And so, to the infirmary.
Waiting for us was the school nurse, Master Recovery Girl—the very backbone of UA. Her Quirk, "Heal," allows her to mend almost any injury in a matter of seconds. It is precisely because of her that the school can conduct entrance exams and lessons that border on actual combat. Without her, this institution simply could not function.
Under her care, Midoriya's injury vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Whoa, incredible! It's all better... though, I do feel... a l-little bit tired..."
"My Quirk only stimulates a person's natural healing ability," she explained. "Healing takes stamina. If you keep sustaining major injuries, you'll drain your life force so fast you'll actually end up dead. So watch it."
"Actually dead!?"
I see. So even she is not omnipotent. It is remarkably similar to Force Healing—a technique that provides dramatic results but requires mastery, and becomes even more difficult when applied to others.
This time, Midoriya's injury was "only" his dominant index finger. But "only" was an understatement; the damage had been severe, and the toll on his stamina was visible.
"Still, you're lucky the girl here gave you proper first aid," Recovery Girl added. "Thanks to her Quirk, you've got more energy left than you would have otherwise. Did you really intend to change back into your uniform before coming here in that state? You should thank her; there was no time for that kind of dawdling."
"I—I see... so it really was that bad. Thank you, Mashie-san. Really."
"You're quite welcome."
"Speaking of which, little lady... your Quirk is 'Amplification,' isn't it?" Recovery Girl looked at me. "It seems our powers have quite a bit of synergy."
Under Recovery Girl's supervision, I had applied my Quirk before she began her treatment. Specifically, I amplified the efficiency of Midoriya's natural recovery, reducing the total stamina required to achieve the same healing effect. By the time Recovery Girl's Quirk took hold, the treatment was completed without the usual devastating exhaustion.
"It's an incredibly versatile Quirk," Midoriya chirped. "It could be used for so many things!"
"I appreciate the compliment. However," I looked at him pointedly, "you must never clench your fist like that when your hand is shattered. Ever again."
"You did what now?" Recovery Girl's eyes narrowed.
"Eep! I—I am truly, deeply sorry...!" Midoriya squeaked, shrinking into himself.
Recovery Girl sighed and handed him a sweet. "Here, eat this. I make sure to give these to anyone I heal to help them get some energy back."
"Ah, yes... thank you very much..."
It was just an ordinary candy; I doubted it would cause a dramatic recovery, but I suppose it was better than nothing. The idea that one can simply "replenish" a conceptual thing like stamina is usually the stuff of fiction. Reality is rarely so systematic.
...And yet, there are always exceptions.
"Wait... Mashie-san, couldn't your Quirk just amplify his stamina directly?"
"I could. And based on experience, there's no lasting harm even if the temporary boost is fully depleted... but 'stamina' is an abstract target. It's inefficient to boost. To be honest, I prefer not to do it unless it's a dire emergency."
"Oh! No, I didn't mean I wanted you to do it to me now! I was just thinking... if you two teamed up, you could save anyone with zero risk...!"
"I know. I don't take you for the type of person to be that presumptuous."
He was undoubtedly a good soul, but his lack of confidence was something that desperately needed mending. He had likely suffered through so much irrational treatment that he lacked the "habit" of success. I found myself wanting to help him accumulate those small victories.