The strongest people in this world wielded multiple Quirks.
Not to mention All For One, who stole and combined countless Quirks for his own use—even All Might’s One For All was the result of merging a power-transferring Quirk with one that stored power.
All For One, the versatile Quirk that could handle any situation; One For All, the immense power accumulated over eight generations.
Was it impossible to fight them using just a single Quirk?
Were they insurmountable walls?
"Doesn't matter."
Worrying about whether something seemed impossible or unscalable was the kind of mindset reserved for those looking for excuses to give up.
If you were determined to stand at the top, you didn’t have time to dwell on such doubts.
So Kirishima found a way.
"It was difficult. I had to start with a fundamental investigation into what a Quirk really was."
A Quirk was imbued with human consciousness.
After encountering a Quirk that carried the consciousness of his past life, Kirishima’s own Quirk experienced an awakening.
He believed that was why his Hardening—a clearly defensive Quirk—had taken on such potent Enhancement-type characteristics.
Thanks to that breakthrough, Kirishima developed a form that balanced offense and defense perfectly.
But after meeting a giant last year, Kirishima realized the limits of his current power.
Although he was undoubtedly strong beyond his years, he knew he couldn’t hope to become the strongest if he stayed as he was.
Instead of succumbing to despair, Kirishima delved deeper into his Quirk.
Hardening was classified as a Transformation-type Quirk, but in scientific terms, its change defied simple explanation.
How could a human body become so resilient that even cannonballs would bounce off?
Focusing on that possibility, Kirishima strove to refine his Quirk with even greater precision.
By dedicating himself entirely to understanding his Quirk, he began to sense an immense, pulsating power deep within his body.
This Quirk factor was like a colossal engine with limitless potential for growth—the only constraint being the amount of power he could extract.
Kirishima tapped into that power and began remodeling his entire Hardening system from top to bottom.
He transformed the previously uneven and varied Hardening tissue into something smooth, uniform, and strategically arranged.
He even restructured its design by mimicking the coaxial crystal lattice of a newly discovered metal called Aeternus, renowned as an indestructible, eternal substance.
Every cell in his body was purposefully imbued with the power to enhance his physical capabilities.
His muscle fibers were reengineered to rival graphene in tensile strength.
As a result, not only could he absorb the supernatural energy generated by his Quirk at levels far beyond his previous limits, but his raw physical strength increased dramatically as well.
The downside was that his skin took on a reddish hue, and he still struggled to convert individual body parts into his Demon Form.
Additionally, features that had barely protruded before—like his elbows and knees—had grown long and sharp enough to resemble horns.
All of Kirishima’s changes transcended what could be confined under the term "Transformation-type," evolving him almost into a new level of life itself.
"He looks seriously scary. I thought he was pretty good-looking before, but the difference is enormous."
"Still kind of cool, though, right? Feels like someone's chuunibyou is coming to a head."
"Demon lord..."
Ignoring the murmurs of the children, Kirishima clenched the ball in his hand.
It felt as if even a small squeeze might shatter it to pieces.
Embracing the overwhelming sense of power coursing through him, Kirishima suddenly stepped forward and swung his arm.
The playground shattered outward from his position, and the ensuing shockwave swept in every direction.
The children struggled against the fierce wind, their hair whipping wildly.
"This is... beyond regulation. It's absurd."
Aizawa watched, a look of disbelief on his face.
Since the practical exam, Kirishima had been in a league of his own—not just compared to his peers, but even against those several years older.
While Midoriya had demonstrated his ability by toppling a giant robot, Aizawa focused on Kirishima’s impeccable control.
Here was a kid who could throw a barrage of punches with such force that not even a scratch appeared—a feat utterly incomparable to Midoriya, who had been sidelined by a single blow.
Yet now, Kirishima was displaying an entirely different level of prowess.
For a moment, Aizawa recalled an old film he had watched with a friend who was no longer by his side.
The movie chronicled humans recklessly sacrificing tens or hundreds of thousands of lives, and featured an array of formidable weapons.
One such weapon—an enormous machine that floated on the sea and unleashed thunderous blasts from a cannon barrel larger than life—reminded him of Kirishima’s recent display.
The image of a steel colossus, carrying innumerable people and cutting through the ocean while sending shockwaves rippling outward, played vividly in his mind.
Though, by appearance alone, he might have seemed more a Villain than a Hero, Aizawa thought that suited the image just fine.
At fifteen, exhibiting such overwhelming power seemed nothing short of demonic.
"First, know your limits. That is the rational foundation of becoming a Hero."
With his tone steady, Aizawa continued, his voice devoid of emotion as the display screen showed a distance of 62 km.
"62 km? Seriously?"
"What is this? It looks fun!"
"This is the Hero Course for you!"
Unlike Aizawa, the students were visibly shaken by Kirishima’s performance.
Soon, however, excitement began to replace their apprehension.
The prospect of finally being able to use the Quirks they had long suppressed felt liberating.
"Looks fun, huh?"
Aizawa murmured quietly as he observed them.
Then, with a chilling tone, he delivered a stern rebuke to the students.
"Do you plan to spend the next three years with that kind of attitude toward becoming Heroes? Fine. Anyone who ranks at the bottom across all eight events will be deemed hopeless and expelled."
Surveying the stunned expressions of the students, Aizawa continued.
"Student transfers are at the teacher's discretion. Welcome. This is U.A. High's Hero Course."
"Expelled for being last? It's only the first day of school! No, even if it weren't, that's unreasonable!"
"Natural disasters, major accidents, and unpredictable Villains—Japan is already a land of absurdity. Heroes are those who turn these crises around. If you wanted to spend your afternoons chatting at McDonald’s, too bad. For the next three years, U.A. will relentlessly hurl challenges your way. Beyond that, PLUS ULTRA. Overcome them with everything you've got."
The students all reacted differently.
Iida took a determined sip from his water bottle, while Bakugo wore an amused grin.
Midoriya, on the other hand, appeared so flustered and tense that his nervous energy was almost palpable.
"Then the demonstration is over. From now on, it's real."
The test began with the 50-meter dash.
A cute, frog-faced girl and Iida stood at the starting line.
With the crack of the starting pistol, the two launched off.
The frog girl was speedy, but Iida, whose engines seemed to erupt in flames as he ran, was even faster.
"3.04 seconds!"
It was an impressive time, yet Iida looked unsatisfied.
"At 50 meters, I can only hit third gear..."
Due to his Quirk’s staged acceleration, he couldn’t reach his top speed on such a short track.
Whether he felt disappointment or not, the test pressed on.
Kirishima observed his fellow students with a critical eye.
Since they would be working together frequently, it made sense to assess their abilities early on.
Most were fairly ordinary, but three in particular caught his attention.
There was Iida with his engine-driven burst, a boy who had propelled himself by firing a laser from his stomach, and Bakugo, who soared off using explosive blasts from his palms.
The one in the middle was a bit comical, but the other two were genuinely impressive.
As Kirishima absorbed the different displays of Quirk usage, his own turn approached.
Seeing that Kirishima had not yet dismissed his Demon Form, Aizawa inquired,
"Is it that you can’t control it, or is that your maximum and you’re maintaining it?"
"For now, I've designated this transformation as Demon Form. I can switch into it freely, but it takes about ten seconds to transform, so I've kept it on continuously. Constantly toggling it on and off is just too cumbersome."
"I see. Understood. Prepare yourself."
Currently, Kirishima could cover roughly 25 meters in a single bound at the speed of sound.
This was the distance at which he could maintain perfect balance and charge straight ahead at top speed without faltering.
While shortening that interval could even push him into supersonic territory, in a 50-meter sprint there was no need for that extra burst.
Kirishima took his stance.
As soon as the starting gun fired, his body vanished from the line.
"0.22 seconds!"
The children murmured in awe at his superhuman speed.
Bakugo merely gritted his teeth and glared at him.
He already knew that Kirishima had developed a new technique.
He also understood that when Kirishima used that technique, the already absurdly powerful kid would become several times stronger.
Yet seeing it firsthand was something entirely different.
The guy was still incredibly strong—and he was only getting stronger.
Bakugo suddenly smiled.
He was someone worth catching up to.
At that moment, Kirishima felt an inexplicable shiver, but the test pressed on.
In every event, Kirishima delivered overwhelming performances.
He shattered the grip dynamometer in the strength test and leaped so far in the standing long jump that his competitors appeared as mere dots.
In the side step drill, he moved so swiftly that his afterimage lingered.
Before the ball throw event resumed, Kirishima approached a still-disheartened Midoriya and clapped an arm around his shoulders.
"Why the long face? Did someone get on your nerves?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I was joking. More importantly, there's no need for that gloomy look. You've been training with me since we were kids. Compared to the others, you're usually in the upper ranks, right?"
"But the others are all using their Quirks to produce amazing results in at least one field..."
"Idiot. Then use your Quirk, too. What's the problem?"
"But if I use it now, my arm might break. It’s not as drastic as when my bones used to shatter, but still..."
"So what? If you need to, do it. I’ve told you this before, but let me say it again—you want to be a Hero, don't you?"
"Yeah."
At Kirishima's words, Midoriya's expression hardened with resolve.
Kirishima grinned at the sight.
He was still a handful.
When a real crisis hit, he would likely manage on his own, but seeing him so tense, Kirishima couldn’t help but offer a few words of encouragement.
Within the circle, Midoriya gripped the ball tightly.
Images of his cheering mother, All Might, and Kirishima flashed through his mind.
With clenched teeth and a determined stride, Midoriya activated One For All and hurled the ball.
The ball soared powerfully but ultimately fell around the 100-meter mark.
A visibly flustered Midoriya clutched his hand.
"I was about to use it just now..."
"I erased your Quirk."
Aizawa, eyes wide and hair whipping upward in the sudden wind, fixed his gaze on Midoriya.
In a cold tone, he said, "Honestly, that entrance exam lacked rationality. It even lets someone like you get in."
Only then did Midoriya grasp who he was dealing with as he shouted, "Erasure Hero: Eraser Head!"
"Eraser? I don't know him."
"I've heard the name before. He's an underground Hero."
Ignoring the ambient noise, Aizawa continued,
"Looking at your other event scores, it's clear you have a well-trained body. I don’t know where or how you honed it, but as a body alone, you’re more than capable of ranking high even among adults—if we set aside Enhancement and Mutation types."
"Yes..."
"But you still can’t control your Quirk, can you? Were you planning to become incapacitated again and rely on someone else?"
"I—I wasn’t planning to..."
"Whatever you had in mind, those around you would have had no choice but to intervene. Long ago, there was a legend of a Hero who, despite a hot-blooded exterior, single-handedly saved over a thousand people from a disaster. Even if your recklessness were as spirited, your version would only leave you a hopeless nuisance after saving a handful. Midoriya Izuku, with your current power, you cannot be a Hero."
Even as Midoriya’s expression soured with defeat, Aizawa mercilessly drove home the harsh reality.
With a sigh, he deactivated his Quirk.
"Your Quirk is back on. Ball throw is event number two. Finish quickly."
Midoriya, his face shadowed in disappointment, gripped the ball once more.
His mind churned with conflicting thoughts.
"I still can’t control my power. Must I stake everything on this single throw? All Might said greatness wouldn’t come overnight... No, then I have no choice but to go all out!"
Striking a wild pose, Midoriya stretched his leg out.
Carrying the momentum of his forward weight, his shoulder swept in a wide circle.
Aizawa watched indifferently and muttered, "Zero chance..."
Feeling the surge of power within him, Midoriya pushed the ball forward, silently shouting, "Not yet! Not yet! I have to work several times harder than everyone else!"
As the arc of his throw neared its end, he thought, "Just as Aizawa-sensei said: as I am now, I can’t be a Hero! So I’ll go all out—do everything I can right now! Smash!"
With a flash of lightning from his fingertips, he released the ball.
Though not as explosive as Kirishima’s, the force sent gusts of wind radiating outward in all directions.
The ball soared into the sky.
Folding his swollen fingers, Midoriya said, "Teacher, I can still move."
"This kid..."
Aizawa, eyes wide in surprise, observed Midoriya before commenting.
The other students also watched him with a mix of astonishment and curiosity.
"He finally posted a Hero-like record!"
"His fingers are swollen. Just like during the entrance exam—what a weird Quirk."
"Not very smart, is he?"
Midoriya ignored their chatter and fixed his gaze squarely on Aizawa.
That determined look spoke volumes—he believed he could become a Hero.
Aizawa smiled at the sight.
This year promised to be full of fascinating individuals.
It looked like it would be far from a dull year.
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