Adaptation

Chapter 32 : The End Of An Era

"Yeah it's me Mugen."

"But how? I held you as you died."

"As Midoriya had told you "Quirks are full of surprises". Power stockpiling. Quite the unique name it has. The user gets more powerful the longer they hold the quirk. Without melding with transfer it would have been just that a basic power accumulator. By turning into One for All the stockpile's capabilities had expanded. The quirk kept a vestige of the past users. Allowing a version of use to live on even after the original passed."

Mugen takes a second to digest the information.

"Then why haven't you taken over the other users? You should know of my plans to prolong my life."

"Because One for All had yet to mature. It was only due to contact with ninth that changed us."

"Us?"

Behind Yoichi the other holders of One for All appeared one by one. Mugen getting more and more annoyed with each one that appears. The final vestige appears as a flaming All Might silhouette.

"With Midoriya's help One for All had reached singularity. It allowed our consciousness to reside in the quirk to observe the outside. It also gave us the ability to grant our quirks onto the latest successor."

Mugen's eyes widen finally having a concrete answer to how All Might had been able to use the previous holder's quirk. He had assumed that he was given the quirks as he had lost them to the brat.

" ... Why will the boy be the last?"

"One for All has become too powerful for anyone to hold. Do you remember the fourth when you found him?"

"Not exactly. I remember being angered that they had died before I could get to them. I thought that One for All had disappeared forever until the bald one showed himself."

"My body was deteriorating at a quick pace. I could only hold the quirk for 18 years in hiding hoping to find a successor. Fifth was the one that tried to save me."

"Midoriya's quirk allows him to adapt to the deterioration. Ensuring that he will not be affected by the drawbacks and with the amount of quirks he currently holds there wouldn't be enough time for the tenth to adapt to the quirk."

"Brother I didn't want to see you down the path of a tyrant. I was too weak to convince you otherwise. But things are different now. My quirk has finally gotten strong enough to take you down though I think Midoriya was more than ready to defeat you himself."

All for One is silent staring into space. The vestiges looked at him in that state. They had never seen All for One so solemn, a broken man, his plans laid to ruin around him. But he couldn't just leave it like this. Never like this. He tried to walk toward Midoriya but his body froze as a text box appeared in front of him.

[Surrender?]

[Y/N]

This surprised him and he looked up at the group. They were frozen. All except Midoriya who walked up to him waiting for him to make a choice. It seems that this decision will decide his fate.

[N]

[You will be unable to use any quirk or act in any way maliciously against others even in self-defence.]

[Are you sure?]

[Y/N]

Mugen was now scared. He hadn't felt that since he fought All Might. There was nothing he could think of that could get him out of this. He didn't want to risk lying to whatever this quirk was.

[N]

[... Removing retaliation instinct]

Mugen's head pounds in pain. It felt like red hot needles dragging themselves all over his head. He tried to scream but no sound would come out as he clawed at his head leaving deep scratch marks which were quickly mended. His eyes turned bloodshot, tears of blood signifying his pain and anguish.

[Removing self-preservation instinct]

The pain returned with a vengeance. The same pain coursed through his mind. The ordeal lasted a few minutes as he had lived a long and eventful life trying to keep his empire together. Mugen saw bits and pieces of his life quickly flashing by but he didn't have the time to ponder on them as his mind was changed permanently. He falls to his knees with his arms to his sides hands lay limp on the ground. Slowly his eyes regained clarity as he stood up and time resumed.

"I... You will not see the end of me."

Yoichi looked at him sad that his brother was still as stubborn as he was in the past.

"Well I guess that's settled. Let's get out of here."

Midoriya opens his eyes back in the real world and takes the rest of All for One's quirks while only leaving behind life force, infrared, and a super regeneration.

[All for One taken]

[Rivet Stab taken]

[Hypertrophy taken]

[Forced Quirk Activation taken]

[Blood Change taken]

[Air Cannon taken]

[Springlike Limbs taken]

[Air Walk taken]

[Impact Recoil taken]

[Infrared taken]

[Spearlike Bones taken]

[Scrap Armor taken]

[Bulk up taken]

[Pain Blocker taken]

[Gigantification taken]

[Strength Enhancer x 5 taken]

[Speed Enhancer x 5 taken]

[Shock Absorption taken]

The heroes got close to the barely conscious body of All for One.

"Sleep."

All for One falls completely unconscious and is taken away by the police. The news helicopters landed nearby and ran up to All Might to interview him. Midoriya looked at All Might with weakness detection

[Remaining Quirk time : 00:28]

Midoriya ran up to All Might and put his hand on his shoulder. All Might turns towards him.

"You're running out of time."

All Might's eyes widen.

"Alright I believe that's enough questions for now. I'll need to get Midoriya checked out."

All Might tried to fly off with Midoriya but he was held down.

"All Might..."

All Might looked at him in apprehension and sighed. Smoke billowed from his body concealing it from the cameras. The world watched on in confusion until the smoke cleared revealing a small and emaciated man with deep sunken cheeks and eyes.

"I Am Here to tell you the truth."

_______________________________________

Next time
Chapter 33 : Impromptu Interview

Thanks to EldritchMeme, JokerJay75, AdamKlydeUy, karma34562, donjoaquin2, Sleep_deprivedGuy, 1unknownguy, luigimacter, im_1n_your_walls, Techowild18, Fenrir_52, Os3f_6, TheKoiFishLover07, TheGodOfFortune, greg837, NeedySushi15, need_sleep123, NONCONTRIFIED81, jtwebster, Bios_Lacrimosa, Seth_G_Necron, Easybeingcheesy1, Darkness277, kingjay112, GORAZDCHE, LeSpanishInquisition, Fanboykyle, Sh4dow_Klaw, Naim880, Krono17, liamst10, Whitemask12, alexander_augustus_3, LC_Kazuto, and FaridChahine for voting on the previous chapter. Man this thing is getting long.