𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗦 ⌈𝐈⌔𝐌 ✗ 𝔽!𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑬𝑹⌋

Chapter 024

CHAPTER 24: Struggle and Progress

The sun was already high in the sky, casting sharp shadows across the sprawling city as you stood at the training grounds, muscles still aching from the day before. Today was different, though—Aqua Surge had made it clear that you were expected to push yourself further, harder than you ever had.

"Wavebreaker," Aqua Surge called from across the training yard. "We’re not here to train for the sake of training. Today, you’re going to push your quirk. You’ve got more potential than you realize, but if you want to unlock it, you have to stop holding back."

Her words hit you like a wave. Potential? You knew you still had a lot to learn, but what more could your quirk offer? Controlling water had always felt like an extension of yourself, but Aqua Surge seemed to think there was more—something deeper.

"Ready?" she asked, her sharp gaze never leaving you.

You nodded, trying to steady the restless thrum in your chest. Today’s challenge was unlike anything you’d done before—less about raw power, more about adaptability. Aqua Surge had arranged a shifting field of floating platforms across the training pool, each moving at unpredictable speeds and directions. Your job was to pull water from the depths and keep it flowing in a constant ring around yourself while leaping from platform to platform without breaking the flow. It demanded balance, awareness, and an unshakable connection to your quirk.

---

Across town, Midoriya was facing a similarly intense training session. Gran Torino was relentless, as always. Today, he had decided that Midoriya’s next hurdle was pushing his Full Cowl technique to work in shorter bursts, allowing him to move faster and hit harder without losing control. It was a lesson that had left Midoriya exhausted and bruised from all the failed attempts.

"You need to stop overthinking it!" Gran Torino shouted as Midoriya dodged an incoming strike, barely avoiding the blow. "Your quirk is part of you now. If you don’t trust it, you’ll never master it. One For All is more than just power—it’s instinct."

Midoriya had heard this before, but each time he tried to let go and trust his body, he hesitated. It wasn’t easy to ignore the constant fear of breaking himself again. One For All demanded everything from him, but every time he pushed his limits, he felt closer to truly controlling it.

He crouched, ready to move, focusing on spreading One For All evenly across his body. The familiar crackle of power surged through his limbs, but just as he launched himself forward, he stumbled mid-air, landing with a thud. He clenched his fist, frustrated.

"I’m trying! But every time I push too far, it feels like it’s slipping out of my control!"

Gran Torino sighed, though there was a slight softening in his expression. "You’re improving, but it’s like you’re scared of what you can do. That fear’s going to hold you back. If you want to be faster, more precise, you have to trust the power running through you. Take it in short bursts—don’t overextend. You’re trying to run when you haven’t mastered walking."

Midoriya nodded, breathing heavily as he stood again. He needed to move faster, react quicker. He couldn’t let the power overwhelm him, but if he didn’t push it, how would he grow? He crouched once more, spreading One For All through his body, focusing on control—this time keeping it compact, short bursts of energy that would allow for quicker reactions.

---

The ache in your muscles was undeniable, each breath scraping down your throat as if the air itself had weight. The ring of water spun around you, but it was unstable—its edges frayed, breaking into droplets whenever you landed too hard. Every platform you leapt to shifted beneath your feet, sometimes tilting just enough to throw you off-balance, other times sliding away at the last second so you had to launch farther than expected.