Aftermath of the War
The screen lights up, showing a chopper flying over the ruins of Jakku city as Izuku's voice starts narrating.
'The report written after Shigaraki escaped was very simple, with only the facts written down in it,' Izuku's voice narrates, as a piece of paper from the official report appears on the screen, listing the villains apprehended during the war.
"This presentation format is different from before," Ochako pointed out. "It sounds like Deku is reading some kind of report."
"Maybe that's what it is," Iida suggested. "Perhaps he is reading the exact report of the war after recovering from his injuries."
"That document is an incident report file, which all heroes must submit to the HPSC each month, providing them with a detailed report of all the activities you performed as a hero during that month," Hawks explained. "And, as you might expect, it is a tedious job, but rules are rules, I guess."
First was Garaki, accompanied by his picture. 'Garaki Kyudai, Chairman of the Board of Jaku General Hospital. Arrested and restrained for aiding and abetting murder, mutilating corpses, illegal construction, illegal Quirk use, embezzling hospital funds, etc.'
"Damm, that's one hell of a list of crimes," Rumi said. "That bastard is going to be on trial for a very long time."
"Wait! Is it really going to take that long to get this guy prosecuted?" Mina asked. "I mean, you guys literally caught this man in his lab, surrounded by all those Nomus and trying to wake Shigaraki! What more evidence could you possibly need?"
"It's not that simple," Aizawa shook his head. "Legal procedures are time-consuming, and unfortunately, that time can be exploited by defense lawyers representing these criminals to seek out loopholes or develop counterarguments that can prolong the trial or, in some cases, even prove them innocent. In short, it's a headache to deal with."
The next page showed the image of an unconscious Gigantomachia tied with fiber wires and being carried away from the battlefield by two choppers, 'Gigantomachia, captured. Two transport helicopters were used to escort him.'
"Great job with that anesthetic, Yaoyorozu," Nemuri praised Momo with a smile on her face. "It even managed to keep that giant unconscious throughout the whole transporting process."
"Thank you," Momo replied, and then, casting her eyes downward, she mumbled quietly, "Not that it had its effect when it truly mattered the most."
Next was Mr. Compress, his image revealing his unconscious, severely injured state as he's carefully transported on a stretcher., 'Atsuhiro Sako aka Mr. Compress, a member of the League of Villains. Unconscious from the grave injuries he suffered, he was transported to a hospital.'
"Well, here's the guy who single-handedly messed things up for us," Monoma grumbled. "Stupid villain, suddenly developing self-sacrificing traits out of nowhere."
"I know, right? If it weren't for him, Jeanist had the entire league, with the exception of Dabi, beautifully cornered and wrapped in his wires. But then he comes, tears off parts of his body and clothes, and frees the league," Setsuna complained. "It's really unfair how lucky these villains are."
'The Nomus that were incapacitated were restrained in Maidens to be transported for autopsies,' Izuku narrates, accompanied by the image of police officers surrounding a restrained Nomu in an iron maiden.
"Can those things really hold those Nomus?" Kendo inquired. "I mean, we all witnessed those Nomus overpowering most of our heroes."
"Well, HPSC has had the corpse of the Nomu from USJ for a year now," Nezu said. "I certainly hope that they have used that time to create countermeasures against the creature instead of merely attempting to replicate it."
Izuku's narration proceeds, 'The equipment left behind in the remains of Jaku Hospital thought to have been used by the League, was retrieved and examined,' while we see the remnants of Garaki's lab equipment, or more accurately, what remained of it in the aftermath of the war.
'I truly wish that equipment had been utterly obliterated instead of falling into the Commission's hands,' Nezu thought to himself.
The scene transitions to the Gunga Mountain Villa, revealing the aftermath of a battle with large ice spikes jutting out of the ground and the remnants of a mansion that had served as the hideout for the Paranormal Liberation Front.
The students who had participated in the Gunga Mountain raid suddenly tensed up, dreading the sight of the destruction left in Machia's wake after his rampage.
"The liberation isn't over yet," Re-Destro managed to utter, with all the injuries on his body. Summoning every ounce of strength within him, he roared, "That's right... It's only just begun!"
However, before Re-Destro could say anything else, "Ninpo: Thousand Sheet Pierce!" Edgeshot used his Ultimate move and pierced him at his vital point before kicking him in the face, effectively knocking him out as Izuku's voice narrates, 'Paranormal Liberation Front leader, Re-Destro, also known as Rikiya Yotsubashi, captured.'
Edgeshot frowned as he watched himself on the screen. Honestly, he was quite disappointed in himself, seeing how much time it took for his counterpart to dispatch Re-Destro. Of course, there was no denying that the villain he was facing was strong, but that doesn't excuse the fact that, if he had wrapped up his fight earlier than this, he could have gone to help at the other locations.
The camera then shifts to an image of Geten, encased in unyielding concrete, tears streaming down his face. Izuku's voice narrates, 'Paranormal Liberation Front leader, Geten, captured.'
"This Geten, we need to be cautious of him," Endeavor pointed out. "His superior control over ice gives him a significant advantage in countering large crowds and entry-denying tactics."
"Yeah, he also seems to have put up quite an impressive fight against Cementoss, who should have had an overwhelming advantage in that terrain," Nemuri said, adding Geten's name to the list of priority targets.
Next, the spotlight falls upon a man with long, obsidian hair and purple shades, 'Paranormal Liberation Front leader and leader of the Hearts and Mind Party, Koku Hanabata, captured.'
"A politician huh and a hot-shot president of such a big party at that, huh?" Yu remarked. "Well, the media is going to have a felid day when this comes out."
'Paranormal Liberation Front members gathered for the meeting at Gunga Villa: 16,929 captured,' Izuku narrates, as the screen depicts law enforcement and heroes making mass arrests. 'The searches carried out simultaneously with the operation at Paranormal Liberation Front branches scattered across the country resulted in the capture of all targeted members, with no one escaping. They also succeeded in suppressing and capturing Paranormal Liberation Front sympathizers.' We see Slide n' Go and other similar heroes getting arrested as well.
"1700 people! Do we even have enough cells to accommodate that many?" Mina inquired, her eyes wide in astonishment at the sheer number of individuals arrested during the raid.
"The holding space won't be that much of a problem, but considering the state of that timeline, the management definitely would," Nemuri remarked. "Then there's also the issue of transferring them to their allocated prisons given the devastation around them, unless, of course, they use choppers to airlift them."
Then the scene switched back to Jaku, where we see Izuku, Bakugo, Endeavor, and everyone who was on the battlefield being loaded into ambulances on stretchers.
"I truly hope our hospitals are well-equipped to deal with these kinds of situations," Momo frowned, wearing a worried expression. "Even aside from heroes, there must be a lot of casualties after Machia's... rampage," she added, her head hanging with a heavy sense of guilt
Narrator Izuku continues, 'In addition, in the report, it was noted that the heroes at the scene all denied that there were a number of work-study students who participated in the fight against Shigaraki. That was all that was written in the report about me, Kacchan, and Todoroki.'
"That's bullshit!" Bakugo exclaimed. "How the hell can they deny us the credit like that?"
"I'm fairly certain that omitting the students' names from the official reports is an attempt to prevent public outrage," Jeanist explained. "In all fairness, I don't think people will be too pleased with heroes in the wake of what just transpired there, and revealing that students were seriously injured during the battle will only further fuel public anger towards the existing heroes."
"But how is that even fair?" Kirishima frowned. "Those three literally risked their lives to stop the biggest threat in our country's history, so not including their names in the report is so unmanly."
"Kirishima, did you forget what I told you on the first day of school?" Aizawa interjected sternly, reminding them about his speech regarding how the world is an unfair place. "Besides, unlike students at Gunga Mountain who had received permission to engage the threat, Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki were not instructed to do that," he continued. "If anything, they are lucky that they aren't getting flagged for abandoning their role of rescuing the civilians and jumping into the fight. The same applies to Iida and Hado as well, but the latter can be excused since she is almost graduated from U.A."
"So just because we were not told to fight Shigaraki, does that invalidate our actions and efforts during the war?" Shoto asked with a frown as he was reminded how he, Iida, and Midoriya were denied credit for defeating Stain.
"Yes, that's how the law works, and if you want the credit, then you will also have to accept the repercussions of your actions as well," Aizawa replied, not letting his stern voice soften even after seeing the dissatisfied faces of his students. But he was okay with them being dissatisfied with the reality of the situation as long as they understand that doing the right thing doesn't always guarantee the right reward. After all, he has seen quite a few cases where doing the right thing has cost young rookies their licenses, which is the very reason why the term 'off the records' exists.
'That was where the report ended. Since it was a report on the villain search-and-destroy operation, there is probably no reason to add more,' Izuku continues, as the official report file is closed and left in an empty office.
"I believe what Midoriya was referring to is how he and One for All were the primary targets of All for One and Shigaraki," Endeavor proposed.
"That certainly appears to be the case," Nezu concurred with a nod. "If the Commission were to discover the existence of One for All, they would likely seek to bring Midoriya under their control or coerce him into passing it on to someone of their choosing," he added, casting a subtle glance in Hawks' direction, who tried to divert his gaze while casually whistling.
Then the scene shifts to one of the areas ravaged during Gigantomachia's rampage on his way to Jaku. Here, people sit amidst the rubble of what was once a thriving city, their faces etched with helplessness. Some weep over their own injuries or the injured and deceased loved ones, while others sit, clutching their heads in despair. 'However, the aftermath of the operation... the damage...'
Many in the audience steeled their hearts because they all knew that what they were about to see next wouldn't be a pretty sight. In fact, the pros were even hoping it wouldn't be too haunting to the extent that some of the students would be scarred for life.
As heroes and cops arrived, what they saw left them in shock and horror. "It hurts. It hurts, Mommy!" cried an injured little girl in the midst of the rubble. "Someone, please help!" another civilian cried out. "It's crumbling... The wall's crumbling! I don't care who, just somebody help me!" added yet another civilian.
"Oh God!" Ochako murmured as her heart clenched upon seeing the horrifying sight in front of her. But despite that, she didn't try to avert her eyes. After all, she knew that if she aimed to be a rescue hero, she would inevitably encounter similarly horrifying and traumatic scenes in the future.
For a moment, fear flashed in the rescuers' eyes before they steeled their nerves and ordered to prioritize saving lives instead of focusing on capturing the villains.
"Good, that officer has a good head on his shoulders," Ryukyu remarked. "He made the correct decision by prioritizing the rescue of civilians over pursuing the villains."
In another part of the devastated area, a young girl cried out in desperation, "No...! Big Brother... Big Brother...!" she tugged with all her might, trying to pull out her brother who was trapped under a massive slab of the wall.
"M-Mika, that hurts..." her brother muttered weakly. However, he soon noticed ominous cracks forming on the wall behind his sister. "Get away from here, Mika! It's gonna collapse," he urgently shouted. But his sister refused to back down, persisting in her efforts to rescue him. "I said, get away! It's dangerous! If you leave, I'll give you... that Endeavor pouch of mine that you wanted..."
"No...!" Mika retorted with tears streaming down her cheeks. "I don't want the pouch... I wanna stay with you!" she said, and the wall behind her collapsed.
Fear and anxiety seized the hearts of everyone present, causing them to draw sharp breaths. Some turned their heads away, unwilling to witness the potentially gruesome scene unfolding before them, while others gritted their teeth in frustration at the fact that they could not do anything to save those children. Thankfully, the nightmarish scenario that had haunted their thoughts did not materialize. Just before the children could be crushed beneath the collapsing wall, someone arrived...
However, before anything bad could happen, Ochako and Tsu arrived in the nick of time, swiftly swooping in to save the children from being crushed by the collapsing rubble.
The audience sighed in relief seeing the two kids getting saved and avoiding brutally haunting deaths. Some praised Uraraka and Tsu for their quick thinking and their last-minute save, while the two girls themselves felt like a huge weight was taken off their hearts.
As the rubble collapsed behind them, Ochako realized how they had saved those children by a hair's breadth, her eyes comically wide.
"Yeah, those kids are fortunate that you arrived there just in the nick of time," Jiro remarked, offering a slight chuckle as she observed the comical expression on Ochako's face on the screen.
Tsu then informed her that the boy had sustained a leg injury and needed immediate shelter for treatment. Upon hearing another voice crying out for help in the distance, Ochako made a quick decision, instructing Tsu to take the injured boy to safety while she rushed to aid the next distressed individual.
A smirk appeared on Aizawa's face as he watched one of his students effectively tending to an injured civilian, communicating with her fellow hero, dividing the duties, and already moving to help the next person.
As Ochako dashed through the war-torn city, her attention was drawn to a heavily injured man who cried out for assistance. "E-Excuse me! I-In the back... my wife..." the man stammered, clutching his wounded shoulder and bleeding from a head injury.
Without a moment's hesitation, Ochako sprinted toward the man. "What's the apartment number?" she urgently inquired. As soon as he provided the information, she darted inside the collapsed building. 'I'll save them. As many people as I can reach. Everyone!' she thought as she rescued the woman from the building, watching the couple hug each other in relief. "I'm sorry, but since you can walk, please head to the shelter on your own," she gently requested before turning her attention to yet another voice calling out for help.
'There are still lives that can be saved... over here!' she thought while running, as we see Koda and Manga helping out people, 'That's why, I'll give it my all!'
Ochako's cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head in embarrassment as her friends praised her for her determination and eagerness to help others.
Ryukyu, her mentor, couldn't help but smile as she watched her student act like a proper hero and assist people in need. It wasn't just happiness; it was her pride as a mentor that washed over her as she witnessed Ochako, Tsu, and Nejire excel in the field. It brought her a deep sense of reassurance, knowing that even if her time were to come to an end, these young women would carry forward her legacy and play a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of capable heroines.
The scene transitions to the bustling shelter, where a team of doctors and medical personnel are working tirelessly to provide care to the injured.
"I need blood for a transfusion! Bring type O!" the doctor urgently called out from within the medical tent. However, the nurse sorting through their supplies quickly informed him that there were only four packs of type O blood left. "That's not nearly enough!"
"Of course, this was bound to happen," Nemuri sighed. "No one in their right mind was prepared for this kind of disaster, striking the country out of nowhere."
"Doctor, he's not conscious!" suddenly, a rescuer appeared, bearing the weight of an unconscious man on his shoulder.
"Lay him down there!" the doctor replied without looking at him or the unconscious man.
"But-"
"I can't save everyone," the doctor said, and we see multiple similar tents with multiple people getting treated all at once. "I have to prioritize the patients who can be treated!"
"Damm it! This is so unfair," Mina exclaimed, her voice brimming with frustration, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. "Why do these villains have to harm so many innocent people?"
"This is such a mess," Monoma chimed in before casting an annoyed glance at Izuku. "And then there are some morons who talk about saving these terrorists."
"Back off, Monoma! There's no need to attack Deku like that," Ochako said, glaring at Monoma.
"She's right! There's no need to create hostilities just because you disagree with someone's thoughts," Iida supported Ochako.
"Of course! Here are Golden Boy's white knights, ready to defend him," Monoma retorted, rolling his eyes. "Think about how stupid it is, that this idiot wants to waste everyone's time and All Might's quirk by attempting to save someone like Shigaraki."
"Yeah, it's as stupid as wanting to save an unknown girl by rushing at the giant robot," Ochako remarked.
"Or as foolish as standing in front of a dangerous serial killer who was going to kill his friend," Iida added.
"More importantly, that's Izuku's quirk now, so stop referring to it as All Might's quirk," Momo chimed in with a calm but anger-laced voice. "We don't even know what Izuku meant by 'saving Shigaraki,' so let's hold off on judgment until we have more context."
"Thank you, everyone," Izuku expressed his gratitude with a smile, appreciative of his friends for defending him. Monoma, on the other hand, simply rolled his eyes in exasperation.
The scene shifts back to Ochako and a group of heroes who are working tirelessly to free people trapped beneath the rubble. Amidst the chaos, a despondent voice catches her attention. 'I give up...' she hears, and turns her head to find a fellow hero, his gaze fixed upon the devastating scene before them. "This is hopeless..." he murmurs, his eyes scanning the area where people remain trapped, children injured and calling out for their parents. The shortage of heroes is painfully evident, and a sense of despair creeps into Ochako's eyes as she hears his disheartening words, 'I need to find another line of work...'
A silence spread across the room as everyone was taken aback by the on-site hero's sudden confession. They were already aware that the public would hold them responsible for the extensive devastation and casualties. They understood that the media would be highlighting their past and current failures all over the news. However, the idea that the situation had deteriorated to the point where even heroes were losing hope... this was a nightmarish scenario they hadn't foreseen... or so they thought...
Then the scene shifts to Gunga Mountain Forest, where the sober atmosphere is even deeper than before.
"N-No way..." we hear Mina say in a somber voice.
"It can't be. Why? Why...?" Sato said, despair in his eyes, as we see Midnight's crumpled mask next to blood splattered across the ground. "She was just on the radio earlier... You could hear her voice, right...?" he said, his disbelief growing with every word.
The preceding silence deepened even further as dread and despair spread across everyone's faces, accompanied by tears that began rolling down some people's cheeks.
In front of Sato, Momo, Kirishima, and Mina sit, tears streaming down their faces, their hearts heavy with grief as they surround Midnight's lifeless body.
Aizawa sucked in a heavy breath and slowly closed his eyes. At that moment he felt his body numbing down to the pain that was accompanied by the death of another one of his friends.
Now, don't get him wrong, Shota Aizawa was a man who lived his life based on logic and practicality. He knew that the events unfolding on the screen were from a different timeline, and in their timeline, Nemuri was still alive, in fact, sitting right next to him. However, that rational knowledge didn't diminish the anguish of seeing a dear friend in such a lifeless state.
"Ms. Midnight! Ms. Midnight!" Kirishima cries out, his voice choked with anguish. "Open your eyes, Ms. Midnight! Please, this isn't funny! Come on, please, Ms. Midnight!"
"It can't be! This can't be happening!" Mina sobs while clasping Midnight's unmoving hand. "No...! Wake up! Please, wake up!"
Nemuri closed her eyes as a ghost of a smile appeared on her face upon hearing the quiet sobs of the students around her. Honestly, she felt blessed that her death meant so much to so many people. It was one thing to be mourned as a hero, and no, she didn't think it was bad in any way, shape, or form. But to her, it felt infinitely better to be remembered as a friend, as a teacher, and as a mentor to these students. However, as heartwarming as it was to see everyone's reaction to her death, she couldn't deny that witnessing her own lifeless state on the screen would require some counseling sessions with Hound Dog to cope with the emotional aftermath.
Amidst their tearful mourning, Setsuna arrives, her eyes mirroring their despair. She addresses Momo, her voice quivering with sadness, "Yaoyorozu... Majestic is..."
Elsewhere in the forest, Honenuki delivers a similar heartbreaking message to other students.
"I can't believe it. I can't believe this is happening," Mineta said, as we see Majestic's gear next to the blood on the ground. "This can't possibly be real!"
Setsuna and Momo, whose hearts were already heavy due to Midnight's death, found themselves in even greater distress upon learning that not only their teacher but also their mentor had died in the war. The weight of their grief and loss had grown heavier, leaving them feeling even worse as they struggled to cope with their emotions. Fortunately, they had people to help them through this, evidenced by the fact that Setsuna was being consoled by Kendo, while Momo leaned onto Izuku's shoulder and let out quiet sobs as he gently wrapped his hand around her, trying to offer her some comfort.
The scene then shifts to the police interrogation room as narrator Izuku returns. 'According to Garaki's deposition during the police investigation, back then, Shigaraki was definitely dead. When the equipment was broken, he should not have been able to be revived. was so weak that not even X-Less, who was right next to him, could feel it. The electric shock at that time wasn't enough to revive him,' Izuku narrates as a fleeting glimpse of Shigaraki's revival following his apparent death is shown. 'What revived Shigaraki were his dreams and his hatred.'
"How is that even possible?" Bakugo asked, his expression one of sheer bewilderment. "'Revived by haterade'—does that even make sense? Are we living in some sort of fantasy world or what?"
"I mean, if you really think about it, One for All's whole vestige world and the power of combined wills do sound like something out of a fantasy world," Kaminari suggested.
"Shut up, Dunce Face, I wasn't actually looking for an answer, dumbass!" Bakugo snapped at Kaminari.
"If you're not looking for answers, then don't ask questions in the first place," Jiro replied, glaring at him.
Bakugo didn't respond to her; instead, he just returned the glare and thought, 'What the hell is wrong with everyone? Deku is the one making stupid decisions, so why the heck are they snapping at me? What did I even do?'
'The only thing we can be sure of is that many people died because of Shigaraki's tenacity,' Izuku continues to narrate as Midnight's image flashes across the screen, followed by portraits of numerous heroes who met their demise during the war.
Everyone instinctively fell silent as a sign of respect for those who had lost their lives in the war.
'And...'
The scene shifts to the city where we hear people's opinions on the whole Endeavor and Dabi situation.
"Oh man, it's all over now." "Dabi's so annoying. But what's Endy gonna do now?" "Is this news real? It'd be bad if it is." "Even back when he was the number two hero, I thought he had an ulterior motive." "Even back when he was the number two hero, I thought he had an ulterior motive." "Isn't it his job to protect us? What's going on?" "He should explain himself as soon as possible!" "Maybe it's really over this time. It might be time to move overseas."
Endeavor hung his head low as he heard people's opinions of him, more specifically, how rapidly people's opinion of him was deteriorating. But he understood that he had no grounds to protest or contest their judgments. All he could do was acknowledge them. After all, Dabi played a significant part in reducing the state of their country to what it was on the screen right now, and he was the reason Dabi was born.
As people's opinions of Endeavor crumbled to dust and heroes continued to recover from the aftermath of the war, they remained blissfully unaware of the impending disaster poised to strike.
Once again, fear, dread, and uncertainty gripped their hearts because, honestly, they didn't think that the situation for their counterparts could get any worse than it already was and they knew it was definitely something to do with All for One, who had successfully escaped the war.
Then the scene briefly shifts to Tartarus (Special Prison For Villain Criminals), particularly focusing on All for One, who is locked in a special cell. He thinks, 'I can feel it... even if things turned out a little differently from what I expected, I think it's about time...'
Their suspicions proved correct as the words of All for One, coupled with his eerie smile, provided ample confirmation that the mastermind behind the League was orchestrating his next move.
The scene then transitions once more, this time with Shigaraki whose body was under the control of All for One's consciousness. "Why do they think 'tomorrow is another day'?" All for One's voice emanates with a sinister glee as he perches on the back of a Nomu. In front of him stood Spinner and Dabi as they stared at him.
Everyone in the audience, including seasoned pros, felt chills down their spines as they heard All for One's voice which overlapped Shigaraki's voice which was laced with that sinister glee along that creepy smile.
"I'm not going to give them time to rest. From now on, it will keep being my turn. All you tireless Nomus..." All for One declares, and glimpses of Shigaraki's heavily damaged body due to the war flash across the screen. "Now, I want you to free my real body," he commands, and the screen fades to black.
All Might's eyes widened in surprise and horror... mostly horror, as he heard what All for One's next move was going to be.
"This is bad, Toshi... no, forget about that; it's the worst possible thing that could happen after the disasters of the Jaku and Gunga raids," Gran Torino remarked through clenched teeth. "The kid was already going to have his hands full dealing with one All for One, and now he has to deal with two of them."
The screen illuminated once more, offering an aerial view of Tartarus, the isolated prison situated amidst the vast ocean, now ablaze with flames as villains ran amok throughout the facility.
The sense of dread and horror that gripped the audience deepened as they witnessed Tartarus consumed by flames. Up until this point, the prison's name had been nothing more than a nod to Greek mythology's underworld, but now, All for One had actually turned the place into the inferno it was named after.
"Hey, hey, wait a minute! There's no bridge! We can't leave!" one of the villains yelled.
Suddenly, a hand covered in muscle fiber punched through a wall. "Stop screwing around! I wanna hurry up and step on free land!" The camera pans back to reveal the tall, blonde man with the Muscle Augmentation quirk, Goto Imasuji aka Muscular, angrily stomping his feet on the ground, joined by many other prisoners.
"Muscular..." Izuku gritted his teeth as he saw Muscular on the screen. What stirred his heart even more was the prospect of one of his classmates encountering this monster, who he had only managed to defeat by pushing himself far beyond his limits, resulting in severe damage to his arms.
Now, don't get him wrong; he didn't think his classmates were weak. In fact, he always believed that they had incredible potential and talent that even surpassed his own. However, Muscular was a beast in a league of his own. Unlike other villains, he wasn't driven by any specific goal or a desire to undermine hero society. No, his sole interest lay in toying with his prey and then brutally beating them to death. This was precisely why, as their friend, he would rather confront someone like Muscular on his own, rather than endanger their lives.
"Follow me if you want to leave, friends," a voice called out to the prisoners, instantly capturing their attention. As they turned to face the voice, their eyes fell upon a shirtless, white-haired man perched atop a wall, his face partially obscured by a dissected hand.
"Shigaraki...?" Muscular remembered the man he had worked with before getting thrown into this prison, but he also noticed that something was... off about Shigaraki. Not that he cared anyway.
"So this is the devil's plan! He wants to gather all these criminals under his wings, forming his army," All Might gritted his teeth. "And, of course, he started with Tartarus, where Japan's most dangerous and heinous criminals are incarcerated."
But then, another voice rang out, pulling their collective gaze once more. "And... I want you to watch by my side..." Their eyes shifted to the source of the second voice, revealing All for One calmly striding toward Shigaraki. "In the void era that's about to begin, a more perfect demon lord will be born. This is the story of how I became the greatest demon lord," All for One proclaimed, an eerie smile gracing his lips as he fixed his gaze upon Shigaraki.
"Does this moron genuinely believe he's living in a comic book or something!?" Bakugo asked, his irritation clearly resonating in his voice. "Demon Lord, he says, as if something like that could ever exist in the real world."
Then we once again see a shot of burning Tartarus as narrator Izuku speaks, 'Six hours after the attack on Tartarus...' he says, and we witness various other prisons like Shian Prison, Bagu Prison, and Kuin Prison being attacked as well. 'In an emergency aircraft only operable with a Tartarus staff member's biometric ID, All For One escaped,' Izuku adds, showing All for One making his escape by controlling a member of the prison staff to pilot a jet.
"All this time... that bastard was sitting there... waiting... planning..." All Might gritted his teeth, feeling like his last stand at Kamino was nothing more than a small step in that demon's plan. This feeling was accompanied by the regret of not finishing that villain during their first fight. 'If only I could have the opportunity to settle the score with that dammed man!' he thought, glaring at the screen.
'The Near High Ends and Tartarus jailbreakers attacked seven prisons, and six of them had a large number of prisoners released,' Izuku continues to narrate. The screen illustrates the unleashed chaos as Nomus and former prisoners from Tartarus assault the other prisons, followed by scenes of waves of villains breaking free from their confinement in these facilities.
"What in the hell is going on!? It's like a full-blown nightmare!" Kendo exclaimed, her shock evident as narrator Izuku revealed the aftermath of the prison breakout.
"Honestly, I'm more worried about the people who are totally unaware of this disaster that's about to strike them," Momo added. "Although Machia's rampage was terrible, it only affected the cities in his path, but this... these prison breaks are even worse as they will shake the entire country."
"Forget the civilians; are the heroes even prepared for this...?" Setsuna inquired, her question left hanging in the air.
"With this, the preparations are complete," All for One, who was inhabiting Shigaraki's body, said. "To let those people who want to be violent be violent, and confuse the investigation into me, I released the other prisoners," The camera pans out, revealing Spinner, Skeptick, and Dabi standing around him. "I'm sorry to ask this, but I'd like you all to protect this body while I rest."
"Right, he did mention that Shigaraki's body wasn't yet fully complete," Izuku affirmed, recalling the words of both Garaki and All for One. "But even if All for One intends to complete it, I doubt heroes have much time left. The lab showed that it was roughly 70% to 80% complete."
"Well, that's assuming heroes even have the time to search for All for One and Shigaraki," Iida interjected. "With so many villains on the loose, heroes won't have a moment's respite."
That's precisely why my counterpart must be the one to track down All for One... it's his... my responsibility... my duty to bring this war to an end,' Izuku pondered inwardly.
Following a brief moment of silence, Spinner found his voice and began to speak. "We had more in common than I expected... like video games and stuff..." he mused as he started walking toward All for One. "To reform a society overrun with fake heroes. I identified with Stain's ideology, and that's why I joined the League. 'Let's crush hero society!' That energy at least was great. But the League itself was worn out. They were about as listless as a band of petty thieves. The same as me." Finally, he stood in front of All for One. "But you know, he lit a fire under the empty me," he said, referring to Shigaraki's promise about wrecking society all at once. "It made me feel like I wanted to see the future Shigaraki could make."
Finally, Spinner stared right at All for One, who was inhabiting Shigaraki's body. "Who are you? You're not the one I'm following. The one I'm following is Tomura Shigaraki."
"I must say, as tragic as I find Spinner's current situation to be, honestly speaking, he brought it on himself," Jeanist said. "As they say, 'Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.' What was he even hoping to achieve with all this destruction? Did he truly believe that discrimination would end if society turned into total anarchy? Following someone like Shigaraki was the biggest mistake he made."
"I don't think he was thinking at all," Izuku chimed in, capturing everyone's attention. "I think he was just seeking a friend he could relate to, someone who would accept him for who he is. Though it's unfortunate that he found such a person among the villains... and now, even that person is under someone else's control. So, yes, as you mentioned, it's genuinely tragic what's happening to Spinner."
"It's all right. Don't worry, Iguchi. I respect Tomura's feelings above all else," All for One reassured Spinner as he removed the dissected hand from his face, eliciting a flash of despair in Spinner's eyes. "I'll have him rest his body and be completed," All for One turned to face Spinner, his sinister smile mirrored by the same sinister intent in his eyes. "Once he's completed, our dreams will be realized... To take One For All and reign over the world... As its absolute ruler..." He declared this with unwavering conviction as the final shot revealed All for One in his true body, gazing at the rising sun with a chilling grin on his face, "The Demon Lord."
'That will never come to pass,' Yoichi declared, and Izuku sensed the unwavering determination of the past One for All users. 'As long as One for All exists, it will serve as an obstacle in your path, brother,' he affirmed, causing Izuku to subconsciously nod in agreement with his words.
The screen lit up once again, and this time we see All Might sitting next to Izuku, who is sleeping on a hospital bed with both his hands and legs wrapped up in casts.
"Oh, Izuku..." Momo spoke with genuine concern, her hand instinctively entwining with his.
'Young Midorya...' All Might thought as he stared at Izuku. 'I can feel it... the me inside the One for All... Right now, you are talking to previous wielders, aren't you?'
Izuku took a deep breath and felt the vestiges readying themselves, as all nine of them knew what they would most likely be talking about.
Meanwhile, within the depths of Izuku's consciousness, memories of the war flashed before him. 'Wh-What happened to everyone else?' his thoughts raced with concern. 'Please... Please be okay...'
"Izuku please try to worry about yourself more," Momo urged with an exasperated sigh.
"Of course, but only if you promise to cease self-deprecating at the first hint of doubt," Izuku retorted.
The two stared at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing as they both knew that it would take a lot of effort from both of their sides to change the other's bad habits.
Suddenly, Izuku found himself in a void, standing on a single piece of land, in the presence of eight people, while two of them were looking at the wall instead of at him.
"We need to talk to you before you wake up," the blade man, known as Daigoro Banjo, the fifth user of One for All, says as everyone except the two stares at Izuku.
"Well..." Izuku said, addressing everyone in the audience, especially eyeing Bakugo and Monoma. "You wanted answers hopefully you will get them soon," he said as he fixated his eyes on the screen.
To be continued...