The air in Kamino Ward was thick with smoke and the acrid scent of burning rubble. All Might, his once-mighty form flickering like a dying ember, stood across from All for One the demon lord of the underworld, the architect of so much suffering.
But something was wrong.
All for One wasn't fighting with the usual cold, calculated malice. No, he was enjoying this. Grinning behind that grotesque mask as if this were all some grand joke.
"Why?!" All Might roared, his voice raw with fury. "All this destruction, all these lives ruined for what? Just to prove you can?"
All for One tilted his head, amused. Then, with a snap of his fingers, a pulse of energy surged outward. The city's lights flickered. Cameras died. Communications cut off.
Silence.
"Privacy at last," All for One chuckled. "You've always been so linear, All Might. Good versus evil. Hero versus villain. But the world isn't that simple."
All Might's fists clenched. "What are you talking about?"
"My master," All for One said casually, as if discussing the weather. "This was all his design. Every attack, every tragedy carefully measured. Not too much chaos, not too little. Just enough to keep the heroes sharp. To keep the world afraid."
All Might's blood ran cold. "Your… master?"
"Oh, don't look so shocked," All for One sneered. "You really thought I was the one pulling all the strings? But I pulled it off pretty good didn't I. My master already rules this world. He just prefers the shadows. And what better way to maintain order than to control both sides?"
A sickening realization dawned on All Might. The rise of villainy. The endless cycle of conflict. Even All for One's own empire it was all a distraction. A way to keep heroes fighting a war they could never truly win.
"Who is he?!" All Might demanded, his voice trembling with rage.
All for One's grin widened. "That's for me to know… and for you to find out."
A beep. A flicker. The cameras came back online.
"Ah, showtime!" All for One spread his arms, as if welcoming an audience. "Shall we give them a finale worthy of the Symbol of Peace?"
All Might lunged, but his heart heavy and furious, no longer certain of the future to come. Because the worst truth wasn't that All for One might win or lose this battle.
It was that he and his unseen master had already won the war.
And All Might was just now realizing it.
Several grueling Minutes later.
The crowd roared as the heroes hauled All for One's broken body away, his limbs bound in thick, quirk-suppressing restraints. Blood dripped from his cracked mask, yet his lips remained curled in that same, knowing smile as if he were privy to some grand joke the rest of the world hadn't heard yet.
All Might stood amidst the cheers, his fists still smoking from the battle, but his mind was elsewhere.
"My master already rules the world."
The words slithered through his thoughts like a venomous whisper.
"All Might! You did it!" Best Jeanist called out, his usual stoic demeanour cracked with rare relief. Even Endeavor, standing at the edge of the wreckage, gave a begrudging nod of respect.
But All Might couldn't celebrate.
He turned to Gran Torino, his old mentor, whose sharp eyes immediately caught the storm behind his gaze.
"We need to talk," All Might muttered, low enough that only the veteran hero could hear. "Now."
---
In a secure room far from prying ears, All Might relayed All for One's words to Gran Torino, Tsukauchi, and a select few trusted heroes.
Silence followed.
Then, Gran Torino let out a dry, humourless laugh. "You're telling me we've been fighting a lie this whole time? That All for One was just a damn pawn?"
Tsukauchi's fingers tightened around his notebook. "If this 'master' is real… then who or what are we actually up against?"
All Might's jaw clenched. "Someone who doesn't want to destroy society… but control it. From the shadows."
A cold dread settled over the room.
Because if All for One, the demon king himself was merely a "piece" on the board…
What did that make "them"?
Deep in Tartarus, in a cell designed to hold the worst of the worst, All for One stirred.
The guards outside didn't notice. But if they had looked closer, they might've seen it. The way his lips, beneath the ruins of his mask, never once stopped smiling.