February 20, 23XX – A few months before entering U.A.
The family training ground was silent, disturbed only by the rustling of the wind through the trees. Kaizen stood facing Kaede, his body tense, ready to withstand what was coming. Their father, Ryuji, sat on a wooden chair a little further away, watching them with a calm attentiveness.
— "Alright, this time, at least try not to get wiped out in thirty seconds," Kaede said with a mocking smile.
Kaizen didn't reply. He knew that provocation was part of the game, that she was trying to push him into reacting impulsively. He took a defensive stance, feet firmly planted in the ground, hands ready to block.
Kaede attacked first. She was fast—too fast for him to hope to follow her movements with his eyes. Her first strike was a feint, her fist aiming for his face before retracting at the last moment, making way for a low kick. Kaizen tried to dodge, but he was too slow. His balance was broken, and he rolled on the ground before getting back up as quickly as possible.
— "Better," Ryuji commented. "But still not enough."
Kaede didn't give him time to breathe. She followed up with a flurry of strikes, forcing Kaizen to retreat. He blocked as best he could, but each hit pushed him further toward the inevitable—an opening, a mistake. She found his exposed flank and took advantage of it. A powerful kick sent him crashing onto his back.
— "You're too defensive," Kaede grumbled. "You just take hits, but you have nothing to counter with."
Kaizen groaned as he got up. He already knew that, but hearing it from his sister made the truth sting even more. He didn't have raw power. His Quirk was offensive in a way, but he couldn't always hide behind his creations.
— "Then find a solution," Ryuji said, leaning back in his chair. "Because in a real fight, you won't have time to overthink things."
Kaizen closed his eyes for a moment. He thought. He had to change his approach.
The fight resumed. This time, he didn't just defend. He tried to anticipate Kaede's movements, to react instead of merely enduring. It wasn't a victory—not even close—but he lasted longer. And that was already a small step forward.
February 27, 23XX
A week had passed since that training. Kaizen had been sore for several days, but his mind remained focused on finding a way to overcome his weaknesses. Today, however, he had to focus on something else: a history lesson on the world's changes after the emergence of Alters.
The teacher, a man with tired eyes and a calm voice, stood in front of the class. Behind him, a digital screen displayed a map of the world marked with red zones and altered borders.
"The emergence of Alters—known as the Age of Alters—disrupted global geopolitics in unpredictable ways. Some nations were able to adapt quickly, integrating Alters into their military and economic systems. Others descended into chaos."
He pointed to a vast red zone covering much of Eastern Europe.
"For example, here, some states never managed to stabilize their populations after the emergence of Alters and Neoforms. The result? Lawless zones, civil wars, conflicts in some African countries, the Middle East, and states and provinces declaring their independence. Examples: California (USA), the Falkland Islands, New Caledonia (France), Catalonia (Spain), Quebec (Canada), Texas (USA), Scotland (UK) and more. Governments were reduced to hiring superpowered mercenaries to maintain a semblance of order."
He paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing.
"But the biggest change wasn't political. Humanity itself transformed."
The screen displayed a series of images: cities protected by enormous walls, slums stretching around them, and vast wastelands where nature had taken over.
"The first manifestation of an Alter was recorded in 20XX in China. Initially considered a rare genetic anomaly, the mutation quickly spread. Within a decade, millions of children were born with superhuman abilities. The governments, overwhelmed, tried to regulate the phenomenon… but it was already too late."
A timeline appeared on the screen:
20XX – First manifestation of an Alter in China.
20XX+10 – Exponential rise in Alter births.
20XX+15 – First anti-Alter laws, riots, and social unrest.
20XX+20 – Economic collapse in many countries, replacement of non-Altered workers.
20XX+30 – The Great Division: the world fractures according to its policies toward Alters.
20XX+40 – Emergence of Neoforms, mutant creatures from extreme Alters.
20XX+50 – Animals also develop Alters. Birth of Neoform animals.
The teacher pointed to a section marked The Great Division.
"The world split in two. Countries like Japan, the USA, and some parts of Europe integrated Alters into their society, using them in the police, military, and industry. Other nations, on the other hand, saw them as a threat. Anti-Alter laws were enacted, forcing those with abilities to live in hiding or flee."
He moved to a new image: giant creatures destroying a city.
"Then came the Neoforms. At first, we thought they were isolated cases of extreme evolution among certain Alters. But over time, it became clear that some weren't just gaining powers… their bodies were mutating beyond human recognition."
A student raised their hand.
"Is that why we built walls around cities?"
The teacher nodded.
"Exactly. The human Neoforms were already a problem… But the real breaking point came when animals began to manifest Alters."
The image changed again, showing dense forests, stormy oceans, and plains turned wild.
"Unlike humans, animals evolved much faster. Some became more intelligent, capable of hunting strategies never seen before. Others grew to monstrous sizes, to the point that some regions of the globe became completely uninhabitable. Today, they're called Neoform animals, and they're an even more unpredictable threat than their human counterparts."
"Now, I'll ask you a question. Do you think the emergence of Alters was progress… or a disaster for humanity?"
A tense silence fell, then a student raised their hand.
"A progress," they answered. "We're stronger, more resilient. Science has advanced faster thanks to Alters."
"And the wars that followed?" another student retorted. "The Neoforms escaping control and attacking entire cities?"
"We would've had wars anyway," a third replied. "Humanity has always found reasons to fight."
Sora, sitting not far away, crossed his arms and let out a brief laugh.
"It's neither progress nor disaster. It's just an excuse for those in power to take even more."
The teacher didn't seem surprised by this answer.
"Expand on that, Kiryuu."
Sora shrugged.
"Nothing has changed. Alters are just a new variable in an equation that was already written. The rich and powerful have just found another way to keep their superiority. Heroes are just tools of the state, and villains are just those who refuse to play by their rules."
Kaizen, who had remained silent until then, watched the reaction of the class. Some seemed to agree with Sora, others were uncomfortable. He himself had never really thought about the question from that angle.
The teacher paused before responding.
"That's a cynical view, but not entirely false. The problem is, refusing to play by the rules doesn't necessarily make someone a hero. Sometimes, it just makes them a criminal. The line between the two has never been so blurry."
Kaizen got lost in thought for a moment. The training with Kaede, the discussion in class… It all came back to the same problem. How to face a world where everything seemed to be about power and control? The teacher continued his lecture, but Kaizen knew that he had just added a new question to his list of unanswered problems.