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As his arms came back to be, all lost hope started to burn strong in his heart. He WAS going to win this, he thought, smiling as he fixed the collar of his All Might shirt, eyes fixated on the objective: Tenko Shimura, reborn as Tomura Shigaraki, a villain born from neglect and manipulation.
A villain whose heart could not process the blood of the hero who inspired him, who through her son was responsible for creating him. His grandmother, Nana Shimura.
There was nothing else to do, but to end this war, both of them knew they had gone too far to change their minds. This was going to end that moment.
As rain was pouring down, resembling the tears of everyone gone before them, creating for the two a more tragic scenario, for the curtains to close the show.
As imbalanced as it looked, no quirk could compare to Izuku Midoriya's indomitable spirit and determination, all nine months of training prior to everything, were the proof of it.
Even with all possible quirks for a person to hold, Tomura lacked one important aspect...
Control
The single thing he yearned since he could talk. The one privilege denied to him before the start.
He believed, obtaining One For All, was the only chance to have control in his own life, he was wrong. As all the overwhelming powers and voices of the fallen consumed his mind, forcing him to ask the freckled boy "how was he able to handle it?" "How was he able to control such burden?"
As the hero jumped to punch him, he spoke, in a calm, steady tone.
"I stopped being an egg in a microwave."
His fist connected with the villain's face, and so, the battle started. With the support of his classmates and the encouraging of the civilians the outcome of the fight was settled. Two boys with the same wish, turned into two sides of the same coin.
There was one last thing to do. A blonde boy arrived to launch the hero into giving the final punch, Dynamight, a hero too stubborn to be defeated so easily, even after his heart stopping.
All together ended the menace of the Demon King's successor.
At the space known as the Vestige Realm, was where both hero and villain exchanged their final words to each other. Regrets, apologies, threads or goodbyes, whatever it was only they knew.
And so, the war was over...
"Izuku.... You... You did it!" The blonde's voice cheered up, was he saw a silhouette approaching the spot he clashed in moments ago. Even with his arm broken, he couldn't help but to smile at the sight of victory, to the hands of his closest person.
"I became a hero, didn't I, Kacchan?" The hero's voice, almost a whisper, was all Katsuki needed to start tearing up as he reincorporated in a sitting position, looking at the emerald eyes that were looking back to him.
Those eyes, however, didn't shine like emeralds, instead looking like dark forest green.
That's when he noticed the blood coming out of his nose, painting his now even paler skin a gruesome red.
"Izu... IZUKU!" Was all he could yell, as he watched Izuku's body collapse on the ground, following a loud and ugly noise.
Katsuki, crawled quickly towards him, turning the boy over, only to see blood dripping out of his mouth and ears, painting his face with the colour of life and death. Those characteristic freckles were now hidden under those dark red tones. And his breathing sounded choppy, gargling in between, as he was chocking on his own blood. Panicked, the blonde turned him to a side.
"Hey! Izuku! Damn it... Don't do this, idiot! It's over, you... you can relax!" He desperately held his head gently on his hand, ignoring the pain that it caused, burying his fingers into that bushy hair.
"I am relaxed" The young hero said, as a different salty liquid appeared from his eyes. "That's why..."
The blonde swallowed, realization hit him as hard as a hammer, but he tried to shield himself with denial.
"Hold on a little longer, the pros will bring medical shit to help" His knees gave up, making him sit on the floor and slowly lay back down the other.
The smile he wore, was not of bravery or determination.
It was one of acceptance.
"Remember that One For All has a limit? One that made the previous holders... leave early?" Izuku reached his left hand to his cheek, to what Katsuki quickly removed it.
"That was because they already had quirks, it doesn't apply to you... you were the perfect vessel"
Tears were dancing in synchrony, ones of pain, others of happiness.
Ones of grief, others of peace.
Ones of life...
"Even the perfect diamond will break under pressure."
"Shut up with that fucking poetry of yours, you'll be fine, I swear on my fucking life!" The sobs he let out were erasing any trace of confidence in those words. "You will not fucking die in my sight, I'll kill you if you do that, y'hear me?"
The response was a chuckle, the most pure and natural sign of life, even though his was not going to last much.
"Kacchan, It's ok, I did what I was supposed to, what I wanted to do all my life since we were kids, I've become a hero"
"No, you've become the best hero" His shaking hands were tapping Izuku's face as if he could turn into dust any minute.
The hero in green smiled, the light coming back to his eyes, even if just a moment.
"You think I'm the best...?"
"The greatest fucking hero of this hellhole of world" His voice cracked "You made your way into being my hero, one with a big smile, despite the trouble, one with an obsession into finding good in everyone, even the ones who hurt you the most..."
As Izuku intertwined their hands, distant voices could be heard it the distance, raising hopes in the explosion hero who threw everything he had in that direction to make it easier for the others to find them.
"They're coming, Izuku, stay awake a little longer!"
"Kacchan..."
"Just a little longer, just try not to move much"
"Kacchan."
"Stop talking, you'll get more tired!"
"KACCHAN!"
A strong pull made him lose balance and fall right over the boy. Who pressed his lips against the other's, sealing them into a kiss.
Their first kiss.
Kacchan pulled away, staring at Izuku's face, completely overwhelmed, so much that he thought he heard a voice come out of the other. It sounded like an angel whispering a secret to him.
"You will always be MY hero."
He already knew that, all those years following him, all the forgiving despite everything he did and said to him.
The secrets he shared, the things he learned. His biggest inspiration.
Was Kacchan of the Bakugo.
"Guess we have that in common now, eh? Can't say I'm not thrilled about that" He laughed as he let himself fall into his side. Tears blurring his vision.
As he reached out to close Izuku's eyes, he gripped a little stronger the other's hand.
Kacchan scanned his face, one might think that a dying face would look emotionless, but his was marked with a smile.
"Hey Izuku, would you mind going into that Vestige Realm?" Not really waiting for a response he proceeded "Thanks, I don't want you to hear this."
And so, the moment Shota Aizawa arrived, Kacchan was screaming, yelling so loud that his head hurt, to the point of even spitting blood.
Because rain had once again taken everything from him.