The classroom door slid open with a loud hiss.
Shota Aizawa walked into the room. As usual, he looked as if he were sleeping on his feet, holding his yellow sleeping bag in one hand.
"Good morning," Aizawa muttered raspily, placing a stack of whiteboards on the teacher's desk. "Today, you face a very important part of your hero training. A matter that will determine how you are perceived by both the public and villains. You will be choosing your hero names."
A wave of excitement swept through the class. Kaminari and Kirishima grinned enthusiastically, while Bakugo let out a dark smirk.
"Quiet," Aizawa chilled them instantly. "For this class, I've invited someone with considerably more experience in public presentation than I have."
The door opened again, and the hero Midnight entered the room with a dramatic pose.
"Aha! Youth, ambition, and the desire for fame!" Midnight exclaimed, snapping her whip through the air. "A hero's name isn't just a nickname! It's a mirror of your soul and a brand that will follow you for the rest of your life! You have one hour. When you're finished, you'll step up in front of the class and defend your name."
Aizawa lay down in the corner inside his yellow sleeping bag and fell asleep within three seconds. Each student received a white dry-erase board and a marker.
While everyone around me was thinking fiercely, I stared coldly at the blank white surface.
A hero name...
"My lord," Agron spoke once more. "If you are searching for a title, in my original world, they called you the Sovereign of Shadows or Bane. Any of those names would strike absolute terror into the hearts of your enemies."
I picked up the marker and wrote two words without hesitation.
After twenty minutes, it was time for the presentations.
Aoyama went first, followed by Mina Ashido, Tsuyu, and Iida. Then Bakugo stepped up, turning over a board that read "King Of Kill Explosions," which Midnight immediately rejected as the name of a mass murderer.
When my turn came, Midnight nodded toward me. "So, Mephisto… Show us what you've come up with!"
The class grew attentive. Even Aizawa cracked one eye open in the corner. Everyone was curious to see what name someone with black horns, white hair, and terrifying shadow power would choose.
I stepped up to the front of the class and turned the board toward them with a cold, deliberate motion.
Written on the board in sharp, clean handwriting was: Shadow Monarch.
For a second, absolute silence fell over the classroom.
Midnight ran her hand thoughtfully over her chin and tilted her head. "Shadow Monarch... The monarch of shadows. That sounds extremely authoritative and dark. Care to explain it to us?"
I took a breath and spoke in a balanced, cold voice:
"My power does not stem from merely creating shadows. I rule them. Shadows are not just darkness to me; they are my army and my home. A monarch is a sovereign—one who stands at the peak, protecting his territory and those under his protection. Shadow Monarch represents domain over the darkness, which I utilize to safeguard the light."
I delivered the explanation with absolute gravity and a dominant aura that froze several classmates in their seats for a moment.
Midnight whipped the air so hard it whistled loudly. "Perfect! There is power, nobility, and danger in it! It fits your demeanor and incredible strength to a tee! Shadow Monarch is approved!"
In the front row, Midoriya began scribbling furiously in his notebook: "Shadow Monarch... Sovereign of Shadows... Complete control over the shadow domain... Fascinating!"
Kirishima gave me an appreciative thumbs-up. "That's a sick name, man! Sounds ridiculously tough!"
Bakugo just grit his teeth, smoke rising from his palms as he growled, "Monarch...? Bullshit. Once I crush you, there won't be any king left!"
I merely offered him a cold smile and returned to my seat.
"Shadow Monarch," Agron repeated in my mind with deep respect. "A title that rightfully belongs to you, my lord."
After me came Midoriya, who stepped forward with the name "Deku"...