Chapter 5: U.A. and the Unseen Edge
"Real power is not in dominance, but in restraint. What I withhold speaks louder than what I show."
—Rayan
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Scene 1: Through the Gates of the Future
The morning sun shimmered over the colossal structure of U.A. High School, its metal gates standing like a promise to the worthy—and a challenge to the rest.
Rayan adjusted the strap of his backpack, his fingers grazing the micro-circuit under his collar—disguised, dormant, a gift from Ari. His eyes scanned the campus, sharp yet distant.
> "I walk with no past and no need for future glory. But this place… this path... will ripple through the multiverse."
Around him, the crowd buzzed.
A girl with dragon wings soared above the crowd. Another boy left frost prints with every step. Laughter, nervous muttering, power demonstrations—U.A. was alive with chaotic youth.
But Rayan walked through it like mist—noticed yet untouchable.
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Scene 2: Class 1-A and Aizawa's Brutal Welcome
In Class 1-A, the tension was already high.
The students sat stiffly, whispering about quirks, rankings, and that "mysterious top scorer" who didn't show a visible quirk during the entrance exam.
When Shouta Aizawa entered, yawning and wrapped in his binding cloth, all fell silent.
> "Put on your training uniforms and meet me outside," Aizawa ordered. "We're doing a Quirk Apprehension Test. Whoever ranks lowest... will be expelled."
Silence. Then chaos.
> "WHAT?! That's not fair!"
> "It's the first day!"
> "Is he allowed to do that?!"
Rayan didn't react. His eyes remained on Aizawa—not defiance, but understanding.
Aizawa paused as their eyes locked.
> This one isn't rattled. Hmph. Interesting.
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Scene 3: Physical Evaluations Begin
Outside, the training field hummed with anticipation.
Test 1: The 50-Meter Dash
Iida rocketed off the blocks like a missile—3.04 seconds. Bakugo followed, explosions at his feet—4.1 seconds.
Then came Rayan.
No flash. No force. He simply ran—like a machine guided by invisible lines.
> "Memory Stitch: Muscular Calculation—Type-A."
His feet touched down at perfect angles, maximizing stride, minimizing air resistance. He clocked in at 6.0 seconds—not the fastest, but smooth, flawless. Aizawa narrowed his eyes.
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Test 2: Grip Strength
Kirishima broke the device. Rayan stepped up quietly.
He gripped.
The screen flickered. The numbers hit 498 kg before shorting out.
"That's impossible!" Sero gasped.
"I didn't see his muscles bulge," Mina whispered.
"I didn't see anything at all," Tokoyami muttered.
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Test 3: Long Jump
He leapt—not high, not far—but at a perfect parabola, optimizing every inch of movement, landing neatly past the measurement zone.
> He's analyzing physics itself, Aizawa thought. His body's not pushing limits—his mind is cheating reality.
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Scene 4: The Softball Throw
Everyone gathered as Rayan stepped up for the iconic test.
He held the ball like it was an ancient relic.
> "Tendon Release Mode—Type-B. Wrist Lock Override."
He threw—not hard, but perfectly. The ball spun like a drill, catching an upward wind current he'd calculated beforehand.
734 meters.
Everyone stared.
"Is it wind manipulation?" Jirou asked.
"No air distortion," Yaoyorozu muttered, confused.
"He's studied this," Midoriya whispered. "Every movement, every throw. It's not a quirk—it's knowledge weaponized."
Bakugo growled.
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Scene 5: Tension Among the Class
Later, in the locker room, Kirishima offered a fist bump.
> "Dude, that was insane. You're like some ninja Einstein or something!"
Rayan hesitated—then lightly bumped back.
> "Just efficient."
Midoriya approached, hesitant.
> "Hey... You used simulations in the entrance exam too, right? I—I saw your footwork. It was like... you'd already fought those bots a hundred times."
> "A thousand," Rayan replied softly, then walked away.
Bakugo slammed a locker shut.
> "Fake. He's hiding something. You'll all see."
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Scene 6: Dorm Night — Ari's Whisper
In the quiet of his dorm, Rayan sat cross-legged on the bed. A flicker of blue light ran across his left eye.
> "Processing sync data… 1.48% connection restored. Traces from alternate universes stabilized." Ari's voice was calm, melodic.
> "Show me the strongest resonance."
A glowing web lit his vision, connecting hundreds of worlds—each one humming a unique signature. One pulsed brightest.
Elyra. The feminine fragment. Her echo.
A flash:
A battlefield of floating citadels. A lone warrior in silver and violet armor stood atop a collapsing bridge of stars.
Rayan exhaled slowly.
> "She's awakening."
> "And she is not alone. Navira, Nivael, and the others stir. Each soul thread finds friction as memories reforge."
> "How long until they remember?"
> "When Nivaan stirs… the multiverse will tremble."
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Scene 7: Combat Trials
In the next day's Combat Evaluation, Rayan was matched with Denki Kaminari against Sero and Uraraka.
Denki grinned. "Let me zap 'em, you mop up."
Rayan nodded.
But when the match began, he vanished from sight.
Sero fired tape—intercepted midair.
Uraraka tried to float—caught in a pressure lock.
Denki fired blindly, but Rayan was already behind him, stopping a friendly fire accident.
The match ended in under 60 seconds.
Aizawa just scratched his head.
> "That's… not normal."
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Scene 8: Subtle Warnings
That evening, Todoroki stood beside Rayan in the common kitchen.
> "I don't know what you are," Todoroki said. "But you're too precise. People aren't like that."
Rayan sipped water.
> "I'm not trying to be people."
> "Then what are you?"
> "A fragment of something greater. Like you… but not broken."
Todoroki narrowed his eyes, sensing truth—but not understanding it.
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Scene 9: Realm Distortion
At 2:33 a.m., the mirror in the hallway shimmered.
Rayan stood silently, watching.
From the reflection, a burning mask stared back—featureless, crackling with a green-blue flame.
> "Who awakens so soon…?" a voice rumbled.
> "Not your time," Rayan whispered. "Go back."
The mask vanished.
> "Threat classified: Observer from Unaligned World Type-42F. Caution level: Red." Ari's voice was clipped.
> "They're scouting. We'll need anchors soon."
> "Acknowledged. Shall I prepare contingency resonance with female counterpart fragments?"
> "Not yet. Let them live a little longer… before fate calls."
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End of Chapter 5