The Ascension

Friday Night.

The stadium was packed, everyone shouting. The energy in the air was electric—undeniable.

Every screen, every device, was streaming the fight. Even people at home were locked in.

S-Class Heroes' Pre-Fight Interviews:

► S-Class Hero (Fracture) – Pre-Fight Interview:

"Everyone should be watching because the post-fight press will be revolutionary."

► S-Class Hero (Drift) – Pre-Fight Interview:

"The Association has planned something big. Enjoy the fight."

The Hero Association's biggest stadium was hosting the event, and the commentators were barely holding back their excitement.

"We have a sold-out crowd! The world is watching! The hype is REAL!"

The lights dimmed. The air buzzed.

Then—BOOM! Pyro blasted from the entrance tunnel.

Adheso walked out first.

Smirking. Waving. Playing the crowd.

He loved the attention—the chants, the cameras. Even the boos didn't faze him. He was here to entertain. To sell himself.

The moment he stepped into the ring, his mic was already on.

"Endure's a solid fighter. I'll give him that." He smiled, then looked straight at the camera. "But let's be honest—I trained the guy. There are levels to this."

The crowd reaction was mixed. Cheers, boos, laughter—he knew how to work them.

Then—

The lights cut out.

The crowd exploded.

The lights were gone. The music was gone.

Then—BOOM. The lights slammed back on. The pyros all went out.

Endure was already halfway down the tunnel.

The chants kept getting louder.

"ENDURE! ENDURE! ENDURE!"

Adheso was talking, laughing, flexing for the cameras.

Endure just walked.

Eyes locked forward. Shoulders loose. Hands taped. Ready. Focused.

The camera zoomed in—both of them standing just a few meters apart.

The crowd-

Lost their minds.

► "WHY IS THIS SO HYPE?!"

► "ADHESO OUT HERE DOING PRESS TOURS, ENDURE LOOKS LIKE HE'S ABOUT TO END A BLOODLINE."

The ref stepped between them.

"You both know the rules. Fight clean."

The ref raised his hand.

DING! FIGHT!

Adheso moved first. Fast. Calculated.

His ability, Adhesion Lock, allowed him to stick anything to anything.

Endure sidestepped. Dodged. Light on his feet. But Adheso was baiting him in.

Then—SLAP.

Adheso's palm caught Adam's forearm.

The crowd gasped.

Adam tried to pull away—stuck.

Adheso grinned. "You're mine now."

He twisted—

Adam let it happen.

Instead of resisting, he went with it.

A massive counter-knee to the ribs.

Adheso stumbled back, wheezing.

Adam pulled his arm free.

The crowd erupted.

Adheso spat to the side. "Heh. Cute. But that's all you got?"

Endure said nothing.

Just rolled his shoulder.

Adheso rushed forward, going for the legs.

If he could lock Endure to the ground, the fight was over.

He lunged—

WHAM.

A knee spiked into his chest.

The impact lifted him off his feet.

Crowd: "OOOOOOOOH!"

Adheso stumbled back, coughing. "The hell—"

Endure cracked his knuckles. "Try again."

Adheso gritted his teeth.

This was bad.

He needed to switch tactics—

But Adam was already moving.

Fast. Precise. Hunting.

A feint. A step-in. Then—

CRACK!

A body shot that FOLDED Adheso.

The commentators lost their minds.

"OH MY GOD! HE'S KILLING HIM!"

"THIS ISN'T EVEN CLOSE!"

Adheso was gasping for air. His legs wobbled.

He had one last shot.

A desperation move.

A wild swing.

Adam leaned back. Dodged it by quite a margin.

Then—

He caught Adheso's wrist.

Adheso's eyes widened.

Oh. Shit.

Adam leaned in, voice low.

"Now you're stuck with me."

Adam punched him—countless times—holding his arm to prevent him from moving away.

He stored force from every strike.

Biting his lower lip from the pain he was feeling.

Adheso was being treated like a punching bag, his eyes rolling back.

Adheso tried to break free but couldn't.

And when Adam couldn't take more pain—

He released everything.

BOOM.

Every ounce of stored force unleashed in one shot.

Adheso's body whipped sideways—

Sent flying across the arena.

CRASH!

Right into the stadium wall.

Silence.

The ref ran in. Checked him.

Then—waved his hands.

"WINNER: ENDURE!"

The arena exploded.

Y CRASHED.

#EndureSweep (12M Tweets)

#Fraudheso (10M Tweets)

#ShouldaTrainedForReal (8M Tweets)

Even S-Class heroes reacted.

► S-Class Hero (Fracture) – Live Reaction:

"Yeah, uh… that wasn't even a fight."

► S-Class Hero (Drift) – Live Reaction:

"Adheso should delete his account after that."

Adheso's reputation collapsed within minutes.

Clips of the fight flooded every platform.

► "Dude thought he was the final boss. Turns out he was the tutorial fight."

► "Adheso: 'I trained him.' Endure: 'I trained him how to lose.'"

► "He spent more time hyping the fight than surviving it."

Backstage.

Adam wiped sweat from his face, breathing steady.

Then—

A knock on his locker room door.

He turned.

A Hero Association official stepped inside. Serious expression.

"Endure. We need to talk."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "About?"

The official handed him a folder.

He opened it.

Class B Promotion Request.

But underneath that—

A box.

Stamped with the Hero Association logo.

Adam frowned. "What's this?"

The official folded his arms. "A new opportunity."

"That doesn't answer my question." Adam took a seat, opening the box.

Adam's eyes glowed with excitement—almost as if all exhaustion and pain left his body.

It was a hero suit.

"Wow. I love you, Hero Association. You might be money-hungry, but… good kind."

Adam pulled the suit out. Sleek. Futuristic. Designed for mobility, with cups inside the fabric to suppress pain.

"It's designed for extreme pain tolerance so you can maximize the output of your ability," the official said proudly.

Adam hugged the suit, breaking down into tears.

"I finally made it... I have my own issued suit from the Association."

Then—he noticed something.

A letter at the bottom of the box.

He picked it up.

HERO ASSOCIATION ASCENSION ACADEMY PERMIT.

Adam frowned. "Academy? I already finished my schooling and one year of training."

Inside was a blue card. His name and the Academy's logo were on it.

Adam ran his hand over the silver-blue card.

Then looked up at the official for answers.

"Don't worry. Just go out. Everything will become clear."

"You mean back in the arena?"

The official nodded.

The Arena.

The Hero Association Chairman stepped into the center.

The crowd was puzzled. Everyone's eyes locked with intrigue.

Adam couldn't believe it.

The Chairman was here.

This was big.

The Hero Association's highest authority. The man who oversaw every hero, from rookies to S-Class legends.

And he was looking directly at him.

"Come forward, Endure."

The mic carried his voice across the stadium. The crowd hushed.

Adam was shook but took a deep breath and stepped into the light.

He stepped forward, his mind racing, feeling the excitement.

He walked across the arena floor, feeling the energy, the weight of millions watching. His brand-new Hero Association suit was still in the box under his arm, the Academy permit still in his hand.

When he reached the Chairman, the older man extended his hand. Adam hesitated, then shook it.

"Congratulations, Endure," the Chairman said, his grip firm. "Tonight, you didn't just win a fight—you proved something bigger."

The stadium lights dimmed.

A massive holographic display lit up behind them.

The words flashed across every screen:

HERO ASCENSION ACADEMY – OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Even the commentators were stunned.

The Chairman turned toward the cameras, his voice steady, commanding.

"The Hero Association was built on strength, but for too long, true talent has gone unnoticed."

"The world watches the S-Class, the legends, the icons… but what about those still climbing?"

He gestured toward Adam.

"What about heroes like Endure—who prove themselves in battle, yet remain in the shadows?"

The crowd listened, on the edge of their seats.

"Tonight, we change that."

The holographic screen shifted—showing a massive futuristic facility. Training grounds. Stadiums. Dorms.

HERO ASCENSION ACADEMY.

"A program like no other," the Chairman continued. "A proving ground where heroes will either rise… or be forgotten."

The stadium exploded with reactions.

The Chairman held up a silver-blue card.

Adam recognized it instantly—it was the same as the one in his hand.

"A select few heroes will receive this," the Chairman said, lifting the card higher. "An invitation to surpass their limits."

The camera zoomed in on Adam.

The crowd lost it.

Adam's grip tightened around the card.

"The Hero Ascension Academy isn't just training. It's survival. You'll start with nothing. No sponsors, no money, no support. Just your ability… and your will to fight."

Adam took a deep breath. His entire life had been struggle. Pain. Growth. Pushing past his limits.

He looked at the card.

The stadium ERUPTED.

The Hero Association logo flashed on every screen. The Hero Ascension Academy's promotional video played.

Across the world, heroes reacted.

► S-Class Hero (Fracture) – Live Reaction:

"Endure just became the most interesting guy in the Association. I envy the guy, honestly."

► Hero Association Official Statement:

"The first wave of invites has been sent. The world is about to witness a new era of heroes."

#HeroAscension (25M Tweets)

#EndureRises (19M Tweets)

#NoMoreUnderdogs (15M Tweets)

Adam stood in the center of the arena, feeling the weight of everything.

His body ached. His knuckles were still raw. He could barely feel his legs.

But none of it mattered.

Because he was about to rise.