After a hearty night of railing his grandmother and celebrating the newest member of the Harem, morning had come and with it continued Rui's new awful routine of waking up by 6 to get ready for school.
To add insult to injury, today's classes crawled by with the agonizing slowness only a man in his late thirties trapped in a teenager's body could truly appreciate.
To the rest of Class 1-A, Mr. Aizawa's monotone lecture on the history of Hero Laws was a vital foundation for their careers.
To Rui Tanaka, it was the sound of a dull circular saw against his skull.
Rui rested his chin on his palm, his gaze drifting from the chalkboard to the seat two rows ahead.
'Tsuyu's got a surprisingly elegant posture,' he mused, his mind veering into familiar, degenerate territory. 'Wonder if she would still sit that straight with a cock in her.' he thought crudely before a monotone voice broke his concentration.
[System Alert: Current level of stats insufficient for full effectiveness in conquering this particular target] The system almost seemed exasperated as it reminded Rui of this for what felt like the upteenth time.
'Oh whatever,' Rui rolled his eyes and pouted
It wasn't fair that he had to focus in class and still be not allowed to pant after future heroines.
Finally, finally, the bell rang, signaling the sweet release of lunch. Rui practically sprinted to the cafeteria, visions of curry bread and cute girls dancing in his head.
Afterwards , the afternoon classes were an equally blurry mess of lectures and exercises. The
system chimed in occasionally with helpful (and utterly unwanted) facts about Japanese history or the chemical composition of Quirks, but he mostly tuned it out.
He had more interesting things to focus on.
Specifically, the girl sitting a few rows over.
Kyoka Jiro had been staring at him.
Not a full-blown gaze, she was too "cool" for that, but frequent, sharp glances.
She probably thought she was being sneaky with it but Rui could tell she was getting more perplexed by the moment.
A dark, evil smile threatened to break across his face, but he suppressed it into a neutral, bored expression. He would keep pretending he wasn't aware of her scrutiny.
He'd play the part of the oblivious, aloof classmate that just wanted to help her.
He would draw her in, inch by agonizing inch, until
she finally answered the call of seduction.
And once she was behind his closed doors? He'd give her something much more better than quirk training.
***
With minutes left to spare, Cementos finally wrapped up his lecture and then it was time for what everyone had been waiting for: Hero Basic Training.
"I AM HERE!"
The classroom door didn't just open; it was conquered. All Might burst through the threshold, wearing his Silver Age costume and striking a pose that looked like it belonged on a billboard. "Coming through the door like a normal person!"
The class erupted in excitement. Even Rui felt a prickle of genuine awe. It was hard not to—the man radiated a level of charisma that felt like a physical heat.
"Today, we will be engaging in… BATTLE TRAINING!" All Might boomed, pointing toward the wall as shelves slid out, revealing numbered suitcases. "But first, you can't be heroes without the gear. Your costumes, based on the quirk registrations and requests you sent in, are ready!"
Rui grabbed Case #18 and headed to the locker room. As he stripped down, he caught sight of the others. Shoji was a mountain of muscle; Bakugo looked like he was ready to kill just by putting on a shirt.
Rui's own costume was a sleek, black-and-charcoal tactical suit with reinforced padding.
It was functional, modern, and designed to make him look like a professional rather than a brightly colored target. The fact that some of the design's were taken from those of the Anbu uniforms in Naruto were just a plus.
[System update: Combat Suit added to Ero-Hero arsenal. Stat Bonus: +5% Agility, +3 %. Hidden Perk: 'Silent Step'- Movement noise reduced by 15%]
Rui had to hide his smile of delight at the update.
If that didn't scream ninja he didn't know what did!
***
Minutes later, as the class gathered at Ground Beta, everybody finally having their costumes, the sheer variety of them was a spectacle.
Obviously, Rui focused on the girls more, seeing I'm the flash just how generous those spandex were.
For maximum ogling accessibility, Rui found himself drifting toward the back of the group, his eyes wandering, until he was broken out of his thoughts by the sound all might explaining what the battles were all about.
".....You will be paired up and engaging in simulated combat scenarios! Think of it as a chance to test your skills and learn to work as a team!"
Rui barely stifled a yawn. By kami he was bored.
Yeah, yeah, teamwork, bla, bla.
They get it. Now, where's the cute girl lottery
However, the Number one Hero's next words knocked the lethargy out of his bones.
"Young Hagakure has unfortunately suffered a severe ankle sprain from an accidental fall this morning," All Might announced, his booming voice losing a bit of its luster. "Recovery Girl is treating her, but she is out for today. This leaves us with an odd number of nineteen students."
Rui felt a cold sweat prickle his neck.
'Wait… if she's out, that means the teams are messed up. In the anime, everyone was in pairs. This is… the butterfly effect?'
"Because we are short one person," All Might continued, reaching into two boxes labeled 'Villain' and 'Hero,' "Team D will have a third member to balance the power scales. Team A will be the Heroes: Midoriya and Uraraka! Team D will be the Villains: Iida, Bakugo, and… Rui Tanaka!"
Rui's jaw hit the concrete. "WHAT?!" he yelled, louder than he intended. All eyes turned to him. He shrunk under the collective gaze, feeling hus cheeks flush.
"Is there a problem, young man?" All Might asked, his brow furrowed.
"Yes!" Rui managed to say, his heart hammering against his ribs. "I'm a scout-type! I don't think I fit with… well, them!"
All Might flashed a thumbs-up that felt more like a death warrant. "Nonsense, Young Tanaka! This is a test of adaptability! Go and discuss your strategy!"
Rui slinked over to Bakugo and Iida, feeling like a man walking toward a guillotine.
He felt like screaming.
Because it has to be Bakugo and Iida!
Are you kidding him?
He was stuck with the human bomb and the robot!
This is a disaster!
All this while he had been hoping for Froppy or Momo, maybe even Jirou, so he could deepen their connection and get her to come over.
But he would have honestly preferred anyone but them.
And worse of all this put his whole plan into question.
Could his mere presence really be altering the course of the story this much?
He racked his brain, trying to remember what he might have done to cause this.
Then it hit him.
Hakagure. Toru.
The invisible girl.
"Oh, crap," he muttered.
He remembered the chaotic scene in the locker room.
He had been so busy trying to get a glimpse of the girls' lockers through a crack in the door that he hadn't noticed (said invisible being the problem)Toru Hagakure stepping out from said room .
He'd tripped right over her, sending them both sprawling. It had been embarrassing, sure, but he hadn't realized the weight of it until now.
He had changed CANON!
Rui felt himself go white in shock.
He mentally brought up the system, trying to make sense of what was going on.
'Hey! System! What the hell is going on? This isn't how it's supposed to be!'
The system responded in its usual robotic tone:
[System Analysis: Host Interference with established narrative parameters has resulted in unpredictable outcomes. This is the consequence of unauthorized deviation from designated storyline. System recommends minimizing further disruptions or Host will face severe future punishment.]
Rui felt like whimpering.
He had thought he could just sit back, watch the show, and quietly amass his harem.
But apparently, things weren't that simple. He was actually affecting the story, and not in a good way.
He gulped, forcing himself to regain his composure. He schooled his expression into something resembling nonchalance and followed his team into the training area – a massive, warehouse-like structure designed to simulate urban combat.
Inside the designated building, Iida was already in character, pacing back and forth near the fake nuclear weapon. "Bakugo! Tanaka! As villains, we must ensure the heroes do not touch this weapon! I suggest a defensive perimeter. Tanaka, you should use your agility to scout the lower floors while—"
"Shut up, Four-Eyes!" Bakugo snarled, slamming his fist into his palm to create a small, sharp explosion. He turned his glare to Rui. "And you. If you get in my way, I'll blow you through the wall. Stay in the shadows and don't make a sound. I'm going after Deku myself."
Rui swallowed hard, leaning against a concrete pillar.
This was a nightmare.
He was on the team with the two most intense people in the class. Bakugo was going to go rogue, Iida was going to play house, and he would be the one getting blasted when Midoriya loses control of One For All.
[System Update: Side Quest Triggered: The Third Man. Objective: Survive the Battle Trial without being 'captured'. Hidden Objective: Ensure the narrative reaches the 'Deku vs. Kacchan' climax without total structural collapse. Reward: +100 Ero-Points and Harem progression.]
Rui furrowed his brows.
A what now? Side quest? Why was he getting one in the first place if this was a mistake? And did he say Harem progression!?
Just then, the speakers crackled to life with All Might's voice. "START!"
Bakugo didn't even look back. He sprinted out of the room, the smell of burnt nitroglycerin trailing behind him. Iida sighed, adjusting his armor. "He is truly difficult to work with. Tanaka, please, take your position on the third floor. I will stay here and guard the weapon."
Rui nodded, grateful to be away from Iida's stiff lecturing.
As he descended the stairs, his 'Silent Step' perk kicked in. The building was eerily quiet, save for the distant thud of Bakugo's footsteps echoing through the air ducts.
He reached the third-floor landing and crouched in the shadows. He could feel the tension in the air. He knew what was coming. Midoriya and Uraraka would enter from the windows or the ground floor. Bakugo would ambush them. The whole floor would become a furnace.
Rui peeked over the railing, his eyes narrowing.
"I just want to live. I just want to survive this and go back to a world where I can appreciate the view without being in a war zone. But if I'm here… if I'm really changing things… then I need to make sure I'm not the one who ends up in the hospital." he muttered to himself.
A faint scuff sounded from the floor below.
It was Midoriya.
Rui stayed still, his breath shallow. He wasn't a hero yet. He was just a man trying to navigate a story that was starting to rewrite itself right in front of him.
The first explosion rocked the building, the sound muffled but the vibration unmistakable.
It's starting.
---
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