It was a Monday morning, and a woman who held little affection for that day let out a lazy yawn in her bed.
"I need to get up..." the woman murmured.
Her hair was a deep violet with lighter violet streaks. Although they might look like extensions, that was her natural color.
She was a woman of dangerous beauty.
A woman who can make you fall in love or break your teeth. She was Kaina Tsutsumi, also known as Lady Nagant.
As she got up, Kaina let the sheet covering her voluptuous body fall without any concern about being seen. After all, she currently lived alone.
She walked across her apartment bedroom toward the bathroom, where she began brushing her teeth with a tired look in her eyes. It seemed she hadn't slept much last night.
Once she finished, she went to the refrigerator and took out a beer, but just before drinking it, she stopped.
– Don't drink in the morning. Do you want to live past forty? –
Remembering the scolding, Kaina sighed, put the beer back, and prepared a cup of coffee.
When she checked her phone, she saw several missed calls. Upon seeing the caller, the woman frowned and decided to call back.
Kaina: "What do you want, All Might?"
All Might: "I'm sorry for calling so early, Tsutsumi-sensei."
Kaina felt a slight discomfort at being called that. She still couldn't believe she would end up working at U.A., but she couldn't complain—after all, she was the one who wanted this.
Kaina: "It doesn't matter. What do you need?"
All Might: "Something came up, and I won't be able to attend U.A. today."
Kaina felt puzzled. All Might had enough speed to leap from one city to another. Even if he crossed the country to defeat a villain, he could return the same day. So it had to be something serious.
Kaina: "Is it that serious?"
All Might: "It seems so... an old enemy appeared in Kyoto. I can't ignore it."
Hearing the grave tone in All Might's voice, Kaina became alert. A villain capable of making All Might take things this seriously had to be a monster.
Kaina: "If that's the case, I'll do it."
All Might: "Thank you. I really didn't want to miss today's class since it's the first rescue lesson for the young heroes, but I don't have a choice. By the way, I didn't say it the other day, but I'm glad Nezu decided to include your class. Many generations of heroes have graduated without ever seeing the other side of the coin—the darkness within society."
Kaina didn't respond. She hadn't even taught her class yet. That was because Principal Nezu didn't want to darken the students' worldview too early.
All Might: "In any case, I'm counting on you."
After hanging up, Kaina remained deep in thought.
'I don't know what made Nezu change his mind.'
This world wasn't perfect, but society tried to paint it as if it were, avoiding serious topics that heroes would inevitably have to face.
Kaina stopped thinking about it and stirred her coffee while looking out the window of her apartment. Her vision allowed her to see great distances.
Her attention shifted to the building across from hers. In one particular apartment—it was Nemuri Kayama's apartment. To her misfortune, she witnessed a scene that would spark both envy and thirst for blood if word ever got out.
Nemuri Kayama, better known as the +18 Hero Midnight, was wrapped in a bath towel while clinging to a handsome young man, clearly trying to drag him into the bath with her.
Kaina didn't change her expression in the slightest, but the cup she was holding cracked.
"That bitch..."
....
The moment Allen left, Kaina also prepared to head out. Since she didn't have to teach classes yet, she could have taken things calmly, but she didn't. She was committed to her duties.
The day passed quietly for Kaina, though during the second period, she was called to the principal's office due to the incident at the main gate. Since Kaina had free time, she was assigned to keep watch in case anyone suspicious approached U.A.
With that order, Kaina climbed to the rooftop of U.A.'s main building, where she spent a couple of hours on watch. She had no trouble doing so—back when she was a sniper, she had spent days without moving while waiting for her target.
Still, that was in the past. Now that she didn't have to kill anyone, she got bored when she wasn't... spying.
So, to distract herself, she took out a sketchbook and began drawing. The sketch slowly took shape until it became recognizable. She touched the face in the drawing, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Shit!"
Kaina checked the time and realized she had gotten distracted, and the U.A. bus had already departed.
Without wasting time, she jumped off the rooftop—but instead of falling, she stepped into the sky as if there were an invisible stair. Using that, she leaped again, heading toward the USJ as fast as she could.
"With Eraser Head and Thirteen leading, I doubt I'll have much work there, but—"
Kaina's words were interrupted as the dome-shaped roof of the building shattered, and two beams of blazing energy shot up into the sky.
"What?!"
Kaina's eyes widened in shock. She recognized that power—it was the heat vision she had seen Allen use more than once.
A bad feeling tightened her chest. She pushed harder against the sky and accelerated.
....
Lady Nagant reached the roof using Sky Walk. Once there, she leaned over the hole to see what had happened.
The moment she saw Allen, her heart calmed—but in the next instant, her pupils shrank.
'WHY?! WHY IS HE HERE?!'
Kaina gasped as her heart filled with fear. Not fear of the villain—she knew exactly who he was and what kind of monster he was—but she didn't fear him. Even in a different world, she had come to understand All For One's worldview.
What she feared—what truly terrified her—was that this monster would steal away the little happiness she had managed to obtain in this world.
"Why?..."
At first, Kaina couldn't understand why the Demon King had come out of hiding.
All For One was a villain who preferred anonymity. He had remained that way for a long time, considered nothing more than an urban legend. And yet, now he had decided to appear.
"Don't tell me!"
The moment she understood what was happening, Kaina felt her blood boil. If there was one thing capable of drawing All For One out of hiding, it was a treasure—a Quirk capable of obsession, like One For All.
A Quirk like Allen's!
"BASTARD!"
Lady Nagant raised her elbow, which transformed into a massive rifle aimed directly at All For One. At the same time, she tore out a strand of her hair, which turned into a bullet capable of piercing tank armor like paper.
Kaina would be among the top ten heroes if she were an active hero—perhaps third or fourth place. Her strength was unquestionable, and her lethality was enough to injure even a distracted Endeavor. However, that power depended on two things: distance and the element of surprise. Under normal circumstances, she should have been dozens of kilometers away from her target.
She knew it. The moment she fired her first shot, she would become a target. She knew that close combat against All For One meant certain death, and she knew that the man could reach her in an instant if Aizawa's Quirk was released.
But!
There wasn't the slightest doubt in Kaina's eyes. There was no concern for herself. At that moment, she wasn't thinking about her own life. She discarded even the most primitive survival instinct to protect Allen from All For One.
Kaina sharpened her senses and charged her shot, but before firing, she changed targets and aimed at Kurogiri.
Despite her rage, Kaina was a professional, and she immediately identified the best course of action.
"Right now, the greatest danger is Eraser Head falling!"
Bang!
Kurogiri didn't even have time to react. It was a close-range shot from the most lethal sharpshooter there was.
"Argh!"
....
....
....
In terms of speed and strength, Allen and All For One were evenly matched. Every punch was answered, every kick blocked.
"Surprised?" All For One said as he stopped and grabbed Allen's fist. "That someone like me, who lives by stealing Quirks, knows how to fight..."
"Not at all." Allen stomped on the ground, creating a crater beneath All For One to destabilize him.
"...!" All For One's eyes widened as Allen's palm struck his chest.
The force rattled his internal organs, making him groan in pain as he was sent flying back nearly a hundred meters. He didn't fall, but he lost his balance and his stance broke.
Everyone was in shock—even Kaina, who had been searching for an opening to fire and support Allen. Even Shigaraki, who knew better than anyone how terrifying his sensei was.
All For One was a skilled close-combat fighter. After facing every bearer of One For All over the years, he had learned that avoiding close combat was impossible—and losing because of it would be absurd. So even without a Quirk, All For One was a capable fighter.
However, standing before him was someone who had reached the pinnacle of multiple combat disciplines, including martial arts.
"As expected," Deku smiled as he kicked a metal-armed villain away.
"Allen is really strong!" Toru exclaimed as she kicked a werewolf in the groin—she had already taken down three villains like that.
"Tch, that bastard never stops showing off!" Bakugo growled as he grabbed a rock-skinned villain by the head and blew apart his armor.
"..." Todoroki, who had frozen several villains, turned his gaze toward Allen.
A villain capable of shooting lava-like saliva attacked Itsuka. She ran, dodging the attacks, and when she reached him, she enlarged her fist and struck him, sending him flying.
"We have to win too!" The girl shouted.
"Yeah!" Tetsutetsu took a slash across the chest from a bear—not an actual bear, but an animal-transformation Quirk. When the villain thought he had killed him, he realized it was his own claws that were broken. Tetsutetsu smiled before punching the bear-like villain.
"Hahaha! I expected nothing less from the man who defeated me!" Kirishima advanced slowly while a weapon-using villain fired endlessly at him. The infinite bullets wouldn't stop, but it didn't matter—they couldn't damage Kirishima's body.
Ibara Shiozaki captured several villains with her vine-like hair. They struggled to break free as she clasped her hands together as if in prayer.
"How tragic it is to witness the fate of those who walk the path of evil."
Despite her words, her actions were ruthless, suffocating the villains until they lost consciousness.
"Shiozaki-san..."
Ochako, who had made several villains float up to the ceiling using her Zero Gravity, looked at the bead of sweat running down the girl's cheek—her actions clearly contradicting her words. Then Ochako smiled.
'Everyone is giving it their all to win. And even if they don't admit it, that's thanks to Allen-san. You're incredible!'
Aizawa was also satisfied with the students' performance. Thanks to their ability to defend themselves, he could focus entirely on All For One.
'There's something I don't understand,' Aizawa thought, his expression darkening.
'At this point, it's obvious that that monster's target is Allen Walker. If that's the case, why attack him at U.A.? Allen is publicly known as a student. Attacking him outside the school, where there would be fewer heroes, would be much easier. And yet he chose this... why?!'
....
"Now!"
The moment Allen pulled away from All For One, Kaina prepared to fire a second shot. This time, it would pierce the bastard's heart.
"I won't let you!"
Kurogiri appeared behind Kaina, forcing her to dodge.
"Tsk, you're not dead?!"
"That doesn't sound very heroic, but it doesn't matter. Unfortunately for you, I'm immune to physical attacks..."
Kaina clenched her teeth, aimed her weapon at Kurogiri, and fired, piercing his abdomen and leaving a massive hole. However, the hole quickly began to close.
"I told you it's useless!" Kurogiri attacked again.
"For something so useless, you let out a pretty pathetic scream earlier."
Kaina mocked him as she aimed her rifle at Kurogiri. He stopped and observed her cautiously.
"Let me guess—not all of your body is intangible. There have to be some solid parts, right?"
"Lady Nagant, why do you help the heroes? You, of all people, know how deep the world's darkness is. You were betrayed in the past by those you trusted. You should be on our side. Why?"
Kaina laughed for a moment, then her eyes reflected pure killing intent.
"Me, on your side?! Do you have any idea who your boss is trying to hurt?! I'm about to break my promise not to kill!"
Kurogiri felt a chill run down his spine. Unlike fighting heroes, facing Lady Nagant was a battle that could cost him his life.
This woman had once been one of the deadliest assassins in existence.
"Wait—don't tell me you have some kind of relationship with Allen Walker?!"
Kurogiri's eyes widened.
Kaina fired again, blowing Kurogiri's head apart.
"Idiots. That perverted brat is my family!"
....
"Why does it feel like I'm fighting a veteran martial hero, Allen-kun? How old are you?"
All For One looked straight at Allen, though only the dark mask covering his head down to his neck was visible.
"How impressive..."
Allen ignored him and fired his heat vision.
"...!" All For One was surprised again, but without losing a moment, he raised his right arm to block.
The heat vision incinerated his right sleeve and caused first-degree burns. However, All For One showed no pain. Instead, he observed the damage for a moment before looking back at Allen with complete calm.
"When someone is winning a fight, they tend to get careless—especially heroes, who usually hold back once they feel they've surpassed their villains. But Allen-kun, you're more cautious than that, aren't you?"
"..."
Allen moved so fast he vanished from sight for an instant, reappearing behind All For One and delivering a kick—but it was blocked without him even turning around.
"Allen-kun, you must be upset by my earlier words, right?"
"Not at all. Someone like you couldn't kill All Might that easily."
Allen attacked again with a punch that created a shockwave, but once more, All For One blocked it.
Still, Allen's words were heard by everyone, bringing a surge of hope. It was true—All Might wouldn't be defeated so easily. Teacher or student alike, everyone believed in All Might. The man who had made this country safe. The one who ended the era of villains. The Symbol of Peace.
All For One laughed as he blocked Allen's blow.
"It's true. All Might has been my sworn enemy. Of all the heroes I've ever known, I've never seen someone with such will. I've never seen anyone reach that level of tenacity... he truly was an unpleasantly terrifying man."
All For One shoved Allen back.
"In all my years, I never encountered a hero so irritating. He destroyed my empire and defeated every one of my allies... but that's all in the past."
"What does he mean?!" Thirteen exclaimed in shock.
"...!" Deku felt a chill at what All For One was about to say.
"Allen, don't let his words get to you! He's buying time! Defeat him quickly!" Aizawa frowned.
His eyes were beginning to burn and feel heavy. His Quirk depended on maintaining constant eye contact—he couldn't even blink, which meant he had a time limit.
Allen sensed Aizawa's weakness as well and knew he had to hurry. Without wasting time, he attacked All For One, using his superior martial skill to strike his body.
Each punch, carrying enough force to destroy a building, slammed into All For One's modified body.
It dealt damage—yet the villain began to laugh softly.
"What are you waiting for, Tomura-kun?"
Allen turned to Aizawa with a bad feeling. He was right.
The eerie boy named Tomura Shigaraki was already close to him.
Aizawa deployed his scarf, which seemed almost alive, attacking Tomura like serpents. But Tomura smiled, extending his hands and disintegrating the scarf upon contact.
"...!"
"You don't know what my Quirk is, do you?!~"
Aizawa's lack of knowledge about Shigaraki's ability caught him off guard. He couldn't evade the hand that crossed the distance and reached his face.
In an instant, blood burst from Aizawa's face, leaving everyone in shock.
The teacher collapsed to the ground, his face a horrifying, bloody sight.
All For One smiled and effortlessly stopped Allen's punch with his left hand.
"Hypertrophy..."
All For One's right arm massively expanded.
"Rivet..."
Pieces of metal erupted from that same arm.
"Springlike Limbs..."
Allen heard the muscles in that arm begin to creak.
"Kinetic Booster..."
"Six years ago, All Might was gravely injured—but you know what? I wasn't~"
"...!!!"
All For One's fist slammed into Allen's stomach in a rising hook.
"Urgh!"
Allen spat blood, feeling several of his organs rupture.
'Damn it!'
The force of the punch was so great that it shattered the roof of the USJ. It also created a massive shockwave that shook the atmosphere and sent violent gusts of wind in all directions.
All For One had not only recovered his Quirks—according to his own words, he hadn't been injured in his battle with All Might at all.
While All Might weakened year after year, All For One never stopped stealing Quirks, even modifying his own body to grow stronger.
It was the worst possible scenario.
This monster was stronger than All Might.
====