I stared at the shredded ruins of the arena—looking as though a high-yield bomb had been detonated in the center—and truly felt the terrifying weight of the power unleashed there.
By using her Quirk, Nico Midoriya had compressed Todoroki's thermal energy into a localized mass of raw power. Once it slipped from her control and detonated, the resulting blast was a force beyond words.
It made my skin crawl to think about what would have happened if Cementoss hadn't built those walls to protect the two of them.
"Eraser."
I turned at the sound of the voice to see Midnight. Her bodysuit was tattered in several places; she clearly hadn't had a chance to change while dealing with the chaos of the aftermath. Given how busy she was, the only reason she'd be here was to check on that specific student.
"If you're here for Midoriya, don't worry, Midnight. She's currently sleeping off Recovery Girl's treatment. She's as carefree as ever."
"I see..."
"Don't beat yourself up over it. That was an incredibly difficult judgment call. Both of them were fighting with such fierce conviction that it's no wonder you hesitated to stop them."
"Even so... I should have stepped in sooner."
It was a difficult call, even for me. I was watching from a distance, which made it easier to shout for a stop, but I wonder if I could have done the same if I had been standing right there, listening to their words. Even if I couldn't hear the specifics, their expressions told the whole story of how desperately they were clashing.
"Tell me, Eraser. What was that last move? I thought Midoriya's Quirk was just 'Pulling.' I never heard anything about her being able to target fire."
To be honest, I didn't fully understand it either. I'll need to investigate further to be sure, but a comment she made during remedial lessons stuck in my mind.
"She once mentioned that the most important element of her Quirk is 'Recognition.'"
"Recognition?"
"Mental recognition of the target. If she has a clear mental image of the object, her output is higher and the strain is lower. Conversely, if her recognition is vague, the output drops and the physical toll increases. That's why she failed to take Bakugo's headband during the Cavalry Battle."
The rapid change in the headband's shape. The discrepancy between the object and her mental projection caused a drop in output. She had intended to snatch it with high-precision, high-output force, but the target changed too fast.
In this match, she did the exact opposite.
"Against Todoroki, she expanded her recognition to the limit. By making the target vague, she pulled everything in her general vicinity. The way the fire and even the air itself began to swirl into a vortex is proof of that. It was likely a desperate gamble because she knew she couldn't target the fire itself."
"Is that... safe? Her Quirk already requires massive concentration, doesn't it? It sounds incredibly delicate."
"That's why she collapsed. Even for her, that was reckless."
"She's a total disaster," Midnight sighed.
Yes, she is. But that recklessness likely opened a door to the next stage of her development.
Her power is the ability to pull two points together. Until now, one of those points had to be her own palm. Today, she succeeded in setting a destination point elsewhere in space. Depending on how she uses it, that could be a terrifying advantage.
And that wasn't all. She moved from pulling 'points' to pulling 'areas.' The cost was high, but the output remained at a devastatingly high level. In this instance, that 'Pull' was strong enough to compress thermal energy into a bomb and warp the very space around it.
"I've really got my hands full with these students..." I muttered.
Midnight gave me a small smile. "If it's that much trouble, do you want me to take over as their homeroom teacher?"
"Don't joke like that."
There was no way I could hand them off now. The problems were still piling up, and the most important work was just beginning. I knew them too well to leave them to someone else.
"It's fine, Midnight. I'll raise them. As long as they don't lose their way, I'll be there."
"Good. Let me know if you need anything. I'm happy to help."
"Actually... there is one thing I'll need your help with soon."
"Oh? What is it?"
I thought about the one task every hero student must face—a task I wasn't particularly looking forward to.
"It's that time of year. We need to decide on their 'names' soon."
"Ah, the Hero Names. Sure! You don't exactly look like you have the best aesthetic sense for that anyway, Eraser."
"I appreciate the help."
『HEY! HEY! HEY! ERASER HEAD!! How long are you gonna stand there gossiping?! Get over here and help me fill the airtime!!』
Mic's loud voice blared in my ear. I gave the giggling Midnight a quick glare and headed back toward the announcer's booth.
A roar of cheers erupted from the crowd. I looked at the repaired screens to see a highlight reel of the final event and the current tournament bracket.
"You were close, Midoriya. If you'd pushed just a little further, you might have won the whole thing... but for now, be satisfied with that rank."
On the screen, the name Nico Midoriya was listed as a finalist, but over it, in large red letters, was the word: WITHDRAWN.
I began thinking of countermeasures for whatever tantrum she'd throw once she woke up as I headed back to my seat.
***
"Are you not going to tell me to get out of your way?"
I turned toward the voice to see my father, wearing that same irritating, smug smile.
"I don't approve of you withdrawing and settling for a draw," Endeavor said. "But you finally cast aside your childish tantrum and used your heat. Your control is still unrefined and dangerous, but you can learn that in time. Well done."
His voice, usually so grating, felt distant.
"With this, you have become my superior version! Be proud!"
Strangely, I didn't feel the usual surge of irritation.
"After graduation, you will come to me!! I will lead you down the path of supremacy!"
I looked at his outstretched hand. I looked at his arrogant, smiling face. For some reason, I couldn't even find the energy to be angry. I still hated him, but I didn't even feel like swatting his hand away.
I simply walked past him, heading toward the infirmary.
"Shoto?! Hey! Are you listening to me?!"
He called after me. "Shoto!"
That name made me remember her words—the words she screamed at me in the middle of our fight.
『Think about why you're trying to stand up right now!! —AND COME AT ME FOR REAL, SHOTO TODOROKI!!』
Why?
I had forgotten. I had forgotten the goal my mother supported with a smile. My dream.
"Old man."
"Hm?!"
I looked back at him. He looked... weak. The dark, suffocating pressure I always felt from him was nowhere to be found.
"I hate you. And I still don't like this left side. But... I'm going to use everything I have to become a hero."
"Y-Yes! Shoto, that's it! You—"
"And then, I'm going to be a hero like All Might."
"---Hah?!"
Having said my piece, I turned my back on him and started walking again, only for him to grab my shoulder.
"A-A-All Might?! Of all people, All Might?! Why him?! You're my son!!"
"That doesn't matter."
"It matters! Why not me—?!"
"Because I admired him."
"---!"
The sight of All Might I saw as a child. The hero who saved everyone with a smile. The origin of the dream I shared with my mother.
"I never admired you. To me, you were just the shitty old man who hurt my mom. My dream was always him—and it still is."
His face contorted in a way I'd never seen before—a look beyond description.
"I'm going to be a hero."
I'll never let her say those words to me again. I'll be stronger than anyone, and I'll save everyone. I'll be a hero who protects smiles.
"I can't afford to stand still anymore. Let go of me."
From now on, I won't hesitate. I won't let go of this dream again—the path my mother pushed me toward, and the path that girl dragged me onto.
***
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