The morning sun filtered through the windows of Chiben Gakuen's gymnasium, casting long shadows across the polished wooden floor. Arthur stood in the center of the massive space, watching as nearly three hundred students filed into the bleachers. The annual Chiben Tournament—a school-wide quirk competition that would determine rankings, scholarship opportunities, and internship recommendations.
"Nervous?" Yuki appeared beside him, her shadow stretching unnaturally long across the floor even in the bright light.
Arthur glanced at her, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "Should I be?"
"Most people would be." She studied his face, searching for any hint of anxiety. "You're fighting the entire school, basically. First years through third years."
"I've faced worse odds."
Yuki blinked. "When? You're thirteen, Arthur. What 'worse odds' could you have possibly—"
"Attention, students!" Principal Watanabe's voice boomed across the gymnasium, cutting off her question. The elderly hero, retired after forty years of service, stood at the center stage with a microphone. His quirk, Voice Amplification, made the walls vibrate with each word. "Welcome to the forty-seventh annual Chiben Tournament!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd. Arthur felt the familiar weight of anticipation settle over the room—the electric tension before battle that he'd experienced thousands of times.
"The rules are simple," Watanabe continued. "Single elimination bracket. Three-minute matches. Victory by knockout, ring-out, or surrender. Quirk usage is mandatory—this is about learning to fight like heroes." He paused, his weathered face serious. "But remember: we're all here to grow. Excessive force will result in immediate disqualification. This is a tournament, not a battlefield."
If only it were that simple, Arthur thought. Real battlefields don't have time limits or mercy rules.
"First match: Himura Arthur versus Tanaka Hiro!"
Arthur walked toward the elevated platform that served as the fighting ring. Across from him, a third-year student with a cocky grin rolled his shoulders. Hiro's quirk, Friction Control, let him reduce friction to near-zero or increase it exponentially. He'd won last year's tournament by making opponents slip helplessly while he glided across the ring like a figure skater.
"Heard a lot about you, first-year," Hiro called out as they took their positions. "Golden boy with the energy blades. Let's see if you live up to the hype."
Arthur said nothing, simply settling into a ready stance. His hands remained at his sides—no need to manifest his blades yet.
The referee, a teacher named Sato with enhanced vision, raised his hand. "Ready? Begin!"
Hiro immediately dropped to one knee, slamming his palm against the platform. The surface beneath Arthur's feet became frictionless. Most opponents would have immediately lost their balance, flailing as they slid uncontrollably.
Arthur's foot slid backward exactly three centimeters before he adjusted his weight distribution, knees bent, center of gravity lowered. His centuries of experience on ice-covered battlefields, rain-slicked castle stones, and blood-soaked earth guided his body through automatic micro-adjustments.
Hiro's confident grin faltered.
Arthur moved forward—not sliding, but pushing off with precise force vectors that accounted for the zero-friction surface. To the audience, it looked like he was gliding. In reality, he was executing a technique that would have taken most fighters years to master.
"What the—" Hiro tried to increase friction around his own feet for traction, but Arthur was already there.
Golden energy erupted from Arthur's right hand, forming a short blade. He slapped it against the platform beside Hiro's foot—not cutting, just striking. The impact sent a shockwave through the frictionless surface, and Hiro went airborne.
Arthur caught him mid-flight with his other hand, energy blade dissipating, and gently set him down outside the ring boundary.
Total time elapsed: four seconds.
The gymnasium fell silent for a heartbeat, then erupted in shocked chatter.
"Ring out!" Sato called, sounding slightly stunned himself. "Winner: Himura Arthur!"
Hiro stared up at Arthur from where he'd landed on the gymnasium floor. "You... how did you move like that? On zero friction?"
Arthur extended a hand, pulling the older student to his feet. "Practice. And understanding that friction isn't the only force that matters in movement. You rely too heavily on your quirk."
"That's..." Hiro rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed but thoughtful. "That's actually really good advice. Thanks."
As Arthur walked back to the waiting area, he could feel hundreds of eyes tracking him. Conversations buzzed around the room—speculation, excitement, a few nervous whispers from students who'd suddenly realized they might have to face him.
"Well," Kenji said as Arthur rejoined their group, his expression somewhere between impressed and resigned. "There goes any chance of anyone else winning this thing."
"Don't sell yourself short," Arthur replied. "You've been improving rapidly."
"Yeah, but I can't..." Kenji gestured vaguely at the ring. "That. Whatever that was."
Miki, quiet as always, spoke up. "You made it look easy. But it wasn't, was it? I saw your feet—at least twenty micro-adjustments per second. That's not talent. That's training most people couldn't survive."
Arthur met her perceptive gaze. Sometimes he forgot how observant she was beneath her shy exterior. "Experience matters more than raw power. That's a lesson worth remembering."
The tournament continued. Arthur's second match came an hour later against a second-year with a duplication quirk. The student could create three copies of himself, each lasting thirty seconds. A formidable ability against most opponents.
Arthur defeated all four versions in twelve seconds by identifying the original through his Instinct—the real one's danger presence was subtly different, more substantial. One precise strike, and the duplicates vanished.
Third match: a girl with a plant manipulation quirk that let her grow vines from any organic surface. She'd won several matches by entangling opponents in thorny restraints.
Arthur manifested dual blades and carved through her defenses like a scythe through wheat, careful to avoid actually cutting her. He herded her toward the ring boundary using precisely placed energy waves, giving her no angle to attack from. Victory in eighteen seconds.
By the time the first day ended, Arthur had advanced through four rounds without breaking a sweat. More importantly, he'd started to notice something strange.
That Evening
"Did you see the way Nakamura fought?" Yuki asked excitedly as they walked home that evening. She'd made it to the quarter-finals before losing to a third-year with a steel-skin quirk. "After watching your match, he changed his entire approach. Started looking for openings instead of just throwing punches."
"Several people adapted mid-tournament," Miki added. She'd lost in the third round but seemed satisfied with her performance. "Chen in bracket B started using her ice quirk defensively after seeing how you controlled space. Defensive quirks aren't just for blocking anymore—that's what people are saying."
Arthur had noticed. More than that, he'd noticed students in the stands taking notes during his matches, discussing tactics, analyzing his movements. Between rounds, younger students had approached him with questions about technique, timing, reading opponents.
"You're like... I don't know, a teacher or something," Kenji said. "People are learning just by watching you fight. It's weird."
"Weird good or weird bad?" Arthur asked.
"Weird good. Definitely weird good." Kenji grinned. "Half the first-years are trying to copy your stance now. It's kind of hilarious watching them fall over."
They laughed, and Arthur felt something warm settle in his chest. This was different from Camelot. Different from leading knights who followed him out of duty and oath. These were friends who chose his company, who teased him, who weren't afraid to point out when he was being too serious.
This, he thought, this is what I missed. What I never understood as king.
"You're doing that thing again," Yuki said.
"What thing?"
"That thing where you look like you're remembering something sad but also kind of happy at the same time. You get this faraway look." She waved her hand in front of his face. "Earth to Arthur. Stay with us."
"Sorry. Just thinking."
"About the finals?" Miki asked.
The finals were tomorrow. Arthur had watched his probable opponents throughout the day. The bracket had narrowed to eight students: himself, two third-years, four second-years, and one other first-year—a surprise contender named Kobayashi with a sonic scream quirk.
"Among other things," Arthur said.
Finals Day
The gymnasium was packed beyond capacity. Local heroes had come to scout talent. Pro agencies sent representatives. This wasn't just a school tournament anymore—this was recruitment.
Arthur's semi-final opponent was Kobayashi, the other first-year who'd fought her way up through sheer determination. Her sonic scream quirk was formidable—she could shatter concrete with focused sound waves, disorient opponents with directional blasts, even create temporary barriers with standing wave formations.
"Good luck," she said before the match, genuine respect in her eyes despite knowing she was outmatched.
"You too. Your sonic manipulation is exceptional."
"Begin!"
Kobayashi inhaled deeply, preparing one of her signature screams. Arthur was already moving, closing the distance before she could release it. His blade pressed gently against her throat before the first note escaped her lips.
"Yield?"
She exhaled slowly, nodding. "Yeah. You're really, really fast."
"You would have won against most opponents in this tournament. Your quirk is incredibly versatile."
"But not against you."
"Not today. But keep training. Sonic-based quirks have immense potential for both combat and rescue work."
Arthur's finals match was against Hayashi, a third-year with a steel-skin quirk. The older student's entire body could transform into a form of organic metal, granting superhuman durability and crushing strength when hardened.
The match lasted forty-five seconds.
Arthur's energy blades couldn't cut through steel skin—not easily, anyway—but they didn't need to. He used the flat of his blades like battering rams, striking pressure points that existed even through metal skin, disrupting balance, herding Hayashi toward the boundary through pure tactical superiority.
When Hayashi finally stepped out of bounds, he looked more exhausted from being outmaneuvered than from any actual damage.
"Winner: Himura Arthur! Chiben Tournament Champion!"
The gymnasium exploded with applause. Students chanted his name. Teachers nodded appreciatively. And in the crowd, Arthur noticed several professional heroes taking notes.
As he accepted the trophy—a golden figure in a heroic pose—Arthur felt something shift inside him. Not his quirk, but something deeper. The way people looked at him had changed. They weren't just seeing a strong first-year anymore.
They were seeing someone who could inspire.
Two Days Later
"You've been recruited."
Arthur looked up from his homework to find his mother standing in his doorway, holding an envelope with an unfamiliar seal.
"Recruited?" he asked.
"Black Lotus Gym." Akari handed him the envelope. "It's a professional hero training facility. They want you to join their advanced program."
Arthur opened the letter carefully. The message was straightforward:
Himura Arthur,
Your performance at the Chiben Tournament was noted by several of our instructors. Black Lotus Gym specializes in training professional heroes and those preparing for hero academy entrance exams.
We believe you would benefit from training with opponents closer to your actual skill level. If interested, please contact us to arrange an evaluation.
—Yamada Rin, Professional Hero "Phantom Blade"
Arthur's hands stilled. Yamada Rin. A pro hero reaching out personally.
"What do you think?" his mother asked gently. "It's your decision, but this is a big opportunity."
"I think," Arthur said slowly, "that she's right. I need stronger opponents to grow."
Three Weeks Later - Black Lotus Gym
The gym was nothing like Arthur expected. Not a school facility or training ground, but a converted warehouse in downtown Tokyo with reinforced walls and state-of-the-art equipment. Professional heroes trained here between patrols. The fighters weren't students—they were licensed pros, sidekicks, and aspiring heroes preparing for provisional exams.
"You must be Himura," a muscular woman approached. She wore workout gear that showed arms covered in scars—badges of honor from real hero work. "I'm Nakamura Mai. I'll be evaluating your skill level today."
The evaluation was brutal and thorough. Mai tested his speed against her enhanced muscle density quirk—she hit like a truck and could take punishment that would hospitalize most people. She tested his tactics by creating scenarios with no obvious solution. She tested his quirk control by pushing him to maintain combat effectiveness while dodging, blocking, and counter-attacking simultaneously.
After thirty minutes of intense sparring, Mai called a halt.
"You're good," she said, breathing only slightly harder than normal. "Really good for thirteen. Your technique is exceptional—better than most pros I've seen. But your power output is still developing."
"I know," Arthur replied, wiping sweat from his forehead. "That's why I'm here."
"Smart. Recognizing your limits is the first step to surpassing them." Mai grinned, respect clear in her eyes. "Welcome to Black Lotus. We'll get you ready for whichever hero academy you're aiming for."
"U.A.," Arthur said without hesitation.
"Ambitious. I like it. U.A.'s the best, which means their entrance exam is hell." She gestured for him to follow. "Come on. I'll introduce you to the others."
The gym had about twenty regular members. Arthur met Tachibana Ryo, whose speed enhancement quirk made him blur across the training floor. Nakamura Jin, whose barrier creation forced creative tactics to overcome. Several sidekicks working toward full hero licenses. And overseeing everything—Yamada Rin herself.
"So you came," Rin said, her blade-manifestation quirk creating what looked like katanas from thin air. "Good. That tournament showed raw potential. Now we'll see if you have the discipline to refine it."
Over the following months, Arthur trained at Black Lotus four times a week after school. The difference between school training and professional-level training was vast. These fighters didn't hold back the way teachers did. They hit to hurt, countered with intent to win, pushed him past exhaustion and then pushed harder.
His quirk evolved steadily under the pressure. Mana Burst extended from thirty seconds to forty-five. His energy blades grew more refined, sharper, able to sustain form longer. His physical capabilities increased through brutal strength and conditioning regimens that left him barely able to walk some nights.
But the most important development was something less tangible. The way he fought, the way he moved, the way he read opponents—all of it sharpened to a razor's edge against people who'd been doing this professionally for years.
"You remind me of All Might," Ryo said one day after a particularly intense sparring session. They were cooling down, discussing hero philosophy.
"How so?" Arthur asked, genuinely curious.
"The way you approach fighting. It's not about winning for you—it's about protecting people. All Might has that same energy. Like every punch is thrown for someone else's sake, not his own glory."
Arthur considered that. All Might—the Symbol of Peace, the strongest hero alive. He'd studied the man's career extensively, watched every available video of his rescues and fights. There was something familiar about him, something that resonated with Arthur's own philosophy.
He carries the weight alone, Arthur realized. Like a king. Like I used to.
But Arthur had learned his lesson about carrying burdens alone. This time, he was building connections, creating a foundation of people he trusted and who trusted him.
"All Might is remarkable," Arthur said. "But I think he's too alone. Even symbols need support."
"Profound words from a thirteen-year-old," Ryo teased.
"I read a lot."
They laughed, and the conversation moved on. But Arthur filed the thought away.
Six Months Later - Age 14
"Your birthday's coming up," Yuki announced during lunch. "We should do something special."
"We could go to that new hero museum," Kenji suggested. "The one with the interactive quirk exhibits."
"Or karaoke!" Hana countered. "Arthur's never done karaoke with us."
"Because Arthur can't sing," Miki said with a rare smile.
"I can sing adequately," Arthur protested.
"You sound like a dying cat," Kenji said bluntly. "We love you, but singing is not your strength."
They ended up compromising—museum in the afternoon, karaoke in the evening with the understanding that Arthur would be allowed to sit out most songs. His fourteenth birthday was exactly the kind of normal celebration he'd never had as King Arthur.
At Black Lotus, training intensified. Arthur had been there for six months, and the instructors had stopped treating him like a talented kid. Now they trained him like a peer—expecting professional-level performance, punishing mistakes, celebrating victories.
"You've improved tremendously," Mai said during one session. "Six months ago, I could take you down in under a minute. Now? You're lasting five, sometimes ten minutes. Against a top-50 hero. That's exceptional."
"I still lose," Arthur pointed out.
"For now. But the gap is closing." She cracked her knuckles. "Which means I need to stop holding back quite so much. Ready?"
That session left Arthur with three cracked ribs (healed by the gym's medical staff), countless bruises, and a newfound respect for exactly how strong professional heroes could be. But he also landed several solid hits that made Mai grunt in pain.
Progress.
His quirk continued evolving. One night, training alone in his backyard, Arthur felt something shift. His Mana Burst—the lightning that surrounded him when he enhanced—suddenly intensified. Not just energy anymore, but true electrical current.
He punched the air, and a thunderclap echoed across the neighborhood. Dogs started barking. Lights flickered in nearby houses.
Evolution, Arthur realized. My quirk is evolving beyond simple enhancement.
But more than that, he felt something else building. A pressure beneath his skin, an ability trying to emerge but not quite ready. Whatever it was, it felt significant.
Eight Months Later - Approaching Age 15
Arthur stood in the Black Lotus training room after hours, practicing alone. The pressure in his quirk had been building for months now, and he was trying to understand what wanted to emerge.
"Still here?" Rin appeared in the doorway. "It's past midnight, Arthur."
"Just finishing up."
"You've been pushing hard. Even for you." She walked closer, studying his face. "What's driving this intensity?"
Arthur considered the question. How to explain without revealing his past life?
"I want to be strong enough to protect people," he said finally. "Really protect them. Not just fight villains, but be someone people can rely on when everything seems hopeless."
Rin was quiet for a moment. "That's a heavy burden to carry at fourteen."
"Someone has to carry it."
"No, Arthur. Heroes carry it. Together. That's the point of hero society—no one person bears it alone." She paused. "You're going to try for U.A. next year, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Good. You're ready." Rin smiled. "More than ready, actually. But listen to me: U.A. will be different from here. You'll have classmates your age, students from all over Japan with incredible quirks. Don't lose yourself trying to be the strongest. Remember why you're doing this."
"To protect people."
"Right. Keep that at the center, and you'll be fine."
After she left, Arthur resumed his training. But her words lingered.
Remember why you're doing this.
He thought of his friends—Yuki, Kenji, Miki, Hana. Of his parents, who'd supported him without question. Of the people he'd met at Black Lotus, who'd pushed him to be better.
Of the kingdom he'd failed to protect in his first life.
This time, Arthur thought, energy crackling around his hands, this time I'll be strong enough. This time I won't fail.
One year until U.A. One year to reach a level where he could stand among the best of the best.
The golden lightning of his evolving quirk illuminated the training room, casting long shadows.
He was ready for whatever came next.
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