Shigaraki's Revenge

Chapter 21: End of the Line

"Aren't you aware that justice demands your life, Tomura? You can't escape that penalty."

What a Prick.

Dabi listened in on All for One's monologue from offstage. How could someone speak so passionately when they were lying through their teeth? Tomura was stalling—that was all he could probably do. No single person could take on All for One and not suffer greatly.

Tomura didn't move a muscle. He listened to All for One. It seemed as if Tomura was just trying to make him content enough to back off. But the cape he wore on his shoulders protested enough.

Well, it seemed Toga decided to go with the heroes. Meaning, Dabi could do precisely what he had wanted to since coming face to... skull... With All for One. He grabbed the edge of his sleeve, edging it upwards, and prepared an attack.

Just then, a hand clasped around his face, keeping him from making a sound, or breathing for that matter. Each of the large fingers pressed harder against the bridge of his nose, daring him to struggle onward. If he did so, his nose would break under the pressure.

Dabi struggled, unable to reach the ambusher with a kick. They gripped his foot with their other hand, keeping it from making an impact.

CRUNCH!

From Dabi's nose seeped thick, red, blood. The bones in the ridge had certainly broken. It was no time to think about pain, though.

"I'm gonna enjoy killing you and the League of Villains! " Joi hissed, as Dabi rolled his eyes. Such betrayal was among the things that he expected. Dabi flexed his hand, twisted around the best he could, and ignited a bright blue flame directed at Joi's face.

Joi staggered backwards, covering his face. Dabi dropped to the floor, gasping to regain his breath. How was All for One not seeing this? He claimed nothing could hide from him, so...

Oh. It was his plan to have them killed, it must have been. He was seeing the fight, with the assumption that everything would go according to plan. Dabi was going to burn that smugness All for One carried, and he'd burn it right to the ground.

But if he was being attacked, the others were in danger, too. He was torn now, between helping Tomura, and helping his other friends.

Joi slipped into the shadows, finding some prop sword to crawl into and control, like a ghost. Seemed Dabi would be stuck fighting Joi for the moment.

"Little coward." Dabi spat, and flecks of blood spattered the floor, "Don't think I'm so heartbroken All for One betrayed us. I know how he is."

"Oh yeah? Well didja know that you're gonna die here, brat?" Joi retorted, swinging the sword towards Dabi's neck. "Most of your kind never knows when to die, but if you're so smart, you'll let this happen! Consider it mercy!"

"Call me stupid then, if you don't mind." Dabi ducked, the metal ringing by him. "But I'm not gonna die to you." He reached up and grabbed the blade, sacrificing some more blood to look cool. With the blade quite literally in his hand, flame engulfed the blade, and soon reached its melting point.

Joi screamed before slithering to find another place to hide.

This time, Joi traveled up the wall, causing breaks and cracks as he went along.

Dabi attacked, a slew of fireballs aimed precisely where the little shadow went. Of course, Joi wasn't going to sit there and wait to be scorched, so the battle became a tiresome stalemate. What Dabi had not put together, was that he underestimated his foe's strategic ability. After fireball number thirty, the ropes of sandbags that hung above him became frayed.