This was the first time I had ever seen this man’s true sincerity.
"Haa…"
Aizawa scratched his head. Fatigue washed over him, yet his mind had never seemed so clear.
"I’ll understand even if you can’t protect me," Marumine said, idly twisting his teacup between his fingers.
"I know exactly what I did—and I know it will put the school in a tight spot. There’s no need for the entire school to be dragged through the mud just for one student, right? I won’t hold it against you if you decide to cut your losses. Sure, I might even get kicked out of my home if I’m expelled for this… but then again, I’d just make a living with stage magic."
A chuckle escaped him—a genuine laugh that told of a boy ready to shoulder the consequences of his actions on his sixteen-year-old shoulders.
"Say no more, Marumine," Aizawa growled in a low, steady tone.
Marumine’s laughter died on his lips at his voice.
Slowly, Aizawa rose from his seat; the sound of the chair scraping on the floor rang sharply. With his hands buried in his pockets, he shifted his gaze toward Principal Nezu—seated on the sofa—and All Might sitting across from him.
No words were needed.
They were comrades who had worked side by side for years—educators who shared the same vision, who pursued the same ideals, and who had nurtured countless students.
Principal Nezu set his teacup aside. His small, dark eyes shone with a spark that was no longer fueled by calculation or scheming but by the pure, almost incandescent passion of an educator.
"Ho-ho…"
Nezu’s whiskers twitched slightly.
"Interesting. Very interesting," he observed.
All Might lifted his head. His blue eyes, though deeply sunken, harbored a blaze fiercer than the sun itself. Slowly—almost ceremoniously—he hoisted his immense frame to a standing position.
They all shared the same thought.
Until moments ago, they had seen Marumine as nothing more than a “risk to be managed.”
But now, they recognized in him a possibility worth protecting.
A child who would not compromise his beliefs for the sake of the world.
A child willing to get his hands dirty and bear the weight of infamy to save his friends.
If they failed to protect a child like this, then what was the very purpose of U.A.?
Hero training? Social contribution?
All of that sounded like empty chatter.
If they couldn’t even safeguard the genuine heart of the student before them, how could they possibly discuss lofty ideals like peace?
Aizawa stepped closer to Marumine, his long shadow falling over the boy.
Marumine looked up at him.
"Get up."
"Huh?"
"It’s time to head back. Second period is about to start—and we can’t have the class rep missing in action."
Marumine’s eyes went wide.
"Wait—so what? My testimony? Expulsion?"
"It’s not necessary," Aizawa replied curtly. "If you refuse to give it, then that’s that. We’re not in the business of breaking your stubborn streak."
"But then the school will…”
"Don’t get it twisted, Marumine," he cut in.
All Might interjected as he stepped forward and placed a heavy, warm hand on Marumine’s shoulder. "The school’s reputation? Public criticism? Those things don’t weigh nearly as much as the sincerity you carry."
All Might’s laughter filled the room—a smile that revealed his white teeth, imbued with the earnest, reliable warmth of a seasoned hero.
"You saved your friends, and you did it with style. That’s the truth. Sure, the process was a bit rough, but what shone through was your unyielding will to rescue."
Clenching his fist, All Might declared, "If you hate it, then I hate it too! And if you’re willing to endure it, we’ll stand with you every step of the way!"
Principal Nezu hopped off the sofa. "That’s right, Marumine! What is U.A.’s motto? Plus Ultra! Isn’t it about pushing further and rising above adversity?"
With a playful sway, Nezu added cheerfully, "The media? Public opinion? Ha! I can handle all that. Believe me, I’m no slouch when it comes to smarts. There are plenty of ways—beyond spinning tall tales—to prove you’re not a cold-blooded killer but a student who made a heroic choice in a crisis! Logic, legal tactics, fact-checks: I’ll marshal U.A.’s entire information network and my own wits for a media campaign!"
His eyes gleamed with a mischievous glint.
"If anyone dares twist my student’s sincerity, I’ll see to it that they’re socially obliterated. They’ll get a firsthand look at just how fearsome a ‘rat’ can be."
"Even if I showed this kind of attitude knowing you’d say those words?" Marumine challenged weakly.
"Even so, Marumine!" Nezu asserted.
"We’re protecting you," Aizawa affirmed.
"If you can’t protect just one student…" All Might added.
"Then what kind of heroes would we be?"
Tori’s voice was laced with a bittersweet smile. "I knew you’d say that," he murmured.
He rose from his seat and continued, "Since I got up, I've even shoved both hands deep into my pocket." His earlier chill had ebbed away, replaced by the familiar, unmotivated look of a high-schooler. Like a bowstring finally released, the tension in the room gave way to a curious sense of relief.
"I’m only saying this now… but honestly, I really wanted to be expelled," Tori remarked offhandedly.
All Might’s eyes nearly popped out, and Principal Nezu froze with his teacup half-raised. Only Aizawa emitted a knowing snort.
"Expelled? What do you mean, Marumine?"
"Exactly as it sounds. U.A. is a prestigious school, and being a hero is everyone’s dream. But let’s be realistic. Being a hero is, without a doubt, a 3D career—Dirty, Difficult, and Dangerous. No weekends, constant call-outs day and night, and putting your life on the line only to have people hurl hate comments at you. You negotiate roughly once and suddenly your humanity’s questioned. I don’t know how anyone’s supposed to handle that."
Tori counted off on his fingers. "Dirty, Difficult, Dangerous. And on top of that, you end up sacrificing weekends, working around the clock, risking your life only to get blasted online. Not to mention, even a single rough negotiation can have your character questioned. How can anyone survive this?"
He made a sound of disgust and shook his head. "I just want to do magic, earn a decent living, hang out with pretty girls, and take it easy. That’s why I’ve been trying to get kicked out since my first day at school… yet somehow, here I am."
There was no trace of pretense in his eyes—only genuine longing for an ordinary, laid-back life. Ambitions of becoming the greatest hero or championing justice were nowhere on his life’s blueprint.
"So that’s how it was after all," Aizawa murmured.
He recalled the listless air during the Quirk Apprehension Test, the utterly lazy attitude during battle training, the complete lack of desire to showcase his Quirk in the principal’s office, and that hopeless expression when he became class representative.
Every piece of the puzzle fit perfectly under the theme: “Desire for Expulsion.”
"But, well… I failed," Tori shrugged, glancing at the three adults who had vowed to stand by him.
The World’s Strongest Hero.
A quirky genius of a principal.
A pragmatic homeroom teacher.
Even though they knew all too well about his lazy nature, they never gave up on him. Instead, they claimed to have seen a small spark hidden within—and extended their hands to share his burden.
"A school backed by adults like you... well, staying a little longer wouldn’t hurt," Tori offered with a small grin.
It wasn’t a sneer or a derisive smile—it was the shy, slightly embarrassed smile of a boy.
"I’ll stick around… at least until you all start hating me." That was his condition: not leaving because he hated it, but staying until his true colors drove you to kick him out—a promise of goodwill on his part.
This is where it all begins.
The messy, self-indulgent Hero Academia of Marumine Tori.
He turned and headed for the door.
Grasping the handle, he paused just before opening the door, as if a thought had suddenly occurred.
"Oh, just so you know..."
He turned his head slightly toward Aizawa. "About my physical fitness test records—they weren’t faked. That’s my full strength: a 50kg grip and a 7-second 50-meter dash. Without the magic act, I’m a total weakling, so don’t get your hopes up."
He added with a snicker, "And if you make me do any stamina training, I’ll run off in a heartbeat."
Leaving those words behind, he quickly slipped out the door.
But just before the door closed—
"Ho? To boast about your weaknesses so boldly..."
A chill ran down his spine as he sensed Aizawa’s eyes turning a terrifying shade of red from behind him.
"In that case, I’m going to rebuild your basic fitness from the ground up. Running away? Do you really think you can outrun the U.A. faculty? Starting tomorrow, you’re on Special Hell Training after school. I’ll drill you until you can’t even think of running away───"
Bang.
Aizawa’s declaration barely faded before the door clicked shut.
Beyond that firmly closed door, Tori’s footsteps echoed as he hurried away.
The three remaining in the reception room stared at the closed door in stunned silence.
Silence.
And then, after a moment...
"Puhahahahaha!!!"
All Might burst into hearty laughter—a release of the laughter he had been holding in.
"Well, well! He really got himself into it! 'Until you all start hating me,' huh? Sir Night Eye would absolutely love that!"
Tori would probably have a heart attack if he heard that, given his penchant for fretting over every little germ and quirk of humor.
"A 3D career, huh… not entirely off the mark! But to think you’d choose that dreary, difficult, and dangerous path while grumbling all the way—that’s truly an endearing quality in a student!"
Principal Nezu snickered too, his eyes twinkling as his tail seemed to sway playfully.
"Delightful. An absolutely delightful student. Our school never had a character quite like you. I might have to tweak our media strategy—framing you not as a ‘tragic hero marred by fate’ but rather as a ‘maverick genius’ suits you better."
He already had dozens of media spin scenarios dancing through his mind.
But Aizawa remained silent—he didn’t laugh.
Folding his arms, he glared at the door through which Tori had vanished.
"Weakling… a magician with such a frail body can’t even muster the strength for a proper trick."
Taking a notebook from his pocket, Aizawa began furiously jotting down notes.
"Marumine Tori Training Plan ver 1.0"
"Basic Strength Training"
"Extreme Cardio Hell Course"
"Basic Close Quarters Combat (CQC)"
"Usage of the Binding Gun"
"I’ll put you through so much training that you won’t die—but you’ll at least start acting like a real human. And until you eventually come to despise it? Hmph, I’m not letting you off until you beg for mercy."
A slow smile crept across his face.
"Brace yourself, Marumine. You’ve willingly walked straight into the tiger’s den."
As he walked down the corridor, Marumine Tori suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine—as if a giant snake were coiling around his neck.
"Ugh… must be my imagination," he muttered, quickening his pace while his body trembled.
The spring sunlight streaming through the window dazzled him.
Outside, the shouts of students in gym class mixed with the distant clamor of construction as robots were built.
The campus buzzed with a peaceful yet vibrant chaos.
Tori completely untied his tie and shoved it deep into his pocket.
He unbuttoned a couple more buttons.
At last, he felt a glimmer of relief.
"Well, somehow things will work out."
*
It might have slipped my mind to mention that this is the story of a man who would one day be known as “The Deceiver Hero,” “The Trickster,” or “The Final Joker.”
The man who mocked countless villains,
who turned the tide of a hopeless battle with a single trick of magic,
who rose to the top among those wielding unconventional powers using nothing but sheer cunning and sleight of hand,
the most unconventional and captivating hero in U.A.’s history… might have been able to say that.
But then again, such grand claims were far too tiresome for Marumine’s nature.
Let it be known: this is the bittersweet—and often laughably absurd—chronicle of the lazy magician.
A record of debauched nights chasing after beautiful women, excessive drinking and revelry, and ultimately, of a life so slothful that it transformed him into a portly, incompetent man.
It all began with those “glory days…” stories he would recount—stories that invariably ended with his conquests being met with swift retribution from his exes.
This is the legendary prologue to Marumine Tori’s Hero Academia.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register