"Heh… hehe…"
All Might stood firm, panting heavily as he stared down Tomura Shigaraki. Fury simmered beneath his usually calm demeanor as he demanded, "You… don't you have any sense of restraint?"
Shigaraki shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, we're only doing this for our own people. Try to understand, hero."
He then gestured lazily towards Kaminari and Midoriya, a mocking grin on his face.
"Aren't you the same? Look at that little nobody over there; he was ready to punch me hard. With that strength, he could've easily killed me with one blow." Shigaraki's grin widened. "And that blond kid? He's the scariest one of all. Is he really from the hero course?"
"He actually tried to blow my head off. Such a cruel and cold-blooded guy seems more like a 'villain' than me, don't you think?"
Hearing this, Bakugo, Tetsutetsu, Todoroki, and the others involuntarily glanced at Kaminari. Shigaraki's words lingered, planting seeds of doubt as he continued his twisted monologue, his tone growing more fanatical.
"Violence used for others is praised as noble. But violence for yourself? That's called 'villainy,' right, hero?"
Shigaraki spread his arms wide, his voice growing louder as he faced All Might, who stood bruised and bleeding.
"This whole system, dividing people into 'heroes' and 'villains,' deciding what's 'good' and 'evil'—it's all built on lies! The so-called 'Symbol of Peace' is nothing more than a government puppet—a weapon to keep everyone else down!"
In his frenzy, Shigaraki spat out his conclusion with venomous conviction. "Violence only begets more violence! Killing you, All Might, will show the world the truth!"
There was a certain dark charisma in his words. Todoroki, Tetsutetsu, Kirishima, and others wavered slightly as his twisted logic resonated. It made a disturbing kind of sense.
Only Bakugo remained unaffected. He didn't bother with Shigaraki's words. To him, it was just noise. His intent to "kill" this villain hadn't diminished one bit.
But Kaminari wasn't having any of it. "Violence only begets violence?"
He scoffed, drawing everyone's attention, even Shigaraki's. "Yeah, that's true."
"Hm?" Shigaraki turned, momentarily taken aback. "Oh? So you agree with me?"
It wasn't just Shigaraki. Even Bakugo, Todoroki, and the others didn't understand what Kaminari was getting at.
Kaminari sneered. "I agree that violence leads to violence. But you don't need to 'prove' that to the world. Haven't you gotten it backward?"
He fixed Shigaraki with a disdainful look, like he was addressing a fool.
"How do you think heroes even came to be in the first place? Isn't it exactly because of people like you? People who abuse their quirks to hurt others, forcing those who want a stable society to step up and become heroes?"
Kaminari's voice grew colder. "You're the ones who messed up the order in the first place, you idiot!"
Shigaraki's eye twitched at the insult. "You…!"
Kaminari wasn't finished. He gave Shigaraki a pitying glance. "Everyone learns this in elementary school. What's the matter? Did you not go to school?"
Shigaraki's face contorted with rage. His speech had only been a means to an end, but Kaminari's words struck a nerve he hadn't expected. That last line, in particular, felt like a direct stab to his pride.
"Nomu!" Shigaraki hissed, his voice shaking with anger.
As if understanding its master's command, Nomu immediately rushed toward Kaminari, its hulking form disappearing in a blur.
But before it could close the distance, All Might intercepted it, grabbing Nomu by the arms and roaring, "Don't underestimate heroes, villain!"
With a mighty kick to Nomu's gut, All Might launched the monstrous creature across the field, sending it crashing into a wall with an impact that shook the ground.
"All Might!" Tetsutetsu gasped, awe evident in his voice.
"Looks like it's our time to step up," Todoroki said, his voice cold and determined.
"Yeah! Let's take this guy down!" Kirishima clenched his fists, ready for action.
But All Might turned to them with a firm expression. "Stay back!"
Todoroki frowned. "If I hadn't intervened before, things might've been bad for you."
All Might's voice softened. "That's different, Todoroki. But thank you."
He glanced at Todoroki with genuine gratitude. The young hero had saved his life, and he didn't take that lightly.
"Now, please," All Might said, standing tall, "watch as a real hero gets serious!"
By this time, Midoriya, who had been supported by Kaminari, had regained his senses. His expression turned frantic as he looked at All Might, worry plain on his face.
"But you're already hurt! And… your time…"
"Time?"
Kaminari caught the word, a sinking feeling stirring in his gut. If All Might had some kind of time limit on his power… then they were all in serious trouble.
He turned to Midoriya urgently. "Midoriya, what do you mean by 'time'? Is there something wrong with All Might—"
Before he could finish, All Might gave a reassuring thumbs-up, flashing his trademark grin.
"Don't worry! A hero's job is never done!"
Turning his back on the students, he refocused on Nomu. But in his mind, he kept count. One minute… that's all I've got left.
Shigaraki seemed to sense it too. "Nomu! Kurogiri! Let's end this now."
Kurogiri opened a portal near Shigaraki, ready to assist. Shigaraki turned his gaze to the students in the distance, his focus landing on Kaminari.
"I'll handle those brats."
"Alright, let's finish this!" Kurogiri replied, preparing to close the gap.
As they moved, All Might and Nomu's clash sent a massive shockwave rippling through the area, blowing everyone back, students and villains alike, with the sheer force of their collision.
"I am the Symbol of Peace!" All Might roared, his voice reverberating like thunder across the battlefield.