Arthur was twelve when he first felt it—the presence of danger before it arrived.
He was walking home from Tanaka's gym on a warm summer evening, mind occupied with refining his energy wave techniques, when something made him stop. Not a sound. Not a sight. Just... knowing. An absolute certainty that if he took another step forward, something bad would happen.
Arthur froze mid-stride and looked around. The street appeared normal. Pedestrians going about their business. Cars passing. Nothing obviously wrong.
Then a car suddenly swerved, jumping the curb exactly where Arthur would have been standing if he'd continued walking. The driver fought for control, managed to redirect back onto the road, and sped off—probably hadn't even realized how close they'd come to hitting someone.
Arthur stared at the tire marks on the sidewalk, his heart pounding. That wasn't luck. That wasn't coincidence. He'd known. Somehow, impossibly, he'd sensed the danger before any normal perception could have warned him.
Over the next weeks, the sensation returned. Small things at first—knowing when Tanaka was about to throw something during training, sensing when a classmate was about to bump into him in the hallway, feeling when his mother was in a bad mood before she said a word.
It was like having a sixth sense. An instinct that went beyond normal awareness.
Arthur recognized it, of course. In his previous life, he'd possessed something similar—a combat intuition that bordered on precognition. The ability to read opponents, predict attacks, sense danger. It had been one of his greatest advantages in battle.
But that ability had been tied to his nature as a Servant, to the magic of that world. He shouldn't have it here. Yet he did. Which meant...
His quirk was awakening more abilities.
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"You're distracted," Tanaka observed during their next training session. "Something on your mind?"
Arthur parried the old man's practice sword and considered how much to reveal. "Have you ever heard of quirks developing secondary abilities? Not evolution—completely new functions?"
"Rare, but it happens. Usually in quirks with complex factors." Tanaka pressed the attack, forcing Arthur to focus. "Why? Your energy projection doing something new?"
"Not exactly. It's more like... enhanced intuition. Sensing things before they happen."
Tanaka's next strike came without warning, faster than his previous attacks. Arthur's body moved on its own, deflecting the blow with minimal effort. He hadn't consciously processed the attack—just knew where it would be and how to counter it.
The old man lowered his sword, eyes sharp. "Like that?"
"Yes. Exactly like that."
"Danger sense," Tanaka said thoughtfully. "Some heroes have it as their primary quirk. Others develop it as a secondary aspect of enhanced awareness quirks. If your Royal Core is evolving beyond simple enhancement and projection..." He smiled. "You might be developing one of the most valuable combat abilities there is."
Arthur nodded slowly. That made sense. His quirk wasn't just enhancing his body—it was recreating all his abilities from his previous life, translated into this world's framework. The danger sense was his old battle intuition, adapted and manifesting through his quirk.
Which raised an interesting question: what other abilities were waiting to awaken?
"Can you control it?" Tanaka asked. "Or is it just passive?"
Arthur focused inward, trying to sense that instinctive awareness. It was there, constant now that he was paying attention to it. A low-level background awareness of his surroundings, people's intentions, potential threats.
"It's always active," Arthur said. "But I think I can sharpen it if I concentrate. Make it more precise."
"Good. Then we're adding a new element to your training." Tanaka grinned, an expression that usually meant Arthur was about to have a very difficult time. "Blindfolded combat. If you can sense attacks without seeing them, you need to learn to trust that instinct completely. Your eyes can lie. Your intuition won't."
What followed was three months of the most frustrating training Arthur had ever endured. Fighting blindfolded meant unlearning years of visual combat reflexes and trusting completely in his danger sense. The first few weeks were brutal—he got hit constantly, his instinct not refined enough to provide detailed information about attack vectors and timing.
But gradually, painfully, the ability sharpened. Arthur learned to distinguish between different types of danger. A practice sword felt different from a thrown object. Tanaka attacking felt different from one of the gym members. The intensity of the sensation corresponded to the severity of the threat.
By his twelfth birthday, Arthur could spar blindfolded against two opponents simultaneously and hold his own. His danger sense had evolved from a vague warning system into a precise combat tool that gave him a significant edge in any fight.
"You're becoming something special," Tanaka said after one particularly impressive display. "Most heroes rely heavily on their quirks' primary function. You're developing a complete combat system—physical ability, weapon skills, energy projection, and now enhanced awareness. That kind of versatility is what separates good heroes from great ones."
Arthur appreciated the praise but remained focused on the larger picture. His danger sense was just one piece. If his quirk was truly recreating all his past abilities, there would be others. He just needed to figure out how to unlock them.
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The school year brought new challenges beyond training. Arthur was now in his final year of elementary school, preparing for the transition to middle school. Most of his classmates were excited, talking about which schools they hoped to attend, whether they'd pursue hero courses or general education.
Arthur already knew his path. U.A. High School. The premier hero academy in Japan. That was his goal. But U.A.'s entrance exam was notoriously difficult, and he still had three years of middle school before he could even attempt it.
Three years to refine his abilities. To unlock more of his quirk's potential. To build the foundation that would let him excel at U.A. and beyond.
But first, he needed to survive middle school entrance exams.
"You're applying to Chiben Gakkun Middle School?" his mother asked one evening, reviewing his application materials. "That's... ambitious, Arthur-kun. It's one of the most competitive schools in the district."
"It has a strong hero preparatory program," Arthur explained. "Better facilities, better teachers, more resources for quirk development. If I want to get into U.A., I need the best preparation possible."
Akari sighed. "Sometimes I forget you're only twelve. You think like someone much older."
If only you knew, Arthur thought but didn't say. Instead, he smiled. "I just know what I want, Mama. And I'm willing to work for it."
The entrance exam for Chiben Gakkun Middle School was straightforward—written test, quirk demonstration, interview. Arthur passed easily, his combination of academic excellence and unusual quirk development impressing the evaluators. When the acceptance letter arrived two months later, his parents celebrated with a dinner at his favorite restaurant.
"To our son," Takeshi toasted, raising his glass. "Who never ceases to amaze us."
Arthur clinked glasses with his parents and felt a warmth that had nothing to do with his quirk. These moments—simple, domestic, human—were becoming increasingly precious to him. They reminded him why he was pushing so hard, what he was fighting to protect.
Power was important. But so was this. Family. Connection. Love.
He'd forgotten that in his previous life, lost in the cold pursuit of being the perfect king. This time would be different.
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Summer vacation before middle school gave Arthur time to focus entirely on training. Tanaka had begun teaching him more advanced sword techniques—combinations, feints, counter-attacks that required perfect timing and body control.
"Your danger sense is good," the old man explained during one session, "but it's not infallible. A skilled opponent can mask their intent, create false openings, make you second-guess your instincts. You need techniques that work even when your danger sense is being fooled."
They practiced deception combat—scenarios where Tanaka deliberately confused Arthur's intuition with feints and misdirection. It was disorienting, fighting against an opponent who knew how to manipulate his greatest advantage. But it taught Arthur not to rely solely on any one ability.
Versatility. Adaptability. The ability to win even when his opponent had figured him out. These were the lessons Tanaka emphasized.
During one particularly intense sparring session, something new happened. Arthur was losing—Tanaka had him on the defensive, attacks coming too fast to counter. His danger sense was screaming warnings from multiple directions. He needed more speed, more power, something to turn the tide.
And his quirk responded.
Golden energy suddenly erupted from Arthur's body, not in controlled manifestations but as raw power coating his entire form. His next movement was blindingly fast—faster than he'd ever moved before. The practice sword in his hand blurred with speed as he launched a
counterattack that forced Tanaka to leap backward.
The energy faded as quickly as it had come, leaving Arthur gasping. But the old man was staring at him with wide eyes.
"What was that?"
Arthur looked at his hands, still tingling with residual energy. "I don't know. It felt like... my quirk suddenly surged. Gave me a burst of speed and power."
"Mana Burst," Tanaka murmured, then shook his head. "No, that's from legends. But your quirk..." He circled Arthur thoughtfully. "Show me your energy blade."
Arthur manifested his right-hand blade. The golden sword appeared as normal, stable and controlled.
"Now try to coat your whole body with that same energy. Not manifesting a blade—just enhancing yourself the way you just did."
Arthur tried. Pushed his quirk to flow across his entire body rather than concentrating into blade form. For a moment, nothing happened. Then—
Golden light exploded across his skin, covering him from head to toe. Arthur felt power flood his muscles, felt his perception accelerate, felt like he could move at impossible speeds. It lasted only a few seconds before the drain became too much and he had to release it.
But those few seconds had been extraordinary.
"That's your real power," Tanaka said quietly. "Not just making blades. Full-body enhancement beyond what you normally do. If you can master that, control it, sustain it..." He whistled low. "You'll be unstoppable."
Arthur understood immediately. This was another ability from his previous life—Mana Burst, the technique of infusing his body with magical energy for explosive power. His quirk was recreating it, giving him access to that same devastating enhancement.
But unlike his previous life, where Mana Burst had been almost instinctive, here it was wild. Uncontrolled. He could trigger it for brief moments, but sustaining it or using it precisely would require extensive training.
Another piece of his old strength, waiting to be reclaimed.
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The rest of summer was spent trying to master the full-body enhancement. Arthur discovered it was fundamentally different from his normal quirk usage. His standard enhancement was constant, sustainable, efficient. This new technique was explosive,
temporary, draining.
It was the difference between a steady jog and a full sprint. Both useful, but for different purposes.
Tanaka helped him understand when to use each. Normal enhancement for sustained combat, when he needed to fight for minutes or hours. The burst technique for critical moments—dodging an unavoidable attack, delivering a finishing blow, moving faster than opponents could track.
"Think of it as your trump card," Tanaka advised. "Something you don't show until you need it. The surprise factor alone will give you an edge."
Arthur practiced the timing, the activation, the transition between normal and burst states. It was exhausting work, draining his quirk reserves faster than anything else he'd attempted. But slowly, he gained control.
By the time summer ended, Arthur could maintain the full-body burst for ten seconds. Could activate it instantly when needed. Could use it three times in quick succession before exhausting himself.
It wasn't perfect mastery. But it was enough to be dangerous.
Middle school started in early September. Chiben Gakkun was larger than Arthur's elementary school, with better facilities and a more serious atmosphere. Students here were focused, driven, many of them already preparing for hero school applications three years down the line.
Arthur blended in easily. He was no longer the oddly mature child who stood out too much. Here, being serious and dedicated was normal. Expected, even.
His homeroom teacher, Nakamura-sensei, was a former pro hero who'd retired after an injury. She took one look at Arthur's records—the quirk test results, the notes about his training, the recommendations from elementary school—and smiled.
"Himura Arthur. I've heard interesting things about you. Let's see if you live up to the hype."
The first quirk assessment was that afternoon. All first-years had to demonstrate their abilities so teachers could design appropriate training programs. Arthur watched his classmates go first—a variety of quirks, some impressive, most ordinary. Enhanced strength, minor elemental control, physical mutations.
Then it was his turn.
Arthur stepped into the center of the gym and activated Royal Core. Golden light flowed across his body, his energy blades manifesting in both hands. He demonstrated basic techniques—slashes, thrusts, defensive forms. Then he dismissed the blades and showed his
energy wave projection, carefully controlled to avoid damaging the gym.
Finally, for just three seconds, he activated the full-body burst. Golden energy exploded across his entire form, and Arthur moved—a blur of speed that crossed the gym in an eyeblink.
When he stopped, the entire class was staring. Nakamura-sensei's smile had widened.
"Well," she said. "That certainly lives up to the hype. Tell me, Himura-kun, what's your goal?"
"U.A. High School," Arthur said without hesitation. "Hero course."
"With abilities like that, you'll have no trouble with the entrance exam. But don't get cocky. U.A. doesn't just test power—they test character, judgment, heroism. You've got three years to develop all of those."
"I understand, sensei."
"Good. Then let's make sure those three years count."
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Middle school brought a different kind of challenge than elementary school. The academics were harder, the quirk training more structured, the expectations higher. Arthur threw himself into it with his usual dedication, balancing schoolwork, Tanaka's training, and his personal development goals.
But he also, for the first time since his reincarnation, allowed himself something resembling a social life.
It started when a classmate—Tanaka Yuki, no relation to his teacher—approached him after quirk training one day.
"Your energy blades are incredible," she said enthusiastically. Yuki's quirk let her manipulate shadows, creating constructs from darkness. "Do you think we could spar sometime? I need practice against different fighting styles."
Arthur considered. Sparring with someone his own age, with an unfamiliar quirk, would be useful training. "Sure. When?"
"After school tomorrow?"
They met in one of the school's training rooms. Yuki was good—creative with her shadow constructs, using them for both offense and defense. But Arthur's danger sense let him predict her attacks, and his superior physical conditioning gave him the edge. The match ended with Arthur's blade at her throat (carefully controlled, of course).
"You're way better than I expected," Yuki admitted. "How long have you been training?"
"Since I was four."
"What? That's... intense. No wonder you're so good."
Word spread about the sparring match. Other students started approaching Arthur, curious about his abilities, asking for training advice, wanting to spar. Arthur found himself becoming something of a minor celebrity in the first-year class—the student with the flashy quirk and unusual dedication.
It was strange. In his previous life, Arthur had been set apart from others by his kingship, his destiny, his power. Here, he was set apart by his abilities, but students still approached him as a peer. Treated him as one of them, just more skilled.
He wasn't sure how he felt about the attention. But he went along with it, sparring with classmates, offering advice, slowly building connections.
"You're making friends," his mother observed one evening, sounding pleased. "I was worried you'd be so focused on training that you'd isolate yourself."
"They're... useful," Arthur said carefully. "Training partners. People who understand what it takes to become a hero."
"They're friends, Arthur. It's okay to call them that."
Friends. The word felt foreign. In Camelot, he'd had knights, advisors, subjects. In his early childhood this life, he'd had family. But friends—peers who knew him and liked him for who he was rather than what he represented—that was new.
And perhaps, Arthur admitted to himself, not entirely unwelcome.
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Winter brought Arthur's thirteenth birthday and another milestone in his development. He could now maintain his energy blades indefinitely with minimal drain. His danger sense had become second nature, a constant awareness he no longer had to think about. The full-body burst could be sustained for twenty seconds and used five times in succession.
But most importantly, Arthur had begun experimenting with combining abilities.
The breakthrough came during a solo training session at Tanaka's gym. Arthur manifested his dual blades and activated the full-body burst simultaneously. The blades, already powerful, suddenly intensified—the golden light becoming almost white, the energy crackling with increased power.
When Arthur swung, the resulting energy wave was three times the size of his normal projection, moving faster, hitting harder. It carved a deep gouge in the reinforced training dummy that had survived months of his attacks.
Combined techniques. Using multiple aspects of his quirk synergistically to multiply their effectiveness.
Arthur experimented further. Danger sense plus burst enhancement meant he could react to threats faster than should be physically possible. Energy blade plus wave projection let him attack at multiple ranges simultaneously. Full enhancement plus precise control allowed for devastating single strikes.
This was how he'd fought in his previous life—not relying on any one ability, but weaving them together into an overwhelming combat style. His quirk was giving him the tools. He just needed to master using them in concert.
Tanaka noticed the improvement immediately. "You're not just training individual techniques anymore. You're developing an actual fighting style. Integrated, adaptable, with options for any situation. That's the difference between a strong quirk user and a true warrior."
"I had a good teacher," Arthur said sincerely.
The old man smiled. "You had the dedication and talent. I just pointed you in the right direction. But Arthur, I need to tell you something."
The serious tone made Arthur focus. "What is it?"
"I've taught you everything I can about swordwork and basic combat. Oh, we can keep refining, keep practicing. But the fundamentals? You've mastered them. What you need now isn't more instruction—it's experience. Real combat situations. Challenges I can't provide in a gym."
Arthur understood. He'd reached the limit of what training alone could achieve. Further growth would require testing himself against real opponents, real dangers, real hero work.
"I'm not ready for pro work," Arthur said. "Not legally."
"No. But in two and a half years, you'll be fifteen. Old enough for U.A.'s entrance exam. And if you get in..." Tanaka's expression turned thoughtful. "U.A. will give you everything you need. The best teachers, the most advanced facilities, actual combat experience through internships and field training. That's where you'll evolve from skilled fighter to true hero."
"Then that's my focus. Getting into U.A."
"You'll get in. With your abilities, they'd be fools not to accept you. But Arthur, promise me something."
"What?"
"Don't forget why you're doing this. It's not about being the strongest or the most skilled. It's
about protecting people. Saving them. Being the hero they need. Power is just the tool. Don't lose sight of the purpose."
Arthur met his teacher's eyes and saw genuine concern there. Tanaka had noticed something Arthur himself had been trying to ignore—his increasing focus on power, on growth, on becoming strong enough to never fail again.
But Tanaka was right. Power without purpose was just destruction. He'd learned that lesson once already, paid the price for it in Camelot's fall.
"I won't forget," Arthur promised. "I'll be strong enough to protect everyone. But I'll remember they're what matters, not the strength itself."
Tanaka nodded, satisfied. "Good. Now drop and give me five hundred. Just because you've mastered the basics doesn't mean you can slack off on conditioning."
Arthur groaned but complied. Some things never changed.
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The rest of Arthur's first year in middle school passed quickly. His academic performance was excellent, his quirk development impressive, his reputation among peers solid. Teachers praised his dedication. Classmates respected his abilities. His parents were proud.
And through it all, Arthur continued pushing himself, refining his techniques, exploring his quirk's possibilities.
By the time summer vacation arrived, Arthur had achieved something remarkable: full integration of his abilities. His danger sense, energy manipulation, physical enhancement, and burst technique all worked together seamlessly. He could flow between them mid-combat, adapting his tactics to any situation.
He still had limits. The burst technique exhausted him if overused. His danger sense could be fooled by sufficiently skilled opponents. His energy projections drained his quirk reserves faster than simple enhancement.
But within those limits, Arthur was devastatingly effective. More importantly, he understood those limits and how to work around them.
Standing in Tanaka's gym on the last day of school, Arthur reflected on how far he'd come. From a four-year-old child with a mysterious quirk to a thirteen-year-old combat specialist with multiple awakened abilities. From weakness to genuine power.
Two and a half years remained until U.A.'s entrance exam. Two and a half years to refine everything he'd learned, to push his limits further, to prepare for the challenges ahead.
And beyond that? Three years at U.A., learning from the best teachers in Japan, facing real
villains, participating in actual hero work. Growing from student to professional. From powerful to extraordinary.
The path was clear. The destination certain. All that remained was walking it.
Arthur manifested his dual blades, letting golden light fill the gym. These weapons, extensions of his own will and power, represented how far he'd come. They were no longer crude projections but refined tools, perfectly controlled, devastatingly effective.
But they weren't Excalibur yet. Not the true sword of light that had once cleaved through armies and changed battlefields. That weapon, that ultimate expression of his power, was still forming. Still waiting for him to become strong enough to properly wield it.
Soon, Arthur thought. The pieces are coming together. The abilities are awakening. The power is growing.
And when everything finally converged—when all his old strength had been translated into this new world, when his body had matured enough to handle his full potential, when the moment demanded everything he could give—
Arthur would be ready.
The sword was being forged. Day by day, technique by technique, ability by ability.
And when it was complete, that sword would cut through any darkness this world could produce.
Two and a half years. Just two and a half years until U.A.
Arthur smiled and began his training. He had work to do.
To be continued...
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