Episode 12. Part V.

When I finished moving our papier-mâché rocket, which we were supposed to protect, into the farthest corner of the hall, the match began.

After waiting for ten more seconds, I knew for sure that the "heroes" had entered the building—Kirishima's marker on my palm was crystal clear.

In all the years of living with my quirk and experimenting with it, I never found a single way, barrier, or material that could block my precise awareness of my markers' locations. The only limitations I discovered were distance (if too far, they would stop being detectable), time (they would eventually fade), and significant deformation of the surface the marker was placed on.

It turned out that everything hinged on the specific coordinates of the marked surface in space.

Pausing for a couple of seconds, I felt Kirishima's marker approaching quickly.

Of course, there was a chance that Eijiro would fall behind Shoto or not follow him at all. But I was betting that his protective quirk would allow him to shrug off the ice, and his character wouldn't let him leave his partner behind.

And I was right. He was heading toward us, moving up. Having memorized the building's layout perfectly—thanks to my quirk-enhanced memory—I could pinpoint his location and predict his route. This was good.

Because it was Eijiro Kirishima I wanted to take out first.

I glanced at Toga.

"It's begun."

I turned away. She would manage.

I caught a glimpse of the rapidly approaching wave of ice covering the floor, walls, and ceiling...

And jumped out the window.

***

At that time.

Observation Center for Students, Training Ground "Beta," U.A. Academy Grounds.

Toshinori Yagi.

Izuku Midoriya's classmates were a remarkable bunch. So much talent!

Even as the growing exhaustion from his dwindling time in his active form gnawed at him, All Might couldn't bring himself to either rush the students or tear his eyes away from the screen. His experienced eye noted both numerous mistakes and clever—albeit simple—strategies the kids had come up with. Yui Kodai, Fumikage Tokoyami, Katsuki Bakugo, Setsuna Tokage, Tenya Iida, and, of course, Izuku Midoriya—all these students had the potential to become some of the strongest heroes of the future.

Not that he ever had much time to watch sports festivals before…

All in all, everything was going well.

That is, until he took a closer look at one more talented student.

Kiyotaka Shinya.

Potentially one of the top three—maybe four—strongest students in the class, at least until young Midoriya came into his full power. The ability to put enemies to sleep with mist, fog, or gas was already a highly formidable quirk, just ask Midnight. But Kiyotaka's range was dozens of times larger than Nemuri's! Such a quirk could easily make him a Pro-Hero within the top hundred rankings.

The fact that his quirk also had two additional properties—enhanced mobility and strength—was simply extraordinary! Endeavor, whom Toshinori would have named without hesitation as the next No. One Hero if All Might had fallen in battle, had reached such heights precisely because of similar secondary abilities—tremendous physical strength and a body almost as durable as Toshinori's One For All-enhanced form.

And Kiyotaka had even more, according to his file. What did it say? Condensing the mist into a liquid for movement… temporarily boosting his strength through a stimulant he created by altering the chemical composition of his quirk's sedative… heightened spatial awareness within the mist's reach… What a talent!

Yes, the frail-looking, gray-haired boy was incredibly promising.

But the moment the Symbol of Peace looked more closely at him, his instincts screamed.

"DANGER NEARBY!"

Toshinori wouldn't have survived even a tenth of his professional career if he hadn't learned to obey his instincts and reflexes without question.

But… where was the danger? Who should he protect, and from whom? Whom to attack?

Discreetly scanning the students, All Might was forced to admit that his instincts were warning him about Kiyotaka specifically.

But why? The boy was quiet, kept to himself, and didn't act out. There was something subtly off about his behavior, though, like he was holding back, afraid of revealing something with a careless word or gesture.

Toshinori felt a chill.

Could it be… was it possible… that this was HIM… or rather, one of his new pawns? A servant, or a spy, or a puppet…

No. No, this was something else.

Kiyotaka felt… familiar. Like someone from his past. Could he be someone's son? But Toshinori couldn't recall anyone with similar looks or quirks, despite his thirty-year career filled with daily confrontations. Even among heroes, aside from Midnight...

He followed Kiyotaka's departure from the screen with his eyes, as the boy moved away with a neutral expression. His face showed no emotion, his hands were relaxed, no sign of sweating… but his back was tense.

So, he really did fear him, All Might.

Who was he?

Forcing himself to shift focus, All Might knew he couldn't afford to fixate solely on Shinya. His class was not done yet, and there was still one more group. His time in his combat form was running out, and he could already feel fatigue creeping in. But he wasn't Toshinori Yagi, the frail invalid, right now. He was the Symbol of Peace! He couldn't let down the students, who looked up to him as the unreachable ideal, the pillar of hope for a brighter future. Not now. Not yet…

He turned his attention back to the remaining participants. Who was left? Ah, Shoto Todoroki, Endeavor's son. He ranked second in the recommendation entrance exam, though the top student had withdrawn. Strange. Eijiro Kirishima, with a fantastic quirk that allowed him not to worry about his safety, had taken third place in the general entrance exam.

On the opposing team—Niren Shoda. He had ranked first in the same exam. A model student, but his quirk still puzzled All Might. However, the tall, well-built boy handled it skillfully. His partner, Himeko Toga, sent shivers down Toshinori's spine. She reminded him a bit too much of Nemuri Kayama.

He cast a quick glance at Kiyotaka, who stood by the wall with arms crossed. No immediate danger… for now. But the boy was there, and if anything happened, All Might would be ready to intervene. And then he would speak to Nezu. After class… and after checking on young Midoriya, of course.

As the teams took their positions, Toshinori focused on the upcoming clash.

It promised to be interesting… albeit short. The "villains" weren't wasting time; Niren clearly had a plan. The girl listened calmly and attentively, not interrupting, just impatiently swinging around some weapon she'd found. The Symbol of Peace frowned imperceptibly: preparation and seeking advantage before battle were great traits for a hero—but not with a rusty, jagged pipe, for goodness' sake! If anyone got hurt, a visit to Chiyo for a tetanus shot would be unavoidable.

Then the girl began her transformation, shedding some of her clothes and covering herself with something gray, until… she became a copy of the blue-haired boy, growing broader in the shoulders and gaining a foot in height. No, wait, feet are in the U.S. One-third of a meter. The resemblance was uncanny! The only odd thing was that Toga hadn't copied his clothes—specifically his armor—and ended up in a U.A. tracksuit instead.

The students murmured in surprise: only a couple of them had seen Toga's quirk in action before. All Might shook his head in disappointment. It was a clever idea, to confuse the opponent and attack from different angles. The heroes wouldn't know which "Niren" was the real threat… but the scale wasn't right. Their opponent would just engulf them both in a wide attack.

Toshinori had heard rumors that Endeavor's son was destined to surpass even his father in power, but he had yet to see the cold, aloof boy in action.

Ten seconds into the match—he did.

He watched as Shoto, without moving an inch, completely froze over a fifteen-story building. The "villains," for the record, had taken refuge on the top floor.

Almost everyone in the room reflexively hugged themselves as they observed the mighty and swift wave of ice rolling up the stairs, through doorways and corridors, consuming room after room, floor after floor...

It wasn't surprising that "Niren"—or rather, Toga—didn't have time to react as the floor was swiftly covered in ice, freezing her feet solid. The figure jerked her leg a couple of times—without success—before standing still in a relaxed pose.

Given the overwhelming power of her opponent, there wasn't much sense in struggling. Though Toshinori had spent his life fighting against the very concept of despair and hopelessness, he could understand the girl's emotions in this situation.

Endeavor's son already inspired awe.

But then…

Tsuyu Asui's puzzled voice broke the tension of the moment:

"Is he… flying?"

***

Niren

Over the past month, especially during the last week, life has given me several opportunities to look at myself and my "quest" from an unusual perspective. To reassess my goals, my identity, and my plans.

During this time, I realized that despite all my efforts to remain objective, balanced, and reasonable, I still… failed in some areas.

They say that existence shapes consciousness. Perhaps, to some extent, this is true. By isolating myself for a higher purpose, depriving myself of social interaction for years, without a single person to confide in, preparing for a greater goal for more than a decade… I probably couldn't help but be infected by thoughts of my own uniqueness. Specialness. It was inevitable.

So, Niren, has fame gotten to your head?

Fortunately, the cure, though delayed, finally arrived a few days ago in the form of a therapy session with a furry rug.

And, I must admit, it did me good. Perhaps even more beneficial would be a sparring match with All Might… ah, dreams.

After my injuries during the entrance exam, after the failure during Aizawa's test, and the humiliating conversation with Nezu, where, for the first time in many years, I was shown that one should only consider themselves the smartest person in the room when they're the only one there… I realized that I had grown quite an overblown sense of self-importance, and one therapy session wouldn't be enough. It turns out, there are plenty of people around me right now who are smarter, stronger, more talented, and simply more exceptional. Or maybe they were always there, but I was too preoccupied with myself and my "genius" to notice.

Here, a heavy sigh and a reminder of the Unforeseen Simulation Joint should follow. Yes… my Plan is still intact, and when it happens, the best future for the country, and possibly the world, still depends solely on me. No one can change anything but me.

But at least now, I understand that I got a bit too full of myself. I might not pull it off. And when the time comes, I'll ask for help. From everyone I can.

However, coming back to more immediate matters… all these pompous and sentimental realizations do nothing to quell my desire to bring a couple of even more overinflated characters down to earth.

For instance, Todoroki.

So, I devised a plan for Toga and me to win.

...Turning away from Toga, I jumped out the window.

We were on the fifteenth floor, one of the tallest buildings on the Center's grounds… and, most likely, if I were to fall right now, I'd die. But I wasn't planning to fall. I was planning to do the opposite!

Pushing off with markers from my feet, I shot upward, hovering for a moment in midair…

I spread my arms wide to the sides…

And unfolded my "wings."

Three membranes made of special two-layered fabric stretched between my legs and along my sides. Each membrane had a spar, a frame forming a cavity that inflated with air, generating lift during forward flight.

A wingsuit. A winged suit. That's what I had requested to be added to my armor.

And they made it happen!

With a single impulse from my right hand (losing balance and dropping a meter in height), I turned myself sideways to the building. And I flew along the wall of the house—like circling it in a parade, showing off.

The wind rushed in my face. The blue sky beckoned…

Unfortunately, I couldn't allow myself to fly for long—my opponents hadn't yet reached the upper floors from which I could be spotted, but they were moving quickly. If they saw me too early, the whole plan would go down the drain.

So, losing a couple more floors of altitude, I glided onto the roof of a nearby tall building, about ten meters from ours, which I had spotted in advance. Retracting the membranes into my suit and killing the momentum with a final impulse, I ducked out of sight behind the parapet. Sure, there was a clap, but they probably wouldn't hear it inside the building.

It would have been simpler to just cling to the wall of our building. But it was completely covered in ice. And even if I managed to latch onto it—the smooth and slippery armor had its drawbacks—I'd likely just freeze to it.

Besides, I wouldn't have been able to show off my flight, heh.

I'd been waiting for this suit for years.

In any case, it's now up to Himiko.

"I'm in position," I said to Toga, pressing the earpiece. "How are you? Okay?"

"Waiting, it's cold here… and boring… Can I cut one of them later? Can I, can I?"

"Shhh… shhh… you're breaking up, bad connection up here, can't hear you…"

"Niren-kun?! Niren? Are you there? Tell me you're there! Are you?"

"On your signal, Himiko. Do you remember the plan?"

"Yes."

"Good. Radio silence now."

"But… it's lonely here… all alone…" Considering she was speaking with my voice, it was far from endearing or protective. "I'm hungry…"

I sighed.

"You can poke Kirishima in the side with the pipe at the end of the match, just this once."

"Hooray! Hooray! I'm the happiest!"

"But only when he activates his Quirk, Himiko," I added sternly.

":*"

She clearly took out her earpiece and kissed it.

Oh well. Who needs girls, really, when you can fly?! First things first, airplanes…

Of course, the fabric and the overall construction of my new wingsuit were far superior to what I had dealt with in my previous life. I sometimes forgot that this world is much more technologically advanced, and my armored wingsuit allowed me to glide even among the densely packed city buildings. I could even gain altitude with ease! Fifteen… no, twenty years ago, I chickened out and didn't try base jumping. Now I've corrected that oversight en passant. Once again, proving that the right motivation is key. What is fear of heights to me, what is the fear of smashing into the ground, when there's so much at stake…

I clapped my hands, shifted my weight, then focused on the feeling of the marker on Kirishima. They were almost there. Almost…

"They're here."

I stood on the ledge…

Time to move.

***

At the same time.

Toshinori Yagi.

Alongside Niren's classmates, All Might watched with genuine joy as the suit allowed him to fly. He was always amazed by Quirk users who, through technological or other devices, found new ways to use or overcome certain limitations. David Shields, his old friend, was a true master in this regard.

And especially—flying! Humanity's eternal dream since the days of Ancient Greece! Even he, the mighty Symbol of Peace, never learned to fly… unlike his Teacher… ah, yes.

For a moment, he closed his eyes, pushing away memories of Nana Shimura. So many years had passed, and the pain was still as sharp. Perhaps… he was still afraid to admit it even to himself… but deep down, Toshinori understood that his Teacher had been his first love. And honestly, who wouldn't fall for her?

Which only made the pain worse because...

But this wasn't the time to keep his eyes closed!

Maybe the students would manage to stand up to Todoroki?

While his double was left frozen on the floor, the real blue-haired boy landed on the roof of another building—clearly waiting for something. Some signal? Or waiting for the opponents to approach his partner? Hmm...

All Might was intrigued as he realized he didn't understand his first-year student's plan. That was both alarming, surprising, and exciting all at once.

At that moment, Kirishima, bouncing with excitement, and Todoroki, calm as ever, finally reached the top floor.

"I see you weren't in too much of a rush," came a mocking voice from "Niren." He stood lazily by the wall. "Someone's too confident, huh? You took so long, we almost fell asleep waiting for you. Right, Himiko? Himiko?.."

The boy in the tracksuit looked around, then shrugged in disappointment:

"Tsk, seems like she really couldn't wait for you. What a pity… I mean, how can you treat a lady like this? Don't you guys feel ashamed?"

The resemblance was absolute.

There was a soft whisper from Setsuna:

"Can she act like that? I'd never be able to tell the difference... Yui, Yui, are you seeing this? That Niren isn't Niren at all, it's Toga!"

A heavy sigh followed.

"Yes, I know, Setsuna."

"I knew it too!"

"I knew you could break free from the ice!" exclaimed Eijiro on the screen, eagerly punching his fist into his palm. "You're strong, I've seen it! I was hoping..."

"Wait," interrupted Shoto. He carefully examined the frozen figure in the middle of the floor and said, "Look at the form. That's not him. It's a girl, Himiko Toga."

Kirishima's eyes went wide:

"Wait, wait, how does that...?"

"I'm not in a hurry," came the lazy reply from the "blue-haired" boy, pointing to his frozen feet.

Toshinori's eyes widened as he spotted the real Niren swiftly flying back on another screen. It seemed he'd figured out what the "villains" were planning. But how?..

Shoto ignored Himiko's remark and continued:

"Apparently, her Quirk is disguise, and while she's distracting us, the real one is hiding somewhere." As he said this, he surrounded himself with icy spikes. "But that doesn't matter..."

"You shouldn't be so sure of yourself," the fake "Niren" shook his head. "Humility would suit you better. I would've shown you, but my legs are frozen... I could use a blanket..."

"...because to win this match, all I have to do is touch the rocket," Todoroki said, stepping forward, completely disregarding the double. "And they won't be able to stop me."

In the next moment, a dark-armored figure flew through the open window like a bird, sending a surprised Kirishima crashing into the nearest wall.

And then, a targeted blast from the real Shoda's kick sent Todoroki skidding backward, shattering the icy spikes. Endeavor's son didn't fall, catching himself with ice—but as a result, he slid into the doorway, briefly disappearing from sight.

"Surprise," said both "Nirens" in unison.

***

Niren.

That redhead felt like a red brick wall, damn it.

Why did I attack him first instead of the colorful ice cream?

First of all, because the marker was only on him, and I knew his exact position in space. Trying to "feel out" Todoroki, cold in every sense, would have been too suspicious, especially right before the practice match.

Second, because I doubted that I could catch him off guard so easily. The Endeavor's son has been trained most of his life, much like me. It wouldn't be enough just to surprise him; he'd have to consciously lower his guard on his own. In this case, it was better to take out the less dangerous opponent first, leaving him outnumbered for us to finish together.

Third, it was all about psychology. A trained Todoroki would try to evade the hit, dodge, block, or counterattack... but Kirishima? His quirk is purely defensive. Very good at defense, actually. So he's most likely used to facing any attack head-on, so to speak. Seriously, why bother dodging when you'll come out unharmed just by standing still and activating your defense?

So, in short, I had a much better chance of landing a hit on him.

And I did.

Plus, I wanted to see how my strength would fare against this local version of the Terminator.

Kirishima can harden his entire body, even his hair, to the hardness of metal, maybe even tougher. And I'd love to think this is a rare case, but no—many of my future opponents will have similar abilities. It would be sad to face such an enemy unprepared...

Luckily, I am prepared for such enemies!

What can you do against someone so armored?

Actually, a lot.

The simplest option would have been to just throw him out the window—easy enough in a surprise attack. But it was a bit too high, and I wasn't sure of the limits of his quirk or if Kirishima could maintain his Hardening during such a fall. Too risky.

And honestly, I like Eijiro as a person—genuine, positive, and… well, solid.

So, I chose to slam him into the wall and test out a move I specifically designed for hardened opponents. The "Nirengeki Mengele," so to speak.

Not paying attention to Todoroki—for the next few seconds, I needed to make as much noise as possible, both to keep him from simply walking over to the rocket and grabbing it, and to keep his eyes off Toga—I rushed toward Kirishima, creating small explosions with every step.

Somehow, this half-genius didn't just cover the concrete floor in ice; he made it extremely "sticky," freezing anything that touched it. Any step could be my last. So, I activated weakened markers on my soles upon each step, preventing the ice from sticking while speeding up my run.

And I attacked.