---
Two days had passed since the USJ attack.
UA High was quieter than usual.
Class 1-A had returned, but the atmosphere was heavy. Some students were still shaken, others furious—and all of them were looking at Ron.
"Is it true?" Uraraka asked as they walked toward their homeroom.
"That you took down the Nomu?" Kirishima added, awe in his voice.
Ron gave a tired shrug. "It didn't go down easy. It was mostly teamwork. I just happened to land the last blow."
That was technically true—but they all knew better.
Todoroki narrowed his eyes, keeping pace. "And the regeneration? You copied that too?"
"Yeah," Ron admitted, nodding. "I told the teachers about my quirk. I can copy quirks by touch. The details stay with me."
Bakugo clenched his fists nearby. "So you really did copy my Explosion, huh?"
Ron stopped, meeting his glare with calm eyes. "I don't steal. I copy. Yours is still yours."
"Hmph." Bakugo looked away but said nothing more.
---
Inside the teacher's office, Aizawa was recovering on a medical bed while speaking to Principal Nezu and All Might.
"So," Nezu squeaked, sipping tea, "he copied One For All."
All Might nodded solemnly. "Without being chosen. I don't know how it's possible. But he hasn't shown signs of rejecting it."
Aizawa grunted. "The kid's strange. Calm under pressure. He doesn't act like a first-year."
"He's more than strange," All Might added. "He may be the only reason we didn't lose half our students."
Nezu tilted his head, curious. "What should we do about him?"
All Might looked through the glass window—at Ron, surrounded by classmates.
"We watch. We guide. And we pray he stays on our side."
---
That evening, Ron sat alone on the UA rooftop.
The sun was setting, casting golden rays over the city. Birds flew past as Ron leaned back, eyes closed.
> [Stats Summary:]
– Copied Quirks: Explosion, Half-Cold Half-Hot, Engine, One For All, Super Regeneration, Nomu Strength
– Physical Limit: Increasing
– System Sync: 81%
– Visibility: High (rumors spreading rapidly)
He sighed.
The media had caught wind of the USJ incident. Headlines were flooding the internet:
"Mysterious Student Defeats Nomu!"
"New Prodigy at UA: Who Is Ron?"
"Is UA Hiding a Secret Weapon?"
He didn't want this attention.
But deep inside, he knew it was only the beginning.
Ron looked toward the sky.
"All For One saw that fight," he whispered. "I've made my move. Let's see what his is."
---
In a dark, underground base, Shigaraki slammed his hand on a table.
"I want him dead."
All For One sat silently behind him, face hidden in the shadows.
"No. We observe," he said coolly. "He copied One For All. He copied regeneration. And he's gaining power fast."
A pause.
"…We may need him."
"For what?" Shigaraki snapped.
"For a future… where he either kneels to me—or dies by my hand."
---