บท 221: Chapter 218 - Trap All for One 2/2
"Is that true that you want me to get the One for All so I can kill Shoto ?"
All Might, stunned, looked at Katsuki intently.
Then a smile shattered his serious expression.
"Is that what he told you ?"
All Might scoffed, looking up at the sky.
It was a dark, starless night – it seemed as if his life was only a succession of unending nights.
"Yes", he finally said. "I want you to get my Quirk to kill him when the need arises"
"If"
"What ?"
"You said when. It's not when. It's only if, and even that won't happen"
All Might sighed.
"Delusions won't save you from reality"
Katsuki looked pissed.
"I know Shoto better than you ever could, and he won't become the next All for One"
All Might didn't bother to argue.
"Is that why you wanted to meet ? Because you wanted to tell me in person that you didn't want the One for All ?"
It was a shame, truly.
But maybe he could give it to someone else – someone like that Mirio kid.
Or Yoarashi.
"Will you give it to someone else if I tell you I don't want it ?"
"Of course I will"
This power was so much more than a petty teenager and an old, battered-by-life, man.
The One for All would keep moving forward, no matter who got it.
It was the essence of this Quirk.
"So you telling me I was worthy was all bullshit, right ?"
"I didn't say you were worthy", calmly explained All Might. "I asked you if you felt worthy of it, and you said yes"
"Fuck you"
All Might laughed.
He'd forgotten how much fun kids were.
He stood up and dusted his pants.
"I guess I'll see you at Yuei"
"It doesn't mean I don't want it"
All Might stopped.
He assessed angry, frowning, red-eyed Katsuki, trying to understand what he truly wanted.
"Why ?"
All Might genuinely thought this had been the end.
Katsuki didn't seem like the kind of kid who'd accept a Quirk after being told he didn't deserve it.
"He's my friend", Katsuki growled, getting more and more worked up "And if you and all of these fuckers out here think he's going to go batshit crazy on us all, I can't let anyone else get their hands on your Quirk"
All Might looked at Katsuki as if he were seeing for the first time.
There was some kind of will, some kind of fire in him that burned so bright it threatened to consume him whole.
"I'll get the One for All", Katsuki said, eyes as hard as steel. "But I won't ever have to fight Shoto"
All Might's eyes widened a bit.
This was what the One for All was all about : fighting for your beliefs.
"At some point, you'll have to"
The more worked up Katsuki got, the bigger the tingling sensation in the back of All Might's head grew.
This was it.
He'd found someone worthy.
"Don't act as if you know the future. Shoto won't be like that All for One scum, I'll make sure of it"
All Might felt himself cracking a smile, and Katsuki's frown deepened.
"Don't fucking smile, I'm serious"
All Might pulled off a hair from his head.
"You want the One for All ? Here it is"
Maybe young Bakugo was right.
Maybe Shoto wouldn't become the next All for One.
But All Might's senses had never failed him.
Yet while looking at him, he knew one thing for sure : whatever happened, All Might know deep down in his heart that he would stand up to Shoto.
*
To sell our lie, All Might and I had to do a few PR stunts in public.
We started patrolling the city together, went to events together, and acted all chummy – well, All Might did, and I had to act like the grumpy little guy who truly was his father's son.
People looked at us with wonder and awe, and sometimes All Might 'accidentally' let slip out that he was grooming me to be his successor.
Nezu had told us that All for One certainly had people watching us and that the more we spread our story, the more chances it had of getting his attention.
I went through a cycle where I spent my days trying to make my father eat – I managed when he was in a slightly better mood than usual – doing all of these dumb activities with All Might and, at night, cramming medicine books that could help me get Keigo to wake up before dropping by to chat a bit and tell him about my day.
"Here you go", said Léo, giving me a bigger powdered bag than usual. "Though you're sure you're not trying to start your own drug ring ? Because the amount you're buying keeps increasing and-"
"No one's trying to cross you", I said, snatching the bag out of his hand
I went back home and checked my watch.
All Might shouldn't be long-
The doorbell rang.
I opened it and here I found myself face to face with All Might.
I had no idea how much 'time' he had left, but he was still able to keep on his buff version.
"All Might ?"
"May I come in ?", he asked. "I'd like to talk to you about something"
Nezu had written out full scenarios of how we should act in case All for One was watching us – which, hopefully, was the case.
I let him and did not offer him anything to drink, because that was not the kind of stuff I would do – and that's what Nezu had told me not to do.
I never realized how rude I seemed.
We truly learned things every day.
All Might sat down on the couch and told me all about the One for All – or rather he told me an altered version from what I remembered"
"I want to make you my successor"
I looked confused.
"What do you mean you want to make me your successor ?"
All Might acted the part, falsely passionate.
"I've seen your exploits in Tokyo", All Might explained, eyes shining "I've seen what you did to these Nomus and I have been impressed"
He leaned forward, a resolve akin to an eternally burning fire lighting his eyes.
"I know that if you get the One for All, you'll be able to stop All for One"
I cocked my head to the side, arms crossed, curious but not yet convinced.
"What do you mean by 'get' ? Do you think I can take people's Quirks thanks to mine ? Because sorry to disappoint you, but I can't"
He shook his head.
"My Quirk is one that I can transmit. I want to give it to you"
My eyes narrowed suspiciously – Nezu had told me to act this way, yet it felt natural – and I realized how paranoid I truly was, always second-guessing everything and everyone.
"Why ?"
"Why what ?"
All might looked taken aback.
"Why me ?"
"You're the strongest of your generation"
I shrugged.
"It doesn't mean anything for a man like you. Anyone with a half-decent quirk – or no quirk at all – would do. So why me ?"
All Might looked at me intently – it wasn't part of the script – but accepting such a gift without a second thought was not something I would ever do.
Despite what people liked to think, I wasn't hell-bent on being all-powerful.
To me, the One for All was a poisonous gift.
And people never gave anything from the goodness of their hearts.
"It's..."
All Might sighed, and looked away.
His mask crumbled for a bit, his eyes getting duller, his posture looking less imposing but gaining this slight, subtle edge of something dangerous.
Outside it was pouring, raindrops whipping the windows.
I wondered what it would've been like to fight All Might in his prime.
"If you get the One for All, I know you will end All for One. As long as you stay away from anyone else after that… I'll be satisfied"
All Might still firmly believes me a threat.
"And I'm sure you'd like to get revenge on the one that took your brother from your family and made him what he became"
I heard a faint sound coming from Dad's room, and my gaze shifted towards his door.
All Might kept talking :
"He stole your teacher's eyes, he's the reason so many people died despite your best efforts to save them. I know you won't miss the opportunity of a payback"
There was so much confidence in All Might's voice that I knew he truly meant it.
I nodded.
"Alright. How long will it take for you to give me your Quirk ?"
*
Getting out of Tokyo despite the lockdown had been easier than I expected.
All Might had flashed the soldiers guarding the main road out of Tokyo a big smile and a pass and they'd left us to go on our merry way.
"Convenient", I said
He only had to show his face for people to let him through
"I'm still the Peace Symbol"
He shot me a glance.
"I mean, half of the Peace Symbol. Gives me perks"
"Must be nice", I said placidly
Dad had only gotten his son in a box.
Guess there are favorites.
All Might shot me enough side glances to try a monk's patience.
"What ?", I snapped
"I wanted to say... I've heard about your Dad and what happened with your brother. I'm sorry"
"How do you know ?"
Did everyone know ? Had Shirai fucking advertised my father's humiliation ?
"That's not common knowledge. I just have my way, and-"
He shrugged.
"Your father and I haven't always been able to see eye to eye, but I'm still glad he was my partner, however short it lasted"
I was sour.
Barely a few months.
"What happened to him wasn't..."
He pursed his lips, shook his head, and gripped the steering wheel tighter.
"It has been an honor to work by his side"
I nodded and looked away.
Tension left my body.
"… thank you"
We drove for miles until we were fully out of Tokyo's vicinity.
We left the rain behind and got sunshine-pierced dark clouds.
"How is the 'giving away my Quirk' thing going to work ?"
"The way I have to give you my Quirk will not be easy", he explained We'll need space, and we'll need to isolate ourselves. It can't be rushed"
I wondered if All for One was listening to us right now.
Except for these small bouts of discussion, we didn't talk.
All Might was too focused on the road for small chat – or maybe it was that I didn't care enough to speak.
Certainly it was that despite maintaining our cover as him going to make me his successor, we had nothing to say to each other.
He feared who I could become and I despised him because of it.
If someone has not committed a bad deed yet, should we punish him to prevent him from doing so ?
I did nothing to deserve his resentment or disgust ; yet I felt kind of viciously happy that he chose to give Katsuki his Quirk.
Even if it was done so to, through the supposed 'attachment' I had towards Katsuki, stop me from going batshit crazy in a far-off future, I was grateful he did so.
Because as much as Katsuki could influence me, I could influence him too.
*
"It's here"
The old farm looked on the verge of collapsing.
A frail barn was in the back, looking as if the roof was going to cave in at any moment.
We'd left the car amid overgrown grass and walked until here.
All Might had brought a bucket that reeked of blood.
"What are you going to do with it ?"
If he tried to drench me in it as part of his 'ritual', I'd strangle him.
"There are two different ways of giving the One for All", he explained before motioning me to follow him into the barn
Inside it was dark – unnaturally so.
The shadows looked like ink splattered everywhere. It was as if we'd walked into a black hole willingly.
Only a square of light falling from a hole in the roof lit up the place in the very center.
My eyes roamed over the place and I wondered where Jin Woo was, slightly unnerved that I couldn't find him.
All Might bent down and started pouring the blood on the floor while walking in a circle on dry straw.
"The first one is through exchanging blood"
Bullshit.
"It is the fastest process yet it is not the most efficient. If I give you my Quirk this way, you won't be able to get it fully. We'll lose some of its power in the process"
A few red drops fell on his shoes and pants.
"If I give it to you this way – while using the blood of an innocent creature as a catalyst – it'll take more time, but you'll get all of my power instantly"
All Might's back was to me while he poured the blood.
I wondered if this little ritual was a lie that everyone watching us knew about, or if Nezu had told him to lie about the way to transmit the One for All.
This way – by holding in the dark the two most powerful instances in our country – All Might believed he was protecting the One for All's secrecy, and Nezu assured his interests.
Nezu truly is a vicious rat.
But at least this helped protect Katsuki from everybody else too.
"What do I need to do ?" I asked, stepping forward
"Stand in the middle of this circle"
I did so, acting relaxed though adrenaline was running through my whole being.
Even though I wasn't wearing my usual gear, I was fully energized – having taken my usual dose this morning - and armed to the teeth (expression).
Nezu's earring was clipped on my left ear.
My senses were in full haywire.
All for One would pop in any second now.
All Might took a knife out of his pocket, cut his palm then cut mine, mixing our blood.
"By this gesture, I make you the ninth bearer of the All for One"
My muscles tensed.
All Might's gaze shifted from me to above our heads, as if he expected AFO to spawn above our heads.
The world was unnaturally still.
At the limits of my senses, I felt a small squad of soldiers getting on the ground.
The hair on the back of my neck shot up.
My left hand's fingers started twitching and I had to force my whole hand not to go into full spasms.
This was it. This was where everything would end.
The mix of our blood fell in regular plops between us.
All Might's gaze crossed mine.
He looked tense yet puzzled.
Taking a step back, he let my hand go ma main.
"You have to wait", he said "The power is getting through you"
I nodded, blinking wildly while looking at my hands, acting the way I'd thought getting the One for All was supposed to look like for someone who did not know about it.
The (paille) below me suddenly caught fire before getting frozen : a burst of wind came from me and shattered all of the ice around us.
Keigo would've loved my little improvisation.
All Might quickly caught on to what I was doing.
I breathed heavily, looking down at my hands, sweat rolling down my neck, veins popping here and there while I clenched my fists so hard I could've broken my hands.
"The pain is part of the process", All Might said. "You have to bear it on your own if you want to prove yourself worthy of the One for All"
I nodded, looking half-dazed, acting as if I was going to faint.
All Might gaze strayed from me for a split second while he tried to look around.
My knees buckled and I fell on the floor, panting, looking like a crazed man.
I expected All for One to come once he saw how tired and freaked out I was.
"I'm going to get you some water", All Might said after a while
I did not acknowledge him, acting as if I were too caught in the pain to hear him.
I tensed, expecting All for One to suddenly appear as close to me as he could, his hand trying to grab my neck.
All Might came back.
He gave me a bottle of water that I refused.
Picking me out while I was alone would've been the best opportunity.
All Might awkwardly sat far from me.
"It just needs a few more minutes", he said.
We waited.
Close to a full hour went by.
"It's done", All Might said, puzzled
At this point, we had to accept the truth : All for One would not come.
*
BONUS :
He gasped, and the life monitor beeped like crazy.
He felt as if he were underwater, drowning, his head as heavy as a mountain.
He fought against the weight that tried to push him back into sleeping, drawing in ragged, quick, breaths.
He broke through the surface.
His eyes shot wide open, white light blinding him.
The sounds crashed into his ears like tsunamis, hitting him so hard he fell back against his soft pillow.
His arm hit something hard and a bolt of pain shot from his elbow to his head : a loud, jarring crash echoed through the room.
Head spinning, chest rising and falling quickly, he blinked profusely while looking up at the clean, white ceiling.
His skin was clammy, a thin cold bed sheet draped over his skin.
Suddenly, he realized he couldn't breathe properly.
He felt as if he were drowning again, drowning in his blood, drowning in his sleep.
There was something in his throat, something insidious that went down his mouth in the deepest parts of himself.
His clumsy nails clawed at the dry skin around his mouth, peeling off bits of white, dead bits of skin, that fell like snow on his throat.
His fingers closed onto the long, thick cylinder that went right down his mouth.
He violently tore it away.
The thing, way too far into his throat, shot up like a watering can.
While going out it hit the back of his throat and activated his gag reflex : he puked saliva and a yellow, smelly liquid dripped down on his clothes.
He fell back against the mattress, exhausted.
The bed squeaked and moved around a bit.
Sticky hair was plastered against his forehead, and the cold feel of the bed sheet against his skin was heaven.
And then, as suddenly, the door to the room swung wide open.
A doctor rushed inside followed by two nurses.
Keigo Takami was awake.
*
A/N : Guess who's having a mental breakdown while writing the last chapters of Part 2 ?
God I really hope y'all will have one too because otherwise I would've written 550,000 words for nothing.
What did Isayama say ? Right, he wanted to open a hot springs with the tears of his readers.
I'll settle for a lake.
If you like the story, want to support it/read ahead of schedule up to 27 chapters, then go check the story's P@treon, Nar_cisseENG
And see you in the next update everyone !
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