"Who are you?!"
Edgeshot's expression changed drastically.
In all his years as a Pro Hero, this was the first time he had encountered such a terrifying presence.
The man before him stood suspended in midair.
He had no visible facial features—no eyes, no mouth—yet his voice still echoed clearly. Edgeshot couldn't even tell where the sound was coming from, but the sensation was unmistakable.
It felt as though he were being stared down by a tiger.
As if—
The moment the man decided to act, he would die.
"…His arm… is missing?"
Edgeshot noticed that one of the man's arms had been completely destroyed. His body looked battered, as though he had recently endured an overwhelming shock.
And yet—
The pressure radiating from him was almost tangible.
Edgeshot's heartbeat began to accelerate.
Etsuha had warned them before—there was a Villain here that even All Might might not be able to defeat.
At the time, Edgeshot hadn't believed it.
Now—
He wasn't so sure anymore.
The investigative Hero beside him was even more shaken.
In his perception, All For One radiated an intense light—like a blazing sun. He had only ever seen such overwhelming presence once before—
In All Might.
This was an opponent on that level.
"Run!"
The investigative Hero almost shouted the word.
At that moment—
All For One moved.
He raised his remaining arm.
The air around him compressed instantly, condensing into a dense, invisible projectile that shot toward Edgeshot like a cannon.
Danger!
Edgeshot reacted immediately.
His Quirk allowed his body to become as thin as paper. In an instant, he flattened and twisted his form, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Whoosh—
The air cannon skimmed past him and slammed into the ground behind.
BOOM!
A massive crater exploded outward.
"…What terrifying power…"
Edgeshot glanced back, his heart pounding.
If that attack had struck him directly—
That crater wouldn't be in the ground.
It would be in his body.
"Impressive."
All For One's voice remained calm.
"Dodging my attack proves you're an excellent Hero. Though your Quirk is rather dull… unlike the one beside you."
His attention shifted to the investigative Hero.
"You noticed my presence before I revealed myself. Such perception is… intriguing."
In an instant, All For One had already decided—
He wanted that Quirk.
"Enough talking!"
Edgeshot took a deep breath.
This wasn't a completely unwinnable fight.
If he could find the right moment, his speed—approaching the speed of sound—might allow him to slice through the enemy.
And if he could stall—
Reinforcements would arrive.
More Heroes would gather.
And then, even this monster could be contained.
With that thought, Edgeshot moved.
His arm extended, thinning into a razor-sharp blade, slicing forward at near-sonic speed!
"Insignificant."
All For One's voice didn't waver.
Ripples spread through the air around him like water.
His remaining arm swelled grotesquely, expanding at visible speed. In an instant, it became massive—larger than half his body.
Before Edgeshot's attack could land—
The hand closed.
BANG!
Edgeshot's attack—
Stopped.
Caught.
Crushed.
"What…?!"
Edgeshot's eyes widened in shock.
Everything had happened too fast.
In that split second, All For One had combined multiple Quirks—air pressure manipulation, muscle enhancement, explosive force—executing them seamlessly.
Edgeshot hadn't even seen the process.
His near-sonic strike—
Had been stopped effortlessly.
Then—
All For One pushed forward.
The force erupted like a storm.
Edgeshot's body was launched backward, flying hundreds of meters in an instant!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Buildings shattered as he tore through them, one after another.
Bones cracked.
His body was nearly destroyed on impact.
Finally—
He slammed into a thick wall and collapsed, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
One strike.
Instant defeat.
"…What kind of monster… is this…?"
Edgeshot's vision blurred.
He had never encountered such overwhelming power.
Just a casual attack—
And he had been completely crushed.
What he didn't know was—
Even Best Jeanist, ranked above him, would fare no better.
And this—
Was still not All For One at his peak.
"…Still alive?"
All For One sounded mildly surprised.
"You have remarkable endurance."
He paused briefly.
"But it ends here."
His attention shifted again—to the investigative Hero.
"That Quirk of yours… fascinating."
He reached out.
The investigative Hero couldn't resist.
He was defeated instantly—without even the chance to scream.
Moments later—
A low, satisfied laugh echoed.
"How interesting… To perceive subtle energy as light… truly remarkable."
All For One stepped forward again.
In the blink of an eye—
He stood before Edgeshot.
"Such excellent physical conditioning…"
He observed him calmly.
"It would be a waste not to turn you into a Nomu. You might become something… even more powerful."
Edgeshot gritted his teeth.
He hadn't expected—
That he wouldn't even survive a single exchange.
This feeling—
Was suffocating.
And yet—
At that moment—
He noticed something.
Up in the sky—
A giant white bird was silently circling.