"What?!"
All Might never expected All For One to reveal such shocking information so suddenly.
For a split second, his mind froze.
And in a battle between monsters—
A single second was fatal.
All For One seized the opening instantly.
Multiple enhancement Quirks activated at once. His body blurred as he slipped through the shadow of All Might's fists, then drove a crushing punch straight into All Might's abdomen.
All Might was launched backward.
Before he could even land—
AFO appeared behind him.
Another punch followed.
"You're lying!!!"
All Might barely managed to block part of the attack. His voice was hoarse as he roared in disbelief.
"Hmph. You know perfectly well that this is exactly something I would do, All Might."
AFO's tone was calm.
Almost amused.
"After all, I hate you more than anyone."
"You crushed my comrades one by one with your fists, then stood at the top of society as the 'Symbol of Peace.'"
"How glorious."
His attacks never stopped.
Each strike was precise. Controlled.
Cruel.
"I kept thinking about what would hurt you the most," AFO continued casually. "So I created the opportunity for you to meet Tomura."
"And you—kept completely in the dark—stood there with that ridiculous smile, lecturing him about justice."
"Wasn't that beautiful?"
All Might had already been forced entirely onto the defensive.
He dodged.
Blocked.
Retreated.
He could no longer counterattack.
"Where is that smile now?" AFO taunted. "The smile you wear no matter what happens?!"
Seeing the shock, grief, and rage on All Might's face, AFO's excitement only grew.
"It's hilarious."
"I stole something precious from you, didn't I?"
"The strongest Hero… the Symbol of Peace… yet you couldn't even protect your master's grandson."
"What a perfect joke."
"And now—your successor is about to be destroyed by my hands."
"Your own power is fading."
"What do you have left, All Might?"
Blow after blow rained down.
If AFO had used both hands—
If he had attacked seriously—
All Might would have fallen long ago.
But he didn't.
He was savoring it.
Enjoying All Might's despair.
At a safe distance, the remaining Heroes watched with clenched fists.
This was the first time in their lives—
They had seen All Might driven into such desperation.
In the past, no matter how terrible the situation was, everything was fine as long as All Might was there.
But now—
Their pillar was cracking.
Above the battlefield, helicopters hovered, broadcasting the fight live.
Across the country, people stopped what they were doing and stared at their screens.
"Is… is All Might hurt?"
"Look how badly he's being beaten…"
"Villains have been too active lately… maybe the Hero system really has problems."
"Where are the other pro heroes? Why isn't anyone helping?!"
"But… All Might will still win, right?"
Countless voices overlapped.
After repeated attacks by the League of Villains, public trust in Heroes was already fragile.
If All Might fell here—
The system would collapse.
In a city square, Midoriya and the others stared at the giant screen.
Seeing Masata restrained and All Might overwhelmed, their fists trembled.
"Damn it…"
"Our strength is still useless," Iida muttered. "If we rush in now, we'll only get in the way."
Kirishima's body shook with rage, but Todoroki released a faint chill to calm him.
They all knew.
Even the top pro heroes had been defeated.
They stood no chance.
In a dark apartment, lit only by a computer screen, another figure watched.
Kyudai Garaki's successor—Nishio Hunter—laughed wildly.
"Amazing… Teacher, this body is perfect!"
He stared at AFO like a fanatic.
"Defeating All Might in front of the whole nation… ending Hero society in one strike…"
"This is beautiful!"
Hunter knew exactly how AFO's body had been restored.
It was his research that had rebuilt it.
He had surpassed the Doctor's legacy.
And he could see it clearly—
AFO was playing.
Like a cat with a mouse.
Each blow drained All Might's stamina without killing him.
Pure psychological torture.
"I still don't understand why you valued Tomura so much," Hunter muttered bitterly.
"I could do better than him…"
But then he smiled again.
"It doesn't matter anymore."
"All Might is finished."
"Igarashi Masata is finished."
"No one in this country can stop Teacher now."
Back on the battlefield—
AFO threw another heavy punch.
All Might blocked it, but the impact still sent him skidding backward.
"Haa… haa…"
He struggled to stand.
Half his face had already begun to thin.
His muscular form was collapsing.
Under this intense battle, his time limit had shortened drastically.
He was reaching his limit.
Just as AFO prepared to pursue—
"Hmm?"
A sudden burning sensation spread through his palm.
He looked down.
At Masata's arm.
The magma that had dimmed moments ago—
Was glowing again.
Blazing.
Like a reborn flame.