The afternoon arrived.
As the class bell rang, Aizawa Shouta walked into the classroom with a yawn.
"This afternoon's Hero basics class will be supervised by me, All Might, and another teacher—Hero No. 13."
"Excuse me, what kind of training will it be?" Iida Tenya raised his hand and asked.
Aizawa pulled out a card labeled RESCUE from behind him, held it up, and replied, "This Hero basics class will focus on rescue training—USJ for short. Situations like floods, fires, earthquakes, and other disasters."
Rescue training immediately piqued Lock's interest.
After all, this was an area he had studied intensively during his special training for the provisional license exam under the guidance of the Void Spirit.
The rest of the class was also excited, clearly looking forward to seeing what their Quirks could do in disaster scenarios.
Compared to pure combat, rescue work aligned more closely with the true duties of a Hero—and carried a stronger sense of fulfillment.
Watching the lively discussion among the students, Aizawa sighed.
Their attitudes were still far too relaxed.
Real rescue wasn't a game—nor was it an easy task.
Aizawa lifted his bloodshot eyes and continued, "Get changed into your combat uniforms and gather downstairs immediately. The training site is far from here—we'll be taking a bus."
"That's all. Move out."
With that, Aizawa left the classroom to arrange transportation.
Class 1-A headed off to change into their battle uniforms. Lock, who didn't need to change, followed Aizawa directly.
As class president, he was responsible for leading the students during transit—though it always felt a bit like managing a group of elementary school kids.
"Class 1-A, line up in two rows and board the bus in order."
Once everyone was ready, Lock organized them onto the bus and boarded last himself.
The downside of being class president was that there were no seats left.
So he ended up sitting next to Aizawa Shouta.
…Tragic.
The bus began to move, and with some distance to travel, the students started chatting.
"My Hardening Quirk is strong, but it feels kind of plain," Kirishima Eijiro said cheerfully, activating his Quirk as his arms instantly turned as hard as steel. "It doesn't really stand out."
Kirishima was naturally upbeat and infectious. Under his lead, everyone began discussing their own Quirks.
He turned to Lock and said, "But Heroes need eye-catching highlights! Like you, Lock—your abilities are flashy, powerful, fire and ice, super cool!"
"You could also say," Lock replied calmly, "that my power doesn't come from a Quirk—but from magic."
"…Huh?"
The noisy bus instantly fell silent.
Even Aizawa Shouta, sitting beside Lock, was visibly startled.
Everyone stared at him in disbelief, clearly shocked by the unfamiliar word he had just dropped.
"You'll understand soon enough," Lock said with a meaningful smile.
This wasn't a slip of the tongue.
It was something he had planned long ago.
Yaoyorozu Momo's corresponding preparations were already nearing the final stage.
Now, he had planted the seed.
All that remained was to wait for it to sprout and bear fruit.
The rest of the ride passed in silence.
Before long, the bus arrived at a massive, spherical building—like a giant baseball stadium.
Class 1-A disembarked and gathered at the entrance of the rescue training facility.
"That's incredible… is this the USJ?"
"Wow! It's Hero No. 13—my favorite disaster-rescue Hero!"
Standing at the entrance was a figure in a full space suit.
Some students immediately recognized her—Hero No. 13, a top-tier Pro Hero specializing in disaster relief, on par with top rescue specialists.
Her Quirk, Black Hole, allowed her to generate powerful suction from devices on her hands, absorbing anything into a black-hole-like void.
It was an extremely dangerous ability—but also incredibly versatile in rescue situations.
"I've been waiting for you. Let's go inside," a gentle female voice came from within the suit.
Lock was slightly surprised.
He'd never really thought about No. 13's gender—after all, she was always fully sealed inside a space suit.
Hero No. 13 led Class 1-A into the facility and began explaining, "This is a simulated environment containing various disaster scenarios—floods, landslides, earthquakes, fires, storms, and more."
"This practice field was created by me."
"This place is called the USJ."
After No. 13 finished speaking, Aizawa walked over and asked quietly, "Where's All Might? Didn't we agree to meet here?"
"S-Senior… about that…" No. 13 replied respectfully. It was clear she treated Aizawa as a senior.
She explained the reason, leaving Aizawa momentarily speechless.
All Might had resolved multiple incidents in one morning and exhausted the time limit of his muscular form.
"Hopefully nothing goes wrong…" Aizawa muttered inwardly.
An ominous feeling rose in his chest.
A very bad one.
And then—
As if to confirm his premonition.
The water in the central plaza pool began to twist violently, space itself warping into a black vortex.
A strange purple-black mist spread throughout the USJ.
Aizawa's pupils shrank sharply.
That sickening sense of dread had come true.
From the vortex stepped out a hulking figure with the build of an ape.
Behind him came a boy whose body was covered by grotesque hands, his presence twisted and unsettling.
Then—
One after another, numerous grotesque figures poured out, shaped like monsters and cannon fodder.
Spinner.
Tomura Shigaraki.
Kurogiri.
The moment Lock saw those three—
His expression turned sharp and serious.
The League of Villains' invasion of USJ…
Had begun after all.
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A/N: 40+ Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded.
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