Satoru dashed forward, reaching Shigaraki and clashing with him.
"Do you have a plan now?" Shigaraki asked.
"Do you really expect me to tell you?" Satoru countered. "Dark Explosion!"
Satoru created another explosion to raise dust.
"Again?" Shigaraki said. "How many times do I have to tell you I can localize you with Search?"
Shigaraki saw him. "There you are!"
What Shigaraki touched, though, was Izuku's cape. That's not Satoru nor Midoriya. Where are they...?
Izuku appeared behind him. Too late! Search allows you to see people you've already seen, so I bet it worked on the predecessors, too. I separated the Second from the others and left him in that trace of DNA!
They... they tricked me! Shigaraki realized. My body... is refusing it! It is telling me not to let myself get hit!
"You really thought only Izuku was about to attack you!" Satoru arrived from up above and kicked Shigaraki on the forehead, landing his blow at the same time as Izuku, who managed to transfer Gearshift inside Shigaraki. We did it.
__________
Suddenly, Satoru found himself on the ring at the Sports Festival. What the hell is happening?
"Dark-kun, it worked!" Izuku's voice made Satoru temporarily return to normality. "The second predecessor did it, but we must not give Shigaraki rest!"
Satoru quickly nodded and dashed forward, but found himself in a spiral with mixed memories.
These are my memories... but Izuku's and Tomura's too... what the hell is happening? Why are our memories mixing? Is it because both Tomura and I have All For One?
"Shigaraki!" Izuku exclaimed, charging forward.
"Midoriya!" Shigaraki responded, ready to counter.
Izuku punched through Shigaraki's barrier and punched his chest.
Yes, like that, Izuku! Satoru said in his mind. Suddenly, though, the three of them were brought back to reality.
I don't understand anything that's happening... Satoru clutched his head.
He rejected One For All's transfer? Izuku wondered. But I've damaged him...
Those fingers of his... It's like they're protecting him like a barrier... Satoru thought.
Suddenly, he noticed something on his right: a kid with black hair holding what was probably his mother's hand. These are... Shigaraki's memories as a baby... that means Izuku's attack wasn't useless.
__________
Satoru and Izuku fought with all their might to destroy Shigaraki's fingers that kept approaching them.
Everyone's watching us... that's great, Satoru thought. That means I'll be able to show everyone I've really changed. Even to Mei-chan and to Neito... who knows if Hikaru's watching me...
I am probably the strongest in the world right now, maybe even stronger than Izuku himself... if I don't defeat Tomura, then who will?
Watch me, World. Watch me as I finish my redemption.
Izuku finally found an opening and got closer to Shigaraki.
About time! Satoru jolted forward and attacked Shigaraki alongside Izuku. If we can attack him simultaneously, then we must do it!
Suddenly, a transition. Satoru was magically transported into a black space alongside Izuku.
They both had their scholar uniform on and a backpack on their shoulders.
"What the hell just happened..?" Satoru wondered. Then he noticed a house. "That's... Tomura's house..."
Satoru stepped closer, and Izuku followed him.
"We are inside the deepest part of his consciousness." Next to Izuku, a purple ghost appeared. Satoru saw it for the first time.
"Izuku, why is there a ghost next to you?" Satoru asked.
"You can see me?" the ghost asked. "How?"
"Dunno, maybe because of the connection between OFA and AFO," Satoru supposed. "Right now, I'm like the third wheel."
"Well, my name is Nana Shimura, just for you to know," said the ghost.
"Nice to meet you, ghost," Satoru said. "Since when have you been talking to her, Izuku?"
"For a while," Izuku replied. "There were other ghosts with me, but they're all inside Shigaraki now."
"I'm the only one who's been rejected again," Nana said. "Sorry."
"No, I'm happy to still have you by my side," Izuku said.
"Shall we enter?" Satoru proposed.
"Yes," said Izuku.
"This is Shigaraki's core," said Nana. "His origin. His most fragile part."
Satoru opened the door of the house and found a giant picture of Nana and Shigaraki as a baby.
"Tomura was such a cutie when he was a baby," Satoru tilted his head. "How did he become so ugly?"
"Enough joking around, Satoru-kun," Izuku said as he grabbed his friend's hand and dragged him away. They found themselves in the backyard of Shigaraki's house.
That black silhouette... Satoru thought. Is that Shigaraki...?
Izuku started to run towards Shigaraki and his father, but was blocked by an invisible barrier.
There's an invisible wall!
"That's not your grandma," Kotaro (Shigaraki's father) said. "That's a woman who abandoned his son. To save the others, Heroes make their family suffer."
He didn't keep that photo out of love... Nana thought. But because he couldn't get rid of it!
"Dammit, let me do that!" Satoru said as he dashed forward and shattered the invisible barrier with a punch. "Was it difficult? No, it wasn't!"
Satoru rolled on the floor and slowly raised his face. Nana blocked Kotaro's hand, preventing him from slapping Shigaraki, and Izuku reached Shigaraki.
Suddenly, another change. It was night, and they were still in the backyard, but Kotaro had disappeared.
Satoru heard a voice behind him. "I can't bear anymore..."
When he turned, he saw baby Shigaraki clinging to his dog. "I hate everyone... everyone!"
This must be the first time his Quirk manifested... Satoru supposed. When he was Shigaraki's dog disintegrating at his touch, he realized his supposition was true.
"Tenko..." Satoru heard another voice. When he turned, he saw Shigaraki's sister.
So that's how it went... Tomura told me about his past after he regained his memories, but I would never have imagined this...
When Shigaraki began to run after his sister, Izuku stepped forward and blocked him. I must stop him here!
Izuku, what are you doing? Satoru wondered. Why... why am I not doing anything? I gotta do something!
Suddenly, his eyes snapped. Satoru found himself in another place. Next to him, there were Shigaraki and Izuku. Oh no, not again...
Under the three of them's feet, the floor disappeared, and Satoru saw All For One's face.
All For One's mouth took Shigaraki, and Izuku and Satoru jolted in the air. "Stupid vessel! How could you let a stupid brat bend your soul? Not to mention that traitor! You really are stupid, Tenko Shimura!"
Close your eyes, it's all a dream... Satoru tried to convince himself as he closed his eyes, but when he opened them, he found All For One towering over him while he was falling in a dark space.
"Akiyama Satoru," All For One began. "Your betrayal has only made me more resolute. There's a reason why I chose to invade Tomura's mind and body instead of yours: because I knew you would have eventually become a hero. Taking over you would have been pointless, and to be honest, Tomura is way simpler to manipulate. I was expecting your betrayal, you know? What I wasn't expecting was your incredible strength, though."
"Everything that has happened to you... from the day I took you with me to today... has happened on the palm of my hand!"
"Outta my sight, you faceless asshole!" Satoru exclaimed. "You're not Aizen, don't act like it was all part of your plan! I made my own decision, and I was done being manipulated by you since you gave me your power!"
__________
Satoru was lying on the floor, shirtless, battered, and unable to regenerate. I want... to go home...
When he raised his head, he saw Izuku had lost both of his arms, and that All For One had taken over Shigaraki's body.
"After I'm done with you, I must pass to my final goal," All For One. "The world."
"I won't... let you..." Izuku said, panting heavily.
"Izuku, you've lost your arms..." Satoru said as he slowly got up. "You still... have to... kill me... All For One..."
"Pity it has to end like this," said All For One as he prolonged his hand to release the finishing blow. "You've been a great pawn, Satoru."
Suddenly, though, his arm was stopped by someone: Sero.
Sero... Satoru thought.
"Midoriya! Akiyama!" Sero exclaimed. "We've come to help you!"
Ojiro and Sato appeared behind All For One.
"Sugar Knuckle!"
"Twirling Tail Dance!"
All For One was smashed away.
Sero-kun... Ojiro-kun... Sato-kun... Izuku muttered. Thank God...
A portal appeared behind Satoru. He turned and saw what looked like a miracle in that moment.
Oro was back. "Yo, Satoru. Sorry if it took so long."
Chapter 86 - End