The ball vanished into the sky. For a moment, no one said a word. Then, the distant whistle of the projectile cutting through the air reached them, as if it were already miles away.
"What the hell was that?!" shouted a boy from the back.
A few students leaned forward, trying to spot the tiny speck still flying away.
Kai lowered his arm slowly. His breathing was quick, and a heavy pulse pounded in his temple.
'Definitely… overdid it. Hope green hair saw that. If I try again, I might just rip my arm off.'
"Tch!" The blond boy clicked his tongue. His gaze was pure fire, yet he didn't take his eyes off Kai.Midoriya, on the other hand, seemed to swallow a thousand words, as if still processing what he'd just seen.
Aizawa barely raised an eyebrow.
"One thousand and forty-two meters," he announced flatly, eyes on his device.
Murmurs erupted instantly.
"Over a kilometer!"
"That's not human…"
"What kind of quirk is that?"
Kai allowed himself a faint smile, saying nothing.
'Better let them keep wondering. The less they know, the better.'
Aizawa pointed at him lazily.
"Back in line. Next."
Kai walked back, feeling several gazes burn into his back. He didn't mind. If anything, he liked it.
'Stare all you want… especially you, Midoriya. This is just the beginning.'
After the throw, Kai kept his eyes on everyone. They went through the rest of the tests 50-meter dash, strength trials, endurance runs. By the end, the rankings were posted.
Fifth place. Not bad… considering he'd only had two days to figure out his quirk. What did catch him off guard was the so called protagonist of this world… sitting dead last.
'I didn't see that coming. From what I've noticed, he's got explosive strength. Guess he still can't control it.'
But the one who really drew his attention was different.A boy with the head of a crow -Tokoyami-. The moment Kai saw him, his shadow stirred. It was subtle, but it felt like… a challenge.
'Looks like we have similar quirks. Interesting.'
And then there was the problem.The last place was supposed to be expelled. That thought sat in his stomach like a stone until Aizawa spoke.
"Well… that whole expulsion thing was a lie," the man said, voice flat. "I wanted you to go all out and see what your quirks can really do."
A few students gasped. Relief washed over their faces.
"Anyway, head to your next class," he added, already walking away.
They moved on some to change clothes, others talking in low voices. The rest of the day was split between practical exercises and dull lectures about hero work.
Hours passed. By the time Kai reached the gates, his mind was still replaying images of his classmates' quirks.
He felt someone approaching him quickly.
Instantly, his shadow shivered.
"Hey… your name's Kai, right?"
Kai turned and saw a boy with a crow's head: Tokoyami. His shadow swayed lightly behind him. Dark. Intense. Alive.
'What the hell… his shadow… it's like even it's judging me,' Kai thought, his heartbeat picking up.
"Yeah… that's me," Kai replied, forcing calm into his voice.
Tokoyami tilted his head slightly, dark eyes piercing.
"During the test… your shadow moved… unusually. I want to know why."
Kai raised an eyebrow, sizing him up.
"Your shadow too… but from what I saw, your quirk or your shadow isn't connected to your real shadow."
Tokoyami nodded, voice low and even.
"Exactly. My quirk isn't my shadow itself. The one beside me is called Dark Shadow. But my real shadow… it stays where it's supposed to. My quirk doesn't come directly from it."
'Interesting… he controls something that lives on its own. This is going to be fun,' Kai thought, eyes flicking to Dark Shadow.
"So… what exactly do you want to know? I probably don't have the answer you're looking for," Kai said carefully.
Tokoyami hesitated, then spoke.
"I wanted to know… if you'll suffer the same weakness as me."
Kai blinked.
"Weakness…?"
"Yes. On bright sunny days like today, Dark Shadow weakens. But from what I saw… your shadow wasn't affected at all," Tokoyami said, calm but intense.
'So he's been watching me… carefully,' Kai realized.
"The answer is simple. The more sunlight, the stronger my shadow gets. Shadows need light. Days like this, my shadow is at its peak," Kai explained.
'At night, my shadow grows even stronger… darker… colder. But the bird doesn't need to know that,' he added silently.
"Our quirks are… more different than I thought," Tokoyami murmured.
"Well… that's it. See you tomorrow," he said, turning away, Dark Shadow trailing.
Kai watched him go, still processing. His first school conversation in this world… with a boy who had a crow's head.
'This isn't a dream… right?'
********
Kai was heading home, wanting to rest, analyze the quirks, memorize names.
'One-on-one… I could beat almost everyone. Scar guy? Tough. Glasses kid? No way. Tokoyami… no clue.'
He waited for the train, lost in thought. A subtle shift in the air made him turn. Shadows moved. Weird. A warning.
Then... BOOM!
The terminal erupted.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
Glass and debris flew like knives. Kai barely shielded himself. Cuts on arms. Scratches on head. Pain. Fear. Hit hard, fast.
'What the hell just happened?!' Kneeling, the world shaking.
Chaos everywhere. Screams. Smoke. Bodies scattered. Anyone closer to the blast? Dead.
Through the smoke, a young man appeared. Red jacket, shorts. Eyes wild. Smile insane. Excited. Like a kid at a theme park.
"HAHAHAHA… this quirk is amazing, boss! HAHAHAHAHA!"
Kai moved. Dove between debris. Ground trembling beneath him.
"I'M COMIIIING AGAIN!"
The man glowed. Intense. Bright. Like a tiny sun about to explode inside the station.
Instinct screamed. No time to think.
"Gon, merge with me!"
The world lit up. Bright. Instant. And seconds later another explosion.
Kai barely managed to shield himself from the explosion, his body radiating a sinister aura. He had no idea what to do. If he tried to run, would the villain chase him? He didn't know. But staying hidden was just as dangerous. He wasn't sure the pillar he was using for cover would survive another blast.
'And the heroes…?' he thought, frowning.
"YEESS YEES FLY THROUGH THE AIR! DIE, DIE! HAHAHAHAHA"
Kai sighed. 'This damn psychopath…'
He couldn't waste any more time. He closed his eyes and focused all his determination.
'Let's go for it, Gon.'
"AHH, HERE IT COMES NOW, IT COOMEES! LET'S FLY TOGETHER, YOU BASTARDS!" yelled the villain, excited, as if ready to destroy everything again.
"Hey, you psycho! And now who's going to pay me for another uniform? I only had one, you son of a bitch"
The villain froze, surprised. "Huh?" Shocked that someone was still alive.
Kai removed his school jacket and tie, left only in his shirt. He assumed a fighting stance, fists raised, the dark essence radiating from his body growing stronger.
The villain trembled with excitement.
"YEESS, YEEESS!!, YOU WANT TO FLY TOO? LET'S FLY TOGETHER!" yelled the villain as he ran madly toward him, smiling with pure insanity.