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NOTE: This Chapter is important for various plotlines to come in the novel.
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All For One sat alone in the lab, taking deep breaths through the tubes.
There was darkness around him, so thick that he could see it, despite having no eyes.
This had never bothered him before. Not with the constant pleadings, curses, and screams from hundreds of Vestiges bombarding his mind constantly.
That's all they were — worthless memories of forgotten weaklings.
But, after living so long, after conducting experiments after experiments, and after reaching the same conclusion repeatedly, All For One had accepted a cruel fact.
Because of the constant battle that kept raging within his mind, and within his own body that had betrayed him over the years, he was… losing — in Will, in Spirit, and in Body.
The day wasn't far when he would have to make a decision.
All For One had always known that.
That's why he had already asked Dr. Ujiko to take away his original Quirk—All For One—and store it securely in a place where even he didn't know. Meanwhile, Dr. Ujiko had copied the said Quirk and implanted it back into him.
At first, All For One had done so to get rid of the Vestiges.
That turned out to be a naive thought as the Vestiges were still there, wreaking havoc in his mind, befuddling his thoughts.
It was clear that he hadn't completely figured out how these Vestiges worked.
Needless to say, even a scientist like Dr. Ujiko, who had no equal when it came to Quirks, had his hands tied in the matter of Vestiges.
Still, despite this setback, All For One had decided not to take back the original Quirk, for one reason — to get One For All!
Every decision that All For One made was the result of a battle.
Not only were the thoughts themselves slow, but the Vestiges acted like filters, constantly trying to block them.
He couldn't think properly.
He couldn't act on those thoughts timely.
He couldn't win the battle despite knowing his enemy.
And it all came down to emotions, All For One had concluded.
These battles that he kept winning to express himself, were draining him.
His emotions and willpower — the two things that weren't Quirks that he could steal, unfortunately.
He had already confirmed how strong these two could become during the Naruhata Incident, when Number 6, one of his most prized experiments, had defied all logic to continue to exist, despite having no physical form remaining of his own.
It was also then that All For One had confirmed one other thing.
It wasn't like he was weak compared to All Might. No. That was absurd! No.
It was his emotions that couldn't surpass the combined willpower of One For All's Vestiges.
If he had a sound mind, then he could have cultivated his own emotions, All For One believed.
With the Vestiges of the Quirks he had devoured constantly eroding him from within, that wasn't the case, though.
And so, he had chosen a successor for himself.
Tomura Shigaraki!
Everything was going as per his plans.
Shigaraki had developed beyond his imagination after the USA's incident. His hatred against the Heroes and the society's hypocrisy had bloomed, advancing toward completion.
Soon, Shigaraki would become the perfect vessel to wield the true All For One Quirk, before stealing One For All from All Might, using his hatred against Vestiges' willpower.
And then he, Zen Shigaraki, would continue to live on through Tomura, despite his current body reaching its end.
With All Might getting weaker day by day, as he had already confirmed, that day wasn't far, either.
Or so… All For One had thought.
A loud gurgling noise escaped his throat as he took another deep breath, remembering what Shigaraki had shared with him yesterday.
The boy with an All-Might-like Quirk had used another Quirk.
A black strand of energy had come out of the boy's mouth, latching onto Shigaraki's wrist.
Tomura had experienced nothing but shock.
All For One, though, had almost lost his bearings, recognizing the Quirk instantly.
It was Blackwhip — one of One For All's previous users' Quirks!
Which meant — All Might had already chosen a successor for himself as well, passing on One For All to him!
It wouldn't have mattered in the long term.
However, the appearance of Blackwhip was unprecedented.
In none of his past encounters with All Might, Nana Shimura, or even earlier users of One For All, any of them had used multiple Quirks.
Then how could the boy, who must have received the Quirk only in the last year or two, become capable of doing the same?!
It took All For One a night to finally grasp a concluding thought, fighting uncountable battles with the weak cockroaches in his mind.
One For All's Vestiges were getting stronger like never before within the boy!
Which also meant that the more time passed, the stronger All Might's successor would become, while he and his successor would be left behind — losing the decisive battle even before it could begin!
No.
He wouldn't let that happen.
There was only one way left for him, All For One knew — to push Shigaraki against the wall, accelerating his growth, while simultaneously wounding the Heroes and delaying All Might's successor's growth.
[… In that thought…] The whispers buzzed in All For One's mind. [… You are right.]
The whispers had begun appearing in All For One's mind along with the Vestiges' screams ever since Stain had proposed the idea of him accepting whatever faith the fanatic followed.
It seemed that… it was time to not disregard these whispers anymore.
It seemed that… it was time to accept Conformity's existence.
"Where's All Might's successor? And where's the girl with the Creation Quirk?" All For One asked.
A thin, red line appeared in All For One's mind, whispering the location.
[They have already found the bar,] Conformity told him. [Not only the Heroes, but the Sinner might act, too. There will be nothing left of Shigaraki name when they are done. You don't want that to happen now, do you?]
All For One took one last breath and pulled out all the tubes before putting on the helmet resting next to him.
Then slowly, he stood up with a rumble.
When he breathed this time, it rattled.
The thin red line in his mind arched, becoming a bloody grin.
In the next moment, the entire grin snapped open with a BOOM, becoming a giant black hole that radiated redness.
"... No," All For One said. "No — I do not."
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