"U.A. High School…"
After seeing Yaoyorozu Momo off, Kurosawa Ren headed straight to the computer room and began searching for everything he could find about U.A. High School.
"Games are fun," Ren muttered to himself, "but fighting in reality is far more interesting."
After carefully reviewing all the relevant information, he submitted his personal details without hesitation.
He was confident that within a few days, a response from U.A. High School would arrive. When that happened, he would be able to take the entrance exam exactly as planned.
By the time he finished, it was only nine in the morning. Because of Momo's visit earlier, Ren hadn't gotten any sleep at all.
"Let's take a walk," he said, stretching lazily. "Maybe I'll run into something interesting."
Pulling on a coat, he turned and stepped out the door.
In a world filled with superpowers, Heroes naturally existed—and where there were Heroes, criminals were never far behind.
…
It was Monday, a typical workday. People of all ages flowed through the streets, each beginning another ordinary day of life.
Even though it was already nine o'clock, office workers and students were still rushing along, their expressions tense as if afraid of being late.
"ROAR!!!"
A beast-like roar suddenly echoed from ahead.
Ren instinctively looked toward the source of the sound.
What he saw made him pause.
A massive creature stood in the street—towering upright on two legs, dressed in a shirt and jeans.
A giant wild boar.
"What—?!"
Screams erupted among the crowd.
Strangely, however, very few people actually fled. Most remained where they were, eyes shining with anticipation, as if waiting to watch a spectacle.
"Bam!"
The wild boar swung one arm, snapping a telephone pole with terrifying force.
The screams around him grew louder.
Police officers quickly arrived and began evacuating nearby civilians, yet many people stubbornly refused to leave, lingering at the edges of the scene.
-----Heroes Arrive-----
"Looks like my timing is perfect," Ren murmured. "This system really knows what it's doing."
Familiar with anime tropes, he immediately recognized the scene—this was the very beginning of everything.
High above, the broken telephone pole hurtled downward. Faint yellow sparks crackled along its surface.
"Hah!"
"Bang!"
Just before it hit the ground, a burly, heavily built man charged forward at incredible speed. In front of countless stunned onlookers, he caught the massive pole with his bare hands.
The impact sent a shockwave rippling across the ground. Even Ren, standing some distance away, felt the vibration clearly.
"Look! It's Death Arms!" someone in the crowd shouted. "The Hero famous for his raw strength! I can't believe we're seeing him this close!"
Exclamations rippled through the crowd.
"Splash—!"
Streams of water suddenly converged, forming a protective ring that separated civilians from the battlefield.
"Alright, everyone, step back!" a voice called out. "Be careful not to get hurt."
The speaker was a man dressed like a firefighter, his face tightly wrapped.
The flowing water surrounding the area came directly from his hands.
"It's Backdraft, the disaster-rescue Hero!" the crowd cheered, fear instantly replaced by excitement.
Ren took a few steps closer, bringing everything into clearer view.
"That criminal can turn into something that big," he murmured. "That's a pretty strong Quirk."
"What did he do?" someone asked nearby.
"Robbed a bank," another replied. "The police cornered him, and he lost control."
"With a Quirk like that, he still chose crime…"
"I'm really sorry, honey," someone nearby said into their phone. "Something came up—I'll explain later. Yes, buy whatever you want."
With Heroes on the scene, the massive monster was almost forgotten. Some people even started booing, disappointed the chaos might end so soon.
-----A Familiar Hero Appears-----
"Look! It's Kamui Woods!"
The shout rippled through the crowd, and several girls immediately lit up with excitement.
A brown-clad figure swung gracefully between buildings. His wooden arms extended, wrapping around the fallen telephone pole as he leapt onto the wild boar's back.
"Good mobility," Ren commented quietly, shaking his head. "But his power's lacking."
Compared to the ninja world, this place's power system was undeniably weaker.
Still, it worked perfectly as a transitional stage—somewhere he could gradually adapt to Madara's overwhelming strength.
…
Ahead, Kamui Woods battled fiercely with the wild boar. Just as he was about to deliver the finishing blow, a massive shadow suddenly leapt in from the side.
A single kick sent the wild boar flying.
Mt. Lady, a rising star among the new generation of Heroes.
"Boom!!!"
The wild boar crashed to the ground, foam spilling from its mouth as its limbs twitched violently.
"Uh…" Kamui Woods froze, staring blankly.
The victory he'd almost secured—gone in an instant.
…
Everything that happened that morning was treated as nothing more than a minor incident. The police wrapped things up quickly.
Soon, people returned to their routines—work, school, daily life continuing as if nothing had happened.
Scenes like this had become normal.
Before coming to this world, Ren had never been to Japan. Though everything felt strange and surreal, now that he was here, he wasn't about to waste the opportunity.
He spent the entire afternoon wandering the city, taking in everything with fresh eyes.
As evening approached, Ren glanced at the bags in his hands and nodded in satisfaction.
"Time to head back."
But after only a few steps, something unexpected happened.
A green, humanoid mass of liquid burst out of a nearby alley, its movements frantic and unstable.
As it passed Ren—
Green tentacles suddenly shot out from its body, wrapping tightly around him.