A few days later, in Bakugo's room. "Deku! Deku!"
Bakugo, returning from training, called out the nickname he had given Izuku as soon as he entered. His voice echoed in the empty room, but there was no answer.
During this time, he had been training daily with the Anomalies inside the Anomaly Association, preparing for his upcoming Anomalization.
Tomorrow was the day he would officially take the monster cells and become an Anomaly.
But now, Izuku was nowhere to be seen in the room.
Bakugo frowned, his gaze sweeping across the dim room.
"Hey, did you see that Deku guy?!"
Bakugo turned his head and asked the monster on the other side of the room.
Junior Centipede... as his name suggested, he looked like a giant centipede but had a human face.
He was a Tiger-level peak Anomaly. Above him were Senior, a Demon-level peak monster, and Elder Centipede, a Dragon-level monster.
Junior Centipede glanced at Bakugo and said coldly, "Kid, you'd better be more respectful to your seniors."
Although Gyoro-Gyoro thought highly of Bakugo's potential, there were really not many inside the Anomaly Association who liked him.
From the very first day he arrived, this kid had been prickly and arrogant toward everyone. Damn, he had no power yet and was already so cocky. What would happen after he officially became an Anomaly tomorrow?
But Bakugo didn't back down. He still stared directly at Junior Centipede, those craze-filled eyes showing no sign of retreat.
Junior Centipede was silent for two seconds.
Perhaps thinking that this kid would officially take the monster cells tomorrow and might become an Anomaly stronger than himself, he finally clicked his tongue and gave him some respect.
"He was called away by Awakened Cockroach."
Awakened Cockroach was a Demon-level monster in the Anomaly Association, and a higher-ranked one at that.
Bakugo didn't know why he had called Izuku away.
He wanted to go look for him, but the intense fatigue from training washed over him like a tide. Standing alone felt exhausting.
Besides, tomorrow was the day he would take the monster cells. After thinking it over, he decided nothing would happen, and finally lay down and closed his eyes.
After all, based on his observations of the Anomaly Association these past few days, Awakened Cockroach was different from Anomalies like Do-S and Face Ripper, who took pleasure in slaughtering humans.
Without orders, he wouldn't specifically go out to kill humans. Even if he wanted an opponent, he would look for Heroes with some ability.
Thinking this, Bakugo felt much more at ease and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day.
After several days, Gyoro-Gyoro gathered the Anomalies again.
The Anomalies poured out of their rooms, densely crowding the outer edges of every floor, like ants disturbed in their nest.
"Everyone's here."
Gyoro-Gyoro raised its enormous eyeball and looked around at the densely packed Anomalies on the surrounding floors.
Its voice echoed in the empty plaza.
Then, it activated its telekinesis... several red-purple sarcomas, their contours resembling viruses, floated up from behind it. Their surfaces were covered in grooves, radiating an ominous aura.
These were monster cells.
"Those who haven't become Anomalies yet, come forward."
Gyoro-Gyoro's voice fell.
Bakugo was the first to step forward, walking quickly toward it.
Two others also stepped out at the same time: Sugou Nobuyuki from the Sword Art Online World, and Mahito from the Jujutsu Kaisen World.
Mahito was different from the first two. He already had superpowers and was a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
But in terms of strength, among this gathering of Anomalies, his power was far from enough.
In Sukuna's eyes, Mahito was just an insect. And in Makoto's eyes, Sukuna was also an insect.
This showed how insignificant Mahito was before true monsters.
For this reason, even though he already possessed Cursed Energy, he still had to rely on monster cells for enhancement.
Gyoro-Gyoro used its telekinesis to control three monster cells, which fell into the hands of the three men respectively.
"These are my newly developed monster cells."
Gyoro-Gyoro's tone was calm, but carried a barely noticeable hint of anticipation. "Eat."
Sugou looked down at the monster cell in his hand. That red-purple sarcoma pulsed slightly in his palm, as if a heart were beating inside.
The image of the woman he dreamed of possessing... Yuuki Asuna... surfaced unbidden in his mind.
The corner of his mouth slowly split into an extremely lecherous smile.
"With great power... I can bring Asuna back to my side."
He swallowed the monster cell in one gulp.
In the past, Sugou had coveted Asuna, his fiancée who refused to marry him, more than once.
He had planned to forcibly take her, but Makoto had interfered. Not only was the woman taken, but he himself was thrown into Impel Down, where he suffered inhuman torture daily.
Now, he finally had the chance to gain power.
The power to take her.
The three swallowed the monster cells simultaneously.
The next instant, a powerful force surged from within them, like magma breaking through the earth's crust.
Their bodies began to change.
The directions of evolution differed, but the changes were universal.
Their bodies involuntarily swelled, twisted, and deformed. Their bones made cracking sounds. Their muscles bulged like inflating balloons. Strange patterns appeared on their skin.
Bakugo's hands bulged dramatically. His forearms grew so thick they nearly split his sleeves.
Dense patterns emerged on his skin. Upon closer inspection, the patterns resembled the grooves on a grenade's surface.
Bakugo slowly clenched his fist, feeling the explosive power surging from within.
Suddenly... he threw a punch to the side.
Boom!
The air exploded at his fist.
Continuous explosions shattered the air, like a series of thunderclaps ringing in the ears.
The wall a hundred meters away was shattered by the shockwave. Rock fragments sprayed like raindrops. Dust shot into the sky.
Sugou's ears grew long and pointed. His hair began to lengthen wildly, falling to his waist.
This appearance was quite similar to his elf king image from the game, but his skin had turned a dark purple, nearly black, and his face was even more grotesque.
The corners of his mouth almost split to his ears, revealing rows of sharp fangs.
He was a far cry from the refined, degenerate image from the game.
Just then, the countless rock fragments from Bakugo's punch came flying toward him, whistling through the air at great speed.
Sugou sneered coldly.
He raised a finger and tapped lightly on the ground.
In an instant, those rock fragments flying toward him seemed to be pressed down by an invisible giant hand, falling straight to the ground, thudding and sinking deep into the plaza's tiles, leaving behind pits.
"Hahahaha! Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"
Sugou laughed maniacally, his voice full of madness.
He was extremely satisfied with this ability.
In the game, his main ability had been gravity, even allowing him to summon meteors.
But in reality, he had been a weakling, a waste at everyone's mercy.
And now, he too possessed power!
"Asuna... wait for me... wait for me!"
Hearing Sugou constantly muttering Asuna's name, Pandora's Actor, disguised as Awakened Cockroach, curled his lip in exasperation.
He couldn't help glancing at Takashi, who had already turned into Anomaly and was standing diagonally across from him. He thought to himself, 'It seems many people want revenge on Grandfather because their women were taken.'
"Explosion and gravity..."
Gyoro-Gyoro narrowed its eyes, instantly seeing through the essence of the first two's abilities. Its pupil reflected their figures, silently evaluating their worth.
As for Mahito... apart from his body growing larger, there was almost no visible change.
But he could clearly feel a surging power within him, like a river flowing through his entire body.
"I can feel it... I can feel this immense power! Hahahaha!"
Mahito shouted excitedly, his voice full of uncontrollable joy.
Then, he turned his head and looked at Sukuna, standing on a higher floor.
In the past, his feelings toward the King of Curses had been a mix of respect and fear.
But after seeing him easily defeated by Makoto, that fear had turned into contempt. Because he had witnessed firsthand that after losing to Makoto, Sukuna had visibly grown weaker.
The once arrogant King of Curses now had hesitation and caution in his eyes.
Mahito was no longer afraid of him.
Noticing Mahito's gaze, Sukuna sneered, his eyes carrying the same hunting chill as when they had first met.
"Want to try?"
"Hmph! I can't beat Nishikawa Makoto, but I can still beat you, can't I?"
Mahito looked away.
Just then, Bakugo, who had just gained his monster powers, suddenly turned his head and demanded of Awakened Cockroach, "Where did you take that Deku guy?"
Reminded by Bakugo, Gyoro-Gyoro remembered that there had indeed been another human kid who had come to the Anomaly Association with Bakugo.
It narrowed its giant eye and turned its gaze to Awakened Cockroach.
"Although I don't think that green-haired human kid has much potential, since he's here, we might as well give it a try."
Gyoro-Gyoro's voice remained calm, but carried an undeniable inquiry. "You didn't eat him, did you, Awakened Cockroach?"
Clap, clap, clap—
Just then, applause came from behind Awakened Cockroach, sounding particularly jarring in the silent plaza.
"Congratulations, congratulations. I used to think you guys were too weak when I beat you before. There was no sense of accomplishment. Now that you've been enhanced, you should be more durable, right?"
A figure slowly walked out from behind Awakened Cockroach.
When that face was exposed to the light generated by telekinesis, the expressions of the thousand-plus Anomalies present changed dramatically.
— Nishikawa Makoto.
Mahito and Sugou, who had just been immersed in the joy of gaining monster powers, now had their expressions completely changed.
In an instant, memories of being tortured by the Four Gay Bros and dominated by Makoto in their original worlds surged back like a tide, overwhelming them.
Even Gyoro-Gyoro, the Anomaly Association's chief of staff, was startled.
That giant eyeball's pupil contracted sharply.
"Nishikawa Makoto... how did you find this place?"
But Makoto couldn't even be bothered to answer Gyoro-Gyoro.
His gaze focused on Bakugo. The corner of his mouth curved into a smile.
"Kid, to congratulate you on officially ceasing to be human, I have a little gift for you."
Under Bakugo's wary, almost frozen gaze, Makoto raised his hand and performed teleportation magic.
A magic circle lit up on the ground before Bakugo.
Pale blue light patterns rose, outlining complex patterns in the air.
Then, a figure slowly emerged from the magic circle.
It was a mouse standing on two feet.
Its body was huge, covered in gray-brown fur. Its mouth was slightly open, revealing a row of small teeth.
Many of the Anomalies present immediately recognized it.
"Isn't that Super Mouse?"
But soon, everyone noticed something was wrong.
The Super Mouse before them was different from the one they remembered.
On its head, there was actually a tuft of green hair, which clashed with its gray-brown fur.
And Bakugo, who was closest, saw a pair of familiar eyes beneath that tuft of green hair.
Those eyes were filled with timidity and fear. Tears welled up in them, ready to spill at any moment.
He knew that look too well... he had seen it countless times from childhood to now.
Midoriya Izuku!
"Kacchan..."
Super Mouse opened its mouth and, with tearful eyes, called.
In an instant, Bakugo felt as if struck by lightning.
Only one person called him that.
"D-Deku?!"
Bakugo cried out involuntarily.
Just as only he called Izuku 'Deku', Izuku was the only one who used that unique nickname for him.
Looking at this mutant giant mouse before him, with Izuku's hair and Izuku's eyes, Bakugo felt goosebumps rising layer after layer. His scalp crawled as if thousands of ants were on it. He stood frozen, staring in disbelief at this monster.
That was his childhood friend.
That was the useless kid he had known since kindergarten.
But also the only one his age willing to get close to him.
Now turned into a mouse.
Makoto smiled amiably and stepped forward casually.
"How about it? A little gift for you."
"I specially learned alchemy for this, fusing your dear childhood friend with Super Mouse. Do you like it?"
"Kacchan..."
Mouse Izuku's call came again, making Bakugo's skin crawl.