Didn't expect an update so soon, did you? Well, I've had this chapter planned out for a long time, and I wanted to make it special by releasing it at the end of the year, to end this year on a high note: not only did Mob Psycho Season 3 finish, but now you'll get to see the biggest battle of the story unfold, so enjoy!
From within the rubble, the Symbol of Evil slowly began to rise. Despite defeating All Might right before their eyes, the boy overcame his fear and somehow found his fighting spirit. All For One had hoped the boy would cower in fear and let himself be easy pickings, but it appeared that he would continue going out of his way to make things more complicated.
All For One rushed toward the esper with a straight jab. Shigeo caught the villain's elbow with his right hand, but the impact still created a shockwave greater than before. The esper grimaced at the effects of the attack. If they kept fighting at full power, they'd destroy Kamino Ward. He needed to take the battle far away from here, as soon as possible!
From the corner of his eye, he noticed that other heroes had arrived on the scene. Among them was Endeavor, along with the number four hero, Best Jeanist, the number five hero, Edgeshot, and All Might's mentor, Gran Torino. The heroes were horrified at the damage that lay before them: floors of buildings had crashed to the ground. The smell of freshly-burning flames spread through the air, and broken glass was everywhere.
"A villain really did this," Edgeshot muttered.
"All of you, stay back!" Then, from the air, the esper yelled out to the heroes. "You can't fight All For One! He's too strong! I'm the only one here who can beat him!"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Endeavor shouted, "We came here to rescue you, not to watch you fight the enemy!"
All For One let out a devious chuckle. Why didn't he put these heroes in their place? Using his new enhancement Quirk, he flew toward the number two hero at blinding speeds. Endeavor barely even had the time to acknowledge the threat as he saw All For One's hand less than two feet away from him, aimed squarely at his chest. The air cannon fired, but Mob's reflexes allowed him to erect a barrier to protect the flame hero. Unlike the smaller spherical barriers he'd created, this barrier was ellipsoid and covered a significantly broader area. This protected all of the buildings that happened to be in its path, causing the destructive air pressure to jet hundreds of feet upwards into the air akin to a geyser.
Mob clenched his teeth in anger. Not wanting to risk further destruction, he raised his hand to the sky, sending All For One soaring hundreds of feet into the black sky.
"Trust me; I can do this! Just focus on helping my friends and anyone else who could be injured!"
Shigeo's aura burst around him, and he shot up into the sky, the speed at which he flew creating a sonic boom. From the air, All For One decided to make things more interesting for the heroes down on the ground. He avoided harming the Nomu tanks when he fired his air cannon. Since he was occupied fighting Shigeo, he couldn't pay attention to what was going on down there, so he might as well make things more challenging for the heroes.
In the air, the evil mastermind repeated his previous chuckling. "This is more fitting. In the comics, the hero and villain clash in a final battle while all the extras watch from the sidelines, wishing they could join in a fight they could never hope to be in themselves.
"However, don't assume that simply because you ruffled me up means the battle's outcome will change. Your death was sealed when you had the nerve to mock me, the Dark Emperor of Japan. A child like yourself could never hope to match such a supreme being."
The psychic's eyes burned with determination. "Not a single person down there is an extra. The examples of their heroism helped reawaken this feeling in me, and I'll be sure to follow their example when I finish what your brother couldn't."
The villain snarled from behind his mask, activating his strength amplification Quirks to bulk his body. "Now you're starting to talk like that pathetic oaf of a hero I threw into that portal. You'll see how useless those heroic ideals are when I put you at the doors of death."
The esper yelled out, and the two clashed their fists. The battle of the ages had begun.
On the ground, things were progressing very quickly. While the U.A. students got to their feet yet again, they jumped back in terror when several of the Nomu stepped out of a random black goo that had randomly appeared before them. Was All For One doing this? More than two dozen Nomu were stored in those tanks, and all had been released.
The three Nomu summoned in front of the teenagers all charged forward. But the top heroes had assembled for this operation, and did not waste a second reactiong.
Endeavor propelled himself forward, slamming one in the face with a flame-imbued punch. At the same time, Gran Torino launched himself forward with his Quirk, adjusting his trajectory to place himself directly under the other Nomu and slam him in the chin with a kick. Then, Edgeshot transformed his body into a twisted string, wrapping himself around the Nomu's body and piercing it in multiple places.
The students watched as the heroes did their work. Some of them wanted to jump in and aid in taking out at least some of the Nomu, but after the utter terror they'd experienced, they could not yet find the courage to fight. Besides, they'd already done enough as it was.
With all these top heroes working on the job, the Nomu were defeated in less than thirty seconds. On the ground, they all now lay unconscious, burnt, or filled with tiny holes. Not five seconds after these heroes stood victorious over the Nomu, some other heroes had come on the scene to witness this minor battle having reached its conclusion. Meanwhile, the four heroes who stood on the battlefield rushed toward the seven students. After hearing Kageyama's commentary and knowing what many of them looked like, it had been quick work figuring out who they were.
"Shoto! Why did you come here?" Endeavor questioned, "This isn't the place for children like yourselves to intervene!"
"Bakugo, I knew you were rash and impulsive, but I thought even you would know better than trying to do something this reckless!" Best Jeanist expressed.
Gran Torino's eyes pierced into Izuku, Todoroki, and Iida. "You haven't learned anything at all, then..." After what had happened at Hosu and the stern warning the heroes had given them, he'd have thought these three would've been more thoughtful about this, but it turned out he'd been wrong.
All the students lowered their heads in the most profound shame, for they were again reminded of their failure.
"We just wanted to help our friend..." Kirishima muttered.
The heroes softened their gazes seeing how utterly dejected they all looked. Their eyes went up to the sky, however, when they heard a loud boom reverberating through the air. They all witnessed several large bursts of air pressure, much larger than any previous attacks before, since Shigeo no longer needed to hold back his power. As they watched this fight, however, several crucial things needed to be clarified by them.
"What happened to All Might?" Best Jeanist asked, "Where is he?"
"All For One pinned him down, then used the warp villain to create a portal he threw All Might into," Kirishima said.
Hearing this elicited a wave of gasps from several of the heroes. "So you mean to tell me that this villain is even stronger than All Might?" questioned Edgeshot.
"It would appear so," Iida murmured.
"Yet despite that, Kageyama appears to be holding his own against this foe..." Tokoyami stared in awe at the power being displayed by his friend in the air, physical strength that he had never seen from Kageyama before. "Has he truly surpassed the Symbol of Peace?"
Tokoyami's statement put into perspective the magnitude of the feat Shigeo had displayed. All this time, he'd kept power hidden inside of him, surpassing All Might himself.
"Isn't there any way we can get a better view of what's happening?" But, Edgeshot questioned, "They're too high up for us to see."
"Here." Yaoyorozu's arms began to glow. From inside her body, she began manufacturing several sets of high-tech binoculars. "These will allow us to get a better view of the fight. Everyone take a pair."
All the spectators gladly took the binoculars and focused their best to see what was happening in the air. However, even as their eyes focused on the battle through the binoculars, they could not comprehend the speed at which they were fighting.
"Are you able to keep up with this, Todoroki?" Gran Torino asked the number two hero.
"Some of it, but they keep disappearing from my line of sight," the flame hero bitterly replied.
Edgeshot was at a loss. "So then, what do we do?"
The number four hero sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Listen." Best Jeanist directed his attention back to the U.A. students. "Being a hero is a difficult job. It requires you to be quick, on your feet, and adapt to the situation. But a hero must also know when to make the right decisions, even if sometimes, that decision means doing nothing.
"As much as I loathe to say this, there's nothing we can do to help Kageyama. I don't believe anyone here can fight so effectively at such a high altitude, and even if we did, the speed at which they're moving is far beyond our ability to match. So we'd be giving him an extra person to worry about. Do any of you disagree?"
The other three heroes felt the same frustration bubbling up inside of them. For veteran heroes like themselves, it was a disgrace to leave such an essential task in the hands of someone so young. And yet, they were not blinded by this frustration the same way the U.A. students had been blinded by it. If this foe had overpowered All Might, then none of them stood a chance.
"Very well. I'll begin rounding up the Nomu. The other heroes will be here shortly to help out with any injured. Thankfully, Kageyama managed to help us avoid any further casualties with the barrier he placed. Edgeshot, use your Quirk to search the debris for any wounded. Gran Torino, help me round up the Nomu. Endeavor, stay with the students."
The heroes followed the lead of Best Jeanist and began their rescue operation. Endeavor and the students continued to gaze up at the battle through their binoculars, marveling at the magnitude of the action unfolding before them.
"It's odd, but I noticed something different with Kageyama," Endeavor said, "I'm able to catch glimpses of something in his eyes. It's as if he's undergone some sort of transformation."
"Yea, we noticed," Bakugo mumbled.
"It appears as though he's managed to unlock a hidden power stored within him," Iida replied.
"It was unbelievable," Shoto continued, "And it's not just his power that's changed. Usually, he's always so shy and soft-spoken, afraid to speak up or take action. But here, there was no hesitation. Even knowing what he was up against, he didn't waver. And the words he spoke, the determination in his voice. Honestly, he was acting like you, Midoriya."
But Midoriya disagreed. Even though he was the next successor of One For All, the Quirk that had been cultivated over eight generations precisely to defeat All For One, Shigeo had proven that he was the one who was more worthy to bear that honor. Izuku could only hope that Shigeo's willpower was enough to defeat this ancient evil.
The destruction at the warehouse took little time to garner the attention of the nearby citizens. Almost immediately after the first tremors occurred, people began reporting the incident to the police. Citizens in Kamino Ward had begun to evacuate, and the streets were filled with small-time heroes and police officers guiding them to the center of the city. In contrast, cars and trucks had piled up, abandoned by their owners who were now desperate to get somewhere safe.
Meanwhile, the news stations had taken no time to dispatch their helicopters to the disaster site. When the aircraft had gotten in the vicinity of Kamino Ward, it gave them a chance to truly grasp the situation. Below them were the ruins of Kamino Ward, buildings leveled, fires slowly spreading, the image of a natural disaster having leveled the district.
"The scene below is straight out of a nightmare! Several blocks of Kamino Ward have been wiped out in an instant!" However, it took them very little time to direct their attention toward the greater displays of destruction. Far above them, the helicopter could see unbelievable bursts of power springing forth. None of the reporters in the plane understood the situation, but it was clear that whatever was at play was something of titanic power.
"It looks as though two people are fighting in the air! It's amazing! Their blows' power and speed create these unbelievable bursts of air pressure! The speed at which they're fighting makes it difficult to tell who they are, but clearly, it must be All Might fighting against a truly powerful villain up there!"
This news station was broadcasting the transmission to their channel on every media in the world. Within minutes, people in dozens of countries were tuning in to the situation, turning on their televisions, switching their radios, and looking up the live feed on their devices, all desperate to know what was happening. This destruction had not resulted from any previous fight between heroes and villains. Whoever was fighting must have had power surpassing even the most robust Quirk users.
Across Japan, the Class 1-A students who didn't join rescue operation witnessed the destruction of Kamino and the battle underway. Likewise, several members of the Class 1-A families, such as the Todoroki Family, the Iida family, the Yaoyorozu family, Inko, and even Kota, were stunned at this broadcast, watching with growing fear as to what this battle signified and who was the villain with this tremendous power. Moreover, countless families across Japan and the world kept their eyes and ears tuned in, desperate to catch a glimpse of the two fighters.
Finally, the two fighters had briefly paused their battle, allowing the news helicopter to get a clear image of the fighters. But when they saw the hero fighting, the eyes of the news reporters bulged out of their sockets.
"I don't believe it. Shigeo Kageyama, the kidnapped student from U.A. High, is battling a villain!" All across the country, the families of the U.A. students and many other citizens gasped. So Shigeo was the one who was fighting? The kidnapped student who'd been the talk of Japan and the rest of the world was now doing battle. It was too insane to comprehend!
In another building in Japan, the three U.A. High teachers who had just finished giving their interview frowned in horror. To think that it was none other than their student who was currently fighting this villain was a pill they were having trouble swallowing. And what of the pro heroes? Where were they in such a critical moment as this?
The cameraman turned his camera back down to Kamino Ward, zooming in on the heroes at the scene. "It looks as though several top heroes are on the scene. But for some reason, none of them are partaking in this battle! Could none of them have the strength to fight against such a powerful villain? What could be happening down there?"
Back in the sky, the air around them had been moistened by the intensity of the battle. With nothing holding either fighter back, the two brawlers had been in a heated frenzy, exchanging hundreds of blows with one another in less than a minute. Thanks to the hand-to-hand combat training with All Might, Shigeo could rely on his fists instead of just his telekinesis. As a result, the sky around them was littered with the aftershock of their blows, the air pressure generated from their unbelievable power.
"I must say, your power is splendid. If I hadn't prepared for this battle and stockpiled these extra Quirks, I wouldn't have stood a chance against you. And your fighting technique reminds me so much of All Might. He's shown you the ropes on how to brawl. But hand-to-hand combat won't be enough to beat me."
In his mind, Shigeo was going over his battle strategy. He couldn't just rush into this blindly. He needed to be analytical and think carefully, like Izuku and Yaoyorozu. This battle was different from his other battles with Mogami and Toichiro. Back then, he had the fortune of fighting on a battlefield with no spectators to endanger, so he could use the terrain how he pleased. But here, if he attempted to use his telekinesis to launch buildings the same way he did against Toichiro, he'd be risking killing anyone who happened to be living in those buildings. That meant his options with his telekinesis were significantly limited, and that was usually his primary mode of combat when battling other people. To compensate, he'd have to rely on the different forms of combat he'd been learning since he enrolled in U.A. High.
There were also All For One's Quirks. He had used strength-enhancing Quirks while the two had exchanged blows. What psychic ability could boost his punching power?
Then he remembered! Back when he'd first fought Koyama in the alley, he'd used some technique that channeled his psychic power into his fists. That technique gave him enough strength to rip through his barriers like paper. He remembered seeing how Koyama had performed that technique, so if he could replicate it now.
The esper closed his eyes briefly and imagined the helix shape spiraling around his arms and into his fists. The psychic energy reacted to his thoughts and looped itself around his arms, their light blue energy wrapping itself around and to his fists.
On the ground, the spectators witnessed him using this technique now that he was staying in one place. "Whoa! What did he do just now?" Kirishima asked.
"It looks like he's using his psychic energy to reinforce his arm and increase the power of his punches," Midoriya hypothesized. He'd never seen his friend use this technique before. Had he been saving it as a trump card?
"Telekinetic Helix!" With this new power, Shigeo rushed forward and pelted All For One with a right jab to the chest. The villain shielded himself with both of his elbows, but he could feel the increased power of his punches. The esper rushed forward to follow with a volley of punches which All For One met with his fists. But in the short clash, the esper quickly gained the advantage and delivered a swift and decisive blow to the stomach.
Shigeo flew backward, channeling more energy into his fist as he prepared his strongest follow-up attack. Then, with vigorous willpower, the esper flew forward to deliver an unbelievably powerful punch.
"Detroit Smash!"
The villain reacted quickly, combining numerous strength-enhancing Quirks into his hand to match the esper's enhanced punch. The clash from their fists was unlike anything before. The impact of their energy created violent bolts of red electricity. Each trying to gain the advantage in this fierce tug-of-war. But All For One quickly smiled, for he had another trick up his sleeve.
As they clashed, the esper suddenly felt the energy he was pouring into his punch being turned back on him. What was happening? At last, all the energy accumulated into this violent clash was released, spreading a sonic boom reverberating throughout the city. All around the urban landscape, the citizens felt their bodies go numb as the shockwave spread above them. All the clouds in the sky had been pushed away, leaving nothing for the city's citizens to gaze at except an empty sky with a lit moon.
The news reporter struggled to regain his words. "It's-It's impossible. Their clash has just created a shockwave that has spread over the entire city. How can power like this even exist?"
On the ground, the students of U.A. High felt their legs turn to jelly, some falling to their knees in disbelief. The other heroes also felt their bodies sink, for they were being reminded how wide the gap in strength was.
"Unreal," Tokoyami muttered, "It's as if we're witnessing a battle between two gods. How could any of us ever hope to match that power?"
In the air, the esper grimaced as he tried to shake off the pain in his left arm. Even with the Telekinetic Helix, All For One's Quirks managed to give him the edge. Not only that, but it looked like All For One had some Quirk that let him reflect physical attacks. If he tried to use too many powerful punches, he'd only reflect the damage to himself. This would make things trickier.
Meanwhile, the villain smirked in satisfaction. A combination of Muscle Augmentation, Spring-like limbs, six strength-enhancer Quirks, five kinetic boosters Quirks, and Heavy Payload was quite effective. Then, the final touch of the Impact Recoil Quirk let him channel most of the energy in the esper's fist back against him. Surely that was going to do some severe damage. If he kept playing it smart and mixing his Quirks, he could throw Shigeo off with his unpredictability.
All For One raised his hand toward the esper, and several large spirals of flames were unleashed from his fingers. Shigeo took evasive maneuvers, narrowly dodging the spirals of flames. From his left hand, the Dark Emperor fired spirals of ice. The villain decided to make this more entertaining: from beneath his arms sprouted an extra set of limbs. From these limbs, he fired from his second right hand highly volatile fragments of bone, which exploded in the air, and from his second left hand came large bolts of dark lightning.
The citizens below witnessed the dark sky light up with this array of elements permeating the air like a painter coloring a blank canvas. Who knew that a person could possess so many Quirks?
As the psychic dodged his attacks, the students on the ground had more trouble seeing the battle as they went higher. Izuku decided to help them get a better view of the fight by finding the broadcast being streamed by the news station on his phone. They needed to witness as much of this battle as possible from every angle.
Mob did his best to evade this deadly combination of Quirks, putting up a barrier to ensure he remained protected against the attacks he couldn't entirely avoid. Then, using what he'd learned from battling those dirt monsters at the training camp and what he'd gone over with Izuku, Shigeo fired a blast of psychic energy while maintaining this barrier. His opponent noticed the wall and took similar evasive maneuvers. From there, it was a dazzling display. Both fighters soared through the sky, one firing a combination of different elements while the other lit up with bright blue psychic energy.
After several seconds of this, the esper decided to end it. He dropped his barrier, cupped his palms together, and fired a charged ball of energy. All For One assumed it to be like the others and took little notice of it. But the esper spread his cupped hands to the side, and the energy ball inflated like a balloon. Within a second, it spanned more than a hundred meters in diameter and landed a direct hit on All For One. The spectators cheered for Shigeo from the ground, marveling at his great strength.
At the same time, Izuku jumped with joy. "No way! He's using my energy techniques!"
Indeed, Mob remembered all of the different uses for his energy his best friend had discussed with him, for he knew this was the time to be creative. Shigeo followed up by firing an array of energy balls from both hands. At the last second, All For One recovered from the previous attack and resumed his previous evasive maneuvers. The villain continued performing these evasive maneuvers for several seconds, but he quickly noticed something wrong. These energy balls were far more distant from him than the previous ones. Had his aim suddenly worsened? It didn't make sense.
All For One stopped dodging. None of the energy orbs were hitting him, even as he remained stationary in the air. "What foolishness is this?" All For One shouted.
It took only a second later to sense that all of the energy orbs fired had not exploded. Instead, every orb the esper had fired was now wholly surrounding him. He'd been lured into a trap. With a downward swipe, Mob converged all the orbs to their target, and the sky lit up again in a bright blue explosion. The crowd below started cheering in a frantic frenzy, but almost immediately after, their cheers died down. Unfortunately for the esper, All For One had a Quirk which dealt with energy-based attacks, and this time he reacted quickly enough to use it.
"Reflect!"
Holding onto all the power from the esper's energy balls in his hands, All For One unleashed that energy into a single, monstrous beam aimed straight at Mob. All For One's devilish smile flashed beneath his mask. That surely dealt serious damage! He used his sensory Quirks to get a good read on Shigeo's location and condition, but he was let down upon locating him. Shigeo had also been quick enough to protect himself, erecting five consecutive barriers on top of the other. Thankfully, the last barrier had been strong enough to hold and spare him the worst damage.
All For One's irritation continued to burn him from within. That had been a clever trick. Even though his Quirk allowed him to reflect the attack, he still sustained severe damage. Not only that, but his body was weaker from his injuries with All Might. He no longer had the stamina to repeatedly endure such large-scale attacks and maintain Muscle Augmentation, his strength-enhancing Quirks, and Burst for a prolonged period. Unlike the Nomu, he had no regeneration either, which meant he needed to be careful about how much more damage he took. He'd need to find an opening to deliver a close-range attack to gain the advantage while the esper remained undefended. But how would he go about that?
His sensory Quirks quickly picked up on the presence of a news helicopter, and a fiendish idea popped up in his twisted brain. All For One held his hand back and fired an Air Cannon. Then, combining the pushback force with Burst, the evildoer rushed Shigeo and punched his chest before he could react. He followed this up by firing another Air Cannon at his chest, aimed directly at the helicopter below. Sadly, the esper could not respond quickly enough to change his trajectory completely and clipped the rotor blades. The pilot rapidly lost control of the aircraft, and the newscasters panicked.
"It appears we've lost control! The villain knocked Shigeo Kageyama into our rotors, and we-" The newscaster's voice quickly died when he noticed a blue aura surrounding the helicopter. Shigeo used his telekinesis to keep the aircraft steady no more than a few feet away from them. The cameraman captured the esper's determined expression and his injuries.
"It's not safe to be in the air!" Mob shouted, "I'll land you somewhere you won't have to worry about-"
"LOOK OUT!"
All For One had appeared in front of Shigeo; his arm pumped up with the same number of Quirks he'd used when he'd clashed with the Telekinetic Helix. But, with his hand mere inches away, the esper was too late to defend himself as this deadly combination of Quirks barreled straight into his chest, sending him flying down into a tall building. The air pressure generated from this attack sent the helicopter flying back. The people inside were panicking, feeling this was the end. But as it happened, the esper had erected a barrier, protecting them from the high-stream air currents that loomed around the barrier.
"Even while being attacked point-blank, he still had enough focus to create a barrier around the helicopter. Impressive." The villain decided to address the people in the news helicopter.
"You need not worry. I wouldn't want a battle as grand as this go on without an audience," he shouted, "I want the whole world to see this child's pitiful attempt at victory go to waste as his dreams for the future vanish."
From a few hundred feet away, Shigeo pushed himself back up and flew out of the building. All For One decided to indulge him and waited for the esper to place the helicopter down on a smaller building, close to a busy street with citizens watching the battle on a large monitor. The newscasters and the spectators watching grew worried: blood was streaming from his mouth, and his breathing was erratic. How much damage had that attack done? Indeed, the esper could feel a growing pain inside his chest and stomach. He only had enough time to place the barrier around the helicopter, but taking such a powerful attack unguarded had been more than he'd bargained for. Another attack like that, and he wasn't sure he could make it out of this alive. And yet...
Shigeo wiped the blood off his chin and looked back at the helicopter. With his bright red eyes glowing ever so brilliantly, the teenager gave the newscasters a thumbs up and a big smile. He had to stay strong and be like his classmates, like Izuku. In Hosu City and during the attack on the camp, no matter how hopeless their situation looked or what villains they were dealing with, Izuku always kept going with a smile on his face. So to truly win this fight, he needed to emulate that example to its fullest.
Mob took to the skies, even higher than before, and All For One quickly joined to resume their climactic battle. Shigeo fought to ignore the growing pain in his body. He had to focus. To win this, he needed to keep being unpredictable, shower All For One with random attacks that would be too hard for him to counter with any Quirks he had stored up. So he had to think of every technique he could, all the powers he'd seen from the espers he'd fought in the past that he could mimic. Then it hit him: his battle with Toichiro! In that battle, Toichiro hit him with many different abilities he could use! He just needed to remember how they were done!
From the air, the esper held out his palm and unleashed a torrent of flames that roasted the air. All For One protected himself using his wall of fire, but he quickly grew concerned. So this child could generate flames too? Just how many other powers did he have at his command?
Up next, a whirlwind of ice blasted from the palms of the psychic. As All For One dodged the ice, Shigeo struck him with lightning. The fiend could not react swiftly enough and felt the electricity painfully course through his body. As a follow-up, the esper generated an explosion from his palm, igniting the sky with another bright orange display. All For One was struggling to recover from this continuous volley of attacks, and to his next surprise, he discovered that he'd been surrounded by two dozen clones, a technique courtesy of Muraki. The clones all rushed forward and punched the villain. All For One managed to dodge their attacks and found that these clones were substantially weaker than the original.
Nevertheless, their combined attacks were still troublesome. The villain retaliated by unleashing rivet stabs from his fingers, destroying all clones. He aimed these rivet stabs at the esper, but Shigeo countered by generating a dozen air whips. The air whips wrapped around the rivet stabs and crushed them, while two wrapped themselves around All For One's body and dragged him forward so he could kick the villain in the stomach, which he'd learned to cover with the same Telekinetic Helix.
Using his air whips, Shigeo swung the villain around dozens of times until he threw him into the air, firing a volley of flames. All For One used his air cannon to dispel the flames before they reached him. This was becoming more and more vexing by the second.
Mob could see this was working! This was his greatest trial! All the training he'd done, tactics he'd learned, and smart thinking he'd picked up from his teachers and classmates were all being used here! He had to win this!
"I will not permit this!" The Symbol of Evil yelled, "I refuse to lose to a boy too cowardly to embrace his destiny! I will not allow you to ruin everything I have built for Tomura and the league!"
When Mob heard the mention of Tomura, it made him want to ask something that had bothered him since he'd encountered Tomura at the mall. "When I met Tomura at the mall, he told me that he didn't remember his past life and that you'd found him when he was a boy! Why can't he remember his childhood? Why did you take him in? What do you plan to do with him?"
"Tomura is no ordinary child I picked up from the street. He is the grandson of Nana Shimura, the 7th wielder of One For All and All Might's master."
The esper's blood ran cold. The aura that had been shrouding him petered out like a dying flame. So Tomura was the grandson of All Might's master? How was this possible?
"That poor boy didn't have such a happy childhood. You've seen what Tomura's Quirk can do, and you know that Quirks often develop during childhood. Well, I'm afraid that when Tomura awakened his Quirk, he didn't have the skill to control it, and he ended up decaying his entire family and his house with it."
Any air that had been left in Shigeo's body was sucked out. He knew exactly how horrible it was to lose control of his power. The memory of when bullies confronted him and his little brother and he'd hurt Ritsu still haunted him, and the memory of his scared brother watching him lose control of himself when fighting Suzuki had been traumatic enough. But to have your power kill your family? To know it was your hands that snuffed away the lives of the people you loved most? That must have been the pain Shigeo'd felt with Ritsu, magnified twenty times over.
"The boy wandered the streets alone, the memories of his childhood repressed and with no one to give him aid, and that's when I found him. A perfect candidate to bring down this warped hero society." All For One could detect a change within the esper as he spoke. His Infrared sense gave him a limited ability to sense the emotional state of others, and the fiery willpower with which he'd been fighting this entire time was beginning to morph into something else.
100% Compassion
This was a golden opportunity: with that willpower no longer fueling his fighting spirit, it would dull his senses and give All For One a chance to deliver the finishing blows. The Emperor of Darkness made his next move and started with a right jab across Mob's face. As his fist made contact with the teenager's cheek, he could feel tears dripping down his cheeks and onto All For One's knuckles. From his other hand, he used a Quirk, which morphed the skin on his hand to change it into a disgusting mouth. This artificial mouth clamped down on the esper, causing him to moan in pain, while multiple other mouths formed and created a unified blast that sent Shigeo flying downward.
As All For One predicted, Shigeo's compassionate nature was acting as a tremendous disadvantage. Though possessing such a kind heart benefitted him in most situations, that kindness clouded his mind with thoughts of not just Tomura but All Might as well. How would his teacher react to this horrifying news that the family of the master who trained him had all been killed, and the sole remaining member of this family tree had become a villain dedicated to taking down hero society? How would he get Tomura to move past such unbelievable pain, and what would happen if he regained those memories? Mob knew it wasn't the time to dwell on such things, but since he'd usually kept such emotions locked away, it was difficult for him to dispel them from his mind.
All For One's arm swelled up, and he utilized the same Quirk Combination for the third time. Mob attempted to retaliate with his Telekinetic Helix, but as they clashed, All For One's attack overpowered the esper far more quickly than before. Not only did compassion hinder his mental state, but it did not grant him the same overwhelming power as the courage within Mob's heart. Shigeo did his best to fight back and fired another volley of energy blasts, but the villain blocked them with his wall of flames. Then, from behind the wall of flames, he fired another air cannon which sent Mob flying back.
As their battle progressed, the two fighters dropped back to a lower altitude, allowing the news camera and everyone with binoculars to watch the destruction site to get a better view of what was happening. And they realized that All For One had gained the advantage. Their hearts grew heavy as they watched Shigeo's attacks gradually get overpowered by All For One's various Quirks.
Flying up into the air, All For One grabbed both of his hands together and slammed the esper's chest in tandem with his strength enhancers and kinetic boosters. Mob could feel his insides burn and his ribs cracking as the multiple attacks finally took hold. Mob was sent flying back down, but before he could recover, All For One had already passed below him. Then, using Muscle Augmentation to enhance the muscles in his knee, he used it to knee Shigeo square in the back, creating another wave of pain throughout his body.
Mob struggled to get his senses together: the pain in his chest and back was growing. But All For One wasn't done there. Using his telekinesis Quirk, All For One kept Shigeo floating in the air, smiling at what would come next. Shigeo attempted to punch All For One, but when it clashed with All For One's fist, all the accumulated damage caught up, and he screamed as he felt the bone in his left arm break. The Symbol of Evil decided to take it a step further and kicked his opponent in his lower right leg using his leg. Another scream came out as the bones in his leg cracked.
All For One punched the esper square in the face, sending him flying down into the city. With his angle of descent, he was sent crashing into one of the busy streets packed with people. The impact of his crash sent him to the third floor of an office building, spewing pieces of cement and broken glass across the street. The citizens below the building screamed as they were about to be crushed or cut by this falling debris, but as it happened, Shigeo had once again acted to save them. Thanks to his enhanced reflexes, he used his telekinesis to stop all the objects from falling. The citizens all rushed away, hurrying from the destruction in terror, allowing the esper to drop the debris safely.
The Symbol of Evil slowly descended from the sky, absolutely teeming with satisfaction. He hadn't kicked Shigeo here randomly. This was where he placed the news helicopter during the fight. Just two buildings beside him, the news team had exited the aircraft and was recording the teenager's weakened state. It was perfect.
It had been difficult for the people to see the damage he'd sustained while fighting in the air, but now that he was on the ground, they could truly grasp how badly he'd been hurt. He was lying belly-first on the floor. He tried to get himself back on his feet, but his broken leg and the damage to his back made that practically impossible. His left arm was streaming with blood. The esper coughed, spewing blood from his mouth and onto the floor. But most notably, his sparkling red eyes had returned to their regular, dull brown appearance.
All around the world, people felt their hearts stop beating. This had gone from bad to worse. Shigeo barely even had the strength to get up, yet the villain was standing above him, looking perfectly fine and ready for more. Watching from the hideout and in their homes, the students of Class 1-A felt as though their hearts were about to tear themselves apart. Were they going to have to watch their classmate get killed right before them?
No one was taking it worse, however, than Shigeo himself. The esper couldn't believe that he'd let it come to this. He was supposed to defeat All For One and win as a hero, yet he'd let All For One get under his skin and distract his brain with thoughts of compassion and fear. Now, he felt like nothing in his body was working. His chest was tight from pain, his back barely let him stand up straight, and he continued coughing up blood from his damaged internal organs. As if that wasn't enough, one of his arms was broken. Worst of all, he couldn't heal any of it without All For One noticing and taking him out before he could finish the job. It was all over. Despite everything he'd tried, he couldn't be the kind of hero All Might and Izuku had hoped he would be.
All For One raised his arm. One final empowered air cannon would be enough to finish the job. Shigeo Kageyama and hero society would end here.
"Don't give up!"
Amidst the crowd, a lone voice shouted out to the esper. Shigeo's head turned to acknowledge the voice. Who'd said that? Were they talking to him? He assumed that he'd imagined things, that this was All For One playing a trick on him, but then another voice cried out.
"You can do it!"
Slowly, the lone voices began to grow louder. More and more people started cheering out to the esper. On the building, the camera caught the roaring crowd cheering for this child. Wiithin seconds, the cheers spread worldwide. In every building, the citizens were cheering on. In the hospital room, Rei Todoroki cried out for the esper to stand. In their mansion, Yaoyorozu's parents were cheering for Mob not to give in. At their home, the Iida family was all unified in their shouts, yelling for the boy who'd given them their miracle to give them a miracle again and to keep fighting. In the conference room, Principal Nezu, Mr. Aizawa, and Vlad King were all standing and shouting for their student to get back on his feet. All across the nation, the students of Class 1-A and the members of the Body Improvement Club joined in the cheering, begging for their classmate not to concede to victory while their eyes were wet with tears.
"Beat this sucker!"
"Show him what you can do!"
"Win this! Come on, Shige!"
Within the short time that the world knew him, they had all seen what he could do and what he'd been doing. Even though he was a teenager, he'd sacrificed himself to protect his classmates. He'd been fighting this personification of evil by himself and doing his best to save every single person he could with his Quirk. For the ones who'd seen this bravery and who'd been fortunate enough to be protected by this child, they knew it was their responsibility to pay him back and cheer him on.
Shigeo Kageyama was taking a moment to process this. This crowd of people who didn't even know him was cheering him on. He looked at the large jumbo screen on the street and realized it was his broken body being shown. On the nearby building, he saw the news crew he'd saved shouting his name from above, begging him to get up. That's when he realized it. The entire world was watching him. In every house in this country, the people were looking at him right now with his broken, bloodied body, and none of them wavered.
While the crowds continued cheering, the Symbol of Evil was utterly amused by this pathetic display of support. This cheering would change absolutely nothing: Shigeo Kageyama would still be dead in the next minute.
"How pointless!" he shouted, his voice further amplified by a Quirk.
"NO! IT'S NOT POINTLESS!" The cheering crowd quickly died down when they heard the esper speak. He'd barely gotten back on his feet, and his arm was still hanging limp, but it was clear he had something to say, and the whole world was about to hear it.
"All these people... they're cheering me on. None of them even know me, they see that I can barely stand, but nobody's running away. They're staying to cheer for me because they really think I can persevere and win. My teacher, Mr. Aizawa, believes that too. He said so to the entire world 10 minutes ago. He's probably watching me right now, and I'm sure if he were here, he'd scold me because he knows I can do better than this. My classmates must be watching me, too. They're all counting on me to stay alive and fulfill my promise to reunite with them at U.A. High."
The esper's eyes went to the ground, and his fist clenched. "As if I'd ever let them down like that..."
Shigeo's aura exploded. The momentarily dulled eyes had returned to their bright red sparkle, and the passion which had fueled his powers before was now burning like a blazing inferno in his soul, hotter than it had ever blazed in his life. Now he fully understood what it would mean if he lost here: it would mean betraying all of the friends he made and the random citizens watching him and putting their faith in him. This responsibility was a weight heavier than he'd ever felt before, yet it was a weight he would carry with every muscle in his body.
"I WON'T LET IT END HERE!"
The esper turned to acknowledge both the crowd and the news crew above. "To everyone out there cheering me on, thank you for putting your trust in me, and I swear I won't betray that trust by losing now! Because I'm still standing, and as long as I'm standing, I'LL FIGHT TO THE VERY END!"
All For One's mocking smile slowly disappeared. He'd allowed the esper to give his little speech because he thought it'd amount to nothing, but all his senses were screaming out that something dangerous had reawakened within his opponent's heart.
Shigeo used his telekinesis to push All For One far into the air, and with a smile, he let out all the fire in his heart.
"BODY IMPROVEMENT! FIGHT OOONNNN!"
The esper shouted the motto of the Body Improvement Club from the deepest depths of his soul. Across the nation, the tears that had been forming in the eyes of every member of the Body Improvement Club were now streaming down their faces. Even the usually dispassionate Todoroki and Tokoyami were moved to tears by their friend's heartfelt words and the utter passion with which he spoke. With those tears staining their faces, the members of the Body Improvement Club shouted back with everything they had.
"FIGHT ON!"
The rest of the students of Class 1-A and every member of the hero course in U.A. shouted for the esper's name. Among the families of the U.A. students, Rei Todoroki had burst into similar tears' the Yaoyorozu parents were shouting with even greater vigor while her mother fought the wetness in her eyes, and the Iida family's chanting, too, grew with utmost passion. The U.A. teachers and the homeroom teacher of Shigeo, in particular, began shouting louder than any of them had before. Across the world, citizens, too, burst to life. Though they couldn't understand what the chant meant, they were utterly taken away by the bravery this young child displayed. They understood that this teenager was determined to see this battle through no matter the cost, and they understood that no matter what, he wouldn't let them down. For a brief moment, it was not All Might who served as the symbol of peace who shined a light on the world but Shigeo Kageyama.
Back in the air, far above the sight of the cameras again, Shigeo's mind was rushing with adrenaline, blocking out all the pain from the various parts of his body. He was going to use every trick he had right now with every limb he could still use!
His first move was to kick All For One in the chest, imbued with the Telekinetic Helix in his foot. He followed up by replicating the trump card that Koyama had used, channeling his psychic energy into his arm and slamming All For One with a lariat across the chest.
"ENERGY BOMB!"
All For One shook off the damage and fired a blast of ionized energy from his hand. Shigeo met that blast with his psychic power, but using the suggestions Izuku had made for him and the control he'd honed, he fired extra beams of energy from his fingertips which hit the villain square in the chest. All For One used his other hand to fire the same enhanced Air Cannon he'd used several times, but this time, Shigeo had a trick up his sleeve. Using his barriers, he placed multi-layered barriers around All For One. The air cannon exploded inside the barriers, causing a massive explosion that destroyed all but one of the barriers. Releasing the final wall, he unleashed a barrage of blasts, the same barrage-type technique that Toichiro had used in their battle. The sky lit up with bright orange, the sound of explosions reaching the ears of everyone in the city. All For One did his best to dodge these explosions, using the previous explosive Quirks he'd used and unleashing bursts of similar size, which the esper avoided. However, as the esper rushed toward All For One, he took a page from Bakugo.
Cupping both his hands, Shigeo ignited explosions from his palms, spinning himself like a tornado. But as he spun, the size of his explosions was much greater than Bakugo's during the Sports Festival, so the speed of his tornado and the oxygen accumulating was far more significant.
"HOWITZER IMPACT!" This unbelievable explosion dwarfed the other explosions that had been created so far, showing just how powerful the esper could be if he unleashed his full potential. All For One fell through the air, taking more time to recover from these repeatedly powerful blows. As he was falling, All For One attempted to use the same artificial mouths from before to take the esper by surprise, but Shigeo captured all those disgusting things using air whips generated from his left hand. With two of the lashes, Shigeo kept All For One in place and prepared a powerful punch using his other hand.
"TEXAS SMASH!" The shockwaves from his punch traveled through the air and managed to deal more serious damage to the villain. All For One's anger grew: his attacks had become even stronger.
"You were on death's door less than a minute ago! How can you muster the strength to surpass your previous level of power? I don't understand!"
"Of course, you wouldn't understand!" yelled Mob as he rushed forward and slammed his fist into All For One's chest with the Telekinetic Helix. "You don't know anything about a person's heart! You think it's just a place for negative emotions, meant to be used to take what you want from others! But it's something that's meant to give to others! People around the world are giving me their trust, the same way everyone who carried One For All gave it to their successors, and that trust is giving me the strength to keep fighting. It's why I won't let them down! I'll push past this pain and go beyond! PLUS ULTRA!"
With a final punch, Shigeo Kageyama slammed his telekinetic helix into All For One's mask. Then, from in the air, Shigeo's fist dragged All For One back down to the ground, where the battle had first started. Then, in an unbelievable final move, Mob slammed his opponent's face into the ground. A tremendous whirlwind formed: rocks flew, and the ground shook. But even amid this final move, Shigeo's heightened reflexes again allowed him to act quickly enough to create a large barrier to prevent the last attack from damaging any nearby heroes.
The seconds were passing. The heroes were still getting on their feet after being knocked back by the whirlwind. They grew anxious, for this was the moment that had decided everything.
From deep inside the crater, the esper was collecting himself. After putting everything he had and pushing his body past its limit, Shigeo Kageyama was now standing victorious. Mob turned around to see his surroundings, yet everything around him was covered in smoke and dust, so he couldn't see what had happened or how much damage the final attack had caused. As he looked down, he felt his face twist in horror. His final punch had destroyed All For One's mask, allowing him to see the extent of the damage to his head. His entire face was made up of scar tissue, extending from above his upper lip and covering his whole head and neck. His nose, ears, hair, and eyes were all gone, and the only thing Mob could make out was the outlines of his eye sockets. So this is the damage All Might had done in their climactic battle six years ago. Did he have to go this far? Crushing a man's head so violently? He'd never known his teacher could be capable of something like this.
The compassion in Mob's heart was stirring again. There was absolutely no way he could leave All For One in a state like this. He had to try and fix it. And yet... could he? Would he be able to recreate these complex organs? He'd done some light reading on these organs during his studying with Recovery Girl, but would it be enough? Besides, he still hadn't discovered the secret to recreating organs, so what would make this any different? Mob shook his head: he wouldn't know until he tried.
Mob slowly reached his hand out, but as he came forward, he hesitated again. This was all so familiar. More than a year ago, he'd been in this exact situation: after fighting Toichiro in a climactic battle, he'd chosen to stay by his side and show him kindness by absorbing his energy. But it was showing him that kindness that had led him here in the first place. It caused him to lose his family, friends, and loved ones he might never see again. So what would happen if he healed All For One? Would it lead to disasters down the road that he couldn't fix?
"After all, the truth behind one's charm is kindness. So just be a good person, got it?" His master's words suddenly echoed in his mind, and any doubts were erased. No matter what would happen from this point on, it didn't change the fact that this is who he wanted to be: a good person. A gentle smile split across his face.
"Don't worry. Just like I helped him, I'm going to help you."
100% Kindness
The esper placed his hand over the villain's face and sent his energy into his hand. As he began healing, he noticed how much calmer and smoother the energy traveling was, like a river flowing through a quiet meadow. Moreover, the signals he was sending were traveling with more incredible speed and efficiency than ever. In seconds, the esper removed his hand from All For One's face, and everything that had been missing was restored.
"That's it. Healing is an act of kindness, so to properly share that kindness, I need to feel it as I heal. That's the missing piece!" Shigeo felt his heart beat with joy: he'd accomplished another great thing, and at long last, he could finally heal All Might.
Shortly after this happened, the smoke finally cleared up, allowing Shigeo to get a better view of everything around him. He continued to look up and saw that another helicopter was flying in the sky with the same logo as the other one. Indeed, the other news helicopter sent to observe the crash had landed as soon as the other had been attacked. But now that it looked as though the battle had ended, the news station had switched their feeds, for the entire world was on its feet. They had to know the outcome of the battle of the century.
But they soon got their answer: on the ground, Shigeo Kageyama still stood while the villain lay defeated before his feet. Across Kamino Ward and the entire world, thunderous applause echoed out in unified victory. The tears spilled by the students of Class 1-A and the Body Improvement Club continued to flow when they saw that their friend had made it through this monumental challenge.
Even from so far away, Shigeo could hear this applause crying out for him. They knew. They knew he won. Shigeo's eyes met the helicopter, and with his last good arm, he held it up in victory while a smile spread over his face. He wanted to let everyone watching know he hadn't let them down: they'd given him his trust and paid it back in full by defeating the Symbol of Evil.
"It's all over, folks!" the news reporter in the helicopter shouted. "After this battle of the ages, Shigeo Kageyama has managed to overcome adversity and stand victorious!"
As the helicopter in the sky continued celebrating the esper's victory, they quickly felt another sonic boom. For a brief moment, they feared that another villain had come to finish the job. Then, they turned and saw some high-speed object soaring through the air and breaking the sound barrier. The object landed just a few dozen meters from Shigeo's location, but the reporters breathed a sigh of relief when they saw it was none other than All Might.
"The Symbol of Peace has just arrived, though one has to wonder where he's been in such a monumental battle."
These past few minutes had been an absolute wreck for All Might. After Kurogiri had teleported him to a random warehouse in the middle of nowhere, he'd frantically jumped through the roof and went to the nearest populated area to find out where he was. To his horror, he'd discovered All For One had transported him to an abandoned warehouse in Wakkanai, and he'd been going at top speed to Kamino Ward, praying that he could make it in time. Finally, after several minutes of traveling far faster than the speed of sound, he'd arrived.
"Kageyama!"
"All Might!"
The number one hero rushed to his student, who was utterly relieved to see that his teacher looked no worse for wear. "You're ok. Thank goodness."
"My god..." All Might's entire body began trembling when he saw his student's state. His arm and leg had been broken, his stance was limping, his breathing was erratic, and blood was running down his arm. Tears of shame quickly pooled in the hero's eyes. "What happened to you?"
"I just fought All For One, and it didn't go as well as I thought it would. But I still beat him, All Might, just like you wanted me to," the esper said, caring little about his foe being defeated and more about making his teacher proud.
The Symbol of Peace walked over, staring in disbelief as he noticed his long-time enemy lying unconscious on the ground. "You really did it," All Might muttered. Despite having doubted the esper's abilities, Shigeo had truly gone above and beyond and vanquished the Symbol of Evil for a second time. However, the hero quickly noted his enemy's face fully restored, bringing back dark memories of when this man had killed his master and when he'd fought him in their climactic battle six years ago.
"So that mask was for show," All Might muttered, "He managed to find a way to heal himself from the damage of our fight six years ago."
"No, that was me. I'm the one who healed him." All Might waited for the punchline to this joke, especially considering that Shigeo wasn't one for comedy. But when he looked at his student's face, he realized that this poor humor attempt was no joke. Relief was quickly morphing into confusion and frustration.
"Kageyama, what were you thinking?" he said with biting anger, "Do you have any idea what this man has done? The lives he's ruined? What would compel you to help such a monster?"
"I'm sorry, All Might, but the damage was horrible! His entire upper face was gone! I know you hate him for what he's done. I don't like him, either, but... I could never leave anyone in a state like that if I had the chance to fix them, even someone like him."
All Might opened his mouth to give a scathing retort, but the anger diminished when he saw the sincerity in his eyes. Even if he disagreed with Shigeo's decision, now was not the time to condemn him after what he'd just been through.
"All Might!" Above them, the rest of the heroes who'd partook in operation were rushing down. Endeavor, Best Jeanist, Edgeshot, and Gran Torino all came to check on the psychic teenager. Like All Might, the heroes grimaced as they looked closely at the student's devastating injuries.
"How're my friends doing?" Shigeo asked the heroes. "Were any of them really hurt?"
"Luckily, none of them sustained any critical injuries beyond a few scratches," replied Endeavor.
"Where are they now?"
"They wanted to rush down here and congratulate you, but we insisted they stay hidden to not draw any more attention to themselves or U.A.," said Best Jeanist, "Police cars are sending them to the station for some questioning and treatment before they go home."
"That makes sense. I would've liked to see them again, though."
In an unexpected move, the number two hero was the first to bow his head in shame. "I apologize, Kageyama. I should've been up there helping you fight that villain instead of standing as a spectator."
"Endeavor, please. You did everything you could down here, and that's all that matters. The same goes for the rest of you."
Best Jeanist decided to be the next to speak his mind. "You did truly incredible work, Kageyama. Not only did you defeat such a powerful villain by yourself, but your quick thinking significantly reduced the damage to this district. Who knows how many casualties we would've suffered if you hadn't protected us with that large barrier."
The surrounding areas were quickly becoming denser. More police officers and heroes were arriving on the scene to help with the injured or search for more citizens who could be buried. The top heroes remained near the esper and contacted the police to bring the cell for All For One's imprisonment. All Might looked over his student's injuries and immediately called a medical helicopter when he saw how grievously he'd been injured. While this was happening, Best Jeanist used his Quirk to control the fibers in All For One's clothing to keep him restrained. At the same time, the news helicopter streaming ever since Shigeo had stood victorious over All For One had just landed in the crater, and the news crew was rushing out to greet the heroes.
"All Might, Endeavor, Best Jeanist, Edgeshot! Our team has just started broadcasting since the villain was defeated! Can you tell us the situation and the scope of the damage to Kamino Ward and its populace?"
"We're still trying to get an estimate of the damage, though, from our efforts so far, it appears that we've been lucky enough to avoid any serious casualties," Edgeshot said.
"We're keeping the villain restrained and waiting for the police to arrive and take him into custody," Best Jeanist added.
Besides this, the reporters decided to address the most pressing issue on their minds. "All Might, you've just arrived on the scene. How come you weren't at the battle sooner? Is there a reason the rest of you heroes didn't contribute in the battle against this villain?"
All Might hid the grimace of shame that threatened to show, and the other heroes likewise struggled to answer. Giving them an answer would remind them of their helplessness.
"It wasn't All Might's fault. I saw what had happened: he had just arrived at the hideout to rescue me, but the villains had set a trap for him. They surprised him and warped him away before he could do anything." The esper noted how much easier it was to lie when it was to defend the people he cared about. "But if he had been here, I know he would've ended this fight more quickly than I did. He's the Symbol of Peace, after all. I still can't even begin to compare to him."
All Might and the rest of the heroes couldn't believe what they heard. Instead of bragging about his power being superior to All Might or letting the heroes try to defend themselves, Shigeo was actively lying to protect his reputation. But, as Mob continued talking, he needed to address something extremely important now that he had the whole world's attention.
"Look, what happened here, what happened to me, that isn't the fault of the heroes or U.A. High. Like Mr. Aizawa said at the press conference, I'm the one who chose to go with the villains. U.A. didn't make that choice for me. I'm the one who told all the heroes here not to help me and to let me fight All For One myself. I know it's not good that I've been hurt so badly, but you saw the battle. I was the only one who could do this. Any other option would've led to heroes dying, and I'd never forgive myself for letting that happen. Besides, I could only fully focus on the fight because I knew they were down here doing their jobs."
"Kageyama is absolutely correct." All Might stepped up next to the esper and placed his hand on Mob's shoulder. "U.A. High and the heroes here have all done their best, and none of them deserve to take the blame for tonight's events. The heroes won tonight because everyone here played their part, including Kageyama. Against all odds, Kageyama stood tall and defeated this villain with valor and dignity. As his teacher and the number one hero, I could not be more proud of what he accomplished."
"And is there anything you'd like to say to everyone watching you?" asked the news reporter.
"I guess the only thing I have to say is... thank you. Because of everyone who cheered me on, I was able to remember what I was fighting for and push past my limits. Because of everyone out there, I was able to live up to my title as Mob Psychic and win this fight as a hero." Mob's eyes began to water, and he stared into the camera with a smile. "So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing in me."
Across the world, the citizens watching could feel fresh tears forming in their eyes. His words' sincerity and gratitude kept touching their hearts and reminding them why they chose to put their faith in the esper. But as the esper smiled, he attempted to shift the footing on his broken leg, which caused him to lose his balance and fall forward. All Might picked him up, but he and everyone watching gazed in horror as Shigeo began coughing up blood. Even without looking into his eyes, they could see that tears were falling, mixing with the blood. With the last of his energy and adrenaline gone, the pain of his accumulated injuries piled up quickly.
"It hurts. My insides are burning..." These whispered words broke the hearts of the heroes, for it was a reminder that this boy was still just that: a boy.
"We need to get the medical copter now!" The heroes directed the news camera away from the esper and to the scene of destruction while All Might gently laid the boy on the ground, trying to ease him as his consciousness began slowly fading. In less than a minute, the medical helicopter and the police with the containment unit arrived. From the medical helicopter, the staff rushed out with the medical bed while the police rushed with equal frenzy to help apprehend All For One.
"The villain who caused this is being led into the maiden right now while Shigeo Kageyama is taken to the hospital. We can only hope that Kageyama's recovery is swift so the world can give him a proper thank-you."
The heroes and police were putting the villain on their feet. But as the villain was restrained, the movement began to stir All For One back into consciousness. His mind shook, and his eyes fluttered open. When he regained his coherent thoughts, he immediately realized that was wrong. Since when did he have eyes to open in the first place?
He realized that it wasn't just his eyes. His nose, ears, and hair, all of them had been restored. For the first time in six years, he didn't have to rely on his sensory Quirks to notice his surroundings. But how was this possible? He didn't have any regeneration Quirk to restore his body. So then it could only mean...
All For One turned and saw Shigeo being lifted onto the helicopter. For a brief moment, their eyes met again. And in that brief moment, All for One could see the smallest smiles on the esper's face as if to confirm his suspicion: the one who'd fixed him was Kageyama. That moment was lost as the villain was placed in the iron maiden, and the esper was placed in the helicopter. Staring up above him and hearing the sounds of rotors around him, the esper decided that it was time to let himself rest. It had been a long, arduous battle, but he could sincerely smile and say it had been a victory.
My Hero Academia/Mob Psycho 100 Ultra Analysis:
- All For One's extra Quirks:
Bone fragment cannon- Can fire bone fragments from his body which explode upon impact.
Energy Blast - Can fire blasts of ionic energy
Fire Shot - Can fire a spiral a flames from his fingers. Can use his whole hand for a stronger effect
Ice spiral - Can create a spiral of ice from each finger at the opponent. Can use whole hand for greater effect
- The reason Shigeo's healing was less effective during the camp invasion was due to being in 100% Desperation. As his healing is based on his frame of mind, his 100% states amplify the effects of his healing. So positive emotions like 100% Compassion and 100% Kindness are much more effective, while negative emotions like 100% Desperation and 100% Resignation are far less effective.
So how did you like the chapter? Was it everything you'd hoped for? Did you want more out of Shigeo or believed that he should've won more easily? Hopefully I managed to make this chapter entertaining enough for you and end 2022 on a high note.
I'm sure that there were plenty of people out there who were waiting for ?% to finally appear in this battle. But that would've been too easy: this battle wasn't just meant as a big, flashy fight. It was meant to show how far Shigeo had come as a hero. All this time, he'd been indecisive, lacked the conviction his friends did, and didn't use the same kind of thinking that Deku or Yaoyorozu did. But this fight, he's using everything taught by his teachers and his classmates to the fullest extent. He only won because of their help: that's what I was trying to convey.
I'd also like to give credit to Jeremy Steinmark for helping come up with the extra Quirks I listed above. I appreciate any help I can get. And for all you fans out there, I'd like to make a request for fanart: if some of you could draw the moment where Mob stands victorious over All For One, I'd really appreciate seeing that.
And again, here's a link for the 100 Percent Hero Discord server if anyone wants to join: /X4mExAyY9n
Wait until Chapter 40, where you'll see just how far Shigeo's actions spread throughout society!