After-school training had successfully taken root.
Not everyone could attend every day due to their own circumstances, but they still participated with enthusiasm and worked hard.
Though the period had been short, the results were starting to show, and soon the day of the decisive battle arrived.
Kirishima got out of bed and stretched, carefully checking the condition of his entire body.
"I feel good. Nothing hurts, and my body feels light."
He clenched then unclenched his fist before heading toward the mirror.
A sharp, handsome figure in the mirror regarded him with a stiff expression.
Noticing the hint of youthful immaturity in his own reflection, Kirishima offered a crooked smile.
The man in the mirror returned the gesture by lifting the corners of his mouth.
The sight made Kirishima feel his blood begin to boil.
In truth, he was eager for what lay ahead.
How could he not be excited by the opportunity to face a monster on All Might’s level? Any fighter’s heart would race with anticipation.
"Hmph. Calm down."
Kirishima raised his hand, forcing down the exuberant grin that threatened to take over his face.
He reminded himself that this battle was not fought in isolation.
This wasn’t a private brawl for his own amusement—it was a confrontation where allies and enemies would clash head-on.
Protecting civilians and his classmates had been a duty he embraced the moment he chose the path of a Hero over that of a Villain.
If he weren’t planning to live off his own strength, then accepting this burden was both the duty and the privilege of being strong. Kirishima had never once turned away from either responsibility or right—even in his past life.
He took a deep breath and reviewed his guiding principles.
To be honest, he didn’t remember the exact details of what was about to happen. All he recalled were scattered fragments—a memory of Aizawa getting beaten to a pulp, Tsuyu surviving on the edge of death, and All Might finally blasting the monster away after a grueling struggle.
Since he couldn’t foresee the full sequence of events, he couldn’t devise a detailed plan. The only rule he had settled on was to stick close to anyone who ended up badly injured. Everything else would have to be handled on the fly as circumstances unfolded.
With that in mind, Kirishima turned on the tap and began washing up.
After a quick shower, he finished breakfast with Ashido and headed to school while carrying a secret he couldn’t share with anyone.
After greeting the classmates he had grown fairly close to, Aizawa entered not long afterward.
Standing at the lectern, he spoke in his usual disinterested tone, "For today's Hero Basics class... it will be a trio setup: me, All Might, and one other."
As the students murmured at the unusual arrangement of three teachers, Sero raised his hand and asked, "Yes! What exactly are we doing?"
It was as if Aizawa had been waiting for the question. Holding up a board marked RESCUE, he replied, "Disaster, distress—whatever comes your way. It’s rescue training."
"Rescue? This sounds tough again."
"Right?"
"This is exactly what a Hero is meant to do."
"If it’s distress, that’s my stage. Ribbit."
Aizawa then added, "Hey, I’m still talking here. This time, whether or not you wear your costumes is up to you. Some costumes may restrict your movements, so choose wisely. The training site is a bit far, so we’ll take a bus. That’s all—get ready."
With that, Aizawa left the room.
Midoriya quietly clenched his fist.
"Rescue training! Training to get closer to the greatest Hero I admire! I’ll do my best!"
Some students, like Midoriya, steeled their resolve; others remained silent and indifferent, while some chattered excitedly.
Kirishima absorbed the scene, then quietly picked up his costume and headed to the changing room.
After donning his freshly mended combat boots, black pants, and the belt buckle fashioned like a devil’s face, he checked his condition one last time.
Memories of the time he had spent in this world since birth drifted through his mind. Though he now saw himself as a true resident of this world, when he was born he had often felt an acute sense of alienation.
There had been times when he barely ate, cried, or laughed—days filled with wondering, anger, and despair over why these things had happened to him. Had his mother not embraced him and whispered that he was the most precious baby in the world, and had his father not gently stroked his head as he drifted off to sleep, he might still have felt like a stranger.
He didn’t even understand the words they spoke because he didn’t know Japanese, yet the warmth in their actions seeped into his heart without the need for language.
If he had not been born as his parents’ child, he might have skipped the complicated, bothersome procedures of becoming a Hero and simply become a Villain who wielded his strength with ease instead.
"I wasn’t uninformed—I was absolutely sure."
Kirishima, fully aware of who he was, thought that to himself.
Now, battle awaited.
Kirishima had assessed the enemy as being on All Might’s level and intended to take on the monster that had once gone toe-to-toe with All Might for a long time.
Even when stripping away any sense of arrogance, it was clear that until All Might appeared, Kirishima was the most formidable force present.
If that monster went berserk, no one could predict the outcome, so it was only prudent for Kirishima to mark its position.
Of course, he might die. He hadn’t even entertained the thought of coming out unscathed. No matter how strong he had become, if that foe truly was on All Might’s level, expecting to block it against a single scratch was nothing short of a fantasy.
He stayed cool-headed, and as a professional fighter, he knew full well that wishful thinking never made a hard battle any easier.
In truth, his options weren’t limited solely to fighting. He could choose to hide as if nothing were wrong, or he could take down a few small fry and wait for All Might to appear and settle everything. He could even convince himself that, just as in the original story, everything would be fine since no one ever died.
"As if. If I were going to do that, I might as well kill myself."
There was simply no way he could do that.
With his strong sense of pride, Kirishima could never abandon his responsibilities. If he were to ignore dangerous foes and run away, then what would all those grueling, blood-spitting training sessions have been for?
Kirishima was not the sort of man who could live that way. He was a predator, a conqueror, and the owner of his own destiny. He had believed that with every fiber of his being and had never once doubted it.
"A duty that comes with it..."
He straightened his shoulders and banged his fists together twice. The clanging metallic sound reverberated through the changing room, and the silence that followed was broken when the door opened.
Todoroki, arriving in what looked like shabby work clothes, flinched at the sight of Kirishima’s intense expression.
"Is something wrong? Your face looks scary."
"Huh? Ah, no, nothing. I’m just a little tense."
"That’s unusual. You don’t ever seem tense."
"Yeah. Honestly, I’m more excited than tense."
"I see."
Shortly after, a group of boys entered, cutting off their conversation. Kirishima went out first to wait for the others, and before long everyone had gathered.
Instead of wearing a costume, Uraraka asked Midoriya, who had only a few pouches strapped around his waist, "Deku, you’re in your gym clothes. Where’s your costume?"
"It got wrecked during combat training... the support team is fixing it, so I’m waiting."
Iida’s booming voice rang out among the chatting students, "Class 1-A, assemble! Line up in two rows by number so boarding the bus goes smoothly!"
"Iida, full throttle..."
After blowing a whistle to gather everyone, Iida boarded the bus and immediately looked disappointed.
"Damn it, was it always like this with the bus?"
Contrary to Iida’s expectations, the seats were arranged like a subway car—lined up along the sides so that passengers could face each other.
"That was pointless."
"I just say whatever’s on my mind, Deku."
"Huh? Yeah. Tsuyu."
Tsuyu, who had grown familiar with Kirishima from hanging around with him, spoke first, sending Midoriya into a brief panic.
Still, having met Uraraka a few times before, he recovered quickly and replied.
Then Tsuyu said in a calm voice, "Your Quirk is a lot like All Might’s."
"I-I-I—is it? No, but... I mean, I..."
Midoriya stammered, and Kirishima, who knew the truth, clicked his tongue inwardly but remained silent.
Instead, Sho piped up, his round eyes rolling animatedly, "Still, All Might doesn’t get hurt, does he? You end up injured every time you use yours. Maybe they just look similar? But I do envy the simplicity of just getting stronger—my Quirk, Tail, doesn’t really stand out..."
"But I think it’s cool. It has limitless potential. It should work even in the pros, right?"
Sho responded with a hint of disappointment, "The pros, huh. But if you want to work as a Pro Hero, recognition matters too, doesn’t it? Honestly, it kinda feels like you live off popularity."
"My Naval Laser is both flashy and powerful enough for the pros."
"But having a weak stomach isn’t ideal."
Aoyama, who had briefly launched into self-praise, was immediately cut off by Ashido.
"If we’re talking flashy and strong, that’d be Todoroki, Bakugo, and Kirishima. Though I can’t tell if Kirishima’s being flashy or just intimidating."
On someone’s comment, Tsuyu blinked and added, "Bakugo seems angry every day, so I doubt he’ll be popular."
"What did you just say? You want to settle this?"
"See?"
After Tsuyu explained with an emphatic jab of her finger, Kaminari chimed in, "In this short time, he’s already been pegged as having a personality like boiled sewage! Unbelievable!"
"What kind of vocabulary is that, you idiot! I'll kill you!"
'Kacchan is getting teased by someone other than Kirishima—unbelievable. This is U.A. after all!'
While Midoriya muttered in shock, Yaoyorozu covered her mouth and murmured, "Such crude conversation."
"But I like conversations like these!"
Uraraka replied with a bright smile.
They might have continued laughing if Aizawa hadn’t stepped in to change the mood.
"We’ll be arriving soon. That’s enough."
"Yes!"
Upon disembarking from the bus, the students were greeted by a massive dome and a figure clad in a spacesuit.
Kirishima squinted as he looked at her, knowing that in the events to come she would likely be among the heavily injured, while the other students were visibly impressed.
"I’ve been waiting for you all."
"It’s the Space Hero, 13! A gallant Hero who shines in disaster rescue!"
"Wow! I love 13!"
As always, Midoriya provided a running commentary while Uraraka clutched her fists and shook them up and down in delight.
"Let’s head inside right away."
"Please take care of us!"
The students followed her guidance and moved toward the dome.
Inside, true to its enormous scale, the structure was divided into various zones. At first glance, it resembled an amusement park, and the students couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.
"Wow!"
"Amazing!"
"Is this USJ or what?"
"I’ve built this training ground to simulate every possible accident and disaster—emergency incidents, landslides, fires, torrential rains, and more. Its name is derived from the 'Uso' of fake and 'Jiko' and 'Saigai' for accidents and disasters. In short, USJ!"
"It really was USJ!"
Disregarding the shocked reactions of the students, Aizawa asked her, "13, where’s All Might? We were supposed to meet him here..."
"Senpai, well..."
She moved closer to Aizawa and lowered her voice.
When Aizawa looked puzzled, she continued, "On his way to work, it seems he pushed his activities right up against the time limit... so he’s resting in the break room."
"That’s the height of absurdity. Hah."
'Well, it’s just a precautionary stance for the worst-case scenario...'
Not knowing what was about to unfold, Aizawa was just about to start the lesson.
Kirishima slowly increased the intensity of his Hardening, preparing for battle.
Under normal conditions, it took about ten seconds to enter Demon Form. However, by gradually ramping up the Hardening—even at the risk of being noticed—he could reduce the transformation time to five seconds.
As faint polygonal patterns began to emerge across his skin, unnoticed by anyone, the teachers’ lesson continued.
"No time to waste. Shall we begin?"
At Aizawa’s cue, 13 counted on her fingers and muttered, "Before we begin, a sermon—one, two, three... four."
As the numbers crept upward and the students grew weary of counting, she began her address.
She lifted her hand for all to see and said, "As you all know, my Quirk is Black Hole. It sucks in anything and turns it into dust."
"With that Quirk, you can save people no matter what disaster strikes!"
Midoriya’s admiration and Uraraka’s enthusiastic nodding did little to stop 13 from continuing in a solemn tone, "Yes. But it’s also a power that can just as easily kill."
At her words, the students flinched.
"Each of you possesses a Quirk like that. Our superhuman society was established by strictly regulating the use of Quirks and qualifying them for use. But never forget that if misused, a Quirk can just as easily take a life. I believe Aizawa’s physical fitness test has revealed the hidden potential within your strength, and All Might’s combat training has taught you the dangers when that potential is directed at others."
While everyone listened intently, her advice continued, "In this class, let’s rededicate ourselves! Learn how to use your Quirks not to harm, but to protect human lives. Always remember that your power exists not to injure, but to save. Thank you for listening!"
"So cool!"
"Bravo! Bravo!"
The students erupted in cheers as 13 concluded her sermon with a stylish bow.
Aizawa was about to announce the start of class when he interjected, "Then, to begin..."
At that moment, the lights shining down on the students sparked and went out.
The lake in the central plaza, having lost its strength, began spurting water intermittently.
It was then that a black distortion appeared before the lake. What had first looked like a small crack gradually widened until it obscured the entire water.
As Aizawa sensed something amiss and turned around, a hand emerged from the crack as if to open a door.
Between the fingers of the hand that obscured its face, a hollow, cloudy eye appeared.
Aizawa immediately shouted, "Stay together and don’t move!"
"Huh?"
As the confused students reacted, Kirishima instinctively halted his forward momentum and transformed into Demon Form.
If he could decapitate the enemy with a surprise attack, it would be ideal—but the crack seemed to defy physical force.
Kirishima focused intently on his transformation. Horns sprouted from various parts of his body, and a red glow flared in his eyes. Hexagonal plates emerged tightly across his bright scarlet skin, leaving no gap.
"13! Protect the students!"
"What in the world is that? Is this like one of those scenarios where it starts before the entrance exam?"
"Don’t move! That’s a Villain!"
Aizawa’s urgent cry swept over the students—startled, frightened, and tense.
Cutting through the chaos that had settled over the training ground, the devil stepped forward. The promised battle was drawing near.
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