"What happened this time?" Tsutsumi asked as he finally strolled back into class.
"Tch! You didn't hear? Someone stepped through the gate, tripped the alarm, and the cafeteria turned into pure chaos. And for what? It was just the press," Jiro said, irritation clear in her voice as she sat on the edge of his desk.
"Ahahaha!" Tsutsumi burst out laughing.
Already annoyed, Jiro kicked him, sending him tipping backward, only for him to plant his hands on the floor, flip over, and land neatly on his feet.
"Tch! And what the hell are you laughing for?!" she snapped, the other students glaring at him as well. "You think that's funny?"
"Isn't it?" Tsutsumi's smile didn't fade. "This is U.A. a school to train the next generation of heroes. And yet, at the first sign of danger, instead of heading toward it, everyone scattered like headless chickens. If that's how you react when things get real, then tell me… what exactly have you all been learning here?"
His words dropped like a stone, leaving the room in uneasy silence.
"You talk like you know everything, but you weren't even there!" the blonde boy snapped.
"You can take my words to heart or toss them out, that is for you to decide." Tsutsumi pulled his chair back and sat down with a bored expression.
After that, Aizawa returned to the class, telling them what happened, before reprimanding Tsutsumi for skipping class again. But the tired-eyed teacher didn't make a big deal about it.
Feeling that if he pushes too much, the big might turn stray.
Tsutsumi is powerful and has good talent, yet he resembles more of an Anti-Hero than a pure one.
Still, at least he decided to use it for good. So Aizawa isn't going to make unnecessary trouble for him.
...
Drifting between worlds as always, Tsutsumi found himself in a city that piqued his interest. From the balcony of a crumbling apartment, his gaze locked on a lone figure standing atop a skyscraper, black cape whipping in the cold night wind.
Tsutsumi raised his camera, the quiet click of the shutter capturing the silhouette against Gotham's dim skyline.
"Interesting…" he murmured before slipping away.
A few questions later, he learned the city's name: Gotham.
Sounds like something an edgy teenager obsessed with goth music would name.
No wonder the place reeked of shadows and crime.
From the nearby rooftops, he watched a man dressed as a bat chasing a clown in a purple suit across the rooftops.
"You should head home, kid. Not safe here for a photography stroll."
Tsutsumi turned to find a man in black and blue leaning casually on a fire escape, a blue bird emblem across his chest and only a simple eye mask hiding his face.
"I'll be fine," Tsutsumi replied flatly. With the arsenal of random skills he'd gathered from his journeys, unless someone could move at blistering speed, he could defend himself easily enough.
Nightwing frowned. The boy's calmness was unnatural in a city like Gotham."You okay? Something happen?" he asked, hopping down and approaching. Tsutsumi raised his camera and snapped a shot without a word.
Nightwing glanced at the device.
"A Blackbird Fly 135 Twin-lens Reflex? Didn't expect to see anyone using one of those anymore."
"Yeah… it's sentimental." Tsutsumi didn't know why he felt that way, just that this camera carried a weight he couldn't name.
"I see… Trouble at home? That why you're wandering around?" Nightwing pressed.
Instead, Tsutsumi looked him straight in the eyes. "Can you tell me… what is a hero?"
Nightwing froze mid-step.
"That's… not exactly what I have in mind when spotting a lost boy on the rooftops at night," he admitted, scratching the back of his head. "For me… a hero is someone who stands up for what's right, even when no one's watching. Not for praise, not for glory, just because it's the right thing to do."
Tsutsumi's gaze didn't waver. "And what if that person is destined to bring destruction? Can they still be a hero?"
The lightness in Nightwing's expression faded, his shoulders stiffening. Silence hung between them.
"…I don't know," he said at last, voice uncharacteristically unsure. "I've always believed heroes are defined by their choices, not fate. But if someone's truly destined to destroy everything… maybe they can't be a hero. Because a hero fights against the darkness, not becomes it."
Translation: No.
"I see. Thank you for your insight," Tsutsumi said simply, and stepped backward off the rooftop.
"Wait!?" Nightwing rushed forward, but by the time he reached the ledge, the boy was gone.
...
After returning to his world, Tsutsumi headed straight for the shower.
He understood his powers well, the power of Kadoya Tsukasa, the power of Decade. Kadoya had embraced his fate as the Destroyer of Worlds.
But Tsutsumi wasn't him.
Unlike Kadoya, Tsutsumi had a world he called home. People he loved. People who couldn't travel between worlds at his side.
The moment he accepted Decade's power, the worlds began to merge. Sooner or later, everyone he knew would die, only to be reborn again, trapped in an endless cycle of destruction and rebirth.
If he'd been a villain with nothing to lose, he might have welcomed it. But he wanted to be a hero.
He wanted to find his missing mother and make her proud, whether she was alive… or long gone.
His gaze drifted to the mirror. The face staring back wasn't his own, but Decade's.
He blinked, and his reflection returned to normal, dark circles heavy under his eyes.
"I need some sleep," he muttered, shutting off the cold water. He quickly dried off, pulled on some clothes, and collapsed into his futon.
The window slid open. Jiro climbed in and grabbed his arm before he could even think about closing his eyes.
Momo followed, looking like she was already done with the day. "I'm just the vice-president… so why am I doing all the president's work?" she sighed.
Ever since taking the Class 1-A vice-president role, Momo had been covering for him while he skipped classes. Aizawa had caught him more than once, sometimes by literally tying him up at the door and dragging him back.
Tsutsumi had to admit, the guy was persistent.
Now, the whole class was crammed into a bus on the way to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint for rescue training. Everyone wore their hero costumes except Midoriya, whose had been shredded in a fight with Bakugo, he was stuck in his P.E. uniform.
The front rows of the bus faced each other; the back was more like a standard bus layout. Tsutsumi was half-asleep beside Jiro, while Bakugo sat behind them, glaring out the window next to a snoozing Todoroki.
Up front, Asui tilted her head. "Midoriya's quirk is a lot like All Might's, isn't it?" she said.
Midoriya immediately went red and started stammering.
"Talk about flashy and strong," Kirishima grinned. "It's gotta be Tsutsumi, Bakugo, and Todoroki, though."
"Bakugo's always mad, so he's not exactly the popular type," Asui replied flatly.
Bakugo exploded in his usual fashion, yelling until the rest of the class started teasing him, which only made him louder. Midoriya looked seconds away from a heart attack.
"Say, Jiro-chan," Asui asked, "what's the deal with Tsutsumi-kun? His ideas about heroism are really inspiring, but… his personality's kind of strange."
Jiro glanced at the boy sleeping beside her before answering. "Don't worry about him. He can be a pain, but he's harmless."
"Then can you please tell him to take his responsibilities as class president seriously?" Ida interjected, clearly at the end of his patience.
"Yeah, not gonna happen," Jiro replied dryly. "In the last few months of junior high, do you know how many times he actually showed up to class? Out of twenty-something school days a month, he called in sick five times… and skipped the other fifteen. Only came in for tests, then vanished."
Ashido blinked. "How'd he even graduate?"
"Beats me," Jiro said with a shrug. "He's never told me."
After some time, the bus finally rolled to a stop at their destination, a massive, gleaming training facility, easily dwarfing the arena from the entrance exam. The wide dome-like structure loomed overhead, radiating an air of importance.
Waiting for them at the entrance stood a figure in a sleek, silver space suit, its visor reflecting the midday light. The design was simple yet striking, evoking a futuristic elegance.
The Space Hero: Thirteen. A calm and humble pro-hero known for remarkable performance in disaster relief.
"Students, we've been waiting. Please come in quickly," Thirteen said with a gentle tone, raising a gloved hand and turning to lead them inside. The contrast with Aizawa's gruff demeanor was stark, Thirteen was polite and approachable.
"Please!"
Everyone in Class A, everyone except Tsutsumi, bowed respectfully at a perfect ninety-degree angle, expressing their admiration.
Thirteen noticed Tsutsumi's lack of reaction, but didn't seem bothered as his eyes, for some reason, started to remind her of Aizawa's. She simply continued leading the class into the training center.
"This facility was built with all kinds of accidents and disasters in mind," Thirteen began, turning to address the students. "Its name is… the Unforeseen Simulation Joint. You can call it… USJ."
"Thirteen, where's All Might?" Aizawa walked up alongside her, his voice low and deadpan. "Didn't he say he'd meet us here?"
"Ah, well…" Thirteen leaned closer and spoke in a quiet voice, "It seems he used up all his energy getting here this morning and is currently resting in the lounge."
"Tch. That's just ridiculous," Aizawa muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets with a look of mild disdain.
Still, he understood. All Might's condition meant this was a backup plan. For this session, his absence wasn't critical.
"Whatever. Let's get started." Aizawa sighed quietly and stepped aside to let Thirteen speak.
Thirteen took the lead again, her voice calm but edged with seriousness.
"As you know, my Quirk, Black Hole, can suck in and pulverize even the hardest diamond. In the wrong circumstances, it could take a life in an instant. That is why I rarely use it in combat.
"Some of you may have similar abilities, powers that, used carelessly, could destroy rather than save. Remember this: our role as heroes is not to kill villains. It is to protect lives. All lives."
Her gaze swept over the students, pausing just long enough for the weight of her words to sink in.
"Our society may look orderly, but one impulsive decision… one moment of unchecked emotion… can end someone's life."
"You've seen your potential through Aizawa-sensei's tests. You've tasted the danger in All Might's combat drills. Now, I want you to shift your focus. Today, you will learn to wield your power as a shield, not a blade."
A brief bow. "Thank you for listening."
"All right. Then let's begin with-" Before Aizawa could finish, every light in the building suddenly flickered out. The air turned heavy. The magnetic field around them warped.
Aizawa's eyes narrowed. Years of experience told him something was very wrong.
A purple, swirling vortex began to form on the far side of the plaza. Darkness twisted in on itself until it spat out a man with pale, cracked skin and grotesque, severed hands fixed to his body and face. His stance was slouched, but his eyes burned with unstable malice.
"Everyone, get back! Thirteen, protect the students!" Aizawa barked, moving forward.
Figures began pouring out of the portal, dozens of them. All armed. All dangerous.
"Are they pulling the same surprise stunt as the entrance exam?" Kirishima squinted, still not sensing the danger.
"Everyone get out now!" Tsutsumi cut in, his voice sharp and commanding.
Unlike these inexperienced children, he could actually sense the killing intent radiating off those people, which snapped him awake.
It was the first time the class had heard him sound deadly serious.
Aizawa's voice followed instantly. "Your class rep is right. Those are real villains!"
Panic surged through the group.
They had enrolled at U.A. with dreams of becoming pro-heroes, but right now, they were still just first-year students, with almost no combat experience.
This was far too many of them for a bunch of first-years to handle.
"The fuck you're standing there for!?" Tsutsumi roared, eyes narrowing at their hesitation. "Move! That's an order!"
That snapped them out of it, and they bolted for the exit.
"Tsutsumi," Aizawa called, tightening his yellow goggles, "how good are you with multiple enemies?"
Tsutsumi stepped forward without hesitation. "I'll hold the front line. You keep your Quirk for the powerful quirk-based one."
Attack Ride: Vertical Maneuvering Gear
Drawing his swords, Tsutsumi gets ready for combat. Seeing him actually pull out lethal weapons, Aizawa's frown.
"Those aren't for show. You could kill someone." He said, but made no effort in trying to stop his student.
Tsutsumi didn't look at him. "Accidents happened. I'll only aim to cut off their limbs. If they bled to death, then... they can only blame their bad luck."