Finally, after a long, long period of contemplation, Shin came up with a theory.
Martial arts, quirks, or other similar abilities, whether inherent or learned, are classified and defined as such from the perspective of mortals. However, when a higher-dimensional entity observes them, they may perceive these abilities differently, something beyond the comprehension of mortal brains. And maybe, just maybe, skills are the way higher-dimensional entities classify abilities.
If someone were to ask Shin who would be more accurate in such a matter—a mortal or a higher-dimensional entity—he would, without a doubt, side with the higher-dimensional entity. After all, higher-dimensional entities can perceive things that mortals cannot.
To test his theory, Shin dragged his battered body to Dr Kevin, who was technically now his teacher, after his memories were modified, and checked on his current quirks. And, lo and behold, he was correct. He still only had two quirks: Karmic Vision and the Superhuman Physique.
However, when he delved deeper within himself to check, he found there were three skills inside him. He guessed this was because perceiving how the system or perhaps higher-dimensional entities classify abilities required the presence of a TrueSoul. Since people in this plane, or any other plane for that matter, do not have TrueSoul, they instead classify abilities as quirks, martial arts, techniques, etc.
When Shin tried to understand what his new Intent Counter skill was, he discovered it was the same ability he had been trying to learn and master in his spars with his trainer. Yet, when he attempted to do the same with his Karmic Vision skill, he realized he could no longer use that method with this skill. While he could still feel emotions and intent, this ability didn’t function during combat that well. For that, he would now have to rely on his new skill i.e. The Intent Counter.
This suggested that the skill had split out the combat-related aspects, such as detecting weaknesses and predicting various forms and movements using empathic means, forming an entirely new skill.
Shin theorized that this kind of skill split likely happens naturally for others as well. However, since they cannot perceive it, they mistakenly regard the newly developed abilities as mere extensions of their older ones, rather than as entirely new skills.
Shin was exhilarated for finding this out yet this still didn’t satisfy him, as there was much more to uncover about skills. He didn’t know the complete classification system, such as what Ivis had mentioned. Thus, he decided to become a researcher alongside his studies and training to gain deeper comprehension.
To this end, Shin requested access to all available data on quirks to conduct comprehensive research, comparing this plane to his previous one. The findings greatly astonished him and confirmed one of his earlier theories. He concluded that individuals in this world relied solely on stamina as a resource for using their quirks. Furthermore, he was surprised to learn that people here could significantly enhance their stamina through simple physical exercises and quirk training. This improvement came at the expense of other energy manipulation abilities due to evolutionary adaptations.
After reaching these conclusions, he resumed his training sessions with his Polearm Trainer. With the aid of his new Intent Counter skill and his thousand years of combat experience, he quickly grasped the basics of most, if not all, polearm weapons.
Within two or three months, he could even defeat his trainer in a one-on-one duel, largely thanks to his Superhuman Physique, which far outmatched his trainer’s super strength.
Throughout his training and research sessions, Shin kept himself up to date on his fellow subjects' progress, each having selected their own names and commenced training their quirks. One of them even possessed an exceptionally potent quirk, which made Shin feel a tinge of envy.
Her name was Ayume Minnah, and her quirk, Force Manipulation, granted her the ability to control various kinetic and potential energies. Her versatility in wielding this quirk made her the strongest among them all, including Shin, if that wasn’t already obvious.
From what Shin had observed, he inferred that she could absorb kinetic or potential force from any object, even from attacks, store this force somewhere, and finally use it in her own attacks or transfer it elsewhere. This made her a literal nightmare for anyone with physical-based quirks and a formidable opponent against any other type.
The second female subject, Miho Yume, possessed a werewolf-based mutant quirk, which was evident from her appearance, as she resembled a werewolf except for her face. Her quirk granted her extraordinary physical prowess, speed, and durability. She also had a transformation ability that allowed her to morph into a silver-colored wolf at night. Combined with her superhuman physique, she was undoubtedly powerful.
There were also three male subjects. The first was Kisuke Shiahara, whose ant-based mutant quirk allowed him to transform into various ant species, gaining their respective powers. However, since he was a mutant, he always looked like a humanoid ant, which made him appear quite frightening to many of the people working at Sublime.
Still, Shin had to admit that Kisuke’s quirk was highly versatile and gave him exceptional durability and strength. After all, ants are supposed to lift 100 times their own weight, which made him incredibly strong. Combined with the common quirk all the subjects had due to the experiment; he was bound to become an unstoppable beast.
Then there was Shigeo Ryunosuke, a mutant with a teleportation quirk. However, no one really had a clear idea of what he was based on. Shin speculated that, instead of being based on a living animal, like most mutants, Shigeo might be based on space itself, as his entire body was translucent.
The final male subject was Kyle Savanh, who resembled a tall, black octopus rather than a human. His quirk, known as Stopper, could completely halt another quirk’s function for a defined duration. However, its use came with a severe consequence—it diminished his lifespan every time it was employed for an extended period.
Learning about his rivals, friends, or comrades—whatever they were to him—provided Shin with even more motivation to improve. Every single one of them had the potential to become top powerhouses in the future, especially Ayume. Meanwhile, Shin felt he would struggle to climb the ladder of success.
However, instead of demotivating him, this realization spurred him on, as he knew that with his TrueSoul and his thousand years of experience, he had greater potential than any of the others.
For this reason, Shin began training even harder. Instead of focusing solely on combat, he worked to improve his skills and even gain new ones. Through extensive experimentation, he discovered that by infusing his thoughts into karmic threads, he could telepathically communicate with others. Although the communication was one-sided, it was still incredibly useful. With this discovery, he had gained a new skill called Half-Link.
Shin would also occasionally spar with his fellow mates to test how he fared against a variety of quirks. He wasn’t surprised to find that, at best, he was the third most capable among them, defeating both Miho and Kisuke since they were primarily physical fighters.
He could even manage to win against Kyle. Although Kyle could stop all his skills from working, Shin was still left with his mastery of polearm techniques and physical combat. Kyle, with his awkward body, couldn’t defend himself properly. This was only when Shin allowed Kyle’s quirk to work on him, as the presence of his TrueSoul normally prevented his skills from being obstructed.
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Thus, Ayume and Shigeo were the only ones who could easily beat Shin. There’s no need to explain Ayume’s case; with her quirk alone, Shin could never defeat her.
However, Shigeo was a surprise to him. Using his teleportation abilities, Shigeo could repeatedly pop up behind Shin and catch him off guard. Since Shin didn’t yet have sharp instincts, he lost to Shigeo most of the time.
When comparing just Ayume and Shigeo, Ayume was undeniably more powerful in combat. Yet, neither could win against the other in a one-on-one fight. Shigeo was far too elusive with his teleportation, making it impossible for Ayume to catch him, let alone use her quirk on him. Conversely, Shigeo lacked any real offensive abilities, leaving him unable to defeat Ayume.
Through these kinds of spars, they all developed a sense of camaraderie with each other. However, Shin didn’t trust them completely. He reminded himself that they had been subjected to compulsion serums. If he ever showed a hint of defiance, there was a high chance these so-called comrades would be used against him.
In this way, a year passed swiftly. Shin’s fellow brethren, as he had decided to call them—since they were also artificial humans like himself—were preparing for the entrance examinations they would attend in about a week.
Shin, meanwhile, was sitting in his private room, poring over older research about quirks. Suddenly, he heard a massive explosion originating from one of the main halls. Initially, he was tempted to ignore it, as similar incidents had occurred in the past. However, when a second, larger explosion rang out, he decided to investigate, sensing something was amiss. Grabbing his newly commissioned spear, designed for real battles, he rushed toward the source.
When he arrived, Shin found the area engulfed in flames. Amidst the inferno stood a lone figure surrounded by hundreds of charred corpses. The figure was engaged in combat with guards, effortlessly dispatching them.
Shin recognized the figure—a hulking man clad in a black tuxedo and a blue mask, his visage marred by scar tissue, making him look terrifying. Shin had seen his picture occasionally in the news, being infamous for his deeds and crimes. He was ‘The Demon King of Japan and the Symbol of Evil, All For One.’
“Oh, this is not good at all,” Shin muttered with indignation. “And here I was just planning to escape from this place. Haa!.. Hopefully, this situation doesn’t mess up my plans. Or maybe I can improvise and use this opportunity? Although I’m sure I can’t beat that monstrosity. But if I use my brethren, especially Ayume, then maybe… it’s possible.”
Shin said this because he recognized the fact that he would not be able to escape this place without at least defeating All For One.
From the news articles he had read, Shin learned about how All For One would vanish and reappear in entirely different places, confirming that one of the quirks he possessed was definitely a form of teleportation. This, combined with who knows how many other quirks he had, made it highly likely that All For One would easily track him down after discovering he was one of the students trained here. And since he was a collector of powerful quirks, All For One would certainly not want to miss out on one as potentially powerful as Shin's.
Shin immediately began surveying the area for anything that could help in this situation. About 100 meters behind him, he noticed a small gathering of reinforcements disembarking to confront All For One. Spotting his fellow brethren among them, he smirked as his eyes turned cold. “And here are my tools to turn this situation around,” he muttered.
He slowly walked toward them, all the while keeping a careful eye on All For One’s movements. He deployed his skill, Intent Counter, to analyze his opponent’s battle style and find weaknesses. Within moments, he discovered something very intriguing that could turn the situation in their favor.
Reaching his brethren, he assumed a commanding position and began issuing instructions. "Kisuke and Miho, you’ll be our frontline fighters. Ayume, ensure their safety while preventing our enemy from capturing any of us. Shigeo, use your quirk to evacuate any injured individuals from the battlefield. Once that’s done, stay close to Ayume and keep her and all of us protected from our opponent."
The ones given instructions nodded, signifying their agreement with his commands and leadership. Even though Shin wasn’t the most powerful among them, he was unmatched in strategy and practical combat expertise. Turning to Kyle, Shin asked, "Can you stop his quirk?"
Kyle responded nervously, "I’m not exactly certain. This guy doesn’t just have one or two quirks like us. Instead, he has so many packed into his body that their count easily reaches double digits. Still, I believe I can manage. Of course, it depends on whether or not he has a quirk like yours that prevents mine from working on him."
"Don’t worry. I don’t think anyone can have a quirk like mine. But I will consider that possibility throughout the battle," Shin affirmed confidently but continued with a serious expression. Recognizing the consequences Kyle might face if he used his quirk on All For One, Shin added, “You’re our trump card, so wait for my signal before you use it. We’ll only have one chance, so we must make sure to use it well.”
"But how can someone have multiple quirks?" Kisuke suddenly interrupted. His question was instantly answered by Miho, who retorted, "That’s because he is All For One, you moron."
"Who?" Kisuke muttered uncertainly. He wasn’t alone in his confusion, as even Ayume wore a puzzled expression. Their lack of recognition earned unimpressed looks from the rest of the group.
“How unaware of the world can you be to not know who he is? Don’t you watch the news?” Miho asked with a mix of disbelief and irritation. “He’s the most notorious villain in the country, or maybe even the world. His quirk allows him to steal other quirks. That’s why we absolutely must not let him get his hands on any of us.”
"Really? That’s such an overpowered quirk," Ayume exclaimed, her expression grave.
"You have no right to say that, Ayume," Shigeo joked, earning a nod of agreement from Kyle.
"He—" Ayume began, but Shin interrupted her before she could continue.
"Hey, guys, this is a very serious situation. Focus on the upcoming fight," Shin urged and used Half-Link on his brethren to provide them instructions on a moment’s notice. He gave out one last instruction: “Ayume, at no cost should you allow him to grab you. If he gets your quirk, then not only us, but the entire world will be in danger.”
Ayume nodded grimly, following behind Kisuke and Miho as they initiated the battle. Kisuke transformed into a humanoid bullet ant, riding on Miho, who had metamorphosed into a silver-colored wolf. They swiftly reached All For One, leveraging Miho’s speed as Kisuke struck a powerful punch toward their enemy, catching him off guard while he was finishing off the last of the guards.
The punch landed directly on his face, but there was no impact. Suddenly, All For One quickly turned around and threw a roundhouse kick toward Miho. But Ayume, tasked with protecting them, immediately stopped the kick from a distance by sensing and halting its kinetic force. This caused All For One to scream in bewilderment, his deep voice bellowing, “What the hell?”
Using this precious opportunity, Kisuke landed another punch, this time laced with the painful venom bullet ants are known for. Unlike before, there was an impact—All For One was thrown back by the force of the attack. They also heard a pained scream from him, likely due to the poison.
Shin shouted to the remaining guards and reinforcements, "Everyone retreat! We'll handle this guy until the heroes arrive."
Hearing this, although reluctant, the guards and the rest of the crowd started to flee the battlefield. Meanwhile, Shigeo efficiently evacuated the critically injured, transporting them to a nuke-proof bunker that was nearby within a minute.
Returning to the battle, it became clear that one successful attack wasn’t enough to put All For One down. He stood back up, now visibly enraged. Charging forward, a portal opened in front of him, and he stepped through without hesitation. Another portal opened just behind Kisuke and Miho in the next instant, and the angry All For One leapt out, unleashing a torrent of flames from his outstretched right arm.
Before the fire could reach them, Ayume launched a heavy boulder toward All For One, forcing him to halt his flames and redirect his attention. Waving his left hand, he opened a portal in front of the boulder and another in front of the mutant pair.
Recognizing the impending danger that her attack, may put the pair of mutants into, Ayume immediately stopped the boulder mid-path using her force manipulation, then pushed Kisuke and Miho slightly away from All For One’s direct reach.
All For One laughed, recognizing the source of his frustration. He turned his gaze toward Ayume and said with amusement, “Girl, your quirk is very powerful, but it’s wasted in the hands of someone like you. You should just give it to me and I will make use of it in a much better way than you ever would be able to…..Or maybe not. I changed my mind, I’ll just take it from you forcefully and in the most painful manner, since that will be more fun for me. HAHA”
All For One thus shifted his focus entirely onto her, trying to reach Ayume while evading or countering Miho and Kisuke's attacks, occasionally launching flaming assaults or jets of air against either of them.
However, despite numerous attempts, All For One failed to grab Ayume due to Shigeo’s sudden warpings. He had even suffered numerous painful stings from Kisuke, making it hard for him to keep his head straight, even with his regeneration quirks. Some of these stings, All For One was sure, were made of very poisonous stuff, which was mainly responsible for him currently feeling dizzy during the battle.
“Ughh... Stay in one place, you damnable bitch, and let me take your quirk!” All For One shouted with vexation. Frustrated, he used his portal ability once again to reach Ayume, but this time she retaliated rather than running away with Shigeo’s help.
She suddenly spoke out with a smile, “Yeah, I won’t, if you want me so much.”