"Besides," All Might continued calmly, "if he simply dies like this… wouldn't that actually be letting him off too easily?"
He gestured toward Steel Boy, who was still lying helplessly on the ground.
"A quick death ends everything for him."
His voice carried a quiet gravity.
"But punishment should mean something."
All Might folded his arms, speaking slowly as he organized his thoughts.
"For example… he could be imprisoned."
"During that time, he could be made to work and contribute restitution to the families of the people he killed."
"And the money he earns from that labor could be given as compensation to the families of the people he killed."
"That way, he pays for his crimes."
"And those who lost their loved ones receive at least some form of restitution."
All Might looked directly at Shigaraki.
"Wouldn't that be a far better outcome than simply ending his life?"
After finishing his explanation, he noticed something interesting.
The blue-haired boy seemed to be thinking.
Shigaraki's expression had softened slightly, his brows faintly drawn together as if seriously considering the argument.
Seeing that reaction, All Might nodded to himself.
Good.
At least the words had reached him.
So he continued, patiently, without the slightest hint of condescension in his voice.
He spoke to Shigaraki not as a superior lecturing a child—
But as an equal.
Perhaps that was one of the reasons he had become the Number One Hero.
"And there's another issue," All Might added.
"If you kill him here, there will be consequences."
"Police investigations."
"Legal procedures."
"Possibly even prison."
He spread his hands slightly.
"That would stain your record."
His tone softened further.
"For someone like you… someone innocent… ruining your future because of a criminal like him simply isn't worth it."
All Might meant every word.
Both professionally and personally, he didn't want this boy's life to be destroyed by a moment of anger.
From a professional standpoint, he couldn't allow an execution to happen before his eyes.
That violated everything the hero system stood for.
But from a personal standpoint—
He also didn't want a young man with courage like this to fall down the wrong path.
Because from All Might's perspective, the situation was simple.
The blue-haired teenager had stepped in to stop a murderer.
That meant he had a sense of justice.
And when someone with that kind of justice witnessed such cruelty…
Anger was natural.
The urge for revenge was natural.
Especially for someone so young.
All Might believed Shigaraki's desire to kill Steel Boy came from righteous outrage.
A moment of emotional impulse.
Fortunately, the timing worked in their favor.
It was nighttime.
Visibility was poor.
The earlier battle had frightened nearby civilians, leaving them watching from far away instead of approaching.
Which meant most witnesses probably hadn't seen Shigaraki clearly.
And All Might had arrived in time to stop the killing.
If the situation were handled carefully—
If he explained things properly to the police and reporters afterward—
Then the boy's life wouldn't be ruined.
But even so…
All Might felt it was important to guide him now.
To make sure he didn't make the same choice again in the future.
That was why he had spent so long explaining everything.
It was, in a way—
A beautiful misunderstanding.
Of course, Shigaraki himself had no idea about any of this.
And even if he did…
He probably wouldn't bother correcting it.
Right now, he was Tenko Shimura, a righteous young civilian.
Not the man destined to become the so-called Savior of Villains.
So he simply nodded slowly.
"…You make a decent point."
His voice sounded thoughtful.
Almost convinced.
All Might's shoulders relaxed slightly.
Good.
Maybe this had worked after all.
But then—
A faint, crooked smile appeared on Shigaraki's face.
"…However."
His eyes gleamed coldly.
"The problem is…"
"I don't agree with you."
The moment the words fell—
Shigaraki moved.
In the dim night, his body blurred into motion.
The timing was perfect.
He struck at the exact instant All Might's guard lowered after hearing his apparent agreement.
It was a fleeting opening—
But Shigaraki's sense for opportunity was already terrifyingly sharp.
Even All Might didn't react in time.
By the time he realized what was happening—
Shigaraki had already slipped past him.
Like a shadow sliding through the darkness.
And in the next instant—
Shigaraki's fist drove forward.
Steel Boy's hardened body—once as tough as steel—might as well have been paper.
The punch drove straight through his chest and into his heart.
Blood exploded outward.
Steel Boy's eyes widened in shock.
He had never imagined—
Not even in his worst nightmare—
That he would die while All Might himself stood right there.
His mouth opened.
His voice came out weak, trembling.
"W… why…"
That was the last thing he ever said.
A moment later—
The light vanished from his eyes.
Steel Boy died with hatred still burning inside him.
Silence fell across the street.
Shigaraki slowly withdrew his hand from the corpse.
Blood dripped briefly from his knuckles.
He pulled a tissue from his pocket and wiped his hand casually, as if cleaning off spilled ink.
Then he turned around.
All Might stood several meters away.
The Number One Hero's face was frozen in disbelief.
For a brief moment, even he seemed unable to process what had just happened.
Shigaraki looked directly at him.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"About that man…"
He spoke slowly.
Calmly.
Each word deliberate.
"He was already beyond saving."
His voice was steady.
There was no fear in it.
No hesitation.
Shigaraki met All Might's gaze without flinching.
His eyes held only certainty.
"From what he told me earlier, it's clear that his mind is completely twisted."
"That kind of corruption isn't something prison labor or years of punishment can fix."
He paused.
Then continued.
"His moral compass is already broken beyond repair."
"If given the chance…"
"He would find a way to cause chaos in this society again."
Shigaraki's expression didn't change.
"That's why I chose to remove the root of the problem."
His tone remained calm.
As if he had simply explained an unavoidable conclusion.
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