As the saying goes, "Blessings never come in pairs, but misfortunes never come alone."
Right now, Konata Izumi couldn't agree more.
What was supposed to be a wonderful internship experience had ended up completely draining her savings. Now she owed 1,000 yen to Endeavor, 10,000 yen to Midoriya, and 30,000 yen to Midnight-sensei.
Not that it was a huge problem—as the saying goes, when you're covered in bites, one more doesn't itch; when you're buried in debt, what's one more? Worrying wouldn't change anything, and it's not like she had the money to repay them anyway.
What truly made her sad, though, was the phone Midnight had given her—the one she had barely used before it got destroyed during the villain attack.
She had really liked that phone. Now, with it gone, she was forced to go back to using her old one.
It was like getting used to a sleek, modern smartphone and then suddenly having to go back to an ancient brick phone—the drop in quality was nothing short of soul-crushing.
Midnight had generously told her not to worry, even saying she'd buy her a new one to cheer her up. But this time, Konata shook her head.
Honestly… it was less about pride and more about the fact that if she accepted another gift, it would start to feel like she was being "sponsored" by Midnight. And that thought alone was more than enough to make her uncomfortable.
"...Yeah, no. Even if I've got the face thick enough to borrow thirty thousand yen from Midnight-sensei, I need to find some kind of steady income. Right now, I've got no source of money at all."
She flopped onto her bed, her old, outdated phone in hand, refreshing her feed with painful slowness as she thought about her situation. She had saved a bit during her old part-time job, but that money was long gone now. If it weren't for Midnight's financial support, she probably wouldn't even be able to afford breadsticks—much less enjoy the hot meals in U.A.'s cafeteria.
"Ugh… maybe I should go hunt down some delinquents again. I mean, they're practically walking wallets…"
As she lay there, contemplating the return of the "loli who stalks alleys at midnight to mug delinquents" urban legend, a deep, cold voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
"Can you hear me?"
The moment Konata heard that voice, her instincts kicked in. She immediately shot up from bed, eyes wide, scanning every corner of her room with full vigilance.
That voice… she recognized it instantly. After everything that had happened, it was impossible to forget.
Finding nothing out of place in her room, she hesitated for a moment before cautiously answering in her head.
"...Who's there? What are you?"
"I'm human, of course."
The voice again—calm and steady.
"No need to panic. This is just a long-range telepathic communication quirk. You can cut the connection anytime you want. It's only for talking."
"Geez, you scared me half to death. For a second, I thought you were some creepy stalker."
With a sigh of relief, Konata patted her flat chest.
"I need to talk to you."
There was a brief, almost awkward pause. Then Konata's reply came, sharp and clear:
"I've already said it — I'm a hero of justice. If you're planning to make me do something evil, count me out."
"...Considering I went out of my way—while still recovering—to personally make a move just to test your quirk, don't you think you owe me at least something in return?"
"Oh, so now I should be thanking you for not killing me?" Konata deadpanned, her expression flat.
"I think we're similar, you and I."
The voice ignored her sarcasm entirely.
"Shigaraki Tomura is the one I've chosen. But he still needs to grow. I need your help."
"So this is… a transaction, then?"
"Not exactly. Think of it as a small, personal favor. And one day, you'll need my help too… won't you?"
Konata stared down at her own palm, her expression unreadable. Silence filled the room, and the voice on the other end wisely stayed quiet, waiting.
After a long pause, her voice was calm, but icy:
"Aren't you afraid I'll just take the chance to get rid of you?"
"If you're capable, then by all means… go ahead. I can take it."
"Fine. Then tell me what you want."
A glint flashed deep within Konata's eyes.
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The next morning, Konata strode up to Todoroki Shoto with a small envelope.
"Todoroki, here's 1,000 yen. Please give it to your father, and tell him we're even now. Debt cleared."
Shoto blinked, looked down at the money neatly folded in her hand, and silently accepted it.
Then, in front of Midoriya, Konata casually slapped a 10,000 yen bill down onto his desk with a loud smack.
"I'm good now. Thanks for helping me last time—consider this repayment."
Midoriya froze for a moment, blinking at the bill. Before he could say anything, Konata had already turned away and dropped back into her seat like nothing had happened.
He stared at the crisp bill in front of him, hesitating for a moment, then quietly slipped it into his pocket.
He had wanted to ask her about All For One—the mysterious man tied to everything. But this wasn't the kind of thing you could talk about openly, not here.
And even though All Might had assured him yesterday that her quirk hadn't been stolen, Midoriya still couldn't shake the worry gnawing at him.
But, more than anything, he was curious about one thing:
Where on earth was Konata getting this money from?
He was still thinking about it, distracted, when Aizawa-sensei walked into the classroom and dropped the next bombshell:
"During the upcoming summer break, there will be a forest training camp."
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"Forest training camp… so basically like a camping trip?"
Resting her chin lazily on one hand, Konata Izumi listened to Aizawa-sensei speaking at the podium, her mind drifting elsewhere.
"But wow… time really flies. Feels like just yesterday the semester started, and now final exams are already around the corner."
According to Aizawa, only students who passed the finals would be allowed to join the forest training camp. Those who failed… well, they'd be stuck in remedial classes.
After thinking about it for a moment, Konata shamelessly dropped her head onto her desk.
Sure, thanks to all the chaos that had happened lately, she hadn't done much studying. But last-minute cramming was practically her specialty — she'd perfected the art. Nothing to worry about there.
And now that she'd gotten that 100,000 yen from the villains, she was sitting on a comfortable cushion of savings. Even after paying off her debts, she still had nearly 50,000 yen left. And if she ran out? Well, she could always hit up that mysterious voice again. It wasn't like someone that powerful would mind tossing a few bills to a broke girl like her, right?
Still… being suspected by Midnight-sensei for sneaking out during the night? That seriously rubbed her the wrong way.
With only a week left until finals, Konata remained the picture of a professional slacker.
As the exam period drew closer, the classroom grew restless. Since the finals determined who could attend the camp, even the usual troublemakers were suddenly desperate to study.
And, of course, Yaoyorozu Momo, the undisputed top student from midterms, became everyone's go-to tutor. Study groups started forming, and plans were made to crash her house for cram sessions.
Even Jirou Kyouka had tried to drag Konata along—only to be met with a firm refusal from the lazy blue-haired gremlin.
"Grades don't need to be high," Konata had said flatly. "As long as I pass, I'm good."
And thus, the former honor student embraced her life as a happy underachiever.
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A week flew by in the blink of an eye.
One night, Konata decided to reach out first.
"Hey, got a minute?"
The voice responded reluctantly after a moment of silence, sounding almost… wary.
"What do you want?"
"Relax, I'm not asking for more money. I still haven't spent what I borrowed."
"…So you were planning to spend it all and then ask for more?"
"No, no, nothing like that!" Konata huffed. "It's just… finals are tomorrow."
"And?"
"And I didn't study."
"…Your point?"
"C'mon, this telepathy quirk of yours… if you're only using it for conversation, that's such a waste. Wouldn't it be way more useful if you helped me, like, I dunno, cheat a little? Think of it as… recycling. Or—uh—optimal resource allocation."
There was a pause. Then the voice came back, clipped and cold:
"I won't use this ability with you again. I'll find another way to contact you. This line is closed."
And with that, the connection was cut.
Konata stared at the ceiling for a moment, expression blank.
"…Was that really necessary? I just wanted a little help cheating, geez."
With a sigh, she activated her transformation, shifting into Hatsune Miku mode. Over time, she'd completed the unlock mission tied to this form.
But honestly… Miku's abilities were a little tricky.
Most of her strength came from the Hatsune Legion—in other words, her fans. The more fans she had, the stronger she became. But the form itself had no direct offensive power.
On the bright side, there was one truly broken skill: in Miku form, all damage she took would be distributed among her fans.
Even a fatal blow that should one-shot her would become nothing more than a tickle when divided among millions of people. Of course, there was an upper limit to what could be shared—pass that, and the safety net vanished.
Still, it was practically a god-tier survival skill. She doubted anyone in this world could dish out enough damage to surpass that cap.
As for the rest? Miku's abilities were all support-based, tied to her singing—buffing allies, boosting morale, amplifying power.
"Figures… an idol's place is on the stage, not in a battlefield."
"...Huh. The link really did vanish," Konata muttered, staring at her wrist. "Did he seriously think I was asking for something crazy? I just wanted a little help cheating…"
With another sigh, she tied a red headband around her hair, cracked open her textbooks, and buried herself in a study frenzy.
After all, she'd dug this hole herself. Now she had to climb out of it. And if there was one thing she excelled at, it was last-minute miracles.
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The next morning—and for the next three days of exams—Konata dragged herself to school with deep, dark circles under her eyes.
When the written exams finally ended, she collapsed face-first onto her desk, utterly drained.
"Thank god that's over…"
Her frantic cramming had paid off. A high score might be out of reach, but a passing grade was practically guaranteed.
Not that it came without a price—the sleepless nights had left her a walking zombie.
"Alright, next up is the practical exam."
Konata perked up slightly at the announcement.
"If I remember right, Midoriya and Uraraka said it'd be like the entrance exam… fighting training robots and stuff. Though, honestly, they didn't sound very convincing."
That thought was immediately shattered when she looked up and saw the U.A. staff lined up in front of them.
No robots. Only teachers.
Principal Nezu explained the rules: the students would be split into pairs. Each pair would face off against a teacher, and the results would heavily affect their scores.
"Should be fine…"
After listening carefully, Konata considered her odds. Sure, the teachers were all pro heroes, but she wasn't weak either.
As long as her opponent wasn't—
"First match: Todoroki and Izumi. Your opponent… is me."
Konata stared blankly at Aizawa-sensei, who stood in front of them with his capture scarf in hand and that deceptively calm smile on his face.
Silence.
"…Welp," she muttered, "we're screwed."
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If there was one opponent Konata Izumi absolutely didn't want to face among all the U.A. teachers, it was Aizawa.
Even if she had to fight All Might head-on, she still had some confidence in scraping through.
But Aizawa? Zero chance.
Not even the tiniest sliver of hope.
Aizawa's quirk, Erasure, could nullify the quirks of anyone within his line of sight.
Her own "Fantasy" quirk, no matter how powerful it had become thanks to the system's boosts, was still—at its core—a quirk.
Sure, she was technically a full-on "cheat player," but even cheat players have natural counters.
And her natural predator, without question, was Aizawa-sensei.
Switching forms? Worthless.
Using what she learned from Endeavor's brutal training sessions? Also pointless.
And after witnessing Aizawa's close-quarters combat firsthand during the villain attack, she knew better—that man's hand-to-hand skills were at the level of a veteran ninja.
Trying to take him on with her half-baked melee abilities? Yeah, that was just asking to be humiliated.
"Ugh… no choice then. If I want to escape the hell that is remedial classes, I've got to do this."
Her sharp gaze locked onto Todoroki's back.
"Sorry, Aircon-kun," she thought solemnly.
"Better you than me. For our victory… you're just gonna have to take one for the team."
Completely oblivious to the dark plotting going on behind him, Todoroki Shoto felt a strange chill in the sweltering summer air. He glanced around in confusion, his gaze briefly passing over Konata—who was pretending to be fascinated by the scenery—before he lowered his head again.
Still, knowing their opponent was Aizawa left no room for optimism. Both of them had powerful quirks, but that fact alone made them an even easier target for Aizawa's erasure.
If they wanted even a chance at victory, they needed flawless teamwork. Only by working together could they create even the slimmest window of opportunity.
Later, when Todoroki finally spotted his assigned partner, he found her crouched by the roadside… counting ants. Silently, he questioned every life choice that had led him to this exact moment.
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The pairing process went quickly. The teachers had already discussed and finalized the teams.
As expected, Midoriya Izuku and Bakugo Katsuki, the "explosive duo," were teamed up again.
The rules for the exam were straightforward:
☆ Twenty students, ten pairs.
☆ Each pair faces a U.A. teacher.
☆ Each battlefield has its own unique setting.
☆ Win conditions: either cuff the teacher with the special handcuffs or have at least one student escape the arena through the designated exit.
Achieve one of these, and you pass.
For fairness, the teachers were equipped with weights equal to half their body weight—though, realistically, that did little to balance the playing field.
Recovery Girl was stationed in the monitoring room, ready to provide emergency support.
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The mock battles proceeded in sequence, each lasting thirty minutes.
While one group fought, the others could watch the live feeds or discuss strategies.
Konata, however, had no intention of sharing her totally self-serving "sacrifice the teammate" strategy. Instead, she found a quiet corner and… went back to counting ants.
The first few matches went about as expected.
Some students charged in recklessly and got systematically dismantled, serving as excellent cautionary tales—especially a group that got kited into exhaustion by Cementoss.
Another notable disaster involved Ashido Mina and Kaminari Denki, who went up against Principal Nezu. The battle was set in a chemical plant—the very same one where Konata had first awakened part of her quirk. Within minutes, Nezu had them completely outmaneuvered, leading to an embarrassing early defeat.
Watching the aftermath, Konata silently lit a candle in her mind for Cementoss, who would inevitably have to repair the trashed facility.
Of course, there were also plenty of stellar examples. Most of the other groups managed to clear their tests and pass.
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Before long, only two matches remained:
☆ Konata Izumi and Todoroki Shoto vs. Aizawa Shota
☆ Midoriya Izuku and Bakugo Katsuki vs. All Might
"Figures," Konata muttered.
"The boss-level fights are always saved for last."
Their assigned battlefield was a quiet residential district.
"Todoroki-kun," Konata whispered as they crouched together in an alley before the start signal, "if we want to pass this, we need a plan."
Todoroki shot her a look that could only be described as… weary.
Now, at the last minute, she wanted to discuss strategy? What had she been doing this whole time?
Completely oblivious to his expression, Konata began counting on her fingers as she laid out her "genius" plan.
"If our quirks get erased, we're basically screwed," she said bluntly. "So our only shot is to end this quickly. I scoped out the terrain earlier. There's only one official exit, but the perimeter walls aren't that high. If we sneak along the edge, we can climb over and—"
"Escape only counts if you go through the designated exit," Todoroki interrupted flatly.
Konata blinked at him, frozen. Then, after a moment, her face lit up with the spark of what she clearly thought was brilliance.
"No problem! Listen—I'll just hop the wall first, loop around, and then casually stroll out through the front exit like nothing happened. Easy-peasy, right?"