ShuraZero
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Chapter 104: A Style of His Own
🕑 Added 2025-07-30 17:28:14 +0000 UTCIn the men's locker room, the air vibrated with a mix of nervousness and anticipation. Hanta Sero stretched with enviable agility, his arms reaching over his head as he let out a theatrical yawn.
"Ah, Gamma Field. Practically my second home."
Denki Kaminari, who was adjusting the wrist guards on his costume, let out a chuckle.
"Sure, say it without bragging, why don't you? For you, this isn't a test, it's a walk in the park. I bet you already have your route planned and everything."
"Hey, a hero has to know his terrain," Sero replied, winking at him. "This place is made for aerial mobility. It's my specialty."
He turned to Mashirao Ojiro, who was warming up in silence, his tail moving with fluid and constant discipline.
"You have an advantage here too, Ojiro. Those jumps of yours are hard to follow."
Ojiro nodded, his expression focused.
"Agility is key, but so is precision. One bad foothold and you're out."
The conversation paused for a moment as Izuku Midoriya finished tying his red boots, his concentration so intense he seemed oblivious to everything else. Kaminari leaned toward Sero.
"And then there's Midoriya. I feel for him, seriously. What can he do in a place like this? It's not his style."
Sero looked at Izuku with a smile that wasn't malicious, but one of pure competition. He walked over and clapped him on the back, a little harder than necessary.
"Hey, Midoriya! Chin up! Try to keep up with us, alright? Don't fall too far behind, or All Might might lose sight of you."
Izuku looked up, and for the first time, instead of his usual anxiety, his eyes showed a serene calm.
"Don't worry, Sero. I'll do my best."
A short while later, Class 1-A was gathered at the entrance to Gamma Field. It was a beast of metal and rust. An industrial labyrinth of pipes that twisted like steel serpents, catwalks that crisscrossed dozens of meters in the air, and the constant echo of a solitary drip in some dark corner. The vapor from their breaths mingled in the cold morning air.
The stillness was shattered by a thundering laugh that seemed to vibrate the very rafters.
"I AM HERE! FOR A CLASS ON BASIC HERO TRAINING!"
All Might landed before them with an impact that didn't raise a single speck of dust, his smile a beacon in the industrial gloom.
"Young heroes, today we will test your mobility and your ability to respond to a crisis! The lesson will be a rescue race!"
He explained the rules with his usual grandiloquence: divided into groups, they would compete one by one through the labyrinth to be the first to reach a distress signal that he himself would send from within. A test of speed, agility, and decision-making.
"THE FIRST GROUP TO FACE THE CHALLENGE WILL BE...!" All Might dramatically drew a card. "SERO HANTA, MINA ASHIDO, MASHIRAO OJIRO... AND IZUKU MIDORIYA!"
In the observation stands, the rest of the class settled in.
"Poor Midoriya," Kaminari said, leaning back in his seat. "He got the group of death. Sero is Spider-Man, Ashido skates like a pro, and Ojiro is a ninja monkey."
Kyoka Jiro crossed her arms, one of her earphone jacks tapping gently against her boot.
"Don't underestimate him so much. His power has improved a lot."
"Power? This is about speed!" Kirishima interjected with his usual energy. "You can't punch the finish line! Though his determination is super manly, no doubt about that."
Meanwhile, a few seats away, the girls' group was an oasis of calm.
"Listen to them," said Toru, enthusiasm vibrating in her voice. "They have no idea what's coming."
"Do you think he overdid it with his training last night, Momo?" Ochako asked in a low voice, a slight hint of concern in her tone.
Momo shook her head, a confident smile on her lips.
"No. He followed the regimen to the letter. What they're about to see isn't the result of chance, but of methodical preparation. They're judging him on outdated data."
"Exactly!" Toru chirped. "They're going to see the new and improved Izuku-kun! This is going to be legendary!"
Down in the arena, the bell rang, a metallic shriek that kicked off the race.
Just as everyone expected, Sero shot forward immediately. His tapes fired out, sticking to a pipe twenty meters up. He swung with astonishing grace and speed, taking an overwhelming lead in seconds. Mina Ashido followed close behind, gliding on a trail of acid that allowed her to skate across the metal floor with incredible agility.
Izuku, for an instant, was left behind.
He closed his eyes. The roar of the race faded, replaced by the hum of energy under his skin.
He opened his eyes. And exploded.
He didn't run. He didn't jump. He did both and neither at the same time. With an almost invisible impulse, he launched himself forward and upward at an angle that defied physics.
Mashirao Ojiro felt he was in his element. He used his tail like a spring to propel himself between two platforms, calculating his trajectory with martial precision. He was fast, efficient, and in third place. A green blur to his right made him frown. Impossible. Midoriya, who should have been on the ground, was running along the curved wall of a giant boiler as if gravity were a mere suggestion. He launched himself from the wall, twisting in the air with a feline agility that Ojiro, an expert in hand-to-hand combat, instantly recognized as unnaturally predatory. He landed meters ahead of him without losing an ounce of momentum. Ojiro missed his next foothold out of pure surprise. What...? What was that move?
Mina Ashido smiled as she skated on her acid, leaving Ojiro behind and keeping Sero at a reasonable distance. She was the queen of ground speed. She felt a gust of wind and saw Midoriya not running, but sliding along a pipe above her, using small bursts of energy at his feet to propel himself like a rocket. He was faster than her skating. Frustrated, she shot a stream of acid at the pipe in front of him to cut him off.
"Not so fast!"
Izuku didn't even look down. At the last second, he leaped, using the jet of steam from a nearby piston as a makeshift step to launch himself even higher, dodging her trap with insulting ease. Mina's jaw dropped. He had just used an obstacle to his advantage!
Sero, swinging triumphantly in the lead, glanced back for an instant, his smile freezing on his face. A green and black blur overtook him, moving with a fluidity his brain couldn't process.
"WHAT THE HELL...!?" Sero's shout was one of pure disbelief. "HOW...!? HE JUST PASSED ME! HE'S NOT EVEN TOUCHING THE GROUND!"
In the monitor room, All Might had shot to his feet, his hands gripping the arms of his chair.
"Young Midoriya!" his voice was a thunder of astonishment. "What is that speed!? That control!?
From the stands, Shoto Todoroki watched with a glacial intensity.
"It's not just one style," he murmured to himself, his breath forming a cloud of vapor. "The initial impulse is a controlled explosion, almost like Bakugo's. But the landing, the way he absorbs the impact and redirects the energy... it's weightless. Like Uraraka's. And those mid-air changes in direction, those evasive twists... they're unpredictable. Almost wild."
Momo, sitting not far from him, nodded with a pride she didn't try to hide.
"He's not copying. He's combined the best of each," she said, her voice a whisper of admiration. "It's... incredible efficiency."
The only one not analyzing, the only one who was simply feeling, was Katsuki Bakugo. He was on his feet, his hands clenched into fists so tight his knuckles were white.
"THAT... DAMN... NERD..." he hissed, his voice a low, dangerous growl that made Kirishima, beside him, take a step back. "HE DARES TO USE MY MOVES!"
"Easy, Bakugo," Kirishima tried. "It doesn't look that much like... well, maybe a little at the start..."
Izuku dominated the race. He was on the final stretch. All Might's distress signal, a flashing red light, was just one jump away. He crouched, preparing his muscles for the final push.
It was then that a unison, deafening shout erupted from the stands.
"LET'S GO, DEKU-KUN!!"
"IT'S YOURS!!"
"YOU GOT THIS!!"
The voices of Ochako, Toru, and Momo, charged with euphoria, hit him with the force of a shockwave. For a split second, the surprise broke his absolute concentration.
Sero, who was right behind him with his heart pounding and muscles burning, saw that minimal hesitation. A spark of hope ignited in his eyes. He could catch him! With a cry of effort, he shot his tape in one last, desperate swing.
But Izuku's distraction lasted only an instant. His friends' voices weren't an obstacle; they were fuel. A smile tugged at his lips. With a final push that seemed to bend the air around him, he launched.
He landed with flawless precision on the victory platform, just a second before Sero arrived, panting.
"AND THE WINNER IS YOUNG MIDORIYA!" All Might's voice thundered.
When Izuku returned to the rest of the class, a small crowd formed around him.
"Midoriya! Dude, you have to tell me what that was!" Sero exclaimed, his astonishment surpassing any disappointment. "I was going full-throttle, I saw you hesitate for a second and thought, 'This is my chance!' And the next thing I know... POOF! You were gone. Since when can you fly?"
"DUDE!" Kaminari shouted, grabbing him by the shoulders. "I take back everything I said! EVERYTHING! That was insane!"
"Your speed was so manly!" Kirishima roared, his eyes shining. "Especially when you ran on that wall! Bakugo, did you see that?!"
He turned to his friend, but Katsuki Bakugo was already gone. No one saw him leave, but his absence was a silent scream. He had simply turned and started walking toward the exit, his shoulders rigid and his fists clenched so tightly his grenade gauntlets creaked.
It was then that the girls finally pushed through the group, with Ochako in the lead.
"Deku-kun!" her voice cut through the noise, filled with overflowing pride. "We knew you'd do it! All your practice, all your effort... it paid off!"
"The look on Todoroki's face was priceless!" Toru exclaimed, bouncing on her feet. "He was trying to analyze you, but you were just too fast for him."
Momo nodded, her smile the biggest Izuku had ever seen on her.
"It wasn't just speed, Izuku. It was control. Precision. Every move had a purpose. It was a perfect demonstration. We are incredibly proud of you."
Izuku felt a blush creep up his cheeks, overwhelmed by the praise.
"I... Thanks, guys. I couldn't have done it without..."
It was then that the imposing shadow of All Might fell over the group, and the celebration froze in the air.
"Young Midoriya. A moment, please."
The girls nodded and stepped aside, giving them space. All Might guided Izuku to a more secluded corner, his towering figure creating a bubble of privacy.
"Young Midoriya, that demonstration…" All Might began, his voice now low and grave, devoid of its usual boom. "Your Quirk... it has evolved at a rate that I find... concerning."
Izuku looked at him, the euphoria of victory fading in the face of his mentor's seriousness.
"A power that grows so fast, that feeds on and strengthens itself from others in such an intimate way…" All Might continued, his blue eyes fixed on Izuku's. "It is an unprecedented gift. But it is also an unprecedented responsibility. And a danger. To you, and to those around you."
He paused, the weight of his next words filling the silence.
"We need to talk about the true nature of your power. About its limits. And about the risks involved in facing a world that will not understand a Quirk like yours. Find me after class. It is time you knew more about the secrets this world hides."
