The explosion shook the entire training area, but despite the teachers' concern, none of them intervened. Instead, they sent another drone, which transmitted the scene to them through a hologram.
The situation was chaotic—half of the training field had been completely wiped out by the blast.
The students who were still in the planning phase were left in shock. As for the Isami students, they could only stare in disbelief. Kashiko, in particular, whose Quirk allowed her to see everything that had happened, was stunned. She knew Allen was strong and understood his Quirk, but seeing it up close was something entirely different.
Little by little, the effects of the explosion slowly began to settle.
At the center of it was a massive crater spanning a hundred meters, and in the middle lay Bakugo, his body battered and covered in burn wounds—though none life-threatening. A few steps ahead, Allen stood, watching him.
"Damn it... damn it..." Bakugo tried to stand, but failed.
Allen glanced at his own arm—part of his sleeve had been blown away, and his palm emitted a faint trail of smoke, marked by minor burns.
"You've lost. Stay down, and I'll call a teacher to pick you up."
"Shut up! Don't you dare underestimate me!"
Allen mocked him. "Then give me your best shot. Oh, right—you can't even stand."
"Ah, you really piss me off!"
Allen let out an impatient breath. "Let's be clear—we don't get along. But like I said, this is training, not a fight to the death. Just surrender!"
"I won't!" Bakugo lifted his face from the ground, glaring at Allen with bloodshot eyes. "I don't care if my body falls apart—I'm going to land a solid punch on you!"
Allen shrugged and raised his hand, which lit up—the clear sign of an impending detonation.
"Then are you ready for round two?... Hm?"
The glow in Allen's hand dimmed. He lowered it and turned his gaze toward the forest.
'He was already here?' Allen smiled.
"Kacchan!" Deku burst out from the forest, his figure crackling with electricity as he moved at high speed.
"Deku?! Stay out of this!"
"Shut up!" Deku shouted, silencing Bakugo.
"Come, One For All!" Allen took a fighting stance. He wouldn't be arrogant when his templates weren't his best—and knowing Deku, he wouldn't come alone.
Deku accelerated and leapt before reaching Allen. He clenched his fist as several flashes of light appeared around his arm.
One For All 50%!
"DETROIT SMASH!"
The punch struck Allen, shattering the ground further before exploding—this time purely from brute force, sending rocks and dust flying.
Deku burst out of the explosion, grabbing Bakugo by his clothes.
"What the hell are you doing, you damn nerd?!"
Deku ignored him and threw him aside. Bakugo rolled across the ground before stopping, furious at being treated that way.
Meanwhile, Deku stared at where Allen had been.
'I know it… Something like that won't hurt him. But we still have a chance!'
"Now, Yaoyorozu-san!"
From within the trees, Momo observed the battlefield while wiping sweat from her face. Around her were several cannons.
"I'm sorry..." she said before firing.
A dozen iron cannonballs shot forward, tearing through every tree in their path before reaching the battlefield—heading straight toward where Allen should have been.
Upon impact, a massive explosion erupted.
"Hey, what are you doing?! That was too much!" Jiro shouted, annoyed, wondering if Momo really liked Allen.
"No," Momo replied, sweat trailing down her cheek. "My cannonballs wouldn't cause an explosion that large."
So, that explosion was mainly Allen's doing.
Momo smiled. She could attack Allen with all her strength—not because she didn't care about hurting him, but because she knew it wouldn't.
....
"What a shame… I would've liked to give Bakugo more therapy before the others showed up. Now I'm not sure how effective it was."
Allen waved his hand, dispersing the dust around him, and looked at Deku, who wore a nervous expression yet still smiled.
'Damn it!' Bakugo clenched his teeth. He could recognize his own Quirk. 'That bastard is using shockwaves to defend himself… I can do that too, but it's hard, and I take some of the damage. Not only that… I hope it's just my imagination…'
Allen didn't attack. Instead, he looked at his hands…
Bakugo's Quirk was interesting. Although it was an Emitter-type, it had certain mutations—specifically in the sweat glands of his hands, allowing him to secrete a nitroglycerin-like substance.
"It's strange… if the Quirk is the sweat, why is it limited to just the hands?" Allen's eyes widened as he thought about it. Something inside him began to stir.
In his mind, he recalled words he had once heard from Nezu—not recently, but long ago. An old memory he had forgotten.
– You know? Quirks are very interesting –
– That's why they're so varied—some as incredible as the ability to fly, others as simple as having a sixth finger. I've thought many times about what Quirks really are, and I concluded that they're not the end, but rather another step in evolution –
– Sometimes Quirks resemble different animal species, which is why humans with those traits are born. But they also mimic things as different as concrete—something that, in theory, is a human invention, not natural. On the other hand, there are Quirks capable of altering the concepts and laws of the world, while others seem straight out of imagination... –
– With all that in mind, I came up with a theory. Perhaps the mutant gene present in all people is experimenting, and as generations pass, it's trying to go further… basically, plus ultra at a genetic level –
– Haha, but don't mind me. These are just silly thoughts from an unknown creature that doesn't even know what it is… –
Allen felt it… There was something different about this template. No—it wasn't the template, it was the Quirk. For the first time, Allen had truly experienced what a Quirk was.
"W-what?"
[Host?]
"Something… something…"
Allen was strong—absurdly strong—but that strength came from the different powers he had accumulated throughout his journey. Those powers were so overwhelming that both he and the system had overlooked his most fundamental trait—the thing that had been growing silently behind the scenes, something Allen had only improved to better use the system's powers.
His body…
His body was far from normal. It had constantly absorbed fragments of destiny that Allen had acquired throughout his past—even before he encountered Lucifer and had to alter the purpose of his journey.
But wasn't it strange? Why was Allen only slightly stronger than a normal human? Why were these "improvements" limited to superhuman strength, greater endurance, and a few additional traits? In theory, this was a body that had absorbed the souls and hearts of different worlds.
Tremor
Allen began to tremble—not from fear or cold, but involuntarily, caused by his own body. And yet, the feeling was familiar. He had experienced it before when he obtained a Saiyan template.
There was no way to know…
"..." Allen frowned as he felt his body changing—no, what was changing wasn't his body, it was the Quirk. Because his body didn't need to change… while a Quirk searched for a way to cross the river, Allen had already been on the other side from the beginning.
...Allen wasn't adapting to Bakugo's Quirk.
Allen's body was adapting the Quirk to itself… to something more suitable… something better…
....
For everyone else, only a few seconds had passed—but for Allen, it felt like a long time. And when he opened his eyes, the process had ended.
Rick – Are you okay?
"Yeah..." Allen smiled, his eyelids half-lowered as if he were tired. Yet at the same time, his presence sent chills down the spines of both Deku and Bakugo, who stood before him.
"What did you do?" Bakugo growled as he got to his feet. "What did you do?!"
Allen tilted his head slightly, smiling. "Plus Ultra… I guess."
"Ah!" Bakugo aimed his hands at Allen once more. His muscles tensed again, pain surging through them—but he didn't care.
"Wait, Kacchan!" Deku tried to stop him, but he was repelled by Bakugo's explosion.
Fire and shockwaves surged toward Allen, who remained still—not even raising his hands. That alone frightened several observing students, including Nemuri, Aizawa, Kaina, Mirko, and All Might—because they all knew Bakugo's Quirk worked through his hands.
But Allen wasn't Bakugo…
An explosion detonated in front of Allen, blocking the attack—without him moving a single muscle.
"...!"
Bakugo was left speechless. As the original user, how could he not know the limitations of his own Quirk?
"You damn cheater..."
"Bakugo, I have to tell you something," Allen said with a smile. Small bubbles formed around him before bursting into constant flashes. "You have a good Quirk."
It was unheard of—practically impossible…
Bakugo's Quirk had been perfectly controlled the moment Allen obtained it, and just minutes later, it had reached its maximum development. In other words, it had awakened a condition that Bakugo himself would only achieve after being pushed to his absolute limits multiple times in battle—even after dying once.
The peak evolution Bakugo reached.
THE CLUSTER!
"Impossible..." Bakugo stared at Allen, who was now enveloped in his own Quirk, as if he could blow up the entire mountain at any moment. Meanwhile, the original user knelt, exhausted. "Damn..."
"Do you still want to fight?"
Allen didn't make any further moves—he simply stood there. But immediately, Deku stepped in front of Bakugo.
That only enraged Bakugo even more—he would rather die than be protected by Deku.
But in the next instant, an explosion erupted in front of Deku.
"Ugh..." Deku looked at Allen with a strained smile as he endured the pain in his injured arm. "Allen-san, attacking someone who can't move isn't like you."
Allen smiled. "I didn't attack him—I attacked you. The moment you stepped onto the battlefield, you became a target. Don't you remember? I'm the hunter..."
Allen extended his hand toward the forest, and soon multiple small detonations went off everywhere.
"Long-range attacks?!" All Might exclaimed as he observed the result.
"This is terrifying..." Ectoplasm muttered.
"It is. This is the first time he's done it."
From the teachers' perspective, Allen had created several Quirks—but this was the first time they had seen him improve one. And better than anyone, they knew the capabilities of Bakugo's Quirk, having observed it for months.
"Kacchan..." Deku called, snapping Bakugo out of his daze.
"...?"
"To be honest, I don't think I can beat Allen alone—not if he's using your Quirk."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Let's fight together..."
"Huh? Me? With you?! I'd rather di—"
– You're disgusting –
"..." Bakugo clenched his teeth.
"Kacchan, we're not teaming up!" Deku exclaimed, extending his hand. "I'm going to use you to beat Allen, so you use me too!"
"Use me?" Bakugo's eyes widened… then he let his hair fall over them before punching the ground, releasing a small explosion. After that, he stood up.
Deku knew Bakugo well and understood how to deal with him.
"If you dare get in my way, I'll kill you!"
Both of them looked at Allen ahead of them, who smiled.
"Oh, am I the villain again?" Allen shrugged. "Fine. Hero or villain, I'm good at everything—I'm multifaceted."
Deku and Bakugo lined up, ignoring Allen's remarks.
"Come on!"
"Wait!"
Interrupting the clash, Todoroki descended from the sky, one half of his body blazing with fire while the other radiated ice.
"Sorry, Midoriya, but I won't let you have all the spotlight... Walker! I'm your opponent!"
"Oh..."
Todoroki attacked, combining fire and ice into a single strike that crashed down on Allen like a waterfall.
As a result, a massive cloud of steam rose in all directions.
Todoroki knew it wouldn't be enough, so he prepared to attack again—but suddenly, a hole opened in the middle of the steam cloud, and before he could react, everything around him exploded.
"Argh!"
"So..." Allen braced for the next attack, which came quickly. "Good morning, Tokoyami"
A black shadow cut through the steam—it was none other than Dark Shadow.
Dark Shadow tried to slash Allen with its claw, but he stopped it with ease. He placed his hand on its chest and made it explode.
"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami shouted—but at that very instant, the place where he stood exploded.
With the combination of Cluster and Allen's own ability, he wasn't just capable of attacking at range—he could do so with precision.
"Not yet!" Todoroki appeared; the explosion had hurt him a little, but he could still keep going.
Todoroki kept attacking. Deku and Bakugo attacked as well. Despite taking damage, Tokoyami launched another assault.
Allen laughed and snapped his fingers, which caused the place where the four boys were standing to explode. There was no way to hide—it was as if Allen could detonate any point around him.
Even so, the four of them didn't give up and continued attacking.
....
Meanwhile, the rest of the students who had been in the forest began arriving at the battlefield.
"Everything went down the drain!" Itsuka growled. She hadn't had time to plan a strategy before they were forced to come.
"What do we do?" Ochako asked, her expression filled with defeat. They were supposed to assume Allen wouldn't fight seriously—but half the training field had been blown away. How were they supposed to beat him?
"We all have to attack," Setsuna said.
"That's right, it's the only way," Iida nodded, his eyes burning with determination. "Even if it's terrifying, it's still Bakugo's Quirk—and as far as I know, it has a limit."
Bakugo's Quirk was very powerful, but it came with a burden on the user. Even if Allen had an improved version and was better at using it than Bakugo, that didn't mean he could use it without limits.
Momo nodded and raised her voice. "Isami team and Todoroki-kun's team, can you hear me?! This is a bit sudden and it ruins everyone's plans, but I want you to attack with us. We're going to wear Allen down—a battle of attrition is our best option!"
....
Batman – A war of attrition... not a bad option, but there are other ways to win.
Superman – Well, in the end, they're all young. 'Defeat the villain' is the first thing they think of in situations like this.
Amanda – Tsk, heroes from other worlds are always so 'righteous.' They should just hide until the test is over.
Maeve – I can't blame you for thinking that. In our world, the concept of 'hero' has been corrupted too.
Rangiku – I like it this way more. Watching young people who don't worry about 'winning' no matter the method, but instead jump into danger despite the disadvantage, all just to defeat the villain—it's very admirable~
....
"Damn it," Fujimi growled, punching a tree.
"What do we do, Sekigai-san?" Habuko asked.
Kashiko Sekigai was the representative of the hero class at Isami, which gave her a position similar to a leader. She knew their best option was to hide while U.A. faced Allen.
Kashiko looked at her classmates. Even the rebellious Fujimi chose to stay silent—it was obvious he had realized what kind of monsters were at U.A., and his earlier disdain had been completely shattered.
Kashiko looked toward Allen. He was toying with Deku, Bakugo, Tokoyami, and Todoroki—four of the strongest students, yet they looked like children playing against an adult. No matter how they attacked, their strikes were repelled by omnidirectional explosions, and no matter where they were, they were attacked the moment they paused even for a second to breathe.
An overwhelming way of fighting. A suffocating method of attack. Terrifying power. A formidable enemy.
And yet, that young man kept a smile on his face—as if he were training them while beating them.
Kashiko smiled; this image was something she would definitely remember for the rest of her life.
She lowered her head. "It's a bit stupid… and definitely reckless."
Everyone looked at their class representative. The serious and responsible girl began to raise her voice, her tone stronger and filled with authority.
"But I don't want to stay hidden like a rat while they fight. I know there's no way we can stand on the same stage as those geniuses and monsters—but we're heroes too!"
Habuko, Dadan, and even Fujimi were surprised. The least hot-blooded girl in their class actually wanted to fight.
"Alright, let's go!" Habuko said enthusiastically.
"I support you, class rep!" Dadan said with a smile, though still nervous.
Fujimi scratched his head at everyone's gaze and growled, "Damn it… Fine, I just have to do it, right?!"
....
"Looks like the Isami students have decided to act as well, Master~" Rebecca said, floating beside Allen.
"Heh, of course. I knew they wouldn't disappoint me," Allen replied as he blocked Deku's punch with his hand before making it explode and sending him flying.
Gwen – But do you really think you can defeat all the students with just that Quirk?
Allen felt a slight pulse in his veins. Even with his control and having adapted the Quirk into an improved version, it still wasn't perfect—and it still had limits.
"Who knows… but it's something we're about to find out..."
"NOW!" Momo shouted.
Allen smiled as he sensed twenty people beginning to move at the same time, all directing their will and Quirks toward him.
====
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