Midoriya stood over Ryukyu's unconscious form, catching his breath. He turned to look at Shoda, then up at the shimmering dome created by the one who had transported them here.
"Thanks, Shin," he muttered under his breath. Because it was only thanks to him that they had won.
After all, Midoriya hadn't just been using his Singularity Quirk, which granted him extreme physical prowess. He had also used Float. And Danger Sense. Both were new quirks—abilities that Shin had unlocked for him just the other day. And Midoriya couldn't wait for the day Shin unlocked the rest.
…
Shin, sitting on the ground with heavy exhaustion, kept his gaze on the white cocoon that had only been formed for ten minutes. In that short time, he had contemplated many things and realized he had no real idea how long this process would actually take. He had been assuming it would be around half an hour since that was how long it took for Momo. But he could be wrong—it might take less time or far more.
Though, considering how drained he already felt—especially when compared to Momo's case, where his exhaustion had kicked in much later—it seemed likely that this process would take less time. The only major difference between Momo and Mirko, at least in this regard, was their possible compatibility. According to the system, it had taken nearly a month to recognize Momo as a potential companion, which was significantly longer than Mirko's case.
As more and more of his energy was drained and funnelled into the cocoon, a system notification suddenly appeared.
[The trait 'RULE BREAKER' has been integrated into the personality of the newest companion.]
Shin blinked in confusion. This hadn't happened last time. He re-read the notification several times, trying to make sense of it, then recalled something Momo had explained. Not only had her appearance changed after the process, but according to her, a certain trait of his personality had been copied and integrated into hers.
Back then, Shin hadn't fully grasped how much influence that trait would have on Momo, but after spending time with her, he realized it was significant. She had inherited his drive, which he later recognised to be molded specifically toward reaching new and unexplored heights in the aspect of creation.
This made him remember the various traits Momo had mentioned that could be added to future companions, one of which was Rule Breaker.
In his case, Rule Breaker reflected his natural resistance to authority and his tendency to challenge socially and historically established norms—essentially, his habit of doing things that others deemed impossible. It wasn't necessarily a bad trait, at least in his personality. But he had no idea what would happen when it merged with Mirko's. He could already see some potentially disastrous possibilities, and he just hoped none of them became reality.
Still, one question remained—why had the system informed him about this? It hadn't done so last time.
After some thought, he came to a conclusion—the system was adapting to his needs. The first time, it hadn't known he would care about which traits were added. But after seeing his reaction back then, it had likely adjusted accordingly. He had already noticed small signs of this adaptability in other aspects of the system's workings, but this was the most blatant case so far.
This raised even more questions. Was the system alive? Not just a tool, but something with actual consciousness? Or was this how it was originally designed to work as? If so, what did that mean?
There were so many questions, but no answers. Still, instead of frustration, excitement welled up within him. This was just another mystery to solve, another thing to learn—and that was something he had always enjoyed.
As he finished contemplating, Shin turned his gaze towards the cocoon, just in time to see the first cracks forming across its surface. It happened rapidly, as fast as he expected. The entire structure shattered in an instant, the remnants dispersing into the air, revealing the figure within. Before Shin could even take in the full extent of her changes, Mirko launched herself at him without hesitation.
His instincts flared, but unlike the previous time, he wasn't able to properly react, as a powerful kick struck his side, sending him hurtling backward. He barely managed to stabilize himself, sliding across the ground before coming to a stop.
Coughing slightly, he pushed himself back up, raising an eyebrow at her. "Oi, you did it again!"
"Shut it!" Mirko cut him off, cracking her knuckles as she grinned. "That was just payback for putting me through that process right in the middle of our fight! Do you have any idea how frustrating that was?!"
Shin blinked, realizing that yeah, she probably wasn't too happy about that timing. He scratched his cheek, feeling a bit guilty. "Uh… my bad?"
Mirko scoffed. "Oh, don't get me wrong—I got over most of it real quick once I got all the information. Finding out about your origin plane and the fact that I can actually go to other worlds? That's some crazy shit. The kinds of fights I could have…" Her grin widened, "Yeah, that frustration went away fast. But missing the end of our fight? That's unforgivable. So, I'm taking that frustration out on you."
Without warning, she dived in again. Shin barely had time to dodge, weaving to the side as her foot grazed past his face. She didn't let up, twisting mid-air to follow up with another kick aimed at his ribs. He blocked it, but the sheer force sent vibrations through his arm. Instead of backing away, he stepped in closer, opting to fight at a range she wasn't as used to.
"Tch," Mirko clicked her tongue, realizing his intent. "Trying to mess up my rhythm, huh? Fine. Let's see how you handle this!"
Instead of retreating, she adapted, using her flexibility to its fullest. The fight quickly turned even more chaotic than before.
Shin, as a silent apology for interrupting their battle earlier, stayed in close range rather than creating distance, allowing her to unleash her frustration in full. Because of this, Mirko utilized every opportunity to the fullest. One time she sent a kick towards his privates, which he barely dodged. Another time, she wrapped an arm around his back and used him as a pivot point to swing herself into another kick.
Yet, what stood out the most was how quickly she adjusted. The more they fought, the more she refined her movements—not just reacting, but actively adapting. Her strikes became more precise, her footwork more fluid, and her balance sharper. She wasn't just going wild anymore; she was learning, gaining better control with every exchange. The raw aggression was still there, but now it was tempered with a growing finesse that made her even more dangerous.
"You know," Shin commented between dodges, "For someone who is known for her kicks, you're throwing a lot of punches now."
Mirko smirked. "You told me to use them earlier, didn't you? Figured I might as well get used to them."
Shin chuckled, but it was cut short when she twisted unexpectedly, her fist slamming into his gut. He groaned, barely managing to grab her wrist before she could retract it, using the momentum to spin her around and attempt to pin her down. Mirko, of course, wasn't having any of that. She used the force of his movement to flip herself midair, breaking free in an instant and landing with a cocky grin.
Shin whistled at this manoeuvre. "Damn, you got so much better at using your body already. And you have just gained your TrueSoul! You might be a genius in this aspect."
Then he took a moment to really look her new and improved appearance.
Mirko's face was now smoother along with her larger and more vibrant eyes, that still retained her confident edge. Her former spiky hair flowed sleeker and more naturally. Her muscular build was now more sculpted and polished, with bigger hips that enhanced her athletic yet curvaceous physique.
Shin smirked at this and complimented "I gotta say you look quite amazing now."
Mirko grinned, flexing an arm. "Yeah, I look even hotter now, don't I?" Then she sighed dramatically. "Too bad no one else will notice because of the System shenanigans. If they could, I'd have even more men lining up for me. For more fun times, you know?"
Shin nearly stumbled at her bluntness. "You really just say whatever's on your mind, huh?"
"Hell yeah, I do!" She lunged at him again, forcing him back into the fight, which continued to escalate, neither side wishing to give up.
Small scratches and bruises accumulated, but neither landed anything that was truly decisive. And yet, they both knew that the fight was nearing its conclusion. Their movements, while still sharp, were losing some of their initial intensity. The prolonged battle was pushing them both toward their limits—not that either of them seemed to mind.
Then, just as Shin prepared himself for another exchange, Mirko suddenly raised her hand, palm outward. "Alright, that's enough. I surrender."
Shin froze, eyes widening. "What?"
Mirko shrugged her shoulders, "I said, I surrender. For now, that is."
Shin furrowed his brows, confused. "You're seriously giving up? I thought you hated losing."
Mirko smirked. "Oh, I do. But this isn't really a loss. This is just postponing round two." She met his gaze with determination "Now that I've gained the TrueSoul, I want to fully take in all the differences while also using its advantages to improve before I fight you seriously again. Then next time, maybe I could be able to fight you at your full power. "
Shin let out a short breath, rubbing the back of his head. "So, you're backing out now just to challenge me later?"
"Damn right," Mirko confirmed without shame. "Now that I know I can get stronger, I'm going to push myself way beyond this. And when I do, you better be ready."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be waiting." Shin exhaled, shaking his head with a chuckle.
Shin activated Force Regeneration, his wounds closing up in seconds. The soreness faded, leaving him as good as new. Mirko raised a brow before scoffing. "Yeah, that's just cheating. Wish I had something like that."
Then, after a brief pause, she crossed her arms. "I'm not exactly very good at the technical aspects of these skills other than just using them. At least for now. So could you suggest some things I can do to improve?"
Right on cue, Shin's system window pulled up her Status screen, which she had shared. He skimmed over the top of it—until something caught his attention. His eyes lingered for a moment before he mentally noted it down to check later. Pushing that aside, he read through her skill descriptions, offering minute suggestions along the way.
Mirko nodded as he spoke, absorbing the information. Satisfied, Shin stretched slightly before speaking. "Let's meet up tomorrow evening…in the nearby park! And I'll guide you on more of that." As he spoke, he activated Force Manipulation, his body beginning to lift off the ground.
However, before he could ascend any further, Mirko smirked with mischief in her eyes. "I don't think you should appear in front of me again, " she said, tilting her head slightly. "You check a lot of my boxes, you know. I'm barely holding back as it is. So, if we meet up again… I may just very well pounce on you."
Shin paused mid-air and turned around, smirked at her boldness and joked back, "I won't mind if it's you." Without waiting for her reaction, he turned back and shot upwards, going beyond the dome he created within a second.
Unbeknownst to him, Mirko's expression shifted from brief surprise to something more devious. She licked her lips as she watched him disappear into the distance, looking forward to meeting him later.
…
The moment Shin stepped out of the dome, he immediately spotted Endeavor flying above, his gaze fixed on the other domes below. His expression was one of clear surprise. And of course, he would be surprised. After all, the battles in the other domes were also reaching their conclusion, and from here, it was obvious—the students were winning against the pro heroes.
Shin smirked at the expected outcome and unleashed a Force Pulse to scan the area—something he had abstained from doing while focusing on Mirko's transformation. Within a minute, he had a detailed understanding of the fights that had taken place, analyzing the circumstantial effects with his sharp deduction. And to say he wasn't surprised himself would be a lie.
Since their opponents were pro heroes, he had expected a lot more resistance. Yet, his classmates, along with students from the other academies, had clearly overpowered them instead. Of course, some credit went to him—he had strategically positioned them against opponents they had the highest chances of defeating. But even he hadn't anticipated this kind of result, let alone with such speed.
However, after contemplating for a moment, Shin realized this outcome was only natural. Of the top ten pro heroes they faced, only two were peak Rank 1. The rest were high Rank 1 at best. The smaller "villains" weren't even worth mentioning. Against them stood a group of students, many of whom were also high Rank 1, and the best among them—Izuku Midoriya—was at peak Rank 1. Not to mention Momo, who had already reached Rank 2.
This gap in strength could be attributed to the teachings he had imparted to them. But it wasn't something unique—something that couldn't be replicated.
All he had done was push them to experiment with their quirks, refusing to let them be restricted by their perceived limitations. He had forced them to go well and beyond, to explore the absolute limits of their quirks in ways they had never imagined. This, in turn, granted them far greater control and mastery in a short amount of time. And no, it wasn't just a week or two of training that had led them here. Shin had been subtly reshaping their very mindset toward their quirks from the moment he stepped into UA Academy. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so accepting of his suggestions and methods.
On the other hand, the pro heroes lacked this mindset. That applied not just to them but to all heroes. They had never questioned whether the limitations imposed on their quirks—by teachers, friends, family, doctors, or even their own minds—were absolute truths or merely fragments of the whole. And even if some of them had entertained such thoughts, they had never acted on them. More importantly, why would they? They were already heroes. If a problem arose that they couldn't handle, they could always rely on All Might.
This overwhelming defeat of the pro heroes was a direct consequence of that complacency. And yet another reason why Shin almost detested the way All Might had positioned himself in the minds of Japan's people.
After all, anywhere else in the world, this wouldn't have even been possible. Other countries had multiple Rank 2s in their arsenal—not just one or two, but dozens per nation. This was something Shin had learned during his international business travels before joining UA Academy. The reason they had such a strong lineup was simple: unlike Japan, they never had a supreme protector like All Might. With no one to rely on, they were forced to constantly experiment, push their limits, and keep an open mind to new possibilities.
Japan had only remained at the top because of the sheer strength of All Might at his peak—and because he knew how to use Eth, something the warriors of other countries did not. Though even All Might himself lacked a complete understanding of it, as Shin had realized through some of their conversations during their spars.
Nevertheless, the truth was clear: Japan was currently weak, and this test was about to expose that harsh reality to everyone. The public would be outraged once they learned of it. Their faith in heroes was already at an all-time low, and this event would only make it plummet further. However, this would also work in Shin's favor—it would push the public toward supporting the formation of the Quirk Task Force he had implemented, something he had planned for all along.
But there was another issue. The enemy nations that had been scheming in the shadows would see this as a golden opportunity to stir chaos or even start a war. It was a significant risk, one Shin had considered. Though, until now, he hadn't found a proper way to counter it.
That changed with Endeavor's earlier suggestion. Now, Shin saw a clear path to proving to the world that even though Japan's mightiest had fallen and retired, there were still powerhouses capable of holding their own. This alone could serve as a deterrent, making enemy nations hesitate before taking action. It wouldn't solve everything, but it would buy him time—time to either grow strong enough to crush them himself or to bolster Japan's collective strength until it could face whatever challenges came its way.
With that thought, Shin turned toward Endeavor and asked, "Are you satisfied now that you've seen the truth in my earlier statements?"
Endeavor, who had already noticed him earlier, responded as he turned, "Yes, I am." Then, after briefly closing his eyes, he reopened them with a renewed fire—both literally and figuratively. "We should go high above—preferably to the mesosphere, where there's still oxygen but we're far enough from land. That way, we can fight without causing large-scale destruction."
Shin nodded before launching into the sky, simultaneously dispelling all the domes he had created. Endeavor followed effortlessly, matching his speed with ease.
"We'll begin the moment we reach the middle of the stratosphere," Shin declared. Then, with a smirk, he added, "Try to keep up, Endeavor!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he increased his speed, simultaneously absorbing all resistance as he broke into Mach speeds.