MHATG: Chapter 336/338

Chapter 336: Desperate Wolfram!

Just beneath Tetsutetsu, Kirishima, and the others, who were still struggling to resist the near-endless barrage of ice swords, Wolfram, his limbs pierced and pinned by the blades was lifted into the air toward the snowman atop the ice dragon.

"Time for us to go."

Looking at the smile hidden under the snowman's hood, Wolfram gritted his teeth through the pain, gasping and sneering, "Are you kidding me? Is this how you treat a senior cadre?"

"Who do you have to blame but yourself?"

The snowman reached out and removed the Quirk Amplification Device from Wolfram's head, responding nonchalantly.

"If anyone's to blame, it's your own greed and limitless ambition that led you to make contact with people we never should've dealt with behind our backs."

"He came to me!" Wolfram snapped furiously.

The snowman simply shrugged and looked down at the device in his hand. "But you accepted his power... and then kept it from us."

Suddenly, he raised his head and stared into Wolfram's eyes coldly. He spoke in a low voice, "That alone is enough to be considered... betrayal."

"You! You brat, what do you know?! What could you possibly understand?!" Wolfram roared in fury.

He swore then and there, he hated nothing more than these little punks. Who gave them the right to interfere with him? Who gave them the right to talk down to him?!

"Whether I understand or not doesn't matter. Mr. Destro will understand."

With that, he ignored him and swept his gaze over the heroes below, his eyes lingering for a few seconds on Kaminari and Midoriya.

"Let's return."

Roar!!

The ice dragon beneath him let out a powerful cry, spreading its massive wings and soaring into the night sky. The moonlight reflected in the snowman's eyes.

Boom!

At the same time, the iceberg under his feet shattered into mist, which then, under some unseen power, turned into a violent blizzard.

It not only obscured everyone's vision, but also completely cut off any hope of pursuit. In terms of ice manipulation, he was clearly a cut above the current Shoto Todoroki.

"What is it?"

Hearing a voice through his earpiece, the snowman glanced back at Wolfram, now re-pinned to the dragon's back, and replied, "We have the man and the device, but it's damaged. No other intel was found."

"Alright. Good work."

"For the liberation of Quirks!" the snowman declared firmly, looking up at the starry sky beyond the dark clouds.

Drip, drip, drip.

But just as he said this, Wolfram—still impaled—suddenly coughed up a mouthful of black, foul-smelling fluid.

"Huh?!"

The snowman noticed something was wrong and turned around, but before he could speak, he watched in shock as Wolfram's body was engulfed by the black liquid and vanished before his eyes.

"What... what just happened?"

"He's gone."

The snowman's lips twitched. After a moment, he whispered, "Wolfram disappeared, right in front of me. It must have been some kind of teleportation Quirk."

"Can you track him? If not, come back. The Quirk Amplification Device is what matters most."

"Chief, I can sense it!" The snowman's gaze grew cold. "The location he teleported to, it's not far from here."

"You should come back. It's likely that he took Wolfram. It's too dangerous for you to chase him."

But instead of fear, the snowman's eyes lit up with an eerie glint of anticipation.

"Chief, I want to try. Don't worry—I'll be fine. After all, the sea is second only to the poles for me."

On the other end, Destro—seated in his office—listened quietly to the snowman's confident words. After a moment's thought, he responded:

"Then give it a try. See how powerful he really is. But prioritize collecting Quirk data and your own safety."

"Understood!"

The headset went silent. Destro stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the peaceful cityscape of Nihua.

"All For One… the most evil ruler of the dark world…"

Just saying the name caused an enormous pressure to weigh on him. But that pressure, he stored in his Quirk.

"I've gotten stronger... but it still might not be enough."

Far from Nihua, out in the sea near I-Island, a black cruise ship was quietly making its way toward Japan.

Suddenly, a surge of black sewage materialized on the deck, and Wolfram—his body limp—crashed down onto the steel floor.

Boom!

Four sharp, handleless ice swords remained lodged in his limbs. Because of their intense cold, the blood around the wounds had already frozen.

"We meet again, Mr. Wolfram," All For One said calmly, dressed in a black suit, looking down at the figure on the deck.

"You seem... a little worse for wear than last time. Would you like a shower and a change of clothes?"

"O-One… All For One…" Wolfram looked up at the tall figure in horror.

But then, forcing a strained smile, he said, "Thank you, thank you for saving me! I swear, I'll always be loyal to you! I'll serve you faithfully!"

"Oh? That's wonderful." All For One smiled. "As it happens, there's something I need your help with."

He then looked down at the young girl standing beside him.

"Tomomi-chan, be sure to thank Mr. Wolfram. He's kindly offering you his Quirk. What a generous man!"

"W-What?" Wolfram froze. He was giving his Quirk… to her?

"Thank you," Tomomi said coldly.

Suddenly realizing what was happening, Wolfram's face contorted with terror. He screamed, "No! No! Don't take my Quirk! Don't take it!!"

To someone like him, obsessed with power, status, and dominance, his Quirk was everything.

He could lose his status, his wealth, his women, his allies... but he could never lose his Quirk.

Because as long as he had his Quirk, he could regain everything else.

"Don't worry. If you cooperate, I'll give you a million dollars afterward. That's more than enough to live comfortably in Japan," All For One said softly, walking toward him.

"No! No! No!!!"

A moment later, a blood-curdling scream tore through the starry night at sea, filled with rage, terror, and soul-crushing despair.

Boom!

Wolfram collapsed on the deck like scrap metal drained of power, unconscious and broken after having his Quirk forcibly extracted.

"Perfect. This 'metal manipulation' Quirk pairs beautifully with your 'sharp' Quirk. Most importantly, they're the same type."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 337: Provocation!

"How does it feel?"

Tomomi moved her body and shook her head. "I don't feel much. My body's just a little warm, maybe it's still adapting."

"That's good."

All For One nodded, unsurprised by her response.

"Your Quirk lets you turn your body into controllable blades. Now, with this new 'Metal Manipulation,' not only do you gain more tactical flexibility, you can also begin learning how to control your own transformation process."

"I'll work hard to train my Quirk!" Tomomi looked up at the tall All For One with gratitude.

This teacher not only cared for her daily life, but also gave her the strength to take revenge. In Tomomi's heart, his status was no less than that of her former adoptive father.

"And what about him?"

All For One glanced at Wolfram, who Tomomi had pointed to, and replied calmly, "He still has [Muscle Enhancement], [Arm Strength Boost], and [Scorching Skin]—all Quirks I gave him. Throwing him into the sea would be a waste."

"Then give him to Dr and turn him into a powerful Nomu," Tomomi said coldly.

"Good."

All For One looked down at Tomomi's expression and eyes with deep appreciation, then smiled. "Once he's complete, I'll give him to you."

"I like Titan Soldier more. He really likes me too," Tomomi said softly, raising her head.

"Of course, the bond between you two is strong."

All For One looked at her kindly. "But the Titan Soldier is too big. He can't stay by your side all the time. A Nomu can."

Tomomi thought about it, then nodded obediently, accepting her teacher's gift, her new personal bodyguard.

"Teacher, are we leaving?"

"Not yet. There's a little guest heading our way~..." All For One said softly, gazing into the night sky in the direction of I-Island.

"A little guest?"

Tomomi followed his line of sight—and sure enough, a massive white ice dragon was soaring through the sky toward them.

"Teacher, this counts as small?"

"Hehehe… Look closely. There's a young man standing on its head." All For One smiled leisurely at the approaching dragon.

"To train a Quirk to that level, he's truly an impressive boy. Not inferior to the children of those Pro Heroes."

Tomomi pouted at her teacher's praise and asked, "How does he compare to me?"

"Haha, you're still too young!"

"Then what about…" Tomomi was about to ask how he compared to Shibian, when a boy's voice came riding the cold wind.

"Excuse me—are you the legendary villain, All For One?!"

"What's your name, child?" All For One asked with interest, looking up.

"You can call me Snowman! That's the codename given to me by our supreme leader, Mr. Destro himself!" the young man atop the dragon replied proudly.

"Destro…"

All For One repeated the name with amusement. "If I recall correctly, the original Destro disappeared decades ago."

"Our leader is Destro's son. You may call him 'Destro II'—or just 'Destro'!" the Snowman responded.

"I see. Then do you refer to yourselves as 'Quirk Liberation'?"

"It's the Meta Liberation Army!" the Snowman corrected firmly.

"An army, huh…"

All For One chuckled. "Seems this new Destro is bolder than the last. I find that very interesting."

"Likewise, we're very interested in you. After all, you're just as legendary as the original Destro," the Snowman replied with a grin.

"As famous as me?"

At those words, a strange look flashed in All For One's eyes. He didn't believe that the name Destro could ever stand equal to his.

In this world, no one could rival him except for One For All.

Then the Snowman continued, "But first, could you return Wolfram to us? He's on your deck."

"He's the fifth senior cadre of our Superpower Liberation Army. He's seriously injured and requires immediate treatment."

Pfft—

Tomomi, who had been quietly listening, couldn't hold back her laughter. She pointed at the ice swords impaling Wolfram's limbs and laughed.

"You're really good at lying. I don't know if he's your senior cadre or not, but I do know you were the one who injured him!"

The Snowman glanced at the little black-haired girl, who looked like a porcelain doll, and smiled. "A mature organization follows strict rules. He broke them, so of course he had to be punished."

"Oh? And what mistake did Mr. Wolfram make that justified piercing all four of his limbs?" All For One asked curiously.

The Snowman met All For One's gaze and said plainly, "His mistake was making unauthorized contact with you and failing to report it to us afterward."

[…]

The atmosphere instantly grew tense. A subtle pressure built in the air, as if the two sides were testing each other. Tomomi's eyes turned cold in an instant.

"So, can you return him to us now?" the Snowman asked again, his eyes gleaming with intensity.

"I'm afraid that's impossible," All For One said lightly. "I already gave him to Tomomi-chan as a gift. If you want him back, go ask your Destro."

"That won't work. It's my mission to retrieve him. I can't abandon it just because of your say-so," the Snowman replied, spreading his arms with a smile.

"In that case…" All For One began.

"In that case, forgive me—but I must fight you. I want to see for myself what a legend like All For One can do!"

With that, the Snowman made the first move. His Quirk activated, and the giant ice dragon beneath him swooped downward. At the same time, he stood atop a thin sheet of ice suspended in midair.

Roar!!!

This was All For One, one of the most feared villains in the world. No matter how confident he was, the Snowman wouldn't let his guard down.

He'd use his full power, right from the start.

"This is the sea!"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 338: The Snowman’s Ambition!

"Teacher?" Tomomi took two steps forward and looked at her teacher, but All For One patted her shoulder.

"You can't beat him right now." After saying that, All For One raised his head and looked at the menacing ice dragon, slowly lifting his right palm and aiming at it.

"What you're about to see, Tomomi-chan, is the ceiling of power in this world. Although it's much lower than it used to be, it's still the ceiling!"

Boom—

The next moment, all the air in front of All For One suddenly erupted into chaos, converging into a massive, terrifying shockwave that swept forward.

The surging blast of air not only sent nearby waves soaring into the sky, but even pushed the black cruise ship beneath their feet dozens of meters back under the pressure of the immense power.

"S-So strong… Teacher is so strong…" Tomomi stared dumbfounded at the scene before her, as if watching a natural disaster unfold.

Before the overwhelming force of what felt like a natural calamity, the fearsome-looking ice dragon was completely defenseless. In an instant, it shattered into fragments of ice and dissipated into the air.

"It's not over yet! All For One!!"

"Aaaaah—!"

Just as the Snowman had used the ice he had previously thrown into the sea to freeze a vast stretch of seawater and was preparing to control this enormous mass of ice to launch an attack.

A violent shockwave slammed into him. It felt like being hit by a speeding truck. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was sent flying into the dark sea.

"H-How… how is this possible…"

The Snowman stared blankly up at the stars in the night sky, muttering in disbelief.

"With just one… one blow… he destroyed the ice dragon… and the leftover force was still this powerful…"

Feeling the sharp pain in his chest, he finally understood the true weight behind titles like "Lord of Darkness" and "All For One."

But the Snowman quickly realized that years of Quirk training hadn't been in vain. A mass of ice rose up from the sea, catching him safely.

"Urgh… I told you… this isn't over yet!!" The Snowman stood shakily on the ice, propping himself up with one hand.

"Oh? You can still stand? That's impressive, Snowman boy." A magnetic, intellectual voice suddenly rang out from behind him.

Clang!

"Whoa!!"

The Snowman didn't have time to think. He quickly manipulated all the ice on the sea and in the air to form a tight defense around him.

But his ice couldn't keep up with the speed of the figure standing behind him. The tall, dark silhouette of All For One gently pressed a finger to the Snowman's shoulder.

"Kid, you're still far from reaching that level."

Bang!
"Ugh… aaaaaah!"

A miserable scream rang out. The Snowman felt as if his right shoulder had been struck with a steel rod.

Plop!

Under the immense pressure, his body crashed through the ice beneath his feet, sending waves splashing high into the air before his figure vanished into the terrifyingly dark sea.

Plop. Splash. Crack.

The chunks of ice that had risen into the air under his control now fell one by one under the pull of gravity, sending up towering columns of water.

On the deck of the cruise ship, Youmei looked at her teacher with awe in her eyes. "So fast… so strong…"

"Teacher, is he dead?"

Upon hearing her question, All For One looked out toward the sea and smiled. "He won't die here. Not by my hand."

"Teacher?" Youmei looked at him in confusion, not understanding.

"He, or rather, they—the villains—should not be mine to fight. They're not worthy of being my enemies…"

The black cruise ship slowly disappeared over the horizon, with the bright moon reflecting off the waves and the lights of I-Island shining in the distance.

"They're gone," Kyoka said softly while supporting Kaminari.

Kaminari sighed helplessly. "Once they've achieved their goal, of course they leave. Man, I just hope they don't fix the device too quickly, otherwise we're screwed."

"Exactly. If it's just fixed, maybe only one powerful villain will appear. But if a villain gets their hands on an energy-generating device…" Momo said worriedly.

"Hmph, what's the point in worrying so much?" Bakugo sneered. "Doesn't matter if they come alone or in a group, just blow them all up!"

"Crude words, but the reasoning is clear. At this point, all we can do is respond with strength and adapt as things come. We just have to keep getting stronger," said Class Rep Iida seriously.

"Right!" Midoriya nodded in agreement, then turned to Uraraka. "Where are Melissa and the others?"

"Melissa, Tsuyu-chan, and Mineta-kun took Dr. David and All Might to get treatment," Uraraka replied.

"Thanks, Kirishima," Todoroki whispered to Kirishima beside Bakugo.

Kirishima gave a thumbs up and grinned. "Heh, no problem!"

"Hey, look! The pro heroes are here!" Tetsutetsu suddenly pointed to seven or eight men and women in eccentric costumes running over and laughed.

"Whoa, that's the Russian hero 'Soloist'—they say he can control villains' movements with his baton!"

"There's also the Spanish 'Matador', the Chinese 'Peacock Lady', and last is the Brazilian 'Queen Bee'!" Midoriya listed them off confidently, clearly very familiar with the pro heroes.

"They're like the cops in movies, always showing up after everything's over," Kaminari joked with a shrug.

At that moment, Midoriya's face suddenly fell. "Oh no, I'm going to get lectured again!"

"Alright, alright. Let's just get some rest and take a hot bath before worrying about that stuff." Tetsutetsu patted Midoriya on the shoulder.

"Hot bath, huh? You really know how to enjoy the moment." Kirishima laughed, scratching his red hair.

Tetsutetsu's eyes lit up and he smiled. "Then let's go together?!"

"To hell with that! Who'd want to bathe with you?!" Bakugo snapped.

"I prefer bathing alone," Todoroki said flatly.

"I don't think there's even a big bathhouse here," Iida commented.

Amid everyone's laughter and chatter, the night finally passed. There wasn't much time left before the new day arrived, but for now, they just wanted to sleep peacefully.

"Kyoka, let's sleep together."

"Go to hell!"

"Hahahahaha…"

Bang!!

A towering column of water suddenly erupted from the dark sea, and the soaked Snowman reappeared in the night sky, standing atop a platform of ice.

"Ugh… Hah… Hah!"

After spitting out several mouthfuls of seawater mixed with blood, his breathing gradually calmed. The Snowman clutched his burning chest and lay on the ice, gasping for breath.

Looking at his reflection in the moonlit ice, he saw eyes filled with fear—fear of power, fear of death!

"H-How… how could someone be this strong? How is that possible!!"

He couldn't believe what he had just experienced. He had known the opponent was stronger but not this much stronger. It was overwhelming.

"That kind of power… even stronger than the leader… by who knows how much… Hahahahaha!" The Snowman lay flat on the ice, laughing wildly at the bright moon.

"I'm not dead!"

"If I'm not dead, then I still have hope of reaching that level of power!"

For him, the greatest takeaway from this battle was experiencing firsthand the sheer strength that existed in this world.

"If All For One can do it… then I definitely can too…"

(To be continued.)