The station courtyard was packed with U.A. students—a sea of suitcases, backpacks, and rectangular cases containing carefully packed hero costumes. The air buzzed with anticipation—excited voices, loud laughter, hurried goodbyes, and promises tossed into the wind. It was the day of the Hero Work-Studies, and that alone was enough to make many hearts race.
"Did everyone bring their hero costumes?" Aizawa's tired, monotone voice cut through the chatter.
"Yes, sensei," the class replied in unison.
"YEEEES, SENSEEEEI!" Ashido shouted even louder, hoisting her costume case over her head.
Aizawa's weary gaze slowly turned toward her.
"Ashido."
"...Sorry."
Aizawa cleared his throat and continued:
"Normally, wearing your costume in public is prohibited, but during the work-studies, it's permitted." His eyes swept over the group. "That does not mean this is a fashion show."
A few students chuckled quietly.
"Good luck." He gave a slight wave of his hand. "And mind your manners."
Beside Ryo, Kirishima sighed.
"Man… it's kind of sad we have to split up like this. I really wanted to see your hero costume, too."
The redhead cast a curious glance at the rectangular case Ryo was carrying.
"You'll have to wait until next time," Ryo replied, adjusting his backpack strap. "I'm heading to Hosu."
"Kyushu for me," Kirishima answered eagerly. "Take care, alright?"
"You too."
They exchanged a quick nod, and Ryo headed for the train bound for Hosu. Once inside the car, he found an empty side seat, carefully placed the case down, and slumped into the seat, relaxing his shoulders.
"So this is it…" he murmured. "Hosu for me… Kyushu for Kirishima… and Dash stayed in Musutafu, at his dad's agency or something."
He let out a long sigh and leaned his head against the cool window glass behind him. For a few seconds, there was only the distant sound of arriving trains and the steady rhythm of the station.
Bzzzt.
The phone in his pocket vibrated.
"Hm…" Ryo pulled out the device. "Are those two starting another war in the group chat already?"
But no.
It was from Anan.
Are you on your way yet?
Ryo typed quickly.
Just got on the train.
A few seconds later, the reply came with a sticker of a cute bunny giving a thumbs-up, followed by another message:
Let me know when you arrive!
Ryo let out an amused puff of air through his nose and replied with a sticker of an expressionless cat making an "OK" gesture with its paw.
He set the phone aside and settled back to relax—
"Oh! Takeda!"
"HOLY SH—!"
Ryo clutched his chest in an immediate reflex, nearly jumping out of his seat.
Standing beside him was Iida, posture impeccable as always.
"DON'T DO THAT AGAIN," Ryo snapped, still catching his breath.
Iida shrank back slightly, rubbing the back of his head.
"M-my apologies! I wasn't sure how to initiate the conversation… you seemed so absorbed in your affairs."
Ryo let out another long sigh.
"Just… let me know you're there, man."
"Understood! My apologies once more," Iida replied, overly serious for the situation. "...You are also going to Hosu?"
"Yeah."
"What a coincidence!" He adjusted his glasses. "I am relieved not to have to make the journey alone, then."
The train finally began to move slowly, the tracks vibrating beneath them.
Ryo turned his gaze back to the window, watching the station recede.
The hero work-study had finally begun.
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After forty-five minutes of travel, the bullet train finally slowed to a stop at Hosu Station. Ryo disembarked alongside Iida and the other passengers, adjusting his backpack strap as he pulled his phone from his pocket. The flow of people soon dispersed, and the noise of the station faded behind him as he followed the route shown on Google Maps.
About ten minutes later, he stopped before his destination.
"...Is this a hero agency?" he murmured, tilting his head slightly.
The Black Hole Agency building looked nothing like what he had imagined. It was about as tall as a five-story building but stretched far horizontally, with a robust, modern structure. The top was rounded, resembling a giant metallic dome.
"It looks more like a basketball arena than an office..."
Still puzzled, Ryo entered while typing a quick message to Anan to let her know he had arrived. It was then that—
Thump.
"Guh—!" he stumbled off-balance for a moment.
His phone nearly slipped from his hand, but he managed to catch it at the last second. He immediately looked up, his body already tilting into an automatic apology.
"S-Sorry... I wasn't paying attention—"
Standing before him was a professional heroine, already in her uniform. She smiled calmly.
"It's alright," she replied. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine..." Ryo scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Really, sorry about that."
She looked him over for a second before asking:
"Oh! You're from U.A.! Here for the agency? Are you lost?"
Ryo opened his mouth to answer, but before any sound could come out—
"Takeda!"
A woman's voice echoed through the lobby, clear and cheerful.
Both of them turned at the same time.
Anan was walking towards them with brisk steps, her helmet not on her head, her navy-blue hair swaying slightly, a clear smile on her face. As soon as she reached him, her eyes scanned him from head to toe out of pure habit.
"Glad you arrived safely," she said with sincere relief.
Before Ryo could react, Anan took his hand naturally, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Come with me, dear. I want to show you something before I take you to where you'll be staying."
"Ah… okay..." he replied, still a bit lost.
They began to move away from the reception area, leaving behind a trail of curious glances. Some whispers arose, others just watched in absolute silence.
The heroine Ryo had bumped into remained motionless, staring at the scene with a stunned expression, especially since the agency head had just walked past her with a joy she had never seen in her before.
Ryo, completely unaware of the small social earthquake he had caused at the reception, simply followed Anan inside. As they progressed, the environment changed noticeably. The corridors branched off into several distinct sections, each clearly demarcated and equipped for a specific type of disaster.
"This wing is focused on urban collapses," explained Anan, pointing to a large space where structural simulators lined the walls. "Further ahead, aquatic rescue. We have experts in violent currents, shipwrecks, and flash floods."
Ryo observed everything with silent attention. It reminded him a lot of the USJ — perhaps even too much. Each sector seemed like a direct response to a type of tragedy that had already happened… or that was yet to happen.
Anan continued explaining, mentioning the personnel allocated to each area: support heroes, field medics, engineers, analysts. Everything functioned like a precise machine, built not to fight, but to save.
Until they stopped.
Ahead of them was a huge, thick door made of multiple layers of reinforced metal. It didn't look like a simple entrance — it more closely resembled the door of a high-security vault.
"We're here," said Anan, approaching the panel beside it.
She entered a long code. A beep confirmed the first stage. Next, an ocular scanner activated; Anan leaned in slightly, allowing the scan. Finally, a small microphone emerged from the panel.
"Anan Kurose," she said with a firm voice.
For a second, everything seemed normal.
Then, silent alarms were triggered.
From the ceiling, several retractable turrets abruptly descended, immediately locking their aim on Ryo.
"...Huh?!"
Before he could react, Anan's eyes widened slightly and she calmly added,
"...and guest."
The turrets retracted almost instantly, as if nothing had happened. The system emitted a low confirmation sound, and the heavy door began to open slowly.
Ryo blinked a few times.
"Th-Those turrets…?"
She let out a small, amused sigh.
"Don't worry. They only fire adhesive gel bullets. They stick to the body, completely immobilize. Uncomfortable, but non-lethal."
"...I see," he replied, swallowing dryly, before stepping inside.
As soon as they crossed the entrance, the door closed behind them with a deep clang.
Ryo's eyes widened.
The space ahead was… all too familiar.
A complete scientific laboratory, filled with panels, monitors, and advanced measuring instruments. On the other side of a huge reinforced glass wall, there was a spacious testing chamber, empty at the moment—but clearly designed for extreme containment.
He was certain the walls probably had thick lead lining.
Anan smiled slightly, spreading her arms proudly.
"This was built well before U.A. created its own containment chamber. To be honest… Nezu drew quite a bit from this project when he built the school's."
Ryo walked over to the control panel, resting his hands on the cold surface as he observed the room on the other side of the glass.
"I never planned to build something like this," Anan continued, her voice quieter now. "But I changed my mind after what happened at Himawari Gardens."
Ryo turned around.
Anan wore a half-smile… one that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"That incident showed me just how vulnerable people still are in this world," she said, lightly clasping her gloved hands. "And also how many… cannot be saved."
There was a brief silence.
"You can't save everyone," she continued, with painful honesty. "And that… breaks me, sometimes. There are days when I don't feel right."
She took a deep breath.
"Even so, I carry joy with me to work. Just like All Might does. Because, if something like Himawari Gardens happens again…" her eyes gained firmness, "I will do everything I can to save at least someone."
Anan approached Ryo and carefully took his hands, the cold gloves contrasting with the warmth held in the gesture.
"And while that wish is still far away… I'll start by saving you," she said softly. "By pulling the person in front of me out of the darkness of their own past."
She gave his hands a light squeeze.
"And be the hero that he never had!"
Ryo's eyes widened.
He quickly turned his face away, releasing her hands and taking a few steps to the side.
"Alright, I get it!" he said, trying to sound firm. "You didn't need to give a whole speech just to say you want to help me."
Anan blinked, a little uncertain… but then she realized.
Ryo had his back to her, discreetly wiping his face.
"When does the training start?" he asked immediately afterward, too quickly. "I promised Aizawa I'd learn to control my power better during the internship."
He didn't turn around.
Anan understood immediately.
Her smile returned, sweet and patient.
"We can start now."
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In Yamanashi Prefecture — more specifically, in a building that seemed abandoned by time and by the city itself — Midoriya was sprawled on the floor, panting, desperately trying to catch his breath after a completely one-sided fight against Gran Torino.
"Hmph…" grumbled the old man, leaning on his cane as he watched the boy as if evaluating a strange experiment. "The progress you've made so far is… monstrous."
Midoriya only groaned, still breathless.
"You've not only already grasped that One For All is something that flows through the entire body," Gran Torino continued, "but you've also learned to use it quite efficiently and tactically."
He then tapped his cane on Midoriya's foot.
"Did Toshinori help you with this?" His tone carried an almost offensive doubt. "I seriously doubt that big blond oaf gave you even a single useful hint."
Midoriya, straining, lifted his torso and sat up on the floor.
"A-actually…" he scratched his head awkwardly, "it was thanks to a friend."
Gran Torino raised an eyebrow.
"…A friend?"
"Yes! A classmate of mine. Takeda. He gave me some ideas that ended up helping me a lot…"
The old man crossed his arms, letting out a dry click of his tongue.
"Didn't expect to hear that," he muttered. "Even if this Takeda fellow just got lucky, it's still more than that idiot Toshinori did as your mentor."
He made a disgusted face.
"It's almost shameful. A kid doing more work than him."
Gran Torino then pointed his cane at the nearby wall that had a crater in it.
"Anyway. What was that thing you did just a moment ago?"
"That…?" Midoriya began to stand up, confused.
THWACK.
The cane hit his foot again.
"OWWW!"
"Don't play dumb," Gran Torino snarled. "That quick dash at the wall. I'm absolutely certain you can only maintain 5% of One For All throughout your entire body."
He narrowed his eyes.
"But that jump you used to try and reach me? It had more than that. At least 15%."
Midoriya, still holding his sore foot, replied:
"I-I used 15% of One For All… in my legs."
Gran Torino froze.
"…What?"
Midoriya continued, more confidently now:
"It was another idea from Takeda. Since my body can't handle 100% strikes, I just lower the percentage to something that won't break my bones. That way, I can use a large portion of One For All without ending up destroying my arm or legs!"
He turned completely to face the old man.
Gran Torino was… motionless.
Eyes wide. Mouth slightly open. Expression blank.
It wasn't exaggerated shock — it was as if reality had hit him in the face with the force of a truck. A genuine statue-like face, the kind that seems to say "the world has ended and nobody told me."
"…Sir?" Midoriya asked, worried.
No answer.
"S-sir?!"
The boy's eyes widened.
"N-no…" he pulled out his phone in a panic. "H-hello?! Ambulance?! An old man just had a heart attack!"
BAM.
Gran Torino appeared out of nowhere with a perfect vertical dropkick, hitting Midoriya squarely in the back.
"I'M PERFECTLY FINE, YOU BRAT!" he shouted, landing with a lightness unnatural for someone his age. "The only heart attack I'm going to have is from listening to the idiocy of people like you AND Toshinori!"
Midoriya rolled on the floor, groaning.
Gran Torino took a deep breath, rubbed his face… and then laughed.
"…Damn it all," he murmured. "Using the power in parts…"
Midoriya stood up with a groan, massaging his aching back.
"S-so what's so different about this?" he asked. "The other One For All users… didn't they do something similar?"
"No," Gran Torino answered without hesitation.
Midoriya's eyes widened.
"N-no…?"
"Not at all," the old man continued. "To be honest, I don't even know if anyone's ever thought of this before. But, with absolute certainty, you're the first I've seen use One For All this way."
He planted his cane on the floor.
"Normally, the method is simple and time-consuming. You master a percentage… say, your current 5%. Then you use that for months until your body can handle 8%. Then 15%. And so on."
Gran Torino made a circling motion with his hand.
"Slow. Safe. But incredibly boring."
Midoriya swallowed hard, listening intently.
"But with you…" the old man pointed his cane at him, "things can speed up."
"Really?"
"To increase the amount of power you can handle, your body needs to be pushed to its limit," Gran Torino explained. "Just like strength training. You overload the muscle, cause micro-tears, and as it recovers, it adapts to handle greater loads."
He narrowed his eyes.
"With One For All, it's the same thing. Using the power constantly, forcing your body to adapt and grow."
Midoriya looked at his own hands, clenching his fists tightly.
"Except now things have gotten a whole lot easier with this bizarre method of yours."
The old man gave a lopsided grin.
"By using One For All this way, you can push yourself to the limit much faster, even if it's in specific parts of the body…"
He leaned forward slightly.
"Legs today. Arms tomorrow. Torso later. Each part growing at its own pace."
Gran Torino crossed his arms, clearly pleased.
"This means you can force your body to evolve much faster than any previous user."
Gran Torino let out a short laugh.
"I have no idea who this 'Takeda' is… but I owe him a huge favor. He saved me a lot of time explaining things to you."
A drop of sweat trickled down his forehead—not from exhaustion, but from excitement.
"If he keeps this up…" he thought, staring at Midoriya, "this boy will reach All Might's strength in record time!"
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(A/N: I'll keep the name Fourteen on Ryo for now, but I'll have him change it later in the arc when Thirteen finds out and finds it corny for him. I think it would be interesting if he went through several hero names while he tries to discover who he really is, and in the end, he accepts the hero name I've already decided for him, Gamma. I previously said he would change his name 3 times, but I think I'll have him change his name 5 times for better development.)