In another world, far removed from the chaos unfolding in New York, Kana Kimishima stared at the Interdimensional Chatroom interface in confusion.
"…Level 8?"
She blinked, refreshing the screen like it might correct itself.
"He just jumped two levels at once… how is that even possible?"
Back in the Hero Association's underground training facility, the answer stood towering over everything.
Noah Vale, now massive—his body scaled to an absurd size—barely paid attention to the girl hovering in front of him.
Instead, his focus drifted inward.
He was evaluating.
Testing.
The boost he'd gained from the size-altering technology was staggering. Strength, speed, durability—all of it had skyrocketed. But something about it felt… temporary. Borrowed.
So it doesn't translate into permanent growth, he concluded. Shame.
Across from him, Tatsumaki watched carefully, her sharp gaze scanning every inch of his transformed body.
Her expression hardened.
"So that's your trick," she said coldly. "Growing bigger doesn't make you special. I've crushed things a lot bigger than you."
Power surged.
Invisible force flooded the chamber, bending the air, cracking the reinforced floor. Her psychic energy pressed down like a collapsing sky.
Normally, it would have been enough to tear apart anything in its path.
But Noah didn't move.
Didn't react.
The force washed over him… and did nothing.
Not even the nearby debris shifted.
Tatsumaki's eyes narrowed.
"…what did you do?"
Noah didn't answer right away.
Then he looked at her.
"You done?" he asked.
And vanished.
In the next instant, he was already in front of her.
His hand closed around her before she could react, gripping her and launching forward in a blur.
The building behind them ruptured as they tore through it.
By the time Tatsumaki regained her bearings, the city was gone.
They stood in a barren stretch of land far outside the urban zone, dust swirling under the wake of their arrival.
Noah glanced around briefly.
"…went a bit too far," he admitted. "Still getting used to this."
Tatsumaki twisted in his grip, fury blazing.
"Put me down!"
Her psychic power surged again, stronger this time—violent enough to flatten landscapes.
But against Noah's amplified state, it barely registered.
He tilted his head, studying her.
"You're persistent," he said. "I'll give you that."
Then, without warning, he applied pressure—controlled, precise.
Not enough to seriously harm her.
But enough to make a point.
Tatsumaki's breath caught, her attack faltering for a split second.
Noah released her slightly, only for her power to surge again immediately.
Again.
And again.
The pattern repeated.
Every time she attacked, he countered—not with overwhelming force, but with measured control, interrupting her rhythm, breaking her momentum.
Minutes passed.
The battlefield remained intact—but the tension didn't.
Eventually, her attacks slowed.
Not stopped.
Just… less relentless.
Noah watched her quietly for a moment.
Then exhaled.
"Still fighting," he said. "Even now."
There was no mockery in his tone this time.
Just observation.
Tatsumaki glared at him, breathing uneven, anger still burning bright—but no longer reckless.
Noah straightened.
The massive scale of his body began to shrink.
Slowly at first, then rapidly, his form returning to normal size as the borrowed enhancement faded away.
The overwhelming presence that had filled the area receded with it.
He flexed his hand once, as if confirming the loss.
"…temporary," he muttered.
Tatsumaki hovered in place, watching him carefully, her guard still up.
Noah glanced at her one last time.
Then turned.
"Next time," he said casually, "bring something new."
And just like that, the clash ended—not with a decisive blow, but with a shift in balance.
...
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