FEW DAYS LATER — U.A HIGH
Student chatter echoed through the corridor of Class 1-A.The clash from a few days ago still lingered in everyone's minds—and the ones in the spotlight were Izuku Midoriya and Ren.
Todoroki sat quietly, eyes half-narrowed, lost in thought.Did Ren hide his power…? Or is he hiding something else entirely?
When Ren entered the classroom, the door sliding open with a soft click,every head turned toward him.His eyes briefly met Todoroki's calm gaze, then Midoriya's bright, respectful one.After their fight, Midoriya's admiration for Ren had skyrocketed.
Midoriya raised his hand in an excited wave, smiling warmly."Oh—Ren, you came! Are your injuries okay now? That was a really good fight."
Kirishima leaned forward from behind Midoriya, eyes sparkling."Man, that fight was so manly! I still get goosebumps just thinking about it!"He slapped his chest with a grin."You both were unstoppable! If it wasn't for Sensei's quirk—whoa, it would've been chaos!"
Bakugo clicked his tongue sharply, arms crossed, eyes narrowed in annoyance."Tch. If it was me, I would've blown him up the moment the match started."
Kirishima looked at Bakugo nervously, raising both hands."I bet Ren would calculate your movement, buddy!"
Bakugo's eyes twitched dangerously."Hah?! You got a death wish?!"
Kirishima stiffened up."…I pass on that."
The door slid open again as Aizawa walked in, looking as tired as ever."Attention, students. I have an announcement."His voice was calm but carried a weight that silenced the class instantly."There will be another round of internships."
Kaminari slumped over his desk."Sensei, how many internships do we need? This is the third time this year…"
Aizawa sighed lightly, rubbing the corner of his eye."It's because of the new villains that have appeared. VEGA."
The moment that name left his mouth, the classroom went dead silent.Even the air felt heavier.
Kirishima's expression tightened."Sensei… are they really that strong?"
Aizawa nodded slowly."Most of you don't know. VEGA has six members:EdgeShot, Dabi, Toga, Riptide, Hero Killer Stain, and Kurogiri."
Kaminari blinked rapidly."Wait—who's Riptide?"
Midoriya's brows furrowed, voice soft but full of worry."Hero Killer Stain… wasn't he imprisoned with All For One?How did he escape…?"
Bakugo slammed his fist on the desk, face twisted with anger."And why the hell would a hero like EdgeShot join a bunch of villains?!"
Aizawa's expression darkened, his tone lower than before."Because their leader… is none other than Mastermind."
Aizawa's eyes narrowed slightly as he continued, his voice dropping into a heavy, serious tone.
"As you all know… VEGA was formed only a few days ago," he said, folding his arms. The room grew tense, every student leaning in. "It was during the time when the League of Villains was heading toward the prison where All For One was being held."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.A few students swallowed hard.
"But what the League didn't know," Aizawa continued, eyes darkening,"was that they were just pieces on a chessboard Mastermind had already set for them."
A few gasps broke the silence. Even Bakugo stopped tapping his foot.
Aizawa's expression hardened even further."Mastermind told the League he could free All For One… and he gathered multiple villains under that promise."
Midoriya gripped his notebook tightly, his eyes trembling.Mastermind manipulated them all…?
"But on the other side," Aizawa said, voice edged with bitterness,"he told the Hero Commission the exact date of the attack."
Kirishima's eyes widened."He told the heroes… and the villains… both?"
Aizawa nodded grimly."He challenged them. Told the Commission—" he took a slow breath,"'Stop Shigaraki if you can.'"
The classroom fell into a deep, uneasy silence.Every student felt the chill behind those words—a mastermind moving both heroes and villains like pawns,just to watch what would happen.
Aizawa's voice grew even heavier, as if the next words tasted bitter.
"And on that day…" he said slowly, looking around the room,"Dabi and Toga betrayed the League of Villains."
A wave of shock rippled through the class.Mina covered her mouth.Sero whispered, "No way…"
Aizawa continued, his expression unreadable.
"And EdgeShot… a top-ranked pro hero… joined Mastermind as well."
The room froze.
Bakugo's eyes widened in disbelief before narrowing in fury.Midoriya's pencil slipped from his fingers.Todoroki's jaw tightened, a thin breath escaping him.
Aizawa looked at them all, eyes tired but sharp.
"That single day… changed the balance of power in our world."
Aizawa's eyes lowered for a moment, as if remembering something too heavy to speak casually.
"And even Endeavor…" he said quietly.
The entire class straightened in their seats.
"The most powerful hero—our Number One—was trapped like an insect in Mastermind's metal wires."
Gasps echoed through the room.
Aizawa continued, voice tense."Those wires couldn't be burned. No matter how intensely Endeavor pushed his flames… the metal didn't melt. It didn't even glow."
Midoriya's breath hitched."T-That shouldn't be possible…"
Aizawa nodded grimly."And when Endeavor tried to unleash his full power, Riptide extinguished his flames in an instant."
The classroom fell silent—a cold, suffocating kind of silence.
Bakugo clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white.Todoroki's eyes darkened, a faint tremble in his jaw.Kirishima whispered, stunned,"Even Endeavor… couldn't break free?"
Aizawa looked at them with a grave expression.
"That was the moment everyone realized… Mastermind didn't just form a villain group.He assembled a force powerful enough to corner the strongest hero alive."
Aizawa's voice lowered to almost a whisper, as if repeating words that still echoed in the minds of every hero who heard them.
"And then… Mastermind spoke."
The class leaned forward unconsciously, tension curling in the air.
Aizawa's eyes hardened.
"His exact words were…"
He paused, letting the moment stretch.
"'I am not a hero… not a villain.'"
A chill ran through the room.Bakugo's eyes narrowed. Midoriya swallowed. Todoroki froze in place.
Aizawa continued, voice cold and steady.
"'I am the one who will bring the true peace.'"
Silence fell—deep, heavy, suffocating.It didn't feel like a threat.It felt like a declaration… from someone who believed every word.
The classroom stayed frozen for a heartbeat after Aizawa finished speaking.
Then—
Mina whispered, voice trembling,"True… peace? What kind of villain says that…?"
Sero rubbed the back of his neck, eyes wide."Dude, that's not just villain talk… that's cult leader talk."
Kaminari shivered dramatically."Bro—that line gave me goosebumps. Like, actual goosebumps. That guy's crazy."
Jiro crossed her arms, hiding a slight shake."Someone who traps Endeavor like it's nothing… and calls it 'peace'? That's terrifying."
Kirishima clenched his teeth, fists tightening."That's not manly at all… using heroes and villains like pawns. That's just twisted."
Uraraka looked down, fingers gripping the edge of her desk."How can someone be that strong and still think they're helping…?"
Iida slammed his hands on his desk, voice sharp but shaking."Declaring neutrality while committing villainous acts—! It's unacceptable!Peace cannot be built on manipulation!"
Todoroki stayed silent, but his jaw tightened so hard it trembled.The thought of Endeavor being trapped… and helpless… hit him more than anyone else.If even he couldn't escape… then what chance does anyone have?
Midoriya stared at his notebook, knuckles white.Mastermind's words repeated in his head like a broken echo.Not a hero… not a villain… true peace…His heart pounded."That mindset… it's dangerous. Someone like that, someone with that much power…they could reshape society however they want."
Finally—
Bakugo stood up so fast his chair scraped loudly across the floor.His expression was a mix of fury and disbelief.
"That bastard thinks he can decide what peace is?!I don't care how strong he is—I'll blow him off the map!"
But even he couldn't hide the faint tremor in his fist.
Aizawa watched them all with a steady, tired gaze.
"That," he said quietly, "is exactly why your internships matter.Mastermind is already changing the world.And you're going to have to face the consequences."
The room fell silent again—this time filled not with fear…but with the weight of responsibility.
Amid the tense silence, Ren finally spoke.
He leaned back slightly in his seat, eyes half-lidded, tone calm—but sharp enough to cut through the heavy air.
"Did you even find out his true intention?" Ren said, his voice steady."You can't just call someone a villain because they don't follow your idea of peace."His gaze moved across the class, unreadable."Everyone has a different mindset."
The room reacted instantly.
Kirishima blinked, surprised."Ren… you mean you think Mastermind might not be a villain?"
Uraraka looked conflicted."I-I mean… he attacked heroes… but… he didn't kill anyone, right?"
Iida raised his hand sharply, engine-like stomps echoing."Ren! His actions directly endangered the public! That defines a villain!"
Ren didn't flinch."Intent matters," he replied quietly."Not everyone who opposes the heroes is doing it for evil reasons."
Bakugo scoffed loudly."Tch. The hell are you saying, Calculators?! He trapped Endeavor!You think that's 'good intentions'?!"
Ren looked at him with a cool, emotionless expression."I'm saying you can't judge someone's entire purpose from the outside."
Midoriya leaned forward, eyes thoughtful."Ren… you mean… Mastermind might believe he's doing the right thing?"
Ren nodded once."People don't always fall into hero or villain boxes.Some just see the world differently."
Aizawa studied Ren with narrowed eyes, clearly noting the depth behind his words.
"Your perspective is unusual, Ren," he said."But not wrong. Intent and ideology matter…even if the actions still have consequences."
Todoroki watched Ren silently, thinking:Why does he speak like he understands Mastermind more than the rest of us?
The atmosphere shifted—less fear, more confusion… and curiosity.
Ren exhaled slowly, his eyes drifting toward the window as if thinking far ahead of the conversation.
"We don't even know their hideout," he said quietly.His voice wasn't loud, but it was steady—enough to pull everyone's attention back to him."We don't know what they're planning… or what they might be doing right now."
A subtle tension spread across the classroom.
Midoriya bit his lip."He's right… We barely know anything about VEGA's movements since that incident."
Mina hugged her notebook."That's the scariest part… villains you can't track."
Kaminari shivered."Unknown villains are the worst kind… you can't prepare for them."
Todoroki stared at Ren, eyes narrowing slightly."You're unusually calm about this, Ren."There was no hostility in his voice—just curiosity.
Bakugo clicked his tongue, glaring."What, you think we should just sit and wait?!"
Ren met his glare without blinking."No. I'm saying you can't fight something you don't understand."His expression stayed unreadable."If we don't know their goal, their base, their structure… then all we're doing is guessing."
Aizawa nodded slightly, impressed despite himself."Ren is right. Information is the real battlefield.Without it, heroes can't make a move."
The class absorbed Ren's words—a mix of fear, respect, and suspicion settling in the air.
The room stayed quiet for a moment—until Kaminari suddenly blinked and pointed at Ren.
"Wait… Ren," he said slowly,"how did you know the Hero Commission didn't find their hideout?"
A few students froze.
Midoriya turned toward Ren sharply, eyes wide."Y-Yeah… Sensei never said that part yet."
Iida adjusted his glasses, engines humming anxiously."Ren! You spoke as if you are certain the Commission hasn't located VEGA's base.How did you come to that conclusion?!"
Even Bakugo, who usually yelled first, frowned instead."…Oi. That's… suspicious."
Todoroki's gaze locked onto Ren—calm, piercing, analytical."You were very confident when you said it. Almost like you knew."
The tension in the classroom rose instantly.
Ren didn't flinch.He stayed sitting naturally—too naturally—hands folded on the desk.
His expression was unreadable, voice calm as ever.