They should have won.
Midoriya should have won.
But the unthinkable happened.
A warp gate opened over the power center, letting out hundreds of Twice's copies. They flooded the roof, making Monoma fall off and hit his head, passing out.
Erasure was no longer in effect. And with that, Shigaraki let out an explosive light that shook the whole place, breaking down the pillars of the electromagnetic barrier.
And for some reason, they set off into a downward trajectory that would spell instant doom.
Seeing Kurogiri in there, Yuu's first thoughts were of his brother.
What could have happened at Central?
Was Yuusuke ok?
Who was Yuusuke again?
Why did he care?
The boy quickly shook his head, but regretted the vigorous motion almost immediately.
" Come on… Bakugo-san… this fight will go down in history… are you sure you want to sit this one out?"
Another shock, but nothing happened.
" Yuu…" Seiryuu's voice whispered in his ear. " His life force has already faded away…"
True for that, the golden flame around Bakugo's abdomen that only he could see, the very thing that made a human's soul, was on the verge of being snuffed out.
" You can't continue like this…" the dragon's head murmured, taking a look at the boy's state. " Let him go…"
" I refuse!" Yuu shouted, performing yet another shock.
" Your body can't handle this for long! You barely know who you are anymore!"
" But I know who he is!" He shot back, and the dragon's eyes narrowed as he saw two droplets of tears falling down his face. " Even if I don't remember who I am anymore! I know who this person is to me! And I know I want him to live, no matter what!"
Another electric shock.
" Because he's going to be the number one hero!"
More tears.
" Because I…"
" When you guys are in danger, I'll save you! And when I'm in danger, you guys save me!"
" Don't you dare die now! Bakugo-san!"
Gritting his teeth, Yuu squeezed his eyes shut and poured all his strength into the next shock.
Thump...
... More than he intended to.
The boy jolted, stronger than ever.
And Yuu's eyes went unfocused for a moment as he keeled back, only for Jeanist to catch him before he fell.
" Reito!"
His mind snapped, his eyes focused, and he quickly moved to check on the wounded boy.
His eyes went wide when he found a pulse.
Back then… For a moment… Did I just…
Bakugo rolled his head and coughed.
He coughed up the blood that had accumulated in his lungs from his wounds.
And then took in the first breath on his own.
And Yuu's eyes narrowed slightly as he saw the golden flame had enlarged, slowly regaining its strength with every strained breath he took.
He didn't understand how and why…
But Yuu breathed out in relief.
" Edge Shot…" He addressed the hero still within the boy's body.
" I'm… alive…" He responded. " I don't know how, but… It seems he is stable now… I can't get out just yet… I have to tie the threads carefully so they won't come undone…"
Yuu nodded in understanding and then looked at the girl lying behind him, all beaten up and wounded. Her healing was taking too long.
" Sora…"
Yuu looked down at the ground that was approaching them at high speed.
Or rather, they were the ones approaching it.
We can't control it! Prepare for impact
________________
At the energy center, everyone was in a frantic state with their imminent crash.
" Get ready to fight!" Haya cried out.
" But if we leave now… how would this thing get charged?!" Kaminari asked.
" Stop dawdling and get out, little brats!" Thunderbird shouted, making the boy turn to him. " I'm still here! I can continue to charge this thing! You get out!"
Kaminari could not talk back to the large bird, and so, he and the other two ran out of the center.
" Yuu… you better be fine…"
To the very last moment… In hope that control could be restored… He would continue to charge the artifact…
" This is what I need to do… Kyubi…"...
________________
Yuu hugged Sora and readied himself for a brutal crash.
But it didn't come.
He opened his eyes to find the coffin surrounded by a white translucent layer that slowed their descent and regained the balance.
" We're… saved…" he mumbled.
" This seems like some kind of Quirk… but I don't know how long it would last…" Jeanist added.
Yuu's eyes frowned as he looked back at Sora.
Jeanist was right.
Whoever was holding the coffin, they wouldn't probably last for long.
Under those circumstances, he had no time to ponder his theory and wonder whether or not he could do it.
He just had to.
He held her hand tightly and closed his eyes, focusing solely on her warmth in his hand.
" Sora… Wake up… We need you…"
But the girl was deep in darkness…
________________
Did I die?
Sora asked herself as she was drifting down within the black space, as though drowning.
She couldn't even speak out loud.
Is this how far I can go?
She closed her eyes.
I'm really pathetic. And Angel was supposed to be one of the strongest Quirks.
Something caught her attention.
A soft light.
At the bottom of the darkness.
She turned around, facing towards it.
What's that?
As though to answer her, the light got brighter and brighter.
Until it overwhelmed her.
The girl then stood in the middle of a deserted city.
Buildings broken.
Roads cracked.
Vehicles upturned and abandoned.
It reminded her a lot of Japan.
But something didn't feel right about it.
She then saw a young man with long blonde hair tied into a low ponytail, running through the alleys and looking over his shoulder as if escaping someone.
She wanted to follow him, but she didn't have to.
The whole scenery was moving along with him.
As though it were an extension of him.
A memory… she realized.
But a memory of what?
The man finally entered a basement and began looking around, fearful he might have been followed, when someone spoke to him from the depths of the basement.
" I'm glad you decided to answer my invitation."
The voice was cold, deep, and carried with it a sense of pride.
It was familiar.
" Who couldn't. Everyone fears you. Everyone wishes to join you." The young man answers, and the one sitting in the dark gave a chuckle of satisfaction.
" What about you? Do you fear me?"
" I would be foolish not to."
" Do you wish to follow me?"
" Why else do you think I'm here?" The man clenched his fist. " I was robbed of everything I have. I was called a mistake, an aberration, and escaped death more than I can count. I want to live. I don't want people to treat me like scum just because of this power that I have."
The man chuckled again as he stepped into the light filtering from the broken window, and Sora could finally see his face.
Not the scarred marred one…
His real face.
All For One.
" What's your name?"
" Tadashi," The young man answered.
" If you want, Tadashi-kun, I can rid you of that power."
He thought about it for a moment.
" But then… I will be left defenseless against those who have powers…"
" Indeed. Then, why don't you help me out? Your Quirk is interesting. It could help me create a new world for us."
The man blinked. " A world where I can live freely, as I want?"
" A world where you can live as you want." All For One extended his hand, and Tadashi shook it.
But he felt something odd.
As if his blood was about to be drained through his hand.
The man's face frowned slightly.
" I see… A rather stubborn Quirk…"
" What are you talking about?" Tadashi quickly stepped back, and the man returned to his passive smile.
" I would like you to meet our doctor. He would know how you could help us."
The scenery sped forward to a rather dark lab, with the young man strapped to a chair where Garaki was running all kinds of tests on him.
" Interesting. This Quirk factor can't be removed. It's as unique as the DNA itself and can't be either copied or absorbed." The man mused.
" Is it that rare?" Tadashi asked.
" Yes. Every factor could be removed with the proper method. But this one. It's almost a part of your DNA. No one can take it."
" I don't understand what's so special about this Quirk." Tadashi looked at his hand, uninterested. " It can make me look different and all. But it's not good for fighting."
" It seems you don't understand the potential of it yet." Garaki balanced his glasses. " Say. What do you think of All For One?"
Tadashi thought for a moment.
"In every era, there must be someone who leads people and gathers them under one flag. I think in our era, it's All For One. If someone is able to change the life we're living now. To end this war between those who have power and those who don't. It would be the strongest of us all, All For One."
Garaki smirked.
" I see. Then, to continue being useful to him. I will have to run more tests and experiments."
" Please do!" Tadashi said, slamming his chest proudly. " I will do anything for All For One and his aspired world."
Sora's eyes widened as she realized what was happening.
The memories… Of our first ancestor.
But why?
Why was she seeing those memories?
" Over-modification might have resonated with DNA Writer somehow…"
Was that what Yuu meant?
But none of her ancestors spoke of the memories of the first.
Was she the only one who got to see it?
Why?
Because Angel was fading?
Was it something like One For All?
" Now it makes sense."
" What makes sense?" Midoriya asked Yuu one night after he got back to UA.
" About the consciousness and souls in you, Midoriya-san." Yuu pointed. " This is something that my mother was reading about, but medical articles report that patients who went through organ transfer often see dreams or memories they never lived. Some speculate that it's the memories of the previous owner."
Midoriya blinked. " Then… do you think…"
" Perhaps One For All takes the whole concept to another level, making the people's consciousness and souls linger within the factors it accumulated."...
Could this be…
Because DNA Writer got stronger and Angel weaker…
Now Sora could see the memories of its one and true owner.
The first ancestor.