For a moment, he had become a star, yet Kirishima’s daily routine remained unchanged.
Every day unfolded just the same—patrolling with Rumi and then returning home.
Ever since the assault in Hosu City, which might have exhausted his streak of bad luck, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
That allowed him to wrap up his work experience with a patrol, a sparring session with Rumi, and a friendly debate on fighting styles afterward.
On the morning of his final day, Kirishima stepped out of the sleek supercar parked before the station and turned to Rumi.
"Thanks for the ride. I really appreciate all you’ve done for me."
"No way! You performed even better than I expected—I ended up learning plenty from you. To be honest, the only real work we did was in Hosu City."
"That’s true."
Looking at Rumi’s mischievous grin, he couldn’t help but smile ruefully.
He had long suspected it: work always seems glamorous and exciting from the outside, but once you experience it firsthand, it’s often just a dull cycle of repetitive tasks.
Boxing was no different.
Most people picture professional boxers exchanging blows in a dazzling ring amidst roaring crowds, but in reality, a boxer’s life consists mostly of monotonous basic training and self-analysis—about ninety percent of their routine.
When a match is scheduled, training intensifies and detailed study of the opponent is added, but there are rarely any dramatic style changes or flashy new moves like you’d see in movies or manga.
Even if a change does occur, it is preceded by lengthy and laborious discussions and tedious processes.
Reality, whether in the ring or on duty as a hero, was neither epic nor glamorous.
Villains were rarely defeated, and though Kirishima seemed to face major incidents far too often, that was the one irregularity in an otherwise uneventful cycle of patrols, rescues, and vigilant watch.
After all, if a society where heroes are seldom needed is considered ideal, then contemporary Japan was not a bad place to be.
"All right then. Take care on your way back! I’ll think over that group idea you mentioned."
"Yes. Are you heading straight down there, Rumi?"
"That’s the plan—I just finished up with Tottori."
"Those villains over there are in for a rough time, then."
"What do you mean by that?"
When Kirishima caught sight of Rumi’s cool, almost teasing smile, he had a brief moment of hesitation before smoothly brushing it off.
"I mean, when someone as agile and strong as you is on the case, the villains in that area can’t help but feel intimidated. Maybe that’s why nothing ever really happened when I patrolled with you either."
"Hahaha! If they don’t show up, I’ll hunt them down and give them a beating! What are they gonna do about it?"
Watching her ears perk up in delight, Kirishima couldn’t help but let out a small, satisfied sigh.
It struck him once again just how ferocious rabbits could be—creatures that only a holy grenade could tame.
Kirishima had no intention of ever earning their ire.
"Well, I'm really off now. If anything comes up, call me anytime."
"Yeah! And you take care at school too. I guess living like you used to is over now that you're famous!"
"Not exactly a welcome thought. Anyway, I’m heading out."
After exchanging farewells with Rumi, Kirishima turned and walked towards the station.
It was time to end that brief detour and return to being a student.
Surrounded by the curious gazes of many onlookers, he went home and then the next day set off for school with Ashido.
The steady stream of attention was almost overwhelming—as he passed through the familiar school gate, he even considered buying a car and hiring a driver.
After breaching the newly installed U.A. barrier and opening the classroom door, he found Bakugo sporting his trademark 8:2 parted hair and Sero laughing so hard he looked as if tears might stream down his face.
"Ahahahahaha! Seriously, Bakugo? You’re for real?"
"Shut up! My hair’s a lost cause—no matter how much I comb it, it won’t go back. Stop laughing or I’ll kill you."
"Come on, 8:2! Eek-hee-hee-hee!"
Bakugo fumed at the odd jokes and sounds, while Sero barely batted an eye.
Then the chatter died down as several students noticed Kirishima entering the room.
"Ohhh! The superstar’s here!"
"No, not a superstar—he’s a real hero!"
"Man, he’s the hope of this era, the next big star!"
"Online they say he looks like a Demon King, yet acts like a hero—someone even called him the Devil King!"
Amidst the mix of admiration and good-natured teasing, Kirishima’s face set into a cold expression.
He wasn’t surprised—they were practically going after him like he’d just caught a major one.
Even Bakugo, who had returned to his naturally spiky hair after the brief flare of anger, couldn’t help but join in, laughing and pointing.
"Haa. I know that’s not really it, so cut it out already."
"But if we don’t rib you now, when ever will we get the chance?"
"So you really do want to taunt me, huh?"
With that, Kirishima reached out and playfully grabbed Kaminari’s head as the boy attempted another teasing remark.
Kaminari let out a startled scream as Kirishima’s grip squeezed his hair with the force of a vise.
After holding him for a moment, Kirishima set his bag down and released Kaminari, who continued to pat his head with both hands.
Watching the scene unfold, Tsuyu remarked, "Ribbit. I was really surprised, though. Out of nowhere, our class chat got a location drop—I thought something bad had happened. Thankfully, it was Midoriya who sent it. Then I saw the news and heard that Kirishima-chan had completely lost it, and that the others had encountered the Hero Killer."
"Right! I almost spit out the water I was drinking when I saw the news! I actually thought Eijiro had finally killed someone."
In a bright, almost cheerful tone that belied the gravity of his words, Ashido added something chilling.
Kirishima pressed a hand to his forehead and muttered, "So in your mind, I’m the kind of guy who’ll kill someone someday... Why do you think that?"
"Because Eijiro just gives off the vibe that he’d do anything if he had to," replied another.
"Hmm. I can’t say that’s entirely off the mark."
Perhaps having spent so much time together, she seemed to pinpoint his true nature perfectly, and he gave a reluctant nod.
She nodded emphatically. "Exactly! I was really surprised—nothing happened to me at all!"
"Same here, aside from what went down in Hosu City."
"What about you, Tsuyu? Did the ocean treat you any differently?"
"I just did some training and patrolling. The only noteworthy event was catching an illegal immigrant from a neighboring country."
"Wow! Isn’t that impressive?"
"Well, with someone out there doing something massive right in front of us, it doesn’t seem quite as impressive. How was your week, Ochaco?"
At Tsuyu’s inquiry, Ochaco’s voice took on an intensity that made the air seem to shimmer, and her partly hidden eyes lent her an almost intimidating look.
"It was incredibly educational."
"You really woke up, Ochaco!"
"You went to Battle Hero, didn’t you?"
As she took a confident stance and threw a series of punches into the air, Kaminari remarked with a nervous bead of sweat forming on his brow, "That’s a huge change in just one week."
"Change? No, Kaminari-kun," Sho interjected, his fierce eyes drooping as he spoke.
His expression, etched with despair and fear like a stone statue, seemed clouded by shadows.
"Women… are born with an abyssal, demonic nature."
"What on earth did you witness at Mount Lady’s?"
Kaminari tried to calm Sho before turning his attention to Midoriya, Todoroki, and Iida, who had gathered together.
"I got more praise than I expected—it was fun. Still, the biggest change, or rather the biggest event, was you three! If we set Kirishima aside, that is."
"Yeah! The Hero Killer!"
"I was worried—you sent a location drop out of the blue and then went silent."
Sero and Yaoyorozu chimed in one after the other.
When Todoroki mentioned that Endeavor had come through for him, he said flatly, "Yeah. I got help."
"Mm."
Ojiro then joined the conversation, his expression uneasy.
"I caught the news too—apparently the Hero Killer was linked to the League of Villains. Just thinking about what might have happened if someone like that had shown up at USJ gives me chills."
"It’s terrifying, no doubt. But did you see the Hero Killer video? Watching it, I couldn’t help but think his resolve—or single-minded focus—was kind of cool, in a way."
"Kaminari-kun!"
At Kaminari’s careless comment, Midoriya suddenly shouted, "Hey!"
Only then did Kaminari realize his mistake and hastily add, "Huh? Ah, Iida ... sorry!"
"No, it’s fine," Iida replied, his calm demeanor belying the trials he’d endured.
The ordeal had strengthened his inner core, and his resolve now shone through.
"He was unquestionably a man of conviction. I get why some folks thought he was cool. But choosing violent purges to translate his beliefs into reality—no matter what one believes—is just wrong."
With a determined stretch of his arm, Iida declared, "So that no one like me is created again, I’m going to walk the path of a hero once more!"
"Iida-kun!"
As Midoriya looked on with evident emotion, Iida barked orders at the rest of the class.
"All right, class! We’re starting soon! Take your seats!"
"So noisy..."
Even amid the children’s half-hearted groans, the teacher energetically regained control of the room.
Before long, class resumed as the students slipped back into their daily routines.
It had been a while since they’d had Hero Basics, so the kids eagerly boarded the familiar bus heading for Ground Gamma.
There, All Might greeted them with his signature warm smile and a light wave.
"Hi there! I’m here—just feeling like making an entrance. Yes, Hero Basics. It’s been a while, boys and girls! I hope you’ve all been well!"
The students, who had come to find his entirely different art style oddly endearing, listened as All Might continued.
"Since you just finished your work experience, today’s session will be a rescue training race with a fun, competitive twist!"
"But shouldn’t rescue training take place at USJ?"
When Iida raised the usual question, All Might replied calmly, "USJ is primarily for disaster-response drills. Here, we’re talking about a race! This is Ground Gamma—a factory district that’s as tangled as a maze! We’ll divide into four teams of five. When I send out a rescue signal from somewhere on the premises, everyone will start simultaneously from the outskirts. It’s a race to see who can reach me first! And remember, you must minimize any damage to the buildings!"
While speaking, All Might pointed in the direction of Bakugo and Kirishima.
Since both were known for their overwhelmingly powerful and destructive abilities, it was hard to tell whom he was singling out.
Bakugo’s face reddened as if stung by a personal slight, and he muttered, "Don’t point at me..."
"Now, everyone—first team, take your positions!"
Without missing a beat, All Might carried on with the lesson.
Midoriya, Ojiro, Iida, Ashido, and Sero split off to their designated spots while the rest watched eagerly on monitors, speculating about the outcome.
"Iida isn’t fully recovered yet—it’s probably best if he just observes..."
"Looks like the most agile ones were picked. If I had to guess, Midoriya might be at a slight disadvantage."
"Yeah, his performance rating is still up in the air."
"He seems to get seriously injured every time he gets involved in something."
Indeed, Midoriya’s struggles with power control often left him vulnerable, earning him less-than-stellar evaluations.
"I’m betting Sero will clinch first place!"
"But Ojiro’s in the mix too."
"Deku’s definitely going to be last, no doubt about it."
As the opinions bounced around, Kirishima quietly made his own predictions.
Sero, with his ability to web-swing, certainly seemed like a frontrunner, yet the wild card was always Midoriya.
In private, Kirishima recalled Midoriya mentioning he had learned to divide and control his power more effectively—but having only practiced for a week, it was uncertain how refined his skills had become.
Honestly, Ashido’s mobility was a bit questionable, and although Ojiro boasted impressive athletic ability, his rigid nature left little room for high expectations. And given Iida’s lingering injury and the fact he hadn’t fully tapped into his Quirk’s potential, he was at a disadvantage in this complex, three-dimensional race.
Then, the starting gun rang out.
Without missing a beat, Sero whipped tape from his elbow, latching onto a high pipe and hoisting himself upward.
Cheerfully, he exclaimed, "Whoops~ Isn’t this just perfect for me—what do you say?"
As he soared above the rooftops, an unexpected sight caught his eye.
There, Midoriya—entirely enveloped in crackling lightning—dashed across the rooftops at a breathtaking speed, leaping from one building to another.
The explosive power he had previously displayed was gone, replaced by a controlled, steady output.
It was the moment his new technique, Full Cowl, burst into the world for the very first time.
I think deku should have learnt full cowling earlier as unlike in cannon he received years of training to build his physique and martial arts before getting ofa and had kirishima advising him on how to use ofa to get full cowling much earlier. and Kirishima's actions should have led to bigger butterfly effects than have currently despite Kirishima being very different from canon and raising/training his class none of the canon plot beats have changed.