The world had changed.
All Might was gone.
Villains were growing bolder.
And U.A. was no longer just a school—it was a fortress.
Inside the dorms, the students of Class 1-A sat together, trying to process everything that had happened.
Deku, Todoroki, Momo, Iida, and Kirishima were deep in discussion about what came next.
Bakugo sat in his usual spot, arms crossed, saying nothing.
And Reiji?
He leaned against the window, staring at his reflection.
His golden eyes flickered.
And then—
A notification appeared before him.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
"The Era Has Shifted."
"New System Phase Unlocked."
"Mortal Kombat System Adapting to the New Battlefield."
Reiji's eyes narrowed.
[Oh? Now you decide to show up again?]
It had been so long since the system last activated.
Too long.
And now, when everything was uncertain—it suddenly decided to evolve?
System Upgrade – A New Path
A new set of options appeared in his vision.
🔥 "New Character Powers Available."
🔥 "Training Mode Unlocked."
🔥 "Opponent Analysis Feature Activated."
Reiji's fingers twitched.
[Well. This just got interesting.]
But before he could focus on it—
Aizawa walked in, his sharp gaze cutting through the tension.
"Listen up," he said, his voice as firm as ever.
"U.A. is changing. And so are all of you."
The room fell silent.
Aizawa's eyes swept over them.
"There are no more safe places. No more guarantees."
"From now on, you either become stronger—or you fall behind."
He let the weight of his words settle.
Then—he continued.
"Starting today, your training will intensify."
Momo blinked. "Intensify… how?"
Aizawa's eyes narrowed. "You'll find out soon enough."
Reiji grinned slightly.
[Good. I was getting bored.]
After the meeting, Reiji sat on the rooftop, staring at the system screen in front of him.
He clicked on the first option.
🔹 "New Character Powers Available."
→ Select Next Mortal Kombat Warrior Ability:
Noob Saibot – Shadow Clone MasteryScorpion – Advanced Hellfire ControlRaiden – Lightning Manipulation
Reiji smirked.
[Now we're talking.]
But before he could choose—
A new message appeared.
[SYSTEM CHALLENGE ISSUED]
"Before unlocking your next power, prove yourself."
"Defeat a simulated opponent in the new Training Mode."
Reiji's eyes flashed.
[Oh? A test first?]
He tapped the Training Mode option.
Immediately—the world around him shifted.
The rooftop faded away.
Suddenly, he was standing in an arena.
A dark, ominous presence appeared before him.
A massive shadowed figure with glowing red eyes.
It stepped forward, its voice echoing through the void.
"You are not worthy."
Reiji grinned.
"Tch. We'll see about that."
Then—the fight began.
End of Chapter 47.
Chapter 48: Trial by Combat
The world around Reiji shifted.
One moment, he was on the rooftop of U.A., staring at the system screen.
The next—he was standing in a vast, dark arena.
The ground beneath him felt solid, but shadows twisted at the edges of his vision. The air was heavy, filled with the scent of something ancient—like burning ash and blood.
A deep, inhuman voice echoed around him.
"You seek power. But power is not given. It is taken."
Reiji rolled his shoulders, golden flames flickering to life in his palms.
"Tch. You talk a lot for someone who hasn't even shown their face."
The shadows in front of him shifted.
And then—his opponent stepped forward.
A towering figure wrapped in darkness, glowing red eyes burning in the void of its hood.
Noob Saibot.
Reiji's smirk widened.
[So that's how this is gonna go?]
The system wanted him to fight and win before unlocking his next power.
Good.
He liked earning his victories.
Noob Saibot tilted his head. "You are not worthy of the shadows."
Reiji grinned. "We'll see about that."
Then—the fight began.
Noob Saibot moved first.
His body melted into the darkness, vanishing instantly.
Reiji's eyes narrowed.
[Where—?]
Suddenly, he felt movement behind him.
He barely had time to react before—a shadowy fist slammed into his ribs.
BOOM!
Reiji was sent flying backward, crashing into the arena floor.
Pain flared through his body, but he grinned.
"Alright. That actually hurt."
Noob Saibot stepped out of the darkness, his glowing eyes unreadable.
"You cannot fight what you cannot see."
Reiji chuckled.
"Yeah? Then I just have to burn everything."
FWOOOM!
His golden flames erupted, illuminating the entire battlefield.
Noob Saibot's shadows twisted violently, retreating from the intense light.
Reiji smirked.
[Got you.]
Then—he attacked.
Reiji vanished with Phantom Step, appearing directly in front of Noob Saibot.
His fist ignited with golden flames as he launched a punch—
But—Noob Saibot dodged effortlessly.
Instead of moving back, he split apart.
A second shadow clone emerged from the darkness, attacking from the side.
Reiji's instincts screamed.
[Shit—!]
CRACK!
A shadowy knee slammed into his stomach.
Before he could react, another shadow tendril wrapped around his ankle, yanking him into the air.
Noob Saibot appeared above him, his voice cold.
"Die."
Then—he brought his fist down.
Reiji gritted his teeth.
His golden flames roared to life, burning away the shadow tendril around his leg.
With a sharp twist, he shifted mid-air and countered.
His foot shot upward, slamming into Noob Saibot's chest.
BOOM!
The impact sent the shadow warrior flying backward, breaking his form apart for a moment.
Reiji landed smoothly, wiping blood from his lip.
His golden eyes gleamed.
"Not bad," he muttered. "But I don't lose."
Noob Saibot reformed, his red eyes narrowing.
"You fight well."
Then—his voice deepened.
"But you are still incomplete."
Reiji raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And you're gonna fix that?"
Noob Saibot raised his hands.
The shadows around them shifted.
Suddenly—hundreds of shadow clones emerged from the darkness, all identical to the original.
Reiji's grin widened.
"Oh, hell yeah," he muttered. "This just got fun."
The clones attacked all at once.
Reiji moved instantly, dodging the first wave of strikes.
His golden flames burned brighter, countering each attack as he weaved between the shadows.
But—they kept coming.
No matter how many clones he burned, more took their place.
Reiji gritted his teeth.
[If I don't end this fast, I'll get overwhelmed.]
Then—he made his move.
His golden flames condensed, pulling inward instead of expanding.
He let the clones close in.
One step.
Two steps.
Then—
"Infernal Burst!"
BOOM!
A massive explosion of Hellfire erupted, consuming everything around him.
The shadows burned away, Noob Saibot's clones disintegrating in an instant.
And in the middle of the blast—Reiji moved.
His body blurred, appearing directly in front of Noob Saibot.
For the first time—the shadow warrior hesitated.
Reiji grinned.
"Got you."
His fist ignited one last time.
Then—he struck.
BOOM!
Noob Saibot collapsed, his form fading into darkness.
Silence.
Then—a notification appeared.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
✔ Challenge Complete.
✔ New Ability Unlocked: Noob Saibot's Shadow Clone Mastery.
Reiji's golden eyes flickered.
He clenched his fists, feeling the new power surging within him.
[So this is what it feels like…]
He exhaled slowly, his smirk returning.
"That was fun."
The world shifted again.
And then—he was back on the U.A. rooftop.
The night air was cool. The school was silent.
But Reiji?
He felt stronger than ever.
And the world was about to see it.
End of Chapter 48.
_________________________________________________________________________
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