Class had ended hours ago, but the image of Bakugo frozen mid-attack still lingered in everyone's minds. The other students had left, their chatter filling the hallways, but Aizawa remained in the empty classroom — because Kael hadn't left either.
The boy sat at a desk near the window, leaning back in his chair, watching the sun dip toward the horizon. His eyes tracked the shifting gold of the clouds like they were telling him a story only he could understand.
Aizawa broke the silence."You're not leaving."
Kael shrugged without looking at him. "I will. Eventually."
Aizawa stepped closer, his scarf swaying behind him. "You're holding back. A lot."
Now Kael looked at him, an almost amused glint in his eyes."I'd be worried if you thought that was me going all out."
"You don't belong in a classroom," Aizawa said bluntly. "You're operating on a level far beyond any student — maybe beyond any Pro Hero."
Kael tilted his head. "Flattery?"
"Observation."
The room fell quiet again. Kael went back to looking at the sunset. "You want to know more. About what I can do."
"Yes."
Kael smirked. "I can't tell you everything. Not yet. But… I can tell you this — every action, every motion, every cause and effect… is just a thread in a tapestry. I can pull one, tighten another, or cut them entirely. If the world's a story, I'm the one with the editing rights."
Aizawa's brow furrowed. "That's not a Quirk. That's—"
"—a problem," Kael finished for him, still smiling faintly.
Before Aizawa could respond, a sharp knock echoed from the doorway. Standing there was a towering figure in a black hoodie and cap, though the sheer size of his frame gave him away instantly.
"All Might," Kael said casually, as if greeting an old acquaintance.
The retired Symbol of Peace stepped inside, closing the door behind him. His voice was low, but carried weight. "Young man… walk with me. Now."
The Walk
They left the classroom, Aizawa following just far enough behind to observe but not interfere. All Might led Kael out the back of the school, through the training fields, and toward the wide, empty expanse just outside the campus walls.
The sun was nearly gone now, painting the sky in blood-orange streaks. The air was still, the silence heavy.
All Might turned, his voice serious. "I've heard about what you did in training today."
Kael's eyes half-lidded. "And?"
"And I need to see it for myself."
Kael sighed. "I thought you were retired."
A faint smile tugged at All Might's lips. "For most battles, yes. But some threats… require me to be sure."
Kael chuckled quietly. "You think I'm a threat."
"I think you're an unknown. And I've faced too many unknowns to let this slide."
The Test
All Might moved first — a blur of motion, closing the gap with speed that had once made villains tremble. His fist came forward, a haymaker strong enough to level a building.
Kael didn't dodge.
The punch never connected.
In the space between one heartbeat and the next, the air glitched. All Might's fist froze mid-swing, his momentum vanishing like someone had hit pause on reality. His eyes widened in shock.
Kael stepped sideways, walking around him like a curious bystander examining a statue. "You're fast. Strong. Everything a hero should be. But you're still bound by the rules."
He flicked his fingers — and All Might's fist suddenly completed its motion, but without Kael in front of it. The shockwave cracked the ground where it landed.
All Might whirled around, his smile gone. "You can… stop time?"
Kael shook his head. "Not exactly. Time is just another rule. I prefer… editing outcomes. If the result of your punch is 'hit me,' I can just… rewrite it so that doesn't happen."
"That's—"
"Cheating?" Kael finished. "Yeah. I know."
Pushing Harder
All Might came again, faster this time, chaining blows, sweeping the area with shockwaves. Dirt and stone exploded in all directions — but Kael simply wasn't there in the moments the hits would have landed. It wasn't speed. It wasn't teleportation. It was something deeper.
"You're… rewriting cause and effect," All Might realized between strikes.
Kael smiled faintly. "Now you're catching on."
The ground beneath All Might's feet suddenly shifted — not physically, but logically. One moment it supported his weight; the next, the concept of supporting him was gone, and he fell a few inches before it returned. The stumble was enough for Kael to press two fingers to All Might's chest.
And in that instant… All Might's punches never happened. The last ten seconds rewrote themselves as if he'd been standing still the whole time.
All Might staggered, disoriented. "That… shouldn't be possible."
Kael stepped back, hands in his pockets again. "It's possible because I decide it is."
The Warning
Aizawa, who had been silently watching, stepped forward. "Enough. You've proven your point."
But All Might wasn't finished. "What's your endgame, young man? Power like this… unchecked… could destroy the world."
Kael tilted his head at him. "If I wanted to destroy the world, it would've been gone before you asked the question."
That chilling certainty hung in the air. Neither All Might nor Aizawa doubted it.
Kael's gaze drifted toward the horizon, his tone suddenly distant. "I'm not here to break things. I'm here to keep them from breaking worse. There are cracks in the weave of reality — big ones. You can't see them. You're not meant to. But I can."
Aizawa narrowed his eyes. "And you expect us to just take your word for it?"
"No," Kael said, already turning to walk back toward the school. "I expect you to try to stop me if you think I'm lying. That's what makes this interesting."
As he walked away, All Might stood rooted in place, the fading sunlight casting Kael's shadow long across the cracked earth.
Aizawa's voice was low. "What do you think?"
All Might's reply was just above a whisper. "I think… we've invited something into U.A. that might not be stoppable. But maybe… just maybe… he's on our side."