Bakugō Katsuki glared at Lock, face twisted in irritation.
"Who the hell are you? What are you to Deku, huh? Got the guts to stick up for him?"
"Relationship?" Lock shrugged lightly. "A friend I just met."
Izuku's eyes widened with gratitude. No one had ever dared to stand up for him. Ever.
"Hah? Another wannabe trying for U.A. High? Buzz off."
Bakugō barked with bravado, but Lock could tell—beneath the shouting—there was fear.
A vague recognition. He'd seen Lock somewhere, someone powerful, but couldn't place it.
"U.A.?" Lock chuckled. "They'll probably invite me. And today, I'll be standing up for Midoriya."
If Bakugō had been spoiled since birth—praised endlessly for his Quirk and strength—it wasn't surprising he grew into someone who never took others seriously.
"Tch. If you won't get lost, then I'll beat you too!"
Bakugō lunged and threw a punch.
He didn't use explosions—he was still rational enough to avoid violating the law before the U.A. entrance exam.
But to Lock, the punch was laughably slow.
In the blink of an eye—swift as a gust—Lock vanished and reappeared at Bakugō's side.
A sharp roundhouse kick slammed into Bakugō's stomach.
BOOM.
A dull thud.
Bakugō dropped to his knees, gasping.
A clean instant takedown.
Izuku and Bakugō both blinked in shock—the movement was far too fast for them to see.
"That's it? I didn't even use half my speed."
Lock looked down at the collapsed boy, unimpressed. He hadn't used God Speed or Gale Force. He'd even toned it down.
If he hadn't, Bakugō wouldn't just be kneeling.
"What gives you the right to crush Midoriya's dream? Because you're stronger?" Lock's voice cooled. "Then, since I defeated you just now, I could also tell you to stop applying for U.A. High. How does that feel?"
Bakugō's eyes trembled. His pride cracked.
"I'll beat you…"He growled through his teeth.
He threw his arm out—
BOOM!
An explosion cracked the air.
Anger overrode all reason—he didn't care that using his Quirk recklessly could get him punished.
But—
CRACK.
Bakugō froze.
From his feet to his neck, ice encased him in a single heartbeat—solid as a statue.
"Ice Creation: Full Bind," Lock murmured.
Bakugō's mouth hung open. His hands were the only parts left unfrozen—Lock had intentionally left them free—yet he couldn't even sweat.
"If your 'big-shot Quirk' can't melt even this, you're nowhere near ready to talk about beating me."
Fire erupted around Lock's fist—white-hot, blazing with dragon heat.
Bakugō squeezed his eyes shut, the intense heat melting the ice around him.
He staggered back—only to lose balance and fall on his rear.
Lock withdrew the flames.
At his current immature stage, Bakugō wasn't just weak—he was boring.
Only now did Bakugō recognize him.
The prodigy Pro Hero—the second-year middle-schooler who had made headlines across the country.
Compared to that, his own so-called "genius" title felt like a joke.
Powerlessness swallowed him whole.
"D–damn it…" Bakugō's glare trembled.
Lock sighed. "Come on, Midoriya. You're being bullied by someone like him? Honestly, you're already much better than he is."
Much stronger than you.
Much stronger.
The words echoed like a slap.
"What the hell… I'm worse than Deku…?" Bakugō's body shook.
"One year from now," Lock raised a single finger as he walked away, "when Midoriya gets accepted into U.A., I wonder if you'll still be able to talk that big."
"Tch—just you wait!" Bakugō shouted with forced bravado. "A year from now, I'll crush both of you!"
But as Lock and Izuku walked off, the fury faded, leaving only despair behind Bakugō's eyes.
Izuku trailed Lock in a daze, still overwhelmed. He nearly walked into a utility pole twice.
Lock scratched his cheek. "Huh. The mission hasn't cleared yet? Isn't helping him with the bullying enough?"
He had assumed defeating Bakugō was the requirement.
At least now, Bakugō wouldn't dare force Izuku to change his U.A. application—or torment him again.
Then—
"A-Anz—Lock…" Izuku's voice trembled. "D-Do you really think someone like me—someone Quirkless—can get into U.A. High?"
Lock exhaled softly.
No wonder Izuku had so little confidence at the beginning of the story.
Endless ridicule.
Pressure.
Isolation.
A dream with no visible path forward.
Lock had lived that pain too—back when he first arrived in this world without a Quirk and only determination to lean on.
"Midoriya." Lock spoke gently. "Let me tell you something."
He recalled a famous line, one that had stayed in his heart.
"Dreams never end.
As long as you keep moving forward—no matter how slow—you will become a Hero."
Lock knew Izuku would inherit One For All.
He didn't need to say that.
But Izuku didn't know any of it.
So to him, Lock's encouragement hit straight to the heart.
Tears streamed down Izuku's face like a burst dam.
Lock wondered—not for the first time—if the Midoriya family had a mutation called Mega Tear Ducts.
"Lock! Th-thank you! I'll definitely live up to your expectations!"
Izuku bowed deeply—so deeply Lock worried he'd hit the pavement—then sprinted off, fueled by new resolve.
Lock stared after him.
What expectations? It's your own dream, kid…
I was just trying to help you out, not assign you a life mission…
Right then—
Ding.
The system's mechanical voice chimed:
[Side Mission Complete.
Reward: B-Rank Draw.]
"So that was it… The mission wasn't about beating Bakugō. It was about helping Midoriya reaffirm his dream."
With a rueful smile, Lock stepped into his agency building.
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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