In the interest of avoiding a rant, I shall withold from commenting on the ending of MHA and after releasing this chapter keep enjoying my vacation and focusing on writing my none MHA novel.

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Comments:

Miqila / Psy-Kick: Can you think of a better alternative in 1A if Izuku is not an option?

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Proofread by 3DPhantom

Chapter 74: Third X 3

As All Might opened the door to the immaculately clean lounge room in the teachers' area, Eijiro started wondering if it had been a bad choice to not get a shower and change of clothes beforehand. He didn't want to stink up the place, but changing his mind now would just be rudely wasting All Might's time.

"Please sit," All Might gestured at a chair opposite a sofa with a low table between them. There was a large window and, glancing out, Eijiro saw the group already at the school's exercise field. Hopefully what All Might wanted to talk about wouldn't take too long.

Unless it helped him train better.

All Might sat on the sofa opposite him, making the sofa look hilariously undersized, and placed a pot of tea and cups on the table. After pouring the drink he sat back, not even taking his cup. Even for Eijiro the man showed his hesitation, like he was about to step off a cliff while hoping Eijiro could manage to catch him.

"Young Kirishima. I am about to reveal to you something that is very secret. Whatever you choose after this meeting, you must keep everything you learn a secret, for both our safety and the safety of countless others."

"Umh... of course, but are you sure it is good idea to tell me something like that? I'm just a student."

"I wouldn't say that. It is rare to see such a heroic heart so focused on the safety of others."

All Might's face tensed with some more hesitation. Then there was a puff of smoke and the man was gone, at least the enormous man the entire nation saw as the Symbol of Peace.

In his place was a thin sickly-looking man that looked like he had never seen the inside of a gym and could be carried away by a gust of wind. The only thing left of All Might was his costume, now hanging loose on this small man's frame.

Eijiro spilled his tea as he partially got up, leaning forward. The skinny man raised his hand in a gesture to hold him back.

"It is still me, just, different."

"What happened? You… deflated."

"The truth is, this is how I look like most of the time nowadays," the previously All Might said.

"But, how…?"

"You know how guys at the pool are always sucking in and flexing and trying to look buff?"

"They do? That doesn't really make you any stronger."

All Might huffed.

"Usually, not, but I'm much like that."

He had barely finished the sentence when a not insignificant amount of blood trickled out of his mouth. Eijiro barely had the sense to put his cup down without breaking it before rushing to the other side of the table. He still didn't want to believe this was All Might, but he was clearly not well.

"Are you okay? We should get you to Recovery Girl."

"Calm down. I would be lying if I claimed to 'be okay' but it is not acute, and if Recovery Girl could do anything more, she would have already done so." All Might brought his hand to the hem of his shirt and lifted. As he did Eijiro was glad it had been some time since lunch. The injury revealed under that shirt was gruesome, it was like the entirety of one side of his body had been blown apart, then stitched together.

"Pretty gross right? I got this in a big fight six years back. My respiratory system was basically destroyed. I lost my whole stomach. All the surgeries have pretty much worn me out and it can't be fixed. Right now I can only do hero work for maybe 2 hours a day. Used to be at least 3 but the fight at USJ took a toll on my body. Rest of the time, this is what I look like."

Eijiro was frozen still in disbelief.

"No way," was the only thing he could say right away. "Who could have done something like that to you? I've never heard about a villain that powerful."

"You give me too much credit, but most people have not heard about this fight. I did everything I could to keep it under wraps."

All Might hesitated for a second.

"I'm the guy who is supposed to be always smiling right? I'm the Symbol of Peace. People everywhere have to think that I'm never afraid. So, now you know."

"Yeah, but why? Why would you tell me any of this after keeping it all secret?"

"Because I don't have much time left as a hero, and there is still one duty I must complete that I have been putting off for too long," the man raised his head to locked eyes with Eijiro. "Eijiro Kirishima, I want you to be my successor."

…

…

Eijiro blinked.

"Eh? … Your successor?"

"Yes," All Might glanced down for a moment, then returned his gaze with more determination. "My quirk is unique. I was not born with it. It is a sacred torch passed down a lineage of heroes. It is the accumulated power of numerous individuals that cultivated the power and passed it on, to a worthy successor, a quirk that can pass itself from one person to another."

"Really?"

"Yes, usually that is the part people have the most difficulty accepting, but considering you have already witnessed, and experienced, something similar with young Midoriya…"

"I know a quirk can be transferred. I just never imagined… I thought Izuku would make me have a second one… You asked me to be the successor?"

"Yes."

Eijiro collapsed back on the chair, head down.

"I… I'm amazed you would ask me… but I don't think I'm the best person. I mean I know what Izuku said to you about me, but I'm just trying to keep up. I'm not the smartest, kind of a brute in a fight honestly, and too slow to get to people in need in time."

"I disagree. Besides young Midoriya's words, I have seen with my own eyes the hero you are and could be. What is the most important job of a hero?"

"That's easy, it is to rescue and protect people."

"It may be easy to say, but a hero must live it. Believe in it from the bottom of their heart," he raised his hand to point at Eijiro's chest. "It has been a while since I saw someone with such a strong heroic heart and urge to protect. Even your quirk represents that urge to protect those behind you. I should have made this decision long ago, but the way you reacted in today's race, not complaining about your ranking in the race but people you felt you might fail, really hit something."

"I'm not sure. I can't be the best option."

"No one is perfect," All Might confirmed, "but any weaknesses you might have, are matters that can be improved with training and greatly helped with my quirk. Today you were worried about reaching people in time. With this power you would be the fastest person in the country. The power grows with every generation so you could expect to eventually be not just stronger but also faster than I ever was. I have full confidence you will help more people and stop more villains than even I did."

"Yeah, but how," Eijiro muttered rubbing his hands together, "with such strength… It is scary, what I might do with it."

"Save many people," All Might said and went quiet for a moment. "What is it?"

"It's just. I've wanted to be stronger for a long time, to help people, but what if it's possible to be too strong, so you end up hurting people when you aren't supposed to or hurting them too much?"

"I think there is something you need to share."

Eijiro nodded.

"It's what happened with Stain, what I did to him. Heroes fight villains, but the goal is supposed to be to catch them."

"I have heard about his injuries, is that what you mean?"

"Yes," Eijiro responded, then explained the events and how he completely lost control, acting without thinking to almost kill a man, even if that man was a murderer.

"And that was with my current strength. Imagine what could have happened if I had even a fraction of your power. So as much as I'd love to have a quirk that let me get to more people in need, maybe you should find someone less dangerous."

"No," All Might said, more sure than ever before. "I see something happened that was disturbing to you, but the responsibility of great power is the same no matter who wields it. The situation you faced would have been challenging even for a pro. The fact it weights on you only confirms my choice."

"But…"

"It is only a matter of training, and I think that is something you are up for."

"Yeah," Eijiro said quietly. All Might put his hand on Eijiro's shoulder.

"I did not make this choice lightly. I would not have shared my secrets if I wasn't as confident as I can be. I have made my decision, now the only question is what decision you will make?"

"I, I've wanted to do whatever I could to be stronger and faster to help people, but this, this is massive. How soon should I decide? Is there something I need to do before, having your quirk?"

"Well," All Might seemed thoughtful, looking over him. "I don't think so. From everything I've seen you should be physically as ready as you can reasonably be at your age. There is some risk, but you cannot learn to control it without the quirk to practice with."

"Eh, what do you mean ready and risk?"

"This quirk is a culmination of power built over many generations that you must act as a vessel for. That is not merely an immense responsibility but requires a body fit to hold such power. A lesser, weaker person could not hold it. If you were not ready, your limbs might literally blow off your body."

Ejiro swallowed.

"Are you sure, that I am ready?"

"Have you looked at yourself or your fitness test results young man? You are as ready as anyone. Anyone who wasn't at least close enough would have hard time getting into the hero course at all. You might not have known it before, but this is what all the training you have gone through was for. I can transfer the quirk and begin your training with it as soon as you accept. It requires a little more than what you experienced with Midoriya, but not much. So?"

"I'm not sure. Can I think for a while? There is no rush right?"

All Might's expression turned darker.

"… Right?"

"I'm afraid there is. I should have told you this right away. It is the most important reason you might not want the quirk. Besides my degrading condition, there is a reason to hurry, a threat that no other power may be able to defeat."

"What do you mean a threat?"

"He, well to understand you'll need to understand where this quirk comes from. My quirk is called One For All."

As All Might said it recognition hit Eijiro.

"One For All? That sounds familiar. I think Izuku mentioned it… No, it's not that. It was something similar."

"All For One," All Might said quietly, in a lower tone.

Eijiro snapped his fingers and pointed at the man.

"Right, that," his mood soured as he saw the serious look in All Might's eyes. "Wait… wasn't that the ancient villain with…?"

"The same quirk as young Midoriya, yes."

"The villain you were talking about?"

"Yes, he uses his quirk's name for himself, and unlike what they teach in schools, apparently, he is not dead. He has stolen countless quirks over the years, one of them must have extended his lifespan."

"Are you sure?" Eijiro asked and All Might's gaze turned even darker. His hand moved to his side over the injury.

"He gave me this injury."

"Oh. Wait, does he have something to do with your quirk, One For All? Their names are almost the same and they work kind of same way, at least a bit."

"You are correct. One For All and All For One are related. One could even say that All For One created One For All as I know it."

"Create?"

"You know how young Midoriya's quirk works. The original All For One could do the same already back when quirks firs started to appear."

Then All Might told Eijiro the story about the chaos of the early years of quirks and All For One who gained unbelievable power, not just in his quirk but over people and the country.

"So where did your One For All come from?" Eijiro interrupted.

"All For One made people trust him or submit to his will by altering their abilities, but apparently there were many poor souls that couldn't bear the burden of the quirks they were given. They became like mindless living dolls, incapable of speaking, just like the Nomus are."

"Nomus… were made by All For One, made of people?" Eijiro asked in disbelief. Before even realizing it he had turned his head to look outside, at the sports field where a white-haired figure had a purple-haired one pinned to the ground.

"Yes, thankfully young Midoriya seems to have approached the matter of giving people quirks with a high level of care, though I also did my best to warn him about it, for what good it does. He doesn't much care about my words."

"I'll make sure he is careful, and if he doesn't listen to me, I can always ask Hitoshi and Tenya. Izuku always listens to them."

"Thank you. Such consequences are not the only possibility when quirks are given to new people. Some quirks actually evolved as they were passed on. Some even combined with other powers. All For One had a quirkless younger brother. He was small and sickly, but he had a strong sense of justice. They could not have been more different. It pained the younger brother to see All For One's deeds, so he resisted him, and then All For One transferred a quirk to his sibling, one that would allow him to stockpile power. I don't know if it was a gift he wanted to give his brother or if he just wanted to force him to submit."

"Was that One For All?" Eijiro finally realized where the story was going.

"Almost. Even though everyone thought he was quirkless, the brother did have a quirk even he had not realized he possessed. He had a useless power that only allowed him to pass on his quirks to others."

All Might spread his arms wide.

"And so the stockpiling ability merged with the younger brother's power, and that's how One For All came to be."

"And he tried to stop his brother with it," Eijiro said, dreading what was coming.

"He tried," All Might confirmed. "One who steals quirks has no limits. The symbol of evil seemed pretty much immortal. With the state of the world at the time and the huge difference in their combat abilities, the younger brother decided to entrust this quirk to future generations. Even though he couldn't defeat All For One, he hoped One For All would continue to grow in power until it was strong enough to stop his older brother."

Eijiro had known things used to be messed up after quirks first appeared, but he did not think there would have been such a demon behind it, and now he was told that guy was still around. Did All Might say Eijiro would have to fight him if he accepted? He really wasn't good enough for that.

But no one else before had been either, but they still fought. Someone would have to, whatever the cost, or many more people would suffer. Now All Might was entrusting that responsibility to him. What could he do?

"Eventually it was my turn, and I was able to defeat All For One."

"Six years ago," Eijiro said quietly. All Might nodded.

"At least, so I thought, but he survived and is now back as the brain behind the League of Villains." All Might stood up to face the window. "So now you know. The whole purpose of One For All is to defeat All For One. If you choose the burden I have offered, as its holder you would one day have to fight this evil yourself, because I failed. I'm so sorry I even have to ask this of you. But someone must and…"

Eijiro stood up fast enough to make his chair fall to the floor.

"I'll do it."

"What?" All Might turned.

"I'll do it. If you want me to be your successor and fight this guy, I'll do it."

"Young Kirishima, I don't think you understand what I just told you. As happy as I would be with you as my successor, it might be the most dangerous choice you could make. Much more so than becoming a hero already is."

"And if I don't do it, someone else has to. If that bad guy is out there you can't just retire with One For All. If you had lots of options you wouldn't have asked me, and what if I refuse and that other person dies fighting All For One because I did?"

All Might smiled.

"I wouldn't put things quite that way about my options, but I would be glad to have you as my successor. Especially with that type of motivation."

They stared at each other in silence for a moment.

"So?" Eijiro asked. "What should I do?"

"Are you absolutely sure? This isn't a decision to be made lightly. I wish we had more time together before going ahead with transferring the quirk, but I don't think there is enough time. You need to start learning to use it as soon as you have made the final decision."

"I have made it."

All Might stared at Eijiro's eyes for a long moment in a way that felt like he was drilling right into Eijiro's core. Then he plucked a hair from his head and held it in front of Eijiro.

"Eat this."

…

"EH!?"

All Might scratched his head.

"To transfer the quirk, you'll need to consume some of my DNA. I know it can be a little awkward, but this is the easiest way.

"… Okay." Eijiro took the hair and put it in his mouth.

"Last chance to back out," All Might said. Eijiro responded by swallowing.

"Red Riot does not back down," he declared and looked down at himself and his hands. "What now?"

"The transfer takes some time, but it should be complete by the end of today, so you can join the others in training. Just be careful if you feel strange sensations when about to do anything physical. One For All should not activate randomly very easily, but you have no experience in using it. With such power any accidental use could be devastating."

Eijiro nodded with serious expression.

"Tomorrow we'll test the quirk after school. If All For One is back, you will need to learn to control this power as soon as possible. I wish it wasn't so, especially since you are so young."

"Don't worry. I'll keep training until I can control this quirk just as well as you," Eijiro smiled again, "and if this bad guy is still out there, I don't think things are as bad as you think."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. Before you fought alone, right, and there weren't really heroes on your level to help. This time we have not just One For All, but also another All For One on our side."

Eijiro grinned. He had actually thought about their enemy and how to best fight him. All Might's story had made him pretty worried, but even if this bad guy had such a powerful quirk they had Izuku on top of One For All, and Izuku could even make others stronger.

"I'm not sure that is good idea," All Might said.

"Don't worry. He might not want to do anything with you, but he is a great guy and we can work together. If anyone can figure out how to fight All For One, it's Izuku."

All Might sighed and his posture slumped.

"Please, don't talk about this to him. He… knows about my condition, but…"

"How?"

"He saw me at USJ, I had to explain part of the truth to him to make sure he would keep my secret, especially considering, well he isn't interested in doing me any favours. He knows about All For One and of my weakened state," All Might gestured at his bony body, "but not where my quirk originates or that I can transfer it. People can't find out about my condition, they can't see the truth behind the symbol, at least not before you are ready. You must keep everything secret as long as you can, and don't let Midoriya try to take your quirks, or give you new ones."

"Okay," Eijiro nodded. "But I cannot use the quirk without people finding out at least something, especially Izuku and Hitoshi. They notice these sorts of things like immediately, I don't think I can keep it hidden from them."

"That was always going to be a challenge. We have to take it step by step. For now, just, keep quiet about it and don't use the power in front of others."

Eijiro got up.

"I will do my best, even if it feels wrong."

"Often the right thing to do is also the most difficult one. You have a good heart, but sometimes even good needs to lie and hide things for greater good."

Eijiro nodded as they walked to the door, but he still did not like the idea, or trust his ability to keep any secret with Izuku and Hitoshi around.

"Also, if Midoriya ever considers revealing what he knows… please try to stop him."

"I don't think he would really do that, at least if it would hurt other people."

"Unless I do something to make him angry," All Might said and Eijiro couldn't deny it. The man had reason to worry. "On that note, it might be best you join them before he thinks I'm holding back your training."

As Eijiro walked towards the field the enormity of what had just happened hit him. Had he done the right thing? He'd gotten caught up in the idea of helping people and not pushing the risk of fighting All For One on someone else, but what if he wasn't up for it? He couldn't even ask anyone for help without breaking his promise. He stopped to lean against a wall just before leaving the building.

There was no going back. He could only help as many as he could and train as hard as possible to live up to All Might's trust. He kept walking back straight. Red Riot would not waver. As he approached the training field he started jogging and waved his hand as the others noticed him coming.