Bakugo Katsuki slowly opened his eyes, greeted by the white ceiling of a hospital.
He realized that for the first time in his life, he had lost.
"Kacchan, you're finally awake! Thank goodness, you scared me to death."
The voice belonged to a short-haired black-haired girl, Ran. Her delicate face was streaked with tears. Seeing him awake, she didn't hesitate to throw herself onto him, her words somewhat unclear through her sobs.
Bakugo Katsuki had always been a smart man. He was well aware of the affection this childhood friend held for him, but he had never truly accepted it. He believed it was only natural, a privilege that came with being strong.
"Did I lose?"
He asked, looking at Mizukawa Ran as if seeking confirmation.
"No! In Ran's heart, Kacchan will always be the strongest hero! You didn't lose!"
Yes, he silently listened to Ran's answer, and the surrounding environment all indicated where he was.
But surprisingly, he didn't feel as regretful or angry as he thought he would. Instead, he was becoming increasingly calm.
During his unconsciousness, Bakugo Katsuki had been dreaming.
The events of that day kept replaying in his dream. He even remembered the look of despair and inferiority on Midoriya Izuku's face when his notebook, which Bakugo Katsuki deemed boring, was ruined by Todoroki.
Of course, he could never forget the figure of that white demon. He could still feel the sensation of his skull being grabbed and lifted into the air, the feeling of being bound by an immense force. The intense suffocation, even now, was something he couldn't get used to.
After all, he had always been the strongest among his peers.
At that time, he was determined to use his Quirk to attack Accelerator, intending to give Accelerator an unforgettable lesson.
After all, he had always been like this. As a natural-born strong person, he had been able to freely control his body since he was a child. So he had never lost a fight and was absolutely confident that he wouldn't cause a big problem.
But pride aside, that didn't mean Bakugo Katsuki couldn't accept defeat.
Bakugo Katsuki was not someone who couldn't afford to lose. It was just that he had never lost before.
He could lose, but he needed to understand where he had lost, to lose clearly, and then win back double.
To value the enemy, to face one's own weaknesses, is the reason to prove oneself as the strongest.
In his worldview of more than a decade, the strong do not need to respect the weak. In special cases, they can use violence both physically and verbally under self-restraint, strongly believing that the weak have no right to resist and realize themselves.
Simply put, it is a kind of hierarchical concept that advocates everyone in their place, each at peace.
In fact, Midoriya Izuku did not offend him, what was offended him was his own belief.
He dared to apply to U.A. Academy with him, dreaming of becoming a hero. How could he allow such a timid person to be on par with him? That's why there was the previous bullying incident.
His real anger stemmed from the fact that the useless Izuku defied him, fantasizing about touching the same things he wanted. This was an overstep, an invisible challenge to the dignity he had struggled to maintain.
This is also the fundamental reason why he often lost control when dealing with Midoriya Izuku, the fuse for this bullying incident.
As for Accelerator, that monster, his feelings were incredibly complicated.
Most importantly, he had never considered that he would lose to a peer.
This was a setback that Bakugo Katsuki had not encountered in his long life of fifteen years.
Not only was he crushed in terms of academic performance, but even his self-satisfied Quirk and combat talent were not worth mentioning in that person's eyes.
Although he directly lost his combat power, his consciousness was still clear, he wanted to stand up but couldn't.
That was because his head was hit hard, causing a concussion in his brain to form a neural short circuit. At that time, his senses were spinning, completely losing balance. To put it bluntly, it was like in a boxing match, some players were hit hard by the opponent, conscious but unable to stand up.
But the words that Accelerator said to him and to everyone in the school still echoed in his ears, and one sentence made him unable to let go no matter what.
"Why compete with me on the same stage? You still want to be a hero?"
He felt that Accelerator did it on purpose. During the bullying process, he had said the same words to Midoriya Izuku. After all, the weak who were scared to tremble and fall by his anger, what qualifications do they have to point fingers at the strong, and even dare to go against the will of the strong? This is Bakugo Katsuki's view of Midoriya Izuku.
But when the same words were said by Accelerator who crushed him, it was different.
Although he forced himself not to think so in his heart, the problem still emerged in Bakugo Katsuki's heart.
Could it be that I, who was born to be strong, am just a fallen weak in his eyes?
Am I also a weak person who points fingers at the strong?
This defeat shattered Bakugo Katsuki's long-standing survival of the fittest and strength-first concept.
The cruel and brutal reality pressed his head on the ground and told him harshly that the power you are proud of is not worth mentioning. For the first time in his life, he felt powerless, and even his own weakness, he began to think about the words Accelerator said when he couldn't move from a perspective he had never thought of before.
"Most of you here are garbage."
"Although I don't like his wise behavior, I stop his bullying and evil deeds, and despise his garbage character that doesn't respect other people's personality at all."
"But his physique is several times stronger than you."
According to Accelerator's logic, if he is a bully who does not respect the personality of a weak person like Midoriya Izuku, then Midoriya Izuku is an evader who dares not protect his important things and personality, and bystanders are accomplices of the bully, but is it really that simple?
No, Bakugo Katsuki suddenly realized that he almost overlooked a major premise.
The so-called bullies, evaders, and onlookers, except for Accelerator, all students have a huge common point, that is, their identity is all people who volunteer to become heroes.
This is the biggest problem, and this is also why all people have become garbage in Accelerator's words.
If it is the strongest hero All Might, it is easy to understand.
Will the strongest and also the strongest hero All Might disrespect the personality of the weak?
Will he bully others? The answer is of course no.
Will All Might evade? Of course not.
Will All Might stand by in the face of evil? That's even more absurd.
Bakugo Katsuki, the genius, easily connected all the clues.
He admitted that he lost.
Not only a personal defeat, but also a defeat of hero belief.
Accelerator used iron-like facts to educate him and let him think about the real problem from another angle.
From childhood to adulthood, the genius named Bakugo Katsuki, who admires the strongest hero, the essence of the strongest hero is All Might's power, but he has never considered that the strongest hero All Might is the strongest hero belief and the strongest hero power combined to be so powerful.
Hero belief, this is exactly what he lacks.
Losing is not shameful, but not admitting defeat is truly the most shameful. Bakugo Katsuki, who aims to be the strongest hero, could never be that kind of person.
"Ran, I really lost."
Hearing Bakugo Katsuki say this, Mizukawa_Ran was stunned. She had never thought that he would show such an expression.
"But that's just in terms of the outcome of the match."
Seeing Mizukawa Ran's surprised expression, Bakugo laughed strongly.
"This is just the beginning, I'm still young, I still have many opportunities."
"I am Bakugo Katsuki, of course, wherever I fail, I will stand up from there. One day, I will win back what belongs to me from that guy Accelerator."
"Surpass him on the road to being a hero! Shake him off! Crush him! Tell him with facts! Who is the real strongest hero!"
"Um.... Of course! You are the best, Kacchan!"
Mizukawa Ran was surprised at Bakugo Katsuki's recovery, and at the same time, she planned to start preparing herself. After all, the situation that should not have happened has happened, many things have changed, and she will not sit and wait for death.
"Kacchan, your injury is not completely healed yet, take good care of it, it's not suitable to move too much."
"Your aunt and uncle will come over later, don't worry, I will go to school to get your textbooks and other things for you, and come back to see you later~"
"When the time comes, I will bring some fruits for you to supplement vitamins! It's all Accelerator and Waste's fault that made you like this, it breaks my heart!"
"They should be taught a good lesson by you, it's really not like that! It makes me so angry!"
"Alright, I know, you don't have to say these things."
Bakugo Katsuki waved his hand, indicating the girl not to say so.
"Ran, don't worry about me."
Bakugo looked at his black-haired childhood friend and said seriously.
And hearing the answer she wanted, Mizukawa Ran, satisfied, walked out of Bakugo Katsuki's ward.
After leaving the ward, the smile on Mizukawa Ran's face slowly disappeared, she lowered her head and no one paid attention to her facial expression, her beautiful and delicate features were all distorted because of her emotions.
She walked to the stairs where basically no one in the hospital went, leaning against the wall in the middle of the stairs up and down, this place can see people coming up and down, as long as you pay attention to the surroundings, it's no different from no one, others can't hear what she is going to say next, and she, who is cautious, also activated her Quirk "Telekinesis" to block the entrances and exits of the stairs above and below just in case.
Then, she silently dialed a phone call.
"Hello? Why are you answering the phone? Shigaraki Tomura."
Shigaraki Tomura's low and hoarse voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Do you have any dissatisfaction with me answering the phone?
"Hurry up and let her answer the phone, I have important things to tell her."
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