Sad green eyes watched Katsuki go getting high enough to finally reach Eijirou who held on tight. While they were too high up to see clearly, Izuku could feel the dismay coming from Hitoshi. The brainwasher shot out what looked like a replica of his arm wrappings but they weren't long enough to reach. Either way it didn't matter as they were soon too far away to do anything.

"Young Midoriya, watch out!" All Might cried out as Twice tried to grab the boy.

Izuku leapt out of the way just in time only to have to dodge Himiko's grabby hands. Fuck, he was in a terrible pickle right now.

Ouch!

The Quirkless teen cursed internally as he stepped on a rock seriously missing his shoes. Or anything to defend himself with for that matter. Even a frying pan would be better than nothing thinking back to that first rooftop meeting with Chizome. That felt like so long ago. However, Izuku was forced to knock himself out of his own head when yet another set of Villain hands tried to catch him. He needed to focus on the fight here and now as he searched for something, anything, to use as a weapon.

If only I had…

Like an act of the gods, a bag shot up into the air and landed at Izuku's feet. On the side it said 'Edge Survival Kit Courtesy of Hatsume Industries, Inc.' which meant this was from Mei! The Quirkless teen snagged it as he evaded yet another of the Villains' attempts to catch him.

"Don't touch him!" All Might bellowed as he aimed to protect Izuku only for the Villains to get in his way.

Meanwhile Magne was preparing an attack with Compress and Spinner. They were aiming to get Katsuki back, but that plan didn't work when Mt. Lady suddenly enlarged to her towering self to block Compress. The blow and resulting fall knocked the magician out along with Mt. Lady who collapsed to the ground. But the Villains refused to give up as Magne went to try again only to be kicked out of commission in the head by a blur of yellow and white.

Gran Torino was on the scene.

"About time you showed up," All Might jibed though it was really to bring some light to the dark of the situation.

"Not all of us are as fast as you, hot shot," Gran Torino shot back before he noticed Izuku was still there. "Shit."

The retired Hero jumped into action and shot over to the kid to at the very least bring him closer to the Heroes. Izuku was surprised but didn't fight when the older Hero grabbed him and just made sure to keep the gifted bag close. Whatever Quirk that had held him back before was gone just like his chance to escape. Guess All For One was confident enough that he wouldn't be able to get away even in the Hero's arms. That or he hadn't noticed having been knocked down by All Might but either way. Once they landed near All Might, Torino let go of Izuku and looked him over for any injuries.

"Are you hurt?" the retired Hero asked, never able to fully turn off his heroic instincts.

"No, Gran Torino, sir," Izuku replied, a little starstruck that one of his Support gear inspirations was right in front of him.

There was a flicker of shock that flashed across the man's face before it turned into an impressed smile.

"What've you got in the bag?" Torino inquired with a nod of his head towards it.

Oh, right!

Izuku quickly peeked into the bag and recognized a number of his usual Support gear inside. He noted his fire mask and arm wrappings among many others. There was even his collapsible shield from the Sports Festival and, oh my gods, his Jet shoes! Mei was a godsend gifting him these along with everything else. He started grabbing each one of his gadgets and putting them on his person starting with the shoes.

Meanwhile, All For One picked himself up off the ground as he said, "Shimura's friend, I see."

The Villain nonchalantly brushed off some dust as he observed the change of circumstances since he had been knocked down. Most of the League was unconscious and that Bakugou brat had managed to escape. However, Izuku was still there which was good. He had felt his son attempting to leave and had quickly grabbed onto him with one of his stocked Quirks. It would be a waste if he were to escape before he agreed to join them.

The Heroes too were sizing up the odds against them. Only two of the League were left with Shigaraki and Toga still standing. Then there was All For One who was a whole mess of trouble by himself. The other Heroes were still down and it was just the two of them with the kid still there. Not the best but they would work with what they had as they always did. Gran Torino would protect the kid from the Villains while All Might faced off against All For One.

"Tomura!" Himiko exclaimed, wiggling around nervously next to Shigaraki. "I don't want to die here!"

"You must go, Tomura," All For One ordered as blackness spread down his fingertips. "Leave and take the boy with you."

Sharp tendrils grew from his hand and shot out past the Heroes towards the unconscious Magne.

"Forcible Quirk Activation!" the Number One Villain shouted. "MAGNETISM!"

The pierced Villain started twitching on the ground. Gran Torino blasted over to stop them leaving the kid with All Might. However, that was when Himiko started glowing pink and parts of the other Villains lit up blue. She was standing directly in front of Kurogiri's warp gate and the others flew to her knocking them all through it. Shigaraki was being dragged as well but was very resistant to leave his master.

Then Izuku felt the pull too and was quick to shoot out his arm wrappings to bind him to a metal pole sticking out of the rubble.

"Young Midoriya, no!" All Might cried as he raced to his aid.

It took everything to resist the magnetic attraction pulling him towards the League. It hurt as his arm wrappings started to rip from the strain. All Might however was able to catch him just in time and held him tight as the Hero dug his heels firmly into the ground.

"NO!" Shigaraki growled, reaching for Izuku. "Go away! Stay away from my brother!"

"How dare you call him that?" All Might yelled, still struggling to keep the boy from being taken away. "You are nothing but his captor!"

"Oh, they are much closer than that," All For One jeered, forcing the Quirk to pull harder. "You as well, All Migh-."

Gran Torino cut him off with a kick to the head. The blow jostled his movements and it flung Magne through the portal with Shigaraki following soon after. The decayer didn't want to leave though. Izuku was still there and All For One's body was too damaged for him to abandoned them. He needed to stay to collect his brother and remain with the closest thing he had to a father figure.

He wanted to stay with his family.

But his body fell through the portal anyway and the warp gate collapsed. As it did, the force pulling Izuku disappeared and the kickback sent All Might back with the boy in his arms. The space gave him a chance to hide the Quirkless teen behind some rubble to at least give him so form of shelter. They were far out of the woods yet.

"Stay here," All Might ordered before launching himself back towards All For One.

Izuku knew it was in his best interest to listen knowing he was in way over his head. Even though the Villain was his father, you never knew what would happen in a fight like this. He had to be prepared to move at a moment's notice, but considering what had happened before with that Quirk that had held him back, he didn't think escape was an option. Even though the League was gone, All For One could still potentially try to take him or keep him there. Izuku was stuck and could only watch.

The Number One Hero raced towards the Villain readying a punch. Only for Gran Torino to suddenly appear in a black puddle of ooze between him and his nemesis to take the blow instead.

Shit.

"Warping, plus Shock Inversion," All For One narrated as he enjoyed the new little side show.

The punch hit true and All Might had unintentionally knocked out his own mentor. His arm went flailing as blood spurted in little drops from the impact.

"I came to save Tomura," the Villain confessed, unphased by the gore. "To ensure his future and that of the League's. However, if you do indeed intend to fight me, then I will face you as you wish."

All For One took a moment to use his newest Quirk obtained from the Pro Hero Ragdoll to track Izuku. It was different from the one he's used to keep tabs on his son through their blood connection. It felt like an invisible string that conjoined them no matter the distance. It was with that connection combined with the use of another of his Quirks that he managed to keep Izuku from getting away. Not after they had reunited after so long. There was much they needed to catch up on after all.

Search however was more accurate and versatile allowing him to pinpoint up to one hundred people at a time. And not just their location but their Quirks and weakness as well. On the battlefield before him was a collage of his enemies from All Might and the old man serving as his shield to the other Heroes scattered about. Conscious or not, All For One could see them all where they lay as clear as day.

Everyone had a light. A spark of life inside of them. All For One could see it now with Search and the brightest of them all was One For All existing within his nemesis. The Quirk was blinding compared to the others and the glare of it irked the Villain knowing what he desired was so close yet still out of his reach. For now. One day All For One would take One For All back and what was left of his brother would be his. Family reunited once more.

One For All's brilliance was almost enough to distract him from his true goal but not quite. There were other lights scattered about however there was only one All For One was interested in. Izuku's was dim compared to the rest like an old lightbulb. It was neutral in feel and the lack of brightness may be due to his lack of Quirk but regardless his small light was still there. A mark of the existence of his own child being protected by the fools who called themselves Heroes.

Regardless of dim or bright, with Search All For One could now see exactly where his son was hiding. He would be mindful of that area as the battle continued, but for now Izuku could stay in his hiding place. There was nowhere for him to run and that suited the father just fine. He would end this quickly so that they could be on their way. The Villain turned his attention back to his adversary sightlessly staring the Hero down.

"In the past, you managed to crush my comrades one by one with your fists. Forcing them underground and into the shadows."

He could not remember all of their faces but their Quirks he clearly recalled. Each had a unique flavor of sorts and their own nuances much like wine. All For One was quite the connoisseur when it came to Quirks and his own Quirk allowed him to read them in others like a book. This ability allowed him to sense One For All within All Might and, despite the brightness seen by Search, he could feel it diminishing in power in a way. No…it was almost as if the Quirk was sealing itself up in a sense.

Hmm…interesting.

But also concerning as he didn't know what that meant for the hybrid Quirk. All For One would have to work harder to finally claim One For All and bring it back to him where it belonged.

"In their suffering," All For One went on with a sneer. "You were extolled as the Symbol of Peace."

Between them was Gran Torino still knocked out from the blocked punch and All For One pointed a finger at All Might from behind the unconscious Hero.

'I'll face you', my ass, All Might thought as he glared at his enemy as he continued to rant.

"How grand the view must have been from your throne built atop the mountain of their sacrifices and defeats."

All Might had enough and screamed in rage as he flung himself at the Villain. All For One in turn powered an attack of his own. His left sleeve bulged as he layered Quirk upon Quirk aiming right at the man keeping One For All from him. Black and red energy crackled around him which All Might took note of but kept his course digging his foot in as he readied a punch.

"Detroit…SMAAASH!"

The Hero grabbed Gran Torino out of the way with one hand while sending a Quirk powered punch at All For One with the other. The Villain met it with his own fist and once again the power became turbulent in a strong blast of air. All Might was giving his all but All For One just stood as if he wasn't facing the Number One Hero.

The strength of the attack was ripping the Hero's costume apart. The blonde grunted from the pain in his body from the exertion but kept pressing forward unwilling to give up. Plus Ultra and all that. But even then, it was proving too much as blood spouted out of All Might's mouth as he was forced away. Or so it seemed as the Hero skidded to a stop a short distance away still holding on to Gran Torino.

"Hmm, he stopped the attack himself," All For One commented aloud as he realized All Might was still holding back. "Still unwilling to fight me with your full power, eh, All Might?"

The Hero gently placed his mentor on the ground. A stretch of red cloth flew out and snagged Gran Torino dragging him away from the line of fire. Izuku still followed All Might's order to stay put but he didn't want to leave the older Hero vulnerable in an active battlefield. He couldn't fight but he could at least help keep one of the fallen safe. The two combatants took note of the action but kept their attention on each other.

The reminder that Izuku was still there was a good wake up call for them both. For All Might, it made him more aware of the people he still needed to protect as other Heroes were saving civilians amongst the flames and wreckage surrounding their fight. As for All For One, it presented a weak spot for him to poke at to provoke his enemy.

"I see," the Villain hummed snidely. "It is because if you did, you would be endangering those you have sworn to protect."

It was true but All Might didn't have to like hearing it come from the Number One Villain's mouth.

"Shut up," snarled the Hero as he stood there shaking in anger. "You always enjoy toying with people and probing their weaknesses. You steal from and break them. Manipulate and discard them like trash. Scoffing at innocent people who merely want to lead happy lives!"

All Might's eyes were practically glowing blue with conviction as his anger fueled him for the coming fight. In a flash, he shot forward in a blink of an eye making the ground crack beneath him as he surged towards All For One. The Hero gripped the Villain's left wrist that he had raised to attack him and clamped down to cut off the release of power.

"You cannot be allowed to continue this Villainy!" All Might declared, holding strong.

All For One moved so that his other hand could face the Hero as he stated, "It's over, All Might."

"I WILL NOT STAND DOWN!"

All Might surged his other fist forward right into the mask on All For One's face. The material cracked as the Villain was punched into the ground. Izuku watched in awe at the display of power as Gran Torino stirred beside him. Only for the teen and older Hero to stare in concern as they saw All Might's buffed up form was failing on one side. Small Might was showing through as he was beginning to reach his limit.

Not good.

And that wasn't all as the Villain was still conscious on the cracked ground with All Might's fist still pressed into what was left of his face.

"Something wrong?" All For One jeered making the Hero gasp in surprise. How in the world did he not get knocked out with that? "You appear to be worked up for some reason, All Might. By the way, I've heard similar words before from countless others. Even from the one who possessed One For All before you. Shimura Nana."

The Villain cackled up at the Hero despite his face looking like a smashed potato as All Might gasped at the mention of his master. Gran Torino cursed under his breath next to Izuku who wondered about the person All For One was talking about. The predecessor of All Might's.

The Quirkless teen remembered the Hero talking about her during that disaster of a meeting after the Sports Festival. Afterwards, he did as he always did and researched her. However, as was often the case of Heroes of past generations, not much information was available as it was for more current ones. But there also seemed to be specific sections of the Hero's life that were completely blank. It was as if she didn't want them to be known. The lack of knowledge made Izuku want to know even more but there wasn't much he could do without key pieces of information so he had put that search on the back burner until new clues came to light.

Maybe tonight he would finally get new leads.

Perhaps that shouldn't be on his list of things to worry about but Izuku couldn't help it. The young analyst was a curious one always seeking knowledge. Though he did remind himself that they were stuck in a dangerous situation made even more so with him still there, but couldn't help because All For One did not want to let him go. It was because of him that Izuku wasn't far away safe with his friends. Instead, he was here as a liability causing All Might to hold back and now they could physically see he was at his limit.

Come on, All Might!

The world was watching as helicopters flew overhead. There was so much at stake here. All Might was the Number One Hero. The initially self-proclaimed and now socially accepted Symbol of Peace. The single pillar that held up them all. But what had appeared solid before was starting to crumble and be revealed as more precarious than they thought. Tonight was going to be a turning point no matter what happened. Only the outcome would reveal if it would be for the better or the worst.

"You have so much in common with her," All For One said, still pinned to the ground under All Might's quivering fist. "Shimura Nana who was an utter waste of a human who passed on what did not belong to her to you. One For All."

All Might gritted his teeth in anger. How dare he insult his master. Nana was a saint. He could remember her clear as day. Nana was beautiful and strong and her words even stronger. All Might had lived by them his whole life. Her smile could light up a whole city and he had learned to always smile from her. It was a Hero's duty to save the person and their heart at the same time.

Nana had seen the conviction in him to become the Symbol of Peace and graced him with the power to accomplish that goal. It had been her choice and he had graciously accepted her precious gift. It had been a long, hard road to obtain One For All and master it with Gran Torino's tough-love help. Regardless he was proud with what he had achieved and lived to uphold his own ideals as well as her legacy.

"My master was a true Hero," All Might growled. "Do not speak of her with your filthy mouth, Villain."

"Shimura Nana possessed no skill," All For One sneered back, enjoying this little button of provocation he had found. "Held grand ideas with no way to live up to them. For her of all people to possess One For All is an embarrassment for me as the creator. And her death…how pathetic. Would you like to hear how she died?"

All Might was outraged at the ill speak of Nana and screamed, "ENOUGH!"

He reared his left arm ready to smash that filthy mouth shut. But it was at that same time that All For One powered up an attack of his own and blasted the Hero away in a flash of blinding light. All Might was sent flying through the air and almost hit the hovering helicopter if not for Gran Torino jetting up and catching him at the last second.

"You're in the way," All For One said in annoyance as he coughed in his attempt to pick himself up.

But the Heroes paid his words no mind while still keeping their sights on him. Gran Torino ordered All Might to calm down. They had to keep their heads or it would end up just like last time. All Might must not get distracted or else All For One would escape like he had six years ago. He had to focus here. All For One's Quirks and fighting style were different from last time. He needed to think and figure a way to defeat the dastardly Villain. To somehow push past his limits and win this fight!

The reporters above and the people watching across Japan were witnesses to a nightmare. Half of Kamino ward had been destroyed in an instant and All Might was facing the Villain responsible. The Heroes had been outraged that their plans were thwarted and the people were scared seeing an enemy who could stand up against their Number One hero. Would their chosen Symbol of Peace be able to prevail?

Hope. Fear. Anger. Doubt.

But above all else, there was an expectation for their champion to win out in the end. Just as he always does. All Might had to triumph over this great evil that disrupted their peaceful world. The Hero knew what they expected of him and it was a burden he had taken on proudly but now it was really sinking in the point young Midoriya was trying to make. The issue of him being the sole pillar holding up society to provide the people peace of mind.

'What happens when that one pillar goes away?'

Until he had met the boy, it honestly hadn't been something he had thought about. Becoming the Symbol of Peace had always been his goal and he had achieved it through hard work and the ever-present smile on his face. But ever since Midoriya asked the question, he couldn't help consider the consequences of when he would finally meet his match. When he would eventually have to step down as the Number One Hero.

Now seemed the deciding point. It was do or die time and All Might had no intention of dying. He had a world to protect from the monster that was All For One. Screw the hole in his gut. Screw the pain permeating his body and the blood he was coughing out of his lungs. He was a Hero dammit! All Might was prepared to push himself past his limits and take All For One down once and for all.

"I find myself conflicted," the Villain said, holding out one hand and then the other as he spoke. "Tomura has been hard at work chipping away at the trust society has in Heroes. Seems hardly fair for me to take his moment by landing the final blow. And yet I find it hard to resist."

The Hero and Villain stare each other down. Both filled to the brim with conviction to see the other's end.

"Your hatred of me is nothing in comparison to my loathing of you," All For One sneered, lowering his arms. "I killed your master, yes, but that was merely one waste of a life. You on the other hand took everything I have ever tried to build. I want to watch you suffer until your last breath."

His right arm sputtered and bulged as he channeled Quirks into it in his anger.

"I will see you die broken and disgraced…"

Red-lined black energy crackled into life at the sheer power building in his arm.

"…for all the world to see!"

The Heroes prepared themselves to dodge as the Villain raised his arm. Gran Torino shot off to protect the kid as All Might stood strong against All For One. He will not allow the Villain to win this fight, but All For One knew the Hero's weakness. A need to protect each and every person he can as he proclaimed as much insipidly from his moronic mouth. And he was being presented with the perfect opportunity to exploit it as he sensed the Quirk emitting behind the now steaming Hero.

"Not everyone is as fast as you, All Might," All For One taunted just before releasing his attack. "I will destroy all that you have protected over these many years!"

It happened in seconds. The world played in slow motion as All Might realized that the attack wasn't aimed at him, but at a woman who was clawing her way out of the wreckage behind him. Gran Torino noticed at the same time and changed directions in midair but it was too late. All For One's attack was too powerful and blew him away. Izuku held on for dear life where he hid using his shield to protect him and green eyes sheltered by goggles searched the smoke for any sign of All Might.

When the wind finally died down enough to move, Izuku quickly turned on his infrared and let out a sigh of relief. In a rainbow of color, All Might stood tall as a figure of red and orange. Only he didn't look quite right. Smaller, skinner.

Oh no.

"The first to go shall be your ridiculous public image," All For One admonished as the smoke cleared. "Let the world see how pitiful you truly are, 'Symbol of Peace'."

Izuku turned off his infrared to unfortunately see with his own eyes what he wished wouldn't happen until far in the future. It was just as he feared. All Might's small form was there on display for everyone to see and he had no backup to help him. A lone figure weakened overtime standing up against a dangerous foe. A single pillar about to crumple and fall.

Come on, All Might!

The world was in shock. Only few knew of this form where he looked like a living skeleton. Skin taunt, hair limp, and blood dripping down his gaunt face. Izuku and Gran Torino had seen it before but the people were staring in confused horror. What the hell happened to their Symbol of Peace?

Izuku knew. Not in great detail but he knew it had been a fight against a terrible and powerful Villain. Only now he knew exactly who that Villain had been this entire time. All For One, his father, had fought against All Might, was nearly killed by the Hero, and had left All Might with a horrendous wound that affected him to this day.

Part of Izuku still felt the pain of near loss of almost losing his dad. Another was angry at All Might for nearly killing Hisashi. Then another wasn't sure if he should feel either of those things anymore because Hisashi had been a lie and was the worst Villain of all time. Izuku hated All For One but still held a love for the memory of his father growing up. Even though there had never been such a man, the teen still remembered how it felt to be held close by his dad. A comfort that he had held precious all these years.

This was definitely going to take time to fully process and figure out how he felt about it all. If he ever did. Oh boy was Hound Dog going to have a field day with this one. Maybe Izuku should talk to Nezu about getting the man a raise or see if he could get help from the new school counselor Taikan. If Hitoshi could trust him, so could he. Maybe. But now was not the time for such worries. The Quirkless teen watched as Small Might stood tall but shaking before a mostly unaffected All For One.

"Sunken eyes and hollow cheeks," All For One said with disdain. "You are their greatest Hero? Pathetic. Perhaps now they will see how wrong they were about you having seen your true form. Your move, Small Might."

Shadow cast blue eyes glared at the Villain refusing to allow his words to distract him. His body may be rotting and growing frail and his weakened state exposed, but All Might was still the Symbol of Peace. The Hero clenched his fist determined to see this fight through no matter what.

"Say what you will, All For One, but I am still the Symbol of Peace," the Number One Hero declared with conviction. "Nothing you do to me will ever take that from me."

Yes! That's it, All Might!

"Still stubborn, I see," the Villain replied with a disappointed tone. "May as well give up on making you see the truth. However, there is one or two little things you may have interest in knowing."

All Might stared at All For One not sure he would actually want to know what the madman would say. Izuku watched in tense apprehension pretty sure he was one of those things. Green eyes glanced up at the helicopter hovering above but they seemed to be too far away to hear the fighting pair's little talk. It still scared him what All Might would think if All For One revealed their connection, but at least the public wouldn't know just yet.

Maybe? Please? Hopefully?

"My apprentice, Shigaraki Tomura…"

Izuku felt a little sense of relief for the moment as well as a hint of curiosity of what the man would say. But he still dreaded what would come out of the Villain's mouth.

"…he is your beloved Shimura Nana's grandson."

The battlefield fell silent as All For One allowed the reveal to sink in. You could hear a pin drop as the weight of it dampened all other sounds. Izuku swallowed as he watched for All Might's reaction. Those sunken eyes widened in horror at the thought of it but his eyebrows stayed furrowed angry at the audacity of such a lie.

"All these years, I wondered what would extinguish that Heroic flame within you. What would crush your golden heart. Then I found Tomura."

'I wasn't bullied like you, Izuku. No, I was abandoned by this society.'

No.

Izuku knew All For One had found Shigaraki. The decayer had told him himself that the Villain was the only one to reach out to him. Everyone else had left the lost little boy alone.

'Sensei saved me.'

But did he really?

Yes, he had been the one to take him off the streets but at what cost? His freedom, his future? What would have become of Shigaraki if he hadn't been found by All For One? Was Shigaraki Tomura even his real name?

Shimura Nana's grandson?

Could it be true? Could Shigaraki really be a descendant of All Might's master? That would make him a hand-picked successor just to piss All Might off. Forcing him to face off against the offspring of a woman he considered family. Cruel but very on brand for All For One. After all, he wasn't above using and abusing familial ties to get what he wants. How would this be any different?

"I took him in and groomed him to hate you," All For One taunted with a cruel smile hidden under what remained of his mask. "Watched as you so proudly smiled while beating your master's descendant. What a Hero you are."

All Might was shaking in anger. How dare he. HOW DARE HE! How dare All For Fucking One have the audacity to tell such lies of his master. There was no way Shigaraki was related to her. It…it can't be true.

"Liar!" the Hero snapped.

"Oh, come now," All For One admonished. "There is no call for insults all because you do not want to accept the truth. Of course, this is something I would do."

True. That All Might couldn't deny. This man was a manipulative monster. He would do anything to poke and prod at people. Finding their weaknesses and exploiting them for his own schemes and desires. Thinking back to Nana, he remembered her beauty mark on the right side of her chin. The same marking that Shigaraki also had in the exact same place. No. No, it can't be true. He didn't want to believe it to be true, but knowing how the man, the Villain, in front of him was, it had to be.

NO!

All For One was a monster who would do this exact perverted and horrible thing just to get a rise out of him. All to hurt him in the worst way possible even worse than the physical injury to his gut. The Number One Hero glared at All For One filled to the brim with anger. He was no longer smiling. It was what the Villain had wanted but not exactly as he had thought his nemesis would react. All For One had expected a level of defeat but sensed mostly a raging animosity. All Might accepted that far quicker than he had anticipated.

Hmm…I wonder what changed him from last time.

"Where has your smile gone, Hero?" All For One jeered, raising his hands to press his thumbs into his cheeks mocking his insipid missing smile. "Do you not always smile when facing an enemy? Even when that enemy is far closer to you than you think?"

How could he smile in a situation like this? Yes, All Might could see that this was something All For One would do in an attempt to break him. It almost did but the fact that Izuku and that woman were still in danger forced him to push those feelings down. All Might had to stay strong here in order to protect them. No distractions could be allowed.

Memories of his master once again surfaced in his mind. Of her personal philosophy that real Heroes not only save lives, but also their hearts. That no matter how scared you were or how challenging the situation was, a smile was key to show that everything would be okay. That those who smiled no matter what were the strongest in this world.

All Might was strong. With One For All, he was arguably the strongest in the world. But in this moment, he couldn't be as strong as Nana. While he was determined to fight on despite the reveal of his small form, he wasn't strong enough to smile through learning that her descendant had been turned into a Villain.

He was angry and still didn't want to believe it. But the facts that All For One was a manipulative bastard and there were still innocents he needed to protect, they pushed the Number One Hero to keep it together. Once he defeats All For One, only then could he let go and surrender to the storm of emotions raging within.

"You bastard," All Might growled in anger.

All For One cackled then said, "To be honest, I expected you to react differently, but your hostility is quite entertaining."

"How dare you insult her legacy like this," All Might bellowed in fury. "To use her own grandchild…how could you commit such a horrendous atrocity."

It was a horrible concept to take in. The Hero was having a hard time keeping himself together even though he knew he couldn't as he would not relent from his Heroic duties. He was forcefully pushing down the what-ifs buzzing in his head of what would his master think if she knew things had turned out like this. Her successor and her progeny standing on opposing sides. He hated this so much but he couldn't break down here. All Might had to fight on.

Izuku watched in nervous anticipation. He had feared All For One would reveal that he was his son, but he hadn't. Instead dropping a different bomb of information all to devastate the Number One Hero. The Quirkless teen didn't know what could possibly be going through All Might's head right now. He worried it would be enough to make him stumble and faulter. To make a single small mistake that would have a huge impact on the pending fight. Apparently, he wasn't alone.

"D-don't lose," a shaky and hurt voice spoke. Izuku turned to see it was the woman All Might had protected. "Keep…going…All Might! We need you!"

To all, the Symbol of Peace appeared frozen. A statue of outrage suspended in time as a testament to the unimaginable battle they were witnessing. Their chosen Number One Hero looked battered and beaten down more than they had ever seen before. Still standing and facing the mysterious Villain who had managed to hold his ground against the strongest Hero they had ever known. The people worried if their champion had finally met his match.

Would All Might prevail as he always did or would he fall to the hands of this Villain?

No, he had to win. Despite his appearance, they still believed in All Might. Their chosen savior who fought for them again and again no matter how daunting the circumstances. He would win this fight. The scared woman believed. The people watching did too as they began cheering him on which grew so loud that the Hero could actually hear them in the distance. Even Izuku believed he would do everything in his power to take All For One down.

"DON'T LOSE, ALL MIGHT!" Izuku screamed from where he hid. "DON'T LET THAT BALLSACK-FACED BASTARD WIN!"

The crescendo of their support and belief in All Might ignited the dying spark of One For All within. While he didn't feel like he could power up his whole body, he had plenty to punch All For One in his fucked up face. Yellow energy crackled around his right arm as All Might channeled as much power as he could into it. The Symbol of Peace wasn't done yet.

"Really now, Izuku?" All For One chided in disappointment. "Was that really necessary?"

"For you it is, Ass For One!" the teen yelled back.

Perhaps not the best to be insulting him in a situation like this but in these times Izuku couldn't help channeling his inner Kacchan.

"You were right," All Might interjected, forcing the Villain to focus on him instead of the boy. "As a Hero, there is so much I must protect in this world. For this reason, I will defeat you!"

Toshinori had to remember where he started. A Quirkless teenager with a lofty dream to make a world filled with smiling people living together happily. With the help of One For All, he became the Symbol of Peace he had always wanted to be. The one they could all look to and rely on to always bring them hope. It was that hope that was driving them to cheer for him now.

All Might would not disappoint.

...

Not just civilians were cheering the Number One Hero on as the world watched in anticipation. Heroes were stepping up to help with rescue efforts and the police were hard at work as well. Even the ones holding down in the flat provided to Chizome as they watched the live footage of the scene.

Understandably, he had not actually been allowed anywhere near the raid. Frustrating that he couldn't be there for Izuku but he knew it would take time to build a level of trust with them. Perhaps he could at least ask for permission to see the boy in person. To see the Little Hero for himself and affirm that he was safe and alive. But that would have to wait until later as there were more pressing concerns.

All Might.

Chizome watched in rapt attention as the Number One Hero remained standing ready to fight despite his weakened state. It had been a shock to see the man he viewed as one of the few true Heroes look like that. A living skeleton that looked as if a strong breeze would be able to knock him over. A far cry from the strong powerhouse of a man All Might has always appeared. It made one wonder what on earth could have happened to the Hero to result in this.

But what impressed him as it always had while watching the rise of the Symbol of Peace was the sheer desire the man possessed to be a Hero and protect others despite himself. That he still stood and was willing to fight on despite his disadvantage. That All Might, no matter his appearance, was a true Hero. That and the fact he was out there protecting Izuku made Chizome believe in him even more than he had before.

"Win, All Might," Chizome said aloud despite knowing the Hero would not hear him. Regardless he would verbalize his support. "Fight on and fight hard. You must end this in triumph."

The Symbol of Peace must win this. For himself. For Izuku. For everyone. Because that was what a true Hero would do.

...

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