(Kata POV – Absolute Telekinesis Vestige World)
"You aren't supposed to be here. Neither is this place supposed to exist."
Liam—no, my quirk's vestige—speaks, gesturing to the void surrounding us.
I know exactly what he means. It should be impossible for me to interact with a vestige, let alone have a vestige world within my quirk.
'That's unique to AFO and OFA.'
Liam smirks, cutting into my thoughts. "Indeed. This really shouldn't be possible, so it confirms our hypothesis."
I frown. "I know we're technically the same person, but it's rude to respond to my thoughts—especially since I can't hear yours."
His smirk widens slightly. "Fair enough. But focus. This proves something important."
I exhale. "That our quirk isn't based on scientific principles, but on belief and will."
Liam nods, his expression turning thoughtful. "It explains everything that didn't make sense before."
"Like my radar… and Telekinetic Energy." I respond.
"Even if we could monitor our surroundings with radar, our brain shouldn't be able to process that much information at once," Liam adds.
"And yet we can." I glance around at the void. "Same with Telekinetic Energy—it's still a form of energy, but I can manipulate it while being unable to affect other forms of energy. There are too many inconsistencies."
Liam's expression shifts, an excited glint in his eyes. "But this is great! It opens the door to so many possibilities!"
I suppress a smile. I know exactly how he feels.
I was always worried about hitting a ceiling with my quirk. I wished for the potential to reach absolute mastery, but if it required scientific reasoning to achieve, it would've been impossible to truly succeed.
"At the highest level, we could achieve omni-manipulation and absolute will." I voice the thought aloud, knowing he already understands it. Talking to Liam is like brainstorming with myself… and having a split personality.
Liam chuckles. "I get it. Even if we're the same person, it's still annoying having someone else listening to my thoughts."
I roll my eyes. "You won't exist once I leave here, anyway."
He gives me a smile, seemingly unbothered. We both know that my experiment will merge him back into me at we're done.
"Right. Back to the topic—our quirk works on what we believe we can achieve. Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible to reach absolute mastery, and our wish wouldn't have been granted."
I nod. "But knowing that doesn't mean I can just will myself into omnipotence. It just changes my approach to getting stronger."
Liam crosses his arms. "Before, we used science as a framework to develop our quirk. Now, you need to create your own structure to push it further."
"I can still use science as a base, but for more advanced applications—like remote telekinesis or teleportation—I'll have to figure things out myself."
It's more a blessing than a curse.
I click my tongue. "No wonder that R.O.B. was pissed when I asked for this quirk."
Liam chuckles. "Of course he was. We accidentally wished for a form of omnipotence without immediately self-destructing."
Silence settles between us as we process the implications.
'Is that why my quirk took so long to awaken? My body must've been adapting to—'
Liam cuts in again. "You've figured it out, haven't you?"
I huff. "That's really annoying. It's like getting one-upped at every turn."
"But it's true," Liam says, grinning. "We wished for the potential to reach omni-manipulation, absolute will, and absolute force manipulation. Those abilities, once fully mastered, can achieve omnipotence. And since omnipotence is paradoxical, our quirk must contain at least one of those abilities at a base level for it to be possible at all."
There can only be one omnipotent being or none at all. Because if another existed and they were unable to affect each other, neither would be omnipotent. That's the paradox of omnipotence.
My stomach sinks slightly. "We'd be dead if we hadn't asked for just the potential."
"Hence why 'potential' was the key word." Liam folds his arms. "We got Absolute Will. A nerfed version of it, sure, but still a power bordering on the nigh-omnipotent."
I let out a slow breath. "That's why my growth rate has been so ridiculous… and why everything I attempt with my quirk works as long as I push hard enough."
It's a humbling realization. A part of me is slightly disappointed—it wasn't just raw ingenuity that got me here. But at the same time… I know I worked for everything I've achieved.
Liam smiles. "Exactly. But knowing this doesn't change anything immediately. There are probably a ton of restrictions stopping us from fully abusing this power until we actually reach Absolute Mastery."
I nod, rubbing my temples. "I thought I was already overpowered enough, but now I find out I've been subconsciously using will empowerment this whole time?"
Simply put, it means getting stronger through sheer willpower alone. 'Like some shounen protagonist. But there's no author pushing the plot forward.'
Liam considers it for a moment before nodding. "That's probably the case. We trained our quirk for three years under the belief that training would make it stronger. And that's exactly what happened. Whenever we tried new techniques, they eventually worked as long as we persisted. This might explain why."
It's not obvious because it's true. Quirks are like muscles and get stronger with use. And a quirk with as much potential as mine should get stronger faster... 'That's the belief that led to my quick growth.'
Despite my more extensive use of my quirk since joining U.A., I haven't seen too big an increase in power, because I believed there shouldn't be one since I was training technique.
The more we talk, the more everything starts falling into place.
"So the restrictions on our quirk must be that the ability only applies to what we attempt to achieve with Telekinesis—hence how I created Telekinetic Energy, and even—"
Liam suddenly cuts me off. "This place!" My lip twitches at being cut off... again. "Quirks don't have their own Vestige World, so you must've created this one by accident. Well, it was a good test, and you've achieved your goal…"
We stare at each other as realization dawns.
"Molecular Consciousness," we say in unison.
Unlike OFA or AFO, my quirk doesn't doesn't have a central core to store consciousness. Even the vestiges in OFA remain collections of light until the original user dies.
I look at Liam, fully further and solid. 'I'm sure I'm not dead.'
So there's an anomaly somewhere, but let's start at the root of this issue.
To interact with a vestige, I'd need a core or medium. Somewhere consciousnesses can interact with each other.
I think for a few moments on what the core could be in this case. That's when it hits me.
Liam's eyes widen. "Your consciousness became the core! You didn't just gain Molecular Consciousness—you merged your mind with the quirk itself."
A cold chill runs down my spine and we both freeze.
Then, in perfect sync, we scream—
"FUCK!!!"
Liam suddenly bursts into manic laughter. "So, are you immortal now? This changes so much!"
'Is he so unrestrained because he'll vanish soon? Does that mean I'm like that too?'
Liam rolls his eyes. "Yes."
I click my tongue. "Anyway... I don't know. I'll need to check. At worst, I just distributed my consciousness throughout my body. As long as I'm not completely destroyed, I might be functionally immortal."
Liam huffs. "I get that you don't want to get your hopes up, but dream a little. It's more likely the reverse happened—our quirk got integrated into our consciousness!" He says excitedly.
I cross my arms. "That's impossible. Quirks are genetic mutations. If that were true, I'd be freed from my body entirely—I'd become a being of pure consciousness."
Liam shrugs. "Would've happened eventually anyway," he says nonchalantly, then sighs. "We'll find out soon enough. We both know it's a possibility. AFO moves between bodies like a virus. Why shouldn't ours move between consciousness?"
I fall silent. He's not wrong, but it feels absurd—achieving immortality and possibly more, entirely by accident.
I exhale. "No use dwelling on it. I'll know soon enough."
A silence settles over us. We both know what happens next. I hesitate to speak, but Liam starts.
"It's fine. We've accomplished everything we needed here," he says with a shrug. "I knew I'd disappear since everything is merging back into you. Besides, I was always a part of you anyway. Consider it me coming home."
I give him a long look. "Alright. But aren't you scared of fading away? I wouldn't accept it so easily. Hell, I might have even tried to fight for control."
Liam chuckles. "I know you would. But remember, I'm a vestige—a part of YOU. Even if I tried, I wouldn't win. And the moment you brought us here, I knew this was the outcome." He shrugs again.
It's a strange feeling. He's not exactly dying, but I still feel a sense of loss.
I suddenly ask, "Why take the form from our last life?"
Liam sighs. "Easier to differentiate between us. And I felt it fits. I'm a vestige of your quirk—a lingering trace of Liam's final influence on the world. While Liam is a vestige of you. So shouldn't I be Liam?" He grins.
I roll my eyes, a small smile forming. "You just didn't want to look at your own face."
"You caught me. It's almost like you know everything about me," he says, his voice laced with mock sincerity.
Liam offers me a reassuring smile. "We both know this was inevitable. The hardest choices require the strongest wills—but this isn't a choice at all." His tone is gentle yet firm.
I smile, though there's a sadness to it. "We've always wanted to say that."
"I'm sure everyone has," he replies, before his expression turns serious. "I have one last piece of advice for you."
I raise an eyebrow. "Advice? From me, to me? What could you possibly tell me that I don't already know?"
His gaze softens. "Exactly because we're the same person, I know what you refuse to admit. Stop pushing people away. If you never heal from what hurt you, you'll bleed on those who didn't cut you."
His words strike deep, leaving me silent.
"You treasure them—that's why you're afraid," he continues. "But I want you to let them in. As I fade, I wonder what could have been, and I regret not having the courage to try." He sighs. "I know you're thinking about it. And I know you know I'm right. That's enough for me."
I let out a quiet sigh, nodding. "...I'll try." Then, after a pause, "This is goodbye. Or rather... welcome back."
He smiles one last time, a final farewell, before I will myself out of the Vestige World. I feel it collapse, dissolving into me—because it was always a part of me.
(Kata POV – Kata's Room)
I regain awareness in the worst way possible.
Suddenly, information floods my mind. Every signal in my brain, every cell and it's workings, every placement and movement of the molecules that compose me. It's overwhelming.
Even through the pain, I keep internalize Liam's words. 'I'll think on it more after dealing with this.'
The shock leaves me dazed as I lie on the bed, waiting for it to fade into something tolerable.
Spoiler: It doesn't.
I try to retract my awareness, but it doesn't work. This is already the lowest state of awareness I can have.
Unwilling to endure the pain, I do something nonsensical—I simply command the part of me feeling pain to stop.
And it does.
'That's... convenient. It's like having an on/off switch for myself.'
I try to sit up and almost fall off the bed before catching myself.
How to describe it?
It's like I've lost the strain and feedback that comes with movement. My body just... does it.
My brain didn't even send signals to my muscles. I know because I'm now aware of every nerve impulse, and none were sent.
I spend the next hour experimenting, getting used to this new state, and I make several discoveries.
First, my consciousness is now distributed throughout my body as the lowest setting. I can move and act without relying on my brain, which is essentially running on autopilot in this state.
I can toggle this off and revert to normal brain-body operation if I want, but I now have complete conscious control over every aspect of myself.
Then comes the complex part.
'We were half right,' I think as I observe my body from an external perspective.
I have, in some way, become a disembodied consciousness. I watch as my arm spontaneously combusts into pure fire for an instant before reforming, perfectly fine.
'No discomfort. No pain. And I could still feel everything, as it's still me.'
As it turns out, I can extend my consciousness through my Telekinetic Field. It also works to extend the range, but I'm still tied to my body for now.
And now, for the final test—the most important one.
I retreat back into my body and home in on my quirk factors. While I can exist outside my body, I'm still connected to it. 'Not entirely free of it.'
'Which begs the question—what happens if someone like Aizawa erases my quirk while my consciousness is outside? Would I die? Or would I be forced back into my body?'
There are a lot of questions. But the biggest one is whether my quirk has fully integrated into my mind.
'I don't need to focus to be aware of everything anymore,' I note, observing my increased control.
I immediately shut down half my quirk factors. There's no impact on me. No decreased amount of consciousness or anything concerning like that.
I take a deep breath and shut down the remainder.
If my quirk is now part of my consciousness, then nothing should happen. If not, it'll be like a system reboot—my consciousness will shut off, and I'll be forced back into my brain. Just in-case, I made sure my consciousness is situated securely where it should be, in my body.
Then, after taking a deep breath, I shut off my remaining quirk factors.
…
'I'm fine…?'
Yes. I'm still conscious. Still aware. I attempt to use my quirk to lift my body—and it happens.
'I can use my quirk without my quirk factors.'
A slow smile forms on my lips. 'I've truly achieved mind over matter.' I muse.
Confidence wells within me, but I rein it in before it gets too high.
'Gotta remind myself to be humble. There might still be something out there that can kill me,' I think.
I don't really believe that. But it's better to be cautious.
And with my new state of being, keeping my emotions in check is effortless. My mind descends back into calm, tranquil control.
But I don't erase the sense of achievement and excitement.
'Only one thing left on my list.'
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A/N: I really recommend everyone read the notes if you're confused. This chapter has a lot going on and for clarity, I recommend consulting the note and asking questions.
Gilly1210 and Eitan_ won by the way. They were both wrong, but some parts of it were kinda close to the truth, and it was hard to choose a winner, so I'll give it to both of them. Also, thanks to everyone else who made a guess. It was fun to read. You 2 can just comment what you'd want to see in the story (reasonable stuff) and I'll yay or nay it. I mean, someone once said a while back that they'd want to see Kata use testicular torsion on Overhaul, or Kata glowing. Just stuff that doesn't derail the story too much. (I ran out of words in the author's note, so all this went here.)
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