[Time: 08:00 AM][Location: Heights Alliance Dorms – Reiji's Room]
Reiji stood in front of his mirror, watching the digital clock on his HUD tick down.
[Status: Silenced][Time Remaining: 00:00:03][Time Remaining: 00:00:02][Time Remaining: 00:00:01]
Ding.
The red icon in the corner of his vision shattered, replaced by a refreshing blue glow.
[Status Effect Cleared.][Vocal Cords: Functional.][Spirit Recovery: 100%.]
Reiji took a deep breath. He felt the energy—the Chi—flooding back into his veins. It was like waking up from a long, paralyzed nightmare.
He looked at his reflection. His eyes glowed faintly.
"Testing," Reiji whispered.
His voice was raspier than usual, deeper. It carried a resonance that vibrated in the air.
He smirked. "Good."
[Time: 01:00 PM][Location: Training Ground Gamma – "The Labyrinth"]
"ALRIGHT, EMBRYOS!" Aizawa shouted, his voice amplified by a megaphone. "Today isn't about rescue. Today is about suppression."
Class 1-A stood in the center of a massive, concrete industrial zone. Pipes, towers, and narrow alleyways created a claustrophobic maze.
"We have released fifty Ectoplasm clones into the maze," Aizawa explained, pointing to the sprawling complex. "They are set to 'Capture Mode.' Your objective is simple: Find them. Engage them. And neutralize them before they neutralize you."
"Fifty?!" Kaminari groaned. "That's like... two and a half per person! And Ectoplasm-sensei is a beast in close quarters!"
"You have ten minutes," Aizawa said, ignoring the complaints. "Go!"
HOOOOONK!
The siren blared.
Bakugo blasted off immediately. "THEY'RE MINE!" Midoriya activated Full Cowl, leaping onto a pipe. "I'll take the high ground!" Todoroki slid away on a trail of ice.
Reiji didn't run.
He stood at the starting line, cracking his neck. He watched his classmates scatter like ants.
For forty-eight hours, he had been hunted. He had been silenced. He had been forced to hide in his room like a prey animal while someone mocked him with his own ID card.
He was done hiding.
[System Mode: KOMBATANT][Select Fighter: SCORPION + SUB-ZERO (Dual Wield)]
Reiji raised his right hand. Flames erupted. He raised his left hand. Ice crackled.
"Let's vent," he growled.
BOOM!
Reiji vanished in a burst of hellfire teleportation.
[Location: Sector B – The Alleyway]
Kirishima and Sero were back-to-back, surrounded by three Ectoplasm clones.
"Damn, these guys are fast!" Sero yelled, shooting tape. The clones dodged effortlessly, closing the gap with roundhouse kicks.
"We need an opening!" Kirishima hardened his skin, tanking a kick.
Suddenly, the temperature in the alleyway dropped fifty degrees.
Frost crawled up the walls. The puddles on the ground froze instantly.
"GET OVER HERE!"
A roar echoed through the alley—a voice so loud and commanding it shook the dust from the pipes.
A spear—glowing with yellow heat—shot out from the shadows, piercing the chest of the lead clone.
YANK.
Reiji flew out of the darkness, propelled by the chain. He didn't just pull the clone; he launched himself at it.
[Skill: Thermal Shock.]
As Reiji collided with the clone, his left fist—encased in absolute zero ice—slammed into the clone's chest.
The heat of the spear met the cold of the punch.
CRACK-BOOM!
The clone didn't just vanish; it shattered into a million frozen dust particles, the thermal shock obliterating it instantly.
Kirishima's jaw dropped. "Reiji?!"
Reiji didn't stop. He spun around, his eyes burning with white phantom energy.
"Two left," he said.
He stomped the ground.
[Skill: Ice Clone.]
An ice statue of Reiji appeared instantly. The second Ectoplasm clone, unable to stop its momentum, punched the statue.
FREEZE.
Flash-freeze spread from the statue, turning the clone into a popsicle.
Reiji walked up to the frozen figure. He raised his fist.
SHATTER.
He uppercut the frozen clone's head off. It dissolved into ectoplasm sludge before it hit the ground.
The third clone, realizing the power gap, tried to retreat into the wall.
"Where do you think you're going?" Reiji sneered.
He opened his mouth.
[Skill: Hellfire Breath.]
A torrent of searing flames erupted from his lungs, chasing the clone into the wall. The clone shrieked as it was forced to dispel.
Reiji stood amidst the steam and ice, dusting off his uniform.
"You guys okay?" Reiji asked, his voice calm, as if he hadn't just unleashed a disaster.
"Dude..." Sero whispered. "Your voice is back."
"Yeah," Reiji looked at his hand. "And so is the rest of me."
[Kill Count: 3/50.]
"Not enough," Reiji muttered.
He looked up at the maze. He could sense the other clones. He could hear the battles raging.
"I'm going to clear the board."
Reiji crouched. Shadows swirled around him, turning into a vortex.
[Skill: Teleport Slam.]
He vanished again.
For the next eight minutes, the maze became a horror movie for the Ectoplasm clones.
Wherever they hid, Reiji found them. If they ran, he teleported. If they fought, he overpowered them with a brutal mix of martial arts and elemental fury.
Sector C: Frozen.Sector D: Burned.Sector E: Shadow-bound.
When the siren finally blew to end the exercise, the students gathered back at the entrance. Everyone looked exhausted, covered in dust and sweat.
Except Reiji.
He walked out of the maze, looking refreshed. His stats were humming with power. The frustration of the last few days had been burned away.
Aizawa looked at his clipboard, then at Reiji. Even the teacher looked mildly disturbed.
"Results," Aizawa announced.
"Bakugo: 8 takedowns." "Todoroki: 7 takedowns." "Midoriya: 6 takedowns."
Aizawa paused.
"Kurobane: 22 takedowns."
The class went silent.
"Twenty-two?!" Mineta shrieked. "That's half the army!"
Bakugo clicked his tongue, glaring at Reiji. "Tch. Show off."
Reiji walked past Bakugo, leaning in close.
"I told you," Reiji whispered, his voice low and threatening. "I'm back."
He looked up at the surveillance cameras positioned around the arena. He knew someone was watching the footage. Maybe the traitor. Maybe the Principal.
Reiji smiled directly into the lens.
'Come and get me.'
End of Chapter 109.
_________________________________________________________________________
🔥 Hey legends! Quick updates! 🔥
💥 Can't wait for the next chapter? Good news—ALL advance chapters are available on Patreon for just $5! No more waiting, just pure binge-reading goodness! 🚀
👉 patreon.com/cyci07
✨ Power Stone Challenge! ✨
If we hit 100 power stones, I'll drop 2 bonus chapters! Let's see if you guys can make me suffer! 😂
💬 Enjoying the story? Leave a review and let me know your favorite moment so far! It helps the novel grow and reach more readers!
Thanks for all your support—you guys are awesome! ❤️