"Morning!" Nora greeted as he stepped into Class 1-A.
It really doesn't feel any different from other schools, he thought honestly. Even after living in this slightly warped version of Earth for years, the atmosphere of a classroom still felt the same.
It was still early in the term, and everyone was just beginning to get to know one another. No cliques had formed yet, and the room held a quiet, tentative energy.
For now, the people Nora usually talked with were Ashido, Hagakure, Kaminari, and Kirishima. Asui would sometimes join their conversations as well, though she was more of a serious, diligent type.
Mineta got along well with Kaminari and occasionally joined their group too—especially whenever the topic steered toward something perverted. The fact that he didn't bother hiding his true nature on the very first day… well, in a way, that boldness was almost admirable.
"Morning," Hagakure and Ashido greeted as they arrived.
"Oh, by the way, are you alright, Midoriya?" Nora turned toward the green-haired boy a short distance away. He was the only one who'd gotten injured badly enough to visit the infirmary.
"Ah, yes. I'm fine," Midoriya replied, pulling his eyes away from his books. He awkwardly lifted his healed hand as proof. "Thank you, Nekoyama-san." With that, he naturally drifted into their group.
"If you don't mind… can I ask you something?" he said, suddenly sounding timid.
"I don't mind," Nora answered, then quickly added a safety clause after sensing trouble, "as long as it's something I can actually answer."
"So, I've been observing everyone's quirks. Like Kaminari-san's Electrification, Kirishima-san's Hardening, Ashido-san's Acid, and so on. But Nekoyama-san… your quirk feels different from the others."
"Er… it's a strengthening-type quirk," Nora said. It wasn't like he had a better explanation prepared.
"I'm curious too," Hagakure chimed in. "Black is cool, but the white form is cute."
"How did you transform like that?" Ashido added, now visibly intrigued.
No, it wasn't just Ashido, Kaminari, and Kirishima who were listening. The entire classroom suddenly fell silent.
Shiiiin…
They pretended not to care, but almost everyone had their eyes wide open, waiting for the answer. Out of all their Quirks, Nora's transformation had made the strongest impression.
"Actually…"
"""Actually?"""
Gulp.
Some students visibly swallowed in anticipation.
"I don't even know myself."
Gaaannn…
A collective wave of disappointment washed over the room.
"Well, maybe I'm some kind of youkai mutant or something like that? I'm not sure either. But it fits the hero theme, right? A transformation." Nora smirked at his classmates.
Uwah… Nora felt a chill run down his spine when he noticed Midoriya eagerly scribbling every word into his notebook—his nonsense included.
So that was the ominous feeling… He made a mental note to keep a bit of distance for his own sanity.
Boom!
The classroom door slammed open with a dramatic crash.
"I have arrived!!"
A blonde, muscular figure burst into the room—none other than the Symbol of Peace himself. All Might had entered, larger than life.
Homeroom had officially begun.
***
All Might—
the greatest hero,
the pillar of peace.
Even Nora had to acknowledge his existence as the embodiment of a true hero. Unlike today, when "Hero" had become just another career option, All Might was a real hero.
Whether through the television screen or glimpsed from afar, Nora had witnessed his deeds countless times. Having lived for more than ten years in a world swarming with villains, Nora had been involved in incidents himself—sometimes targeted directly, sometimes caught in the crossfire of a villain's rampage. There were many heroes around, but more often than not, it was All Might who happened to be nearby and resolved the crisis effortlessly, especially in recent years.
And yet… why would someone who always seemed to be in perfect form, someone who constantly stood at the very front lines against villains, suddenly step back to teach? And not just teach—start only this year, and start with first-years instead of second- or third-years. I can't help but feel something ominous about this.
…Is it too late to request a class change?
And so, homeroom continued. In an ordinary school it would have been a simple P.E. class, but this was U.A.—which meant they were jumping straight into a Hero vs. Villain lesson.
How magnificent.
The villain team's victory condition was to protect the "bomb" within the time limit or to knock out the hero team.
Conversely, the hero team had to either touch the bomb before time ran out or incapacitate the villains. Simple, straightforward, and easy to grasp.
Once everyone was divided into teams, the class moved on to the first battle trial. And the result was…
"Uwah…" Nora groaned in distaste.
As expected of a hero school, I guess. They really go this far. He sighed as he looked at Midoriya's condition. Midoriya had won his Hero vs. Villain match, but still ended up in the infirmary—twice in a row.
I bet a little achievement window must've popped up in his vision by now, Nora joked to himself as he waited for his own turn.
Heroes won.
Villains won.
The matches continued one after another, each showcasing the students' creativity and cleverness in using their quirks.
Todoroki Shoto, the half-and-half boy, demonstrated overwhelming power output—clearly proving why he was one of the recommended students.
Finally, it was Nora's turn.
By the way, Nora—who treated the Hero course more like a side job or a backup plan—never gave much thought to his costume. As long as he could move freely, anything would do. So, in the end, he showed up in his usual jersey—the kind you might spot in Squid Game. Over his right shoulder and arm, he had strapped a piece of metal—a shoulder brace reminiscent of Sven's character.
If you're a fighting cat, of course Puss in Boots comes to mind. Well… Catwoman first, but there was no way Nora could squeeze into a skin-tight suit. So, Puss in Boots it was, more or less. As an optional flair, he added a musketeer hat. Strange-looking? Of course—it clashed spectacularly with everything else.
Well, the hat was optional anyway. He could take it off whenever he liked. After all, it was just a temporary costume, so he didn't care much.
"Aoyama Yuga, Ashido Mina, villain team, versus Nekoyama Nora, Koji Koda, hero team," All Might announced. "Take your positions. We'll start in ten."
As the four of them left the monitor room,
"Who do you think is going to win?" Kaminari asked, curious about everyone's predictions.
"Hero."
"Hero's Team."
"Nekoyama-san."
Yep. The first quirk apprehension test had already revealed enough about Nora's abilities. Of course, the outcome might have been different against a stronger team—like Tokoyami, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, or even Katsuki.
Ashido might be athletic, but Aoyama would likely hold her back.
Aoyama Yuga was a narcissistic yet amusing classmate, but when it came to actual fighting skills, no one would seriously raise their hand in support. Koji Koda, on the other hand, might still contribute something useful with his quirk.
"But Ashido-san's quirk is practically the antithesis of close combat," remarked Kyoka Jiro, the earphone-jack girl.
"If they were villains, it might work," Yaoyorozu added, analyzing the situation. "However, Nekoyama-san's team is the heroes. Their only objective is to touch the bomb—they don't have to engage in a full fight."
"…" In an instant, everyone silently agreed with her assessment.