"The current development of Pro Heroes is wrong?"
Hearing Shigaraki's statement—which seemed to contradict what he had said earlier—All Might only grew more confused.
"Why do you say that?"
Just moments ago, you said the existence of Pro Heroes was inevitable. And now you're saying their development is wrong?
To be honest, All Might hadn't come here intending to debate the nature of hero society. His earlier question had only been meant as a way to start the conversation.
But now—
his curiosity had been fully stirred.
He wanted to know.
What exactly did this boy—Tenko Shimura, his master's grandson—really think about the system that upheld the world?
Shigaraki rolled his eyes.
"Come on, at least listen properly."
He tapped the table lightly.
"I said the way Pro Heroes have developed is wrong."
"Not the existence of Pro Heroes themselves."
"There's a huge difference between the two."
"…I see."
All Might leaned forward slightly.
"Then explain."
Seeing that, Shigaraki let out a small sigh, as if resigning himself to spelling everything out.
"Let's start with you."
He looked directly at All Might.
"Because of your unwavering sense of justice, your bold personality, and your overwhelming strength, you've stayed at the top of the hero rankings for years."
"You're known as the Number One Hero."
"Since your debut, crime rates have steadily declined."
"Your mere existence acts as a deterrent to evil."
"That's why you're called the Symbol of Peace."
"The born hero."
"The pillar that suppresses chaos."
"One man who represents the very idea of a hero."
Each sentence was precise.
Calm.
Objective.
"You're admired by countless people."
"Respected by every Pro Hero."
"You're the kind of figure who'll end up in history textbooks."
"And frankly…"
Shigaraki paused for a fraction of a second.
"…it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the stability of modern society owes a lot to you."
All Might froze.
Even for him, those words were a little too direct.
Yes, they were true.
But hearing them stated so bluntly still felt strange.
More importantly…
if this boy understood all of that so clearly—
then why did he show no sign of reverence?
Before All Might could sort through that contradiction—
Shigaraki spoke again.
And this time—
his words hit like a hammer.
"So tell me, All Might."
His tone was calm.
Almost casual.
"But have you ever thought about what would happen if the Symbol of Peace fell?"
All Might's hand paused midair.
"If one day you retire…"
"Or worse—"
"If you're defeated head-on by evil…"
Shigaraki's eyes locked onto him.
"What kind of storm do you think your fall would bring to this society?"
Silence.
"You've been holding this world up with your own body."
"Letting people live in peace under your shadow."
"But…"
His voice didn't rise.
If anything, it grew quieter.
"Can you keep holding it up forever?"
"You're human."
"Not a god."
That sentence landed heavily.
All Might didn't respond.
Because—
he had already asked himself that question.
Years ago.
Ever since that battle.
The battle against the mastermind who had plunged the world into chaos—
All For One.
He had won.
But it had been a hollow victory.
His body had been destroyed.
Half his respiratory system was gone.
His stomach had been removed.
From that moment on—
he had known.
He couldn't keep going forever.
Everything he had done since then—
his bright smile,
his loud, reassuring voice,
his deliberate appearances before cameras,
his iconic catchphrases—
none of it had been for fame.
Or money.
It had been for one reason alone:
To become a light.
Back then, the world had been drowning in darkness.
Every broadcast showed disaster.
Every report carried fear.
There was no hope.
No sign that things would ever improve.
So he stepped forward.
Alone.
He took that crushing weight onto his shoulders—
and became a beacon.
A symbol.
A promise.
And he succeeded.
He became the Symbol of Peace.
But the darkness had never truly disappeared.
It had only retreated—
hiding beneath his overwhelming light.
Waiting.
Like sharks circling beneath the surface.
The moment they smelled blood—
they would rise again.
And he—
could not hold them back forever.
Because Shigaraki was right.
He was human.
Not a god.
Time passed.
Seconds.
Or perhaps something that felt like an entire lifetime.
Then—
All Might spoke.
"You're right."
His voice was quiet.
"I'm only human."
"Not an omnipotent god."
"One day…"
He lowered his gaze slightly.
"…I'll grow old."
"And when that day comes…"
"…I won't be able to stand on the front lines anymore."
But then something changed.
A flame lit in his eyes—
hope, determination.
Because even if he was reaching his limit—
the world was not.
Over the years, he had done more than fight.
He had shown people what it meant to be a hero.
He had inspired them.
Now—
the most popular dream among children was to become a hero.
Across the country—
countless young people dreamed of following in his footsteps.
And those children—
were his answer.
"They'll take my place."
His voice grew stronger.
"They'll carry the torch."
"The name of 'hero' won't disappear."
Even if his body failed—
his will would remain.
And so he said, with absolute conviction:
"Even if I fall…"
"…my ideals won't."
"This world will always produce someone who can stand in my place!"
His fist clenched slightly.
"If one of me falls—"
"Then thousands more will rise!"
"The Symbol of Peace will not disappear!"
"The flame of peace will keep burning!"
The café fell silent.
Then—
Shigaraki nodded.
"Yeah."
"You're right."
His tone was calm.
Unsurprised.
Because this was exactly the answer he had expected.
After all, this was All Might.
A true hero.
But—
that didn't mean it was enough.
A faint sigh escaped Shigaraki's lips.
"Unfortunately…"
He looked at him steadily.
"That's just the ideal outcome."
A pause.
Then, quietly—
"How much longer can you keep going, All Might?"
His gaze didn't waver.
"If it's only for a little while longer…"
"…then it's not enough."
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