The night sky shimmered with stars.
Beneath the soft moonlight, the endless ocean stretched into the distance, its surface coated in silvery brilliance as waves rolled gently against the shore. The wind carried the scent of salt and freedom.
On the coastline, Amano Sora sprinted forward, wrapped in blazing arcs of Speed Force.
Two weeks had passed since the U.A. entrance exam.
The acceptance letter had already arrived.
First place.
Just as expected.
Yet strangely, Sora didn't feel the excitement he thought he would. His aunt, Takeyama Yu, and Hanabira Nanami were far more thrilled than he was. For them, U.A. High School was a dream destination—one they themselves had failed to reach in their youth.
But Sora's thoughts were elsewhere.
Compared to celebration, what troubled him far more was the stagnation of his growth.
Ever since shifting his training to the sea, his speed had increased rapidly. In just a week, he had stabilized at nearly Mach 2. His stamina, reaction speed, and control had all improved significantly.
But—
His techniques hadn't.
No matter how much he trained, the skills he envisioned refused to take shape.
"Figures…" he muttered while running.
He had imagined all kinds of flashy techniques.
High-frequency vibration blades.
Tempest-style air slashes.
Rapid-fire punches like a meteor storm.
Even light-speed strikes.
But reality hit hard.
No matter how fast he moved, he was still human.
Speed Force didn't magically turn his limbs into weapons.
Shaking an arm fast didn't create an energy blade.
Kicking hundreds of times didn't generate cutting pressure.
And punching at super speed only meant one thing—
A broken arm.
He had tested it once.
Never again.
"Speed Force isn't a cheat code…" Sora sighed. "It's just speed."
It boosted motion.
Not imagination.
The gap between fantasy and reality had never felt wider.
And so, frustrated, he ran.
Not to train.
But to think.
An Unexpected Encounter
As Sora ran along the moonlit shoreline, something caught his attention.
Two figures.
Standing near the water.
One was tall and thin, hunched over unnaturally.
The other was a green-haired boy, shouting enthusiastically.
"…Midoriya Izuku?"
Sora slowed in surprise.
And then realization hit him.
This beach…
This timing…
"…No way."
He had run straight into that moment.
The moment when Izuku trained with All Might.
The beginning of everything.
Curiosity won out.
Sora changed direction and dashed toward them.
"Hey—Zombie un—"
Before he could finish—
"ALL MIGHT!!"
Izuku suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs.
Sora froze.
"…You idiot."
The shout echoed across the beach.
The couple strolling along the nearby boardwalk turned their heads immediately.
"All Might?"
"Where?!"
All Might stiffened.
"Repeat after me!" he hissed desperately. "You recognized the wrong person!"
"I— I recognized the wrong person!" Izuku shouted awkwardly.
The couple squinted for a moment… then shrugged.
"Huh. False alarm."
They walked away.
All Might and Izuku both exhaled deeply in relief.
Meanwhile—
Sora stood there, arms crossed, staring.
"…So I'm just invisible now?"
Both of them flinched.
They turned to see him standing behind them, unimpressed.
Izuku nearly jumped out of his skin.
"There was someone else here?!"
All Might felt a chill run down his spine.
He knew this boy.
And this boy was dangerous—not in strength, but in perception.
Sora tilted his head.
"I was wondering why a zombie uncle looked familiar…"
"…Ah. Long time no see," All Might said stiffly.
Sora smiled.
"So you really are All Might."
Silence fell.
Izuku stared at them in horror.
All Might slowly straightened.
With a heavy sigh, his body expanded—muscles bulging, frame towering, presence overwhelming.
The Symbol of Peace stood revealed.
Unfortunately—
"ALL MIGHT?!"
The couple screamed again from the boardwalk.
"…Crap."
"RUN!" All Might shouted.
And run they did.
Truth Beneath the Moon
They didn't stop until they reached a quiet area far from the shore.
Izuku was panting heavily.
All Might leaned on his knees.
Sora, meanwhile, looked perfectly fine.
"You really need to work on your stamina, Midoriya," Sora remarked casually.
Izuku blinked. "Y-You know my name?!"
"Kind of hard not to," Sora replied. "You're the only one who destroyed Robot Zero and survived."
Izuku froze.
"That… I…"
All Might stepped forward, expression serious.
"Amano Sora. Since you already know… I ask you to keep my identity secret."
"No problem," Sora said instantly.
All Might blinked. "…That was fast."
"But," Sora added, eyes sharp, "I want to know the full story."
All Might hesitated.
Then sighed.
He explained—his injury, his weakened state, and the reason he had to hide.
But he did not mention One For All.
Sora listened quietly.
Then nodded.
"I understand."
He didn't push further.
Some secrets had to be uncovered naturally.
Still, as he looked at the two of them—
At the Symbol of Peace and his chosen successor—
Sora smiled faintly.
"So this is how it starts…"