Chapter 38: The Awakened Will
The old dojo was incredibly quiet, the silence only broken by the soft chirping of cicadas outside. Master Kenji stood still for several long minutes, staring at his slightly trembling hands before walking over to a hidden corner of the room. He pushed aside an old tatami mat and opened a dusty wooden box.
He carefully pulled out an ancient, crumbling parchment scroll.
"Listen to me carefully, Zoro," Kenji said, his voice carrying a heavy, serious tone that Zoro had rarely heard. "Long ago, before Quirks appeared and mutated human genetics, the world was different. Warriors didn't rely on random biological powers. They relied on forging their own spirits. There were legendary swordsmen, ancestors of the Shimotsuki bloodline—the same legendary swordsmith who disappeared years ago."
Zoro crossed his arms, his two eyes completely focused on the old scroll.
"Shimotsuki left these writings with me before he vanished," Kenji continued, carefully unrolling the edge of the paper. "They speak of a lost power, an ability born entirely from pure, absolute willpower. They called it Haki. I wasted forty years trying to understand even a single line of this, thinking it was just a myth from a forgotten era of martial arts. But what you felt at the U.A. gate... that ability to sense killing intent without seeing the enemy... that is the beginning. You are awakening Observation Haki—Kenbunshoku Haki, Zoro. You are bringing back the true power of a warrior in an era of cheap Quirks."
Zoro felt a cold thrill run through his veins. Not fear, but absolute excitement. Haki... so that's the weapon I'll use to cut down their arrogance.
The next morning, the air inside U.A. High School was buzzing with nervous energy.
Inside Class 1-A, the students couldn't stop talking. They were discussing the news headlines and the terrifying reality of the villains who had dared to attack the USJ.
Suddenly, the classroom door swung open, and Iida rushed in, chopping his arms through the air like a machine. "Everyone! Morning homeroom is about to begin! Stop talking and take your seats immediately!"
"You're the only one not in your seat, Iida," the class replied in deadpan unison.
Zoro sat quietly at his desk near the back, staring out the window. He wasn't participating in their chatter. Kenji's words about Observation Haki were echoing in his mind.
The room instantly fell completely silent when the door slid open again.
Shota Aizawa walked in. His entire face and both of his arms were heavily wrapped in thick white medical bandages, making him look like a mummy that had just crawled out of a tomb.
"Aizawa-sensei! You're back already?!" the class yelled in shock. "Are you okay?!"
"My physical health does not matter," Aizawa replied, his voice muffled and dry beneath the bandages. "What matters is that the fight is not over yet."
Midoriya and Bakugo both tensed up. The entire class felt a chill run down their spines.
Except for Zoro. A fierce, bloodthirsty smile carved its way across the swordsman's face. "So the villains are coming back?" Zoro chuckled, resting a hand on his swords. "Good. Let them show up. We'll skin them alive this time."
"Villains again?! No way!" Mineta screamed, grabbing his head in sheer terror.
Aizawa sighed behind his bandages. "The U.A. Sports Festival is drawing near."
"The Sports Festival!" the class shouted, a mix of relief and intense excitement washing over them.
"Is it really okay to hold a sports festival right after villains managed to infiltrate the school?" Jiro asked hesitantly. "What if they attack us again?"
"The administration believes that holding the festival will demonstrate that U.A.'s crisis management is rock solid," Aizawa explained strictly. "Security will be strengthened to five times that of previous years. Our Sports Festival is a massive opportunity. It is not an event that will be canceled because of a few stray villains."
Mineta still looked completely lost in his panic, but Zoro raised a brow, genuinely confused. "A sports festival? What, are we going to run track and play volleyball?"
"Have you really never seen the U.A. Sports Festival, Roronoa?" Midoriya asked, looking back at him in surprise.
"I don't care what it is," Zoro said blankly. "I'll just deal with whatever gets put in front of me."
Yaoyorozu turned around, her expression serious. "It's not just games, Roronoa. Top pro heroes from all over the country will be watching us for scouting purposes!"
"Exactly," Aizawa nodded. "Joining a famous hero agency will give you more experience and popularity. Your time at U.A. is limited. If you want to go pro, the path to your future opens at this event. You have three chances in your high school career. Do not slack off."
Bakugo grinned, his palms crackling with tiny explosions. The rest of the class was completely fired up.
Zoro, however, fell deep into thought. Scouting? Pro heroes? He remembered that he was the only Quirkless student in the entire class. How was a pro hero supposed to pick him when everyone else was shooting fire, ice, and explosions?
Zoro gripped his fist tightly. I need to master that Haki, and fast, he thought. Let's see what this festival has to offer. I'll show them all exactly what a Quirkless swordsman can do.
When the lunch bell finally rang, the students poured out of the classroom, buzzing with excitement about the festival.
In the hallways, Zoro was confidently walking in the exact opposite direction of the cafeteria.
"Roronoa! The cafeteria is this way!" Iida shouted, pointing down the correct corridor.
"I knew that! I was just taking the scenic route!" Zoro snapped back, turning around with a frustrated grumble while Midoriya and Uraraka laughed nervously.
As they walked toward the lunch line, Midoriya looked at the gravity girl. "Hey, Uraraka? Why did you decide to become a hero?"
Uraraka rubbed the back of her head, a massive blush spreading across her cheeks. "Well... honestly... for the money! I want to help my parents live an easy life!"
Midoriya blinked in surprise, while Iida nodded in respect at her practical and noble goal. Zoro, however, let out a loud, mocking laugh.
"Money? Seriously?" Zoro smirked.
"What about you, Zoro?" Midoriya asked. "Why do you want to be a hero?"
Zoro stopped walking, his expression shifting from amused to dead serious. The shift in his aura made Midoriya hold his breath.
"Two reasons," Zoro said simply. "First, I'm going to become the greatest swordsman in the world and cut down any evil in my path. Second... I'm going to prove that a true hero doesn't need a Quirk. I'm going to prove it's possible to reach the absolute top with just a blade and a will of iron, and restore the honor of my master."
Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida stared at him, completely captivated by his overwhelming willpower.
"Young Midoriya! Young Roronoa!"
A booming voice shattered the tension. All Might suddenly appeared from around the corner, holding a small lunchbox. "I would like to have lunch with the two of you! Come with me!"
Leaving a confused Iida and Uraraka behind, Midoriya and Zoro followed the Number One Hero.
Arriving at the bustling cafeteria a few minutes later, Iida and Uraraka grabbed their trays and stood in the lunch line.
"Say, Iida," Uraraka began, looking curiously toward the staff hallway. "Why do you think All Might invited those two specifically?"
Iida adjusted his glasses thoughtfully. "It's likely due to their actions at the USJ. Both Midoriya and Roronoa made massive sacrifices to save All Might when he was moments away from death. That alone warrants his attention and praise. Furthermore, Midoriya's Quirk is somewhat similar to All Might's in its sheer destructive output, so the Symbol of Peace might have taken a liking to him. And as for Roronoa... holding his own against those monsters without a Quirk is simply astounding. It makes perfect sense that All Might would be fascinated by them."
Just ahead of them in the same line, holding his own lunch tray, Shoto Todoroki stood quietly. He hadn't said a word, but his cold, heterochromatic eyes narrowed slightly as he listened to every word of their conversation.
A Quirk similar to All Might's... and a Quirkless swordsman he trusts enough to pull aside privately, Todoroki thought, his grip tightening slightly on his tray. There's something much deeper behind their close relationship.
Meanwhile, inside a private staff lounge, All Might stood tall and muscular in his yellow suit. He closed the door behind Midoriya and Zoro, letting out a deep breath.
POOF!
A cloud of white smoke erupted from All Might's body. He instantly shrank down into his frail, skinny form, coughing violently and spitting a glob of blood onto the floor.
"Whoa! Are you okay?!" Midoriya panicked, waving his arms. Zoro just leaned against the wall, unfazed by the bloody display.
All Might wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, sighing heavily. "I'm fine... but my body isn't. I pushed myself way past my limit at the USJ. Because of that, the time I can spend in my muscle form has dropped again. I can barely hold it for fifty minutes, maybe an hour a day now."
Midoriya's eyes filled with guilt. "I'm so sorry... if we had just been stronger..."
"Don't apologize," All Might said firmly, looking at the two boys. "You two saved my life. But that is exactly why I brought you here. The Sports Festival is coming. Midoriya, you still haven't managed to control One For All. You need to use this festival to show the world that the next Symbol of Peace is here."
All Might then turned his sunken blue eyes toward Zoro. "And you, Roronoa. You want to prove to this Quirk-obsessed society that a Quirkless man can be the greatest? Then this festival is your battlefield. You cannot hold back."
Zoro slowly pushed himself off the wall. He walked forward, resting his calloused hand on the pure white hilt of the Wado Ichimonji. A fierce, demonic smirk stretched across his face as he looked directly into Midoriya's eyes.
"He's right," Zoro said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "I'm not going to hold back, Midoriya. Not against those flashy extras in our class, and certainly not against you."
Midoriya gulped, feeling the sheer, crushing weight of Zoro's competitive aura.
"We might be friends," Zoro declared, his eyes burning with an unyielding ambition, "but in that arena, every single one of you is just a stepping stone. I'm taking the number one spot, and I'm going to make the whole world remember my name."
Midoriya stared at the swordsman. The fear slowly melted away, replaced by a blazing fire in his own green eyes. He clenched his fists.
"I won't lose either, Zoro," Midoriya replied.
The declaration of war had been made. The U.A. Sports Festival was about to begin.
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For Advanced Chapters :
Chapter 46 is Available now
(Recipro Burst and the Final Heist)
The Cavalry Battle is finally over. What will Zoro do in the one VS one duel after lunchtime?
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