CHAPTER 9 ALL FOR ONES INJURY PART THREE

The air around the warehouse felt as though it might crackle under the weight of the tension. Ren remained crouched behind his stack of pipes, his legs beginning to cramp, but he ignored the pain. He had to see and not miss whatever was going to happen.

All Might's footsteps echoed loud as he proceeded deep into the opened space, while his eyes went darting between building and building, and all his muscles tense, spring-prepared to pounce. In the distance, metal creaked with every gust of wind that disturbed a loose chunk 

here and there.

Then, out of the dark ahead, came All For One.

Ren's breath hitched, and for one moment, the faintest ambient noises surrounding him ceased to exist in his senses as if shut out. All For One didn't shout; there was no florid entrance because he merely just showed up-which in turn did the trick. It clearly showed that from where All Might was bright, commanding, all All For One had been subdued, suffocating.

Fancy meeting you here," All Might said, clear and loud, his voice devoid of any light-heartedness and charisma, nothing but pure determination. All For One cocked his head sideways. "I guess fate had to bring us together once more.

Ren rolled his eyes slightly at the line, but quickly refocused. Yeah, let's not get distracted by villain banter, he thought, focusing on what's important: points. How can I make this work for me without getting pancaked by some stray punch? His eyes flicked between the two giants, watching for any potential openings.

The tension finally snapped like a rope pulled too tight. All Might lunged forward, his fist aimed at All For One's chest with enough power to crack the pavement. All For One blocked it, sending a shockwave that rippled through the ground beneath Ren's feet, sending dust and debris flying into the air and clouding his vision for a second.

When the dust settled, the two men were enveloped in a blitz of movements, each attack quicker than the last. Every punch rumbled like thunder, every block the sound of metal against stone. Ren ducked lower as a chunk of concrete whizzed past his head and smashed into the wall behind him.

Yeah, too close, he thought, shifting further behind the pipes. His heart was racing, but not from fear-more from excitement. The power in this was insane. He could hardly follow, and yet his mind was already working overtime. Gotta be something I can do here, all I need's for the right-

A loud crash tore through his thoughts as All Might drove All For One through the wall of a nearby building, groaning with the impact on the entire structure. Ren covered his mouth to avoid coughing from the cloud of dust that followed. The fight was going fast, and he needed to move with it.

He danced around the pipes, looking for a better angle, and he found it. All Might was really pressing his advantage now; blows landed blow after blow. All For One wasn't out yet, but Ren could see the cracks that were beginning to form-literal and metaphorical.

This is it. Losing ground, All For One is. If he goes down now, the same happens with me, too. Gotta help him somehow, but enough to seem to care, not die.

His gaze landed on a stack of leaning steel barrels haphazard against a weakened beam. Just perfect. He reached down beside himself for the first chunk of rubble—a piece of broken brick—and heaved it at the base of the stack. The barrels wobbled once, wobbled twice, and then clattered to the floor with an ear-shaking crash.

The noise was enough to draw in All Might's attention for just a second. All For One took immediate advantage of the opening, striking All Might with a blow to his ribs that slid him across the ground.

Ren huddled low, heart pounding. Okay, that was crazy. Did that work?

Through the sounds of crumbling concrete and heavy breathing, Ren heard All For One's voice again, "Good timing.".

Ren let out a sigh, wiping the sweat off his brow. That's influence points right there; gotta be. But the fight wasn't over. All Might was already back to his feet, and if Ren had learned anything about this world, it was that heroes like him didn't stay down for long.

He watched, waiting to see what came next.

The sound of flesh and fists had thundered loudly through the factory complex. Ren's legs cramp, though he didn't dare move behind the half-fallen wall and kept his gaze fixed on two titans dancing in a dance of death against each other in the middle; the dust storm around them looked as if it was too inadequate to keep their pace.

All Might's fist crashed into All For One's outstretched arm, the impact creating a shockwave 

that sent cracks spidering through the concrete beneath them. Ren ducked as a piece of debris flew overhead, landing with a thud nearby. He wiped the grit from his eyes and peeked back out.

He is starting to slip, Ren thought, noticing how the villain's stance wavered just a little bit more with each block. He's not gonna last much longer. If Kurogiri doesn't get him out of here soon, this fight's gonna end badly.

In an instant, All Might launched himself forward once more, the gap between him and his opponent shrinking to almost nothing. His fist hit the villain's chest, and the force from it sent the villain flying into the side of a building. The wall crumbled like cardboard, and Ren winced as chunks of it scattered along the ground.

All For One!" All Might's voice boomed out loud and clear-but not in triumph. The voice was of a person finishing something, closing the chapter that had dragged on far too long. "It's over!

All For One didn't say anything immediately. He levered himself out of the rubble, his breathing labored, but his posture steady. Blood dripped from the corner of his mask onto the ground in uneven splatters. Even beaten and battered, he still looked dangerous. Ren couldn't help but feel a grudging respect for the man's resilience.

But respect doesn't count for points, he reminded himself. What's the next move?