All For One, also known as the Symbol of Evil and the embodiment of fear for countless enemies, left his home, heading farther away so that his wife, Inko, wouldn't see him. He knew she would be watching his departure, so he changed his clothes and dyed his hair to avoid being recognized.
Smirking to himself, he reflected on how he had lived for over two centuries, killed thousands with his own hands, and kept all of Japan's heroes trembling for almost a decade — yet now, he was nervous in front of his wife, as fragile as glass. Love is a strange thing: you can be ruthless and power-hungry, striving for dominance, but for the sake of love — for just two people — you begin to doubt yourself, wondering if your ideals are still right and whether the tiny piece of happiness you recently found might now be in jeopardy. Casting one last glance out the window, he picked up his suitcase and stepped out, telling himself everything would be alright.
"Don't worry. I'll keep my promise and come back safe and sound."
Once he was far enough from home, he spoke his accomplice's name, and a dark purple portal opened before him. The "Lord of Darkness" stepped into it.
"Kurogiri, send me to the laboratory."
A few seconds later, glowing yellow-gray eyes formed within the misty portal — not quite eyes, more like piercing lights in a fog.
"Yes, Master. Everything is ready. The doctor awaits you," said Kurogiri respectfully, his tone laced with fear. Kurogiri was, after all, a creation of All For One. With the help of Dr. Garaki, he was born as an artificial being — a Nomu — devoid of will, emotions, or morality. Nomu knew no love or sorrow, only malice, aggression, and bloodlust. They were mere puppets in the hands of their master.
As All For One passed through the portal, his eyes met the sight of transparent capsules, each holding a different type of Nomu. Some were massive and clumsy, ideal for cannon fodder. Others were highly specialized, equipped with powerful Quirks: strength, agility, regeneration, durability, and the ability to absorb a wide range of attacks — all to make them capable of enduring the wrath of the Lord of Darkness's enemies.
"I see you haven't wasted any time, my old friend," said All For One with satisfaction, examining the capsules filled with Nomu floating in thick, strange fluids.
Doctor Garaki, a man devoid of compassion, oversaw all research in genetic engineering and Quirk manipulation. The resources at his disposal were thanks solely to his master, who allowed him to pursue his studies without limits. But everything had its price — in this case, an obedient army of Nomu to fulfill All For One's ambitions and heal the injuries left by his eternal nemesis, One For All, and its previous wielders.
The last wielder was Toshinori Yagi, who chose the ridiculous hero name "All Might." A man who had underestimated the Lord of Darkness. He should have died the first time they met in the ruins of a once-great city. Yagi had looked at All For One with pride and a smug grin, believing in the strength of his Quirk. This infuriated All For One — that his younger brother's power had been passed to someone else. All former users of One For All feared him. They avoided direct confrontation in hopes of survival, but the story always ended the same: the death of the Quirk's bearer.
And now, standing before him wasn't a seasoned warrior — but a reckless youth, who smiled proudly in the face of the Lord of Darkness. Rage consumed All For One. Someone dared to challenge him… with a smile. Blinded by fury, he lost control and composure, unleashing a barrage of stolen Quirks — tentacles, beams, lasers, blades — but All Might dodged them all with confidence, counterattacking with one of his most powerful moves.
"Texas Smash!"
The strike was so powerful that it caused a massive collapse of nearby ruins within a 100-meter radius, leaving a deep crater. In that moment, All For One realized he had underestimated his opponent. Though the damage was manageable — his regeneration dealt with most of it — he now attacked with more calculation, while Yagi continued dodging.
"AHAHAHA! So this is the monster who makes everyone tremble? You call yourself the Lord of Darkness? AHAHAHA!"
All Might's laughter mocked him. He kept dodging attacks, pushing All For One to the edge.
"Honestly, you're nothing but a sad little boy playing villain. AHAHAHA!"
Enraged by the insults, All For One's eyes became cold and calculating. Regaining control, he extended his palm toward All Might, charging up energy for a devastating blow. But just as he prepared to fire, he was struck from behind. The shot went wild, aimed into the air.
"How long have you been watching?! Where the hell were you?!" shouted Toshinori at his mentors, who had just arrived. They glared back fiercely.
"Now's not the time for questions, brat. Focus, like I taught you," said one — a man in a yellow-white hero suit, black mask covering his eyes.
"Toshi, hold him back. We'll attack from both flanks. We can't afford any mistakes," said the brunette in a white cloak, watching the enemy's figure standing amid flames, radiating menace.
"You really think the three of you can defeat me? An entire army of heroes has stood against me — where are they now? Where are your comrades?" All For One mocked, tossing aside his torn jacket. A malicious grin stretched across his face.
"Detroit Smash!" shouted All Might, lunging with another blow — but it was blocked. A force field surrounded All For One, and All Might's strongest punch couldn't break through. His shocked face was met only with a smirk.
"You don't belong here, kid. Get lost."
Damage absorption.
Mirror.
Reflection.
Air Cannon.
Force Field.
All For One absorbed the blow, redirected it, and sent it back with crushing force. All Might was hurled 500 meters away. But their strategy had worked: while he was distracted, two other heroes struck from both sides, hammering him with everything they had.
Nana and Torino landed blow after blow, severely damaging the Lord of Darkness. But not willing to be a punching bag, he released a powerful energy blast, hurling them into buildings. They groaned in pain — no one had expected such a Quirk.
A red laser charged in All For One's hand, aiming at the Symbol of Peace. Rising from the rubble, All Might quickly dodged the beam. But in doing so, he realized too late that Shimura, his mentor, was still in the collapsing building.
The laser sliced through concrete. The structure shook. All Might leapt to the sixth floor, grabbed Shimura, and jumped to safety. While he was rescuing her, Gran Torino tried to hold off All For One — but lacked the firepower to do real damage.
Bored with the resistance, the villain unleashed another energy wave, throwing Torino aside.
"You thought you could stop me with these mosquito bites? Pathetic." A devilish smile curled on his lips as he looked down on them.
Shimura, now recovered, stood beside her allies.
"You know, I thought three against one was unfair. Let me fix that."
Behind him, dark portals opened. From them emerged Nomu — ten in total, the maximum available.
Five of them were thin, with dark blue skin and sharp spikes, faster than any C-rank hero. The others had wings, multiple mutated eyes, and dark, swampy skin. Their beaks were filled with jagged teeth, and their claws could rip a person apart with ease.
"Aren't they beautiful? Behold — my creations!" With a simple command, the creatures lunged at the heroes.
"We're in deep trouble."