When Masata spoke those words, the expression beneath All For One's mask changed instantly.
That brief defensive movement had been far too obvious.
Masata had already noticed.
"Heh… looks like I was right."
Seeing All For One freeze for a moment, Masata felt even more certain.
Before this, no matter how fiercely he attacked, All For One rarely defended directly. Instead, he preferred counterattacks, using offense to neutralize Masata's blows.
But whenever Masata aimed for his head—
All For One would immediately abandon offense and switch to full defense.
That alone revealed everything.
"Disappear!!!"
Exposed, All For One roared in fury and rushed forward.
His emotions were clearly out of control.
Masata's grin widened.
No matter how powerful someone was, once they became impatient, they would inevitably make mistakes.
And the moment of full attack…
Was also the moment of greatest vulnerability.
Facing All For One's charging fist, Masata simply twisted his body slightly.
The punch passed right by him.
"What?!"
All For One's mind went blank.
At such close range, how could he miss?
Even Masata himself didn't fully understand it.
He only felt the disturbance in the airflow.
Some instinct deep within him told him where to move.
He followed it without thinking.
"Up you go!"
Masata raised his knee and slammed it into All For One's abdomen.
The impact launched him straight into the air.
"I'll make this unforgettable!"
Laughing wildly, Masata kicked off the ground and soared upward after him.
BOOM!
Magma erupted from his body.
It surged toward his right hand, compressing, rotating, condensing—
Until it formed a dazzling sphere, nearly white-hot.
"Apollo!!!"
Now above All For One, Masata gripped the blazing sphere tightly.
Inside it was terrifying explosive force and unimaginable heat.
He turned into a blur and drove it downward.
However, All For One crossed one arm tightly over his face while striking with the other.
The defense was desperate—but effective.
Masata's attack was momentarily blocked.
"Tch!"
Annoyed, Masata narrowed his eyes.
The aura within him surged again.
Under his control, that overwhelming momentum crashed down on All For One.
"—?!"
For a split second, All For One's thoughts froze.
His arms hesitated.
His defense slipped.
Masata didn't miss the chance.
The blazing sphere slammed directly into his body.
It stuck to him.
And dragged him downward.
BOOM!!!
Under All Might's stunned gaze, the sphere exploded.
It expanded into a massive white-hot magma vortex, swallowing All For One completely.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"
A scream tore through the battlefield.
Even the so-called Dark Emperor could not endure such heat.
Despite his ice and temperature absorption Quirks, he was powerless.
His regeneration activated repeatedly—
But it couldn't keep up.
His body was being destroyed faster than it could heal.
The molten mass melted through the ground, dragging him deeper and deeper.
BOOM!!!
A violent tremor shook the entire area.
It felt like an earthquake.
People fell to the ground, clutching their heads.
A massive crater tens of meters deep formed where All For One had fallen.
A scorching shockwave swept outward, clearing rubble and dust.
Only scorched ruins remained.
All Might slammed his foot into the ground to steady himself.
His eyes were wide.
His face was filled with disbelief.
He never imagined Masata could unleash something like this.
The news helicopter spun wildly in the turbulence before the pilot regained control.
The reporter was completely speechless.
Across the country, people sat frozen in front of their televisions.
No one spoke.
It looked like a natural disaster.
Kirishima, Bakugo, and the others stared in shock.
They had been worried about Masata moments ago.
Now, he had crushed the greatest villain before their eyes.
Masata released his Quirk and descended slowly.
Smoke billowed as he landed near the crater.
He looked down.
All For One lay motionless in hardened magma.
Without hesitation, Masata jumped in and pulled him out.
"Tch… He's still alive?"
Steam hissed from All For One's body.
"Didn't even hit the mask, and he survived Apollo… This guy really isn't human anymore."
All For One's breathing was weak.
But he was alive.
The countless fused genes inside him gave him monstrous vitality.
"Well… being alive is fine."
Masata sighed.
"At least I won't be labeled a killer."
He briefly considered finishing him.
Then he noticed the helicopter overhead.
He gave up the idea.
Heroes couldn't execute villains.
And public opinion was terrifying.
Besides, the damage he had dealt was already devastating.
Even with regeneration, most of All For One's internal organs had been burned.
Recovery would be nearly impossible.
Even if he somehow returned—
Masata was confident he could defeat him again.
This confidence came naturally.
He didn't even question it.
What Masata didn't realize was—
Right now, no one cared whether All For One was alive.
Everyone was staring at him.
The mysterious youth who had stormed onto the battlefield…
Who had fought All For One head-on…
Who had defeated him completely…
When even All Might had been pushed back.
"Ahem… Igarashi, how are you holding up?"
All Might slowly walked over, exhausted.
His voice was hoarse.
But his eyes were filled with relief.