NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: chapter 4
Hours passed, and a new day arrived. Izuku got ready for school.
As he stepped out of the house, he called out, "Mom, I'm going!"
Inko smiled and replied, "Take care! Bye!"
Walking through the streets, he saw many people with animal-like features. According to Izuku's memories, they were Mutant-type Quirk users. It was still strange to see such beings in reality.
Soon, he arrived at his school. Just as he was about to enter his classroom, a loud voice called out from behind.
"Izuku!"
Turning around, he saw Bakugo Katsuki approaching.
Bakugo walked up to him with a smug expression. "Midoriya, have you had your Quirk checked? What kind of Quirk do you have?"
Izuku had already thought about how to respond to this question. He looked down slightly and, with a sad expression, said, "I... I don't have a Quirk."
He knew he could lie about his Quirk—maybe say he had an intelligence-boosting Quirk—but he quickly dismissed the idea.
If he lied, it would go on his official record. He had already decided to follow the hero path, and if All Might ever checked his history and found inconsistencies, it could cause trouble.
As he admitted his Quirklessness, he caught a brief flicker of sadness in Kacchan's expression.
But just as quickly, Bakugo's face hardened, and he walked past Izuku with cold contempt, as if refusing to acknowledge him.
Izuku said nothing and took his seat. The teacher soon started the lesson.
By the time the last class ended, no one had spoken to Izuku the entire day. It was as if he had become invisible, like some kind of plague to be avoided.
When the bell rang, he quietly got up and walked toward the door—until Bakugo stepped in front of him.
"Midoriya, you need to stop dreaming about being a hero. Without a Quirk, you'll never make it."
(Bakugo hadn't started calling him 'Deku' yet—that would come later.)
Izuku met his gaze and replied firmly, "It doesn't matter, Kacchan. Even without a Quirk, I will become a hero."
A few classmates had gathered nearby, watching like it was entertainment, whispering among themselves.
Bakugo's face twisted in anger. "Then I'll just have to teach you a lesson myself!"
Without warning, he threw a punch.
Izuku, however, easily dodged it. Before Bakugo could react, Izuku countered with a punch of his own, striking with double the force.
Bakugo's head spun as dizziness overtook him, and he collapsed to the ground.
By the time he regained his senses, Izuku was already gone.
Furious, he yelled, "IZUKU, THIS ISN'T OVER!"
As Izuku walked home, his mind drifted back to yesterday, when he had activated Soul State for the first time.
In that state, his reaction speed and senses increased significantly, allowing him to perceive attacks and easily avoid them.
This ability alone made it tempting to claim he had a Quirk—but the risk was too high.
Besides, he had a feeling that Soul State was more than just enhanced senses. There was something deeper to it, something he would uncover in time.
Before he knew it, he had already arrived home. He knocked on the door and called out, "Mom, I'm home."
Inko's warm voice responded, "Welcome home, Izuku."