I couldn't sit still anymore.
Not after that.
Not after knowing she could be me.
Training Begins—Again
The field was empty when I arrived.
Quiet.
Open.
Perfect.
I stepped forward slowly, exhaling.
"…Alright."
No holding back this time.
No hesitation.
I raised my hand—
Space bent instantly.
A portal opened.
Closed.
Opened again.
Faster.
Sharper.
Cleaner.
I moved.
Not teleporting randomly—
But chaining movements.
One step—
Portal.
Turn—
Portal.
Jump—
Portal.
Each transition smoother than the last.
Like I wasn't traveling anymore.
Like I was just… existing in multiple places at once.
"…Not enough."
Pushing Further
I stopped.
Closed my eyes.
Focused inward.
That place again—
That distorted space in my mind.
Fragments.
Connections.
Rules.
"…She can copy me…"
"…So I have to go beyond me."
My eyes snapped open.
Layering Space
I raised both hands this time.
Two distortions formed.
Then three.
Then five.
Portals didn't just open—
They stayed.
Hovering.
Layered over each other.
"…Stacking space…"
I stepped forward—
And moved through three points at once.
The world blurred.
Split.
Merged.
I reappeared twenty feet away—
But also—
Ten feet to the left.
And above.
Kaito's voice echoed from behind.
"…Okay that's new."
I turned.
"…Yeah."
Observers Arrive
Izuku Midoriya rushed over, already writing.
"You're overlapping spatial coordinates—Ren, that's insane—!"
"…It's necessary," I said.
He looked up.
"…Because of Himiko Toga."
I nodded.
"…If she copies me…"
I opened another portal—then another inside it.
"…Then I become harder to follow."
Unpredictability
I moved again—
But this time, there was no pattern.
No logic.
No straight lines.
I appeared—
Behind them.
Above them.
Across the field.
Mid-step.
Mid-motion.
Mid-thought.
Even I didn't fully know where I'd land next.
"…Good," I muttered.
"…Even I can't predict it."
Midoriya looked both amazed and concerned.
"…Ren… that's powerful, but also dangerous—if you lose control—"
"I won't," I said.
Not harsh.
Just certain.
Domain Integration
I took a breath.
"…One more thing."
The air shifted.
Heavy.
Familiar.
"…Domain Expansion."
The courtroom formed—
But only partially.
Transparent.
Layered over reality instead of replacing it.
Midoriya gasped.
"…You're merging it with real space—?!"
I nodded.
"…Why trap someone in a domain…"
"…when I can bring the rules to them?"
The ground beneath us flickered.
For a moment—
Everything felt… judged.
Measured.
Controlled.
Then I dropped it.
The Real Goal
I stood there, breathing steadily.
"…She can copy what I am now."
Kaito stepped closer.
"…So what are you going to do?"
I looked up.
Eyes steady.
"…Become something she hasn't seen yet."
The Decision
The wind picked up slightly.
The air around me flickered—subtly.
Controlled.
I turned toward the edge of the field.
"…I'm done waiting."
Midoriya blinked.
"…Ren?"
I opened a portal.
Not random.
Not chaotic.
Focused.
"…I'm going to find her."
Kaito tensed.
"…You sure about that?"
I stepped closer to the portal.
The space inside it darker than usual.
Deeper.
"…She wanted to catch me."
I glanced back.
A small, determined smirk forming.
"…Now I'm going to catch her."
Final Scene
Far away—
On a rooftop bathed in fading sunlight—
Himiko Toga stood quietly.
Still in my form.
Still smiling.
A ripple opened behind her.
She didn't turn.
"…Took you long enough~"
I stepped through.
Calm.
Focused.
"…This ends now, Toga."
She turned slowly—
My face staring back at me.
"…Or it gets more fun?"
The air between us warped.
Tightened.
Cracked.
Two versions of me.
One real.
One not.
And for the first time—
I wasn't running.