After the whole USJ incident, Tsutsumi dragged himself home and collapsed into bed, letting the exhaustion swallow him whole. The next morning, he called in sick, though Aizawa, fully aware of his habit of skipping class, only allowed three days. With the weekend adding two more, Tsutsumi had himself a five-day break.
Yawning, he fanned out several freshly acquired cards in his hand, his gaze settling on each one in turn.
Kamen Ride: Faiz
Kamen Ride: OOO
Kamen Ride: Agito
OOO had been simple enough to obtain, the Rider was friendly and easy to befriend.
Faiz, on the other hand, required a solid beating before any "friendship" could form, much like the time he put Bakugo in his place.
Agito's world had been something else entirely, overrun by Another Agitos, almost like a zombie apocalypse. He hadn't expected that one emotional speech would be enough to snap someone out of their transformation, shifting them from Another Agito back to just Agito.
Nothing particularly interesting happened in any of those worlds, so once the powers were his, he simply moved on.
Tsutsumi's streak of skipping class had finally come to an end. When he stepped through the door, the usual chatter and chaos of 1-A died instantly into pin-drop silence.
Then, like a dam breaking, the room exploded with voices.
"Tsutsumi-kun, you're finally here!"
"Gosh, Tsutsumi-chan, that was amazing. How did you do that?"
There were shouts and only amazement in their eyes.
The image of Tsutsumi, cloaked with that ominous black fog as he fights with that giant Nomu, was amazing. Though he looks more like a villain than an actual hero, they couldn't deny that he has saved them.
Tsutsumi cleared his throat. "Everyone, get back to your seats. I have a few things to say."
Hearing the class rep speak with that tone, they hurried back to their chairs. Tsutsumi walked to the podium, gaze sweeping over them.
"First of all," he began, voice cool, "I'm disappointed in all of you. What part of run and retreat did you not understand?"
After saying that, the room erupted into outrage.
"When the press passed the gate and the alarm rang," Tsutsumi continued over them, "you all scattered like headless chickens. When actual villains showed up, Aizawa and I told you to run, you stayed and watched. Next time, do I have to play the alarm on repeat before you move?"
That "next time" caught the attention of the sharper minds in the room.
"Wait, you're saying that there is going to be a next time?"
"Are we gonna get attacked again!?"
"They can try. I'll crush every last one of them!"
Tsutsumi let the noise die down before answering. "Obviously, one of them has a teleportation quirk. They can appear almost anywhere they want." He shrugged casually. "They could even show up inside your home right now to kidnap or kill your family."
Everyone: "..."
Most of his classmates' faces turn pale and darken by the realization of his words. After all, the villain somehow got info about their schedule, bypassed U.A's defense system with teleportation, and planned an attack ahead of time. What says they couldn't just wait inside their home and attack their family and loved ones.
Tsutsumi could use the Aurora Curtain, basically a space-time gateway like that villain quirk, so he knew a few limits and weaknesses of this power. If their weaknesses are alike, then the villain must at least know the location first before they can teleport to it, or does have a randomized function like his Aurora Curtain, teleporting him to a random world before he notes them down.
His gaze shifted. "So, Midoriya… care to explain why you stopped me and let those dangerous villains escape?"
Tsutsumi asks casually, which caused all eyes in the class to turn toward the green-haired boy, looking at him with an intense gaze.
"Uh… well… you were going to kill them, and a hero shouldn't kill…" He stutters on his own words.
Tsutsumi nodded once. "So, without any authorization, you decided to use your quirk on a fellow classmate, breaking your own finger in the process, and let a dangerous villain who can teleport and bypass U.A's defense escape... Just because you don't like how I deal with things? Even though Aizawa had given me the green light?"
Midoriya only lowered his head, and tears already began forming around his eyelid. Seeing this, a few immediately stood up to defend him.
"Tsutsumi-kun! That's uncalled for!"
"Midoriya-kun is right! Hero shouldn't kill!"
"He was just doing the right thing!"
Tsutsumi's gaze swept the room. "Would you still say that if you came home to find your family murdered by those same villains?" His voice was calm, but the weight of his words hit like a hammer.
He paused, letting his words sink in. "Who, let me remind you all. Can teleport to basically any location they want at will. They already bypassed U.A's defense system, and have time to set up in the USJ. They know about our class schedule, how many students are going to be there, and which teachers is going to be there."
He then shrugged. "But hey, it's not like they won't eventually find out about our personal information and would later attack our house and harm our loved ones."
Everyone in the room understood what he was trying to say here, and a few hostile gazes shifted toward Midoriya.
"Still, if something like that were to ever happen... Would you still be standing here and saying he is right?"
His words rang like thunder, and the hostile gazes on Midoriya only intensified, causing the green-haired boy to cry, but before he could try to apologize.
"That's enough, Tsutsumi."
Aizawa stepped into the room, his usual tired expression hiding the fact he'd been listening. "Your point is noted. I'll speak with the Principal to ensure no harm comes to our students or their families."
Aizawa has come a bit earlier, but decides not to come in after hearing Tsutsumi's point about the danger of a villain with a teleportation quirk.
In Aizawa's view, Tsutsumi understood a lot about what it meant to be a hero, the risks and sacrifices that come with being one. Even he himself avoids anything like dating or building a family because he fears that one day, he would come home to an empty house with his family killed by a villain who has a grudge with him.
This is the risk that came with being a superhero, leading to why hero wear masks to keep their identity hidden. If the villain can't target you, they would target your family and loved ones for revenge.
"Sensei," Tsutsumi said politely, "has my request been approved yet?"
Aizawa: "..."
This sudden politeness from Tsutsumi caught him off guard, and then he realized Tsutsumi had requested to break 183 of Midoriya Izuku's bones, after the request to break 184 Midoriya Izuku's bones was denied.
"No." He answered flatly.
"Tch." Tsutsumi clicked his tongue and returned to his seat.
Aizawa: "..."
Aizawa said nothing. He remembered who had held the line against the Nomu, protecting everyone as best he could. He might not approve of Tsutsumi's methods, but in that moment, he had to admit… the boy understood the stakes better than most.
Back then, Aizawa was willing to let Tsutsumi cut off those villains' limbs so that they wouldn't be able to move or escape, but Midoriya jumped in and messed everything up.
And this wasn't the first time something like this had happened, so he decided to ignore Tsutsumi's behavior. At least he was still somewhat respectful; no point in causing trouble for both of them.
He turned to face the class, his tone as dry as ever. "The battle for you all still hasn't ended."
"Battle?" Bakugo raised a brow.
"More villains?!" Mineta practically shrieked, his voice cracking.
Aizawa didn't even blink. "The U.A. Sports Festival is right around the corner."
The reminder hit the class like a sudden shift in weather, some perked up in excitement, others frowned in confusion.
"Is it really okay to have such an event right after the villain attack?" Jiro asked, her voice carrying a hint of concern.
"What if they hit us again during it?" another student added.
Aizawa continued in that unshakable, deadpan way of his. "By holding the festival without hesitation, we show the world that U.A. has the situation under control. It sends a clear message: our crisis management works. Security will be five times stronger than last year. But none of that is your concern."
He leaned slightly forward, eyes scanning the room. "What you should be thinking about is the opportunity in front of you. Back in the pre-quirk era, the Olympics were the global stage, millions watched, and the best rose to the top. Those days are gone. Now, in Japan, the U.A. Sports Festival has taken its place."
Mineta still looked uneasy, until Momo calmly explained, "It's not just a show for the public, it's where pro heroes scout future talent."
That sparked a ripple of chatter, some students already talking about career paths, others buzzing with competitive energy. The message was clear: this event was too important to skip, and they'd only get three chances during their entire time at U.A. Anyone serious about becoming a hero wouldn't dare waste it.
Of course, Tsutsumi saw it differently. In his eyes, it was just another pointless spectacle, something that did nothing to help him achieve his real goal.
Aizawa, having already been briefed by Nezu, noticed his disinterest immediately, just as he'd expected.
...
After classes ended, Tsutsumi vanished again. By now, no one found his sudden disappearances unusual. Hound Dog is still pissed and trying to look for him, though.
"Nezu, you know something about Tsutsumi Ryoko's missing mother, don't you?" Aizawa asked, recalling how Tsutsumi's report after the USJ incident mentioned he was still searching for her.
He also remembered the entrance exam, Nezu's subtle reaction when he saw Tsutsumi had made it clear the principal already knew who the mother was.
As the homeroom teacher of this problem child, Aizawa couldn't just ignore such a volatile situation.
"Shota, I think it's best for Tsutsumi to become a hero first. Only then will it be safe for him to learn about his mother," Nezu said calmly, his small paws clasping together.
Aizawa frowned. "What do you mean by that, Nezu?"
To him, a hero should be willing to help a child find his missing parent, not deliberately withhold information.
Noticing the skepticism in Aizawa's eyes, Nezu sighed. He plugged in his mouse, then began typing. "I know you're worried about him. But trust me, if Tsutsumi hasn't developed the mindset of a true hero, revealing this would drag him straight into darkness."
That statement only deepened Aizawa's concern.
"Since I've asked you to keep an eye on him, it's only fair you know why this is so sensitive," Nezu continued. His paws danced over the keyboard, inputting a long string of passwords, unlocking one security layer after another.
Finally, he turned the monitor toward Aizawa.
On the screen was a profile. The woman in the photo had shoulder-length hair shaded in purple and pink, deep violet eyes, and facial features almost identical to Tsutsumi Ryoko.
...
In another world, Tsutsumi found himself standing in a spacious house. That in itself wasn't unusual, every time he arrived in a new world, he was given an identity tailored to fit in.
The place was silent, almost too silent, its vast rooms swallowing up the faint sound of his footsteps.
"Ryoko-niisan."
He turned at the voice. A girl, no older than twelve, stood there with long black hair and amber-red eyes, clutching a book that hid half her face.
"I finished the books you gave me..." she said softly, peeking over the edge.
"I see..." Tsutsumi slipped seamlessly into the role fate had handed him. "Do you want dinner?"
"Can I help you make it, Ryoko-niisan?" she asked, lowering the book a little more.
"Sure."
They walked side by side into the kitchen, preparing the meal together. After dinner, once she was asleep, Tsutsumi retreated to the old study. The air was thick with dust and the scent of aged paper; shelves groaned under the weight of documents and books on countless topics.
As he read, he discovered that this world harbored something extraordinary, magic.
Digging deeper, he uncovered her name: once Sakatsuki Miyu, now Tsutsumi Miyu. His adopted sister.
"Interesting..." he murmured, flipping through the report.
The Sakatsuki bloodline, it seemed, is the Child of God. Six years ago, during the Black Shadow Incident, nearly the entire family had been slaughtered. Miyu was the sole survivor.
Then he saw it, something that made him freeze. The children of the Sakatsuki could grant wishes. The stronger the wish, the greater the price.
The biggest price was becoming one with the planet.
If he could harness her ability, he might finally find his mother, or perhaps even break the curse of Decade, freeing himself from the fate of destroying all worlds.
A smile tugged at his lips, only to vanish a heartbeat later.
"The Sakatsuki's children... lose their power to grant wishes after turning ten."