Watching the battlefield, I let out a slow, deliberate sigh. Every Class 1-A student had finished their fights and was converging toward the central plaza, where All Might and the Nomu clashed in a cataclysm of raw power.
Each punch shook the ground, shattered walls, and sent bystanders flying. The students cheered loudly, still thinking All Might had just defeated the first Nomu and on his way to clear everything else in his path. Their relief, their excitement—it was tangible. No one could step into that fight… no one, except me.
I expanded my domain, surveying the chaos. Reinforcements were on their way—but they'd be too late. All Might's energy was spent, drained from battle after battle. And now the second Nomu, a grotesque shadow of the first, was hurtling toward us on Shigaraki's orders. Its purpose was simple: to kill.
The kids around me continued cheering, oblivious to the danger creeping closer. They didn't know All Might's reserves were gone. They didn't know the second Nomu was already near. They had no idea what was about to happen.
This is it. I thought. Time to step in before things get worse.
The students had done well. Each had fought cleverly, taking out enemies one by one using their quirks. Shipwreck Zone cleared. Landslide Zone controlled. Mountain Zone secured. Even in chaos, they had kept their heads and survived.
They'd gained experience today—enough to understand what real danger feels like. But experience alone wouldn't save them from this Nomu. Not with All Might out of juice. Not if the fight escalated.
I need to get All Might out. His secret can't be exposed. Not now. Not ever.
I exhaled. Slowly, deliberately, I let my perception extend, letting the world bend to my senses. Time seemed to stretch. The winds died. Voices faded. The chaos froze in a suspended tableau. Within my domain, every movement, every intent, every weakness revealed itself.
I smiled quietly. It was time.
I ran.
With each step, the battlefield warped under my will. Dust and debris twisted as if obeying my motion. Villains still locked in combat with Aizawa froze in place. I touched them lightly, and reality contorted at my fingertips.
Their bodies lifted, suspended midair, twisting helplessly as though some invisible force had struck them with unimaginable power. To everyone else, it happened in the blink of an eye. To me, it was precise—methodical, controlled, inevitable.
The second Nomu bore down, massive and relentless. I activated a skill long dormant. My hands ignited with red energy, vibrating violently, sending ripples through the slowed world around me. Momentum built inside me like a storm trapped in a bottle, every fiber of my being coiling tighter and tighter.
I extended my fist—and unleashed it.
Time seemed to explode. The Nomu didn't even register the attack. With a single punch, I atomized it. The force radiated outward, obliterating everything in its path. Dust, debris, shockwaves—they all bent to the aftermath of my strike.
Shigaraki's hands screamed as I tore them apart next. His expression shifted from smug triumph to raw, unfiltered panic. Even he, who thrived on chaos, couldn't comprehend the speed, the precision, the sheer power that had just struck him.
Next, I moved All Might. The Symbol of Peace was a legend—but even legends can falter. I relocated him outside the line of sight, leaving him in safety, giving him the chance to heal. I left a simple note:
Focus on yourself. Don't worry. I've got this. ⚡
The black lightning bolt at the bottom was a symbol All Might would recognize immediately. No words were needed—he'd know he could focus on recovery. No one else had to worry.
I turned back after coming to my starting point.
Every villain within my domain was either immobilized, obliterated, or spinning helplessly from the residual force. The battlefield bent and shifted as if reality itself obeyed my will. I could see every trajectory, every incoming attack, every weakness—and I acted on it instantly. I wasn't just fighting; I was controlling the fight.
Time resumed for everyone else. The winds screamed as the dome began to lift from its foundations, which groaned ominously under the force. In the blink of an eye, the entire structure—including the roof—was obliterated into dust by the aftermath of my punch.
Groans of pain and terror echoed through the plaza. Shigaraki's earth-shattering cries of agony reverberated across the battlefield. The students blinked, wide-eyed, unable to comprehend how the tide had turned so suddenly. Just moments ago, they had been cheering for All Might… now, confusion and awe were written across every face.
I allowed myself a faint, quiet smile. The kids had survived, gained lessons, and the immediate threat was neutralized. The rest? That was up to them. For now, the battlefield was under control. And I had ensured that All Might's secret—and life—remained safe.
And almost immediately after the dust settled, as if on cue, reinforcements began appearing from what had once been the entrance before my punch reduced it to rubble. Heroes surged forward with precision, moving through the debris like a tide reclaiming the shore, while the police arrived in their usual, classically delayed fashion, sirens wailing but now finally on the scene.
Shigaraki, still reeling from the incomprehensible devastation, seized the moment to retreat. Kurogiri, now fully recovered from his earlier "yeeting," dissolved into his mist, carrying the stunned villain away in a swirl of darkness. Even he couldn't make sense of what had just occurred.
The battlefield was left in a stunned silence—aside from the groans of the defeated and the distant echoes of collapsing rubble—while my classmates slowly began to take in the scale of what had just happened, their awe and disbelief almost tangible in the thick, dust-filled air.
I noticed a few familiar faces from the academy among the reinforcements—Present Mic and Ectoplasm, both first-year teachers; Snipe, who taught the third years; Recovery Girl; and lda, trailing behind them.
"Is anyone hurt? Are you all okay?" Recovery Girl called as she rushed past, scanning each of us carefully. Everyone nodded—aside from a few minor scrapes and bruises, nothing serious.
After receiving a call, Recovery Girl quickly made her way to where I had hidden All Might. It seemed he had come to his senses and contacted someone to confirm his location.
With the additional teachers present, the remaining villains were quickly neutralized, and even those who had been separated from us earlier were gathered and secured. Many of my classmates assumed it was All Might himself who had gone all out to save them, and they marveled at what they believed was his incredible power.
Only Midoriya and Aizawa, who had seen the steam rising from All Might after his fight with the first Nomu, knew the truth—that he had not been the one to defeat the villains.
Aizawa's eyes narrowed as he looked at me, the most likely suspect, though he had no proof. I maintained my expression of surprise, careful not to give anything away.
Soon, the event was declared over. We were allowed to leave immediately, with the teachers taking over all official investigations. There was no reason for us to stay any longer.
Without a word, we silently departed the now-ruined USJ and returned to school. On the bus, no one spoke. Once back in our classrooms, we collected our things and went home, exchanging only simple farewells.
The event quickly made headlines across the nation. It was impossible to cover up—after all, the entire USJ dome had been pulverized. Fights at that level of power were extraordinarily rare, and UA dominated media coverage, with parents voicing their concerns nationwide.
At home, my parents were understandably worried. I quickly reassured them, explaining that UA was the safest place, protected by countless pro heroes, including All Might.
I reminded them that the real danger lay outside the school's walls, and that with my quirk, I was more than capable of handling myself. Somehow, they believed me. They said nothing more, simply wishing me luck.
Night had fallen, and the aftermath of the USJ incident left a heavy silence over the city. I changed into my old suit—the one I'd worn during my days as an underground vigilante. The suit was a masterwork of expensive materials, inspired by the Savitar suit from The Flash, menacing in the moonlight, sleek and sharp, designed to blend into the shadows while amplifying my abilities.
Back then, my activities had never been anything serious—just testing the capabilities of the suit, challenging patrolling pro heroes, and taking care of small-time villains. I wasn't famous; not yet. It was mostly low-risk, calculated exercises to gauge my own limits and the suit's potential.
Expanding my domain, I quickly located All Might in his recovery room. He wasn't asleep yet; the faint glow of medical monitors reflected in his tired eyes. Almost immediately, I vanished from my location and reappeared silently in front of him.
He didn't flinch. His frail frame, though weakened, still carried an aura of authority. There was no fear in his eyes—only quiet vigilance. After a moment of silence, he spoke, calm but measured:
"Is it… you, young Hayato?"
I removed my mask slowly, letting my silver hair catch the moonlight, and smiled faintly. I said nothing. My presence alone seemed to confirm what he already suspected.
All Might's eyes softened. "I didn't expect… the famous underground vigilante who once saved my life… to be so young." His frail voice carried a weight of both respect and relief. "Don't worry, young Hayato. Just as you've kept my secret, I will also keep yours."
It was an unspoken acknowledgment—we both knew each other, and this understanding had roots in events from last year.
[Flashback]
It happened shortly after All Might had passed his quirk to Midoriya. One night, while on his usual patrol, he had intervened to save civilians. But something went wrong. High above the city, his transformation faltered unexpectedly. Frail and unprepared, he began accelerating toward the ground at an impossible speed.
My system screamed a notification in my ear: All Might — in possible danger. I'd already put everyone important to me on the system's monitoring list; his name flashed red at the top.
Watching him through my domain, At first I thought it might be a trick. From my suit I watched the sky and the figure tumbling down and my mind wanted to write it off—bad intel, a weird glitch, anything but real.
Maybe it was one of those staged incidents people talk about. I barely moved. The expression on his face wasn't performance anymore — it was raw panic. His limbs flailed, control gone. My breath hitched.
Without hesitation, I acted. My body blurred, and I intercepted him mid-fall, cushioning the impact and bringing him to safety. He looked at me, wide-eyed, recognizing the suit—the infamous underground vigilante who had appeared in whispers across the city.
He thanked me cautiously, masking his recognition of my true identity, and I couldn't help but notice the awkwardness in his movements. It reminded me of Midoriya—the same earnest, burdened weight on the shoulders of someone carrying too much.
I broke the silence in a gruff voice. "All Might."
His expression stiffened, but he quickly composed himself denying any connection to his real identity.
"There's no need to worry. I won't tell anyone your secret… and I won't reveal anything about your quirk either."
"What do you mean, about my quirk?" he asked, suddenly more cautious than he had before.
"I was there when you gave your quirk away," I admitted, my voice steady but betraying a flicker of emotion.
His eyes widened in shock at my revelation, and he almost shouted, but I continued before he could say anything.
"I have nothing against you. I could even help you heal… though it won't fix your current condition. It's still better than nothing."
I observed him silently, and after a moment of his silence, I simply vanished from his view, leaving him with only the memory of that night.
[Flashback ends]
I remained silent for a moment, letting the tension settle between us. Then I finally spoke:
"How bad is it, All Might? Do you need my help? As I told you before, I can assist—not fully heal you, but I can make your condition a bit more manageable. Enough that you can continue guiding your successor."
I didn't name Midoriya. We didn't need to. Both of us already knew.
He studied me for a long moment. In the past, he had refused my help. He didn't trust me back then—not entirely, and with my identity shrouded in my vigilante persona, he had every reason to doubt my intentions.
But now… seeing my true face, my real age, and knowing I was Hayato, a young hero with promise, his guard relaxed. My passive aura of trustworthiness, strengthened by my heroic reputation, naturally reassured him.
"All right…" he finally said, voice quiet. "I'll let you help. But… I think it's already too late."
"It is indeed a bit late, but I'll still try my best."
I nodded and immediately set to work. Expanding my domain around him, I activated several active skills to accelerate his natural healing process. I drew upon a technique I had developed after studying my mother's healing methods, carefully mending each wound. The scars dissolved, and the strain on his body lessened.
An hour passed in focused silence. When I finished, I stepped back, satisfied.
"It's not much," I said softly, "but at least you won't suddenly collapse from exhaustion. Try to limit the use of the remaining traces of your quirk… save your strength. No late night patrols anymore."
He opened his mouth to argue, but I interrupted:
"This world needs you, All Might. If something happens to you before Midoriya grows strong enough, the society you've protected till now will collapse. All your years of being the Symbol of Peace… they'll be wasted."
He remained quiet for a long time, absorbing my words. Finally, he exhaled, a small, weary smile forming despite the fatigue. "I understand, young Hayato. Thank you… truly."
I nodded once. No more words were necessary. My work here was done—for now. The Symbol of Peace would live to see another day, and the future was a little safer because of it.