The presence of All For One on the battlefield didn't feel like the arrival of a villain. It felt like a geological event. It was as if a new black hole had just been born in the center of Kamino Ward, sucking all hope, all light, and all courage from the air. The pressure he radiated was so immense it made it difficult to breathe. It was the aura of absolute power, an evil so old and pure it felt like a part of the natural order of the universe itself.
The dragon's heartbeat in my chest, usually a source of my strength and confidence, now trembled in fear. This was no longer a war drum; it was a church bell tolling for the apocalypse. For the first time, I felt the fear of Tyrant—the dragon spirit within Incursio. It, an apex predator from its own world, recognized the presence of something far older, stronger, and more terrifying than itself. The Yozakura token in my pocket felt frozen solid, its echo connected to Akame completely gone, swallowed by this overwhelming presence. I fell to my knees in the dark alley, clutching my chest, my teeth chattering uncontrollably.
"Tatsumi-kun, what's wrong with you?!" Midoriya asked frantically, seeing my extreme reaction. He and the others felt the pressure too, but for me, it felt a hundred times worse because of my strange connection to primal forces.
I couldn't answer. I could only stare at the figure in the center of the crater, the figure who stood calmly in the midst of his own destruction.
"It's been a long time since we've met like this, hasn't it, All Might," All For One said, his calm, polite voice sounding from behind his horrific mask. That voice was the most terrifying thing of all; so normal, so civilized, yet coming from a source of unspeakable evil.
All Might, who had placed Bakugo behind him, stood tall. His smile was gone, replaced by an expression of the deepest seriousness. "All For One," he growled, each syllable filled with the hatred of a long, bloody history. "I will make sure you return to the hell you crawled out of."
"Always so dramatic," All For One replied with an amused tone. He raised his hand, and I could feel the air around him warp. "You know, I always found it ironic that Nana Shimura's least talented student was the most troublesome."
The mention of his master's name made All Might flinch with anger. "DO NOT SPEAK MY MASTER'S NAME WITH THAT FILTHY MOUTH OF YOURS!"
With a roar that shook the buildings, All Might charged forward. But All For One was ready. He simply swung his arm, and an invisible blast of air pressure—Air Cannon—erupted from his palm. All Might countered it with a punch, and the clash of their two unseen forces created a storm in the middle of the street, throwing cars and debris into the air as if they were toys. The five of us were forced to take cover behind a wall, feeling the powerful wind trying to tear us from where we stood. This was no longer a fight between a hero and a villain. This was a fight between two gods.
In a news helicopter hovering high above the evacuation zone, Ryukyu watched the live broadcast of the battle with bated breath. She had received a message from Nezu, a short and terrifying warning: "He's back." There was only one 'he' important enough to make the principal of U.A. sound afraid. She looked at the screen, watching the power on display, a power that could level a city. And then, a cold horror ran through her as she realized something. 'Tatsumi... he's there. Right in the middle of all of it.' An overwhelming sense of guilt and fear gripped her. She had sent her intern, her secret asset, into a battle between the two deadliest legends in history. She could only pray that the boy was smart enough to stay hidden.
Far away, on another rooftop, Akame also felt that incredible shift in power. The echo of Incursio that had been her guide now felt like a small candle in a solar storm. She didn't know who the masked man was, but she recognized that kind of power. A corrupt, absolute power, a power that twisted the natural order. It was the same aura she had felt from Prime Minister Honest, from the Empire itself. She realized that the 'trash' she had been cleaning up in this world was just a symptom. The real disease... was far older and more terrifying. Her mission suddenly felt much larger, and far more impossible.
At the League of Villains' hideout, the Vanguard Action Squad watched the fight on a monitor with varying expressions. Toga giggled with glee at the destruction. Spinner stared in awe, seeing a power that surpassed even Stain. Mr. Compress seemed impressed by the 'show'. Only Dabi watched with a cold, calculating expression, his blue eyes analyzing every move. Shigaraki, on the other hand, was furious. He scratched his neck until it bled. "This is my party! This is my stage! Why... why did Master have to interfere?!" he yelled like a child whose toy had been taken away.
The battle in Kamino grew more brutal. All For One didn't rely on just one power. He was a conductor of a horrific orchestra of Quirks. He forcibly activated the Quirk of a nearby pro hero, making him attack his own comrades. He fired sharp bones from his fingertips. He used kinetic boosters to move with bewildering speed. All Might was forced to constantly adapt, his body, already at its limit, beginning to show signs of fatigue. The steam rising from him grew thicker.
"You look tired, All Might," All For One taunted. "Are the embers of One For All finally about to go out?" He flicked his finger. "Perhaps you need more distractions."
With that gesture, a Kurogiri warp gate opened nearby, and the entire Vanguard Action Squad was spat out, right in the middle of the battlefield. "Go," All For One commanded them. "Take back the boy. Entertain me while I finish my business here."
Seeing Dabi, Toga, and the others appear again turned our already precarious situation into a nightmare. They began to move to recapture Bakugo, who was now being protected by All Might.
In the midst of that desperation, something inside me finally snapped. The primal fear that had paralyzed me was replaced by something else. Anger. Anger at All For One for hurting my hero. Anger at myself for just sitting there, trembling in fear. The echo of the original Tatsumi's soul, who never ran from a fight no matter how impossible, roared within me. I stood up, my trembling had stopped.
"We can't just stay here," I said, my voice steady.
"But what can we do?!" Kirishima exclaimed. "That's All Might and... that monster!"
"We're not fighting the monster," I replied. "We're saving Bakugo. That's our mission. And I have a plan."
I looked at all of them, my previously chaotic mind now clear and sharp. "Listen. All Might is busy. The villains will focus on Bakugo. That's chaos. And in chaos, there's opportunity." I explained my plan quickly, a crazy plan born of desperation and canon knowledge. A rescue plan without a fight.
"Midoriya, Kirishima, Iida," I said, pointing at them. "You are the extraction team. Speed and strength are key. Todoroki, you are the creator of our path. I will be the signal."
I explained the details. Todoroki would create a giant ice ramp that floated in the air, a makeshift highway. Midoriya, Iida, and Kirishima would slide on it at full speed. They would use the combined power of Iida and Midoriya to launch Kirishima—the only person Bakugo acknowledged as a friend—into the air. Kirishima would extend his hand, and Bakugo, with his explosion, would grab it and fly away with them. It was an incredibly complex maneuver that required perfect timing.
"That's... the craziest plan I've ever heard," Iida said, but there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"It's our only chance," I said. "Get ready."
We all took our positions, hiding behind a ruined building. I watched the battlefield, waiting. I saw All Might take a direct hit that brought him to his knees for a moment. I saw the villains begin to surround Bakugo. I saw a very narrow window of opportunity, less than a second. This had to be perfect.
I took a deep breath, feeling my dragon's heartbeat, now steady and determined. I was no longer afraid. I was just focused. I watched every movement, every explosion, every shadow.
"Wait for it..." I whispered to the others. "Wait for it..."
I saw All For One prepare another massive attack. All attention was on him.
"NOW!" I yelled.
Todoroki stomped his foot, and a giant ice ramp shot into the sky. Midoriya, Iida, and Kirishima slid on it like professional skiers. The most reckless rescue mission in history had just begun.