In a quiet park, Kouta walked with an ice cream in hand, eventually taking a seat on a bench to finish it. The vast amount of information he had absorbed was now fully accessible, the transfer having completed after an hour of waiting.
But he didn't stop there. He pulled out his phone and began searching for videos, martial arts demonstrations, athletic competitions, and hero fights.
Before playing the first video, he set two new rules, holding his hand steady for a moment.
First Rule: "[I will perfectly memorize the movements from this video, but my mind will process them in the background to avoid any strain or pain.]"
Second Rule: "[My mind will automatically discard all inefficient or ineffective techniques.]"
He began watching video after video, to the point where his phone battery was nearly depleted. To avoid stopping, he replaced the second rule with a new one.
"[This phone's battery will instantly reach 100% capacity without overheating or taking damage.]"
He removed the rule as soon as the battery was full.
He kept up the cycle, absorbing technique after technique, until even this method began to feel monotonous. He took a break for a few minutes to clear his head.
After the short respite, he dove back in, scrolling through video after video until he finally stopped, driven by a sharp pang of hunger.
Before heading home, he bought some food he could eat on the walk back. Tucking his phone into his pocket, he began the thirty-minute journey. By the time he reached his apartment, the final integration of the martial arts knowledge was complete.
Dropping his things on the table, he looked out the window at the darkening sky.
"Soon, the world will plunge into chaos," Kouta muttered, taking a seat in a chair.
'I have to get into Class 1-A. That's the only way I can be in a position to stop All For One faster,' he thought to himself.
"Hero, huh," he whispered, remembering a childhood dream from his past life, long before he became Kouta. He had wanted to be like Superman or a Kamen Rider.
"Looks like my dream might come true after all," Kouta said, a smile touching his lips.
He grabbed a notebook, flipped to a blank page, and picked up a pencil. Spinning it in his fingers, he began to plan, intending to write down the rules he would need.
First, he wanted to avoid crafting inefficient rules. To do that, he needed to enhance his own cognitive abilities. He took his time, carefully formulating two new foundational rules. When he was ready, he pressed his palms together and set them.
First Rule: "[My metabolism shall remain at a resting state regardless of my mental activity.]"
Second Rule: "[My brain shall maintain perfect synaptic efficiency for total data synthesis.]"
As soon as the rules took hold, Kouta felt... nothing substantial. Only the first rule seemed to be functioning.
"Why isn't it working?" he murmured to himself.
After a moment of reflection, he understood. 'Of course. My body is still fundamentally human. The "perfect synaptic efficiency" rule has nothing to work with it can't push past my biological baseline.'
He sighed in mild frustration.
"This rule should work, then," Kouta muttered.
He removed his first rule and declared a new one.
First Rule: "[My brain functions at maximum human cognitive capacity.]"
Instantly, his mind ignited, thoughts firing with a speed and clarity he'd never known. But the strain hit immediately, a building pressure in his temples. He quickly activated a second rule for safety.
Second Rule: "[Kazuraba Kouta's natural recovery processes operate at peak human efficiency.]"
The impending headache receded as fast as it had formed, his body's enhanced recuperation countering the mental exertion.
Kouta let out a slow breath. "I need to find a way to break past the human limit entirely," he concluded quietly.
Just then, his phone chimed with a message notification. It was from Rika, telling him to come down for dinner. Seeing the time, he deactivated both of his current rules.
The shift was jarring. His mental processes slowed to their normal, plodding pace, and a heavy, sluggish feeling settled over his thoughts, a stark and unpleasant contrast to the brilliant clarity he'd just experienced.
'Woah,' Kouta thought, internally grimacing. He disliked the sensation intensely, the feeling of being ordinary again after tasting genius.
He headed downstairs to Rika's apartment and knocked. From inside, she called out, "Come in, Kouta! I didn't lock it."
'Isn't that dangerous?' Kouta thought, a flicker of concern passing through him.
He opened the door, stepped inside, and made a point of locking it behind him.
"Rika-san, you should lock your door. It's not safe to leave it open," Kouta reminded her gently.
"Okay," she replied, her tone understanding.
"So, what's for dinner?" Kouta asked, taking his usual seat at the table.
"Just something simple: rice, karaage, and some vegetables," Rika said, bringing the dishes over.
As they began to eat, Rika studied him with a curious look. "You seem... lighter lately. Happier. Did something good happen?"
"You could say that," Kouta admitted between bites.
"What is it?" she pressed, her interest piqued.
"I developed a Quirk," Kouta stated simply.
Rika nearly dropped her chopsticks. "What?!"
He had decided not to hide his new status as a late-bloomer, but the true nature of New Order would remain his deepest secret.
"Really? When did you find out?" Rika asked, leaning forward.
"Just recently," he answered.
"What can it do?"
"I can increase my brain's processing power. It makes me think faster, but it burns calories like crazy, so I get hungry faster," Kouta explained, offering a simplified, believable version of the truth.
Rika's face broke into a warm, genuine smile. "I'm so happy for you, Kouta-kun. Truly. But why didn't you tell me sooner? Oh, is this why you went to the library?"
"Yeah," Kouta nodded. "I wasn't sure how to handle it, so I went to do some reading and testing."
Her expression shifted slightly, a shadow passing through her eyes. "Do you… want to be a hero, then?" she asked, her tone perceptibly dipping.
Kouta caught the subtle change in her voice and demeanor.
"Well, I think I'll try. But at the very least, I want to get into UA," he said carefully.
Rika's expression softened again, the shadow vanishing as quickly as it had come. "Good. That's a fine goal," she said, her demeanor shifting back to normal almost instantly. "Now eat more. You need your energy."
'Did she have some bad history with heroes?' Kouta wondered, filing the observation away. He didn't press the issue. They finished the rest of their meal in a comfortable, shared silence.
Afterward, he returned to his apartment, ready to begin his next move. He reactivated his two foundational rules, the ones granting him peak human cognitive function and peak natural recovery.
First, he drafted a meticulous schedule, neatly dividing his time between rigorous physical training and ambitious technological development. With that framework in place, he immediately began listing potential rules, dozens of them, focusing on efficiency, synergy, and breaking past his current limitations.
But the intense mental labor, even with his enhanced recovery, had its cost. After about twenty minutes of feverish planning, a deep fatigue settled into his bones, and a heavy drowsiness clouded his enhanced mind. The energy expenditure was real.
Recognizing his limit, he deactivated the rules. The familiar mental sluggishness returned, but this time it was a welcome signal to rest. Without protest, he went to bed, allowing his body and mind to recover their depleted energy through simple, dreamless sleep.
. . . .
Sunday.
6:30 AM
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Kouta's eyes snapped open instantly, though they were still heavy with sleep. He sat up, stretched his entire body as usual, silenced the alarm, and got out of bed. He plugged his phone into the charger on his desk.
Since today was designated for technology development, his plan was to create his first piece of tech. But first, he needed to get ready. After washing up and feeling completely refreshed, he reactivated the rules to enhance his mind, this time with a crucial improvement.
First Rule: "[Kouta experiences no mental fatigue, physiological strain, or adverse effects from sustained maximum cognitive activity]"
Second Rule: "[My brain functions at maximum human cognitive capacity.]"
The sensation of boundless, crystalline thought returned. He took a deep breath and slowly released it, acclimating to the familiar yet extraordinary clarity, but this time, he didn't need to worry about sustaining this level indefinitely.
His enhanced mind immediately identified the most pressing bottleneck.
"I need money," he stated, the first and most fundamental problem now at the forefront of his plan.