Well, here we are. One of the most pivotal moments of the series in this chapter, along with future implications, is about to come. I will say, I'm very intrigued about how everyone will react to this section of the story. It's gonna be a challenge.

And with so much more to get through, I'm not going to back down. Everything with both Edens Zero and My Hero Academia provided here, I know that you'll love what I come up with now and until the end of this story. But that'll be for another time.

For now, let's just get into the rest of this tale with our heroes heading into the ultimate battle to wrap things up. Please enjoy!

THROUGH THE ROUGH

"Guys, over here!" Shiki called out, getting Izuku and Rebecca's attentions as they saw him waving from the end of an alleyway.

"Shiki!" the Leaper Quirk user exclaimed, running over to him alongside her boyfriend, "Oh, thank goodness…" she sighed with relief, "I thought we lost you back there…" she admitted.

"Same here…" the raven-haired boy responded, "What happened to that other guy?" he inquired.

"Jaguar showed up to stop him," Izuku replied as he looked back down the alley, "It sounded like he and Drakken knew each other…" he mentioned, narrowing his eyes. He then felt his hand get grabbed, causing him to look over to see the troubled expression upon his girlfriend's face as she held him.

"Izu… now's not the time, okay?" she noted seriously to his surprise, "The heroes are gonna be fine," she assured with a smile, "We've done our part," she affirmed.

"…Right…" he responded with a nod.

"Shiki! Midoriya!" Momo's voice called out, getting their attentions as they looked over to see her, Kyoka, Shoto and Homura venturing over through the crowd.

"Hey!" the Satan Gravity Quirk user exclaimed, waving happily to them. He was suddenly met with a strong hug from the class deputy, who looked to be on the verge of tearing up.

"Thank goodness you're alright…" she almost sobbed out. Kyoka went ahead and hugged Rebecca, whimpering into her shoulder profusely. The Leaper Quirk user smiled, warmly embracing her back.

"Kirishima called," Shoto chimed in as he approached with his phone in hand, "He and Iida have Bakugo safely away from the battlefield," he told the group.

"Therefore, this rescue mission can be considered a success," Homura mentioned.

"Wait," Rebecca said, getting their attentions, "What about Kleene?" she asked out of concern.

"Rescue?!" Katsuki exclaimed in question from elsewhere in the ward, "Hah!" he scoffed, "I would've been fine by myself…" he grumbled as a claim.

"Whatever you say, bud…" Eijiro responded with a chuckle.

"Now then…" Tenya began, turning toward the Wind Snatch Quirk user as she had come with them, "whatever are we going to do about you?" he wondered curiously. She just looked away ashamedly.

"We're taking her with us until we get to the cops," Katsuki decided, much to the group's surprise as they looked over to him, "She's probably got info on the league to share with 'em," he mentioned. All Kleene did was nod in confirmation, lowering her head.

"Hey, what the hell is that…?" someone in the crowd wondered aloud, getting the group's attention.

"Are we seeing this right…?" another person near Izuku and the others asked, causing them to perk up. The battle between All Might and All For One was being broadcast, giving everyone the opportunity to witness the number one hero's victory. Or so they thought. He had just endured yet another powerful air blast in order to protect those behind him. And as such…

"All Might…" the One For All inheritor uttered out in disbelief, seeing him in his disheveled form right on screen. His secret had been revealed. And with it, his strength would follow…

OPENING

Insert "ODD FUTURE" by UVERworld

Opens with Izuku and Rebecca getting into lunging stances before taking off into the distance as a bright blue sky looms overhead. We see a scene of Nana Shimura holding out her gloved hand to a skinny All Might, who accepts it as a light shines between their palms. A bright light flashes across the screen.

We cut to the rest of Class 1-A running together at the campground in their P.E. clothes, with Shiki leading the way as he leaps ahead. Ochaco and Momo are staring at him from behind somewhat longingly. But once they notice each other staring at him, they blush and look away.

Elsewhere around the camp, we see Homura using her energy blades to slash down mounds of earth formed by Pixie Bob, Shoto practicing with shooting his flames from his left arm, followed by unleashing a wave of ice from his right foot, Weisz remodeling multiple machines to practice more with his Quirk, and Katsuki unleashing large explosions up into the sky. As Izuku takes a moment to catch his breath, he looks over to see Rebecca running alongside Tenya. She spots her boyfriend and shoots him a warm smile, which he returns as he blushes.

However, that happiness is shattered as the forest is engulfed in blue flames that evening, courtesy of Dabi. He's joined by Himiko, Twice, Compress, Mustard, Muscular, Moonfish, Laguna, Fie, Daichi, Maria, and Shura. The latter of the group floats up and has Ether Gear markings expand along his right arm as he aims it down at the ground, which suddenly caves in. He grins wickedly as he dives toward Shiki, who retaliates with a Gravity Fist.

We see Laguna turning to face off with Weisz, who equips into his Arsenal armor before dashing out at him. Meanwhile, Daichi emerges from the ground, joining Maria in confronting Rebecca and Kyoka, who stand back-to-back and grimace. Izuku is in battle against Muscular, lunging forward and rearing his right fist back for a full-powered punch.

The scene changes to Drakken Joe atop a roof as the wind rushes around him. He's approached by Jaguar, who stares at him indignantly. A leaf blows by, revealing a flashback of the two confronting on the same rooftop. Drakken doesn't look like he's aged a day since then.

We cut to Tomura being approached by All For One, who rests his hand onto his head gently. Several Nomu emerge behind him, ready to act on command. We get a shot of Poseidon Nero, who opens his eyes as his dice rattle in his hands. We also see Noah Glenfield, who closes a book as he approaches the desk of Nezu at U.A.

All Might arrives, landing down mightily to confront All For One, roaring as his eyes glare onto his foe. There are several shots of Mirko, Endeavor, Justice, Holy, Eraser, Feather, Cure, Jaguar, Edgeshot, Kamui Woods, Gang Orca, and Eraser Head, with all of them battling against enemy forces.

We end on Izuku and Rebecca standing up alongside All Might, staring out determinedly towards the horizon, ready to go and save the world.

END OPENING

TWO MINUTES EARLIER

"Damn it…" Rumi cursed as she hopped on through the ward. She wasn't one to throw caution to the wind. Hell, she'd charge recklessly into danger if it meant taking down more villains. That was her philosophy back in her younger years, even as it got her into trouble…

FLASHBACK

"Lemme go already!" Rumi yelled as she struggled against the two officers who were trying to keep ahold of her.

"Young lady, you could be arrested for assault!" one of them pointed out emphatically.

"They're the bastards who started this crap!" the Rabbit Quirk user shouted back, "Hell, no heroes were showing up!" she mentioned angrily. She was in custody for having crashed a local fight club in Hiroshima, having knocked out two men all by herself. Looking at her struggling against the policemen, Jaguar sighed.

"So that's the infamous Usako, hm?" he inquired.

"She's popped up around a couple areas in the past, but we've never been able to actually nab her," the chief next to him replied with a nod, smoking a cigarette, "Judging by that uniform, I'd say she's from the Fukiyose Junior Academy," he pointed out, exhaling a puff of smoke.

"She knocked out men almost twice her size…" Taichi curiously noted, "What are you going to do with her?" he questioned on.

"Inform her parents and the school of her actions," the chief answered, "At the very least, she'll be expelled and likely given just a slap on the wrist for all this crap…" he added, "Huh…" he sighed, letting another puff of smoke escape her lips, "Still, with this kinda power, she'd make a great hero," he commented.

"Indeed…" Jaguar agreed. He then approached the struggling officers. "Stand down, boys," he advised of them, "I can take her from here," he promised.

"Thanks, Mister Jaguar," one of the officers replied with gratitude.

"Careful, she's pretty feisty," the other one mentioned, causing the rabbit-eared girl to growl. They left, allowing for the I.U.A. Hero to take hold of the middle school student.

"Now then…" he began, only to stop himself as he noticed something. The girl he was holding was the same one he remembered meeting so long ago, back when associated himself with Drakken. His eyes widened in realization.

"What's the matter, geezer?" she inquired, narrowing her eyes onto him, "Surprised a girl kicked so much ass?" she assumed. Hearing that snapped Jaguar out of his musings as he took a deep breath and sighed.

"Chief, I'll take the girl with me," he decided, much to everyone's surprise, "We don't know whether or not she instigated this incident," he pointed out, "There is such a thing as self-defense after all," he mentioned.

"I… suppose that's fair…" the chief admitted in response, scratching at his right cheek. Meanwhile, Rumi was confused. Why was this hero seemingly bailing her out?

A while later, she was eating a carrot, sitting at an outdoor table outside of a tall building that was under construction. She mused over the I.U.A. Hero's actions for a moment as she chomped another piece of her snack. She then saw him approach.

"So, this is glamour that comes with being a hero, huh?" she assumed, chewing on her carrot.

"I wouldn't call it glamourous…" Taichi admitted with a chuckle, "But it's definitely a sight to behold," he pointed out.

"Hard pass," Rumi retorted to his surprise, taking another bite of her carrot, "I'd rather be freelance than stuck in some crummy office…" she muttered, "That way, I can go and kick any bad guy's ass around Japan," she pointed out.

"…Hm," Jaguar chuckled again, "So you want to be a hero, huh?" he guessed, "Do you think you can manage that with a criminal record?" he inquired on. The Rabbit Quirk user grimaced, coughing a little.

"Damn it…" she cursed, "Almost made me choke, old man…" she grumbled out, glaring at him.

"Sorry," he apologized, "But you know, not everyone gets genuine second chances to be better than they once were," he noted, much to her confusion as she arched an eyebrow, "I'm a prime example," he pointed out.

"Wait, you used to be a criminal or something?" Rumi inquired curiously.

"Or something…" Jaguar repeated, laughing a little more, "Tell me, what's your hero name going to be?" he asked.

"The Rabbit Hero, Mirko!" she responded as she pointed to herself with a confident smirk.

"Mirko?" the I.U.A. Hero repeated, "Like that international kickboxer?" he guessed.

"Yeah, exactly!" she answered excitedly, making him laugh. From there, the two shared an interesting relationship. It seemed as if Rumi hadn't remembered who he was. But deep down, she did. And she was eternally grateful to him for helping guide her down the right path to becoming a hero.

END FLASHBACK

"Old man…" the Rabbit Hero growled out as she hopped on, "you better not leave me out of the fun!" she roared out. The standoff between Taichi and Drakken lasted for a few moments. They then lunged at each other, clashing blades and claws respectively. The Oracion Seis member smirked.

"Having fun yet, Tai?!" he inquired, attempting to slash him from above, only for him to hop back. However, he shifted his arm back into a hand, pressing it against the ground. "IGNITION FLOOR!" he bellowed. The ground at the I.U.A. Hero's feet started glowing as he widened his eyes. An explosion erupted, though he managed to jump back and avoid it, losing his coat in the process.

"You always did know how to make things difficult with that Quirk of yours…" he grumbled out as his foe emerged from the smoke, sneering all the while.

Drakken Joe! Quirk: Alchemist!

He can alter any form of matter, including himself, into whatever he pleases. However, he needs to know the exact chemical composition of what he's altering and what he intends to change it to! Not to mention that some compositions take longer than others.

"I figured my timing would be better since I'm in Overdrive, but maybe you're just a little faster…" he assumed of his foe, who narrowed his eyes, "You're gonna die still, Tai," he pointed out, "You shouldn't have gotten in my way…" he noted with a dark glare. The Jaguar Quirk user steeled himself.

"If it means making sure that you end up dead yourself, then I'm willing to lay down my life as well," he proclaimed in response, charging forward again. Drakken smirked, palming the ground again. This time, electricity started to build up upon it, zipping toward his opponent. However, he leapt over it, landing behind the Oracion Seis member before slashing mightily at his back.

"GAH!" he yelped in pain, staggering forward. Taichi didn't relent for a single moment, slashing over and over. However, nothing was happening with his subsequent attacks. As a matter of fact, his own claws were getting broken off.

"Agh…!" he gasped out, stumbling back.

"Platinum," Drakken said, making him perk up as he turned to see his opponent turn to face him. Drops of blood dripped down from the slash marks at his back. "Gotta admit, you got the drop on me the first time…" he confessed, "But now, I'm on full guard…" he declared, closing his right hand into a fist as he reared it back. With no time to dodge, the I.U.A. Hero crossed his arms over his face in an attempt to block and endure the attempted punch. However, he found himself blown by the force of the blow, with his left arm breaking cleanly from the blow. He crashed into a wall hard as he coughed up a wad of blood.

"Ergh…" he groaned as he tried to bring himself up, "You… won't be able to get what you want, Drakken…" he declared firmly to his foe's surprise, "That girl… will become a fine hero before you ever even try to lay your hands on her again…" he affirmed with confidence. His former friend's expression shifted into a frown.

"…Then I've got no reason to even care anymore…" he realized, letting off a smirk before palming the ground again. Blue lines of energy spread to the buildings in the vicinity, causing Jaguar to gasp.

"JOE, DON'T!" he yelled out.

"TOO LATE, YOU GEEZER!" the Oracion Seis member roared back. The ground and the buildings glowed brightly before several explosions rained out, engulfing the two transformed men in smoke. From afar, Rumi felt her ears twitch as she landed atop a nearby building, seeing the billowing smoke. She gritted her teeth, hopping over as quickly as she could.

Elsewhere, Elsie had a red aura burst up around her body, freeing herself from James' grasp as she landed down a few yards away from him. She drew her cutlass, while he brought forth a polearm. She glanced back toward the battle raging afar.

"Are you worried that your villainous mastermind won't be able to stop All Might?!" her foe inquired as he shot out at her. She quickly blocked his weapon with her own, gritting her teeth.

"Do you seriously believe I was trying to kill a man you and I both idolized?!" she roared back, jumping away, "I may not as fond of heroes these days, but I still value the ones that put their duties first before glory!" she yelled on.

"Yet you still chose to become a villain!" Justice shouted to her shock, "You can spout all the nonsense you want, but I still see you for what you are!" he noted angrily, "A crook, a murderer, a psychopath that I never should've trusted!" he listed off. Elsie grimaced, biting her bottom lip. Hearing her old love say those things… it broke her heart.

"I'll do what I believe is right, James," she declared, steadying her cutlass.

"Tch," the I.U.A. Hero scoffed, "Then you'll be dealt with like all the other villains we've fought…" he decided, "Creed! Victory!" he called out. Blinking in surprise, the Pirate Empress turned to see the two sidekicks rushing towards her.

"Ether Lock!" the bespectacled man of the two exclaimed, releasing energy chains from his right arm as they closed in on his target.

Hero Name: Creed! Quirk: Ether Lock!

Anything those energy chains touches is shrunk down into a cage, which he can release at any time! However, his range is limited to around six to seven meters, going up to ten on a good day!

'So this was all a distraction for his sidekicks to get the drop on me…' Elsie realized, dashing away instantaneously from the incoming energy chains.

"Damn it!" Creed cursed, "Victory!" he yelled to his fellow sidekick. The Oracion Seis member looked back to see the bearded man enlarging to a massive size, readying his right fist.

"Titan's Arm!" he bellowed.

Hero Name: Victory! Quirk: Titan's Arm!

He can grow to a fairly large size, though not as big as Mt. Lady! As he grows, his power and endurance increases, but his speed goes down quite a bit…

Elsie was quick to evade Victory's attack, flipping over him and landing on the ground with her cutlass still in hand. She quickly blocked another of Justice's attempted strikes before leaping back to dodge the energy chains from Creed. There was no way she could help All Might deal with All For One at this rate.

"Stop this!" Gran Torino yelled as he zipped over, landing in between Elsie and the I.U.A. members.

"Sorahiko!" the former gasped.

"Out of the way, please!" Creed insisted, "Do you know who this woman is?!" he inquired angrily as he pointed at her.

"I do, and she's not our main threat!" the Jet Quirk user argued in reply, "We need to help All Might before—!" A shockwave of air interrupted his shout as he and the others braced themselves from its impact. As it subsided moments later, the group looked out toward where the battle between the number one hero and the villainous mastermind had been taking place. Elsie widened her lone eye and gasped.

"All… Might…?" she uttered out upon seeing him in his disheveled state.

X

"What… happened to him…?" Kyoka asked as she and the others in the crowd were in sheer disbelief at the shrunken form of their teacher. Both Izuku and Rebecca grimaced. The secret of All Might's body had just been revealed to everyone in Japan. He was a weakened man, bloodied and battered.

"This can't be real… right…?" Tenya inquired from elsewhere in the ward. Katsuki was stunned. The person he admired so much looked so frail now.

"…What's happening?" Justice asked as his eyes shook.

"He's reaching his limits…" Gran Torino answered, getting his attention, "We have to help him!" he stated firmly, "Put aside your differences and let's work together to stop this madman!" he insisted.

"Right," Elsie responded, shaking her head to regain herself, "James, you and I can catch him by surprise and—!" Without warning, the Interstellar Hero dashed into her, cloaked in a blue aura.

"Sir?!" Creed yelped out, while the others gasped.

"I'm not letting you even a mile near All Might!" Justice declared, slamming into a collapsed building with his foe as she yelped in pain.

"You idiot…!" she growled out. In the meantime, All Might stood firm in spite of All For One's taunts.

"Even if you expose my weakened state…" he began as he clenched his bloody left hand into a fist, "in my heart, I remain the Symbol of Peace!" he declared proudly.

"Is that so?" his foe inquired rhetorically, "Well, I guess I'll just have to give up…" he realized in a sarcastic tone, shrugging his shoulders, "Oh, but there is one thing I'd like you to know," he pointed out, "Tomura Shigaraki, my apprentice…" he continued, "he's Nana Shimura's grandchild," he told him. In that very moment, All Might's will wavered. The very person he had been trying so desperately to stop, to bring to justice… was related to his old master?

"That's a lie…" he claimed as his expression was becoming shaky.

"Oh come now…" All For One grumbled, "You know it's true," he affirmed on.

"You… bastard…" the number one hero whimpered out, unable to think coherently.

"Ah, this reminds of another time a grand hero like yourself tried to stop me…" the villainous mastermind recalled, "You remember Ziggy, don't you?" he inquired of his foe, who blinked in surprise, "Before you came along, I saw him as my equal, and we had our fair share of scuffles," he noted in remembrance, "Did you know about his secret? How he isn't really human like us?" he questioned on to All Might, whose eyes shook, "Oh, and where might that smile of yours be now?" he wondered, holding his thumbs to his cheeks as if he was pushing his lips up to form a smile. The number one hero was shell-shocked. He couldn't believe everything that he was learning all at once.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed with dismay.

"There it is…" All For One noted, "I've felt that same feeling myself," he recalled, "When you took everything from me, I felt hopeless, lost in the wind…" he mentioned as he held his arms out, "Now it's time I returned the favor," he remarked. All Might felt helpless with everything he was learning all at once. Was this… all for nothing?

"Don't give up… All Might…" a voice weakly pleaded, getting his attention. Trapped in the rubble was a bleeding young woman, whom he had protected from the villainous mastermind's earlier air blast. "Win this…! You have to!" she screamed out. In those very moments, the people watching the battle were yelling and cheering for their hero to win. Izuku, Rebecca, Katsuki and the other students all remained hopeful as well.

"Win this…!" the freckled teen gasped out.

"Beat him!" the Explosion Quirk user yelled.

"COME ON, ALL MIGHT!" they screamed out from different places. In that moment, All Might was able to muster up the energy he had left into his right arm, enlarging it back to a muscular.

"Fear not, Miss…" he said, managing to smile, "You're right…" he noted to his foe, getting his attention, "A hero has so much to protect in this world!" he proclaimed as he readied himself, "Which is why… I will defeat you!" he declared determinedly. Elsewhere, smoke billowed into the sky from the rubble of the buildings that were just destroyed. Emerging from them was Jaguar, who breathed heavily as his head was bleeding. He looked out to see Drakken there with a wicked smirk on his face.

"You bastard…!" the I.U.A. Hero growled out.

"Anything goes in this day and age…" the Oracion Seis member remarked, morphing his fingertips into claws, "including how you win!" he yelled, lunging out at his foe. In his weakened state, the Jaguar Quirk user was unable to evade most of his slashes, feeling his skin tear away as blood flew everywhere. He couldn't fight back at this rate.

Images flashed through his head of times he and Drakken were friends. He remembered how supportive he had been before he learned of his wrongdoings. To him, the Alchemist Quirk user was a good man back then.

"Anything goes…" he uttered after enduring another slash, "Then I know I don't have to hold back!" he declared, lunging out and chomping his teeth into his foe's neck.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he bellowed with pain, "You little…!" he growled, morphing his right arm into a blade before piercing it through his stomach. Jaguar winced, but didn't waver. He kept his grip on Drakken firmly, even as his bleeding became excessive. He was willing to give up his own life to stop the monster he let mold himself. For he knew that there were still people that would carry on his will, including the one he sniffed out a few moments ago.

FLASHBACK

"Hey, old man!" Rumi called out, getting the I.U.A. Hero's attention as he looked over and chuckled to see her there. She was now wearing a sleeveless white leotard with a dark purple trim around her shoulders and waist, a wide, yellow crescent moon design over her chest, and two thick metal plates on her midriff. She set a pair of thick white gloves on her hands with long cuffs, sporting small triangular protrusions around their edges. "What do you think?" she inquired, putting her hands onto her hips as she grinned confidently.

"It suits you, Usagiyama," Taichi answered with a smile. The Rabbit Quirk user frowned indignantly.

"It's Mirko, ya old cat!" she retorted in frustration.

"Haha!" Jaguar laughed, "I'll be sure to acknowledge you by your hero name when the time's right," he promised to her surprise, "Until then, you're still just a young upstart trying way too hard," he pointed out.

"You tryin' to pick a fight?!" she yelled back as a question, making him laugh again.

END FLASHBACK

'Usagiyama…' the I.U.A. Hero uttered inwardly as he could feel his teeth start breaking from biting into Drakken's neck for so long, as it was hardening into some form of metal, 'I'm sorry that I never acknowledged you sooner…' he apologized, removing his grasp on his foe's neck and taking a deep breath.

"MIRRRRRKKKKKKKOOOOOOOOOO!" he bellowed out. From afar, the Rabbit Hero perked up as she quickly hopped over to the scene. She gasped upon seeing the state that Jaguar was in, still holding onto his foe as tightly as he could. She gritted her teeth, raising her right leg.

"You took too long, ya damn cat!" she yelled, catching his attention and that of Drakken's as they saw her coming. The Oracion Seis member desperately tried to get away, but found himself locked in the grip of the Jaguar Quirk user.

"Anything goes, old friend…" he remarked.

"LUNA FALL!" Rumi roared, slamming her right foot down in a powerful axe kick onto Drakken's head. Even as he managed to coat his entire body in steel, the sheer power and force of the blow was enough to knock him onto the ground, removing his bladed arm from Taichi. A shockwave erupted upon his impact, creating a small rumble. Jaguar sat up against a wall, breathing heavily as he looked out at his old friend. He glared back, though his body was starting to lose consciousness.

'Damn it…!' he inwardly cursed, 'Tai… why…?!' he wondered as he reached out to him, with his body reverting back to normal, 'I just… wanted to be your friend…' he confessed before finally losing consciousness, with his eyes turning a pale white. Rumi made certain that he was down for the count, quickly heading over to the I.U.A. Hero.

"Oh shit…" she uttered upon seeing his wound, "Don't worry, I'll get you help as quick as I can!" she promised, about to hop off.

"It won't matter…" Jaguar said to her surprise, changing back to his human form, "I can already tell… that my time is coming…" he noted as he breathed slowly. The Rabbit Quirk user widened her eyes before grimacing.

"Don't say that!" she shouted, crouching down beside him, "I'm gonna save you!" she vowed firmly, putting her hands over the wound at his stomach.

"Save me…" Taichi repeated as his body morphed back to normal, chuckling a little, "You already saved me back then, Rumi…" he noted in remembrance, making her widen her eyes. She clenched her teeth together in frustration. "If it wasn't for you… I would've never known about what Drakken had done…" he pointed out, "No more of your friends got themselves taken…" he mentioned.

"Damn you, you old cat…" the Rabbit Hero whimpered out, struggling to keep her composure. At that moment, Cure and Feather had arrived on the scene. The former looked on emotionlessly, while the latter gave off a sad expression.

"Mirko…" Jaguar continued as his breath softened, "make sure… you help those future heroes…" he requested of her, "I believe… they'll be the ones who finally bring peace to our world…" he affirmed confidently as his eyelids drooped weakly.

"Come on, don't die old man!" Rumi screamed out. But her voice was faint in his ears. "Jaguar!" she cried out as tears streaked down her cheeks. His whole body went stiff. With her ears, the Rabbit Quirk user could tell that his heart had stopped. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she wailed with dismay.

"We need to alert the others," Cure advised of Feather.

"Right," she agreed, simply nodding. They watched as Rumi sobbed over the death of the man that helped cultivate her journey to becoming a hero. Though it may not have been in vain, it was still a heavy blow. And it wasn't the only one to come from tonight.

X

"SHOW THEM WHY YOU'RE BETTER!" Endeavor had roared upon seeing the weakened state of All Might. He and the other heroes had finally arrived to assist him in dealing with All For One, all while trying to evacuate the immediate area. Needless to say, the Hellflame Quirk user was astonished by the true appearance of the number one hero.

"Keep him distracted!" Holy called out, making her golden markings appear as her hair shined brightly, "We have to give All Might enough of an opening to attack!" she insisted.

"Understood, ma'am!" Creed responded, having joined the fray alongside Victory. Together, they were managing to give All For One some form of trouble, at least in terms of buying time for the number one hero to do anything. He was still contemplating his current situation, knowing that the people of Japan were all on his side, cheering his name. Even in this bleak situation, they held onto the hope that he would win.

"ALL MIGHT!" they all exclaimed.

"Hmph!" All For One scoffed as he rose himself up high into the air, "How pointless!" he yelled, firing off an air blast onto the ground, blowing everyone back in a powerful shockwave. He was done letting the heroes have their fun. His right arm grew and morphed into an amalgamation of Quirks that he had stored up in his body, being the ultimate combination that he had available to him at the moment.

Holy could only watch as the villainous mastermind made his move, diving down toward All Might in his final attempt to kill the number one hero. She could only wonder just how much of a gap there was between the two, especially with how frail All Might looked. But just as his foe approached…

"Izuku Midoriya!" he exclaimed. Hearing that made the I.U.A. Hero blink in surprise. "He's the one you transferred One For All to!" he noted, "I bet he came here without your permission, proving not only your failure as hero, but as a teacher!" he yelled, throwing his enhanced fist down, colliding it against All Might's. A shockwave erupted as everyone in the immediate area braced themselves from its force. "Impact Recoil!" All For One yelled. The number one felt like fireworks were going off in his arm as it endured the same force of power he had dealt to his foe.

He was losing his ground, being forced back by the man who killed his master, the man who tormented him with terrible truths. But he wasn't going to give up. Not while so many people cheered him on.

"I'll beat you…" he vowed, "not because I'm a symbol…" he pointed out as dug his feet into the ground, managing to bring himself to a stop "but because of what my master had done for me…" he declared on, "Until I finish training Young Midoriya…" he kept going, closing his left hand into a fist as it surged with power and enlarged, "Until he's ready…" he continued, moving past his foe's amalgamated arm, "I refuse… TO DIE!" he roared, landing a powerful left hook that destroyed more of his opponent's mask.

"Yes!" Shiki cheered as the crowd around him and the others kept roaring for their hero to win. In the last second, he had transferred the power in his right arm to his left, essentially using the former as bait. It didn't seem to be enough as All For One was still standing, even as his mouth had been revealed.

"A clever trick!" he remarked, "That's so unlike you…" he noted, rearing his own left arm back, "STILL WEAK THOUGH!" he bellowed as his left arm was starting to form into an amalgamation like his right. But in that moment, he noticed All Might's left arm shrinking.

"That's because…" he began, "I WASN'T PUTTING MY BACK INTO IT!" he roared, rearing his right arm back as it was a bloody gross purple. It enlarged back into a muscular form as he clenched his hand into a fist. Up to now, he had been the pinnacle of heroes, always saving people and winning battles with a smile on his face. And this was his last stand.

'Goodbye… All For One!' he exclaimed inwardly as he gritted his teeth and slammed his fist into his foe's face, shattering the remainder of his life support mask.

"UNITED… STATES OF… SMMMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!" he bellowed out, sending his foe crashing against the ground in an instant, creating a powerful vortex that rose high into the sky. In that very moment, he won… and lost.

'Goodbye… One For All…' he solemnly said to himself, feeling the last of his power's embers fading away.

X

At the same time as All Might finally bested All For One and Jaguar had died, Elsie and Justice continued their clash from afar. The former of the two was glancing back every few seconds to see what was going on. Her opponent wasn't giving her much room to do anything, frustrating her. She knew that she could escape this battle somehow, but so long as the number one hero was still in battle against that villainous mastermind, she wouldn't leave.

"This is over, Elsie!" the Interstellar Hero exclaimed as he thrusted his polearm out at her. However, a wall of ice suddenly erected, trapping his weapon before it could reach his target. Blinking in surprise, the Pirate Empress turned to find Hyoga there.

"Hyoga…" she uttered out.

"Princess, we need to leave," he insisted firmly.

"But All Might—"

"He won," the Ice Manipulation Quirk user assured, interjecting her. His wall of ice was starting to crack. "Elsie, we have to go!" he yelled. With a sigh of relief, the Star Drain Quirk user grabbed her colleague before flying off in an instant, as a red aura surrounded her body. Justice had just taken down the ice wall to find that she was escaping.

"ELLLLSSSSSSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" he roared out angrily. Once again, she had evaded him. Back on the ground, the heroes were surveying the area, helping out injured citizens and making sure to have All For One secured.

All Might, who had raised his fist in victory for the last time, coughed up a few wads of blood. The media had arrived to report on the scene as the sun was dawning. One camera was aimed toward him. He lifted his left arm up and pointed toward it.

"Okay, got it," Shoto said, having just taken a call on his phone, "Kirishima and Iida are taking Bakugo to the police along with that Rutherford girl," he told the others of the group.

"Then we should guide Rebecca there as well," Homura decided.

"Right," Momo agreed with a nod. As the group started to head off, Izuku and Rebecca found themselves overwhelmed with so many emotions. They had escaped the brush of death, watched as All Might fought to the very last second, and now were left to try and pick up the pieces.

"Now…" the number one hero's voice echoed from the big screens in the city, showing him pointing toward the camera, "Now… it's your turn…" he said. In that moment, Izuku felt the whole world stop around him. Rebecca felt the same.

As the crowd cheered around them, they both came to a realization. That wasn't a warning to the villains that remained. It was a signal that All Might was no more. The One For All inheritor teared up profusely as he sobbed. His girlfriend came over and hugged him warmly, also teary-eyed. Their classmates watched on solemnly. A lot had happened. But at least it was finally over…

ENDING

Insert "Update" by miwa

Opens with all of Class 1-A standing in front of U.A. together. Izuku and Rebecca stand at the front, with the former balling his left hand into a fist as he looks to the sky. His girlfriend glances over and smiles, happy to see him determined.

We go through a few scenes of Homura shaking as she struggles to withstand the heat of the hot spring, while her fellow female classmates are just fine. Weisz and Minoru attempt to peep on them, only to get struck by wash tops flung at them by Rebecca. They crash down on the other side of the while, with the rest of the boys there shaking their heads.

We see Izuku and Rebecca sleeping against each other on the subway ride back home. Ochaco smiles at them from nearby, but then notices Shiki sleeping on her shoulder and drooling. She screams in surprise, waking him up while also startling everyone in the train car. She blushes in embarrassment, burying her reddening face into her hands.

The scene changes to Homura joining Shoto on an excursion along the beach, where they're joined by their friends. Shoto finds a seashell and offers it to Homura, who accepts with a smile. Mina looks at them excitedly, while Kyoka rolls her eyes and sighs behind her.

We then shift to the class training, with Katsuki racing against Tenya and Weisz with his explosions. Shiki passes them all by to their shock, making him the winner. In the meantime, Rebecca practices kicking with Tsuyu, sharing a smile with her as they work together.

Everyone is doing their best around school, whether in the classroom or in the field. Izuku shares a moment with All Might on the beach before they shake hands firmly. We close out on a scene of some of the class standing on a tower together. Izuku smiles brightly, and Rebecca plants a kiss onto his left cheek under his freckles. She giggles as he blushes, happy to be with him and their friends.

END ENDING

Well, that was quite a ride. More of the aftermath will be explored in the next chapter, along with a few interesting tidbits about the situation. I think you'll be interested to see where this story leads.

With that, I'll see you all later! Thanks for reading and reviewing!