All Might looked down at All For One, who lay on the ground like a lifeless corpse.
He said nothing.
There was no sympathy in his heart.
Five years ago, he had already fought All For One with the intention to kill. In a battle of life and death, mercy had no place. And yet, even then, All For One had managed to escape—leaving behind deep wounds, both physical and emotional.
"Ha… I'm fine. I'm actually in pretty good condition right now."
Although his body had felt weak earlier, after the breakthrough, Masata could clearly feel power steadily flowing back into him. The energy he had condensed into Apollo earlier had nearly drained him completely, but now, simply standing here was no problem.
Seeing that Masata wasn't pretending, All Might didn't press further.
After all, the greatest villain had been defeated.
Even if Masata couldn't fight anymore, there was no longer any danger.
"Good. Then, Igarashi, come here!"
All Might took a deep breath.
In a burst of white steam, his thin form expanded back into his muscular state.
He stepped forward, grabbed Masata's arm, and raised it high.
"Come on! Show the world our victory!"
Just like he had done countless times in the past—
Raising a hero's arm symbolized triumph.
Facing terrifying villains, heroes never retreated.
They fought bravely, even at the cost of their lives.
And in the end, they prevailed.
The Symbol of Peace had not fallen.
And beside him now stood a brand-new pillar.
"All Might and this unknown hero have achieved final victory!!!"
The reporter in the helicopter finally remembered his duty. With tears streaming down his face, he shouted into the camera:
"Did you see it?! This battle lasted for so long! The entire sacred district has been reduced to ruins! But the villain who caused this disaster has fallen, and the heroes have won!!!"
The camera zoomed in.
Two figures stood on shattered ground.
Arms raised.
Smiles filled with confidence.
Two powerful bodies radiated security and hope.
Seeing the camera aimed at him, Masata lifted his head proudly and smiled.
"This world needs heroes!!"
"OOOOOOOOH!!!"
That image—and those words—
Instantly spread across every television station in the country.
People who had been holding their breath finally burst into cheers.
Some cried openly.
And no one laughed at them.
Because when you looked closely—
Everyone's eyes were wet.
"All Might never fails!"
"And the captain of the special operations team… he's incredible!"
"That final blow destroyed the villain!"
Under Endeavor's command, the remaining Nomu had been completely wiped out.
At the scene, police officers and professional heroes watched the broadcast while coordinating cleanup.
Kirishima, Bakugo, and the others were no exception.
Even Bakugo, who usually looked displeased with everything, had a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
There had been moments when they thought All Might and Masata would lose.
But in the end—
Victory was theirs.
"Phew…"
At home, Yaoyorozu Momo and the others had been glued to the screen.
When Masata had been restrained by All For One and his color had darkened, their hearts had nearly stopped.
Even through the screen, they could feel the terrifying pressure.
Only now did they understand why Masata had insisted they stay behind.
"When Masata gets home… we're throwing him a celebration."
Momo took a long breath.
After such a battle, he had to be exhausted.
A proper feast was exactly what he needed.
Meanwhile, police forces arrived in large numbers and began large-scale rescue operations.
Heroes who could still move joined in.
Though they couldn't match Masata and All Might in combat, they were experts at post-battle cleanup.
More heroes were called in by emergency dispatch.
The destroyed district was simply too large.
All For One was sealed inside a special containment unit and taken away by Tsukauchi.
Masata's mission was complete.
He was drained and had no interest in complicated rescue work.
After greeting Tsukauchi, he left with All Might, who had also reached his limit.
Reporters swarmed like wolves.
But under police escort, the two easily escaped.
"It looks like my identity is going to be exposed this time."
Sitting comfortably in the patrol car, Masata stretched and spoke to All Might, who had returned to his thin form.
"After all, you're probably the only guy in Japan who uses magma like that," All Might replied helplessly.
He felt conflicted.
Being famous meant losing freedom.
Crowds.
Autographs.
Reporters.
No privacy.
But there was no helping it.
At the same time, Masata's emergence was exactly what society needed.
A new symbol.
A new hope.
"The government will probably downplay your contributions," All Might added. "For your protection. That way, your daily life won't be too affected."
Masata nodded in relief.
That was exactly what he wanted.
He had no desire to be followed by paparazzi when going on dates.
And since he had officially been incorporated into the operation, his actions were legally protected—even without a hero license.
"Because of you," All Might said quietly, "the flame of One For All hasn't completely gone out in me. But… it's still time for me to retire soon."
He gazed out the window.
Fatigue filled his eyes.
After carrying the world for so long, he was finally tired.
"Haha, don't retire so quickly."
Masata smiled.
"U.A. still needs you as a teacher. And what about Midoriya? You can't just abandon him, right? You still have to train him properly."
All Might froze.
Then, the fatigue vanished.
Light returned to his eyes.
"You're right, Igarashi!"
He laughed loudly.
"I'm not done yet!"
Laughter echoed inside the patrol car—
Drifting into the night.