Masata stood quietly to the side, listening to the discussion among the three adults some distance away, while lowering his gaze to look at his own body.
What he saw made his heart skip.
Although only a few areas had truly melted, there was unmistakably lava flowing slowly across his skin. Thick droplets fell to the floor, producing sharp sizzling sounds as they hit the ground, accompanied by a pungent sulfur-like smell that lingered in the air.
"So my unconscious awakening this morning didn't really show my Quirk's true nature," Masata muttered, staring at his partially molten arm. "Was it because I had just awakened?"
Then his eyes widened.
"No… this Quirk of mine—"
For a moment, confusion flashed across his face before it transformed into pure ecstasy.
"Isn't this basically the same ability as Marine Admiral Sakazuki from One Piece? The Magma-Magma Fruit!"
Like a child who had just been handed the world's greatest toy, Masata's heart surged with excitement. He clenched his right fist, pulled his arm back, and placed his left arm protectively in front of his chest. Feeling the scorching heat radiating from his right arm, he shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Red Lotus Hellhound!"
Nothing happened.
There was no massive eruption of lava, no catastrophic destruction—only the scorching air displaced by the swing of Masata's arm.
"…Huh?"
Masata stared blankly at his fist. "What's going on? Is my Quirk still too weak?"
Behind him, the three adults who had heard his dramatic shout covered their mouths, barely holding back laughter as they watched the painfully awkward scene unfold.
After returning home, Masata remained deep in thought, replaying what had happened at the Quirk Registration Office over and over again. Seeing his furrowed brow, his parents couldn't help but feel both amused and slightly distressed.
"Go wash your hands and come eat dinner," his mother said gently. "Put the Quirk out of your mind for now. Your father and I will talk to you about it properly afterward."
Masata snapped out of his thoughts and nodded absentmindedly.
After dinner, just as he was about to head back to his room, his mother grabbed him and gently pushed him onto the sofa.
"Your father and I don't really have much authority to speak about Quirks," she said calmly. "After all, even though we both have them, our abilities are very weak. But you heard what the recorder said today—your Quirk's destructive power is extraordinary. It's something that could make you a natural-born Hero."
She paused, looking straight into Masata's eyes.
"But I still want to ask you something. Do you truly want to become a Hero?"
Masata answered without even a moment of hesitation.
"Of course! It's my dream to become a passionate Hero! Heroes earn incredible income, and they rank at the top of the tax contribution lists. The ones at the top are all professional Heroes!"
More importantly, this world had already given him a second chance. If he lived an ordinary, uneventful life, how could he possibly live up to the passion that had driven him in both lives? A stable nine-to-five life might be comfortable—but intense, thrilling days were clearly more suited to him.
"Since you've made up your mind, Masata-chan," his mother said gently, "I won't oppose you. But if you truly want to become a Hero, you must always prioritize your safety."
In a world protected by All Might, very few criminals dared to openly challenge Heroes. The relationship between Heroes and criminals was similar to that between police and thieves in the old world. With All Might acting as an overwhelming deterrent, most criminals simply disappeared from sight.
Masata's father leaned back in his chair and spoke in a serious tone.
"But your Quirk is far too dangerous for ordinary people. If you truly want to become a Hero, then your goal must be to enter a Hero high school. Until then, you must never use your Quirk freely. Every time you activate it, destruction follows."
Masata's father had always believed in his son. Despite Masata's hot-blooded nature, he had shown remarkable intelligence from a young age. As long as he was guided properly, there was no reason to worry about him going astray.
"I know, Dad," Masata replied earnestly. "Even if I wanted to use my Quirk, there's nowhere I could do it. If I used it at home, I'd burn the house down. And using it outside is illegal—I don't want you picking me up from the police station."
Even as he said it, Masata felt conflicted.
His Quirk was undeniably powerful, but just like what had happened earlier that day, it clearly needed further development before its true strength could be unleashed. Yet because of how dangerous Hero society could be, the government strictly prohibited random Quirk usage.
Non-destructive or physical-enhancement Quirks could be practiced at home—but something as destructive as his magma ability left him with virtually no opportunity to train.
"Whatever," Masata thought drowsily. "I'll take things one step at a time. Tomorrow, I'll tell Momo about my Quirk and surprise her."
Still stuck in a child's body, Masata thought himself to sleep right there on the sofa.
The next day, in the classroom.
"Hey, hey, Momo!" Masata shouted excitedly. He planted one foot on his chair and slammed his hands down on Yaoyorozu Momo's desk. "I told you, didn't I? Yesterday I went to the Quirk Registration Office! My Quirk isn't just simple fire—you wouldn't believe how explosive and cool it is!"
"You're so loud," Momo said flatly. "Isn't it just a Quirk awakening? Do you really have to be this excited? I've been able to use my Quirk for a long time already."
Despite her dismissive words, curiosity flickered clearly in her eyes.
"Heh, Momo, you're really arrogant~"
"Tell me already, or I'll punch you!" Momo said, raising her tiny fist threateningly.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you," Masata said with a grin. "My Quirk is called Magma. I can generate lava all over my body—this is just its most basic form. I want to know what else it can do, but since it's too dangerous, I can't use it freely. I guess I'll have to wait until high school."
As he spoke, Masata couldn't help but sigh. Having power you couldn't use was nothing but torture.
"Magma… that really is a powerful Quirk," Momo said softly, placing a finger against her small lips. She looked genuinely impressed. "I've never heard of a similar Quirk before."
Then she tilted her head slightly.
"If you want to train, you can come to my house. There's a special Quirk training facility there. You can use your Quirk as much as you want."
"Really?!" Masata's eyes lit up instantly. "That's amazing! Can I come after school today? Please, I'm begging you—this is my lifelong wish!"
He grabbed Momo's shoulders excitedly, his face moving closer and closer to hers.
"O-Okay, okay!" Momo stammered, her face turning bright red as she leaned back. "Just follow me after school! And—you're way too close!"