Toshinori's eyes darkened as he saw the red smoke rising from the ruined roof of the USJ. That force was One For All, though he hadn't expected his protege to have the proficiency to squeeze that much power out of it yet.
"Variable Mist means I can emit mist made from various compounds from my body, but I need to know the chemical formula for it to work."
"Young Midoriya." Toshinori mumbled under his breath.
"Toshinori, wait!"
Toshinori called on One For All, swelling into his muscle form faster than the blink of an eye, and sprinted towards the USJ, every footstep cracking the pavement.
I may be at my limit, but I'll just have to go beyond it.
That was the lesson Young Izuku taught me,
He was getting close to the entrance now, Toshinori could see the students fighting a group of villains just outside the doors.
"FEAR NOT! MISSOURI SMASH!"
Toshinori moved his right arm into a chopping position and swept through the villains, using his momentum to boost his waning strength.
"All Might!" Kirishima cheered, releasing the hardening in his arms and face.
Both the red-haired teen and Ashido were crying tears of relief.
"Young charges, my apologies I took this long to come to your aid, but take comfort, your fight is over now." Toshinori marched towards the USJ doors, his face grim, he couldn't muster the strength to smile. "My fight has begun."
Toshinori slammed the doors open with more force than needed, using the loud noise to attract attention, after all, many villains fled or surrendered at the mere sight of him.
"IT'S FINE NOW! BECAUSE I AM HERE!"
Grabbing his tie, a cheap blue one he bought in bulk, Toshinori ripped it clean from around his neck and tossed it away, followed by his suit jacket.
Continuing to walk, Toshinori stopped at the edge of the platform, the top of the stairs. Below him he saw the main plaza, Izuku in his ruined gym outfit, looking relatively unharmed, Asui and Mineta holding an unconscious Aizawa.
By the damaged fountain, water pooling in the bottom of a crater, were the villains. A pale man with a hand for a mask, another man, made entirely of mist, and the last was a hulking monster, taller, wider and more muscular than Toshinori had been, even in his prime.
A number of villains, fairly low down the food chain by the look of them, crowded at the bottom of the stairs.
"His presence, it's oppressive." A villain with patches of metal skin. "I've never seen him in the flesh before."
A large blue villain, with horns and a single eye, spoke. "Ihan, you idiot! We can't fucking back down now, we're here to kill him."
Stonehenge, parts of his rocky skin still cracked from his encounter with Aizawa, pushed past Syclops and Ihan. "All Might!"
Toshinori sighed, turning his gaze to the villain.
"You put me away, for six years!" Stonehenge flexed all four of his arms. "I'm here for revenge, this time I'll fucking kill-"
Toshinori surged forwards, moving faster than the villains could see or react to, slamming into them and coming to a halt at the side of Tsuyu, Mineta and Aizawa.
Crouching down, Toshinori checked his fellow teacher and pro hero, he was battered and bruised, a fresh scar under his right eye, but no major injuries.
"Midoriya, he healed Sensei, kero."
Toshinori nodded, Chiyo had told him about Izuku's use of One For All as a power source for the quirk he copied from the elderly nurse.
"Young Asui, Young Mineta, you've done so well." Toshinori managed a smile, the adrenaline pounding in his veins. "Allow me to continue your hard work."
Standing, Toshinori blasted forwards, grabbing Izuku and reversing his current momentum with a snap of his One For All-enhanced fingers. Placing the green-haired boy down besides his classmates, Toshinori rested a hand on his shoulder.
"I got your message, Young Midoriya." Toshinori didn't have to fake a smile this time, his heart swelled with pride. "Well done, and I'm sorry for doubting your quirk."
Izuku's calm demeanor broke, wiping away tears. "A-All Might, that monster, the Nomu, it has multiple quirks, Shock Absorption, Strength, Hyper Regeneration. Even at full power, I couldn't even make it flinch."
Toshinori caught the true meaning the green-haired boy was trying to convey.
This is All For One's doing.
"I understand, but for now, take Aizawa and head for the entrance." Toshinori struck a pose, peace sign over his right eye. "FEAR NOT!"
Whether this monster was made recently, or is just a relic of a dead man, it doesn't matter right now, protecting the students and Aizawa is my priority.
Near the fountain, Shigaraki was crawling around on all fours, running his hands across the concrete. "Father, Father, I'm so sorry, Father…"
His grip closed around his fallen hand, Shigaraki stood, staring down at the object in his hand.
"That's all it is, isn't it? Just state-sponsored violence." Shigaraki returned the hand to its proper place. "He's fast, too fast to keep up with, but still not as much as I expected. I guess Sensei was right, he really is getting weaker."
Toshinori formed an X with his arms, since his injury he'd had to retire his North and South Carolina Smashes, he simply didn't have the strength for them anymore.
"CAROLINA SMASH!"
Rocketing towards the Nomu, a shockwave either side of his path, Toshinori delivered a double chop to the beast's chest, it didn't even blink.
Seriously, I know Young Izuku said he had Shock Absorption, but no effect at all?!
Shigaraki sneered at the Number One Hero. "The brat told you already, Nomu can take anything you throw at it, you'd better off ripping him apart, if you can keep up with his regeneration that is."
Toshinori blocked a punch front the Nomu with one arm, before he spun on one foot, moving himself behind the monster.
"Thanks for the info, I appreciate it." Toshinori grabbed the monster around his waist and lifted it into the air. "This'll be a cinch."
Izuku was making his way back to the bottom of the main stairs, Aizawa's arm around his shoulder, Tsuyu had the other, Mineta taking up the rear, when All Might suplexed Nomu, a shockwave ripping through the USJ.
He turned, looking back.
"All Might's in a whole other league." Mineta had stopped to watch as well. "Turning a suplex into an explosion like that."
"At yet, as a teacher, he's such a rookie, with those cheat sheets of his." Tsuyu tilted her head. "Midori, are you sure you didn't copy All Might's quirk, they really do look similar now I've seen them up close."
Izuku just shook his head, he couldn't think of an excuse, his eyes locked on where All Might and the Nomu had been, now obscured by a dust cloud.
Something was wrong, Izuku could feel it.
That monster, it might really be able to kill him, but if I try to help him, I'll just get in his way. I'm stuck looking on, helpless.
Useless.
Deku.
I know I have to trust All Might, but I also know the truth. That exchange between Aizawa and Thirteen before the attack, the three fingers they held up.
All Might is already beyond his limit.
Tsuyu spoke. "I guess we were worried about nothing, that power…"
It didn't dispel the rotten feeling in the pit of Izuku's stomach.
The dust cleared, and Izuku's heart dropped, fear gripping it.
All Might was on his back, his arms slamming the Nomu down into the ground, except Kurogiri had opened a portal to underneath the No. 1 Hero. The Nomu's massive hand grabbed All Might's side, driving its fingers into where Izuku knew the man's devastating wound was.
All Might coughed, a small drip of blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. "It was a trap after all?"
Shigaraki slowly clapped. "Excellent timing, Kurogiri. So, did you really think that would work, All Might, driving him into the concrete and stopping him from moving, he's as strong or maybe even stronger than you."
Izuku reached a hand out. "All Might…"
He felt something grip his arm, it was Tsuyu.
"All Might told us to go, kero."
All Might grunted, trying to peel the Nomu's hands from around his torso. "I-Impressive, for first-timers, but this won't hold me."
"I can't say I'm fond of blood and guts in my void." Kurogiri said, as the Nomu pulled.
The monster began to drag the lower half of All Might's body through the swirling purple portal.
"But for you, I'll make an exception." Kurogiri's misty head flared, growing larger. "Killing you was never the Nomu's job, it's mine, the Nomu was just here to counter your strength and get you in the right place."
All Might coughed again, more blood coming from his mouth.
"My job is to close my portal at the right moment, thereby cutting you in two."
Izuku's mind whirled.
I have to do something.
"Mineta, help Asui, Tsuyu, with Aizawa in my place."
Izuku passed Aizawa to Mineta, his hands leaving the underground hero as he took a step forward, closer to the fight.
Mineta's eyes widened. "Mi-Midoriya, you can't-"
All Might, there's so much more I need you to teach me.
"I have to."
Izuku surged into motion, focusing on the feeling of One For All 100%, the feeling he'd felt during the ball throw test.
Don't let the egg break!
"Young Midoriya, don't-"
Izuku flicked his finger, it snapped, turning a light shade of purple, as a massive burst of wind blew through All Might and the villains, buffelting Kurogiri and knocking Shigaraki off his feet.
"DIE!"
Bakugo soared in, explosions powering his hovering, past All Might and the Nomu.
Releasing his quirk, Bakugo dropped with a yell, tackling Kurogiri to the ground, pressing his palm to the villain's collar, just as Izuku had done earlier.
"You slipped up." Bakugo leaned forward, speaking into where an average person would have an ear. "When you said 'that was a close one', you gave it away, you've got an actual body under all that misty crap."
"Impressive, your green-haired friend figured it out as well." Kurogiri didn't try to escape, the ten minutes he'd spent unable to move thanks to Izuku's explosion served as a warning.
"Oh, come on!" Bakugo raged, small explosions popping in the hand restraining Kurogiri. "Fuck it, if you do anything fishy, I'll blow you sky high!"
Izuku sucked in a breath as his finger healed, finished in just over ten seconds.
Kacchan had the warp villain under control, so Izuku had to free All Might.
Before Izuku could move, ice shot across the ground and up one of the Nomu's legs, encasing its entire right side, bar the head.
Izuku turned his head left, seeing Todoroki approaching from the direction of the Landslide Zone.
"Todoroki, make me a block of ice!"
Uraraka came into view, as Todoroki created a one meter square of ice.
Touching her fingertips to the ice, Uraraka removed its gravity and spun around, throwing it at Shigaraki. Moments before impact, Uraraka cancelled her quirk, returning the ice block's weight.
But it never hit, crumbled to dust by the five digits of Shigaraki's hand.
"FIRE!"
A cannonball shot from the distance, Shigaraki was so focused on defending himself against the block of ice from Uraraka that he was unable to stop the cannonball striking him in the side.
It exploded into black goo, covering the pale-haired villain and beginning to expand. Twisting his arms, Shigaraki placed his hand on the goo, decaying it, but it kept expanding, as fast as he could destroy it.
The smoke cleared, revealing Momo stood next to a cannon, Jiro and Kaminari at her side. On the other side of the cannon was Mikumo, with Tokoyami, Koda and Hagakure, Mikumo's gym jacket showing where she was.
A cable wrapped around Shigaraki's ankles, the pale man overbalanced and fell.
On Izuku's right, in the direction of the Downpour Zone, Hatsume lowered her SHTR gauntlet, a nauseous looking Aoyama on one side, and Iida supporting Ojiro on the other, his posture ramrod straight.
"Looks like your plan to kill us has gone shit sideways, doesn't it?" Bakugo shot a sadistic grin at the villains.
Toshinori gripped the Nomu's arm and pulled, freeing himself.
Young Todoroki, he managed to freeze just the monster, such precise control for someone his age.
Launching clear of the portal, Toshinori landed ten feet in front of Izuku, his back to him, facing the villains.
"Scum like you, could never kill the Symbol of Peace." Todoroki's face remained impassive, his voice betraying disgust and a hint of cold anger.
Holding his wound, Toshinori allowed time for his breathing to return to normal, before speaking.
"Stay back, young charges."
Shigaraki finished decaying the cable around his ankles, freeing himself. "Looks like you've pinned down our escape route, this could be annoying."
Bakugo sneered at Shigaraki, looking supremely smug.
"Tch, not only have you beaten our stage, but you've done it at full health." Shigaraki sighed. "You kids really are something, we should be ashamed of ourselves, but we will be needing our way out back."
No-one moved, tension filling the air.
"Nomu, kill the explosion brat."
The Nomu pulled itself out of the portal and upright, its frozen arm and leg cracking and shattering to pieces.
"It's falling apart, but it keeps on moving!" Uraraka took a half-step backwards, many of the other students doing the same.
Toshinori watched as the Nomu's arm and leg regrew, first the bones, followed by the muscles and then the skin.
"So this is Hyper Regeneration."
Shigaraki sneered at Toshinori. "This is your opposite, the Anti-Symbol of Peace. A living sandbag, super-powered, created to handle whatever you throw at it."
The Nomu burst forth, towards Bakugo, its fist drawn back.
Toshinori pushed One For All to its limit, pushing himself to stand in the way of the Nomu with a sidestep, as Izuku used that compound telekinesis quirk he had created to pull Bakugo out of danger.
BANG!
The Nomu's fist slammed into Toshinori's crossed forearms, blood dripping from his lips as he was driven backwards, creating two deep grooves in the concrete.
Bakugo looked shocked, his sudden rescue surprising him. "What was that…"
Izuku was holding his arm out in Bakugo's direction.
"You, you fucking saved me?!" Bakugo roared as he stood, before mumbling under his breath, so only Izuku could hear him. "Even after all I've done to you?"
The dust cleared, revealing Toshinori to his students, he'd made sure to wipe away the blood from his mouth and make his block look more solid, he had to give them reassurance that he would defeat this foe.
I don't know if I can, he's too strong, too resilient. But I have to make them feel safe.
Toshinori lowered his arms. "Do you not know how to hold back?"
No matter the cost.
Shigaraki snorted derisively. "I had to save my comrades. Just like the plain one, with the copy quirk, earlier, he went at the Nomu with everything he had to save that underground hero."
No-one spoke.
"That's all you heroes are, a reason to hurt others, to use your quirk, in the name of saving others. How admirable ." Shigaraki held up a hand. "'And yet, people like me are called villains simply because we wish to freely use the gifts we have been given.'"
Toshinori's glowing blue eyes turned the pale-haired man. "That's a quote from Destro's manifesto, isn't it."
"So what if it is?" Shigaraki shrugged. "He fought for equality, true equality, and was declared a villain. What about you, Symbol of Peace?"
He didn't respond, instead Toshinori studied the man closely.
"You're the ultimate tool for keeping us down, beating us into submission with violence. But violence only breeds more violence, does it not? We'll show the world that, as well as the evil and corruption of the system you represent by killing you."
"Liar."
"Hm?" Shigaraki raised an eyebrow.
"Idealistic villains, they have a fire in their eyes, they believe they are ultimately doing." Toshinori's eyes flashed brighter. "But you don't have that, you know this is wrong, evil, and you're just enjoying yourself."
Shigaraki laughed. "You've got me, I'm a big fat fraud, just like you."
Todoroki took a step forward and spoke. "You're surrounded and outnumbered, three-to-ten, it's over for you."
Izuku frowned, looking around, the others who had come from different directions had skirted the edge of the fight, joining himself, Uraraka, Bakugo and Todoroki. In the distance, Izuku could see Tokoyami and Iida helping to carry Ojiro away, his leg clearly broken, with Koda, Jiro, Kaminari and Aoyama taking up the rear.
Momo caught his eye from where she stood next to Uraraka, giving him a smile.
Izuku returned one of his own, before looking back to the fight and speaking. "We can backup All Might by taking the two leaders out."
"Yeah, especially since we know the mist guy's weakness now." Uraraka clenched her fists and bobbed her head.
Toshinori held out his arm, in front of the eight students, six from heroics, two from support.
"No. Run away, I'll handle them myself."
"If I hadn't intervened earlier, then you would have been in serious trouble, wouldn't you?" Todoroki looked to the No.1 Hero.
"For that, you have my thanks, Young Todoroki." Toshinori moved closer to the villains. "But this is a different matter. Just watch as a pro gives it his all."
Izuku watched in fear as his idol and mentor reassured his fellow classmates.
But not him.
He knew what the blood on All Might's left side meant, that he was way past his limit, that his power was waning.
And he couldn't do anything.
Izuku let his head drop.
I'm useless.
Izuku felt like the scared boy he knew he still was deep down, shrouded by the false confidence he pulled from his copied quirks.
A fake. A liar. Without One For All, he would have been nothing, maybe he still was.
Izuku saw All Might flash his classmates a thumbs up and beaming smile.
"I don't think you can be a hero, Izuku. You already are a hero."
Mom.
"You wear your heart on your sleeve. But you have an iron core."
Detective Tsukauchi.
"Young Midoriya. Well done, and I'm sorry for doubting your quirk."
All Might.
"You are a natural-born leader, under all that nervousness. Besides, I trust you, why else would I have voted for you yesterday?"
Momo.
Izuku reached out, feeling the familiar power of One For All pulsing weakly under All Might's skin.
At age three Izuku Midoriya dedicated himself to becoming a hero.
At age four Izuku Midoriya was told he was born quirkless.
At age fifteen Izuku Midoriya learned this wasn't true.
And now, he'll show the world.
Izuku saw the strand of power, invisible to the eye, connecting the copy of One For All inside him to All Might's. Channelling the additional eighty percent of One For All that Izuku had cultivated, he poured it down the link to All Might.
"Woah, Deki's glowing!"
He opened his eyes, seeing multi-colored light enshrouding his body.
"So's All Might!" Urarka cheered.
Izuku's eyes turned, looking at his mentor, who was covered in the same glow as himself.
"Izuku must have copied some sort of power boosting quirk." Momo mused, her use of the green-haired boy's first name not going unnoticed by the others.
Todoroki's eyes scrutinised both Izuku and All Might, and the similarity of the light surrounding each of them as it began to fade.
The light was gone, but Toshinori still felt the power flooding his veins, no longer was he pushing One For All past its limit. In fact, he felt like he had another couple of hours in him, instead of running on fumes.
Turning to look back at his protege, Toshinori gave him a wide smile.
A genuine smile.
Todoroki noted that.
"Thank you, Young Midoriya." Toshinori shot the green-haired boy a peace sign. "I'll take it from here!"
One For All, it's eighty percent stronger, no wonder that punch that destroyed the roof looked so powerful for a beginner.
Shigaraki was frantically scratching his neck. "This kid, this fucking kid and his broken fucking quirk."
"Tomura, now is not the-"
"I know." Shigaraki calmed. "No matter, Nomu, Kurogiri, kill him. I'll deal with the children."
Toshinori tightened his fists.
It's true my power has been declining faster than I expected, faster than it did for Nana. But this power Izuku has given me, the power he's gained from overstraining his natural quirk.
Shigaraki's eyes bored into Toshinori, hatred shining in them. "Let's clear this and get home, I tire of this."
I'll use this power he's given me to protect these heroes-in-training. I must.
Shigaraki raced at Izuku and Bakugo, with unnatural speed, the teens prepared to defend themselves.
Because I am…
All Might called on every last ounce of One For All's power, both natural and the boost granted by his protege, energy flooding his veins in a way he hadn't felt in nearly six years.
...the Symbol of Peace!
His shone bright, power rolling off him in waves, making Shigaraki and all the students stop to watch.
With the slight push of one of his feet, All Might rocketed forwards as the Nomu did the same, the two titans heading straight for the other, their fists pulled back, ready to punch.
A sound like a cannon issued as All Might and the Nomu's fists met, followed by a shockwave, knocking Shigaraki and all but a couple of students, Izuku, who used Slingshot, and Todoroki, who created an ice wall behind himself, off their feet.
The Nomu's arm rippled and morphed as its Shock Absorption quirk barely managed to take the force of the No. 1 Hero.
Shigaraki flipped in the air, landing on his feet with a nonchalance that didn't hide the practiced grace. "You said it yourself, about Shock Absorption, didn't you?"
All Might gritted his teeth. "Yes, I did."
The No. 1 Hero sent punch after punch at the Nomu, the mindless beast's own coming to meet it everytime.
A wind started to blow, getting stronger with each blocked punch.
Instead of slowing down, the two titans only got faster, until their arms were just blurs.
"A head-on fistfight? But he just absorbs it all." Izuku grunted as the force began to push him back, regardless of Slingshot. "Except, he's not giving the Nomu time to absorb the blow before the next one."
On the other side, Kurogiri was sliding backwards, two steps for everyone he took forwards. "I can't get close, this wind, it's too strong."
All Might increased the speed of his punches, the force coming from him and the Nomu increasing in turn.
"Young Midoriya is correct." All Might's voice was booming, audible over even the howling wind. "This Shock Absorption quirk this beast has is just that, not Shock Nullification, so there must be a limit, surely not?"
The Nomu's entire torso was rippling now, the skin and muscle warping desperately to contain All Might's power.
A massive fist drove into All Might's wound, drawing fresh blood, soaking his pure white shirt even more. All Might grunted, but he wasn't deterred, instead he redoubled his efforts.
"You were created to handle whatever I throw at you." All Might was speaking to the Nomu now, regardless of its mindless nature. "Created to withstand a hundred percent of my power."
All Might continued to rain blows on the Nomu, too fast for it to even block, instead it just took them, slowly driving it backwards, and All Might forwards.
He was gaining ground.
"Then I'll just have to go beyond that!" All Might roared. "I'll break my limit!"
Izuku couldn't take his eyes off All Might.
Even though he's spitting up blood, even though his body is failing him, he's giving it his all.
Every single hit, it's more than a hundred percent of his power.
The Nomu lost its footing, bouncing across the concrete, followed by All Might slamming his arms down on its back as it attempted to stand.
"Even in the darkest of moments, a hero can always break free."
All Might grabbed the Nomu's arm and launched himself into the sky, before kicking the beast in the chest, sending it flying further into the air.
Rising to meet it, All Might gripped its arm once again, spinning in the air and throwing it to the ground with all of his might, face-first, creating a massive crater, three times the one Izuku had made. The monster rebounded, flying five meters into the air.
All Might slammed down on the ground, on one knee, before the Nomu had even finished rebounding.
"Villain, have you ever heard these words?" All Might reared back his fist as his entire arm began to glow, a faint silver colour.
The light began to change, first to pale blue, then pink, before flashing quickly through orange, red, navy, purple and finally, yellow.
"GO BEYOND!"
A swirling rainbow of light, of each colour that it had already glowed, gathered around All Might's fist
"PLUS ULTRA!"
All Might slammed his fist into the Nomu's gut as it fell.
Yellow light glowed from within the Nomu's chest as its Shock Absorption quirk tried and failed to negate All Might's strike.
The Nomu rocketed upwards, at an angle, blasting through an undamaged section of the USJ's roof, shaking the facility to its very core, and into the sky, parting two clouds before vanishing into a speck.
On the platform, the rest of Class 1-A was gathered, including those who'd initially escaped the USJ, watching in awe, before calling and cheering.
They thought it was over, Mirai realised, as he raced past them, heading for the stairs, throwing a high density seal at Masque, the villain having just freed himself from the vines, hitting him directly in the forehead, knocking him out.
I'm not going to make it, if the child dies before passing it on, then One For All will fade once Toshinori can no longer use it.
Mirai slowed, taking the stairs two at a time.
Down in the main plaza, Bakugo looked at the sky, seeing the raw power of All Might with his own eyes.
How can I ever hope to compete, to surpass him?
Izuku's eyes shined with joy and admiration, even though his heart still weighed heavy with fear for his mentor.
Lowering his gaze, Izuku watched as the dust cloud around All Might began to thin, allowing him to see the trails of steam that indicated the No.1 Hero's imminent transformation.
"I really have gotten weaker. In my prime, I could have done that with five hits." All Might spoke, his booming voice carrying, a wide smile on his face as he turned to face his students. "As it was, that took nearly two hundred."
All Might turned his foot, his head following, to glare at Shigaraki and Kurogiri.
"Now, villains. I think we all know this fight is over." All Might repressed the urge to cough up blood.
Shigaraki reached to his neck, scratching frantically as he began to draw blood, running down his fingers. "He was supposed to be weaker, but we were completely overwhelmed. The Nomu is gone. Did Sensei lie?"
"What's wrong?" All Might boomed, getting Shigaraki's attention, his bloody hand falling to his side. "Aren't you going to come at me? I thought you were here to kill me, after all?"
All Might's eyes hardened.
"Kill me, if you can."
In that moment, not just the villains, but the students as well, realised why exactly many villains gave up when faced by the No.1 Hero, why crime rates were at an all time low across the country.
Why All Might was dubbed the Symbol of Peace.
Bakugo watched the No.1 Hero. "All Might…"
"Looks like we didn't need to fight after all." Todoroki commented, turning to head towards the platform.
The other students joined him, even Bakugo.
But not Izuku.
He couldn't look away from the thin trails of steam issuing from All Might's skin.
"Deki! We should get out of here, like All Might said, and get out of his way."
Izuku didn't hear Uraraka, he couldn't.
All Might, he's at his limit, even with the power I transferred to him, his body just can't keep up. He's bluffing, he probably doesn't even have the strength to take a single step.
All Might proved Izuku wrong, taking a step forward and yelling. "What's taking you so long, villains? Are you scared?"
But Izuku was ultimately right, the smoke trails were getting larger and more frequent, the pro hero's arms and legs shaking slightly.
Shigaraki reached up to scratch with both hands, but Kurogiri spoke.
"Tomura Shigaraki, calm yourself." Kurogiri paused. "All Might, he's been weakened by the Nomu's attacks, you can see it if you look closer. The children are leaving, if we work together, we still have a chance of killing him."
Shigaraki calmed, lowering his arms. "That's right, that's right, we have no choice but to kill him. The last boss is within my grasp."
Izuku's eyes widened.
I have to do something.
Shigaraki sprinted at All Might, hands outstretched. "Consider this my revenge for that Nomu!"
Kurogiri warped closer to All Might, his purple mist swelling in size.
Slingshot repelled Izuku forwards, as he prepared to send a full-powered One For All flick at Kurogir's collar, in the hopes of blowing him away from All Might.
"Young Midoriya, no!"
"Get away from All Might!"
A warp opened in front of Izuku, his outstretched hand sailing towards it as Shigaraki's hand appeared from it.
Time seemed to slow, but not because of any quirk he had, but because of the fact Izuku was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it. None of his quirks could react fast enough, Shigaraki's fingers would touch him in the blink of an eye, they were just millimeters from his hand now.
In all the excitement of All Might's arrival, Izuku had forgotten one thing, his gloves, they had been destroyed by One For All's power, and he'd touched Aizawa without thinking.
Then that meant.
Izuku blinked, his eyes opening to reveal red glowing red irises, his hair floating.
The warp closed in an instant, Shigaraki screamed in pain.
Izuku blinked, he had barely managed to hold Erasure for a second, but it had been enough.
His trajectory had been changed, Izuku sailed clear of Kurogiri and slammed into the concrete with a loud snap, he was pretty sure that was his leg he'd just broken.
Shigaraki sobbed, holding his severed hand with his remaining left hand. "My hand, my hand, that fucking child, I'm going kill him."
The pale villain went to lunge at Izuku.
A gunshot rang out, a bullet striking Shigaraki's remaining hand.
All Might turned, looking back to see Mirai running towards the main plaza, up on the platform the pro heroes of U.A. had joined the students, as well as Aizawa and Thirteen. At the front of them, Snipe stood, his pistol aimed in the direction of the villains.
"Everyone, sorry we're late." Nedzu spoke, riding on Vlad King's shoulder. "I gathered everyone I could as soon as we saw that smoke signal."
The villains at the bottom of the stairs, the ones defeated by Aizawa, had awoken, readying themselves to attack the heroes on the platform.
Present Mic walked to the top of the stairs and yelled at them.
YEAHHHH!
The villains clutched their ears as the hero's quirk assaulted them, the noise leading many of them to pass out.
Ectoplasm ejected a horde of clones from his mouth, down the stairs, quickly picking off the villains that had weathered Present Mic's attack.
Shigaraki stood, cradling his severed hand. "This is game over, I guess it's time we left, Kurogiri, we can kill All Might another ti-"
Snipe fired again, his bullets changing trajectory to ensure they weren't immediately lethal wounds, hitting his arms and legs.
Shigaraki dropped his hand as he fell to the ground, blood pooling around him as Kurogiri began to swallow him up.
"All Might." Shigaraki burned as they zeroed in on the No.1 Hero. "Next time, I'll kill you, and these brats of yours."
With that, Shigaraki and Kurogiri were gone, leaving only the former's severed hand behind.
Toshinori breathed a sigh of relief, his students were safe. His body gave out, leaving him in his true, emaciated state, steam billowing from him in waves.
"Izuku! Izuku! Are you okay?"
Toshinori turned his head, Yaoyorozu was running right towards him.
Shit, as much as I must applaud Young Yaoyorozu's concern for her classmate, she can't see me like this!
A wall of concrete shot up, blocking Toshinori and Izuku from the sight of the black-haired girl, stopping her in her tracks as well.
Cementoss looked at Yaoyorozu from the side of the wall. "We want to make sure all the students are safe, join the others up on the platform."
Yaoyorozu looked at the concrete wall nervously.
Did that villain injure Izuku? Or maybe All Might? Were the teachers hiding it?
She hesitated, but in the end Yaoyorozu turned and began walking back the way she came, passing a tall, green and yellow-haired man running the other way. He was a Pro Hero if she remembered correctly, she'd met the man at a party she'd attended with her parents years ago, but she couldn't remember his name.
Mirai ran around the side of the concrete wall, towards Toshinori.
Toshinori frowned, looking at his former sidekick as he came to a halt.
"Toshinori, your student, he has to pass it on, One For All."
"Mirai, this is hardly the time or place for that kind of discussion, and I've already made my decision."
Mirai shook his head, out of breath from sprinting over four miles. "No, no, you'd understand, Toshi-"
"No, Mirai." Toshinori said firmly. "I need to check on him."
Turning away from his estranged partner, Toshinori walked towards where Izuku had landed, finding him resting on his knees, head bowed, shaking slightly.
Toshinori reached out. "Young Midoriya, are you unharm…"
Izuku raised his head.
The words died on Toshinori's lips.
"A-All Might, h-he got me."
The skin up Izuku's entire right arm, then across his half his chest and face had turned grey, the fingers of his right hand had already decayed entirely.
"I-Izuku?"
Izuku was crying, great heaving sobs. "When I-I used Mr. Aizawa's quirk I could only only target one person, I chose the warp guy, I thought Shigaraki didn't touch me in time, but he did."
Toshinori took a step forward, Mirai a few paces behind him.
"I can't stop it much longer, I'm supercharging the Hyper Rengernation quirk I copied from the Nomu with One For All, but the rate of decay is faster than it can heal. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry All Might, I failed you."
Toshinori went down on one knee. "You could never fail me, Izuku, you've already made me so proud, we'll beat this, together."
Izuku's unaffected eye shined with hope. "R-Really, how?"
Smiling, Toshinori placed his hand on the unaffected side of his successor's face.
"Toshinori, don't! It could spread to you."
Toshinori ignored his former sidekick. "This power you gave to me, I return to you."
Remembering the same feeling Izuku of transferring that energy to him earlier, Toshinori activated One For All, pouring it into Izuku via the invisible strand that connected them.
Toshinori blinked, he was in quirkspace, Izuku's to be exact, in his muscular form.
The young boy was standing over a quirk, dark purple in colour, his hands pressed against it, One For All's green and cyan light covering his arms.
"It's okay now, Izuku, why?" Toshinori placed a hand on the green-haired boy's shoulder. "Because I am here."
Izuku smiled.
And Toshinori smiled back, his body glowing yellow.
The Hyper Regeneration quirk shone brighter, Toshinori could feel himself burning through One For All's stockpile faster than it could replenish.
Unbeknownst to either of them, a woman placed a hand on Toshinori's shoulder, glowing purple. Behind her was a man, glowing navy, his hand on her shoulder, another man behind him, bathed in red light, in the same position, behind him, orange, then pink, then light blue, and finally, silver.
As soon as it had started, it stopped. Toshinori found himself back in the real world, watching as Izuku, the decay now pushed back to his right forearm, hardened his other arm to sparkling diamond and swung.
Izuku's diamond-sharp hand cleaved through his other arm, just below the elbow.
The decaying arm hit the ground, crumbling to dust in seconds, before evaporating away.
Izuku returned his other arm to normal, before looking at his mentor, still smiling. "We did it."
The green-haired boy flopped forward, unconscious before he could crash into Toshinori's chest.
Wrapping his spindly arms around the young boy, Toshinori hugged him tight, as if he might vanish if he didn't, tears flowing down his face.
"Izuku, deciding to train you, was the best decision I ever made."