on him.

Still, he liked to think that over the years he had gradually learned to better control his temper. That being said, he would still admit that there were several things that could drive him up the wall. As it turned out, dodging fire blasts thrown in his direction by a relentless maniac was one of these things…

"STAND STILL!" Endeavor roared angrily, sending another searing stream of flame in the orange-head's direction. The beginning of their fight had quickly proven to Ichigo that although the Number Two Hero was exceptionally powerful by this world's standards, he was still no match for someone of his own level.

Well… to be fair… Todoroki was making him break a slight sweat, but that was only due to the rolling waves of heat he was giving off. Spiritual Energy protected him from taking a lot of physical damage, sure, but that didn't mean it kept him from feeling intense hot or cold temperatures..

Letting out a sigh, the Substitute flipped over another blast of flame and fixed his opponent with a rather flat expression. However, due to the fact that he was still wearing his Hollow mask, he doubted Endeavor was aware of his visible annoyance. "You do realize that this is pointless, right? I can do this all night…"

"Shut the hell up!" Endeavor snarled, lowering his arm and fixing Ichigo with a furious expression. "I'm not going to quit until you learn your place! I don't care if you were able to stand up to All Might, you're still just a common thug who needs to learn where you fit in the pecking order!"

Still frowning, Ichigo cocked his head to the side slightly. "So, you're only doing this out of some misplaced sense of pride? You don't care about bringing me in like everyone else?"

"Of course I do," the Flame Hero snorted, igniting his fists once again. "I'll be more than happy to take you in, but only after I beat you black and blue."

"Better men than you have tried…"

"Are you calling me weak, boy?!"

"Not really. I'll admit that you aren't quite enough to put me in the dirt, but I'll still give credit where credit is due. Your determination and fighting style are admirable, but just because you're a good fighter, it doesn't mean you're a good hero."

"I think my track record would beg to differ," Endeavor growled.

"Maybe; but, I'm willing to bet that your family wouldn't," Ichigo shot back coldly. His earlier talk with Fuyumi had already ensured that his opinion of the man standing across from him was low to begin with, but now that he'd seen Endeavor's arrogance firsthand, he found himself despising him even more.

The redheaded Hero's eyes widened in a moment of shock and surprise, before his face contorted once again into unyielding rage. Letting out a furious roar, he raised both hands and sent a stream of fire at Ichigo that was hot enough to turn the surrounding sand to glass.

Ichigo merely raised Zangetsu over his head, before swiping it downward and dissipating the attack racing towards him with the blast of wind his action produced.

"Face it asshole, you aren't going to be able to beat me…" the Substitute growled.

"SHUT UP!" Endeavor roared. Flames exploded beneath the bearded man's feet, rocketing him across the construction site directly toward Ichigo. Cocking a fist back, the Number Two Hero released an almighty cry of rage, before igniting his fist and sending it screaming towards the orange-head's face.

Ichigo didn't even bother to move. This little back and forth game of theirs was really starting to grow tiresome. If he wanted to end this 'fight' before things got out of hand, he would need to prove to Endeavor just how fruitless his actions were. The older man's flaming fist slammed into his left cheek with the force of a semi-truck. The force of the impact kicked up an enormous dust cloud, and shockwaves billowed along the ground. The foundations of the halfway constructed building surrounding them creaked and groaned against the buffeting winds, yet surprisingly, everything remained standing.

Ichigo's face was engulfed in a fireball, and Endeavor let out a bellowing victory laugh. "HA! Ha, ha, ha! I did it! You see that, you snot-nosed little punk? What do you have…to…say….now…?"

The older man trailed of, voice laden with absolute disbelief. His blue eyes, once filled with unyielding rage and determination, grew wide in shock as he beheld the sight in front of him. As the flames roaring around Ichigo's face died down, it quickly became apparent that the attack had most certainly not had the desired effect…

The Substitute Soul Reaper had barely moved. Endeavor's fist, still pressed against his mask, had only served to slightly turn his head to the right. And, despite all of the power the orange-head knew the redhead had put into the blow, he only felt the tinniest of cracks form on his mask's cheek.

Slowly, he reached up to grip Endeavor's wrist. The older man was still in far too much shock to retaliate, making the movement all the easier. Removing the blue-eyed man's fist from the side of his face, Ichigo raised his other hand and clenched it tightly into a fist of his own.

"Now it's my turn…"

If Endeavor's punch had been delivered with the force of a speeding truck, then Ichigo's was done so with the speed and power of a meteorite.

His fist crashed into the older man's face, and the force generated by the blow immediately snuffed out all of the flames in the area. The scaffolding around them shattered into thousands of tiny metal shards, and the ground beneath them cratered inward. Everything grew still and silent in that single moment, and the two men briefly made eye contact.

That was all it took for Ichigo's hopes to be confirmed.

Enji Todoroki finally understood…

The silence that had encompassed the world finally ended, and Endeavor was sent flying though the air. A trail of blood exploded from his mouth, and his eyes glassed over as he was launched from the construction site. The Number Two Hero crashed into the side of a nearby skyscraper, but his momentum continued to propel him clean through the building. He smashed through another structure, before finally falling back down to earth in a broken and bruised heap.

Although he'd fallen out of sight, Ichigo was fairly certain he'd crashed down somewhere near the park.

"I didn't mean to hit him that hard…." the orange-head mumbled to himself, wincing slightly. His opinion of Endeavor was definitely extremely low, but he hadn't wanted to cause any lasting physical damage to the guy.

Releasing a tired sigh, the orange-head used a quick burst of Flash Step to relocate to a nearby rooftop. As he extended his senses, it quickly became apparent that Rumi had already long-since vacated the area. That was good. He could also sense that several low energy signatures were speeding towards the point of Endeavor's impact. If he had to guess, he would say it was probably the authorities. Their reaction time was more than a little impressive, but then again, he supposed it wouldn't take much to notice a flaming, man-shaped projectile slamming into the ground in the middle of one of the most well-visited recreational parks in the city.

Swiping a hand across his face, Ichigo dismissed his mask. His battle with Todoroki, if one could even really call it that, hadn't tired him out to any significant degree, but there was still a very light layer of sweat coating his body. He desperately needed a shower. Besides, it was also pretty damn late, and he would no doubt receive a very thorough tongue-lashing from Yoshimura come the morning for staying out so long.

At this point, though? At this point, Ichigo was far too tired to care about that at the moment.

He'd just be satisfied with falling face-first onto the couch back at the café…

Disappearing in a shower of static, he quickly found himself back in front of his current place of residence. Reaching up one of his sleeves, he gripped his Combat Pass and reverted back into his human body.

As he entered the building, Ichigo was instantly taken aback by how quiet it was. Even this late, he could usually hear something coming form upstairs, be it the television, radio, of just Ymir screaming into her phone.

"Yoshimura! Ymir! You guys here? I'm home!"

No response…

Frowning, the orange-head ascended the staircase leading up into their shared apartment. The door was already unlocked, and as soon as he opened it, his immediate concerns were waved away. Both of his housemates were sitting on the couch, eyes glued to the TV. Releasing a worried breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, Ichigo scowled and stepped forward.

"Hey, did you guys hear me?" he grumbled, moving into the living room.

Ymir and Yoshimura merely continued to stare at the TV. The longer he looked at them, the more it became apparent that their faces were contorted into expressions of horror.

Ichigo's fear quickly returned. Moving quick as lighting, he came to a stop next to the couch, shaking their shoulders worriedly. "Hey! What's wrong?! Are you guys okay?"

Ymir raised a shaky hand, pointing a single finger at the screen.

The Substitute's eyes followed her direction. Finally, to his own disbelief, he saw the source of their horror with his own eyes…

The television had been turned to a news report, and the camera was focussed on a very familiar figure laying on the ground in a pool of red.

It was All Might…and the entire left side of his lower abdomen was covered in blood.

"What's going on…?" Ichigo asked, eyes still fixed on the screen.

Yoshimura swallowed thickly. "A report came in, saying there was an attack on an oil rig just off the main coast. All Might…he did a brief interview, before charging right in to begin rescuing the workers trapped out there. But then, he showed up…"

"Who?"

The older man's eyes hardened. "I'm not entirely sure. It was a masked man, and somehow he began to completely dominate All Might of all people in a battle of brute strength. Something like that is completely unheard of."

Ymir continued to shake. "H-He's killing him…"

Ichigo scowled. "No he won't…"

Reaching into his jacket for the second time in only a few minutes, he once again brought out his Combat Pass. However, before he could ever raise the medallion to his chest and initiate the transformation into his Soul Form, a brutal slap to his left cheek snapped his head to the side. His eyes widened in surprise, and he idly registered hearing Yoshimura call out Ymir's name in admonishment.

Slowly, he turned to face the young woman herself.

Her chest heaved in ragged breaths, and the corners of her eyes began to prickle with unshed tears.

"No," she snarled.

"W-Wha…?"

"I said NO!" the brunette roared, leaning into this personal space and roughly gripping a handful of his shirt. "I know what you're thinking, but you can be damn fucking sure it ain't gonna happen!"

Ichigo's eyes softened as realization dawned on him. "Ymir…"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I refuse to let you go and pull some half-assed stunt that will end up getting you killed! Did you even see what that guy did to All might?! ALL MIGHT! If he can't beat that monster, what makes you think you even stand a chance?!"

Gently, the orange-head reached up to pull her hand away. Her grip was strong, but he still managed somehow. "If I do nothing…it would be just as bad as condemning All Might to death. Besides, there are still other people trapped on the rig, right?"

"Well yeah, but-"

"I can't just sit here and watch…" he continued. "Besides, I think I'm more powerful than you give me credit for."

"But what if you're wrong?" Ymir pleaded desperately. "What if you can't win?"

"If I can't win?" Ichigo parroted. "Then I'll just rescue the civilians and get out as fast as possible. I'll definitely try to stand and fight, but if this turns out to be something I can't hope to win, I'm not about to risk throwing my life away. I'll be careful, don't worry."

"You'd better be," the brunette snarled. "If you aren't here in time for breakfast, I'll track you down and beat your ass to Tuesday and back, got it?!"

"Got it," the orange-head smiled.

Raising his Combat Pass to his chest, he immediately welcomed the familiar sensation of being transferred into his Soul Form. Black robes manifested in place of his usual jacket and jeans, with wooden sandals replacing his sneakers. The weight of Zangetsu rested along the Substitute's back, heavy and comforting.

He smirked confidently, meeting Ymir's still worried eyes.

Time to kick some ass.

Things were…certainly not going as planned…

Fires roared across the good majority of the oil rig, getting dangerously close to where the extremely flammable material was stored. If the inferno reached the storage tanks, they would all be done for.

Gritting his teeth, Toshinori Yagi placed a hand against his wound, intent on applying enough pressure to at least stop the bleeding. The fire in his soul, which had previously burned in the hopes of saving everyone aboard the rig, was now replaced with a roaring desire to put down the man approaching him once and for all. The man who had killed his master, and had the gall to laugh while doing it.

All For One…

Trouble was, Toshinori was fairly certain several of his internal organs had been completely destroyed by the Villain's last attack. Even if he managed to survive this battle, it was unlikely he would ever be able to use his full strength ever again…

But, as the Symbol of Peace, he could not afford to look weak in the eyes of the masses, even for a moment.

With that being the case, his blue eyes burned in a reignited fury. He could not…no…he would not lose! He refused to lay down and die while the monster of a man in front of him continued to torment the populace!

"Well now, I must say you aren't looking too good, All Might," the masked Villain taunted. "You are bleeding profusely, and I sincerely doubt you will be able to stop me in your current condition. But then again, you still have civilians to save, do you not? If I know you like I know I do, you won't rest until you've saved the day and sent all of these people on their happy little way."

"You're damn right…" Toshinori growled, slowly and shakily rising to his feet for what felt like the hundredth time. "Besides, how could I ever rest knowing that you'd still be here to cause untold destruction?"

"It's funny you should say that…" All For One chuckled, clear amusement permeating his tone. "There was a time when someone else said the exact same thing to me. Someone we both knew very well. I'm sure you're aware of who I'm referring to?"

All Might's expression morphed into an enraged snarl. "Don't you dare talk about her!"

Ignoring the Number One Hero's outburst, All For One continued with his taunt. "But then again, we all know how that scenario played out. I wonder…will you scream as loudly as your master did when I kill you too?"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

Power surged through Toshinori's body, and the blond man focussed all of it into his muscular legs. He used that power to blast forward, sending enormous sheets of metal flying through the air as if they were made of mere paper. The flames surrounding him were snuffed out instantaneously by the force of his movement alone, and the Symbol of Peace let out another roar as he flew towards All For One.

The Villain sidestepped his attack in a almost bored fashion. As All Might flew past him, All For One lashed out with a single leg and kicked the Hero in the middle of his back with enough force to shake the entirety of the oil rig. The sea below them roared against the winds generated by the impact, and All Might let out an agonized cry as he crashed back down against the deck.

"Come now, Toshinori," All For One said, as if speaking to a petulant child, "let us end this meaningless scuffle. It is over. I have won, and you have failed. I realize that this may be hard to accept, but the truth is often difficult to deal with, isn't it?"

The only reply he received was in the form of All Might's left foot lashing out and impacting him in the stomach. Letting out a surprised cry of his own, All For One flew back into the rig's observation tower, igniting yet another massive explosion. A column of smoke rose from the origin of the impact, and a rain of flaming embers was cast down onto the sea below.

Pushing himself to his hands and knees, All Might grunted in pain as he felt something inside of him give way. Hacking up an unhealthy amount of blood, the blond Hero weakly turned his head in a daze, eyes landing on a group of workers who were still trapped under several superheated support beams.

"Help us!"

"Save us, All Might!

"Please, I have a family!"

"You can do it, All Might!"

"YOU CAN DO IT!"

Gritting his teeth, Toshinori raised a hand and wiped the blood from his mouth. Ignoring the immense pain flooding the entirety of his body, the Number One Hero carefully raised himself back to his feet. "W-Worry not…because I. AM. HERE!"

"How annoying!"

Whirling around towards the source of voice, Toshinori raised his arms just in time to block a blast of super-condensed air. If such an attack had hit him in the face, there was no doubt in his mind that he would've been blinded…

All For One snarled as he pulled himself out of the burning rubble. "Why do you continue this pointless struggle? Don't you understand?! I am already victorious! Even now, your body continues to deteriorate. What is the point in continuing to rise back up every time I knock you off your feet?!"

All Might chuckled, grimacing briefly as he coughed up even more blood. Uncaring of the pain he was in, the Number One Hero continued to stand tall. He had to, in order to let the people in danger know there was nothing to be afraid of. As long as life continued to flow through him, there was nothing on this Earth that could keep him down for long.

"I suppose a Villain such as yourself wouldn't understand," he smirked challengingly. "It is a Hero's sacred duty to preserve life, even at the cost of their own. That is why…why I will continue to fight until the very last breath has been drawn from my body! There is nothing you can say or do that will EVER shake my resolve!"

"I see.." All For One scoffed. "Then it seems I will simply have to prove to you how useless that ideology will be once you're dead and gone."

Letting out a roar powerful enough to send shockwaves emanating across the entirety of the rig, All For One's left first was engulfed in a swirling inferno of amethyst fire. His right hand condensed and hardened into a material visually reminiscent of diamond. His musculature increased dramatically as well, body raising in height until he was at least twelve feet tall.

Responding to the Villain's war cry with one of equal power, Toshinori focussed all of the power his Quirk granted him into his right arm. Every vein in the aforementioned limb glowed with the power of One for All.

"Detroit…"

"It's over!" All For One snarled, moving forward with a speed that would put every bullet train on the planet to absolute shame. "This is where you will die, All Might! Just like your pathetic excuse of a master before you!"

Toshinori's blue eyes hummed with the fire burning in his soul, and he met the Villain head on.

"…SMAAAAASH!"

The world fell silent as their attacks collided, before a reverberating shockwave shook everything within the span of five miles. At the last moment before All For One's blow could land, All Might ducked under the Villain's diamond-encrusted fist. He was left completely unscathed, save for a mild scratch along the length of his forehead.

All For One himself was not so lucky…

Toshinori's fist impacted him directly in the nose, completely destroying his helmet. The Detroit Smash was powerful enough to render entire mountainsides to rubble, and with that being the case, every single bone in the Villain's face was utterly destroyed.

"Graaaaaah!" the wounded man cried out in agony, backing up several paces to clutch as his grievous injury. The glass that had once composed the faceplate of his helmet was now embedded in his skin, as well as his eyes.

Toshinori, ever the opportunist, took his opponent's moment of blindness to deliver yet another powerful punch, this time to the stomach. All For One was once again sent flying across the rig, smashing into a flaming pile of ruined machinery. With the Villain out of the way momentarily, the blond Hero turned back to the group of trapped workers. As he approached, they continued to stare at him in absolute awe.

"Come on, there's no time to waste!" All Might declared, using what remained of his immense strength to lift the metal beams pinning them to the deck. "Let's get you all out of here!"

The shaken men and women rushed to their feet, before running as a group towards the remaining life boats. Toshinori ushered them along, his eyes continuing to scan the flames for any other possible stragglers. As the workers loaded into the boats, one of the last few to board turned around, presumably to thank him. Instead, the woman's eyes widened in terror, and she pointed at something behind the Hero. "Look out!"

The blond whirled around, raising his fists yet again. Unfortunately for him, his reaction time proved to be just a second too slow…

A fist crashed into All Might's cheek, and he was propelled downward into the lower levels of the flaming rig, igniting even more roaring explosions.

All For One panted raggedly, his once pristine suit torn and ripped in various places. His body itself was bruised and burned all over, but much to the horror of the deck crew, those wounds slowly appeared to be healing. The damage to his face, however, seemed to be beyond whatever power he possessed that allowed him to recover.

"What an irritating man…" the Villain huffed, glaring at the civilians through the blood pouring over his eyes. "Wouldn't you all agree? I wonder how strongly his resolve will hold once I eliminate that which he holds so dear…"

Raising a hand, which began to crackle with black lightning, the wounded man aimed his attack at the defenseless group of workers. They all cried out in terror, and huddled together in reluctant acceptance of their fate.

All for One smiled sickeningly in victory.

However, just as he prepared to fire to energy coating his fist, the sky above the rig was illuminated in a brilliant blue glow. Arching a brow in curiosity, the Villain raise his gaze to the heavens, intent on finding out who else had decided to interrupt his fun.

It couldn't be Toshinori.

That buffoon was still several levels below…

Whoever it was, he would annihilate them for daring to meddle in his affairs.

To All For One's shock, though, the light above continued to grow and grow in intensity. A crescent of blue energy suddenly broke though the cloud cover, and the shockwave it left behind cleared the night sky of every cloud for miles around. The wave of energy continued to scream down through the sky, but just as it neared the rig, it inexplicably dissipated.

"If I had to guess, I'd say you're the guy responsible for all of this…"

Whirling around towards the source fo the sudden voice, All for One scowled upon seeing a young man garbed in robes of black standing several feet away from him. An enormous blade in the shape of a cleaver rested across the orange-haired youth's shoulders, and the boy himself fixed the semi-wounded Villain with a throughly unimpressed expression.

"You assume correctly," All For One replied curtly, straightening his posture and clasping his hands behind his back. "And just who, may I ask, are you?"

The orange-head tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "You don't watch the news very often, do you…?"

"Not as much as I'd like to, I'm afraid. My plans require far too much attention. I simply cannot afford to find a single moment of relaxation."

"Yeah well, people call me Zangetsu."

"Zangetsu, hmm? Zangetsu, Zangetsu…where have I heard that name before? Ah yes! You're a fairly recent addition to the Hero scene, aren't you?" All For One taunted sarcastically.

The young man across from him shrugged. "I'm not really an official Hero. I just do whatever I feel is right. A lot of people seem to think I'm some kind of vigilante, though."

All For One shook his head regretfully. "That must be quite disappointing, eh? You risk your life to protect people, and yet are still branded as an enemy to the Hero Association."

"I don't care what people think of me. I just try to do what's right."

"How noble…" the Villain spat.

In the blink of an eye, the larger man surged forward and cocked his left arm back to deliver a mountain-shattering blow. Three metal blades erupted from his knuckles, and All For One let out an enraged roar as he prepared to kill the orange-haired brat. The boy himself didn't appear concerned in the slightest. Just before the wounded man's blades could tear into his flesh, the orange-head reacted faster than anticipated and brought his massive sword between them, deflecting the incoming attack.

This continued for several more minutes, with both combatants attacking and defending against each other as they blitzed across the entirety of the rig. Their movements increased to speeds no normal human could ever hope to keep up with, let alone track with their eyes.

"Very impressive!" All For One sneered as he blocked a slice aimed at his throat. "Your power is admittedly exceptional for someone so young."

"Shove it up your ass," the orange-haired swordsman retorted, flipping over a kick meant to shatter his ribcage. "I've face plenty of maniacs just like you before, and I really doubt you'll end up being the last."

"I assure you, boy…" the Villain grinned, "…you have never met anyone like me."

In a flash of motion, All For One's left hand clasped around the young man's throat. The boy's brown eyes widened in shock.

"How did you…?!"

"Did you honestly think I was using my full speed, child?" the older man snarled. Energy began to crackle along his left arm, and waves of power started to seep from the orange-head and into himself. "You are strong, that much is clear. I don't know where you came from, but I don't particularly care. You should feel honored, though; I've deemed your Quirk worthy enough to be added to my personal collection!"

The young swordsman cried out in agony as his energy continued to be absorbed.

It was a pain unlike anything he could describe.

Ichigo had fought much stronger opponents, there was no doubt about that, but the man holding him up by the throat had caught him by surprise. The bastard had intentionally deceived him into lowering his guard by holding back his full speed, then blindsided him before he could properly react.

That wasn't the bad part, though.

The bad part was that he could feel his Spiritual Energy decreasing with every passing second. This asshole was somehow draining his power away! How was that even possible?! How could anyone in this world, populated by people so much weaker than him, have the ability to take away his Spiritual Energy?!

Interestingly enough, though, it didn't feel like the power was actually going anywhere. Ichigo's sensory abilities, though rapidly decreasing, still allowed him to feel that the Spiritual Energy being drained away was simply being redirected into the air around them, before dissipating entirely.

Apparently, the guy holding him up was quickly becoming aware of this too…

"What…what is happening?!" the bastard exclaimed, confusion and anger permeating his tone. "The power…why can't I take it? How are you doing this?!"

"I…ain't doing…anything…" Ichigo rasped as the grip around his throat tightened. "Don't feel too bad, though…plenty of men have performance issues…every now and then…"

A fist lodged itself in his stomach, and his weakened defenses ensured that he most certainly felt the force behind the blow.

"I can feel the process working! The energy is leaving your body, but it won't enter my own…" the Villain snarled, whirling around and slamming Ichigo against a heavily damaged wall. "It is as if your power refuses to be wielded by another."

Heh, that was probably more accurate than they man relaized…

Old Man Zangetsu and his Inner Hollow, as silent as they'd been for the past few days, were undoubtedly responsible as to why the bastard couldn't take his powers. They were reflections of Ichigo's very soul, and as such, it stood to reason that they would be pretty irked about having someone other than himself attempting to call the shots.

They obviously couldn't stop his strength from being drained, but they could at least ensure that it flowed somewhere other than into this scar-faced son of a bitch.

Roaring in fury, Ichigo called forth what remained of his Spiritual Energy and allowed it to flow into his Zanpakutō. The enormous blade was still wedged between them, meaning that what came next would have plenty of effect.

The Villain pinning the orange-head to the wall bared his teeth. "What are you doing now?"

"Getsuga…"

All For One's eyes widened in realization.

"…TENSHŌ!"

The crescent of Spiritual Power hit point blank, and the world around them was engulfed in a blue inferno. His powers may have been severely weakened, but Ichigo could tell that he was still more than strong enough to finish this fight.

The pure might of his attack eclipsed the moon itself, and All For One screamed in utter agony as his flesh popped and sizzled under the intense maelstrom of energy. His healing Quirk, as powerful as it was, was utterly helpless to repair the irreversible damage being done to his body. Searing burns spread across his shoulders and upper chest, and the upper half of his face burned away into an unrecognizable mass of flesh.

The last thing the Villain saw before blindness claimed him was Ichigo himself, standing tall and fearless. The orange-head's Shihakusho billowed harshly in the wind generated by the Getsuga Tenshō.

With his opponent finally lapsing into unconsciousness, Ichigo let out a relieved sigh and fell to his knees. By his own personal estimate, his powers had been nearly halved. Not quite, but almost. That still easily made him more powerful that the good majority of the people on the planet…

Falling back on his ass, the orange-head turned his gaze skyward and let out a tired sigh.

With his adrenaline gone, combined with the forced removal of a good portion of his powers, Ichigo's exhaustion finally caught up to him with a vengeance. His earlier encounter with Endeavor hadn't been much of a struggle, but he'd already been mentally tired throughout the entirety of that meeting. Now, though? Now his physical exhaustion brought a heavy weight to his muscles.

How wonderful it would be to close his eyes, even if only for a moment…

As the realm of sleep finally claimed him as well, Ichigo idly heard the sound of shifting metal at the edge of his senses.

(The Following Morning)

When he awoke, he found himself surrounded by white.

Oh shit, was he dead…?

No…no that couldn't be right. He knew what it felt like to die, at least back in his own world, and this didn't feel anything like that. Unbearable soreness still had a firm hold of his entire body, and simply raising his head felt comparable to fighting Grimmjow and Kenpachi simultaneously.

As he finally got a better look at his surroundings, it quickly became apparent that Ichigo was in a hospital. To be more specific, he was in a hospital bed. A large window took up the majority of the wall to his left, giving him a clear view of the world outside. The sky was a bright blue, and birdsong carried through the glass.

"You're awake…that's good."

Oh great. Now what?

Ichigo attempted to push himself up into a sitting position, but the action brought with it an immense pain, forcing him to wince and close his eyes. A firm weight settled on his shoulders, gently pushing him back down onto the bed.

When the orange-head opened his eyes again a second later, he was met with a face he definitely hadn't expected to see in person again so soon.

"All Might…?"

The blond man chuckled, lowering himself back down into his chair, which was positioned on the right side of Ichigo's bed. A patchwork of numerous bandages crisscrossed over his muscular body, making it immediately clear that he too had seen far better days. "It's good to see that you remember me, Zangetsu. Or should I call you Ichigo?" The Substitute tensed at the use of his real name, but All Might held up a hand in a calming fashion. "Don't worry, I hold no ill will against you for our previous encounter. In fact, I am incredibly grateful to you. If you hadn't shown up last night when you did, the workers aboard that oil rig would have undoubtedly perished."

Ichigo relaxed slightly. "So…everyone made it out alive, then?"

All Might nodded in confirmation. "Indeed they did, and All For One was also brought into custody by the authorities. He won't be causing any more trouble for the foreseeable future."

"All For One..?"

"The Villain you fought against. The news helicopter patrolling the sky around the rig recorded the entire encounter. I must say, young man, your tenacity in battle is nothing short of incredible. That fiend has been a thorn in my side for quite some time…it was good to see him finally get what's been coming to him."

It was clear that there was more to that story, but if All Might didn't want to divulge any more of what was obviously personal information, then Ichigo wasn't going to push him. He wasn't in any condition to do so, anyway. However, something the Pro Hero said finally clicked into place within his brain….

"Wait, you said there was a news chopper filming everything?"

All Might nodded. "That's correct."

Ichigo grimaced. "That means everyone watching the broadcast knows what I look like…"

The older man leaned back in his chair. "That they do. That being said, the Hero Association was also quick to deduce the identity of your companion from the other day. Am I correct in assuming that Jötunn is one Ymir Fritz?"

"If you people lay so much as a finger on her…" Ichigo snarled.

"Calm yourself, young man. As I said, I am currently indebted to you. Your actions on the rig made it abundantly clear that all you seek is to help those in need, despite what the media has claimed about you thus far," All Might praised. "That being the case, I spoke with several members of the Hero Association's board of directors last night over the matter of giving you a full pardon."

The orange-head blinked.

Well then. Having Japan's favorite Hero speak on his behalf would likely give his case a buttload of support.

"And…what did they say?"

"They agreed. All For One has been a major threat to the populace for quite some time, so your victory over him has improved your reputation significantly in the eyes of many individuals. In fact, it was suggested by several other Pro Heroes in attendance of the meeting that you be given a provisional Hero License."

WHAT?!

Seemingly sensing the younger man's confusion, All Might chuckled. "Of course, you would have to take a series of tests and classes in order to receive your official documents, but a provisional license would still allow you to continue patrolling the city. If you get involved in any kind of an incident with a Villain, all you'll have to do is get a Pro Hero to sign off on your assistance."

"Why go to all this trouble?" Ichigo asked, brow furrowing. "A lot of people in the community think I'm some kind of rogue vigilante. Why risk your own reputation to help improve mine?"

All Might shook his head. "You really should have more faith in people, my boy. The entire nation of Japan watched you protect those civilians on the oil rig last night. People all over the country have realized you were willing to give your life in order to protect the innocent. You're something of a celebrity, now."

"A celebrity?!"

The blond Hero laughed loudly, gesturing to the foot of Ichigo's bed.

The orange-head turned in the indicated direction, his eyes widening in surprise as they landed on a literal mountain of flowers and cards. How the hell had he not noticed that?!

"These letters have been coming in all night and morning," All Might informed him. "Most are get well letters, but there is a decent amount of fan mail in there too."

"How the hell am I gonna read all that?!" the Substitute cried.

"I'm sure you'll manage," the Number One Hero chuckled, pushing out his chair and standing up. Oddly enough, Ichigo noticed he seemed shorter that usual. "Well, I just wanted to inform you of everything that happened while you were unconscious. I'll leave you to get your rest now."

With that, the older man exited the room, leaving Ichigo alone.

Closing this eyes, he breathed deeply and extended his senses. When he'd first arrived in this world, he could easily detect everything within the city limits. But now, after whatever All For One had tried to do to him, his range had been limited to just over half that distance. His strength also felt like it had been sapped significantly, but that by no means meant he was weak. In fact, by his own estimate, he was still likely one of the most powerful living things on the planet.

The gap in power between himself and everyone else had simply decreased. That was fine, though; he could work with that. He'd fought against incredible odds before, and this time would likely be no different.

'Your optimism is truly admirable, Ichigo,' a familiar voice spoke up within his mind.

The orange-head's eyes widened. "Old Man Zangetsu?!"

'Indeed. I apologize for having been silent for so long, but much like you, I have been spending my time learning about this new world.'

"You couldn't have helped me fight against that asshole last night?" he snarled.

'Oh, but we did help you. We made certain that your Spiritual Energy was redirected into the surrounding air, instead of absorbed into that All For One character. Although, if my calculations are correct, he likely would not have even been able to handle your massive power.'

"Then why not try and stop him from taking any of my power at all?"

'The process itself was unfortunately something that could not be prevented. The choices were to either risk All For One potentially absorbing your abilities, or force the power he was attempting to drain into the atmosphere. As I said, I doubt he could have physically controlled the power of a Soul Reaper, but the potential risk was too high. If All For One HAD been able to take your powers as he intended, no force on this planet would have been able to stand against him.'

"No, you…you made the right call. Thank you."

'Besides, it ain't like you can't still kick ass, Kingy,' his Inner Hollow snorted, finally electing to join the conversation as well. 'In fact, if you ever see that masked jackass again, I expect you to mash him into a bloody smear, ya hear?'

"And where have you been?" the orange-head snorted sarcastically.

His Hollow scoffed. 'Oh, you know, just relaxing. Taking some me-time. It ain't like I helped my parter avoid getting all of his Spiritual Energy taken away by a deranged lunatic, or anything like that.'

Ichigo released a frustrated sigh, before once more leaning back against the pillows of his hospital bed. If what his inner spirits said was true, then his own suspicions were confirmed. He was still immensely powerful…just not as powerful as before.

Well, it wasn't like he hadn't come out on top against far more powerful opponents before, right?

Grimmjow.

Kenpachi.

Ulquiorra.

Aizen.

All of them had been much stronger than him at one point or another, but he'd managed to find a way to beat them in the end. He sincerely doubted there was anyone in this new world that was as powerful as a Soul Reaper Captain or an Espada, but it still wouldn't hurt to be more cautious from now on. He still had people to protect, after all.

Closing his eyes, Ichigo allowed himself to drift off.

Throughout the Bleach storyline, it has been shown multiple times that Spiritual Energy can be taken away just as easily as it can be granted and restored. Kugo planned on absorbing Ichigo's powers at the end of the Fullbring Arc, so it isn't too much of a stretch to imagine that another significantly powerful being from another world could attempt to do the same.

Key word being 'attempt.'

All For One, from what I have personally gathered, is comparable in strength to most of the other Fullbringers. You are free to disagree, but he is still insanely powerful. That is not something that can be argued. And let's not forget, the scene I just depicted occurs before he was mortally wounded by All Might in the manga, which means he was far more powerful than he is even during the infamous 'United States of Smash' scene.

Even then, he and All Might were strong enough to level a good portion of the city.

I'd also like to issue the reminder that Ichigo is also not as powerful in this story as he is during the Thousand Year Blood-War Arc. This story takes place almost directly after the Fullbring Arc, and Ichigo's strength reflects that.

With all of this being said, I'm sure all of you Bleach fans will remember how much of a struggle Ichigo experienced during his fight against Kugo. And, since All For One is, in my opinion, of a similar strength to Ginjō, it isn't unreasonable to suggest that he would be able to catch Ichigo off guard at one point. And in a fight, one moment of surprise is all it can take to decide who the victor will be.

All For One wasn't able to absorb Ichigo's powers like he planned, but he was still able to drain some of them away. Old Man Zangetsu and Hichigo interfered in the transfer process, and made sure to redirect the energy somewhere else. Since they are visual representations of Ichigo's power, it stands to reason that they would be able to influence it even as it left his body.

There is no doubt in my mind that some of you will be angry or annoyed immensely with my decision. At this point, however, I just do not care. A lot of you have requested that I think of a reasonable way to make Ichigo more equal in strength to the rest of the MHA characters, and this was the best idea I could come up with. It makes sense, and Ichigo is still one of the most powerful characters in this story. That will not change. All that HAS changed is that the power gap between him and everyone else has become slightly smaller. He will have to actively try against stronger opponents, such as the Nomu and All For One, but most of the other Villains still pale in comparison.

Keep in mind though, that this story will not be dominated by fights. Power levels are not as important as the actual content of the plot. If I had to personally choose between focussing of outstanding fights and character development, I would pick character development all day long. That isn't to say fights aren't fun or a good way to progress the story, but if all you want is fight scenes, I suggest you go watch the actual anime.

If I sound angry or irritated, I am genuinely sorry. However, I hope that some of you can understand how irritating it is to receive constant messages attempting to tell me how to scale power levels. Genuine advice is MORE than welcome, but there have been plenty of stuck up people telling me that I have no idea what I'm doing, and that their personal opinion is comparable to the word of God himself.

Let me make myself perfectly clear to the people who are of such a mindset:

You have no idea how any of these fictional characters would be able to impact or influence one another if they were to actually meet. WOULD All For One actually be able to drain a portion of Ichigo's powers? I don't know, but that is the route that I have chosen to explore. Perhaps there is an alternate reality in which it wouldn't work, but this isn't that reality.

Also, please keep in mind that this is a fanfiction. I am not Tite Kubo, nor am I Kohei Horikoshi.

I am not perfect by any means, so I encourage you all to not hold me to the same standards as the professional authors. I am not as intimately familiar with their characters as they are, and as such, I am clueless as to their ultimate potential and ultimate weaknesses. All I do know is based off of what I've seen in the anime and manga as a fan and viewer. This story is just something I am doing for fun and personal enjoyment.

If you are so disgusted with my choice to have All For One decrease Ichigo's power level that you feel you can't continue reading this story, then I am sorry. I'm not going to change anything, though.

If you have sensible and rational questions, please feel free to send me a PM.

AlucardsBro OUT!