The final battle between All Might and AFO begins!
Took longer than I wanted for this chapter to come out, but here we are. The conclusion to the Battle of Kamino Ward. I don't know if I managed to stick the landing the way I wanted, but I did my best and well...I hope you enjoy.
That said, as I said last chapter, this is going to be it for a little while for Overcharged. I'm going to be taking a bit of a break from this story (over a year and 400k+ words later), and focus on a few others...FBF for one, but also a few one shots I have in the pipe as well as a new multi-chapter IzuOchaHimi I'll be working on as well. Thank you to everyone who followed me so far on this journey, but fret not, the journey is not yet over either!
This was…exhilarating, Izuku thought to himself as he barely dodged another strike from the strange horse/human Nomu, as Miruko swept in to snap one of its legs with a kick. He quickly threw out Blackwhip to wrap around one of its other (five?!) legs and pulled, forcing it to fall backwards to a knee as he quickly threw up a barrier to block one of the dripping orbs flying towards him. He'd already had the unfortunate experience of seeing what was in them, a skin contact poison of some kind that had Gang Orca currently being flown off by Hawks for safety and to get him to a hospital asap, so he wasn't having any of that anymore. Every time the Nomu shot one out, he captured it in his barriers and forcibly redirected it away from everyone, which so far had been working.
Not that much else was. All of these Nomu seemed to have healing abilities, and most of them were stuffed to the brim with Quirks that none of the heroes nearby had a full solution for. Endeavor, Jeanist, Torino, and Ryukyu were all trying to fight that giant mass of tentacles and eyes and teeth and it was not going well, even the brilliant flame of Endeavor's Prominence Burn was not enough to finish it off. Edgeshot was trying to buy time against the female shaped Nomu with the massive central eye, as a number of lesser known heroes had already tried to help but were blasted away by what appeared to be some form of psychic pulse from the single giant eye in her forehead, leaving Edgeshot alone to simply dodge and weave as best he could.
Izuku had gone to help Miruko for one reason…He knew how she fought (due to the training), and thus he was sure he wouldn't get in her way. He wasn't an idiot. Even with all his Quirks and fifty percent of OFA, he didn't have the same combat experience the pros did, so he was focusing on supporting them as best he could. Every time he saw one of them falter, he sent another burst of energy into them, burning his own pool but the reserves from the overcharge All For One had kept him going (for now).
He nearly fell over as another colossal eruption hit the center of the battlefield, shaking the very ground beneath their feet. Even as the gathered heroes fought off the Nomu, All Might and All For One were darting about the battlefield, their strikes thundering and their movement earth shattering. For some reason, even with the boost Izuku had given All Might, All For One was keeping up. It didn't make any sense! All Might was nearly killed, and he truly thought All For One had died, shouldn't he also have suffered debilitation?
Izuku had little time to ponder as the Nomu in front of him sent a dozen arms at him, all of them suddenly extending to freakish lengths, chainsaws and drills revved. Izuku's eyes widened, quickly using Blackwhip to reach back and grab onto a broken building, pulling him backwards and barely out of the way. Danger Sense was helpful, but it didn't change that the Nomu's reaction times were better than his own, and that alone made it so Danger Sense was only able to do so much for him.
Miruko bolted past and kicked clean through half the arms, but they quickly regrew to her very clear annoyance, a snarl on her face as she did another flip and came crashing down with her heel, screaming "Luna fall!" as she did so. Her heel slammed into the back of the Nomu, a loud snapping noise sounding as its legs collapsed beneath it, its spine bent in an unnatural way…but with a sickening crunch, its spine realigned and it began to clamber back up, an explosion of arms, drills, and saws forcing the duo back and away from it.
"The hells it gonna take to put this fucking thing down?!" she cursed, glancing over at Izuku.
Izuku shrugged helplessly, glancing around to see that none of the other heroes were doing any better. In fact, Edgeshot was starting to slow down a tiny bit, and the eye Nomu was getting much, much closer to hitting him. Izuku focused to try and send some energy to the pro, but as if in slow motion, he was too late…Edgeshot had to form back into his full body and at that very second, the eye Nomu unveiled what must have been a different Quirk…the ground beneath Edgeshot's feet suddenly turning to a viscous dark red substance, his boots sinking into it for a brief moment, long enough for her to turn her gaze upon the hero.
Edgeshot froze in place, his entire body locked as if turned to stone, his eyes glazing over. Izuku cried out wordlessly, throwing his hand out and slamming his foot into the ground to try and create a barrier in time, but the eye Nomu's arm slammed into Edgeshot, the pro hero sent flying with a loud crack, his arm now dangling from his side, a broken, bloody mess, as blood began to seep from that same side.
Hawks' feathers swarmed in, immediately lifting Edgeshot and carrying him away as the others began to harry and harass the Nomu responsible, having just returned from taking Gang Orca to safety. But now, they were still in a terrible place, down another hero as All Might and All For One continued to face off, their blows causing the very air around them to vibrate and shiver.
Not helping was the fact his left arm was still pretty much useless. Wrapped up in his energy was keeping it stable, and apparently his subconscious was great at adjusting to impacts to protect it more, but that didn't make the fact his left arm was broken any less painful! He grit his teeth as he focused energy into his right, using Gear Shift to flip right in front of the Nomu before him and blast it with as big a shot as he could, the eruption of force sending him skidding back from the recoil as Miruko swiftly bolted past Izuku to land a kick on the still regenerating head. Gods, he wished he had a solution!
"Shit!" he cursed as Miruko suddenly grabbed his shoulder and launched him out of the way. "Watch it!" he snapped at her.
"You're fine kit, chill!" she replied, ducking beneath another swing as she levied a powerful kick at the Nomu. Izuku sent another surge of energy into her just as he saw her start to stumble slightly, the broken foot and bloody mess of an arm making her almost get caught before she dodged out of the way in time.
"It's not that! I drain energy if I touch someone with my bare skin sometimes! Don't take risks like that!" he shouted back, sending Blackwhip in to grab onto the Nomu's head and wrenching it to the side, forcing its body to follow along with the sudden pull. And it was at his own words, it clicked in his mind. Izuku's jaw dropped and he barely managed to dodge the sudden drill arm heading for his face, Danger Sense blaring, as he remembered what Mei had said to him just a week prior.
Mei stopped her bouncing around for a moment to stare at him, her yellow, unblinking gaze almost unnerving as she spoke quietly. "Izuku…why not? Imagine how quickly you could stop a villain if you could just…exhaust them with a single touch? Even the most dangerous villain has a limited amount of energy to use. If you could drain a controllable amount in an instant, you'd be able to win nearly any fight, stop any villain in their tracks. Isn't that something you'd want?"
Izuku gaped at her for a moment, before shaking his head. "I can only use it on people I care about though."
"For now. But once you get a handle on it, I bet it'd work on anyone!"
Izuku's eyes narrowed, now that he had an idea in mind. He didn't know if it would work, as before it had only worked on people he cared for…but now, if ever, was the time for his Quirk to do his bidding. The pain in the center of his chest that had been his perpetual companion since he was four had vanished when he unleashed the last wave of energy that freed his friends. In some ways, the absence of pain was painful in and of itself, such a strange sensation for him…but in its place, rested a new feeling. A feeling of control.
With a snarl, he summoned every last tendril of Blackwhip he could, wrapping about each and everyone one of its limbs. He sent his energy flooding down them, wrapping about them and reinforcing the bindings, twisting and twining as his eyes erupted into green lightning. Miruko bounced away in surprise, eyes wide, as Izuku suddenly leapt forward, triggering Gear Shift on himself to appear right before the Nomu's face, its jaw unhinged and screeching loudly as it struggled against the grip.
Izuku couldn't hold this for long…but he didn't need long. With his one good arm, he stretched out, wrapping his hand around the Nomu's face with a clawed grip (inwardly, he felt the vestiges cringe at memories of All For One's use of his Quirk), and called to his Quirk, begging, pleading for it to answer to him and do what he wanted for once.
An image superimposed itself in Izuku's mind…the fight around them seemed to dampen, to dim, the world going fuzzy and hazy as he could also see into his mindscape at the same time. The black, twisted tower that stretched up to the skies, that glowed with a sickly green color, that was slowly draining from those he loved and forced him to create a new connection…it stood tall before Izuku…before a great crack resounded throughout it.
The echo of the noise rang in his ears, his heart pounding, his head aching, his body feeling like it had been lit from within with a sudden surge of power. The twisted obsidian began to break and flake away, to shiver and shatter, its very form twisting and changing before him. The world seemed to slow down even further, even as the Nomu seemed to get out of his binding, as he watched the arms descend upon him, he did not release his grip, everything around him moving at such speeds he could see every tiny motion.
Miruko leaping towards him to pull him to safety…Hawks, in the distance, falling back as blood flew from his chest when the eye Nomu struck at him with her claws…Endeavor coughing up blood from the crushing pressure exerted on his chest from one of the tentacles that was wrapped about him…And All Might, screaming in rage as his fists flew to meet the strikes of All For One, all of it paled in comparison to the light he saw shining from within the tower itself…and then it shattered.
A brilliant glow lit up both within his mind and without, his body erupting into light and sound and heat, the Nomu clasped within his hand screaming in agony as green began to seep from its skip and into Izuku. Within his mind, the image before him, Izuku could see the black tower was now gone, and in its place, a shimmering silvery tower of gleaming metal and gold having replaced it, and he just knew…it was his. It was all his.
Tempest had taken full control over his power, the final moments clicking into place as he understood everything, and with that…he brought the Nomu to its knees, its body collapsing into a dark ichor as the energy that maintained its Imbued form was suddenly ripped from it, collecting inside Izuku and flooding him with newfound strength. He didn't wait to apply it…Gear Shift active, he vanished from the spot he was in and reappeared before Hawks, blocking a strike from the eye Nomu with a barrier, his right hand reaching out and grasping onto her arm. Hawks could only blink in shock as the eye Nomu screamed, her voice echoing across the battlefield and bringing attention to her as she collapsed like the first one did, her body vanishing into the aether without a chance to strike back.
"One more," Izuku murmured, his body aching but strong enough for this. Once again, he forcibly moved himself with Gear Shift, managing to dodge between a half dozen tentacles to reach a spot he could lay his hand upon the massive monstrosity that had been three Nomu once before. Painfully, with his head aching and his body begging for oxygen, he pulled, feeling the energy, far greater than the prior two, resisting at first,but slowly, inexorably, being drawn into him, draining and drawing from the monster before him.
He could barely focus between the pain and the pressure, but he saw Endeavor get back up and sear off a dozen tentacles coming to strike at him from behind. Gran Torino dashed around him, kicking tentacles away as swiftly as he could, as Ryukyu grappled with the beast, clawing and kicking to try and hold more of its attention off him…and finally, after an agonizing thirty seconds, the creature began to collapse in on itself.
Izuku let out a tired smile, dropping his grip on Gear Shift, on Float, on Blackwhip, and found himself collapsing to the ground, gasping for air, bent over in pain as he nearly passed out…but managed to keep conscious. He turned his gaze back to the fight between All For One and All Might, knowing he couldn't be of much help…but needing to see what happened, needing to know. Silently, he prayed that All Might would keep his promise, every ounce of him afraid…but he had faith. Toshi could do this…Izuku would believe.
Toshinori's entire body burned. One For All was singing in his veins, wrapping about him and flooding his body with strength in ways he rarely could recall ever feeling before. The connection to Izuku was bringing him even more strength, the constant drip feed of energy surging through him, but it didn't blot out the pain. Every blow rattled his bones, every blast of various types seared his skin, every scream and shout and roar echoed in his ears and made him feel like his skull was splitting.
But he would not surrender. He would not back down. He was the Symbol of Peace, and before him was the man he hated most in this world, the one who had taken Nana from him, who threatened his students, threatened his successor! Toshinori snarled as he dashed across the field, slamming into All For One with a roar. All For One merely chuckled, leaping out of the way as Toshinori's fist shattered the ground, an eruption of dust and rock exploding from the point of contact.
"Getting slow in your old age, huh, All Might?" All For One taunted, sending black and red spiked tendrils out towards Toshinori.
Toshinori batted them aside contemptuously, not even feeling threatened by the move he'd now seen a half dozen times already. They shattered beneath the force of his strike, his body aching but still channeling the embers of One For All without issue. Somewhere deep inside, he could feel Nana there, pushing him, watching over him, encouraging him…though he couldn't speak to her as Izuku had, knowing she was there, knowing she was watching, was all he needed to fight back.
"You're one to talk! You certainly seem weaker than last time, that's for sure!" Toshinori shot back.
"Oh, do I? I suppose you think you wounded me like I did you, yes?" All For One replied, smugness oozing from his tone.
"I know I did," All Might snarled, his scar aching at the reminder of the injury All For One had left upon him.
"Oh, you certainly hurt me, that's for sure. But-" All For One was given no time to continue his speech, Toshinori taking the chance offered by the supervillain to strike, bolting forward as quickly as he could.
With a roar from the bottom of his heart, Toshinori screamed "Detroit…SMASH!" his fist slamming into All For One's helmet, the black metal shattering like porcelain before the blow, sending the villain flying back through three broken buildings, the remnants of the area around them collapsing with a colossal shake of the earth. Toshinori panted slightly, the embers of One For All still burning in his chest, but even he could tell it was getting to be too much. Izuku's donated energy was actually making him burn through it faster, even as it empowered him, and he knew he had to finish this soon.
He wouldn't make the same mistakes he made before, so he vowed silently. He ran forward, following the destruction he'd wreaked, determined to continue his assault while All For One was still recovering. He barreled through broken walls and torn ceilings, an angry, vengeful juggernaut coming to bring down his foe, paying no heed to the destruction he'd wrought. He already had been told by Izuku the civilians had been evacuated, his protege's energy vision having sought out any other life and finding it all gone, so he felt safe in being more violent than he normally would. Buildings could be rebuilt. People could not.
He skidded to a stop where he saw the black pants of his foe, All For One laying upon the ground, his arms spread, a piece of rubble laying atop him. Toshinori wasn't a fool. This was likely a trick, so he didn't bother with any attempts at checking for his safety. He reached down and grabbed the piece of the wall, ripping it from All For One's prone body as he prepared another strike…but his eyes went wide and he paused for one brief moment.
All For One's helmet was torn asunder by his blow, utterly destroyed, and leaving the monster's face revealed…a face Toshinori was far, far too familiar with. White hair, red eyes, a smirk emblazoned on his face, the face of his foe somehow completely uninjured from their prior battle. Toshinori had no time to contemplate this, as All For One erupted with power, sending Toshinori flying back as he blocked the blow with his forearms, destroying the rubble about the two of them.
"As I was saying before you oh so rudely interrupted me…are you certain you actually injured me?" All For One taunted, dusting himself off as he rose to his feet, his habitual smirk visible on his face.
"What kind of trickery is this?" Toshinori hissed, wincing slightly at the pressure on his side. He refused to show weakness to this monster though, and kept his expression twisted in a snarl, showing his defiance of the supervillain before him.
"Oh, it is no trick, All Might. What good would a Doctor be who couldn't heal me, after all? He bioengineered those Nomu after all, of course he was able to help me get back on my feet. So unlike you, I'm in the prime of my life right now, hahahaha!" All For One's laughter boomed across the battlefield, drawing attention to him even from the now exhausted heroes behind All Might. "But you…you're not in such good shape, are you? I can see it…you're losing your grip. And then, it'll all be up to your poor, defenseless successor, Izuku Midoriya, to try to succeed where you failed."
"You keep his name out of your filthy mouth, All For One! You won't touch him!" Toshinori shouted back, feeling the rage well up within him. Even as blood burbled in his mouth, as he felt the sudden surge of agony in his missing limbs, the flames of One For All weakening within, the threat towards his boy was more than enough to send power flooding through his veins. With a roar of defiance, he flew towards All For One once more, the two clashing in a blur of fists and power, the air whipping up about them and sending clouds of dust flying into the air.
It was as if in slow motion, as the fight continued, that he saw it. In his rage, in his fear, he missed one single moment, a small, insignificant gesture…and that was more than enough. Toshinori felt the air leave his lungs, his body screaming in pain, as a half dozen tendrils of black and rend energy stabbed into his side, ripping through the wound he had and impaling his chest, pain flooding every nerve in his body and making him freeze in place. Blood bubbled up from his mouth, dripping from his lips, as he glanced up with wide eyes, seeing smirking red ones before him.
As he felt the darkness closing in, blood roaring in his ears, all he could hear was the sudden scream of agony, a single voice carrying across the field, his successor's scream…"TOSHINORI!"
Izuku could only stare, vaguely aware he'd shouted something but not even sure what it was. All Might…Toshinori…his mentor, his friend, his father, was falling back and away from the monster All For One, blood spurting from his mouth and his side. It was as if it were in slow motion, the shock on Toshinori's face, the way his eyes fluttered closed, the tooth-filled smirk on the face of All For One…and it was all Izuku needed to see.
One For All surged in his veins, his entire body becoming infused by electricity and power, his Quirk blazing into it once more and fueling the called force. Izuku could not see how the ground around him shattered, how his body was now barely visible beneath the torrent of green, how the other heroes had to jump away from him as the heat around him built to a crescendo of strength.
He saw none of this, heard none of this, not a single plea to calm down or to realize that they could help All Might. All he saw was a face he hated, a monster who tried to take from him, tried to take what was his! Even as All For One turned to face Izuku, the same smirk still visible on his face, all Izuku could see was red…and he charged.
Screaming with rage, Izuku met All For One fist to fist, just as his mentor had. Danger Sense blaring in his mind as All For One brought forth even more Quirks to bear, red spikes meeting the green tendrils of Blackwhip, Air Cannon being deflected by Overcharge, Gear Shift pulling Izuku to safety as he flew about the monster before him. Smokescreen engulfed them both, Izuku's vision enabling him to track All For One's movements, but realizing quickly that the villain also could see him through it. Not that it mattered much when Smokescreen was blown away by another Air Cannon blast.
Not that Izuku cared or noticed anymore. Everything was red, red blood, red anger, red hate, red red redredred, everything was red and he was going to kill this bastard if he died trying! He tried to take Toshi away! Toshinori promised, he promised! Izuku knew the regret Nana felt, knew the hurt in Toshinori's heart, knew how much it impacted his life and he couldn't do that, he couldn't handle losing anyone else, not again! This needed to end, for once and for all, and if it took Izuku killing All For One, then so be it! Everything Izuku could see, could feel, could hear, was red.
One second in time is all it takes, for the world to change and shift. One brief moment where logic is gone and emotions reign, is all it takes. One single second where Izuku fell into the same trap his mentor did, letting his anger rule rather than ruling his anger…and All For One's open palm landed on Izuku's face.
Pain echoed throughout Izuku as he felt All For One pulling, trying to take from him what he'd worked so hard to both control and to accept, both his Quirk and One For All, everything he'd worked so hard for. In desperation, Izuku's hand mirrored All For One's, landing on the villain's face as he struggled, his left arm still broken and unable to assist. With a scream, he began to pull from All For One, draining him of energy, of his very life force, the villain grunting in pain at the sensation but also redoubling his efforts, the two locked in a battle of wills and power where the Quirk's raged against one another
…and Izuku knew he was losing.
A gentle tap on his face had Toshinori scrunching his nose in annoyance. Couldn't he take a damned nap in peace? But no, this tap tap tap kept hitting him, making him groan as he felt a thousand aches and pains in his body surge forward with his awakening. He still didn't want to open his eyes, didn't want to see the world, he felt so tired, so very exhausted…
"Wake the fuck up Toshi!" a voice shouted in his ears, one oh so familiar and yet oh so strange at the same time, a voice from far in his past.
"Nana?" he whispered, his eyes shooting open wide as he stared up into the unamused face of his mentor. As he looked upon her face, his memories flooded back…All For One! He frantically looked around, and his heart sank as he saw what he feared most…the tower Izuku had spoken of, the nine thrones, the lake of energy, the glowing orb in the sky, the people he assumed must be the vestiges of One For All…all of the things he never expected to see before he…he died.
"Oh no…Izuku, I am so, so so-" he began muttering, feeling as if his heart was shattering, before Nana cut him off.
"Don't get maudlin on us yet, you're not dead Toshi," she interrupted, making him blink rapidly up at her. His jaw dropped, before he gestured wildly around at all the vestiges…and then noticed the figure made of flame looking at him, offering him a merry wave as his gaze landed on what he knew was…himself?
"...what?" he asked, utterly confused.
Nana shrugged. "It's a long story and we don't have time, Izuku's being an idiot and needs you. Long story short…you used Izuku's barriers to block any lethal damage, but it totally knocked you on your ass."
"I did what?!"
Yoichi stepped forward, a soft smile on his face as he knelt next to the confused hero. "I wish we had more time to speak, but my brother is taking advantage of Izuku's loss of control and it would be a problem if-" as if to punish him for speaking, the entire realm rocked, cracks appearing in the floor of the tower as the lake of energy began to churn, waterspouts beginning to form as clouds darkened the skies, taking the pleasant nighttime imagery and turning it into a dark, dangerous storm, lightning crackling in the sky. Yoichi glanced up, narrowing his eyes as he turned back to Toshinori, urgency evident in his voice. "You need to get back up, Toshinori Yagi. You need to save Izuku, and yourself! End this…end my brother's legacy, once and for all."
"Keep your promise to him, Toshi…better than I did for you," Nana added softly. Toshinori glanced over at her, seeing her eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she tried to give him a bright smile, though he could see the cracks in her facade. She gulped. "I-I wish we had more time, Toshi, but…"
Toshinori didn't give her a chance to continue. So many emotions flooded through him that he could barely maintain his composure, but he knew he had to take this chance while he had it. He jolted forward, wrapping his arms around his mentor, his teacher, his friend…a woman more of a mother to him than his own…and for the first time in forty years, he could feel her warmth, feel her presence, her affection for him and his returned feelings as she hugged him back, tightly, painfully…a hello and a goodbye, all in one.
Another crack in the tower made him release her, ignoring the tears sliding down his own face as he saw her furiously wiping at her own eyes. He swallowed, his voice thick with emotion. "You did everything you could for me, Nana…I'm so glad you're watching over Izuku too. Thank you, for everything."
She smiled at him weakly, nodding silently as she couldn't seem to speak. Yoichi placed his hand on Toshinori's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Go, Toshinori…end this." And with a single push, one accompanied by a surge of energy from the green-eyed vestige, Toshinori felt his consciousness forced out of the vestige world…and back into the land of the living.
Toshinori opened his eyes to mayhem. The world was erupting around him, green and red energy waves buffeting his body and sending spasms of pain through his body, making him cough up blood as his wound throbbed painfully. He felt slow trickles of blood making their way from the stabs he'd taken before, whatever barrier he'd used only blocking them from being lethal, not from them causing severe pain.
He managed to glance up, able to see the other pro heroes desperately trying to reach the duo locked in a maelstrom of energy and power, but unable to break past what he could see now was a massive, dueling wave of energies. A second later, they were all blown away, their bodies ragdolling into the distance as red eyes burned into green, his protege's voice hoarse as he screamed, green seeping into him as red flowed from him, into the hands of All For One.
Every bone in his body aching, every muscle demanding he let go and rest, what felt like every pain nerve protesting as he slowly clambered to his feet, forcing his body to go beyond its limits. He had to get to his boy, he had to reach them and end this! It was his duty, his sacred oath…not to his vow of vengeance, no, but to his pupil, his son, the boy he'd come to love as Nana had loved him. He had to protect him, had to end this, and nothing would stop him from performing that final duty, nothing so pitiful as half a dozen stab wounds would stop him!
Even as the energy fields tried to shove him back and away, as the wind roared in his ears, as bolts of red and green slammed into him, nearly toppling him over, he took one step forward. Then another, a third, a fourth, every single stomp cracking the shattered ground beneath his feet, every step agony incarnate and yet another step in a journey he'd started decades ago.
It was then Izuku spotted him. As if in slow motion, Toshinori was greeted to what may as well have been the sun rising in the depths of night…first, shock, then denial, then a slow realization alighting on the teenager's face as his mouth split open wide in a relieved smile. It was as if All For One ceased to exist for the two for a brief moment, Toshinori's sapphire-blue eyes locked onto his boy's emerald gaze, sharing a moment even on the battlefield. Toshinori smiled back. Not the smile of All Might, Symbol of Peace, but the smile of Toshinori Yagi, the man who vowed not to leave Izuku as Nana had left him…a vow he intended on living up to.
"Detroit…SMASH!" he roared, his fist cocked back as he slammed into All For One's jaw, the focused supervillain not noticing his approach and being sent flying back, a sickening crack echoing through the battlefield as a few of the villains teeth flew out of his mouth, the force of All Might's punch sending a wave of air that buffeted everyone about him, the shockwave crushing piles of nearby rubble as All For One's body bounced across the ground.
Toshinori smiled at his protege once more, planting his hands on his hips. "Do not fear, young Izuku! For I am here!"
"...Toshi?" Izuku managed to stutter out, his knees buckling as he felt so many emotions flooding through him, his body aching in every possible spot from the sheer pain of trying to fight against All For One's attempt to take One For All from him.
All Might stepped over to Izuku, planting his hands on his shoulders and squeezing them as he did, meeting Izuku's eyes. "I promised you, didn't I? Nana made sure to remind me to keep that promise. Now, we don't have a lot of time…I need you to stand back and let me finish this, okay?"
Izuku stared up at his mentor, tears pricking at the edge of his eyes. He quickly sniffled, glancing over to see All For One clambering to his feet, his teeth bared and eyes alight with fury. As he looked at him, his vision flickered to his Quirk vision, seeing a blinding cacophony of Quirks available…hundreds, no thousands of them within his body, all of them vibrating and straining and fighting as if they were…trying…to…escape…
Izuku's eyes went wide as he pieced it together. He quickly snapped his gaze back to Toshinori. "I have a plan. A way to stop him. I just need a chance to touch him," he said softly, meeting Toshinori's gaze with a steely glare.
Toshinori wanted to protest, it was obviously written on his face, but a surge of emotion and whispers in his ears made his own eyes go wide as he felt Izuku's plan take shape in his mind, the determination, the fear that he was smothering beneath his own desires to protect and save, all of them mixed into one giant ball of feelings that told Toshinori what Izuku wanted to do…and far be it for him to stand in his successor's way. Without saying a word, his own trust in his young protege slid across the distance between them, Izuku's teary grin matching his own.
Izuku quickly leapt backwards and away, the two now on the same wavelength as Toshinori focused on his foe, the supervillain finally managing to get back to his feet. Izuku began to circle around the duo, watching carefully as he saw his mentor and All For One begin to square up once more.
"Well well well, you survived. I'm impressed." All For One said, dusting himself off as his arrogant smirk spread across his face once more.
"You will never be able to kill me, All For One, because I represent an ideal. I represent a goal, a desire, a hope that is held in the hearts of the people. And no matter how much you try, how much you destroy, hope is immortal," Toshinori shot back, clenching his fists. Steam wafted off him, his entire body screaming at him to let go of his muscle form, the embers of One For All flickering within his heart…but he held firm, held his grasp on his strength, because he trusted in his boy. All they needed was their shot…and All For One clearly was losing his patience.
"More heroic drivel," All For One scoffed. "Disappointing, honestly, that you'd say something so bland. I care not anymore. You don't have my Quirk anymore…you're not important. I will end you, once and for all, and then break that boy over my knees until he returns what is mine!" With a snarl, All For One's arm began to bulge and twist, a horrific cracking noise sounding as it molded itself unnaturally, becoming a twisted abomination of a limb. Spikes sticking out of it, muscles formed into unnatural, twisted shapes, a massive fist that was meant as a mockery of All Might's preferred style of fighting.
All For One grinned. "Like it? It's my ultimate combination of combat Quirks, specifically designed just to finish you off, to make everyone in the world watch the Symbol of Peace die by my hands!"
All Might shook his head, a pitying look on his face. "You will never understand, All For One. You just don't get it. Still…you are right about one thing. It is time to finish this!" With those words, All Might shot towards the villain, All For One charging to meet him as their fists clashed into one another, the gust of wind that formed blasting everything away (save Izuku, Blackwhip latching him onto the ground so he could stay where he needed to be).
Izuku stared at the swirling energy, the clashing fists, the destructive waves of power and pain flaring up between the two. He just needed one single moment, one second of inattention from All For One, and he believed in Toshi to provide it…and there it was. Gear Shift roared to life in Izuku's veins, the world seeming to slow down to a crawl as he kicked it up to the highest gear he had yet, One For All singing in his veins as Full Cowling washed over him, his entire energy pool flooding through his body and into his hands.
"You think you're clever!?" All For One roared, his free hand shooting behind him, Rivet Stab rocketing out to try and impale Izuku. Izuku simply glared, mouth shut, as he gracefully dodged between the spikes, his speed too fast even for All For One to keep up with. With hands dripping with energy, he slammed his free hands onto All For One's head, gripping his skull tightly between his fingers. Blackwhip snaked out, wrapping about the struggling villain, as Izuku, ignoring the approaching Rivet Tendrils, began to channel his energy abilities through his hands and into All For One.
"You wanted my Quirk so badly? Then fine…have it!" Izuku screamed, sending all of the energy that he'd been forced to absorb, every last trace of his strength, of his very life force, of the stockpile of One For All even, through the touch of his fingers and into the supervillain before him. The trio of fighters were surrounded by a green, glowing dome, heat and power and pain rising and roaring, the wind whipping up and the very earth beneath them shattering into dust.
Unseen by any eyes, within the realm of the Vestiges, as one, all eight of them looked up unerringly towards the skies above, the celestial bodies that represented those Izuku loved…and they watched, silent as a tomb, as ghostly forms began to separate from the various objects and flew off towards the now glowing green rend in space, red sparks and chaotic screams crying out from within. Pink, yellow, orange, blue, red, white, etc, etc, color after color after color, a ghostly visage of Izuku's loved ones flying into the crack in the barrier between the two Quirks…and beginning to wreak havoc within.
All For One's eyes bulged as he felt his body begin to rebel against him. He had no time to react, no time to stop his enemies. Izuku's energy, flooding into his body, into his very soul, reached out and granted power…not to him, but to the weak, silenced, ignored and tormented vestiges of the powers All For One had stolen over his many, many years. With the power granted to them, they shattered their chains, broke free of their cages, and for the first time in All For One's life…he lost control.
Vestiges not only of the Quirks he'd stolen, but now, vestiges of those Izuku loved had slipped within as well. Singularities crushing barriers within, explosions shattered boundaries between, fire and ice burning and freezing his veins from the inside, All For One's body wracked with pain and agony as he burned. His voice crescendoed into a scream, Izuku and Toshinori both being flung off as he began to twist and contort, his body bulging and breaking and bending in ways no body should.
Beams of light escaped him, destructive lasers, waves of sound, bursts of air, the very land about them now turned into nothing but a hotbed of death and destruction. With a tired gasp, Izuku slammed his hand onto the ground, a line of energy shooting out and forming into a dome that covered the breaking demon king, trying to mitigate any further damage.
Izuku's breath became faint, his body struggling to stay away as he fought against the forces slamming into his barrier over and over and over again…but he found a sudden surge of strength, as Toshinori gripped onto his hand and pulled him to his feet, helping him stand firm as he held his focus on the barrier.
And with not a bang, but a whimper, the pressure faded, the explosions ceased, the entire battlefield went still and silent, so quiet it felt almost loud in the suddenness of silence. Izuku let the barrier fall, dropping to one knee as Toshinori stepped forward carefully, looking to see what was left.
On the ground, laying flat, body hissing with smoke and fire, was an ancient man. Faint wisps of white hair barely visible, skin sallow and sagging, eyes dull and dim, body rake thin and frail. Gasping for air, panting desperately, painful wheezing coming from his chest as the man once known as All For One stared up at Toshinori with hate in his eyes. Toshinori glanced back at Izuku, his thoughts visible even on his face.
Izuku knew what his mentor wanted him to check. With a headache brewing, he flicked on his Quirk vision and looked at the broken, crumpled body before him…and saw nothing. Not a single flicker of the energy of a Quirk, not a single iota of strength, just the slowly fading energy of an old man, decrepit and far past his prime. Izuku met Toshinori's eyes and nodded slowly.
"Finish me then, All Might. I suppose you have won," All For One managed to sneer, his voice quavering and watery.
All Might stood above him, blue eyes narrowed, the first hints of sunlight peeking over the horizon behind him. He stared down at the man before him, the man responsible for so much pain, so much death, so many crimes over many, many years…and shook his head. "No, All For One. I won't let you escape your fate so easily. No, instead…you get to live. You get to live, weak, helpless, powerless. You will live your remaining years in a little, broken home, where you have to watch the world go on around you. Where you have to watch as we forget about you, about everything you've done, about everything you are. I will make certain you are tended to and taken care of, as you slowly fade away, unable to leave, unable to change anything. You will die, alone, and cold, slowly and surely, the inevitable march of death we all must step to someday…and you will die knowing you failed. Goodbye, All For One. May Death treat you kinder than you treated those you sent to him."
Toshinori turned away from the broken, shattered husk of a man behind him, and began to walk away from him, ignoring the huffed voice that tried to call him back, the insults, the taunts, the barely audible attempts of a feeble monster's last gasps.
He nearly was tackled off his feet by the sudden green form that rammed into his side, Izuku's arms wrapping about his waist as tears poured from his eyes. Izuku's fear and anguish and worry all audible through his sobs, the emotions he'd suppressed for the fight coming back to full force as he squeezed his mentor tightly…only to find his tears being renewed further by the same arms of his teacher wrapped about him as well, hugging him tightly, the two wielders of One For All sharing that brief moment of comfort in the coming dawn light.
Decades later, history books would speak of the Battle of Kamino Ward in clinical, dry tones. But within those same books, a series of photographs visible to all.
A green-haired hero student hugging the Symbol of Peace tightly, tears streaming down his cheeks, as the great hero All Might returned the hug with a soft smile on his face.
A pink comet streaking down to nearly dive tackle the two as well, a brunette hero student joining the hug.
A series of photos as more and more students from the kidnapped Class all making their way to the area, reach one adding their arms and bodies into what swiftly became a confused, tangled mess of a hug, tears visible from nearly everyone's eyes.
A singular photo of All Might, one fist raised to the sky as the sun rose behind him, and standing by his side, the young hero students who were taken in the dark of the night and fought their way to freedom, all standing triumphantly, safe and sound, ready to go home.