Chapter 21: Chapter 21 – The Weight of Immortality
Chapter 21 – The Weight of Immortality
Six months had passed since that day at the amusement park.
During that time, the world kept turning. Villains emerged, heroes faced crises. But Aoi Todoroki never lost focus.
His training routine was no longer frantic and destructive like before — now, it was balanced. He had learned, through time and pain, that strength without stability was like a castle built on sand.
And even with days filled with training, studying, and planning, he always set aside time for something that had become precious: his phone calls with Mina and Ochako. They were simple — sometimes silly, sometimes direct — but always sincere. In those moments, he felt young again, despite carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
That morning, the sun was relentless. The heat was intense — but not more than the fire inside Aoi.
He was in the backyard of the mansion, behind the house, where he had trained alone since he arrived. He wore only a pair of black sweatpants, his torso dripping with sweat. The ground around him still showed marks from his previous training: cracks, scorch marks, broken stones.
Sitting on a large rock, he looked up at the clear sky.
Blue flames flickered between his fingers, as if dancing with his thoughts.
— "Forty tons have become eighty... my speed without flames reaches 500 meters per second... with propulsion, I break the sound barrier three times over... My reflexes can now react to sonic projectiles."
Each achievement was just another line in his mental checklist.
He knew he had reached a level that few could even dream of — and fewer still could understand. And yet, the pride he should've felt... never came.
— "My flames have evolved too. What used to be self-regeneration now extends to others. I can heal people."
He stretched out his arm, watching the blue fire wrap around his skin.
— "My regeneration is getting ridiculous… I'm reaching Deadpool and Wolverine level."
The words came out automatically, but his tone was distant, almost cold.
Aoi leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
— "If I keep going like this… I'll become immortal."
That idea — which might sound glorious to many — terrified him.
He squeezed his eyes shut. His mind, which usually buzzed with theories and strategies, was now sinking into a silent abyss.
— "Watching everyone I love die... one by one... while I remain. Trapped in this world... alone."
The solitude of eternity didn't feel like a blessing.
It felt like a sentence.
And worse: a sentence he was building himself, step by step.
— "If I were in Naruto, I could create a forbidden jutsu that grants immortality. If I were in Fairy Tail, I'd use magic to stop the body's time and achieve immortality that way. But here... in this world... there's no chakra, no mana, no spiritual energy. Only biology, quirks, and science."
Frustrated, he threw a nearby stone. It bounced once and shattered against the wall.
For a few moments, silence took over. The only sounds were the birds chirping and the soft crackle of blue fire.
Then something sparked in his mind.
His once-clouded eyes lit up again.
He slowly raised his head, as if remembering who he was.
— "But I'm not a normal person."
His voice now carried conviction.
— "I have something no one else in this world has."
He jumped to his feet, fists clenched tightly.
— "The Incredible Compression."
That mental ability — the result of two souls fusing during reincarnation — was his greatest weapon.
It allowed him to absorb knowledge like a sponge. Master complex techniques in record time. Analyze situations with surgical logic. Create what others thought impossible.
— "With this compression, I can learn genetic engineering on my own. Understand formulas. Study research papers. Analyze forbidden technologies."
Now he paced back and forth, energized by the idea taking shape.
— "If I can develop potions that increase life expectancy... I can keep the people I love from dying of old age while I remain here."
But excitement gave way to realism. His compression never let him ignore the facts.
He crossed his arms and looked at the horizon.
— "Technology of this level — working with cells, DNA, and regeneration... isn't cheap. I'll need a lot of money. A serious investment."
His eyes narrowed.
— "So… how do I do that?"
Silence. A beat.
Then the answer came, clear as fire.
— "I'll learn programming."
Just like that.
He pointed to the ground, as if sealing a pact with himself.
— "With my compression, I can master every language in the blink of an eye. Python, Java, C++, all of them. Then I'll create an app. Something revolutionary. On the level of WhatsApp, Instagram... or something the world's never seen before."
A smile formed on his lips.
— "It goes viral, makes money… and that'll fund my own lab."
But he knew money alone wasn't enough.
He needed to make an impact. Inspire respect.
— "I need an initial project. Something that'll make everyone look at me and say: 'That kid's a genius.'"
Then the memory came.
An old scientist. A fictional icon.
— "Dr. Curt Connors... The Lizard. Spider-Man."
The thought made him smile wider.
— "The potion he tried to create to regrow his arm. If I can replicate something like that in this world... with real science... I won't just prove my potential — I'll attract support from the government, heroes, and hospitals."
His fists clenched again, blue flames rising intensely.
— "That'll be my beginning. A way to attract investors and support. I'll create the full regeneration potion. Give hope to those who've lost limbs. Show that science can be heroism. But before that... I can start with smaller, simpler projects."
He took a deep breath.
— "And when I have the support... the money... the freedom I need... I'll create the potion that prolongs life. That keeps alive the ones I love."
The flames danced in the wind.
There was no more doubt in Aoi's eyes.
Only unshakable determination.
— "But I need to be careful with what I invent. After all, the world isn't short on greedy people. So I have to be careful about what I create."
He looked up at the clear sky.
— "After all, I don't have absolute power to protect myself. So being cautious... is never too much."
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