Chapter 153: Quirks. Rice Cakes

The so-called meditation, to put it simply, is a technique used to connect with one's inner self—what some might call the "spiritual realm." Through this, individuals aim to enhance their understanding and control over their own body and mind by strengthening their spirit.

However, like all skills, the effectiveness of meditation varies from person to person. While everyone possesses a spirit, their talents in harnessing it are far from equal. Some people can't even master the foundational step of breathing control, let alone achieve any significant spiritual growth. Others, gifted with extraordinary talent, might develop powerful mental abilities.

These mental abilities can manifest as unique Quirks: telekinesis, mental scanning, mind reading, even glimpses into the future. A prime example would be Shinso's "Brainwashing" or Aizawa's "Erasure."

Take Aizawa, for example. His ability to manipulate his capture weapon so deftly is a byproduct of years spent honing his Quirk, to the point where his mental focus allows him to control objects almost as if with telekinesis. It took him six years of dedicated training to achieve this level of mastery.

For someone like Edgeshot, whose Quirk is unrelated to the spirit, achieving even basic spiritual control of the body through meditation was a monumental accomplishment. In that sense, Kaminari was in a similar position. Theoretically, he could spend years training to reach Edgeshot's level—perhaps even longer.

Mastery of these techniques could lead to seemingly impossible feats: controlling one's body in midair when no external foothold existed, for example. But for now, Kaminari's progress remained modest. By ten in the morning, after hours of falling repeatedly, he had only managed to barely "hear" the sound of his own blood flow.

Dozens of falls had left him worn out and exasperated, though fortunately, his Golden God Robe protected him from injuries. The armor's durable alloy surface remained unscathed, and cleaning it was as simple as rinsing it with water and shaking it dry.

Still, Kaminari's face betrayed his frustration. "I thought the point of this was to stay awake while entering a meditative state. But as soon as I start to drift, I lose control and fall asleep completely. Hearing the sound of blood flow is great and all, but it doesn't mean anything if I can't hold onto that awareness. Isn't there any technique to help me stay conscious while meditating?"

He looked up at Edgeshot with hopeful eyes.

"There are no shortcuts," Edgeshot said flatly as he gracefully stepped down from the bamboo pillar. Landing lightly on the ground, he added, "The breathing technique I taught you is the only method. Beyond that, it comes down to talent, persistence, and luck. That's how it was for me, and that's how it will be for you."

"Ugh, fine…" Kaminari sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that Edgeshot's progress must have been much slower.

What Kaminari didn't realize was that Edgeshot was quietly marveling at his talent. For Kaminari to even hear the sound of his blood flow after such a short time was extraordinary.

"Let's move on," Edgeshot said, breaking the silence. "We'll head out for patrol and drop him off with the police."

Turning to Kosuke, Edgeshot continued, "I'll tie you up like before to make sure you don't try anything. But this time, I won't seal your mouth. As long as you don't shout."

Abe gulped nervously and nodded. "Got it."

Before Edgeshot could move, Kaminari suddenly chimed in with a grin. "Hey, Kosuke-san, what's your Quirk?"

Kosuke hesitated, looking a little embarrassed. "Quirk? I haven't used it in years…" Slowly, he raised his hand and focused. After a few seconds, his palm turned a soft, milky white, the surface glossy and slightly sticky.

"The hand's… a rice cake?" Kaminari's golden eyes widened slightly, his curiosity piqued.

"My Quirk is called Rice Cake. It lets me turn parts of my body into something soft and sticky, like mochi. But, well…" Abe looked down at his hand bitterly. "Nowadays, I can only manage this with my palms. Back in school, I thought about becoming a Hero, but this Quirk is so useless that I gave up on that dream before I even finished middle school."

A self-deprecating smile crossed his face. "My Quirk suits me perfectly—weak and pathetic, just like I am."

But Abe failed to notice Kaminari's expression shift. For a fleeting moment, Kaminari's eyes flashed with something between shock and excitement before he quickly masked it.

"Transforming into mochi, huh?" Kaminari thought, his mind racing. "If he fully trains this Quirk… he could turn his whole body into rice cakes! That's just like—"

Kaminari's thoughts immediately snapped to a figure from fiction, a character whose abilities matched Kosuke's potential perfectly. "Charlotte Katakuri… the Mochi-Mochi user."

At this moment, Kaminari saw an ocean of untapped potential in Kosuke. "Same Quirk, but completely different people. Just goes to show—there's no such thing as the strongest ability, only the strongest user."

Edgeshot interrupted Kaminari's thoughts. "Alright, let's go." Without further warning, he wrapped Abe in his elongated paper limb, securing him like before, and leapt effortlessly over the camp's high wooden wall.

As Kaminari followed closely behind, he glanced at Kosuke and said with a meaningful smile, "You know, Kosuke-san, your Quirk has a lot of potential. You shouldn't underestimate it."

Kosuke blinked, visibly startled by Kaminari's words. Those few simple sentences had more of an impact on him than Kaminari might have realized. For the first time in a long while, a spark of hope flickered in Abe's heart.

"Potential…" Abe murmured quietly, repeating the word to himself.

"So, what else can rice cakes do, aside from being sticky?" Kaminari asked as they darted through the forest.

To Kaminari's surprise, Edgeshot joined the conversation. "A good question. Mochi has unique properties beyond stickiness—it's flexible, durable, and can even be shaped into tools or weapons. If you think about it, the possibilities are endless."

Kaminari tilted his head curiously. Edgeshot rarely engaged in casual conversation. "You sound pretty interested in this topic, Edgeshot."

Edgeshot's expression remained neutral, but his thoughts revealed a deeper interest. He wasn't particularly fascinated by Kosuke's Quirk; rather, he was intrigued by Kaminari's sharp mind and creativity. He had read Kaminari's file and seen the Sports Festival, and he knew how far Kaminari had pushed a Quirk as simple as electricity.

If anyone could recognize the hidden potential in something as unassuming as Rice Cake, it was Kaminari Denki.

With that in mind, Edgeshot decided to let the conversation continue, silently observing Kaminari's insights as the group moved closer to the edge of the forest.

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