Izuku grunted as his hand finally burst through all the rubble, grabbing onto the sides to pull himself out.
"I CANNOT FORGIVE THAT!"
Izuku's head shot up as he saw All Might grab one of All for One's arms before pinning the man down with a punch.
He sighed in relief as he saw that, dragging himself across the destroyed area to get to his teacher.
"What's wrong?"
The half Small-half All Might tensed as he heard All for One talking.
"you seem to be very worked up about something, All Might. I've heard that same line before…"
All Might's eyes widened, and Izuku realized he should probably be running.
"…from One for All's previous user, Nana Shimura."
"Do not sully my master's name with that filthy mouth of yours!" All Might said through gritted teeth.
"She was a woman whose ideals went ahead of her abilities! Honestly, it was kind of embarrassing for me, as the one who created One for All. She died like that too, pathetically. Hmm, where should I begin?"
"ENOUGH!"
Izuku cursed as he dashed forward, but it was too late.
Those few seconds where All Might had let go of the All for One's arms was long enough for the villain to release a shockwave that sent All Might flying.
Izuku didn't try to stop his teacher from crashing into the news helicopter as it went flying, trusting Torino-sensei to handle it while Izuku bought his mentors some time to regroup.
[FLOW STATE 45% + BLOOD MANIPULATION:LAYERING ON BOTH ARMS AND LEGS+ ARMAMENT HAKI]
Izuku didn't bother to say a word to the villain as he threw out his opening punch, releasing an attack on the same level as one of the man's earlier shockwaves.
"Oh, you already made it out?" All for One said, left hand up as he reversed the impact of Izuku's attack.
Izuku grit his teeth, planting his feet firmly as he threw out his other fist at the man's face, only for the punch to be blocked by the man's other arm.
He stopped fighting back the recoil, letting himself be thrown back a bit before stabbing the ground with a katana made of light to use the momentum for a spin kick straight at the villain.
"Predictable!" All for One cried out, thrusting an arm forward.
Izuku flew under the swing, barely avoiding the attack as he shot past the villain to land beside All Might and Gran Torino.
Izuku raised the blade above his head, pouring Haki into it till it was coated in metallic-black energy.
"Your games end right now, All for One." Izuku said as he got into his stance beside his mentors " You can't beat us both when we're together."
All Might put an arm on his protégé's shoulder.
"I…appreciate it myboy, but this isn't your battle. Not yet."
"Yes it is." Izuku said, not looking away from the villain "This is between One for All and All for One. And even if I wasn't the ninth user, him nabbing me makes it personal."
"I understand wanting to get payback, but that isn't worth throwing away your life" All Might insisted, looking at his enemy warily.
"I am your successor. You've made it clear you believe in the hero I'll be one day, but I need you to believe in the me of today."
All Might's grip loosened.
"I'm not asking you to let me fight him alone" Izuku said, finally glancing at his mentor to show him his grin "just…let me back you up. Let me deal with his attacks, so you can go all out on offense."
All Might took a deep breath, before an identical grin appeared on his face.
"Very well. I trust you, Beacon"
"Let's do this, All Might."
"Both of you are crazy" Gran Torino sighed.
"[100% DETROIT SMASH]!" Izuku roared as he dashed forward.
All for One didn't block this time, opting to fly high into the air to completely avoid the blow.
"[NEBRASKA SMASH]!" All Might spun his hand, creating a mini-tornado that hit All for One straight on.
Not giving the villain any time to recover (or put up a shield), Izuku jumped up high clapped his hands together.
"[HAKI BOOSTED 10% PIERCING BLOOD]"
The beam of light met a glowing yellow shield, pushing All for One back towards the ground despite not actually hitting him.
All Might moved to jump forward, but was stopped by Gran Torino.
"We need to save your strength for the finishing move" the older hero said grimly "me and the kid will move to create an opening, you finish it."
Izuku let gravity take him, right leg outstretched for an axe kick.
"[MANCHESTER SMASH]!"
His leg hit another yellow shield, but it cracked this time.
"Air Cannon, Strength Enhancer times three, Kinetic Booster times four!" All for One released the same attack he'd used to throw away All Might earlier, much to the same effect.
Izuku was sent flying through building after building, feeling the impact on his back each time.
Izuku didn't give himself time to feel the pain though, hopping from rubble to rubble till he was at the edge of the first building he'd broken through.
[10% PIERCING LIGHT]
The attack never left his hand.
He doubled over in pain, left hand clutching the right as his arms were racked with pain.
'You're overdoing it with Blood Manipulation' Sixth said grimly 'like I said earlier, you haven't eaten anything for a few days, so your reserves are be nearly empty.'
'Can't rely on Haki for much anymore either' Third said apologetically.
'Unfortunately, Blackwhip would only get in the way with how untrained it is right now' Fifth sighed.
Izuku shook his head.
"All Might already beat him once with nothing but his strength. No reason I can't try that"
With that, Izuku jumped away from the rubble, releasing a blast of air from a kick to boost himself forward like All Might's [NEW HAMPSHIRE SMASH].
"Show the world your pathetic form, 'Symbol of Peace'."
Izuku froze.
Standing in front of him, was All Might in his true form.
"Even if my body grows weak and rots" All Might said, still standing tall with his frail body.
"Even if you expose this form of mine…" All Might made a fist "My heart remains that of the Symbol of Peace! And that is not something you will even be able to take a piece of!"
Izuku landed beside All Might as the man finished his sentence.
"I've still got a couple of Smashes in me" All Might muttered "the plan stays the same"
"Perfect" Izuku smirked as he looked at All for One "It's time this old man took a nap"
"Can't steal a piece huh?" All for One mused, ignoring Izuku's arrival "How about this then? Tomura Shigaraki is Nana Shimura's grandson!"
Izuku paled, bending down suddenly and grabbing his chest as he felt his heart be drowned in a sea of pain.
'Kotaro…no…'
'Calm down, Seventh!' Shanks' panicked voice rang through Izuku's head 'I know it hurts, but you're affecting Ninth's body too!'
And then his head went quiet.
Izuku took a step back unsteadily, shaking his head before looking to his side to see his master having a crisis of his own.
"…You're lying…"
"it's true. You know it as well as I do, don't you? That it's something I'd do."
"You bastard" Izuku cursed "How could you-"
"This is strange" All for One interrupted, still with the same mocking tone , using his hands to push his cheeks into a mockery of All Might's signature grin "Where are your smiles?"
And then the man thrust his hands forward, and Izuku saw nothing but white.
When the dust settled, what the world saw was All Might, not a muscle moved from how he'd been a second ago.
And his student, hands dropping down to the side as his makeshift shield dropped, along with his right hand.
"It's not…over" Izuku gasped as he fell to one knee, the drawback of overusing Blood Manipulation for the shield and the full force of All for One's attack rendering him unable to move.
"Please don't lose…" the woman All Might had defended earlier pleaded from where she was trapped "All Might please…help!"
"Young Midoriya" All Might whispered as he looked down at his pupil, still unable to move.
Izuku couldn't move, but that didn't mean he was unconscious.
"This…it's not a small thing. But what we have to do right now is obvious" he said through gritted teeth "We're still on duty right?"
All Might's eyes widened as he heard that throwaway comment he'd made during their training be said by his student.
'The pillar that I became is one that will one day be dwarfed by what this boy and his peers will bring' he thought, resolve finally hardening 'and I will make sure to be there to help them build it.'
All Might stepped in front of the boy.
"Yeah. Of course."
His right arm crackled with yellow lightning similar to Izuku's green before the hand grew into the fist of the number one hero.
"There's a lot a Hero has to protect, All for One." He said, taking a step forward with a grin "that's why, I won't lose!"