….
And the disappointment followed soon after… for Rumi Usagiyama.
Dabi's body simply couldn't keep up with his quirk.
The breathing technique he used was interesting - she had never seen anything like it, but even with that advantage, he wasn't particularly strong.
Not by her Hero standards at least.
She had lost track of how many times she had watched him double over, coughing blood onto the pavement after forcing another surge of strength.
It happened more often than he ever managed to land a clean, decisive blow on her in sparring.
"That's it?" she had taunt after knocking him down for the fifth time in a row. "You won the Sports Festival with this? Pathetic!"
He would get back up.
"Your breathing technique is useless if your body can't keep up! You're gonna get yourself killed out there!"
He would again get back up.
"Stop trying to be a Hero and go back to building support gear! At least you won't die doing that!"
….and he got back up again.
Every. Single. Time.
Not once, not fucking once, did she hear him say "I can't do this anymore."
That's when her mockery turned to respect.
This boy was broken.
His body was failing him, he coughed up blood like it was a daily routine.
His quirk burned him from the inside out, but he refused to quit.
So she kept training him.
….
Dabi had also started incorporating his fire quirk into the training.
Not full power, that would kill him, but controlled applications.
He had learned to create weapons out of flame.
A sword of blue fire that he could wield alongside the breathing forms he had been practicing.
The twelve forms of [Sun Breathing] each had specific stances and strikes, and he practiced them religiously.
He practiced with wooden training swords mostly, getting the movements down.
He didn't bother with real blades.
Nor did he try to become a master swordsman - that wasn't his goal - just enough skill to make the breathing forms work properly.
The basics were sufficient.
Rumi had to admit, the combination was impressive when it worked.
A flaming sword moving through forms that enhanced speed and power through breathing. When he pulled it off without collapsing, it was genuinely dangerous.
His body too had changed over the two years of training.
The constant breathing exercises had developed his cardiovascular system beyond normal human limits.
His muscles were lean but incredibly dense. His control over his fire quirk had improved dramatically - he could create and maintain flame constructs with precision that bordered on art.
The burns were still there, but he had developed thicker skin, and could withstand higher temperatures now without immediately damaging himself.
But more than the physical improvements, Rumi valued him as a training partner for different reasons.
Not strength-wise, she could still demolish him in a straight fight within five moves or so.
But mentally? He surpasses her.
Made her think, forced her to strategize instead of just relying on raw power and speed.
And he was relentless.
Even when she knocked him into the dirt - he kept coming.
That kind of determination was rare, in fact invaluable.
She had also helped him with some of his weirder training methods.
Like the tea-spilling exercise.
It was supposed to train his reflexes and body control.
Rumi had thought it was stupid at first.
But after seeing how much his reaction time improved, she had grudgingly admitted it worked.
….
Now, in this forest clearing that had become their unofficial training ground, Rumi stood off to the side, watching Dabi attempt the super large gourd.
She had been skeptical when he had first explained this training method.
Blow air into a gourd until it breaks? It sounded insane.
But she had seen him work through the smaller gourds over the past year, each one larger than the last, and the results spoke for themselves.
His lung capacity had become inhuman.
This final gourd was absurd though, bigger than he was.
Now she watched as he approached the gourd, hands positioning around the opening.
His breathing changed - she could hear it even from where she stood.
The rhythm he had spent years perfecting.
Then he began.
She could see his chest expanding past what should be physically possible. See the tension in his muscles as he compressed all that air.
The veins in his skin bulge out threatening to tear free.
Thirty seconds passed, and his face was turning red.
Forty-five seconds. A vein was pulsing in his temple.
One minute. The gourd was creaking now, vibrating under the pressure—
CRACK!
The gourd exploded.
Shards flew everywhere, Rumi raised an arm to shield her face as debris scattered through the clearing.
When she looked again, Dabi was on his knees, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
But he had done it.
"Ha!" Rumi barked out a laugh, genuine and loud. "About damn time, Patchwork! Thought you would black out before you cracked it."
She walked over as he struggled to catch his breath.
For a fleeting moment, she considered offering her hand. She decided against it. Dabi was stubborn to a fault; he would rather claw his way upright than accept help.
But after nearly a minute of gasping, he surprised her by reaching out for support - even though she was certain he could have stood on his own.
A small, surprised smile flickered across her face. She caught his forearm and hauled him upright in one clean pull.
Now he was back on his feet - shaky, but standing.
"Not bad." she said, grinning. "Still weak as hell compared to where you should be, but not bad."
He didn't respond, it looked like he was checking something she couldn't see–
Then suddenly his expression soured immediately.
"This piece of shit is pissing me off."
"What's wrong? Thought you would be celebrating."
The reason behind his disappointment was the system panel he pulled up just now.
====
[BREATH OF THE SUN] - 99/100%
====
Right. He had hit a wall.
Six months ago, he had reached 99% and it hadn't budged since.
No matter what he did - training harder, pushing longer, breaking bigger gourds - the percentage wouldn't hit the final 1%.
At least the progress he had made showed results.
His body had changed noticeably. He was stronger than any normal human had a right to be. His control over his fire quirk had improved dramatically.
He could create and maintain flame constructs with precision he would never have before.
The burns were still there, but he had developed thicker skin… quite literally.
Overall, he could withstand higher temperatures now without immediately damaging himself further.
But that last 1% refused to move.
He closed the panel and checked the other number. The one he tried not to look at too often.
…and there was also something else he was worried about.
====
LIFE SPAN LEFT: 369 DAYS
====
Still hanging on by a thread.
The number had actually gone up slightly over the two years, probably from the breathing technique keeping his body functional, but it was a delicate balance.
One year left. Maybe.
He pushed himself to his feet, dusting off his training clothes.
Meanwhile Rumi stretched her arms over her head, feeling her spine pop. "Anyway, we should get going. You've got graduation today, right?"
"Yeah."
"And you're not even excited about it. Typical." She shook her head. "Come on, let's walk down the mountain."
They made their way down the familiar trail together, Rumi setting an easy pace despite her natural inclination to sprint everywhere.
The sun was higher now, warming the air.
At the base of the mountain where the trail met the road, Rumi stopped.
"Alright, this is where we split off." she said. "Need to grab something before your ceremony."
Dabi didn't ask what this something was.
Rumi was actually thinking of buying a graduation gift
She grinned, showing teeth. "Try not to die before I see you later, yeah?"
"Don't jinx it… but I will try my best."
"Good. Because if you die before I get to kick your ass a few more times, I am gonna be pissed." She turned to leave, then paused. "And Dabi?"
"What?"
"You did good today." Her expression softened slightly. "Keep pushing. You will figure out things eventually. You're too stubborn not to."
Before he could form a reply, she was already moving - launching herself down the street with explosive force, her rabbit legs propelling her forward. Within seconds, she was gone.
Dabi remained where he was, staring at the empty stretch of road.
"Man… I really did fall for her."
The single compliment lingered, warming him in a way that felt almost unfair after everything he had put his body through.
He exhaled, shook his head, and turned toward home.
His body still ached from the training, blood had dried at the corner of his mouth.
The forest clearing was littered with gourd fragments he'd have to clean up later.
But Rumi's words replayed in his mind again.
You did good today.
Coming from her, that actually meant something.
He let out a quiet breath.
"Guess I can't skip today like I planned. The old man would kill me… and honestly, the bunny might beat him to it."
Yeah.
Today was his last day in the U.A. marking the end of High School.
Officially becoming a licensed Hero.
Graduation? What a joke.
He had spent three years at U.A. learning how to become a Hero… all so he could use his quirk legally.
Was that really all he wanted?
All Might's question echoed in his head suddenly.
Why do you want to become a Hero?
Dabi shook it off and kept walking.
It didn't matter, he had a graduation to attend, and everything else could wait.
….
.
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
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