This time I will protect them I won't be a coward

97

All For One’s voice had gone deathly cold as he spoke to Denki, who stared at him fearfully. “How you wound me, angel, by supporting my very own enemy. And now, our time has been cut short. Before we part ways, I must give you a gift.”

Denki’s eyes widened in horror. Wait a minute-was he going to take away my quirk? And what gift?!

Denki began struggling against the red tendrils binding him, which now started glowing a soft blue.

He could feel something silently, gently, and coldly pulsing through his veins. He winced as the sudden chill spread through his entire body, making him go limp.

Meanwhile, All Might broke through the debris and wreckage around him. He froze at the sight unfolding faster than they had anticipated and screamed, “No!... Master Gran Torino!”

Gran Torino gave All Might a knowing look and used his quirk to propel himself forward-All Might did the same.

They both needed to save the blonde boy.

It seemed the master and pupil were going to attack All For One simultaneously.

With his quick speed, Gran Torino broke through the appendages holding the fragile boy and pulled Denki by the cuff of his shirt, yanking him away from the line of impact.

All Might sent a powerful wind punch toward All For One, who blocked it easily once again, laughing evilly.

Right now, Denki’s mind was distorting.

He could feel the new quirk coursing through his veins-silent, gentle, humming with satisfaction in its new vessel. The very thought made Denki shiver.

His mind flashed back to a distant memory of time spent with his mom. Bits and pieces of his past flickered through.

He collapsed with a thump against Gran Torino’s chest, blinking as tears streamed endlessly down his face.

When did I start crying? Why am I sad? Why does it hurt? Why do I feel depressed? Where am I? What’s happening to me? Why didn’t my friends save me? Was I unworthy of being saved? Why are all my thoughts jumbled up in a messy goo?.

Denki’s golden eyes slowly drifted down to Gran Torino’s torso and spotted a nasty gash-now healed, leaving behind a closed-up scar.

How odd.

Denki blinked, confused by the scar, and prodded it lightly with his slender finger.

Gran Torino placed a gloved hand over Denki’s head to shield him from falling debris, trying to protect him as best he could.

The fight had grown more intense at the center of Kamino Ward-between the symbol of evil and the symbol of peace.

After some time, Denki felt an intense pain radiating in his stomach- the same place Gran Torino had been slashed earlier. He bit his lip, drawing blood, as fresh tears spilled from his eyes and his world began to fade to black.

A distant memory flashed through his eyelids before everything went dark.

He didn’t want to revisit this particular memory.

It was of his mother—singing to him. A song, or maybe a poem. He couldn’t recall properly; he was only five years old at the time.

She was tucking him into bed, humming softly.

It was her last day in Japan before she returned overseas to resume her Pro Hero duties.

He remembered it too vividly—how she placed a quick kiss on his forehead and resumed singing the song that had etched itself into his memory:

𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙫𝙚? 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙧𝙮? 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄’𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙄 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩— 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙞𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩.