104

Chapter 104: Ascalon

A/N: And here goes the confrontation with All For One. I wasn't able to fit everything I wanted into the chapter… but more about that at the end. Until then; Enjoy!

He called himself All For One out of a sense of power, out of an obligation to claim the right to the title of ruler of the lands.

Ever since he was a boy he knew he was born for greatness. The advent of quirks only reinforced the fact! The only reason he was in power now was because of his mistakes; the narrow-minded and naïve misgivings of his younger self.

It had taken him years to recover from such a single hiccup. After all, what was he to expect from a simple gift of pity? How was he to know that he would be creating his very own antithesis?

Every step of the way the shadow of his brother followed him, obstacle after obstacle to his rise to power a direct result from giving his brother a meaningless quirk all those years ago.

But after such a long time on this planet, he'd learned. Trial and error, hundreds of minions, the whole underworld — going through it all wasn't for naught. He wasn't going to make such a simple mistake ever again.

His current path had proven his resolve. A simple plan that involved him being sent to Tartarus. Lying in wait until the time was right, striking a fatal blow to the heart of hero society. Now all he needed to do was wait: wait for the belief in heroes to fall completely, wait for his worshippers to cause even more destruction to the point of societal collapse, wait for his pesky brother's spiritual successor to fall to his hands.

It was only a matter of time. Soon, he would overcome. He would succeed. He would be the world's penultimate being.

And now, as he stood within this lonely temple in the midst of a city he now claimed his own, eyes glancing upon the myriad decorations that lined the walls, he couldn't help himself to laugh.

After all, what better place to dwell than here? What better message to send: evicting the taint of worship to the Shinto gods, and filling the temple instead with his own tastes? Ripping to shreds years of history and human promises and pleas all in one night?

Perhaps he could start now? It was true that his plans had not yet come to fruition yet. But he already had the minions, already had the now a place for those to worship him. What more did a demon lord need but unyielding, all-encompassing rule over his subjects?

Was there a need to wait until everyone bent to his rule? He thought not. But the process of furthering his rule would have to wait for now. An adjournment for the moment — he had all the time in the world, after all.

As for now, he'd need to devote his attention to another pesky nuisance.

The doors to the church opened with an all encompassing groan, surfacing All For One from his musings.

He wasn't surprised in the slightest with the interruption, of course. He had picked up on the approaching figure's footsteps ever since they entered his range of hearing nearly a hundred yards from him. There was no need for haste to act upon the intruder to his realm. And besides, what was there to worry about? There wasn't anybody that could threaten his reign as of now.

There was that pesky inheritor of One For All and his group of friends that kept on escaping his grasp, sure. But young Mirio Togata was new to his power, recoiling in the loss of his original quirk in return for a multitude of others. What he lacked in strength and experience he made up in versatility.

It would only be a matter of time until One For All would be back in his hands, right where they rightfully belonged.

The figure — his creation, his… replacement, was behind him now. The determination in bones, the defiance in his stance, the firmness of his posture… Even without turning All For One could feel it. And it made him… amused.

This was truly going to be an interesting talk.

"Sensei."

All For One turned, a wide grin plastered across his mutilated face. "Tomura." He drawled out, teeth never retreating back past his lips. "I have to say, this is somewhat of a surprise. I wouldn't have expected you to come to me after your little… tantrum."

Shigaraki narrowed his eyes, head tilting ever so slightly to the side. His fingers drummed across his leg, twitching ever so often. "I've come to… an epiphany, since our last talk."

"Oho?" All For One chuckled. He walked forward, heavy footfalls thumping against the pavement. "And do tell, what may that be?"

"I thought some things over. Learned a few things. Figured out how to piss you off."

All For One's grin faltered ever so slightly at the remark. And as he drew closer, his grin gradually died, lips transforming into a slight frown.

The moment that he found himself standing before Shigaraki, All For One raised up one of his arms, curling his fingers around Shigaraki's chin and lifting his face up. All For One's glare was left unsaid despite the lack of any actual eyes, an action reciprocated easily by Shigaraki.

"You locked me out," All For One said, his voice sounding like an odd mixture of awe and anger. "How? Why can't I see you?"

Shigaraki smirked. "Is that a slight tinge of fear I hear, sensei? What happened to being the most informed and confident person on the battlefield?"

All For One huffed. The sensual caress he relayed on Shigaraki's chin continued as All For One pondered within his musings. "Don't mistake my intrigue for weakness, Tomura. I'm simply interested in this development. I didn't see you as one to be proactive in a situation as yours."

Shigaraki leaned back, ripping his chin away from All For One's rapacious fingers. He didn't break off the metaphorical staring contest the two were engaging in, but nonetheless back a few steps away.

"You're saying that you're stumped, then. This wasn't something that ever occurred to you."

All For One crossed his arms. "I wouldn't say that I never expected such a thing occurring. It's more that I considered the chance… minuscule, at best."

Shigaraki adopted a smug grin. "Admit it, Sensei. You're just making things up at this point to save face. Not that you have much of it left, anyways."

All For One growled. He made a step forward, something of which Shigaraki met with a hard glare."You should know your place, Tomura. "

"As what?" Shigaraki smirked. "Your superior?"

All For One took a breath. His face turned stoic, fingers drumming against his arm. "Your attitude will need fixing if you are to be a suitable vessel for me. Of course, the alternative is fixing your attitude yourself. It would save me the trouble, and be much less painful for y—"

"As if you wouldn't indulge in a little torture anyways, if just to please your narcicism."

All For One hummed in thought, face furrowing as he faced forward. "Do tell me,Tomura. What exactly do you have planned, having all these others lying in wait?" he said, spreading his arms out.

Shigaraki's face didn't betray any surprise. All was calm with him.

"What?" All For One asked. "Not a hint of surprise? Of fear? Because let the two of us be honest here. You're sorely mistaken if you think you can kill me, especially in your state. I can take you. Easily; plain and simple."

Shigaraki shook his head. "No. I expected you to notice their presence. I'd be a fool not to. If you must know, I merely bought them as insurance. You see, I've come to parley."

"Parley?" All For One roared. "Parley!" he descended into a fit of boisterous laughter. "I have to say, where have you been hiding this side of yourself, Tomura? Have the past few days really been so introspective for you?"

"No no," All For One interjected before Shigaraki could speak. "I don't need to know now. I'll have plenty of time to ask you… later. For now, I want to know. What do you think you can even bring to the table that will interest me? Let alone act as a suitable offering for a parley?"

Shigaraki simply opened his mouth with a shout in reply. "Monsieur!"

The door to the building opened again with another agonizing creak. Out from the darkness came in Monsieur Bombastic. The individual was of little interest for All For One; an interesting power for sure, but ultimately unreliable. And even considering the individual's status as one of the new coming quirk users that broke all the rules that the Doctor had sumissed, still a secondary goal.

No. What did catch All For One's eye was the bundle in Bombastic's arm. Or, more specifically, the person who laid in the bundle.. Namely, Izuku Midoriya: unconscious to the world at large. Full clad in his gear, and thus likely caught on an unsanctioned patrol that occurred because of the stubborn fool he was. And, perhaps most important of all, completely within his reach.

All For One turned his technical gaze back towards Shigaraki. "What is this?" he said, feigning disinterest. "A mere boy?"

Shigaraki shook his head, "Don't play me as a fool. You have a bone to pick with this one. Nevermind all the knowledge he holds regarding people of his kind. Admit it." Shigaraki's grin couldn't be more smug. "He's someone that you want your grubby greedy fingers all over. Isn't he, Sensei?"

All For One shrugged. "And what if he is? I would have gotten to him eventually. What point does bringing him to me now have?"

"I could have him killed now." The words came out without hesitation. "Deprive you of the satisfaction of doing it yourself."

"Tomura—"

"But I'd like to avoid such a thing," Shigaraki interrupted. "Monsieur!"

Bombastic walked forward: slowly and at ease to quell any questions of aggression. All For One stayed glued to his spot, and when Bombastic kneeled before him, offering Izuku Midoriya without a fight, All For One couldn't help but smile.

"I must say Tomura, it's quite bold of you to hand out your gift when we haven't even discussed our terms yet." All For One reached out with his hand. "Are you perhaps surren—"

One moment from the next, and Izuku Midoriya moved.

No fanfare. No delay.

Izuku stared down the form of All For One within the latter's mindscape. Just mere feet from one another, the two adversaries stood still, sizing the other up.

Izuku was the first to act, smirking as he raised up an enclosed fist.

Upon All For One's questioning expression — as much as an expression he could make with a face like his, that is — Izuku opened his fist, revealing an empty needle within his palm.

"I made a bargain," Izuku stated. "You see, I'm sure that with all the power that you have and with all the quirks that you have crammed within your mutilated body, somewhere along the line you picked up a multitasking quirk?"

All For One hummed. "I'll reward you for getting this far with an actual answer. Plainly, yes. A little of thirteen years ago in fact, from a pudgy middle school girl."

Izuku narrowed his eyes at the response. He took a breath before continuing. "Then that means you can see Spinner out there in the real world, leaning against the wall. Remember him, from Tartarus? He's the one that clued me in on your little bloodstream-freezing quirk."

"Ah," All For One said in realization. "I knew it the moment you touched me; you were attacking my mind. In fact, you were anticipating that in my moment of panic that I would recall my blood freezing quirk and focus instead on a quirk that would aid in shielding my mind? One that you didn't even know that I would have?Just so you could be rid of it with that paltry concoction?"

Izuku flipped his palm over, the illusion of the vial he had made disappearing into the void. "It worked, didn't it?"

All For One let out a small chuckle, piercing the tension that had been keeping the two hostage.

"Hmm. Well played. I must commend you for your efforts, Izuku Midoriya. Most would say that you are foolish, attacking me here, in the midst of what you would perceive as enemy turf. But me? I praise you for your steadfastness."

All For One steepled his fingers in front of him, "But tell me: Aren't you being a bit too cocky, Midoriya? Already monologuing your plans before you have beat me?"

Izuku shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. Does it matter? Your pride's been hurt, hasn't it? And by a mere high school boy who can control bugs."

Izuku almost didn't notice the snarl that danced upon All For One's face.

Izuku crossed his arms in response. "Is that all? A mere snarl? No surprise about my plans?"

"Of course not," All For One breathed. His agitation disappeared, gradually replaced with a smirk. "Were you expecting as such? Because you should know that you left all pretense of this little interruption possibly being a surprise behind a few weeks ago when you intruded upon Shigaraki's headspace."

Izuku tilted his head slightly forward in conceit. "I... suppose that that's true."

"Glad that you can see that. And besides!" All For One exclaimed, spreading his arms out. "I'm a bit giddy. The truth stands as this: you've come to me of your own will. Perhaps, are you willing to submit to me?"

Izuku's blank expression was telling enough.

"Then you've made your decision," All For One muttered. "Then tell me, what is your plan now, Izuku Midoriya?"

Izuku hummed. "I'd like to ask a question of you."

"Oh?" All For One asked, amusement clear in his voice. "Then don't keep me waiting. Ask away."

Izuku cleared his throat. "During our first meeting, when you had me restrained to that table."

"Yes?"

"You told me that you wanted to change society; is that still true?. After all, all I can see is you destroying it. Surely you don't see those two things as the same."

"Not destroying, Izuku," All For One responded. "Rather, I'm in the process of… rebuilding it. In my own image, of course. After all, I'm more of an 'Ends justify the means' sort of person, you hear?"

Izuku huffed, a smirk turning up on his face.

Before he could ask, All For One flinched ever so slightly. He growled, and then Izuku felt himself shifting. Within a moment the distance between himself and Izuku squeezed into nothingness, leaving an uncomfortably little amount of space between the two."

"Tell me, Izuku," All For One said, voice low and velvety. "Is this the best you can do? I've already determined the situation here. Your power has evolved. The slight control you had over Tomura has evolved; enough to the point that you can mimic the amount of control I have."

All For One placed his hand over Izuku's head, fingers splayed across its radius. "And not only that, but your control has extended to others. And now you have Tomura sitting in a corner, all while you control a whole slew of other characters attempting to slay me."

"So," the grip around Izuku's head tightened. "You plan to attack me here in my mind, while your minions attack my physical body? You hope to win a war on two fronts, all by your lonesome."

"No. Not exactly."

All For One raised his gaze at the sudden appearance of the girl before him. "Ahh. Yes, your female—" a slight grunt of pain interrupted his words, "—friend. The one who's learned to pass herself off to future generations like my brother."

All For One returned his gaze back to Izuku, lifting her head up so their eyes would meet. "So what? This girl is your secret weapon?"

Taylor smirked, pointing a backwards thumb up above her. "No. That's QA's job."

The shining light erupted up above their heads, disrupting the darkness and gloom that had filled All For One's landscape. The spinning tesseract shone through, causing All For One to wither his face away slightly to avoid the light.

"What is that?" All For One asked. "And why can't I dispel its presence?"

"It begins," Izuku smirked. "My ploy of dividing your attention, thus weakening both your mind and body is already underway."

All For One growled, harshly shoving Izuku to the ground. "Don't act all smug with me boy! You're still within my mind! You aren't safe, and your victory is nowhere near in sight!"

All For One firmed up his stance, holding his ground as he stared at the manifestation up above. "This presence is the same as before," he muttered, turning again to look at Izuku. "You will tell me boy, how— aggh!"

Izuku raised himself from the floor, dusting himself off as he found himself back on his two feet. "A bit difficult ain't it, defending yourself from enemies attacking your body while dealing with me in your own head?"

All For One charged up a beam of energy in his hands, firing it up at QA. The energy traveled with a discordant whirl, shooting through the air until colliding with a blast of smoke.

But as the smokescreen cleared, it was obvious that the energy didn't leave a mark, not a dent in the inconceivable form of QA.

"So, even in your mind you have to show off?" Izuku asked. "There was no point in such a display. You could have done the same thing merely by stressing your mind. Though, not as if your efforts proved to do anything, considering—"

All For One's fists tightened. "Shut up!"

"You have a short fuse, don't you?" Izuku asked. "Does it have to do with being on top for so lon—" Izuku coughed, his breath leaving his lungs as he was forced to his knees.

"You think that you can overcome me!?" All For One screamed, shaking a fist. "I am All For One! The new Demon Lord of the modern era! The rightful ruler of all that is!"

Izuku grunted, raising one of his knees off from the ground and looking up at All For One. "And you're dealing with a power you aren't ready to deal with. Maybe in a couple centuries or so, but now…"

All For One stepped forward. "I— gah!— Izuku! If you think— agghh!" He clutched at his arm in pain.

"You're getting overwhelmed, aren't you? Nobody's ever attacked you in your mind, have they? It's your weak point, isn't it?"

All For One stilled, breath catching in his throat. "This power… You're siphoning off my energy… My power—!"

Both knees lifted from the ground, Izuku struggling to get up. But nevertheless, he was still making his way up on his own. "And how are you liking it?"

All For One seethed. "You think you can win in this fight? It takes a strong will to take such power! Even I can't take One For All myself! You think that you can outdo me?!"

"I do."

"GAH!" All For One collapsed onto the floor. "Get these damned bugs off of me!"

The sway over Izuku's body was fading fast. He stood up, walking his way forwards to All For One's kneeling body. And this time, it was his turn to place a hand on his opponent's face.

"A bit anticlimactic, don't you think?" Izuku asked with a smirk. "Well, I suppose that it looks like it in here, anyways."

"You… bastard…"

"This... is for Midnight," Izuku began. "This is for all the people who've died in the past weeks. For the life that Tenko Shimura never had. And for all the people whose lives you've ruined."

Taylor manifested beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you ready for this, Izuku?"

All For One spat at Izuku's feet. "If you think—"

"Die."

"AGGGHHHHHH!"

Izuku stumbled to the ground, breath wheezing in and out from his lungs and through his open mouth. He clutched at his chest, the constricting feeling within threatening to end his life.

"Midoriya?" Spinner asked, carefully approaching Izuku's prone form.

Izuku pressed his arm against the ground in an effort to push himself up. A loud cracking sound followed suit, keying Izuku in the sudden appearance of a multitude of cracks on the floor.

Spinner backed away. "The hell?"

Izuku levitated off from the floor, an invisible force putting him back on his feet. His fingers and arms twitched in energy, his face curling in pain as he looked over to All For One's lifeless corpse.

A swarm of bugs descended on the corpse within seconds, beginning the process of breaking down the meat and bone of the centuries-old monster.

"I—" Izuku wheezed. "I— I can't…"

"Hey." Taylor showed up in front of Izuku, placing her hands on his shoulders and looking him in the eyes. "Focus, Izuku. We went over this."

"Transmutation," Izuku muttered. "Elemental constructs. Strength." He wiped his hand over his face. "Technomancy. Metallic Bones. Claws."

"Oi!" Taylor exclaimed. "Snap out of it!"

Eyes dilating, moving to look straight into Taylor's eyes. "So… much… power…"

A/N: So. The add-ons (Kentaro's group, Spinner, etc.) weren't just sitting around doing nothing during all that. Of course, there were some hints of that, but… Eh. They were vague. I was going to add more, but didn't think I could fit it in like I wanted. That means… another chapter of Cicada! I'll try not to slack off and get it out soon. Till then!