After some time, the steady hum of the engine softened, the bus slowing as it rolled forward. With a final pneumatic hiss, it came to a complete stop. The doors slid open, and one by one, the students stepped out.
Almost instantly, their reactions froze.
Eyes widened. Mouths fell open.
Before them stood the Unforeseen Simulation Joint—a colossal facility that dwarfed anything they had trained in before.
It stretched outward like a man-made horizon, a vast circular arena carved into sections that looked like entire worlds stitched together.
Towering concrete walls surrounded the structure, while inside, distinct zones branched off in every direction—skyscraper ruins rising beside artificial mountains, a sunken city glistening with dark water, jagged cliffs poised to collapse, and scorched terrain that shimmered with residual heat.
It didn't feel like a training ground.
It felt like standing at the edge of chaos itself.
Excited chatter erupted almost immediately.
"Woah—look at that!"
"No way, is that a flood zone?"
"This place is insane!"
Before the noise could spiral completely out of control, a figure stepped forward.
The space hero Thirteen emerged onto the platform, her bulky white-and-black suit gleaming under the overhead lights.
The helmet's visor reflected the sprawling disaster zones behind her as she raised a hand in greeting.
The class gradually quieted.
"Welcome," she began, her voice calm yet resonant, carrying easily across the open space. "This is the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ for short."
She gestured broadly behind her.
"You'll find a flood zone, landslide zone, conflagration zone, collapse simulations, storm environments, and more. Every major disaster scenario a hero may face during rescue operations can be recreated here."
There was a hint of pride in her tone as she continued.
"I helped design this facility myself. Its purpose is to teach you how to save lives when the environment itself is the enemy."
The students listened intently now, awe settling into something heavier—anticipation mixed with nerves.
As the class continued to gawk at the sheer scale of it all, Izuku stood quietly near the back, hands in his pockets.
His eyes weren't on Thirteen.
They flicked downward—toward the central plaza below.
There, just for a moment, a faint swirl of black mist shimmered against the concrete. It twisted unnaturally, like smoke with intent, subtle enough that no one else seemed to notice.
Izuku's lips curved into a knowing smirk.
'Right,' he thought calmly.
'I forgot… they don't waste any time.'
The black mist at the center plaza suddenly swelled, stretching outward like a living wound in space.
The air warped and groaned as shadows clung to its edges, pulling at reality itself. Cold crept across the facility floor, raising goosebumps along exposed skin.
Then—
a figure stepped through.
Shigaraki Tomura emerged from the portal with his trademark slouch, shoulders hunched as if his body barely held itself together.
His cracked lips twitched into a crooked grin, and his pale fingers flexed compulsively at his sides, scratching, twitching—itching. The disembodied hand resting against his face made his presence even more grotesque.
Behind him, the portal exploded with motion.
Villains poured out in waves—dozens, then scores of them. Some laughed wildly, others snarled like animals, a few cracking their necks or rolling their shoulders as if warming up for a slaughter.
Their voices echoed through the vast arena, twisting the excitement of moments ago into raw fear.
The mood shattered instantly.
Aizawa reacted without hesitation.
His tired eyes sharpened, every trace of laziness burning away as his scarf slid into his hands like a coiled serpent.
"Class!" he barked, voice cutting through the chaos. "Huddle up—now!"
Students scrambled instinctively, fear flashing across their faces as they clustered together.
Shigaraki tilted his head, surveying the scene with mild disappointment.
"Huh," he muttered. "I thought the symbol of peace would be here."
His grin widened, voice dripping with menace.
"Guess killing a few kids will bring him faster."
A sharp breath rippled through the class.
"S-Sensei…" Momo whispered, eyes wide as she stared at the mass of intruders. "A-are those villains?"
"Yes," Thirteen answered immediately, stepping forward, her bulky suit shifting as she positioned herself protectively in front of the students. "They must have used a quirk to breach the campus security system. Everyone, stay close to me!"
Before panic could take root, Aizawa was already moving.
He slid his goggles over his eyes as his scarf unraveled fully, whipping through the air like a living weapon.
"Evacuate immediately!" he ordered. "Don't engage—run!"
And then—
He jumped.
Dropping straight into the crowd of lesser villains below, Aizawa became a blur of motion. His scarf snapped tight, binding arms, legs, necks—yanking enemies off their feet as quirks fizzled out under his unwavering gaze.
Bodies slammed into concrete. Cries of shock and pain rang out as he dismantled them with ruthless efficiency. From the sidelines, Izuku watched calmly.
"We can't have that happen now, would we?" Shigaraki said lightly, as if commenting on the weather.
Before anyone could react, the shadows beneath his feet surged upward.
A black figure burst into existence directly in front of the students—an expanding mass of inky darkness that swallowed the air itself. Space warped violently. Gravity twisted. The world seemed to fold.
"—What?!" someone shouted.
In a split second, the darkness exploded outward, and the class was torn apart, flung in every direction like leaves caught in a storm.
---
Izuku blinked—
—and the world became water.
Cold rushed over his skin as he plunged beneath the surface, pressure wrapping around him instantly. His body reacted on instinct; his arms swept outward, legs kicking as he adjusted mid-fall. He broke the surface with a sharp inhale, water sloshing around his shoulders.
The flood zone.
Towering concrete walls surrounded a massive submerged cityscape—half-collapsed buildings disappearing into dark depths below. Artificial rain poured from above, rippling the surface endlessly. The water was frigid, but it barely registered.
Izuku treaded water easily, eyes open and sharp, breathing steady as if the crushing pressure meant nothing to him.
Then he saw them.
Figures moved beneath the surface—shadows at first, then shapes. Dozens of villains swam through the murky depths with unnatural ease, darting between submerged structures. Some clung to broken pillars, others floated lazily just below the surface.
When they noticed him, grins spread across their faces.
Predatory. Hungry.
One cracked his neck underwater. Another waved mockingly before vanishing below the surface again.
Izuku exhaled slowly, body relaxing instead of tensing.
'Alright,' he thought calmly.
'Time for my first serious villain fight.'
His gaze hardened, confidence settling deep in his chest.
'I hope I do well.'
With a sharp motion, Izuku tilted forward and dived, his body slicing cleanly into the water as he shot downward—straight toward the waiting shadows below.
TO BE CONTINUED