Those words made All Might's heart jolt.
Why would Shimura-kun say something like that?
Could it be…
had he somehow learned the secret of One For All?
But that made no sense.
That secret was known only to a very small handful of people.
There was no way an ordinary student should know it.
Could Nana have told him?
No—
that didn't make sense either.
Back then, he was still just a child—far too young, far too ignorant of the world. There was no reason Nana Shimura would have entrusted something like that to him.
Then how?
While All Might was still reeling from that unsettling thought, Shigaraki spoke again.
And this time, his voice was filled with confidence.
Not arrogance. Not empty bravado. Confidence.
The kind that came from someone who had already convinced himself he would win.
"So," Shigaraki said, tapping the table lightly with one finger, "I chose a different path."
His eyes were steady.
"I'll preserve this superhuman society in my own way."
All Might stayed silent.
He could sense it now—
the boy had moved past idle complaints and abstract criticism.
What came next would be the heart of it.
And Shigaraki did not disappoint.
"Why do Villains exist at all?"
He answered his own question almost immediately.
"In the end, it comes down to desire… and inequality."
"People want things."
"People fail to get what they want."
"People fall through the cracks."
"And then society slaps the word 'Villain' on them."
He leaned back slightly, expression calm.
"So why keep treating them as irregularities?"
His tone sharpened, just a little.
"Why not turn Villains into a legal profession?"
All Might's pupils contracted slightly.
Shigaraki continued as if he were laying out a business proposal.
"Create lawful Villain organizations."
"Let Villains suppress Villains."
"Let those whose crimes were minor—or those who truly understand their mistakes and are willing to change—join under official supervision."
His fingers drummed lightly against the table, each tap measured.
"Even Pro Heroes could be folded into the system if necessary."
"Assign salaries based on contribution."
"Use structure."
"Use incentives."
"Use competition."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Competition between Villains is far preferable to endless conflict between Heroes and Villains."
"Because at the end of the day…"
"Villains are still just another kind of person."
He said it without warmth.
But there was no contempt in it either.
Just blunt recognition.
"If joining a legitimate Villain organization offers better returns than random crime and destruction…"
He tilted his head slightly.
"…then why would anyone still bother committing senseless crimes?"
For the first time since they sat down, a visible light kindled in Shigaraki's eyes.
Not kindness.
Not excitement.
Vision.
The cold, bright light of someone who could already see a different future in his mind.
"Let me build a new order."
"Let me change this society, which has already been twisted by moral coercion and trapped in hero-centered thinking."
He smiled then.
Not mockingly.
Not cruelly.
Simply with absolute certainty.
"I won't lose."
"And I won't fail."
Then his gaze locked onto All Might.
Direct.
Unflinching.
"All Might."
"Your era should come to an end."
"I'll drag you down from that altar myself."
A pause.
Then, word by word:
"This is my declaration of war against you."
"And my declaration of war against this superhuman society."
All Might stared at him.
For a moment, he genuinely forgot to breathe.
Because in that instant—
he saw a shadow of himself.
Not the current Symbol of Peace.
Not the Number One Hero.
But the reckless young man he had once been.
The one who had stood before Nana Shimura and declared, with all the arrogance and innocence of youth:
I'm going to become the pillar of this society.
Back then, he had been absurdly certain.
Absurdly bold.
And now, sitting across from him, was a boy carrying that same kind of blazing conviction—
except pointed in a completely different direction.
No.
Tenko Shimura could never become the next wielder of One For All.
Because whatever else he possessed, he did not have the kind of heart that would willingly sacrifice itself for others.
And yet, his actions still bore traces of heroism.
That contradiction made him all the harder to judge.
At last, All Might let out a small, bitter laugh.
"If society really became what you're describing…"
He lowered his gaze to the coffee in front of him.
"…then what meaning would Heroes even have?"
That was the cruelest part.
He could not deny that Shigaraki's proposal might actually reduce casualties among Heroes.
In purely practical terms, it had terrifying plausibility.
Follow that road far enough, and perhaps peace really could be achieved.
But if that happened—
what then?
What place would Heroes have left in the world?
Perhaps by that point, the profession of Pro Hero itself would vanish completely.
And yet, despite all of that, All Might found he could not bring himself to stop this boy.
Because Shigaraki's plan, however dangerous, was not fantasy.
It was frighteningly plausible.
After a long silence, All Might finally spoke.
"Shimura-kun."
His tone was quiet, but completely sincere.
"I understand what you're saying now."
He lifted his eyes again.
"Even now, I still don't know which of us is right."
He smiled faintly.
"But personally…"
"…I prefer the world as it is now."
Shigaraki said nothing.
All Might went on.
"That said—I won't stop you from trying to create the world you described."
His voice softened.
"If that path truly can lead to peace…"
Shigaraki's eyes flickered.
He had been waiting for that sentence.
That was the entire point.
Because the system task required him to build a Villain organization.
And once that organization grew large enough, a direct clash with All Might would be inevitable.
At his current strength, there was no chance of winning that confrontation.
If All Might interfered directly at the wrong stage, everything would collapse—his organization, his plans, even the task itself.
So Shigaraki had made a calculated gamble.
He had deliberately exposed part of his thinking.
Deliberately shown All Might a glimpse of the future he intended to pursue.
Because he understood something important about the man sitting across from him:
All Might was the kind of person who, for the sake of peace, was willing to sacrifice everything—
and also willing to protect any path that might lead to it.
And now—
the gamble had paid off.
"Thank you, All Might."
The gratitude in his voice was light, but genuine enough.
Then he pulled out his phone and checked the time.
It was already getting late.
Outside, the sun had almost finished setting, leaving only the last trace of evening clinging to the horizon.
He slipped the phone away and rose slightly from his seat.
"If there's nothing else," he said, "I should get going."
"Himiko's still waiting for me."
That made All Might look up again.
There was one question he had deliberately held back until now.
And now he asked it.
"Shimura-kun…"
His eyes sharpened.
"Do you know what my Quirk is?"
Shigaraki narrowed his eyes.
He had assumed All Might would let that topic pass.
Apparently not.
All Might watched him seriously.
"You don't need to deny it."
His voice was calm.
"The way you spoke just now…"
"…you clearly know far too much."
"Not just about my Quirk."
A pause.
"Possibly even about that person."
For a moment, Shigaraki said nothing.
Then he lightly rocked the spoon in his hand and asked in a quiet voice:
"So what if I do?"
He looked up.
"Can I influence anything right now?"
"Your choices. Your actions. Your path."
He gave a small shrug.
"With my current strength, I can't really do anything to you."
All Might smiled.
A tired smile.
But a real one.
"I know."
"That's exactly why I said I wouldn't stop you."
His eyes were steady.
"I'm betting on your future."
That answer made Shigaraki go still.
So—
his little scheme had been seen through all along.
All Might had understood what he was doing.
And despite that, he had still willingly stepped into the trap Shigaraki laid.
For peace.
For possibility.
For the chance that this dangerous, brilliant boy might one day create something better instead of something worse.
Shigaraki stared at him for a few seconds.
Then, inwardly, he sighed.
As expected of the Symbol of Peace.
Then All Might lowered his voice slightly and said:
"Shimura-kun… I want to make a deal with you."
That finally drew a bit more interest from Shigaraki.
"A deal?"
He set the spoon down.
"Let's hear it."
All Might reached into his coat and pulled out a photograph.
Then he slid it across the table.
"There's someone I want you to protect."
Shigaraki's gaze dropped to the image.
A green-haired boy with freckles.
Izuku Midoriya.
All Might spoke the name aloud.
"Him."
"Izuku Midoriya."
Shigaraki only glanced at the photograph once before lifting his eyes back to All Might.
Then, with a faint, unreadable smile, he said:
"Don't you think it's a little early to be talking about that, All Might?"
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