All Might, Japan's Symbol of Peace, frowned as his call to Aizawa and Thirteen didn't get through.
"Hmm, good reason or not, failing to uphold my teaching responsibility was quite foolish. Maybe I can force my body to endure a bit longer?"
He muttered, his skinny body turning muscular. But as he stood up, blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"Cough. I have to hurry. Ever since Midoriya-kun inherited One For All, my transformation time has been getting shorter and shorter."
He wiped the corner of his mouth, thinking about the successor he chose.
Izuku Midoriya is a promising young man. Although he doesn't know what the future will bring, he is sure the kid will become a great hero.
A knock suddenly sounded outside the door, rousing All Might from his contemplation. Before he could respond, the door opened, revealing a white rodent-like creature in a suit standing on two feet.
"Principal! Good afternoon! Your coat looks as splendid as always, sir!"
"Hoho, the secret is in the keratin solution. No human shampoo could produce such a luster."
Nezu hummed, walking over and sitting on the sofa opposite All Might.
"Anyways, enough about that. I heard you've taken a leave of absence from your class this afternoon."
"Urk!"
"Running off and using your limited time to do hero work, forgoing your teaching responsibility in the process. Toshinori, you've never changed at all."
"Principal! In fact, I was just about to head to the USJ. I'll go! Right now!"
"And then come back soon after because your body couldn't handle it? Come, instead of wasting that time, accompany me for a cup of tea."
At some unknown point, the empty table between them was now filled with two teacups, a glass of tea, and cookies of different varieties.
All Might hesitated for a brief second, before his body returned to its skinny form.
He withheld a grimace as his butt touched the sofa. Without a doubt, he would have to endure one of the principal's lectures again.
…or at least, that's what he thought would happen. So he was quite surprised by the principal's next words.
"All Might, what is your impression of Hiro Ryugamine?"
"Ryugamine? He's a kind young man. I believe he'll grow to become one of this country's pillars in the future."
"Hmm, I believe so too. With his strength, as long as he is properly guided, becoming one of the top 3 heroes in the future is almost guaranteed."
Nezu said, taking a sip of his tea. Finding a student like Hiro this year was definitely a pleasant surprise for UA.
"You know that I had consulted the data of the Hero Commission regarding promising young children- to give you more candidates for your successor. And yet, you impulsively chose a Quirkless young man."
"Ahahaha, I believe young Midoriya has the heroic potential to properly use One For All. Ehem, anyways, why did you mention Ryugamine, principal? Was he also one of the candidates?"
"Not quite. In fact, he wasn't on my radar at all. According to the records, from preschool to middle school, he was just an unremarkable young lad. However, the children from your orphanage do show great admiration towards him as their big brother."
"Hmm?"
All Might frowned. Ryugamine being unremarkable…he really can't associate those words with that boy at all. In fact, just his handsome appearance alone should make him stand out among his peers- not to mention his powerful Quirk.
"Judging from your expression, you must have found it strange. But in fact, the reason is quite simple. He disguised himself and acted unassuming, just so he wouldn't get adopted."
"I see…was it so he wouldn't be separated from the other children in the orphanage?"
"That is the most likely reason, yes. But I didn't come here to talk about that. Instead, it's about an information Ryugahime-kun has confided in us regarding his Quirk. If possible, I would like you to spar with him every week-"
Nezu was interrupted as his emergency phone suddenly rang. He didn't walk away, but instead answered the call in front of All Might.
"Principal Nezu! Hundreds of villains have appeared inside the USJ! I already led most of the students to safety, but Aizawa-senpai and some students stayed behind to hold back the villains. Please! Send back-up for them as soon as possible!"
Thirteen's hurried voice sounded from the phone. And as soon as her words were finished, All Might, in his muscular form, leapt out of the window and disappeared towards the direction of USJ.
Nezu didn't waste any time either. Villain intruders in the three digits, especially when student's lives were at stake, was no joking matter.
He informed the faculty of what happened, taking some of them with him to USJ while the rest stayed to guard against other possible attacks.
Present Mic, Ectoplasm, Midnight, Snipe…he chose heroes with large-scale or long-range attacks to make up for the disparity in number.
On the way, they met up with Thirteen and the students she brought, and arrived at the USJ several minutes later.
"Yow, as expected of All Might. It seems we won't have the chance to take action."
Present Mic said, his body relaxing as the scene inside USJ presented itself before them.
In the middle of the facility, a large group of humans, estimated to be more than 400, were stacked and frozen.
And beside the pile, Aizawa, All Might, and the remaining students stood safe and sound, discussing something as they glanced at a frozen large, black, humanoid creature and a blue-haired guy beside it.
"Ryuga, Kirishima, everyone! You're okay!"
As they got closer, the rest of 1A rushed towards the boys who stayed behind to fight. A pink-skinned girl was even so worried she tightly hugged a white-haired student.
"Aizawa, All Might, great job. I presume this is the mastermind?"
Principal Nezu, standing on Present Mic's shoulder, said to the two heroes. His eyes glanced back and forth at the blankly staring Nomu, and the unconscious and heavily injured Shigaraki, his brows subtly furrowed.
"Principal, I deserve no credit this time. When I arrived, Aizawa and the students had already taken care of most of them. I just lent a hand rounding up the scattered villains."
"Woah! In that case, you did all this, Eraserhead? When did you get so strong!?"
Present Mic asked, half-teasing and half in disbelief. Even the other faculty members who came stared at the scruffy hero- as if this was the first time they knew him.
Those were more than 400 villains! Unless they were all Quirkless, taking them down without suffering a single injury was something only top rank heroes can accomplish.
"It's not me. The students were greatly responsible for taking them down. Without them, I could only delay until back-up arrives- if I could live until that point."
"Hmm? Were the villains that strong?"
"…their purpose for coming was to kill All Might. I don't know what this creature is, but from its previous display of power, I could say their confidence was not unfounded."
Aizawa gazed at the still blankly staring Nomu, his expression somber. Then, he reported to Nezu about what had transpired.
The villain with a teleportation Quirk. The blue-haired guy who is the mastermind. And the Nomu, who had a monstrous strength and speed, as well as a Shock Absorption and Super Regeneration Quirk.
By the end, when Aizawa finished retelling everything, all of them simultaneously focused on the white-haired boy who was gently comforting his classmates in the distance.
Glancing at his tidy appearance, they couldn't believe that this teenager- who almost singlehandedly stopped the villain's plan, didn't suffer a single scratch.
From his shadow, they seemed to see the figure of a certain blond hero.
"…All Might?"
"Yes, Principal Nezu?"
"Forget what I said earlier- about sparring with Ryugamine-kun."
"Huh?"
Nezu didn't reply. He just stared deeply at Hiro's smiling figure, then at Midnight, unknown thoughts swirling inside his head.