Aze hit the ground like a thunderclap.
The pavement cracked beneath him.
Dust blasted outward in a ring.
People screamed.
The sludge villain froze.
Deku froze.
Even All Might—hidden behind a building—paused with wide eyes.
Aze rose from the crater.
His coat fluttered behind him in the shockwave he'd created.
He looked up at the monster.
"Let him go."
The sludge villain stared.
"Who… the hell are you?"
Aze didn't answer.
He stepped forward.
The villain tightened his grip around Deku's throat.
"Back off! This kid's a perfect meat suit!"
Aze blinked slowly.
And One For All surged.
The pavement shattered under his feet.
He appeared in front of the sludge villain in a single blur.
Deku's eyes widened.
"What—?!"
Aze reached out.
He didn't punch.
He didn't kick.
He simply flicked the monster's forehead with one finger.
A tiny motion.
Barely anything.
But the air exploded.
The sludge villain blew apart like a water balloon under a fire hose.
Goo splattered across the street and into the sewers, splashing against buildings.
Deku dropped to the ground, coughing.
Aze knelt beside him.
"You okay?"
Deku stared at him like he was a mythical creature.
"I… I… who are you?!"
Aze hesitated.
"Someone who showed up at the right time."
Deku blinked.
"That was— that was— that punch— no one can move that fast— how—?!"
Aze stood and offered his hand.
Deku reached for it slowly.
Before he could grab it, another voice boomed across the street.
"YOUNG MAN!!!"
A gust of wind knocked Aze's hair back.
A massive figure landed behind them, steam rolling from his muscles.
All Might.
Deku nearly passed out.
"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod—It'sAllMight—"
All Might looked at Aze.
"You! I saw what you did! That power—what is your Quirk?!"
Aze opened his mouth.
But he didn't have a Quirk.
He had a Slot.
He couldn't explain that.
"Uh… long story."
All Might blinked.
Deku looked between them, sweating bullets.
All Might turned toward the scattered sludge.
"I must thank you, young man! That villain was quite troublesome. Your power is impressive! Truly impressive!"
Aze rubbed the back of his neck.
"It was nothing."
All Might frowned.
"It was not 'nothing.' You moved at speeds rivaling—no, exceeding—my own. And that shockwave…"
He leaned closer.
"How many percent was that?"
Aze stiffened.
"…A lot?"
All Might stared.
Then he laughed loudly.
"Hahaha! Well, regardless, you saved this boy's life, and I am grateful!"
He handed Aze a slip of paper.
"If you are not already enrolled, you should apply to U.A. There is a place for heroes like you."
Aze looked at the paper.
He looked at Deku.
He looked at All Might.
A feeling tugged in his chest.
A message from the Archive.
A subtle whisper.
This timeline must be repaired.
Stay.
Fix it.
Aze exhaled.
"Okay," he said quietly. "I'll do it."
All Might grinned.
"Splendid!"
But then—
His body shrank.
Steam evaporated.
And suddenly a very skinny man stood where All Might had been.
Deku screamed.
"What—WHAT—WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"
Aze blinked.
"…Huh."
This was earlier than canon.
All Might coughed blood.
"Please—don't tell anyone—"
Aze nodded.
"Okay."
Deku nodded violently.
"Okay?! What do you mean okay?? This is HUGE! This is—"
All Might held up a hand.
"Calm yourself, Young Midoriya."
Deku fainted.
Just straight-up fainted.
Aze stared down at him.
"…Is he always like this?"
All Might sighed.
"More often than you would think."
Aze knelt and lifted Deku easily.
"Where should we take him?"
All Might scratched the back of his head.
"Oh—er—perhaps a quiet bench over there."
Aze carried Deku to the side of the street and set him down.
All Might followed.
Deku woke up, panicked again, calmed down, panicked again.
Eventually he managed to speak full sentences.
"This—this is unbelievable—A-All Might, y-you're—you're really—"
"Please," All Might said softly. "Keep it secret."
Deku nodded so fast his neck cracked.
Aze sat beside them.
"So," Aze said. "Why did you give me this?"
He held up the U.A. application slip.
All Might looked serious.
"There is a darkness coming. Villain activity is rising everywhere. A Quirk like yours… could change everything."
Aze felt a chill.
Not from All Might.
From the Archive.
The whisper again.
The Paradox World depends on your presence.
Aze looked toward the sky.
Somewhere above, something cracked.
Barely visible.
Only for him.
Another fracture in reality.
He clenched his fist.
"I'll join."
All Might smiled.
Deku lit up.
"That's—That's amazing! Maybe I'll see you there! I— I want to enter U.A. too!"
Aze looked at him.
"You should. You've got the heart for it."
Deku froze.
His face turned red.
"Y-You think so?"
Aze nodded.
"Definitely."
All Might stood.
"Well then! I must be going!"
He stepped back.
Then turned into steam and leapt away at super-speed.
Deku stared after him.
Then turned to Aze.
"You… you saved me."
Aze shrugged.
"You were in trouble."
Deku clenched his fists.
"That kind of strength… I want to be like that. I want to save people too."
Aze studied him.
Deku looked fragile.
But his eyes burned.
Hope.
Willpower.
The spark of a hero.
Aze felt the Archive stir inside him.
Protect him.
The future depends on him.
Aze smiled.
"You will."
Deku blinked.
"…Really?"
"Really."
Deku looked down, embarrassed.
"Do you… want to walk home together?"
Aze nodded.
"Yeah. I need to figure out where everything is anyway."
They walked off, side by side.
Deku kept glancing at him every ten seconds.
Aze pretended not to notice.
But the last line from the Archive echoed in his head.
A warning.
A countdown.
REDUCTOR ACTIVITY DETECTED
TIME UNTIL INTERVENTION: UNKNOWN
Aze's expression darkened.
This world was broken.
And something was coming for it.
For Deku.
For him.
He had to be ready.
The road ahead would be brutal.
And this was just the start.
Cliffhanger:
A crack forms above U.A. High… and someone steps through it.
Author's Note
Thanks for reading Chapter 2!
Want Chapter 3 next?
The next chapter will be: "A Hero's Heart, A Broken World."