Chapter 14: Chapter 14 Battle of Strongest Part-3
The Allmight unleashed a furious scream, overwhelmed by such brutality, and, propelling himself with every ounce of strength he could muster, charged forward with the intent to deliver a devastating blow to All For One. Although he managed to react in time, activating his shield, it was futile, as he was unable to deploy it before the Almighty's strike landed squarely on his most vulnerable point — his chest, where a significant scar from their previous encounter still lingered. The impact of the blow was so immense that it sent All For One reeling, scattering Namu of all ranks, from the smallest to the largest, away from the sheer destructive force of the Almighty, who was engulfed in a state of frenzied rage.
Before All For One could even begin to recover from the onslaught, the Almighty relentlessly continued his assault, not granting him a moment to collect himself or raise his hands to activate any counterattacks. Despite this, All For One still held onto the chance to utilize his defensive quirks, and he seized this opportunity with urgency to mitigate the impending damage.
With determination, he activated the necessary abilities just in time to shield himself from a torrential downpour of strikes from the enraged Almighty, each blow driving him deeper into the ground. Pain washed over him like a tidal wave — his defensive quirks proved insufficient, unable to fully absorb the catastrophic damage inflicted by the Almighty's relentless assault. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he experienced genuine physical agony that resonated through every fiber of his being. Gran Torino, witnessing the battle unfold, observed as his pupil pushed himself beyond his limits, causing catastrophic destruction with each powerful shockwave that emanated from their clash. To shield his own eyes from the flying debris, he was forced to cover his face with his hand. Meanwhile, the Namu, eager to assist the Almighty, found their efforts thwarted — even the A-rank Namu struggled to approach and provide aid to their master.
— YOU MONSTER! — roared the Almighty, his hands trembling under the weight of the overwhelming power he wielded, and his knees shook as he fought to maintain his balance. The relentless barrage of blows continued to rain down upon All For One. As he absorbed the strikes, the Symbol of Evil attempted to formulate a counter-strategy, but all his efforts were in vain — every attempt was interrupted by the Almighty, who showed no mercy, delivering even more punishing blows. Although the strikes did not cease entirely, they began to lose some of their momentum, and subsequent attacks targeted his chest and head. The protective mask he wore began to fracture, revealing his white pupil beneath. The suit, designed for his protection, was shredded under the relentless attacks of the Almighty. An A-rank Namu, horrified by the unfolding chaos, charged at the Almighty, who was now striking him with less force, presumably to catch his breath. The Namu managed to push the Almighty away from All For One, engaging him in an unbalanced confrontation. The calculations of Doctor Garaki had been designed with high-ranking heroes in mind, and they proved ineffective against the furious Almighty. Ultimately, the Namu fell victim to six devastating blows to the torso — his abilities for regeneration and damage absorption could not withstand the sheer ferocity of One For All, who was still far from exhausting his own capabilities. Upon witnessing his comrade collapse to the ground, the Namu, like a pack of stunned dogs, rushed at the Almighty with reckless abandon. The ground and air became saturated with the blood of the Namu: one after another, they fell beneath the Almighty's relentless assault. All ranks — A, B, C, and D — joined the fray, but they were dispatched like bowling pins. Each combatant had their limits, even the Almighty. Though he successfully fended off numerous attackers, his face betrayed the fact that, if the battle continued for just five more minutes, he would be completely out of breath, as the constant utilization of One For All was depleting the oxygen in his lungs, making each breath increasingly laborious. Namu emerged from every conceivable crevice, determined not to yield, disregarding their pain — their singular focus was the demise of the Almighty and his partner, who was desperately fending off the airborne Namu pursuing him through the skies.
All For One rose from the ground, surveying the chaotic scene with a smirk plastered across his face. Through the shattered remains of his mask, he caught a glimpse of the Almighty heroically engaging in battle against the Namu, who showed no signs of retreat, even when faced with death. In the sky, Gran Torino was visible, making futile attempts to approach, thwarted at every turn by the Namu. Pain gripped All For One's body as he began to cough up blood, clutching his chest tightly. His body throbbed with excruciating pain, but he paid it no heed, knowing that countless hours of effort and time had been invested in this battle, and those could never be reclaimed. His enemies were preoccupied with their own creations, and he continued to watch the unfolding events until a sense of urgency surged within him, which ultimately became the catalyst for his downfall. Soaring high into the sky, he attempted to ensnare Gran Torino with one of his many writhing tentacles, which were skillfully dodging attacks from the Namu and All For One's own appendages. The Symbol of Evil, fully aware of his opponent's tactics, led his adversary into confusion, slowly attacking with his tentacles until Gran Torino determined that this was the perfect moment for a counterattack. Approaching All For One with precision, he intended to deliver his most powerful blow, but something unexpectedly pierced through his leg. Looking down, he was horrified to see a blood-red-black tentacle penetrating his thigh. Feeling an intense, sharp pain, he screamed at the top of his lungs; through the tentacle, another quirk named "Exhaustion" rapidly drained his stamina. In a swift and agile motion, All For One seized Gran Torino by the throat, locking eyes with him in a fierce gaze. The tentacle was withdrawn, leaving a gaping wound from which blood poured forth. Despite the agony coursing through him, Gran Torino resolved to ask what had become of Nana's family.
— What did you do to Nana's family? — All For One, tightening his grip around Gran Torino's throat, decided to taunt him, gazing at one of his most reviled enemies with a mocking grin.
— No one has seen them since. I personally eliminated every single member of her family with my own hands, sparing no one — from the youngest child to the oldest adult, — All For One declared with a particular sadism, his eyes glinting with malice as he gazed at Torino, who was in shock, having lost all hope that anyone from her family might still be alive.
— No... no... no, you couldn't have done that. As long as the Almighty lives, her legacy will endure forever, — diverting All For One's attention, Gran Torino harnessed his quirk to propel himself away with a burst of compressed air and struck him on the head, shattering his helmet into several large fragments. The helmet crumbled, revealing Gran Torino's white hair and white eyes, which glowed with indifference. Blood streamed from his mouth, a consequence of the conflict with the Almighty.
— I'll tell you the truth: his last grandson, named Tenko, managed to escape my grasp, but that no longer matters, as he won't survive in this world, just like you, — All For One found it repugnant to look at his adversary, and the mere thought of his quirk filled him with disgust, leading him not to steal from him, but rather revel in the agony of his foe.
— Come on, kill me, what are you waiting for? DO IT! — At his desperate cries, the Almighty turned his attention to the unfolding scene, and despite the pain he felt, he leaped with such force that the ground beneath him formed a crater. All For One observed the Almighty's leap and prepared to unleash one of his most potent quirks, which had earned him the moniker "Harbinger of the Abyss."
— That time will come, but for now, I'll revel in watching your pupil perish before your very eyes. You'll be begging for a swift end, Torino, — All For One tightened his grip on Gran Torino's arm with such force that it shattered, exposing the broken bone and inflicting a torrent of pain, causing him to scream at the top of his lungs. The right arm was beyond recovery, yet All For One was not satisfied with the suffering inflicted and proceeded to break the second arm as well, pulling the bone out of its socket and causing him even more anguish. He released his grip on his throat, tossing him to the ground as Torino fell, while the Almighty soared in for a final strike. But All For One would not fall into the same trap again, underestimating his opponent as he activated a quirk of which he himself was a witness.
[Breath of Flame: Abyssal Heat]
From his mouth, magma began to flow, oozing out like saliva, and flames began to emanate from the corners of his lips. Finally, unable to withstand any resistance, the fire erupted from his mouth with monstrous force, aimed squarely at the Almighty. The flames expanded to a width of 15 meters, making it impossible for his opponent to evade, forcing him to endure the impact. The heat of the fire reached a staggering 4000 °C; no living creature could withstand such extreme temperatures. The column of fire surged toward the Almighty, who braced himself for the inevitable impact, which scorched his suit, leaving only his trousers intact. The searing heat was something the Almighty had never encountered before, but in order to survive, he pushed One For All to its limits, reaching 130% of its capacity.
— One For All 130%! United States! SMAAASSSHHH!!! — The flames could not endure the pressure, generating a monstrous wind that redirected the fire towards the forest, instantly igniting a blaze of unprecedented ferocity. Six hectares of forest were engulfed in flames, reducing the vegetation to mere ash. The unfortunate animals caught in the inferno transformed into an unrecognizable bloody mass, barely reminiscent of their former selves.
The Almighty managed to strike All For One, piercing him through with his hand. The flames subsided, but the Symbol of Evil merely smirked in response to such an attack from the Almighty. Piercing a hole in his body, the Almighty attempted to withdraw his hand, but All For One seized it, crushing his right hand until it was rendered useless. Under the influence of adrenaline, the Almighty felt little pain, yet he could no longer move his arm. Extracting the object from his own body, All For One sent the Almighty crashing to the ground, activating the paralysis quirk that immobilized him completely. As he fell to the ground, he thought to himself:
— Have we truly lost? This cannot be happening. — Regretting not listening to Night Eye, he began to lament his recklessness that had led to the loss not only of his mentor but also of One For All, whom Nana Shimura had defended at the cost of her life.
— I'm sorry, Night Eye. If only I had listened back then, we could have defeated him. Forgive me, Shimura-san, for I have let you all down, — but the time for regrets had come to an end as he recalled his creed, which stated: "I never entered a fight expecting to lose. The smile I radiate should be the last thing the villain sees before his defeat."
Falling to the ground, he quickly rose again, despite the sharp pain inflicted by his opponent's attacks. Looking around, he saw the fire that had consumed everything with an unprecedented force, spreading like a new plague. On the ground, he noticed his mentor writhing in pain, bleeding profusely. The Almighty would have helped, but through the flames emerged All For One, who was barely regenerating from the Almighty's assault. The horror was compounded by the fact that the Namu were still alive, and the total number of Namu taken down by the Almighty exceeded 200 units, but that number was clearly insufficient to defeat them all. With blood-red eyes, he pushed through the hellish flames that burned everything in their path, but spared their master.
Through the flames, Namu began to swarm, attacking them furiously. The Almighty fought them off, but one of the claws nearly reached Gran Torino when something tore through the Namu's body, ripping it apart.
— What the...? — said the Almighty as a hero from the shinobi emerged from the remnants of the Namu.
— Edgeshot? — exclaimed the Almighty, astonished. Fully taking the form of a shinobi, he spoke in a serious tone:
— Did you decide to leave without saying goodbye? — The Almighty had a multitude of questions about what he was doing here, but he asked the question that had arisen since the beginning of this battle.
— Where did you come from? — The answer was quick, but it did not come from the shinobi, but from a voice that was hauntingly familiar.
— Behind you, Allmight
— Night Eye?!!!