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The episode resumed, and the screen returned to the devastated battlefield—specifically, the giant little brother, still reeling from the death of his older sibling. His massive form stood tall, casting a monstrous shadow over the ruins of the city. His voice trembled as he lifted his fist toward the sky.
"All I ever wanted… was to be the strongest man in the world," he muttered. "And now that I finally am… I killed my own brother."
The silence that followed was heavy, even within the reaction room. For a moment, some of the students and even a few villains felt a tinge of sympathy. Despite everything the giant had done, his regret came through in those words.
But it was only a flicker of emotion—quickly buried by the memory of what he'd caused.
"We're not that dumb," Sero muttered under his breath. "Feeling bad doesn't undo leveling half a city."
"He still chose this," Iida added firmly, pushing up his glasses. "That power came with his decisions."
The screen showed the giant shifting his gaze downward. There, on his massive shoulder, stood Saitama—calm, unshaken. The giant's hand shot up and grabbed him in one crushing fist. The audience flinched as they watched him dangle helplessly in the air.
"I don't know who you are," the giant snarled, eyes filled with rage. "But this is your fault. You're gonna pay!"
"The hell are you talking about?!" Bakugo roared at the screen, veins popping on his forehead. "You're the dumbass who stepped on your brother, you moron! How is that anyone else's fault?!"
Before anyone else could add their own insults, the giant hurled Saitama downward like a meteor. The screen shook violently as his body smashed through a building, shattering concrete and glass.
The students gasped.
"No way he took that without injury…" Kaminari whispered, gripping the edge of his seat.
"Please be okay…" Uraraka murmured, hands clutched to her chest.
But there was no time to breathe. The giant brother didn't hesitate—he leapt into the sky and came crashing down with both feet, landing directly where Saitama had fallen. The ground quaked with the impact, a shockwave rippling through the ruined city.
From above, the shot pulled back to reveal the devastation. Half the block was gone—crushed, vaporized, and broken. Smoke and dust spiraled upward in an enormous crater.
Mina's jaw dropped. "He just flattened it all… like it was paper."
Even All Might frowned, his arms crossed and brow furrowed. "That level of force… it surpasses most recorded quirk incidents."
All For One, silent in his corner, leaned forward slightly, intrigued. "Fascinating…"
Onscreen, the giant roared with satisfaction. "Behold our brotherly power!" he declared, voice booming like thunder. His fists began to fly in a wild flurry, launching dozens of monstrous strikes down into the crater.
Each one landed with a deafening crash. The final blow struck so hard it triggered a shockwave that could be seen from miles away. The camera zoomed out to show a colossal crater, deep and wide—a scar carved into the very earth.
Everyone in the room stared, horrified.
"This guy… might even be stronger than All Might," Sato admitted in a hushed tone.
Midoriya's hands were shaking slightly in his lap. He didn't say anything.
He couldn't.
His eyes were fixed on the screen—on the impossible destruction, on the overwhelming strength.
For the longest time, he believed that inheriting One For All made him special. That it made him destined to surpass All Might. To stand at the top one day—not just as the Symbol of Peace, but as the strongest hero alive. But now?
Now he had seen three people in just a short span of time, all casually displaying strength that shattered everything he thought was possible. One after the other, the goalpost kept moving.
And if All Might—his All Might—was no longer the standard…
Then what did that make him?
Was he just another hero with borrowed power, trying to chase something he could never reach?
Now he wasn't so sure.
He clenched his fists and swallowed the doubt.
Focus, he told himself. Watch. Learn.
The screen cut back to the giant, now huffing and panting, standing in the middle of the crater he'd created. His shoulders trembled.
"I… I am the strongest…" he whispered, barely audible over the wind.
He stared at his bloodstained palm—the remnants of his brother still fresh.
"But… why do I feel… so empty?"
Some of the audience looked away. Others just stared, uncertain.
A few—very few—felt the weight behind the villain's words. Power without purpose. Strength without fulfillment. The hollowness of reaching the top, only to realize it meant nothing.
Bakugo sat silently, frowning.
He didn't know why, but those words got under his skin. The episode kept throwing power in their faces—but there was something beneath it all. A message. A pattern.
Something he wasn't ready to acknowledge yet.
And then—
"You get it, right?"
The voice cut through his thoughts. Saitama's voice.
Bakugo's eyes snapped back to the screen. Saitama flew up out of the crater like a rocket, eyes locked onto the giant's stunned expression.
He didn't stop. He didn't hesitate.
His fist connected squarely with the giant's face, and in an instant, the titan's entire skull cracked open. The helmet-like bone shatter in half. The man's neck snapped back unnaturally, and his body slumped.
Saitama floated in the air, expression blank. Disappointed.
"…Having overwhelming power is… pretty boring, actually."
The room was dead silent.
No one had words.
Only the sound of the dust settling on screen, and the quiet echo of Saitama's voice hanging in the air.
Out of nowhere, a beam of light shimmered into existence right in the middle of the theater's seating area. The students, heroes, and even villains immediately looked toward the source, hands ready to react in case of danger.
But when the light finally faded, it revealed something unexpected—Present Mic, standing there, confused but grinning as usual, holding something strange in his hands. A glowing object.
The light finally stopped flickering, and what remained in his grip was… a deck of cards?
"Huh?" Present Mic tilted his head. "Yo, what's this?"
The cards seemed endless—one stacked over the other in a way that clearly defied logic. It wasn't just a large deck. It looked infinite. And no matter how Present Mic tried, the cards couldn't be separated. They wouldn't bend, break, or shuffle. The only thing that worked was pulling out the top card.
"What… the heck is this thing?" he muttered aloud, holding it up.
Seven, seated at the side, didn't hesitate to answer. "Those are Stat Cards."
He stood up slightly straighter, voice clear and firm.
"They show key information about a person or character you're currently watching. But they don't just show up randomly—you can only draw one when the signal appears."
"Signal?" Midnight repeated, squinting at the screen.
And then they all saw it.
The screen paused mid-punch on Saitama—his fist raised, his cloak frozen in motion—and over his head appeared a familiar anime-style graphic. A flashy character title card with his name and a glowing frame.
Saitama.
"That's the signal," Seven said casually.
Present Mic's eyes lit up. "Now we're talking!"
With a dramatic flair only he could pull off, he pulled out a card from the top of the deck and read it aloud, his voice echoing through the room like he was doing commentary at a sports event.
"Name: Saitama.
Despite his plain-looking appearance and, let's be honest, kind of dumb expressions—
He is this world's strongest man.
A hero so powerful, if you get on his bad side…
You'll be defeated in a single punch.
Power/Quirk Status: Powerless / Quirkless."
The moment that last line left Present Mic's lips, silence overtook the theater like a crashing wave.
And then chaos.
"WHAT?!" dozens of voices shouted at once.
Even the pro heroes stared in disbelief.
"Quirkless?" Kaminari gasped.
"There's no way… he's lying, right?!" Mina looked around, eyes wide.
Bakugo didn't stay seated. He stood up and practically exploded.
"This is bullshit! You expect me to believe that baldy over there is that strong without any powers?!"
His voice echoed through the room, and surprisingly, a lot of people agreed. Heads nodded. Voices rose in outrage and disbelief.
But just as the noise reached its peak, Aizawa calmly turned to present Mike and asked him to activate his work. His yell made everyone cover their ears and pay attention to the two of them.
"Everyone calm down," Aizawa said with his usual blunt tone. "Don't jump to conclusions."
Present Mic blinked. "Whoa… harsh crowd."
Seven chuckled lightly and stepped forward. "All right. I figured this would happen, so I'll explain."
He folded his arms.
"This world is fundamentally different from yours. In your world, someone can train all they want, but they'll only reach a certain point. Even the best-trained normal person won't ever match someone with a weak strength-based Quirk. Right?"
Most nodded. Some looked uneasy, but they all understood.
"But in this world…" Seven continued, "the ceiling is much, much higher. If someone pushes their body far enough, trains beyond the limit—
They can reach strength levels comparable to Quirked individuals."
Gasps echoed again, but this time the reactions were mixed—some intrigued, some still skeptical.
"Now—before you all panic," Seven raised a hand, "Saitama is a special case. No one gains strength that dramatically just from training. He's an exception. A one of a kind phenomenon."
"Still," Todoroki said slowly, "that means… people in this world can get stronger naturally?"
"Yes," Seven nodded. "But don't misunderstand. While some of them do get stronger through training, many others fight using completely different methods. Some of them have powers. Others… you'll see. This world's structure is unique."
Kirishima clenched his fists. "Man… that's kind of awesome. I mean, imagine what that means for someone like me."
Uraraka leaned forward, curious. "So… there's no Quirks? At all?"
"You'll find out more as you watch," Seven replied.
The cast finally began settling down. There were still questions—plenty of them—but for now, their curiosity had been sparked.
And despite lingering doubt in some of their hearts… most couldn't wait to see what other kinds of strength this new world had to offer.