Bang—bang—bang!
Explosive splashes erupted one after another across the surface of the sea, water pillars shooting skyward as if something beneath the waves were striking upward with terrifying force.
On the shore, Toru Hagakure paused her own training and looked sideways at the figure in the water.
Amano Sora was waist-deep in the sea, only his head and shoulders visible above the surface as he repeatedly drove his fists downward. Every punch caused the water beneath him to detonate violently, sending massive sprays into the air.
"…Sora's gotten even stronger," she murmured.
She already knew about his Quirk—he never tried to hide it—but during their earlier training sessions, all she could ever perceive was a blur of motion. What she didn't realize was that Sora's raw physical strength hadn't actually increased at all.
What made his punches so terrifying was inertia.
Every strike carried the terrifying momentum generated by super-speed acceleration. Even punching water caused violent recoil, and that recoil was hammering his arms again and again.
In other words…
Every punch he throws is also damaging himself.
"Almost there…" Sora muttered under his breath.
He drew back his arm and drove another punch into the sea.
BOOM!
A towering splash erupted skyward.
Sora planted his foot forward, activated the Speed Force for a split second, and immediately shut it down as his fist shot out.
The timing was precise.
The moment inertia peaked, the Speed Force vanished.
BOOM!
Another explosion of seawater surged upward, overlapping with the last one that hadn't yet fallen.
He repeated the motion.
Step.
Burst.
Punch.
Cut speed.
Recover.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The water churned violently as he practiced the same motion over and over. The purpose was simple—train his ability to enter and exit extreme speed instantly.
From everything he'd learned about speedsters, Sora had realized something important:
The most dangerous moment wasn't running at full speed.
It was the instant of acceleration and deceleration.
Speedsters didn't rely on inertia while moving at peak speed. Their ability to turn, stop, or change direction meant inertia was almost nonexistent during full acceleration.
That meant if he wanted to use inertia as a weapon, he had to:
• Enter extreme speed
• Build momentum
• Exit instantly
• Strike at the exact moment of deceleration
Mistime it, and the punch would either lose power—or destroy his own arm.
Which was why he was training in water.
The resistance cushioned the blow, while still allowing him to experience the stress and timing of inertia-based attacks.
This is the safest way… for now.
Sora clenched his jaw and continued punching.
On the shore, Toru Hagakure watched quietly.
Light gathered in the palm of her hand.
At first, it was just a faint glow.
Then brighter.
Then blinding.
Within seconds, her palm shone like a miniature sun.
She carefully adjusted the angle, focusing the light forward rather than scattering it.
When she released it, the beam faded cleanly.
She let out a relieved breath.
"…It worked."
The technique Sora had helped her design—controlling light refraction instead of pure invisibility—was finally stabilizing.
She clenched her fist in excitement.
Meanwhile, Sora stopped punching and stood still, water dripping from his arms. The redness from earlier impacts faded rapidly as his recovery kicked in.
Good… still within tolerance.
He looked down at his fists.
"Someday," he muttered, "this'll turn into a real high-frequency blade instead of glorified massage punches."
His eyes sharpened.
"I'll get there."
April Arrives
Time passed quickly.
April arrived in the blink of an eye.
Cherry blossoms bloomed across the city, and the long-awaited start of U.A. High School finally came.
That morning, Sora woke up to an empty house.
Takeyama Yu and Hanabira Nanami were both out early on hero work, as usual.
Which meant—
"…I'm on my own for breakfast again."
He sighed, brushing his teeth.
Still, today was special.
U.A.'s cafeteria was famous.
Cheap. Clean. Massive portions.
Just thinking about it made his stomach growl.
"Please tell me they serve breakfast…"
First Day at U.A.
By the time Sora arrived, class was about to start.
He stopped in front of Class 1-A, checked the time, and smiled.
"Right on schedule."
Bang!
He pushed open the door.
Instantly, dozens of eyes turned toward him.
Sora scanned the room calmly.
Almost everyone was already there.
Midoriya Izuku and Uraraka Ochaco hadn't arrived yet.
But one familiar figure stood out immediately.
Toru Hagakure waved from her seat.
"Sora! You were almost late!"
"Couldn't help it," he replied casually. "Nanami went out early, so I had to eat outside."
She laughed softly, already used to his appetite.
Around them, whispers spread.
"So that's him…"
"The first-place student…"
"He came with a girl…?"
Kaminari Denki stared with envy.
"Man, he even got into U.A. with his childhood friend…"
Mineta Minoru clenched his handkerchief dramatically.
"Life is unfair!!"
Several students nearby visibly recoiled.
Sora ignored them all and took his seat.
A moment later—
"GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE!"
Iida Tenya snapped into a rigid salute.
Sora smiled politely back.
And then—
"HEY! GET YOUR FEET OFF THE DESK!"
Bakugo Katsuki erupted across the room.
"SHUT UP, FOUR-EYES!"
Chaos immediately followed.
Sora leaned back in his chair, amused.
Yep. Just like I remember.