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CHAPTER START---
As the dust is slowly dissipating across the battlefield All Might is revealed, laying in a shallow crater.
As if it were an early grave, a heartwrenching scene for the millions watching live.
His frail and thin form is now exposed for the world to see, his left arm completely shattered and bleeding in multiple places.
And a look of sorrow on his face, as he stares up at All For One.
The villain was still standing on the air, but his right arm was bleeding profusely and his dry, painful coughs, as well as his wheezing, carried across the battlefield.
This battle was taking a serious toll on him, and he has to make a real effort just to catch his breath.
'All Might is ever weaker now than I suspected, and Gran Torino will be back in a few moments,' All For One thinks. 'How should I play this out? If I win then my plans fail, so I must find a way to lose and make it believable...but this could be a great chance to finally kill All Might.No, he is already dying, I doubt he'll be alive beyond five more years at this rate, and that arm is useless...unless Horizon fixes it, which he will.
Well, I suppose I could have some fun while tearing them down, making way for Horizon to ascend to his spot...' All For One decides as he notices Gran Torino about to re-enter the battlefield, already done taking the injured Pro Heroes to safety.
"It seems your true self, the weak and disappointing failure is now exposed to the world, oh great and powerful Symbol of Peace," All For One says mockingly, raising a hand to his face as he continues coughing.
"Don't take any pride in my injuries, I assure you that had Horizon not beaten dozens of Quirks, including Super-Regeneration out of me, I would not be taking this route...even now you're nothing without someone else starting the fight for you, bleeding for you..."
"Don't listen to him Toshinori!" Gran Torino yells as he flies back into the battlefield, standing between All Might's crater and All For One, as if he could do anything. "He's using lies to stir up your heart just as he did before, tune them out!"
"Lies?" All For One asks, seeing All Might still staring up at him, not even making an attempt to get up as his mind was still reeling. "No lie can ever hurt as much as the truth.
And if I recall correctly, before she was his master...Nana Shimura was your friend, Gran Torino.
You were both there when I crushed her hopes and dreams!
When I mangled her pathetic self so badly that she begged me to finish her!
When she learned that mercy does not exist in my world!
You and All Might both ran away!
You left her to die!
You abandoned her!
And All Might didn't stop running until he got all the way to America, then he builds himself up as the so-called Symbol Of Peace.
He's the fake, he's the liar, he's the con artist here.
Convincing the world that he was anything but a coward and a snake that would abandon the people closest to him to save himself, and you're no different!"
Gran Torino feels the guilt and heartache swelling in his chest, but he just glares at All For One and forces it down.
"Nana sacrificed herself so that we could live, so that he could become All Might, become someone powerful enough to stop you! To become the Symbol Of Peace!"
"No," All For One says, "she was just another hero destroying herself and her family for people who don't matter.
You may think I struggled to recruit Tomura, but it was remarkably easy, because of 'Heroes' like you, like All Might, like her.
A boy that was abused because he loved heroes, but his father hated them. Nana Shimura's own son whom she abandoned to pursue her career, after the life he had it was no surprise he hated her.
And when young Tenko Shimura developed a seemingly villainous Quirk and accidents happened, the boy was alone on the streets for days.
Before I found him nobody ever offered a helping hand.
They were all so sure a Hero would save him...so where were you, Hero?
Oh, that's right, you were off protecting this society that abandons people that don't fit their golden standard, right? One that shuns people who look different or don't have 'heroic' Quirks.
One where the only people worth admiring are those that put on silly costumes and run around inflicting violence onto others, approved by the corrupt and vile government of course...is this really the kind of world she caused so much pain for? Is this really what she died for? What a waste of a life..."
Gran Torino's glare softens, the look on his face alone is enough to admit guilt, and his silence only supports it.
Unknowingly confessing to the entire world that was watching and listening.
"To think abandoning her family to bet on All Might, would lead to this," All For One laughs at the idea. "A villain that wants nothing more than the destruction of this unjust hero society, and who has the power and support to do it, her own grandson!
I can't imagine what he'll do when he finally hears all of this, when he learns exactly why she abandoned them, when he hears these words..."
Hearing those words Gran Torino almost freezes, almost succumbs to his own emotions, but with his senior experience, he calms his mind.
Unlike Yagi, he's long since made peace with the circumstances of Nana's death. And he accepted the cost of never having any contact with her family afterward.
Even if he never imagined it could go this far, even if her own blood flows through a monster like Tomura Shigaraki.
Looking at All For One he sees the villain once again coughing, trying to catch his breath.
And glancing back over his shoulder he sees Yagi still laying on the floor, frozen, with a look of despair on his face.
'You've always been too emotional boy, but we don't have time for this, All For One probably isn't attacking yet because he either wants to torture us like this for the world to see...or he's unable to because of the state of his body, I can't be sure with a maniac like him but we don't have time to lay around...I'm not one for this sappy crap, but here goes...'
Gritting his teeth Gran Torino swallows his pride, and prays his words are enough for this to work.
"All For One," he says, looking directly at the villain, "you're right..."
"Hmm" All For One detects no lies in this voice, and his curiosity is piqued. "What are you playing at?"
"Nothing, you're absolutely right," Gran Torino says. "Nana Shimura, All Might's master, my friend. She died while we ran away, she had to give up her son and her family because she was a hero, because she had to continue being a Hero.
And if Tomura Shigaraki is truly her grandson, if they suffered because of this, then I am sorry.
Unfortunately, some heroes are so blinded in saving others that they can't see what happens to the people around them, to those who need them most.
But I stand by every choice Nana Shimura made!" Gran Torino smiles brightly and places his hands on his hips.
"She was a true hero, she sacrificed everything for us, for the future. Yes, we ran away while she fought you, while she died.
But I'm sure she faced death with dignity, without begging a monster like you for mercy, she died fighting as a Hero.
She died fighting for the future. Because she knew her limits, she knew she couldn't be what the people needed.
So she bet more than just her life on everything we needed.
Someone brave, someone powerful, someone honest and just. A person who puts everyone ahead of himself!
Someone who could bring about a peaceful world where people don't have to be afraid of monsters like you and your army of Nomu!
A true hero who could be a pillar for all of society to look at as the golden example of all we should strive to be!
Someone we could all lean on when we don't know what to do or if we'll ever see tomorrow!
Someone she believed was capable of becoming our greatest hero, and our very first Symbol Of Peace!
She bet everything, and she was right, because no matter what, no matter how many monsters are sent after the people of this world, they never have to live in fear!
Because thanks to her nurturing, thanks to her guidance, thanks to her sacrifice we finally have someone she believed could complete this task as well as take you down. It's because of the sacrifices of Nana Shimura that---!"
"I. AM. HERE!" All Might immediately stands up, back in his muscular form with his left arm completely torn up and mangled, hanging limply at his side.
He glares up at All For One and grits his teeth while stepping out of the crater, standing beside Gran Torino.
"Sorry sensei, I let him get in my head...we'll deal with the other matters later, for now, let's take this villain down," All Might makes a fist with his right hand and prepares to engage.
"Yes, for Nana," Gran Torino takes a deep breath, using his Jet Quirk to fill his lungs, ready to propel the air out of his feet to engage.
The fight to close an era moves to its final conclusion...
END CHAPTER---