"Alright… this should be far enough."
After carrying Akaya Kaiun across rooftops for several minutes, Shigaraki finally slowed and dropped onto the top of a quiet apartment building. The city lights stretched out below them, distant and calm—far removed from the chaos of that alley.
He set her down.
The moment his hand left her—
"Ugh—!"
Kaiun staggered forward and bent over, clutching her stomach.
"Blegh…!"
She didn't even have anything left to throw up. It was just dry heaving at this point.
Her face had gone completely pale.
It couldn't be helped.
The way Shigaraki had moved—
wasn't something a normal person could endure.
He hadn't "carried" her.
He had dragged her through the air like luggage.
Leaping across rooftops, dropping, accelerating, changing direction mid-air—
no pauses, no warnings, no adjustments for a passenger.
It felt less like escaping and more like surviving an accident that just hadn't happened yet.
If she had the strength, she would've already punched him.
Unfortunately—
she didn't.
So all she could do was suffer.
Shigaraki glanced at her, unimpressed, and walked over.
He gave her back a light pat.
"You had the guts to rush into that alley," he said flatly, "but this is what takes you out?"
Kaiun wanted to snap back immediately.
That's not the same thing at all!
But the moment his hand touched her—
she froze.
The nausea eased.
Not gradually.
Instantly.
The dizziness faded, her breathing steadied, and the tight knot in her stomach loosened like something had just been switched off.
"…Huh?"
She blinked, straightening slowly.
Then looked at him.
That… wasn't normal.
Combined with everything she had seen earlier—
the strength, the speed, the way he fought—
a thought formed in her mind.
"Was that your Quirk too?" she asked, still a bit shaky. "Don't tell me… you have more than one?"
Shigaraki looked at her like she had just said something ridiculous.
"Quirk?"
He frowned slightly.
"When did I use my Quirk?"
Kaiun blinked.
"…In the alley?"
Shigaraki let out a short, almost amused breath.
"Those guys?"
He tilted his head.
"You think they were worth that?"
There was no arrogance in his tone.
Just… dismissal.
"They were trash."
He crossed his arms.
"Using my Quirk on them would've been overkill."
Kaiun stared at him.
Then… how?
Her voice came out quieter this time.
"Then… how did you do it?"
Shigaraki didn't even think about it.
"With technique."
He shrugged.
"Train enough and anyone can do it."
He said it like he was stating something obvious.
Kaiun went still.
Anyone… can do it.
The words echoed.
Over and over.
Anyone.
Can do it.
Her mind struggled to process it.
The strength she had just seen—
the kind she instinctively placed on the level of Pro Heroes—
he was saying it came from training?
Not a Quirk?
Not talent?
Training?
Her thoughts stalled.
Then, very calmly, very quietly—
her brain arrived at a conclusion.
…I'm sorry.
I've brought shame upon humanity.
If what he said was true—
then whatever "human" he was talking about…
was clearly not the same species as her.
A full thirty seconds passed before she managed to recover enough to speak again.
"You're joking…"
Her voice trembled slightly.
"Right?"
There was hope in that question.
Weak, desperate hope.
Shigaraki yawned.
"Why would I joke about that?"
He genuinely didn't understand.
"It's just a fighting style from where I grew up."
He waved it off.
"Nothing special."
Anyone can learn it.
Kaiun's fingers curled slightly.
Her chest tightened.
Because if that was true—
then something she had believed her entire life…
might be wrong.
She lowered her gaze.
For her—
being Quirkless had always meant one thing.
No future as a hero.
That was just how the world worked.
Everyone knew it.
Teachers said it.
Students said it.
Even her own thoughts had accepted it long ago.
Without a Quirk—
you were ordinary.
Powerless.
Left behind.
And so she had adjusted.
Shrunk herself down.
Stayed quiet.
Avoided attention.
Tried not to get hurt.
That was her reality.
But now—
this boy stood in front of her,
someone who had just crushed three grown men without using a Quirk—
and told her:
"Anyone can do it."
Her world didn't shatter.
Not yet.
But for the first time—
it cracked.
And that crack—
wouldn't close so easily.
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