In an abandoned storage facility on the outskirts of the city, every window had been sealed with thick layers of paper. No light entered or escaped the place.
From a small office room, AFO stepped out calmly into the main warehouse.
Rows of cylindrical tubes filled the space. Inside each floated a Nomu to be released upon the world.
Beside the tubes stood Tomura Shigaraki and Kurogiri, while the rest of Shigaraki's misfit crew were standing far away in the back.
Shigaraki spoke. "Sensei, I thought you said her Quirk wasn't worth the trouble. Why take it? Wouldn't she make a better hostage intact?"
AFO answered his student patiently. "The boy did not attack the heroes. He is clearly siding with them. A futile hope that cooperation will succeed in saving the girl." A faint smile formed beneath his mask. "I plan to return the broken girl to him. And the only way for her to regain what she lost will be through me."
Shigaraki asked. "And what if he doesn't care? And why did interfere in his fight against the heroes?"
"It will not matter," AFO replied with a vile smile. "I will take his Quirk and eliminate him. This is just a game, the boy's words and actions are enough to expose the kind of person he is and how I should handle him. In the end, if I benefit that's good, if not I would enjoy his desperation"
Shigaraki's voice sharpened. "Please, Sensei. Leave him to me. I want my revenge."
A small pause followed.
"Most likely," AFO said mildly, "you will not have the opportunity. You will not be coming with me."
Shigaraki stiffened. "What?! I want to fight the heroes."
AFO's smile widened slightly. "I have another mission for you. No less important. And it will allow you to kill and ruin heroes."
Shigaraki's agitation eased as he waited for his teacher to continue.
"You will lead your group," AFO continued, "alongside several Nomu, to attack the Hero Public Safety Commission."
Shigaraki's eyes widened faintly.
"What better announcement of my arrival," AFO said, "than dismantling the Commission and killing top heroes including All Might in one decisive night?"
He began walking slowly between the rows of tubes.
"I will take half of the Nomu to confront the heroes directly. Once the majority of standby heroes mobilize toward that battlefield, the Commission will be left vulnerable." His voice remained steady. "That is when you strike."
Shigaraki nodded, though uncertainty lingered. "But are you going to face everyone alone?"
"It will not be an issue," AFO replied. "All Might is a shell of his former self while I have maintained my strength and even gained additional interesting quirks, not to mention the number of nomus by my side is enough to take a considerable portion of the heroes. I have been preparing for this day for the last few years." His gaze drifted toward the dormant Nomu. "The heroes will not understand what has struck them."
He stopped.
"Tonight marks the beginning of a new era of chaos and fear."
Shigaraki's lips curled in anticipation.
——————
Everywhere else in the city, birds cut across the sky in erratic patterns. Insects crawled along walls and beneath doors. Stray animals moved quietly through alleys and rooftops.
From a crow perched on a power cable to a tiny ant climbing a cracked wall, every creature carried a singular directive.
Find Momo. Find AFO or the mist guy and the hands guy from USJ.
Hours passed and the sun sank. Night replaced the day and there was still no trace anywhere.
Junsei stood atop a building, unmoving, listening through thousands of bodies scattered across the city. He found nothing useful.
Desperation tightened in his chest as midnight approached, he began to doubt they were not in the city, maybe they were hiding elsewhere and they were using the mist guy to teleport.
But just when midnight was near, he finally caught something. In an under construction of three stories buildings several districts away, the man covered in hands stood looking toward the distance with a group of people behind him.
Junsei's eyes sharpened.
Without hesitation, he launched himself forward.
He moved across the city in rapid succession, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Concrete fractured beneath his takeoffs. Wind tore past him as he closed the distance within minutes.
When the building was finally in sight, he saw the hands guy on the third floor walking back toward his group.
Junsei jumped straight into that floor landing with a thud that made everyone turn around in alarm.
For a split second, surprise registered on every face as they saw him.
Then they all Villains shifted into defensive stances.
Junsei's gaze locked onto Shigaraki Unblinkingly.
"What is your relation to AFO?"
Shigaraki froze briefly at the sight of Junsei's glowing eyes. Then a slow smile crept across his face.
"I've wanted to meet you," he said. "To repay you for ruining my attack and preventing me from killing All Might."
Junsei ignored his words and asked again "What is your relation?"
Shigaraki's smile widened. "Why? Looking for the girl? Too bad. She's with Sensei. You won't find her."
Junsei's voice remained flat. "You are his student?"
"Yes."
The word had barely left Shigaraki's mouth when Junsei moved. He lifted his leg and stomped the floor with full force causing concrete to break and support beams to snap.
The entire level collapsed instantly, giving way beneath everyone present.
As the villains lost their footing and began falling, Junsei surged forward, seizing Shigaraki by the neck.
The moment his hand made full contact electricity erupted. A violent current coursed through Shigaraki's body. His scream tore through the night air as his muscles locked. He was unable to activate his Quirk or resist.
Junsei continued to leap from the collapsing building, taking Shigaraki several buildings away.
Behind them, the structure continued to crumble.
Without a word, Junsei proceeded to break both of Shigaraki's arms, his face betraying no emotion as Shigaraki wailed. He continued by peeling the hand from Shigaraki's face and pried his jaw apart.
Junsei's eyes glowed blue as he raised his hand to his mouth and savagely tore a chunk from it. Then he pressed the gushing wound to Shigaraki's mouth, forcing the blood down his throat. Shigaraki thrashed, but his broken arms were useless against Junsei's iron grip.
With one final, brutal shock that made Shigaraki's body arch and seize. He lifted Shigaraki and turned toward the courthouse, the site AFO himself had chosen for their meeting.
——————
Near the courthouse, the heroes were spread throughout the area in preparation for AFO's arrival. Exactly at midnight, a swirling purple mist appeared at the very spot where he had disappeared earlier. From it walked AFO, smiling, with Momo dragged by the neck.
The girl looked miserable. Her face was pale, and her eyes were red. She could barely stand.
His arrival alerted the heroes, with All Might the first to step forward and confront him.
"AFO!!" All Might shouted.
AFO smiled beneath his mask. "I have been looking forward to meeting you again since our last encounter. I have much to repay you for."
"I defeated you once," All Might said. "I will do it a second time."
At the same time, heroes from all directions began closing in, surrounding AFO. He paid them no attention, keeping his focus entirely on All Might.
"I admit your strength back then caught me by surprise," AFO said calmly, "but now you are nothing more than a pathetic shell of your former self. You came here to die, All Might."
"If you are so confident, let the girl go and fight me!" All Might demanded.
"There is no hurry. I will kill you tonight regardless," AFO replied. "I brought this girl to trade with the boy. Where is he? It is one thing that he didn't kill the heroes as I instructed, but not appearing at all?" He glanced around thoughtfully. "Perhaps I overestimated her importance to him."
"He is not here," All Might repeated. "So let her go. Your fight is with me."
"All Might, that will not do," AFO said. "If he is not here to receive her, then what is the point of keeping her alive?"
Hearing that, All Might gritted his teeth. "You demon!!"
AFO's smile widened. "Your anger and desperation… how amusing."
He looked around at the surrounding heroes. "Perhaps the boy believes your pathetic gathering is enough to save the girl. Unfortunately, you will need someone to save you."
At that moment, portals began opening all over the area. From them emerged dozens of Nomu of various sizes and shapes, immediately launching attacks against the heroes.
"How many people did you condemn to this sick fate?!" All Might shouted.
"My special gift to you heroes," AFO replied. "And where is your smile? You should be smiling for the cameras." He gestured outward.
All Might followed his motion and noticed dozens of cameras installed around the area.
"When did you?"
"They are broadcasting everything," AFO interrupted, "including our conversation, across all of Japan. Did you truly believe I would select this place abruptly to announce my appearance without preparation? I am here to declare the end of this era and the return of the age of chaos. Your death will serve as an example."
AFO lifted his arm. It began to swell and twist unnaturally before releasing a massive shockwave that sent All Might flying hundreds of meters into a building in the distance.
"You are far weaker than I imagined," AFO said.
All Might gritted his teeth and charged forward again. The villain smiled and lifted Momo by the neck, positioning her directly in front of him.
All Might came to an abrupt stop.
AFO did not hesitate. He unleashed another shockwave, which All Might narrowly sidestepped. However, the ground beneath him suddenly turned to clay, causing him to lose his balance for a split second.
AFO's arm transformed into a whip, lightning crackling around it. He lashed it across All Might's face, opening a deep wound, mirroring the very scar AFO bore.
Then AFO raised his foot and stomped down. The earth erupted like a clay volcano. All Might was launched several meters into the air, only for another shockwave to strike him midair and send him crashing through multiple buildings.
Moments later, All Might emerged from the wreckage. His face bled. His side bled. He was breathing heavily.
He coughed up blood and dropped to his knees. Steam rose from his body as his muscle mass began to shrink.
AFO laughed softly. "How pathetic, All Might. You are already reaching your limit, and yet you dare to believe you can face me?"
All Might glared at him, fury burning in his eyes.
"Damn you."