It had been a week since their conversation in the principal's office. Nezu had wanted to test something specific, and now the moment had arrived.
Neito, being the only person besides All For One to have the ability to wield multiple quirks simultaneously, was about to test what happened when two quirks worked together, back-to-back. Nezu's theory was simple: could they complement each other? Could they enhance his abilities further?
But before starting the grand experiment, Nezu had told Neito to practice copying random quirks to get used to switching between them. Neito was standing in the secret training ground, alone with Nezu. His mind was still processing the new quirks he'd recently copied.
"Neito-kun, do you have both quirks copied?" Nezu's voice echoed through the air, snapping Neito out of his thoughts.
Neito nodded, showing Nezu the two rings on his little finger, which were coiled with black strands of hair.
"Fantastic. Go for it."
Neito took a deep breath and nodded once more. He focused, placed his hands on his belly, and began the process.
_Swilsh_
A yellow, brick-like object started emerging from his belly. At first, it was difficult to identify, but the shiny metallic surface quickly gave it away.
"You made a gold brick, Neito-kun? Really?" Nezu raised an eyebrow, amused.
Neito just shrugged nonchalantly. "Why not? Gold is a pretty useful metal. Knowing how to create it is important."
Nezu shook his head, but deep down, he knew Neito was just messing around. He'd seen that smirk before.
"But now's not the time for this," Nezu said, waving a hand. "You can create as much gold as you want later. We have a more important task at hand."
Neito looked at Nezu, still holding the gold bar like it was a toy—a very expensive toy.
"You see, old man," Neito began, "this is the money I earned with my own ability. It has a different meaning to it."
Nezu laughed lightly, shaking his head. "Fine, fine. You're right, Neito-kun. You earned it with your ability," he added, but there was a playful edge to his voice.
"Now, onto your next quirk, Neito-kun. We have a lot to do after this as well."
The mention of more work immediately made Neito's expression serious. After tossing the golden bar aside like it was nothing, he focused again, ready to move on.
He took a deep breath and activated his second quirk. Suddenly, his baby fat seemed to grow, and his arms and legs puffed up slightly.
Nothing much happened after that.
Neito glanced down at his now plump hands, feeling a bit awkward. This quirk wasn't exactly glamorous.
"Fantastic," Nezu said, looking at Neito's new form. "Tell me how you feel about both of them, in detail."
Neito looked at his chubby arms for a moment, then spoke with a sigh. "The first quirk, 'Creation,' is handy to use—very versatile—but things take time to create, and it demands a lot of knowledge to make them properly."
He paused, then continued, "The second quirk, 'Fat,' on the other hand, has no demand for knowledge. It just takes my nutrients and turns them into fat. I feel a little hungry after using it, though."
Nezu nodded thoughtfully. "You see, Neito-kun? A quirk that can create things from stored fat, but it can't help you gain fat in the first place, making the process a bit inefficient."
Nezu gestured to the golden bar Neito had discarded earlier. "The second quirk makes you fat, and fat alone. It has its uses, but it's not as flexible or effective as 'Creation.'"
"Both of these quirks have limitations, and the users have to deal with them in some fashion to make their quirks more effective," Nezu continued, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "But you, Neito-kun, can break that rule. Try using both quirks back-to-back. I want to see how they work together. Go ahead, give it a try."
Nezu handed Neito a bar of chocolate. Neito took it, eating the whole thing in a few bites before preparing himself.
He bent down, exposing his back to the air for maximum surface area.
"Let's begin."
Though Neito couldn't activate both quirks at once due to the limitations of his Copy quirk, he'd learned to switch between them quickly and use them consecutively. This was exactly what Nezu had been teaching him, and now Neito was ready to put it to the test.
With one swift motion, Neito activated the "Fat" quirk and then immediately switched to the "Creation" quirk, hoping the two would complement each other.
_Swilsh!_
Faster than he'd ever used "Creation" before, a massive construct began emerging from his back. The object was metallic, and in seconds, it formed into a fully operational suit of armor, complete with a jet engine and balancing mechanisms.
_Clank_
Two large cannons appeared on his hands and were attached to the armor.
"Done," Neito said simply, stepping back.
Nezu grinned broadly, clearly impressed. This entire contraption had taken only three seconds to create. _Three seconds and a chocolate bar_—that was what Nezu was after. This was the key: a quirk capable of holding multiple quirks together could result in remarkable synergy.
"Ha-ha-ha! Fantastic, Neito-kun! I see you remembered the theoretical design for the Iron Might Armor I showed you earlier!"
Neito smiled, his face now back to normal without the chubby appearance. He activated the jet engines, and the wings connected to him via nerve attachments began to hum.
_Woooosh_
The jet engines roared to life, and Neito started floating in the air. But he didn't do anything more. While a microcontroller had been created along with the armor, it didn't seem to have the necessary code installed to function.
'So I can create computer devices, but I can't create them with an OS already installed? Maybe I'll be able to do that with more practice,' Neito thought, frowning slightly.
Nezu, noticing Neito's expression, cleared his throat and walked over to him. It was time to explain the purpose of this entire experiment.
"How does the concept of quirk combination feel, Neito-kun?" Nezu asked, his voice serious but excited.
Neito rubbed his chin thoughtfully while floating in the air, his mind racing. "It should have a _very_ high potential. If I develop both of these quirks more, I can create fat out of less nutrients and generate objects far faster. With enough practice, I'm confident I could build structures as big as skyscrapers in a few seconds. 'Creation' can't do that alone. A regular human doesn't have enough fat reserves to make that possible, but with these two quirks combined…"
Nezu's smile widened in satisfaction as he nodded sagely.
"You're right, Neito-kun. This is what I was hoping for. You've already grasped the full potential of these quirks and how to maximize their use. You understand them far better than their original users ever did."
Neito gave a small, proud grin. "Looks like copy isn't just about imitation anymore, huh?"
Nezu nodded. "Exactly. It's about taking what's been copied and _improving_ upon it. You're not just a copycat—you're creating something far greater from what you have. That's the next level of 'Copy.'"
Neito's smile grew wider, and he turned his attention back to the iron might suit, silently wondering just how far he could push this new combination.