Musume

Chapter 33

At her words, Hawks looked alarmed, but she simply grabbed his face between her small hands and made him look her in the eyes so he could see she was serious.

“Take me to him, or I’ll find a way down there by myself.”

She was burning inside, just imagining what All Might was suffering in that very instant after discovering Nana Shimura’s grandson was none other than Shigaraki Tomura.

She was shocked, so she didn’t want to imagine how he was feeling.

But she could do something.

“I’m going to be in so much trouble because of this…”

But Hawks seemed to read how utterly serious she was, for he wrapped her in his arms and flew her towards the blonde skeletal form of All Might.

She knew he hadn’t noticed her arrival, too shocked still, for he jumped when her hand touched his arm.

“Yumi, what are you doing here? I told Hawks…”

“I came to help.” She said.

And then she lit them both on fire.

Or that’s how it looked to everyone as blue flames suddenly erupted all around them, licking at their skin and healing the wounds littering his body until the only memory of them remained in the blood still clinging to him.

“Shigaraki never mentioned you had healing powers… Such a bother…” muttered All For One before launching an attack meant to wipe them both off.

She felt her father wrap her in his weakened arms and saw Hawks jump towards them, but before the attack could hit them a cloud of fire dissipated it.

Help had arrived.

“What’s with that form of yours, All Might!?” shouted Endeavor.

“Seems like we got here in time anyway.” Said Edgeshot.

As the Pros rescued the downed Pros and the left over civilians, she squeezed All Might’s arm one last time before stepping back into Hawks’ chest, who wrapped his arms around her waist instinctively.

“I believe in you.” She whispered before Hawks’ lifted her into the air.

HPBNAHPBNAHPBNA

With renewed strength and spirits, All Might turned towards his enemy, listening absentmindedly to his chatter as he looked for the right place.

He only needed one hit, he was sure, but it had to be at the right place and the right time.

He couldn’t fail.

She was counting on him, after all.

Then All For One revealed his suspicions about Midoriya Izuku and attacked, believing he would be thrown off by his words.

All Might’s fist collided with his.

His feet slid over the floor as if it were ice, the strength of the impact pushing him back, but their fists still colliding. He felt his arm break in various places, but he kept pushing.

In his mind, he pictured her, as she’d been when she was only ten: skin pale, hair a deep wine red, wide eyes green and innocent…

‘When I’m bigger, I’ll be a hero like daddy!’

He had to win if wanted to see her dream come true.

And he desperately wanted to.

Throwing his left arm back, he channeled the strength of his right arm into it and threw another punch…

‘I have to live!’

…directly into All For One’s face.

And without losing a mere second, he threw his broken right arm in one last desperate punch.

‘Goodbye, All For One.’

“United States of… Smash!” he shouted as he felt his enemy’s skull fracture under the strength of his punch.

‘Goodbye, One For All…’

Bleeding from his mouth and right arm, he raised his left into the air signaling his victory.

The last of his career as a hero.

HPBNAHPBNAHPBNA

As All For one finally fell, Yumi felt like a weight she did not know she was carrying was lifted of her shoulders.

It was over. Everything was over. Even the secrets.

And so she shrugged off Hawks’ arms and run forward toward All Might’s victorious form.

“Daddy!” she shouted.

Her dad smiled, then, his All Might form finally slipping away for what was probably the last time, and turned towards her with open arms.

She would’ve liked to simply jump into them and get one of his bear hugs, but she could tell he’d collapse if she did, so she just wrapped her arms around his waist, supporting as much of his weight as she could before burying her face into his chest and sobbing.

“Shhh, little princess, everything will be alright now… shhh…”

HPBNAHPBNAHPBNA

More heroes arrived soon and they took care of things there. After her father’s message to Izuku ―for even if the world believed he was threatening the future villains, she knew better― he finally got on an ambulance for her and allowed them to be taken to the hospital.

Well, in truth, he’d tried to send her there on the first ambulance that arrived, but she refused to part with him and he couldn’t fault her for that; they’d both had a big scare.

Yumi was looked over and found to have only the shallow cut on her neck and a few scrapes from her run through the forest.

Toshinori was worse off. He had both arms broken, with his right arm being considerably worse off than his left from the consecutive hits, and clean fractures on his legs from having to withstand the pressure of keeping him up and punching.

The legs were taken care of easily, but the arms would need multiple treatments.

All in all, the only reason he wasn’t worse was that his daughter had healed him before the last attack.

He looked to the side, were she was almost asleep on the edge of his bed, and run a fond hand down her beautiful mane of hair.

A knock on the door had her sleepily looking up and Toshinori spoke to have whoever it was come in. The police was protecting the room and only those he’d authorized could visit him, so he wasn’t worried.

Tsukauchi and Gran Torino walked in, with the latter bandaged from the punch All Might had mistakenly hit him with.

“Grandpa, uncle.” Greeted Yumi rather subdued.

“How are you?” asked kindly Tsukauchi, looking concerned.

“I’m fine, just a few scrapes. Daddy is much worse.”

“Well, it’s not that bad.” Said Toshinori, earning a small frown from her pretty face.

“And you? How are you feeling?” asked Gran Torino then, looking at the bedridden man as he and his companion took a seat on the other side of the bed from Yumi.

Toshinori looked down at his hands and contemplated his answer. He wished he could simply say he was fine, but…

“The Symbol of Peace is dead.” He said instead.

Everything he’d built, everything he’d worked for all his life… it was gone.

He had known it would happen, eventually, but the reality that that future was already here had caught him by surprise.

And his replacement wasn’t ready yet to shoulder the weight of the world.

However…

“However, there’s still something I must do.”

“Shigaraki Tomura.” Easily guessed his master. “Shimura’s grandson.”

“That’s what All For One said, right? It’s not much to go on off.” Added Tsukauchi.

Yumi perked up then.

“Tenko.” She said.

“What?”

“Shimura Tenko. That’s his name. I’ve been wondering why he gave me a false name when he introduced himself in the mall and… he didn’t sound like he was lying. So he must not have been. His real name is Shimura Tenko.”

“That… is something I could use to start investigating.” Nodded Tsukauchi with a nod towards her.

The girl gave him a small smile, but nobody missed that it was nowhere near her usual bright smiles.

“Did none of you have a relationship with Shimura’s family, then?” asked Tsukauchi again.

“No. Shimura’s husband was murdered by a villain and she put her son in an adoptive home to get him away from the world of heroes.”

“My master cut off that relationship for the good of peace…” muttered Toshinori. “And now Shigaraki… I must find Shigaraki and…”

“What will you do? You’re not even seeing him as a villain anymore. You’ll hesitate.” Accused him his master.

“Maybe that’s something he needs; to have someone that sees him as something other than a villain.” Interjected Yumi.

Gran Torino looked between them both and threw his arms into the air, exasperated.

“You’re both too stubborn for your own good.”

“Make no mistake, Gran Torino. Shigaraki is a villain. I have not forgotten that, but… as my daughter once said, he looks like someone who needs help. And it’s a hero’s job to help those who need it.”

“But you’re not a hero anymore.” Pointed out Tsukauchi, not unkindly.

Toshinori looked back down at his bandaged hands. They were right, he knew, but it was so hard to let such a close matter go when he’d been shouldering those responsibilities for so long.

“Tsukauchi and I will investigate Shigaraki from now on. I believe I don’t have to tell you, Yumi, that what you’ve heard must stay in this room.”

The girl nodded, well aware of that. Then she got up saying she needed to use the loo and Toshinori watched her go anxiously. They were protected there, he knew, but it did not mean he could just relax after everything that had happened.

“Something else is bothering you.” Observed his dear friend.

Toshinori nodded and looked down at his hands, wondering how to phrase it.

“If I’m not the Symbol of Peace anymore… what am I now?”

The answer came surprisingly from Gran Torino himself.

“A father.” He said simply. “You are a father. You shouldered on that responsibility the moment you decided to take in that little red-headed kid and, although she’s growing up into an amazing woman, she still needs her father. You saw how she clung to you all this time; she’s not ready to lose you. So focus on that.”

Determination growing, Toshinori nodded.