At the sound of the whistle, Izuku sprinted forward and leapt onto a nearby pipe. On terrain like this, the high ground mattered.
Now it's a test of speed.
He ran along the pipe at nearly twenty kilometers per hour—but it wasn't enough.
"Forty percent… burst!"
Green lightning crackled around him as his speed surged. He moved like a streak of light, shifting across the pipes with sharp, controlled steps.
"That speed—no way!" Sero stared as he tried to keep up.
Faster. Faster.
Izuku focused on nothing else. The world narrowed to motion and distance.
Before long, he saw the central platform ahead—All Might standing at the top.
There.
His breathing tightened. The final stretch carried a different kind of pressure.
Stay sharp.
His steps wavered slightly, but he didn't slow.
I have to take first.
He pushed off for the final jump. The green arcs gathered around his legs as he launched himself upward.
I'm taking first.
He landed firmly on the platform and looked up.
"Congratulations. First place," All Might said.
—
Half an hour later, everyone had finished the test and gathered in the locker room.
"Midoriya got first," Sero said as he changed. "That speed was insane."
"Seriously," another student added. "You improved a lot in just a week. What kind of training are you doing?"
Izuku shrugged. "The same routine I shared in the group chat."
Several of them fell silent, remembering the intensity of his training plans. Even Bakugo and Todoroki had only managed a few days of the first one.
"I'll head out first," Izuku said, finishing quickly. "All Might wants to see me."
He left before anyone could respond.
"That's too bad," Mineta muttered. "I found something I wanted to show him…"
No one asked.
—
Half an hour later, Izuku and All Might sat across from each other in an office, tea between them.
"So… can you tell me about One For All now?" Izuku asked, speaking without moving his lips.
All Might blinked. "You can talk while drinking tea?"
"I can use ventriloquism."
"…That's surprisingly useful."
—
An hour later, Izuku returned to the classroom, tension visible in his posture.
So that's why One For All is passed down…
His thoughts raced.
All For One. A Quirk that can take others and make them its own…
He clenched his hands.
That kind of power… how do you even fight it?
At the front of the room, Aizawa glanced at him briefly while writing on the board.
So All Might told him.
Bakugo watched from his seat, frowning.
What's with him now?
Todoroki studied Izuku quietly.
Something's wrong.
—
By the time class ended, Izuku had calmed himself.
I'll have to face it eventually.
Knowing now didn't weaken him. It gave him direction.
Then I just have to get stronger.
He opened his notebook and began sketching out a new training plan.
All Might's method is solid, but I need more practical application. Physical conditioning can't just be morning and night—it has to be constant.
He paused.
Maybe I should ask Hatsume.
He closed the notebook and stood.
Without a word to anyone, he left the classroom.
Bakugo watched him go, irritation lingering.
What's his problem?