Izuku Midoriya vs. Tomura Shigaraki is a battle that took place during the Final War between Deku and Tomura Shigaraki. Deku was also assisted by the Vestiges of One For All.
Prologue[]
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The return of Tomura Shigaraki.
After being warped to U.A. High School by "Kurogiri", the Twice Doubles created by Himiko Toga are able to disrupt the first fight between Deku and "Tomura" by pushing Eraser Head, Present Mic, and Manual out of the way and knocking Phantom Thief to the ground, shutting his eyes and interrupting the effects of his copied Erasure. Immediately after, a powerful explosion is unleashed from "Tomura's" body, destroying most of the U.A. Fortress just as Skeptic successfully hacks into the floating school's system.[1] After Tomura breaks free from the control of All For One's Vestige, he proudly tells Deku that he is the hero's villain.[2]
Deku begins to feel the side effects of using Gearshift, with the backlash causing his body to risk oxygen depravation if his cells don't get a chance to rest. Thankfully, La Brava and Gentle, who were recruited by Naomasa Tsukauchi, begin to counteract Skeptic's hacking and stop U.A. from falling. As "Tomura" begins to find his footing and prepares to destroy the U.A. Fortress with Decay, Lady Nagant shoots his hand off with her Rifle Quirk all the way from Central Hospital, giving Deku the brief time he needed as the villain began to regenerate his hand.
Inside of Tomura, the Vestige of All For One curses the former villains for opposing him as Tomura starts to overpower his master. Tomura mocks All For One's failed attempt to manipulate Lady Nagant and for grooming him in order to take control of his body. He reveals that he hid the core of his being deep inside his soul to reclaim himself from both the inside and the outside. All For One tries to get Kurogiri to warp him away, but the Nomu is unresponsive due to his internal struggle about who he is fighting for.
Tomura declares the destruction of everything stemming from "that house" is the only thing that can save him.
Tomura declares that unlike Gentle and Lady Nagant, his heart won't waver, and as both Tomura Shigarki and Tenko Shimura, he only has one hope: the destruction of everything connected to his father's house, which is the only thing that can "save" him. Deku knocks the villain out of the fortress to prevent its destruction by Decay. He wraps Tomura's arms with Blackwhip before telling him that even though he can't let him destroy everything, he also can't pretend he didn't see the crying little boy inside of him.[3]
As they fall to the ground, the Business Course students, wanting to ensure that they avoid the same lack of documentation in Jaku City that caused society to initially collapse, begin to film all around them. La Brava is able to hack into the students' phones, allowing their footage to be broadcast throughout the entire world. Meanwhile, the Doubles continue to cause problems for the heroes on the U.A. fortress, even managing to push Eraser Head and Present Mic out of U.A., but "Kurogiri" suddenly appears to warp the teacher duo out of the battlefield. Though the heroes are confused by this sudden occurrence, they nonetheless put their trust into Deku as he and Tomura continue their battle.[4]
Battle[]
Deku continues holding back Tomura.
As the two rivals rush towards each other, with Tomura giving a wicked smile, Deku grabs Tomura's arms to avoid getting killed by Decay. The force between their struggle creates a giant cyclone, with the two of them standing strong in the eye of the storm.[5] Eventually, they begin flying through the cyclone, with Deku further reinforcing his hold on Tomura's arms with Blackwhip.
As their struggle continues, Deku is able to sense All Might's final battle with All For One through All Might's Vestige. Gritting his teeth, Deku continues to do his best while Tomura smiles as wickedly as ever.[6]
Deku feels All Might fighting through his Vestige.
Eventually, All Might and All For One's battle makes its way towards the U.A. fortress, giving All For One the opportunity to use Warping on Tomura now that he's in close enough range. However, Tomura swallows the sludge and tells his master to not butt into his fight. In light of this, the Demon Lord begins dragging former No. 1 Pro Hero's body towards the fight as the Business Course students continue filming everything.
Tomura mockingly tells Deku that he should go save All Might while he returns to the fortress to destroy the heroes who stood up to him earlier. Deku sees the dangling All Might, and despite putting his tearful days behind him, he struggles to hold back his tears once again. Within One For All, the Vestige of All Might begins to fade away as Deku calls out to his hero.[7]
Deku helps Dynamight save All Might.
All Might attempts to take himself and All For One out with one final attachment to his dismantled suit. Unfortunately, All For One thwarts his plan and paralyzes him with Bloodcurdle, having stolen it from Stain. Gentle, after managing to stabilize U.A., attempts to help All Might, but All For One blasts the school, forcing the former villain to keep his post. Ethan Drive and the remaining American pilots try to help out in their X-66 jets, but All For One blasts them away. Just as All For One is about to kill the Symbol of Peace in front of the entire world, Dynamight recovers, looking down from the U.A. barrier, and locks eyes with Deku.[8]
Dynamight quickly rushes over to Deku with Explosive Speed: Cluster. They manage to lock hands while Deku continues restraining Tomura. As he prepares to use Gearshift to increase Dynamight's speed, Toshitsugu Kudo warns him that this will worsen the eventual blowback to his body. As All Might's Vestige continues fading away though, he understands what must be done. After spinning in the air, Deku launches Dynamight to help him save All Might.
The heroes and villains go beyond.
Tomura assures Deku that Dynamight won't make it in time, and notices that the Vestige of All Might within Deku becomes more solid the closer he is towards death, meaning that the dream he once represented will revert back to the harsh reality the world once knew. Dynamight successfully proves Tomura wrong, as his incredible speed, combined with the world's wish for a miracle, allows him to save All Might from All For One's grip, making the Vestige inside Deku return to its faint form.[9]
All For One, despite his seething anger, tries to focus on taking back control of Tomura and One For All. Dynamight, however, attacks him and takes the villain one on one.[10] Tomura finally breaks free of Deku's Blackwhip and tells him he'll destroy his hold on him again and again. Though Deku was able to stay alive using Danger Sense, he still hasn't figured out how to deal with the villain's superpowered body, Super Regeneration, and Decay. Despite the risk of blowback, he reactivates Gearshift on himself as he and Dynamight begin to go beyond.[11]
Deku and Tomura battle in the raging waves.
As Deku and Tomura's battle progresses, they end up crossing the abandoned cities of Japan, eventually reaching the roaring waves of the ocean. Tomura tells Deku about his intention to "destroy everything", and by spreading his Decay deep underground, he will not only make Shizuoka Prefecture crumble in the blink of an eye, but also cause the entire country of Japan to collapse within a week, snuffing out any hope of restoration and leaving nothing but sea and sky. With Gearshift starting to take a toll, Deku puts on his mask to breathe as he continues using Gearshift in combination with Fa Jin and Danger Sense.
Tomura can feel that All For One is dead, and despite not being able to stop Dynamight, he's grateful that their fight made him strong enough to adapt to Deku's speed. The villain catches Deku off-guard and attempts to grab his face, but Deku slashes off Tomura's fingers just as quickly. However, that one touch enables Tomura to steal Danger Sense from Deku along with Hikage Shinomori's Vestige. Tomura asks his foe how long he can keep this up.[12]
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Tomura corners Deku with an onslaught of attacks.
The villain examines a fragment of the power that once drove his master insane. Though he doesn't share the same obsession, he's willing to use whatever it takes to destroy the hero. Deku attempts to restrain Tomura with Blackchain, but now that Tomura possesses Danger Sense, he effortlessly dodges each attack. He declares that his destruction will begin with Deku, the greatest thorn in his side.
Charging forward, he demolishes every house and building in his path. As he advances, he recalls Deku's words about not being able to ignore a crying child, and claims that he's long since moved beyond being treated like a human being. Deku is flung far away by Tomura's attack, though he shields himself from the blow by wrapping himself with Blackwhip.
Tomura is ruin incarnate.
As his mask crumbles away, Bruce Lee notes that they landed right near the foot of Mt. Fuji just as Gearshift's begun to wear off. He reminds Deku that Tomura only stole one Quirk, which didn't change the physical boost of One For All. En Tayutai suggests that he uses the power he has left to escape, worrying the next time that monster touches him, the rest of the Vestiges will be stolen away.
Tomura floats down to Deku, saying he can see the Vestiges trying to make a plan. He knows that running and hiding was how One For All was able to get as strong as it is now, and he needs to destroy them before their next escape. He will continue destroying everything, just like what Spinner was hoping for. With his feet on the ground, a massive wave of destruction left by Decay follows behind Tomura, which threatens to make Mt. Fuji erupt. En says that Tomura is no longer a successor to All For One, and with his delight in only destruction, he is ruin incarnate.
Deku unleashes a powerful Delaware Smash to stop the spread of Decay.
Deku stands his ground, reminding himself of his conversation with Ochaco Uraraka about Tomura and Himiko Toga. He says that somewhere deep inside Tomura is a person, as he begins wrapping Blackwhip around his right arm, including inside his body, destroying his Mid-Gauntlet as Tomura's new Danger Sense begins going crazy.[13]
Powering up his fist with Fa Jin, Deku fires his Delaware Smash to counteract the wave of Decay by scooping up the onrushing wave of destruction that Tomura was unleashing and blowing it all harmlessly away in a single blow. Tomura's impressed that Izuku calculated the full range of his Decay's spread and countered it in a single move as the gale-force winds lift him skyward, even though he thinks it's only a stopgap measure.
Deku's blow tears off Tomura's arm.
Tomura believes all he needs to do is restart his Decay wave once again, and launches himself through the air using a repulsion Quirk. However, he notices that the dust cloud that the wind picked up hasn't vanished, and realizes he's fallen for Deku's next tactic. Through Deku's Smokescreen, several blackchains shoot out at Tomura, who dodges them thanks to Danger Sense, but gets overwhelmed by multiple attacks, leaving him too distracted to properly react to the real threat, as the young hero suddenly strikes, punching off Tomura's hand.
By using Kudo's Gearshift in Low Gear to anchor En's Smokescreen in place, and surrounding Tomura with Daigoro Banjo's Blackwhip, Deku was able to trigger a constant alarm from Hikage's Danger Sense, within Tomura's mind, allowing him to create the opening he needed to store energy using the Bruce's Fa Jin.
Tomura accurately pins down Deku's location and hits him with Rivet Stab.
However, with Search, Tomura can see through the smoke and bombards Deku with a relentless barrage of Rivet Stab. The Quirk also exposes Deku's weaknesses; he's out of breath from Gearshift wearing off, and his charged attacks come with heavy recoil on his body. Tomura knows that a strong enough blow from Deku could kill him beyond even Super Regeneration's repair, but he also knows Deku won't go that far when he's still clinging to the hope of saving the crying child within him.
As Deku unleashes the power he had stored up in his leg, Tomura goes on about how people interpret the world through narrow windows. When they see something inexplicable, they concoct rationales to put themselves at ease, and that cramming himself into a narrow worldview is like putting a square peg into a round hole. Much like how Tomura can see the other Vestiges, Deku can see within Tomura's soul through All For One, which allowed him to keep track even through the smoke. Tomura claims that the little kid inside him has been buried deep inside his worldview, represented by a leaden mass. All that's left is Tomura Shigaraki, who's doing just fine.
Deku refuses to give up on that crying boy.
Nana Shimura, seeing the terror that her grandson has become, tells Deku to give up, since there are some people who simply can't be saved. In face of Deku's ideals he carries as a hero, Tomura represents an impenetrable wall that he doesn't need to overcome, and the only option left is to take him down in a single blow. Despite this, Deku still holds on to hope, wanting to ask Tomura why he can't let go of his sad, lonely past. All he did was put a lid on it, and until he smashes that lid to pieces, he won't give up.
As Tomura prepares a blast of energy, Kudo says this was why he was initially against helping Deku. The desire to save an enemy is delusional madness that disrupts their destined path. However, after observing Deku, he can see that he clings to the idea that inside everyone, regardless of who they are or where they come from, beats a human heart, and that's something now that Kudo wants to believe.
The embers of Star and Stripe points to a mental scar within Tomura's soul.
Inside of Tomura, All Might's vestige is able to see a lingering phantom of Star and Stripe, pointing inside of Tomura to reveal a small crevasse within the leaden mass. Realizing what needs to be done, Kudo tells Deku that the time has come for him to part ways with One For All.[14]
Back when Star and Stripe's Vestige invaded Tomura's body during their battle, she caught a glimpse of the sorrowful boy buried deep within him. Now, Tomura knocks Deku back with a powerful blow, momentarily stunned by the lingering presence of Star, confused by how her remnants still haunt his mind.
Kudo tells Deku to forcibly transfer him and the other Vestiges into Tomura.
Deku crashes to the ground, gasping for breath, his costume in tatters from the last attack. Struggling to rise, he asks what Kudo meant. Kudo explains that the core of hatred inside Tomura is a ball of malice and memories as dense as lead, representing his unshakable resolve and hateful spirit. However, All Might caught a glimpse of something deeper: a scar left behind from the battle with Star and Stripe, one that even Tomura's regeneration couldn't heal. Kudo tells Deku that this ball of hate is the key; by channeling the power of One For All into that unhealed scar, he can pry open Tomura's will and reach the boy trapped inside.
Deku and En are both confused, thinking that transferring One For All into Tomura would only make him stronger, but Kudo offers a broader explanation. He says that the right kind of transfer can wound and sometimes even break the thing being passed, comparing it to throwing something back rather than handing it over, like how Dynamight passes things to Deku. There's no certainty it will work, so Kudo volunteers himself as a test run, as Danger Sense's theft along with Hikage indicated that a single piece could be transferred at a time. Kudo tells Deku to throw him with enough force to shatter him completely, allowing him to act as an attack rather than giving up control of his power.
Despite struggling with the idea of letting One For All go...
Tomura floats up high in the air, looking down at Deku and the Vestiges. En argues that he should go instead, as Gearshift is the cornerstone of the fight and his Smokescreen is the most useless right now, but Kudo insists they start with him, pointing out that Gearshift's crippling recoil will finally disappear after the transfer, and even if Tomura manages to tap into it, the backlash will eventually hurt him too. Bruce says it's too risky, but Kudo says they've had to make callous calls before. Despite how cruel the world can be, Deku doesn't give up, and Kudo wants to believe he's got the right idea.
Deku, however, can't bare the idea of parting ways with his Quirk, and despite how far he's come, he still thinks of One For All as an irreplicable gift from the hero he admires more than anyone. As Tomura begins closing in, Kudo tells Daigoro to stay with Deku until the very end, since Blackwhip is the only thing keeping him alive right now. He also asks Yoichi Shigaraki to watch over him, and Yoichi quietly promises that he will. Turning back to Deku, Kudo asks to hear if Deku can do this.
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...Deku forces his body to move using Blackwhip, creating Deku Overlay.
Deku answers that he will, and with a surge of resolve, he blasts Tomura back with a flurry of attacks from Blackwhip, the force startling Tomura so badly that his hand is severed for the second time. Deku then coats his entire body in Blackwhip, using Deku Overlay to force his battered frame to keep moving. Watching him advance, Tomura mutters that looking at Deku now, he'd never guess he was a hero.[15]
En is surprised at how readily Deku is willing to go through with the plan, but Kudo assures him that he's not driven by duty, but his deep respect and admiration for Quirks as a whole. Deku knows he'll have to deal with Tomura's speed without Gearshift, recalling All Might's words about how One For All can be transferred to an unwilling recipient, a theory Kudo and Bruce once explored. His blood will serve as the transfer agent, entering through an open wound, but with Tomura's Super Regeneration, injuries don't last long, making the moment of impact their only real opening.
Deku rips the earth apart to keep Tomura air born.
Tomura reflects on Deku's last attack, realizing he panicked and cut off his own hand before Deku's plan could take effect. While most people in Deku's state, wracked with pain and struggling to breathe, would focus on survival, Tomura doesn't care about that, as long as he can keep destroying everything. Tomura dives for the ground below, but Deku blasts out a massive Smokescreen, catching even En by surprise.
Tomura manages to touch down, but unknown to him, Deku had already sliced through that section of the ground with Blackwhip during his last attack, as he and the Vestiges devised their plan. Now, with Blackchain, Deku hurls the entire chunk of land high into the sky, just like at the U.A. barrier. Using both Danger Sense and Search, Tomura detects a light approaching from behind and grabs it, only to find it's just Deku's cape, which instantly decays. Then, he sees the real light, which is Deku's blood, hidden within Blackwhip, and this time, the light isn't Deku at all.
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Kudo manages to land a direct hit against Tomura's scar.
Tomura detects Deku above him, but it's too late. Deku is already in striking range, fist drawn back and wrapped in Blackwhip containing Kudo's Vestige. He had gambled on Search locking onto the other successors instead, and by focusing his intent on transferring the power, he was able to split off a fragment of himself residing within his own blood. By launching that blood, hidden inside the Smokescreen, he slipped past Tomura's radar and closed the distance undetected. En is quietly moved, realizing his Smokescreen gave them this one crucial opening.
As Deku closes in, Tomura's body instinctively tries to reject what's coming, shielding himself in layers of hands. One of those hands reaches for Deku just as he drives his punch into Tomura's stomach. In the clash, Tomura manages to slash part of Deku's face, but the blow lands, and Kudo's Vestige crashes into the lingering mental scar, tearing it open even further.
The battlefield becomes overrun with memories.
As Tomura reels from the impact, both he and Deku are suddenly pulled into a shared vision: a memory of when Tomura first met Himiko and Dabi. The scene quickly shifts into another: the moment Deku and Shoto clashed during the U.A. Sports Festival, followed by Spinner questioning Tomura about his plans for the League of Villains. Yoichi observes that their memories are beginning to merge. En urges Deku not to let up, since Kudo's sacrifice alone wasn't enough. He tells him to keep pushing forward, to strike deeper before the opening disappears.[16]
As the clash between them continues, more memories begin to swirl around—scenes from the past bleeding into one another. Deku sees moments like his team-up with Tsuyu and Minoru, and his first confrontation with Tomura during the U.S.J. Incident, alongside Eraser Head and the U.A. students. Yoichi explains that the resonance between All For One's Quirk Factor and One For All has been building rapidly, and after Kudo's strike, it's reached a critical threshold. The remaining Vestiges begin to merge, converging into Deku's arm and preparing him for another transfer attack, this time with all their power behind it.
Tomura rejects the transfer.
The two archenemies shout each other’s names with raw fury as Tomura shields himself beneath an even denser mass of writhing hands. Deku drives his fist forward, managing to punch through the grotesque armor, but only En's Vestige breaks through, while the others are violently repelled back to him. Realizing what this means, Deku understands that Tomura hasn't completely sealed himself away; true breakthrough can only come by pushing past the wall of hands and fingers guarding him. As the struggle intensifies, another towering memory looms above them: a small boy walking beside a mysterious older man. Gritting his teeth, Deku declares he'll keep punching through, no matter how many times it takes, while Tomura buries himself beneath an even greater swarm of grasping hands and fingers.
Just outside the battlefield, Mei Hatsume has managed to deploy one of her robots to keep recording the fight, with assistance from La Brava. As they work, the two reflect on how Deku has been Mei's most valued client, and how thanks to him, Gentle was able to stand tall as a hero today. The live feed reaches audiences around the world, including the evacuees at U.A., who watch with growing concern for Deku's safety.
The entire viewing world silently watches Deku's life or death battle.
Eri tries to rush out to help him,[17] but Ectoplasm stops her; saying the battles against All For One, Dabi, and Gigantomachia have severely damaged the evacuation system, and her Rewind energy hasn't recovered yet. As the little girl grips her horn in frustration, Kota quietly steps beside her, admitting he's a crybaby just like Deku, and seeing him fight so hard makes him feel like he has to do something too. Among the evacuees, one person who had once asked Deku, back when he returned to U.A., if he could bring back their old lives, now watches in silence, worry etched across his face. The rest of the crowd stands still, breathless, with only a single voice ringing out, cheering the hero on.
Back at the U.A. barrier, Gentle and Cementoss were able to gently land the falling fortress into the water. Everyone begins evacuating the facility while Chargebolt and Creati watch the live stream through the former's phone. Chargebolt thinks back to how in comics, there are characters in the sidelines who are always cheering on the main character. Despite Deku probably being the strongest person in the world, Chargebolt doesn't feel like everything will turn out okay like how All Might inspired everyone, and cries while worrying that being concerned means he doesn't have faith Deku can win.
Deku transfers One For All, allowing him to break into Tomura's subconscious.
On the roof of Central Hospital, Lady Nagant tells Rock Lock that she followed Deku because he wrenched open her heart, and there's nothing harder for a villain than that. Rock Lock says being a hero is making villains loose their will to fight, and she says he doesn't fight like everything's black and white; he's going down a thornier, more nuanced path, and seeing his face when he's up against the wall inspires others to risk it all and back him up.
Deku continues pushing past all of Tomura's fingers, despite Tomura desperately trying to reject the attacks. As Tomura shouts at Deku to get away from him, the young hero uses the power of all the remaining Vestiges to punch through the rest of the villain's armor.[18] The force of the blast not only sends Mei's robot flying away, but also destroys the leaden mass within Tomura's heart. In the Vestige world, Nana is the only Vestige that got repelled, not because of Tomura's hatred for her, but rather due to her own weakness.
Nana is the final Vestige left.
Izuku is surprised to find himself in front of a strange house, wearing his U.A. uniform and backpack. As he goes to ring the doorbell, a dark, shadowy version of himself appears, asking if learning more will change anything. Izuku surmises that this is how Tomura sees him, and that he's using this form to communicate with him. He tells the dark version of himself he doesn't know, but letting this end without knowing the whole story wouldn't sit right with him. The phantom Deku tells Izuku to die, but Izuku assures him that he will let him it.
Suddenly, a truck almost runs over Izuku, though he jump out of the way. Noticing how the truck grazed his backpack, he realizes that Tomura's mindscape is able to physically affect him. Nana appears, explaining that Izuku's delved deep into Tomura's subconscious, and as a successor, their thoughts take a solid form and can affect each other in this place. Nana apologizes for being the only one left behind, but Izuku is glad she's still with him in this place. Smiling, Nana tells Izuku to think of this place like Tomura's origin, where he's at his most delicate and malleable. He's likely to be fragile here, and it's here they can strike his origin directly.
Tomura's past obstacles block Izuku's path.
Just as Izuku prepares to charge forward, Stain suddenly drops from the sky, pinning him down in the exact same way he once did during his and Tomura's first encounter. Stain leans in, coldly telling him he's about to die. His face morphs into Re-Destro's, who demands to know what burdens Izuku carries and what kind of future he's trying to build. His nose then warps into Overhaul's mask, who coldly asks if Izuku even has a plan. Gritting his teeth, Izuku replies simply that even though he doesn't have one, he's not stopping. Shoving past the twisted amalgamation of villains, he throws open the front door, where he comes face-to-face with the image of Nana and her son Kotaro, captured in a single, quiet photograph.
Nana is stunned to see the photo still intact, kept all these years by her son, and her eyes begin to well with tears as she and Deku venture deeper into the tangled web of memories. They burst through a doorway and into a backyard, only to witness a grown-up Kotaro viciously beating a shadowy figure of a small boy.[19] Izuku tries to intervene, but slams into an invisible wall, helplessly watching as Kotaro looms over the child.
Izuku rushes towards Tenko, but is blocked by an invisible barrier.
Kotaro screams that the woman in the photo isn't his grandmother, but a monster who abandoned her own child in the name of heroism. Nana collapses in anguish, realizing the pain she passed onto her son has now reached her grandson. Tears streaming down her face, she confesses she wished she could have defeated All For One and come home, and that she never wanted to leave her family behind.
As Kotaro raises his hand for another strike, the barrier shatters. Izuku rushes to shield the boy, while Nana embraces her son. She tells the memory of Kotaro that she's sorry, that she never made it home, and that everything, from the pain to the anger, is her burden to bear. As she holds him close, both Nana and Kotaro slowly fade into the light, leaving behind only silence.
Nana stops Kotaro as Izuku breaks into Tenko's origin.
Izuku, now wearing his middle school outfit, finds himself in the same backyard in the dark of night, with a little boy crying as he gets comforted by his dog, Mon.[20] Izuku feels the same overwhelming emotion he first experienced when he saw the child back at Jaku Hospital. Calling out to Tomura, he watches as Tenko's power causes Mon to decay. Izuku realizes this is the first time Tenko used his Decay Quirk. Suddenly, a little girl appears to comfort him. Sensing what's about to happen, Izuku, now transformed into a boy the same age as Tenko, steps forward to block him.
Tenko grips both of Izuku's hands as they begin to decay, but Izuku visualizes holding on tightly, refusing to let go. Tenko asks why he's stopping him, and as the final piece touches his core, Izuku answers simply: because he saw Tenko crying. Tenko insists it was his choice to destroy his own home and family, since no one could validate his existence so completely.
Izuku holds onto Tenko's hands.
Despite Tenko's rejection and his hands crumbling away, Izuku stands firm, recognizing this as Tenko's hatred and catharsis clashing with his grief and confusion. Remembering his conversation with the Vestiges and the possibility that killing Tomura may be the only option, Izuku tells Tenko that others have reached out to take his hands and help him find peace, and that's why he's here. As his hands get completely destroyed, Izuku tearfully looks at Tenko and assures him that it will be okay.
Tenko also begins to cry, as he realizes that Izuku's completely earnest emotions are flowing into him. As his hatred begins to fade and he's brought to his knees, Tenko's mind flashes back to a memory of playing heroes with two boys, Mikkun and Tomo. They suggest he should be All Might, but Tenko refuses, since he's a villain who fights in the name of evil to destroy. Visions of Spinner, Himiko, Dabi, Twice, and Mr. Compress appear before the boys, as Tenko begins to crumble, reverting back into Tomura. He tells Izuku that even if his hatred is extinguished and he ends up hollow, it doesn't matter because the villains need a hero of their own.
All For One returns and takes back Tomura's body.
Outside of the Vestige realm, the mass of Tomura's fingers begin to clear away as they crumble into dust. The Counter Force rapidly tries to figure out what happened to Deku, as it seems like the battle is finally over.
Suddenly, the two boys are flashed with a memory of someone meeting Kotaro for the first time. Tomura and Izuku are both confused, as they doesn't know whose memory this belongs to. Even more suddenly, the ground beneath them breaks apart and terraforms into All For One, who swallows Tomura whole, belittling him for loosing a battle of wills against an absolute nobody, and he tells Tenko that not one thing in his pitiful life was his own choice.[21]
Tomura crumbles as he's told All For One orchastrated his entire life.
All For One seethes with fury at Izuku for destroying Yoichi and One For All, yet Tenko's spiritual defeat deep within his subconscious has allowed the Demon Lord to crawl back and reclaim control. He coldly tells his vessel that he made him believe he was making his own choices; otherwise, his strength of will would have been stunted. Through encounters with Lariat and Smoke-Eater, All For One learned that reclaiming One For All would require a will stronger than his own, and while All Might had him on the defensive, he began searching for a soul capable of grinding down that spiritual fortitude.
He engineered a plan for Kotaro to have a second child, knowing Hana was already too old, and the moment that child was born, he stole his Quirk Factor. He nurtured Kotaro's toxic beliefs, personally walked Tenko home that day with the truck, and secretly implanted Decay, a version of Kai Chisaki's Overhaul Quirk modified to only destroy. As Tomura crumbles under the crushing realization that every part of his life was orchestrated by this mastermind, All For One ruthlessly shatters his spirit completely. Izuku calls out All For One's name as he is forcibly expelled from Tenko's subconscious.[22]
Aftermath[]
Deku had lost his arms while holding onto Tenko's.
After breaking free from the subconscious world, Tomura's body stands distorted and misshapen, fully overtaken by All For One's control. He mourns the loss of Yoichi and laments that his own goals have been thwarted. A faint, lingering will tries to speak from within, but "All For One" silences it by forming a hand over Tomura's mouth. He explains that the spiritual damage has taken its toll on the flesh, destroying Decay in the process.
Deku, battered but alive, struggles to rise, only to collapse again as the destruction in the spirit world has severed his arms in the real world. "All For One" remarks that neither of them emerged unscathed, but Deku refuses to surrender despite his grievous loss. The villain declares his intent to forge a narrative where loss breeds strength, preparing to deliver the final blow to this child who seemingly has nothing left to lose.
Eraser Head arrives with reinforcements to save Deku.
Before "All For One" can claim victory, Cellophane rushes in, wrapping the villain tightly with Tape. All For One scoffs that his presence was so insignificant Deku's own aura masked the warning. Cellophane asks if Deku needs saving, just as Tailman and Sugarman arrive, knocking "All For One" back with a Tornado Tail Dance and Sugar Knuckle combo attack. Deku breathes a sigh of relief, grateful they're all still alive. Suddenly, through a Warp Gate behind him, Eraser Head appears, apologizing for the delay.[22]
References[]
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 377 and Episode 154.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 378 and Episode 154.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 379 and Episode 155.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 380 and Episode 155.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 384 and Episode 156.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 398 and Episode 159.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 402 and Episode 162.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 403 and Episode 162.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 404 and Episode 162.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 405 and Episode 162.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 406 and Episode 162.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 410 and Episode 164.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 411 and Episode 164.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 412 and Episode 164.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 413 and Episode 164.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 414 and Episode 165.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 415 and Episode 165.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 416 and Episode 165.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 417 and Episode 165.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 417 and Episode 166.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 418 and Episode 166.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 419 and Episode 166.