The colossus born from the Trigger ended up as a huge ice statue.
"..." Allen waited patiently to see if the creature would break free from its icy prison, but it didn't happen. Even the corrupted aura it had acquired began to fade, signaling its defeat.
The wind billowed Allen's red cape, a rare sight among modern heroes.
Currently, capes were considered a hindrance for superheroes, but Superman was not exactly a modern hero, and it would be disrespectful not to wear a cape while being Superman.
Esdeath manifested on his shoulder, frowning as she looked at the crowd of spectators.
"Did you feel that gaze?"
"Yeah..." Allen smiled.
It hadn't gone unnoticed by Allen that someone had been watching him with a brief intent to attack, but that gaze quickly disappeared.
Allen frowned.
"Putting that aside, the so-called Trigger was too good to be true."
Mayuri – Judging by that man's behavior right after using Trigger, we can deduce that this drug has consequences. Magnificent! I would truly love a sample!
"You know that's not going to happen..."
He refused immediately. He had seen how Rick destroyed entire universes by introducing strange things from other dimensions where they didn't belong. He wasn't going to do something like that to the world of Bleach.
Mayuri – Tsk, you're such a killjoy... wait, how about I give you Nemu in exchange? For someone like you, that's not a bad deal~
"Gwen..."
[Mayuri banned for five days]
In the future world of Bleach, Mayuri would come to see Nemu as more than just a tool, even regarding her as a daughter. But in the current era, he still saw Nemu as a "thing," which was irritating.
Allen ignored Mayuri and refocused.
"Let's assume Trigger is still in the testing phase. The heroes should hurry to capture their creators before they perfect the formula, or they might end up facing an army of villains."
"The real question is who created it..." Esdeath said with a hint of interest and a trace of killing intent. "Because this guy doesn't look important."
The man who turned into the four-armed colossus didn't look like a final boss. He seemed more like a dealer, someone who merely distributed the drug. That meant someone else was above him—hidden, watching, and waiting.
Saeko – I doubt you'll get much information. The guy looked like he'd undergone a lobotomy after injecting that thing.
"Maybe," Allen shrugged. "But that's a problem for the police and the heroes."
With the danger neutralized, people began to approach out of curiosity, though the police soon arrived and immediately cordoned off the area.
The ice statue was eye-catching and quickly became the center of attention. People took photos, selfies, and videos. Of course, Allen also became the focus of everyone's attention.
"He won!"
"He's insanely strong!"
"Superman really is powerful!"
"Superman?"
"You don't know? That name has been circulating on forums and social media. Plus, it fits him perfectly—didn't you see the S on his chest?"
"Oh... Superman... I like it!"
"Hey, Superman! Give me an autograph!"
Allen honestly couldn't believe that the nickname people gave him ended up being the one he was supposed to have. Maybe it was tied to the suit—he didn't know. More importantly, he still couldn't understand the people's lack of fear toward villains.
In this world, Quirk usage was so normalized that seeing a giant go berserk wasn't considered anything unusual. In fact, Allen himself could attest to that—he hadn't even been in this world for a week and had already fought two. Even so, some people treated it like a spectacle, which was dangerous. They could die simply for not keeping their distance or understanding the risk.
Kara – From what I can tell, it's because of All Might. For better or worse, his overwhelming strength has suppressed villains and given people the feeling that everything will always be fine.
Superman – That's impressive, but also dangerous. No one can be everywhere and save everyone.
Allen understood that concept. If someone could save everyone, they wouldn't be a hero—they'd be a god. And neither Superman nor All Might was a god.
Allen shook his head.
"Besides, heroes posing for cameras like this is some kind of show, which doesn't help people understand the real danger villains pose."
Somewhere, Mt. Lady sneezed.
*Crack*
The ice began to break, putting Allen on guard. If this were just an ordinary villain, he wouldn't be worried, but with Lucifer lurking around, it was better to be cautious. However, when the ice fell away, the corruption was gone, leaving the man unconscious and dressed in rags.
"I guess it's time for me to go... but first."
Allen floated toward a police officer. Nervously, the officer placed a hand on his gun, but a fifty-year-old officer put a hand on his shoulder.
"How can I help you, Superman?" the man asked with a smile.
Allen had expected a more hostile reaction, but it seemed the old cop had been in the business long enough to know how to think clearly.
"This belonged to the villain." Allen handed over the briefcase containing The Trigger.
"Oh, thank you."
"No problem." Allen nodded, then flew off into the distance.
The people who witnessed the scene couldn't help but wonder why Allen didn't become a professional hero. What was stopping him? Did he have some other objective?
Nothing about what happened had been discreet.
Behind various screens, multiple heroes, villains, and government agents silently observed "Superman." Among the new vigilantes, he was the strongest—and therefore the most dangerous to manage.
Among them was the number two hero, watching from his living room, his hair and beard engulfed in flames.
"I don't buy it! You're planning something!"
Endeavor incinerated his beer as he stared at the flickering image on the television. To him, Allen's actions didn't matter. A vigilante wasn't a hero—he was a danger. Worse, he was undermining the sacrifice and dedication professional heroes had invested to reach their status.
Elsewhere, All Might had also watched the fight. Unlike Endeavor, he smiled.
"You really have grown strong..." All Might murmured, but his smile soon faded. "That man will definitely take an interest in you..."
When Allen returned home, he found Nemuri looking worried. She hugged him and dragged him to the couch to watch a movie together without asking anything.
Nemuri wasn't foolish. All it took was thinking a little to connect the dots. Still, she didn't pressure Allen to tell her whether he was Superman or any of the other vigilantes that had appeared recently.
Allen appreciated that.
...
Allen's life began to settle into a certain stability. His days passed in a simple routine.
At Seiren Academy, his time was split between boring classes and spending time with Momo, who seemed to have developed a taste for picking fights with Allen just to be humiliated, and Itsuka, who had a habit of using the excuse of "friends" to get closer to him—offering him a lap pillow, hugging him, holding his arm, sitting on his lap.
Every time Itsuka did something like that, Momo would get upset and scold them, claiming that as students they shouldn't behave so shamelessly.
Outside of Seiren Academy, various events took place: going out with Toru from time to time, helping All Might with Deku, and meeting up with Koichi, who unexpectedly joined Knuckleduster to train as a vigilante.
Allen also ran into Pop Step occasionally. He had developed a habit of teasing the girl now and then. Eventually, they exchanged numbers, forming a loose kind of friendship.
Allen didn't neglect his home life either. He spent time with Nemuri—visiting her at work to "gain experience" before U.A., or simply going out to the movies, to eat, or to the park.
One week after the Trigger incident, the inevitable arrived: Seiren's graduation.
It was fairly simple, with a farewell ceremony and Momo giving a speech in front of everyone as the class representative. Allen and Itsuka cheered for her from the stands, embarrassing her.
Before parting ways, Momo asked Allen for his phone number to stay in touch.
Itsuka laughed at the embarrassed Momo and teased that she had already asked Allen for his number a long time ago.
Momo ended up getting angry at Itsuka for not telling her sooner and sparing her the embarrassment.
Allen teased her, but in the end, he gave her his number. That left Momo silent, and she almost fled the place in a hurry.
Itsuka also said goodbye to Allen, telling him that one of these days they should go to karaoke together.
Despite how confident she acted, Allen noticed her nervousness when she said it, but he didn't disappoint her and accepted the invitation.
Allen said goodbye to the girls, and with that, his days at Seiren came to an end. With school behind him, he dedicated himself to being a vigilante while waiting for the U.A. entrance exam.
....
....
....
(One month later)
The alarm rang, signaling not only a new dawn, but also the day before the U.A. High School entrance exams.
After graduation came a period of leisure—or at least, that was the case for most students. But for those aiming for U.A. High School, it marked a time of intense study and training in preparation for the admission exam.
During this month, Allen had divided his life like a true superhero. On one hand, he spent his days accompanying Nemuri on various hero missions to understand how the world of professional heroes functioned.
There were also days when he went out as "friends" with Toru, Itsuka, and Momo. Other times, All Might would call him, asking for help with Deku, whose training had become hellish.
During that time, Allen had noticed that All Might's health was deteriorating, and the amount of time he could remain in his muscular form was growing shorter and shorter.
In his vigilante life on the underground side of society, Allen had gained a certain level of fame—or rather, his alter egos had—especially three of them, which were the ones he used most often.
On one side was the figure the public classified as a candidate for the next Symbol of Peace: Superman. This man had defeated several dangerous villains with an ease comparable only to All Might himself. Unfortunately, being a vigilante meant he didn't qualify for rankings, and no matter how positively the public viewed him, the government's stance was firm. Heroes had orders to capture him if the opportunity arose.
On the other side was his alter ego as the Dark Knight, Batman. (Since the Batman suit resembled a bat, acquiring that same alias was quite easy.) This dark vigilante began to be feared in the criminal underworld, as he seemed to possess a terrifying instinct for finding hidden criminals. He also had no qualms about seriously injuring those criminals. Alongside Knuckleduster, he was rumored to be one of the most feared vigilantes.
In third place—and strangely popular among young people—was Spider-Man. His actions weren't as flashy as Superman's, but he had enormous charisma, and people—especially teenagers— they loved watching him mock criminals and villains while beating them down.
Allen couldn't believe how popular he had become in just one month. What was even funnier was that people often argued over which vigilante was better, without realizing that all three were the same person.
Of course, Allen had obtained many more templates—around a hundred in total. However, ninety of them were gray, which made Allen feel the injustice of the goddess of fortune. As consolation, there were eight gold ones, three of which were Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man. That was one of the reasons Allen often used those identities as a vigilante.
As for the remaining two... they belonged to the third and final type of template. These were iridescent, and among them, there were three categories:
The first type consisted of permanent templates with unlimited use, meaning Allen could obtain those powers perpetually.
Drop rate: 0.1%
The second type was selection templates—a blank template that could become the character template Allen desired.
Drop rate: 0.01%
The third and final type was special edition templates. These allowed Allen to adopt the powers of special versions. Unlike normal templates, this wasn't Allen becoming Superman—it was literally copying the powers of a specific version, such as Superman One Million, Superboy Prime, or Cosmic Armor Superman.
Drop rate: 0.001%
After seeing how absurdly low the chances of obtaining such templates were—about as likely as being struck by lightning—Allen decided to ignore them. Unexpectedly, however, he obtained two. Unfortunately, neither was good. Both were villain templates—one extremely evil, the other completely insane—making them dangerous to use.
....
"It's already tomorrow," Allen said, yawning.
[Are you nervous?]
"Haha... what do you think?"
If Allen hadn't been nervous in front of cosmic monsters or apocalyptic scenarios, he certainly wasn't going to be nervous before a simple entrance exam.
Allen yawned, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom to shower. Afterward, he thought about having breakfast, but unexpectedly received a call from All Might.
Allen: "What's wrong, Toshinori? It's really early."
All Might: "I'm sorry, young Allen, but I need your help!"
"...?"
All Might's voice sounded extremely worried—almost desperate. Anyone who knew who Toshinori was would find that alarming.
Allen changed at super speed and headed to the location, which turned out to be a hospital.
When Allen arrived, he found All Might waiting for him. He looked pale and anxious, his expression filled with anger and helplessness. Beside him stood a green-haired woman wiping away tears—she bore a clear resemblance to Izuku Midoriya.
"Young Allen!" All Might rushed toward him.
"Did something happen to your successor?"
It was the obvious conclusion given the situation.
"Yes... It's all my fault." All Might clenched his teeth and fists.
All Might led Allen into a room.
There lay Deku, unconscious, his muscles swollen and his skin tinted red.
Allen asked what had happened, and it was exactly what many would have imagined.
Time had run out.
Over the past month, Deku's training had been hellish—far worse than in the original timeline.
It pushed his body to its limits more than once. They truly had no time. All Might's Quirk, "One For All," could only be inherited by someone capable of containing it.
Deku had tried. He truly had. But the time available to train before the entrance exam was too short. Just when All Might was about to give up, Deku begged him to let him try one more time.
All Might saw his own reflection in Deku and accepted, naively believing that strong conviction would allow One For All to accept him. But it didn't.
All Might clenched his fists.
"At that moment, his eyes weren't filled with desperation for power. They weren't the eyes of someone who wanted a Quirk. They were filled with determination—the firm, worthy gaze of the one I chose... but determination has its limits."
After hearing the entire story, Allen looked at Deku.
At this point, Allen was almost certain that Deku was an extremely important person in this world. If that was the case, he shouldn't die so easily... but...
With Allen's existence—and Lucifer's interference added to the equation—anything could happen. He had already confirmed that in Fairy Tail, where Natsu had nearly died several times.
Allen sighed and shrugged. "I don't know if I can help him, but I have an idea."
"Really?! Geh... I beg you! If anything happens to young Midoriya, I'll never forgive myself!"
Blood dripped from All Might's mouth, this time fueled by rage toward himself. He felt he had failed as a hero, as a mentor, and as a man. The Symbol of Peace couldn't even save one person.
"Calm down. I'll do what I can."
Allen approached Deku's bed. He looked as if he were trapped in a constant nightmare, his swollen muscles twitching with spasms.
"You're lucky... Deku... no—Izuku Midoriya."
Allen extended his hand, and a template he had obtained during the past month appeared. It wasn't a superhero or a villain template.
"...!" All Might opened his eyes in surprise.
"I've thought of a solution—sealing most of One For All, so that even if he can't control it, it won't put so much strain on his body."
"You can do that?!" All Might gasped.
"We're about to find out."
The card disappeared, and a strange energy began to flow through Allen's body as knowledge flooded his mind.
Allen's aura changed...
Before All Might's incredulous eyes, Allen brought his hands together, forming a seal as his hair turned red.
[Template: Uzumaki Kushina
Chakra: Special
Specialty: Sealing Jutsu]
Chains made of chakra formed around Allen—a power that shouldn't exist in this world.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains."
The chains pierced Deku's body without harming him, as if they weren't tangible at all.
"I don't think containing One For All is harder than sealing Kurama, right?" Allen smiled boldly. "Sealing Technique."
Allen placed his hand on Deku's abdomen as his fingers dug into his body, causing Deku to scream in pain.
Letters and symbols appeared across Deku's body, forming a pattern on his abdomen. Slowly, Deku's body began to shrink back to normal, and his muscles returned to their usual state.
All Might watched everything with his mouth open. He had hoped Allen could do something—but that hope had been little more than a wish.
"You're incredible, young Allen..."
Seconds passed, and Allen was honestly under pressure. He only had one minute to complete the seal before losing Kushina's template. Fortunately, with ten seconds remaining, he succeeded.
Allen murmured,"Forgive me. Your successor doesn't yet have what it takes to inherit your will... but I'm sure he will."
He withdrew his hand, and the symbols disappeared, except for a tattoo on Deku's abdomen very similar to the one Naruto had.
Allen's hair returned to normal, and the chakra disappeared. It was the first time he had used a template that wasn't a superhero.
"So this is what chakra feels like?"
Allen smiled. At last, he had experienced firsthand the power systems of the three great shonen pillars.
"Ugh..." Deku groaned and slowly opened his eyes.
"Young Midoriya!" All Might shouted.
"Izuku!"
Deku's mother, who had been watching from the doorway, rushed in and hugged her son.
"Mom?! All Might?! Huh?! What happened?!"
Allen left the hospital, allowing them to talk. He paused for a moment and looked up at the sky.
"Tomorrow is the entrance exam... I guess the prologue is over."
Allen used a template and vanished from the area, unaware that someone had been silently watching him.