BNHA: Accelerator The Strongest Hero

All Might, like a referee in a boxing ring, proudly lifted Accelerator's right hand.

Though it was a strong man lifting the hand of a seemingly small and thin boy beside him, this awkward and mismatched scene was filled with endless ceremony in the eyes of the good people of the other world.

This act also signified the fall of the evil organization known as the [League of Villains].

Even the reporters in the sky above Kamino Ward, broadcasting the live scene, had tears welling up in their eyes.

"The enemy has been defeated!!!"

"We—won!—All Might and Accelerator!"

"That is the pose of victory!"

"This is the peaceful future that countless heroes sacrificed their lives to protect!"

"All Might's legend continues, but he has never fought alone!"

"In this battle worth remembering, a new hero has emerged!"

"This moment feels like a myth, an epic where both new and old heroes join forces to fight against a powerful enemy."

In front of the big screen in the crowded central square, the good people imitated All Might, raising their arms and shouting their names. Some, more sensitive, even started crying.

In the past, they only called for the [Symbol of Peace].

But from today, there is a new name.

——[Vector Manipulation] Accelerator.

The same scene was happening with people watching closely at home on their TVs, computers, or on their phones while riding the train. The good people, without exception, were genuinely happy for the heroes and the peace they had achieved.

Just like the grand mythic epics of the old times described, people welcomed their heroes in much the same way.

Given his personality, Accelerator normally wouldn't respond to what All Might had just done.

But for some reason, this time, he didn't resist much.

Accelerator couldn't quite figure out why. He just looked at the muscular man in his blue, black, and white hero suit, lifting his arm with a reassuring, genuine smile.

This was not the kind of smile mentioned at the beginning of the [story], one used to hide the immense pressure of being the strongest hero, or the fear a mere mortal might have deep inside. In some sense, that was self-deception.

But Accelerator recalled that in the [story], even when All Might had to show his fading strength before AFO, no one looked down on him. All the good people sincerely cheered for him, praying that he would win.

At the end of the [story], the [Symbol of Peace] narrowly defeated AFO, using what little remained of his [One for All] Quirk.

After this battle, the strongest hero, All Might, was left with no strength at all.

In the end, the era of the [Symbol of Peace] came to a close.

Accelerator remembered this so clearly because in the [story], All Might didn't smile.

During that brutal fight, All Might didn't smile even once, not even when AFO was defeated.

He simply coughed up blood, pointed his finger weakly at the camera, and passed on his mission or responsibility to his disciple, Midoriya Izuku, or perhaps to all professional heroes.

That gesture meant, "Now, it's your turn."

However, with someone else's strong intervention, All Might was spared from exposing his weakness or having to burn through his Quirk to defeat AFO.

But it wasn't without cost.

At the very least, Accelerator knew that the [story] he extracted from Mizukawa Ran's core memory no longer held any relevance.

After all, the [story] that supposedly entered [uncharted territory] had been completely altered by his actions.

But so what?

Accelerator believed that a hero like All Might deserved a proper ending.

Innocent people should find happiness, justice should be upheld, and the righteous should follow the right path—that's the direction the world should head in.

Whether observing professional heroes or watching hero volunteers, it was all part of Accelerator's journey while chasing after Kamijou Touma's footsteps, and today, he found his answer.

Once again, he found direction in All Might's strong body and his unshakable inner conviction—to protect others through destruction.

Through his actions in this world, Accelerator gradually expanded his perspective while helping those around him. From someone who could easily influence the world with his power, he chose time and again to stand with the good, making sure that evil felt the pain.

Even though he wouldn't say something like "We shouldn't let the world turn into hell, we should create a place where the innocent can survive," he would take real steps to handle more "troublesome" tasks.

No matter how troublesome, it didn't matter—this was something he had learned from his guardian, Endeavor.

A hero, whether it's facing death to save the innocent, or offering a coat to a child who just lost their parents in the freezing winter, telling them that life must go on.

This is the weight that even Accelerator, who claimed to stand at the top of the darkness, couldn't abandon.

It was a heavy but incredibly warm burden.

And the future had already broken free from its old chains, moving boldly in a new direction.

All Might, feeling deeply moved, spoke gently to someone.

"If I remember correctly, this is the first time we've spoken up close, right, kid?"

Accelerator just nodded in response, continuing to listen to All Might.

"Ah, when you reach a certain age, time really seems to fly by."

"To be honest, I'm really glad I stood by your side back when you were still unregistered."

This wasn't just polite talk. All Might understood that when AFO regained his full strength, he was already prepared to sacrifice his life to protect order. No, even if AFO hadn't recovered his full power, All Might would still have risked his life to protect the good people.

When Accelerator heard about his unregistered days, he thought back and then asked with some curiosity,

"Back then, I didn't show any signs of being useful, right? In fact, I could've easily been a threat, couldn't I?"

All Might smiled brightly and replied.

"Kid, how can you say that?"

"At that time, your actions to defeat the enemy already proved it."

"Maybe you don't know this, but I have a big dream."

"I want everyone who's good to be able to live happily in this world."

"Because the world needs more heroes."

Accelerator, always thorough in his thinking, responded seriously.

"According to what you're saying, doesn't that make the line between good and bad actions a bit blurry?"

All Might shook his head, guiding him patiently.

"In the beginning, most people said that everything we were doing was just fake kindness."

Then, All Might shifted his tone and emphasized further.

"Though it might sound strange coming from me, true heroes like myself and villains like AFO make up only about ten percent of the population."

"That's why I've always believed actions are more important than the reason behind them."

"So what if it starts as fake kindness?"

"The majority of heroes, even professional ones, start with some level of fake kindness."

"A kid giving up their seat for an elderly person will be praised, and if they're praised for being kind, they'll do it again."

"At first, people might act out of fake kindness, sure, but one day, it'll become a real habit. They might even feel uncomfortable if they don't do good. And if they can stay 'fake' kind their whole lives, how's that any different from real kindness?"

"The same goes for most professional heroes. The core of society's order isn't really built on me, but on them."

"At best, I'm just a key pillar."

"We can't dismiss their contributions just because they're motivated by money or fame. Are the lives I've saved worth more than the ones saved by other professional heroes?"

"Action is what matters most."

"Of course, if Endeavor were here, he definitely wouldn't say that. With his style, it would probably go something like, 'We heroes might not be able to save every innocent person, but we can make sure the villain responsible for this doesn't have a good end.'"

"Though, personally, I think he's a bit extreme."

"Whether it's the 'Symbol of Peace' or the strongest hero, what we have to do has always been simple, and that's to stand here and show the world who is really right."

After saying this, All Might realized he had said a bit more than he intended. While Accelerator was one of his students, he still felt a bit awkward speaking like that. In the role of a teacher, he hadn't yet shaken off the mindset of a beginner.

All Might rubbed the back of his head awkwardly and waved his hand as he spoke.

"Sorry, I guess I'm getting old. I've been talking a bit too much today."

Accelerator nodded again and said calmly, "No problem. I should be thanking you, All Might, for your trust in me from the start."

Meanwhile, hiding around the corner, Class 1-A, who had been observing the whole battle from a strange angle, came over, bringing along Bakugo Katsuki, who had been saved and protected by someone earlier.

All Might saw Bakugo, who had been recovered safely, and with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, he still managed to give a bright smile and waved, saying,

"Bakugo, I'm glad you're safe!"

Bakugo, with an awkward expression, looked at the Class 1-A group and said, "Tch, are you all idiots?"

He then turned to look at All Might, who was waving at him, and Accelerator, who had deliberately protected him and personally saved him during the battle, and became a bit quiet.

But someone who had always been annoyed with Bakugo Katsuki spoke first.

"Bakugo, you really fought in a way I didn't expect. It's rare to see you struggle like that."

Just as Bakugo was about to blow up like usual, Accelerator's tone shifted, and he continued,

"Well, I have to admit, you did a pretty good job this time."

Bakugo and the others hadn't expected Accelerator to praise Bakugo at this moment.

Even though he already knew the general direction of the story.

Accelerator still held a bias against Bakugo Katsuki. Like any normal person, once a strong impression is fixed, it's hard to change it easily.

Even before learning about the story, someone had always believed that, as a hero candidate, Bakugo Katsuki's abilities couldn't compare to Midoriya Izuku's.

However, in this incident, Bakugo Katsuki, through his own will and actions, managed to change Accelerator's bias.

Just like All Might said, there's no clearer way to express yourself than through action.

Bakugo Katsuki, even when trapped deep in enemy territory, with his life constantly under threat, in a situation where anything could happen, was the biggest reason someone was unwilling to believe in him from the start.

Reality is far more complex than any [story] could easily sum up. Unexpected events happen all the time, and even a slight deviation can cause a chain reaction like a butterfly effect.

So, fully trusting in the [story], like Mizukawa Ran and other [travelers], is really foolish.

Bakugo Katsuki didn't answer Accelerator's words. Instead, he raised his head and shouted with a slight crack in his voice.

"I don't need your approval, damn it!!"

Just as the classmates gradually got to know Accelerator, they also came to understand Bakugo Katsuki to some extent. After spending so much time together, personalities naturally reveal themselves.

Compared to Bakugo, Accelerator was more worried about how his power might change the attitudes of his other classmates.

He hadn't even realized it himself.

He was somewhat afraid of seeing the expressions on his classmates' faces. It was quite strange that the boy, who wasn't even afraid to face the dark ruler of another world, would be scared of observing his classmates' attitudes. 

If the members of the [League of Villains] knew that Accelerator could lose his composure like this, they would be shocked enough to come back to life.

This was the contradiction of Accelerator. It wasn't that he feared his classmates for any particular reason.

What truly unsettled him was the potential change in their attitudes, just like the people in Academy City.

He had long understood how important the people in this world, who stayed by his side, were to him.

Because he cared, he was concerned. That was the main point.

"Accelerator, you've worked hard."

With Todoroki Shoto's gentle, concerned voice of gratitude, Accelerator's classmates remained the same. They hadn't changed their attitudes at all, even after seeing the terrifying power he displayed.

It was only then that Accelerator realized he could be this dense.

[How foolish...]

After the intense battle, Accelerator thought this with a bit of guilt.

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