My Hero Academia: Heavenly Restriction

Chapter 34: [33] USJ Incident II



2,500. Three days in.

My Stitch onesie felt particularly cozy after a fresh wash as I curled up in my writing chair, the worn fabric providing familiar comfort while my brain tried to process these statistics. Last week we'd hit 3,400 - which was already mind-blowing. But this? This was something else entirely.

"You guys are actually insane, you know that?" I muttered to my screen, adjusting my messy bun. A pencil fell out and rolled across my desk, but I barely noticed. "Three days. Three days and you're only 900 away from last week's total?"

I pulled up the analytics, the blue light reflecting off my glasses as I scrolled through the numbers. The engagement patterns were fascinating - like watching a wave build momentum before crashing onto shore. Except this wave showed no signs of slowing down.

"I should probably have a serious talk with you all." I pushed back from my desk, the chair squeaking in protest. Standing up, I started pacing, my Stitch slippers shuffling across the floor. "About expectations and sustainability and... oh who am I kidding?"

A laugh bubbled up, slightly manic from the caffeine and lack of sleep.

"You beautiful, wonderful lunatics are absolutely destroying every prediction model I had. Do you realize what you're doing? At this rate..." I grabbed my notebook, scribbling quick calculations. Numbers had never been my strong suit - that's why I stuck to words - but even I could see where this trajectory led.

"If you maintain this pace..." My voice trailed off as I double-checked the math. "No, that can't be right. That would mean..."

I flopped back into my chair, spinning once before facing my screen again. The powerstone count had ticked up by another dozen just in the time I'd been rambling.

"Okay, real talk time." I pulled my hood up, the familiar weight of Stitch's ears settling on my head. "I never expected this. When I set that 500 powerstone challenge, I thought I was being clever. Setting an impossible goal. Giving myself an out."

My fingers traced the ink stains on my sleeve - badges of honor from countless writing sessions.

"But you're not just meeting these challenges. You're absolutely demolishing them. And I..." I swallowed hard, emotion making my voice wobble slightly. "I don't know how to thank you properly. Except by writing. By giving these characters the stories they deserve. The stories you're all so desperately wanting to read."

Standing up again, I moved to my window, looking out at the night sky. "So here's my promise to you. Keep bringing this insane energy, this incredible support, and I'll match it. Word for word. Chapter for chapter. No matter how many powerstones you throw at me."

Turning back to my desk, I cracked my knuckles. "Now if you'll excuse me, I believe I have some chapters to write. Because at this rate? We're not just going to break last week's record."

A grin spread across my face as I sat down, opening my document.

"We're going to absolutely shatter it."

======

I stood by the bus, watching my classmates trickle out of the main building. The afternoon sun beat down on my black compression shirt - not my first choice for rescue training, but options were limited with my costume still in pieces. 

Fucking Bakugo and his temper tantrums.

"Looking sharp, Mr. President." Jiro sauntered up, her boots clicking against the pavement. "Though I gotta ask - where's the actual hero outfit?"

"This is my hero outfit." I gestured at my simple attire - black compression shirt, white martial arts pants, standard black boots. "Just carrying on my master's tradition."

Her eyebrow arched. "Martial arts?"

"The old man believes proper technique beats flashy costumes any day." I adjusted the wrappings around my forearms. "Plus, the support department's apparently having a field day redesigning my gear after Bakugo's little... critique."

"Is that what we're calling an explosion to the chest now?"

"Midoriya-kun!" Iida's voice cut through our conversation as he power-walked over, arms chopping the air with mechanical precision. "As your fellow student, I must offer my assistance in organizing our classmates for optimal bus loading efficiency!"

"Iida, you're not even-"

"I've developed several seating arrangements accounting for quirk compatibility, emergency response protocols, and social dynamics!" He thrust a meticulously detailed diagram into my face. "Perhaps we should implement assigned partners?"

"It's a city bus."

His enthusiasm dimmed slightly. "What?"

"Look." I pointed to the vehicle. "Open seating. No rows. Kind of kills the whole organization plan."

"But... but the efficiency..." He stared at the bus like it had personally offended his family honor.

"Tell you what." I clapped his shoulder. "You can help make sure everyone's actually here on time. That work?"

His glasses gleamed. "An excellent suggestion! I shall begin attendance verification immediately!" He strode off, clipboard materializing from nowhere.

"You're scary good at managing him," Jiro noted.

"Just gotta redirect all that energy somewhere productive." I watched Iida begin his methodical headcount. "Better than letting him work himself into an anxiety spiral over seating charts."

More students gathered, their chatter filling the courtyard. Camie appeared at my side, fingers intertwining with mine.

"No costume?" She pouted. "I was looking forward to seeing you in action mode."

"You just like how the armor makes my arms look."

"Can't help it if my man's built." She squeezed my bicep appreciatively. "Though this looks better..."

"You think so?" 

"Yeah, it fits you much-"

"Everyone, line up!" Iida's voice carried across the courtyard with the authority of a drill sergeant. "We must maintain order and-"

"Just get on the bus." Aizawa appeared behind him, looking even more exhausted than usual. His capture weapon writhed slightly despite the lack of wind. "Now."

I claimed a spot near the middle, Camie immediately sliding in on my right. Yaoyorozu hesitated for a moment before taking the space to my left, her textbook-perfect posture a stark contrast to Camie's casual lean against my shoulder.

"I have something to say." Asui's direct gaze fixed on me from across the aisle. Her head tilted slightly, a habit I'd noticed when she was working through a thought. "Kero."

"What's on your mind Asui?"

"I told you to call me Tsu." She adjusted her position, tucking her legs under her. "Aren't you too strong?"

The question hung in the air. Around us, other conversations continued - Kaminari debating hero rankings with Sero, Hagakure enthusiastically describing a new boutique to Jiro. But I felt several pairs of eyes turn our way, waiting for my response.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean your power." Her blunt honesty was refreshing, even when discussing potentially sensitive topics. "You're quirkless, and while I'm glad you're here and you deserve to be here, I was just curious what makes you that strong?"

My fingers drummed against my knee as I considered her question. The theory of Heavenly Restriction nagged at the back of my mind - the possibility that my quirkless state had removed natural limiters on physical growth. But that was just speculation, and sharing untested theories would only muddy the waters.

"The answer's pretty simple, actually." I met her steady gaze. "I work harder, so I get stronger. Everything else is just noise."

"THAT'S SO MANLY!" Kirishima punched the air, his enthusiasm drawing more attention to our conversation. He hardened his arm, the crystalline surface catching the light through the bus windows. "Though being quirkless probably helps with popularity too. My hardening's strong, but it doesn't really look that impressive..."

"Sweetie, it's all about the presentation." Camie sat up straighter, slipping into what I'd dubbed her 'influencer mode.' "Your quirk has this whole protective aesthetic - you could totally work that angle. Think how people viewed pre quirk firefighters."

"You think?" Kirishima studied his arm with new interest.

"Trust me, fam. We'll workshop your image later."

"Still..." He let his quirk fade. "Having a flashier quirk would make things easier."

"Non non! My naval laser is ze perfect combination of panache and strength!" Aoyama struck a pose that somehow sparkled despite the fluorescent bus lighting.

"It's way lame if it gives you a stomachache, sweetie." Ashido patted his shoulder consolingly.

"Well, if anyone in our class is pro ready, it'd be Todoroki and Bakugo." Kirishima glanced toward the back where Todoroki sat in isolated silence.

"Sure." Asui's finger tapped her chin. "But Bakugo's always angry, so he'll never be that popular."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Bakugo's explosion nearly drowned out his words. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Case in point." I turned back to Asui, ignoring the creative death threats being hurled from the rear of the bus. "Though I'd argue that raw power isn't everything in hero work. Look at our teacher - his quirk isn't flashy, but his technique and strategic thinking make him incredibly effective."

"An excellent point!" Iida chopped the air enthusiastically. "The application of one's abilities is far more important than their superficial appeal!"

"Exactly. Take Camie's quirk - illusions aren't traditionally combat-oriented, but she's developed incredibly creative applications for rescue operations and civilian protection."

Camie preened at the praise, but Yaoyorozu stirred on my other side.

"That's an interesting analysis." Her voice carried that precise tone she used during class discussions. "Though one could argue that having a versatile quirk provides more options for such creative applications."

"Only if you let yourself be limited by conventional thinking." I shifted to face her more directly. "Any quirk can be powerful with the right approach. It's about pushing beyond standard applications."

"Like how you've adapted martial arts techniques to compensate for being quirkless?"

"More like how I've developed techniques that work because I'm quirkless." I held up my hand, examining the calluses earned through countless hours of training. "When you don't have a quirk to fall back on, you have to master the fundamentals. Perfect form. Efficient movement. Reading opponents. Those skills make you stronger regardless of what abilities you have."

"That's... a unique perspective." Something shifted in her expression - curiosity replacing academic interest.

"Yo, speaking of unique perspectives..." Kaminari leaned over the back of his seat. "You never answered the question earlier. Recovery Girl? Really?"

"What's this about Recovery Girl?" Asui's head tilted again.

"Don't encourage him," Jiro groaned.

"I stand by my answer." I maintained a perfectly straight face. "Have you seen her heal? That's hot."

The resulting chaos - Kaminari's horrified sputtering, Mineta's existential crisis, Camie's barely contained laughter - was interrupted by our arrival at what appeared to be a massive domed facility.

"We're here." Aizawa's voice cut through the commotion. "Everyone out. And Midoriya?"

"Yes sir?"

"Stop traumatizing your classmates with your taste in women."

"No promises, sir."

As we filed off the bus, I got my first look at our training ground. It was massive, a dome-like structure that seemed to house multiple environments.

"Welcome to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint!" Thirteen called out. "I built this facility myself. I call it the USJ!"

Aizawa glanced around. "Hey, shouldn't All Might be here?" He sighed. "Let me guess, he booked another interview."

Thirteen tapped a finger on her wrist, leaning in to whisper something to Aizawa.

"That man is the height of irresponsibility," Aizawa muttered. 

"Inside," Thirteen continued, "you'll find various disaster zones. From fires to floods, landslides to-"

Their words faded out as my stomach twisted. Something was wrong. My eyes darted between the entrance points, the shadows near the trees, searching for... what?

"...and remember, your Quirks are not meant for harming others. Here, you'll learn to use them to save lives."

The overhead lights flickered. Just once. Most people probably missed it.

A dark spot materialized in the air below, as if reality itself had torn. It expanded outward like spilled ink.

"Gather round, everyone," Thirteen said. "We'll start by dividing you into teams-"

"Sensei." The word came out harder than intended. Twenty pairs of eyes turned my way.

The darkness coalesced into a swirling mass of purple-black mist. Figures emerged - first a handful, then dozens. A hundred or more.

"Gather together and don't move!" Aizawa's capture weapon writhed to life. "Thirteen, protect the students!"

The excited chatter died. In the central plaza, more villains poured through the portal. My gaze locked onto a towering figure with exposed brain matter. Everything about its proportions felt wrong.

"What's that?" Kirishima pressed against the railing. "More battle robots?"

"Don't move." I grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back. "Those aren't robots."

"Real villains?" Yaoyorozu's voice remained steady, but her fingers tightened on the railing. "Here?"

"But that's impossible." Mineta trembled. "How did they get in?"

"They must have caused the power surge earlier." My mind raced through possibilities. "The sensors would have been down, even briefly..."

"Thirteen." Aizawa's voice cut through the rising panic. "Begin evacuation. Try calling the school. These villains clearly have someone with an interference quirk."

"What about you, sir?" Manga asked. "You can't fight them alone. There's too many, and your fighting style..."

"No good hero is a one-trick pony." Aizawa pulled his goggles into place. "I'll leave it to you, Thirteen."

He launched himself down the stairs. Three villains raised their hands - their quirks died mid-activation as Aizawa's hair rose. His capture weapon lashed out, binding and slamming them together.

"This is no time to analyze." Thirteen herded us toward the exit. "We need to evacuate-"

Purple mist materialized between us and the door.

"I apologize for the presumption." The mist coalesced into a vaguely humanoid shape, yellow eyes gleaming. "But we cannot simply let you leave. We are the League of Villains. Forgive our audacity, but today, we've come to U.A. High School - this bastion of heroism - to end the life of All Might, the Symbol of Peace."

The temperature around us plummeted. Todoroki's ice crackled across the floor.

"We were under the impression All Might would be here." The mist villain's tone remained eerily polite. "Has there been some sort of change? No matter. My role remains the same."

Dark vapor billowed outward. I shifted my stance, years of training taking over.

"Begone." The mist surged toward us. "Writhe in torment until you breathe your last."

"Like hell!" Bakugo and Kirishima launched forward, explosion and hardened fist striking simultaneously.

The smoke parted, reforming instantly. "How dangerous. Yes, you are indeed golden eggs."

"Move!" Thirteen's finger cap opened. But too late.

The mist enveloped us. Gravity vanished. Then darkness.


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