Rain drummed steadily against the classroom windows, each droplet racing the next down the glass while a gloomy grey sky blanketed Musutafu.
The rhythmic sound mixed with the teacher's lecture, creating the perfect lullaby for anyone who wasn't interested in mathematics.
The classroom itself felt dim despite the lights overhead, and the damp weather only made the atmosphere even sleepier.
Akira rested his cheek against one hand as he stared absentmindedly out of the window, watching raindrops distort the city beyond the glass. His expression remained calm, but inwardly he couldn't help sighing.
'Second year of elementary school already... and somehow it's even more boring than the first.'
Beside him, Izumi diligently copied every single word from the blackboard into her notebook, her neat handwriting filling the page without wasting even an inch of space.
After finishing another sentence, she glanced sideways at him and puffed her cheeks slightly. "Aki-Kun... pay attention."
Akira lazily turned toward her before giving a tiny hum. "Mm."
"...That wasn't a yes."
"It wasn't."
Izumi let out a tiny defeated sigh before returning to her notes.
Inside Akira's mind, however, he was anything but focused on class. 'I'm bored...'
Almost immediately, a gentle chuckle echoed through the endless darkness of the All For One mindscape.
"Would you like to watch Netflix with us, Master?" Kaguya asked with a graceful smile.
Akira's eyes lit up. 'Really?'
"Everyone's already waiting."
Without hesitation, his consciousness slipped into the vast inner world of his Quirk. The familiar crimson sun floated high overhead while countless colorful spheres continued revolving around it like planets orbiting a star.
Nearby, however, was something that would have left any ordinary person speechless.
A ridiculously enormous sofa stretched across the landscape. An equally absurd television stood before it.
On its screen...Netflix.
Akira still had absolutely no idea how this place worked. 'I seriously can't believe every movie, anime and show I watched in both my previous life and this one somehow exists inside All For One...'
Sometimes he genuinely questioned whether his Quirk was broken beyond repair.
Other times...He simply accepted it.
Walking over, he flopped comfortably onto the sofa between Groudon and Kaguya.
Groudon, despite being a gigantic prehistoric kaiju, was calmly holding an oversized bowl of popcorn in his claws.
Slaking was already asleep.
Ddraig was loudly complaining about spoilers.
BoBoiBoy was enthusiastically explaining every scene despite everyone already watching it.
Panny floated around distributing snacks.
Luffy somehow had an endless mountain of food despite nobody bringing any.
Meliodas laughed every few seconds something funny happened.
Even Senku had paused reading his book titled Fanfiction of Another World to watch today's movie.
Akira leaned back with a content sigh.
...
Outside the mindscape...The teacher continued writing equations across the blackboard while completely unaware that one of his students had mentally abandoned reality.
"As you grow older," he lectured, "you'll realize mathematics is useful in countless situations throughout life."
Most of the children looked unconvinced. The teacher smiled knowingly. "Though I suppose many of you don't think it'll matter."
He adjusted his glasses before grinning. "Since almost everyone here wants to become heroes."
The classroom instantly exploded with excitement.
"YES!!"
"I'M GONNA BE NUMBER ONE!!"
"I'LL BEAT ALL THE VILLAINS!!"
Several children couldn't resist activating tiny portions of their Quirks.
Small flames.
Floating objects.
Shark teeth.
Nothing dangerous...Just excited children using their Quirks.
Well, with the sole exception of Izumi and Akira, of course.
Izumi instinctively looked toward Akira. He was still sitting perfectly still with his eyes closed. A peaceful smile rested on his face.
She smiled softly. 'Aki-Kun must be talking with everyone again...'
She could almost imagine his Quirk friends surrounding him inside that mysterious world.
Her thoughts were interrupted.
Crackle.
Tiny orange explosions burst from Katsuki Bakugo's palms as he stood atop his chair with his trademark arrogant grin. "Don't lump me together with these extras!"
Several classmates flinched as Bakugo proudly pointed at himself. "I'm gonna become the Number One Hero!"
His crimson eyes swept across the classroom before landing on Izumi.
He smirked. "...Oi."
"Why're you smiling?"
"You seriously think Sensei meant you too?"
The teacher merely glanced toward Izumi before giving an unimpressed sigh. "Midoriya...It's good to have dreams. But don't dream about things you can never achieve."
A few students snickered.
Then more joined in.
Soon, much of the classroom was laughing.
Izumi simply blinked. "...Huh?"
She honestly had no idea what everyone was laughing about. She hadn't even been listening. She'd only smiled because...Aki-Kun looked adorable while sleeping.
Bakugo noticed Akira's complete lack of reaction. His grin widened.
"Looks like even Lava-Fuck finally figured it out."
"He isn't standing up for you anymore."
"Guess even he realized you're just a useless Deku."
The classroom laughed again as Izumi slowly lowered her head.
Her bangs hid her eyes as she clenched her fists.
"..."
Very quietly...She muttered something.
Bakugo frowned. "What was that, Deku?" He leaned closer. "What'd you say?"
The teacher didn't even bother looking anymore. Recess would start in another minute anyway. Instead, he casually opened the novel resting on his desk. Meta Liberation War.Written by...Destro.
No one paid attention to the title. Because something else happened first.
The classroom temperature...Started rising.
Very slowly.
Very steadily.
Almost suffocatingly.
The laughter faded. Conversations stopped. Even Bakugo instinctively frowned.
Then...Izumi spoke. "Enough."
Her voice contained no anger.
No shouting.
No panic.
It was...Cold.
Utterly emotionless.
"I don't mind If you call me names."
"I don't mind If you call me Deku."
Her head remained lowered. "But..." A faint crimson aura began leaking from her body.
"I will not...allow you.....to insult.....Aki-Kun."
Bakugo's expression twisted. "What the hell did you say?" He took one confident step forward. "I said—"
Izumi slowly raised her head as the classroom froze.
Her gentle emerald eyes were gone. Instead, deep crimson eyes stared back at everyone. Vertical fox-like pupils filled with enough killing intent to make every child instinctively stop breathing.
Bakugo's feet rooted themselves to the floor. His heartbeat skipped. For the very first time...He felt genuine fear.
A whisper escaped Izumi's lips. "Calm down.....Kurama."
For a brief instant... Every single person inside the classroom saw it. Towering behind Izumi...A colossal silhouette emerged.
Nine enormous tails swayed silently. Crimson eyes larger than doors gazed down upon the classroom with overwhelming dominance.
The spirit of a gigantic nine-tailed fox looked directly at them. Its mere presence made breathing difficult.
Then...Just as suddenly...The vision disappeared.
The crimson aura faded as Izumi's eyes slowly returned to their usual gentle emerald green.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The teacher's novel slipped from his trembling fingers.
Thud.
No one even looked at it. Every pair of eyes remained fixed on Izumi. Only one thought echoed through everyone's minds.
'She isn't Quirkless?!'
Bakugo unconsciously swallowed. That cold glare. It wasn't because she'd been mocked. It wasn't because she'd been called Deku. It was because he insulted Akira.
For some reason...That realization hurt far more than it should have.
"...Huh?"
Akira blinked as his consciousness returned from the All For One mindscape. He looked around the unnaturally silent classroom.
Everyone was staring at Izumi in complete disbelief. Izumi herself continued looking coldly at Bakugo.
Akira tilted his head. "...Why's everyone so quiet?"