The laptop's search results loaded slowly, each word resonating like a call from another universe. He stared at them, heart pounding.
UA High School. Quirks. Heroes. Villains.
These weren't just terms they were fragments of a reality he'd only ever seen in fiction. Now, they surrounded him like walls closing in.
He scrolled through news articles: hero rankings, Quirk classifications, villain threats. Names he recognized from manga and anime Midoriya, Bakugo, All Might now felt as tangible as the pounding in his temples.
This is real.
He's in their world.
His breath caught. If this is My Hero Academia, then the timeline matters. He searched for "U.S.J. Arc" and confirmed it: the League of Villains had attacked U.A. High's training facility, the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, in a shocking early battle that tested Class 1-A's first real encounter with villains. (myheroacademia.fandom.com)
Grey's stomach lurched. That attack was the turning point a brutal introduction to the dark side of this world. If he'd woken up after that, the world had already shifted.
He closed the laptop, mind racing. The implications were staggering:
-The League of Villains had revealed themselves.
-Nomu and Shigaraki had made their first appearance, and All Might had shown his true power and vulnerability.
-Class 1-A had been tested under fire, and the course of hero society had begun to turn.
He stood and walked to the window, looking out at the city beyond the same city that had just endured the U.S.J. attack. Sirens wailed in the distance. Civilians hurried through the streets, some in costume. Heroes patrolled, vigilant.
This world was bruised, but not broken. And here he was alive, aware, and armed with knowledge from two lives: one that ended in flames, and another that had just begun.
He needed to act.
If hero society was already reeling from that first assault, more attacks would follow and sooner than he could imagine. Civilians, including him, would be targets. He didn't know the geography of this world, the political structure, or how to reach out for help. But if he wanted to survive if he wanted to do anything he had to prepare.
He turned away from the window and scanned the room. The desk, the laptop, the clothes all lifelines in a world he barely understood. He needed allies, information, a plan.
He had to move. To learn. To survive.
Two days have passed since he awoke in this unfamiliar world. The lingering headache feels like a constant pulse, reminding him that he's no longer the man he used to be a petroleum worker who died in an explosion. Now, he exists as Grey Saito, a 21-year-old college student and part-time reporter.
From the moment he arrived, he realized how vital that part-time job could be. In this world of Quirks, heroes, and villains, information is as powerful as any ability. Being a reporter offered him access access to news, agencies, and potentially to those who could help or hurt him.
He left the apartment early, taking care to blend into the morning crowd. The city still felt alien, but he'd memorized the route to his part-time job. During his walk, the streets humming with life and alertness. Civilians hurry past, some glancing at the costumed heroes patrolling overhead. The U.S.J. attack still resonates in the city's collective consciousness alertness tinged with fear.
At the news office, he exchanges nods with colleagues. The editor hands him an assignment: cover local hero activity and any emerging villain rumors. He accepts, hiding the tremor in his voice. This is his chance to stay informed and maybe stay alive.
Back in his apartment, he spreads his notes across the desk like scattered puzzle pieces, trying to piece together the truth of his new reality. He cross-references what he's observed hero patrol routes, recent villain rumors, shifts in public mood with the knowledge he retained from his previous life: major story arcs, villain behaviors, and hero tactics. Events like the U.S.J. attack begin to align with current activity, confirming that he's truly living in the world of My Hero Academia.
He opens his laptop and searches for local hero agencies in Musutafu the city where U.A. High is located and where most hero activity is centered. He pulls up maps and directories, noting names like the Endeavor Agency, several smaller regional offices, and support companies. As he works, he also compiles a detailed recap of everything he can remember from My Hero Academia: the U.S.J. incident, the League of Villains, Nomu, All Might's fading power, Class 1-A's development every pivotal moment he can recall is recorded in neat bullet points.
Next, he sketches a rough map on a scrap of paper, marking key landmarks hero agencies, U.A. High, the harbor district, and zones of recent villain sightings. The map sprawls across his desk like a battlefield plan, guiding his next steps amid this precarious world.
He picks up the landline and dials a smaller hero agency under the pretense of pitching a story. The voice on the other end is curt but not dismissive. They ask for credentials something he doesn't yet have. He promises to send over a press pass, buying time.
With his makeshift map, his memory-based recap, and the agencies as leads, he begins to form a strategy. In a world governed by Quirks and heroics, information and knowing where to go may well be his greatest weapon.
With his makeshift map, his memory-based recap, and the agencies as leads, he began to form a strategy. In a world governed by Quirks and heroics, information and knowing where to go may well be his greatest weapon.
19 Days Before the Festival
Grey focused on identifying minor villain localizations, watching for patterns of movement in the city's less-patrolled districts. He took careful notes on their habits, considering what might happen if he interfered too early, or if he touched the main settings of the story. For now, he observed, documenting everything, weighing risk against reward.
15 Days Before the Festival
Grey worked the festival grounds under the guise of press coverage, thanks to a sympathetic journalist and a hastily acquired temporary badge. Map and notes in hand, he moved through crowds, listening for whispers of trouble and watching for anything unusual. His goal: to find clues about the next moves of both villains and heroes during the festival. Every overheard conversation and fleeting shadow was another data point to add to his growing web of information.
6 Days Before the Festival
The city buzzed with anticipation. Posters and news broadcasts blared: "U.A. Sports Festival May 6." Excitement and nerves mingled on every street corner, but Grey's eyes were fixed on the undercurrents who lingered in alleyways, who watched the stadium from afar, who didn't seem to belong.
1 Day Before the Festival
On the eve of the festival, Grey sat at his desk, surrounded by research. He reviewed every detail: recaps of the story so far, his hand-drawn map, patterns of villain activity, agency contacts. He noticed a disturbing pattern villains were gathering, their movements converging near the festival grounds. The Sports Festival was a magnet, drawing hope, competition, and danger.
Steeling himself, Grey sent an anonymous email to a hero agency, detailing the locations and behaviors he'd tracked. The message was clear: villain groups appeared to be regrouping and preparing for action during the festival day.
He sharpened his focus, ready for what was to come. Tomorrow, he wouldn't just observe. He would act.
Festival Day—Zero Hour
The stadium erupted with the roar of cheering students, heroes, media, and civilians. Amid the spectacle, Grey moved with purpose, scanning for anomalies.
A subtle disturbance near a concession stand an overheard conversation about a hidden package caught his attention.
Trusting his instincts, he slipped away from the crowd, map in hand, edging closer to a small, cloaked figure trying to remain unnoticed. A minor villain, using the festival as camouflage.
Grey's heart pounded.
This was his moment to act.