OP 1 – Zero by Aimer


Chapter 10 – Heroes Vs. Villains (Fake)!

(Wednesday, 4th May, 7:53 a.m. – Fujita Residence)

As the blue-haired girl drowsily made her way out of her bedroom and towards the dining room for breakfast, she could hear the blaring of the news reporter on the TV. She and her mother lived in a small yet cosy apartment but due to the thin walls and undersized rooms, you could easily hear sounds from the surrounding rooms.

"The escape of Fujita Danuja, a.k.a Graviton, from one of the topmost Villain prisons in the world is being heavily panned by the public, putting the police and the government under intense criticism. Granted, Graviton was placed in Tartarus' new 'Lower Cell' facility as an experimental subject but the carelessness on part of the security and the improper maintenance of equipment is being critically analysed. Ichijou Touma, the suspect who was caught helping Graviton escape, has been recently released from detainment for reasons undisclosed to the public. However, we may assume that-"

Hoshi switched off the TV as soon as she got hold of the remote. Her mother turned back with a shocked gasp, eyes startlingly widened. However, relief bloomed on her face when she realised it was her daughter.

"Mamma, I've told you to not watch the news, haven't I?" the freckled girl stared at her with a grave expression.

"Hoshi . . . good morning." Hoshi may have inherited her father's sapphire hair and amber eyes but her freckles, round face shape and fair skin were all derived from Rin Fujita. Like her daughter, Rin had a small and thin frame but the fine lines around her eyes had become pronounced over the years, her skin had faded from rosy cream to pale alabaster and her soft cheeks had sunken in.

The dark-haired woman tightened the bow on her apron as she hastily got up from her chair and shakily replied, "I-I was just flipping through the channels and . . . well . . . it just suddenly came on." Going into the kitchen and compiling a plate of breakfast for her daughter, Rin made an effort to be cheerful. "Y-You'll be getting your Hero Costumes today, right? Can't be late then and got to have a good breakfast!" She slightly spilled some miso soup on the kitchen counter but didn't seem to notice. "Take a seat! I'll bring your plate!"

'. . . Why . . . do you force yourself like this?'

Hoshi sadly stared at her mother for a few seconds before quietly walking over to her and wordlessly hugging her from behind, burying her face into Rin's bony back. 'She's become even thinner . . .,' the 15-year old tightened her slim arms around her mother's slender waist. The woman froze for a few seconds before placing down the plate and becoming completely still and mute. The choking silence, underscored by an air of sorrow and tragedy that permeated the small kitchen, was an entrapping blanket that slowly tightened around both females.

Two warm drops dripped down on Hoshi's bare arms, accompanied by soft whimpers.

"Hoshi . . .," a broken, soft plea escaped Rin. ". . . Don't go . . . please . . ." She turned to look at her daughter with darkly circled eyes, tears flowing in straight streams down her cheeks. She was trying to compose herself, Hoshi knew, trying to hold all the pain, all the hurt, all the fears inside her own overworked body. She had been doing this for so many years, shielding her daughter's eyes from the truth of their blood-stained life, always holding her tight in her arms to keep her away from the beast her father was.

( "Why are you trying to leave me, Rin?"

That night . . . mamma's body shook so violently that the little girl was afraid she'd break into a million pieces . . .

Eyes the colour of brutal sulphur stared down at her – where had those warm irises of honey disappeared to?

". . . Why are you trying to take Hoshi away from me, Rin?" )

As her mother looked at her, there was no sliver of light in her gaze – only an overwhelming terror that had ensnared her whole mind and heart in its claws. "If he finds you" a voice as fragile as porcelain. "He'll . . . he'll . . ."

But her emotions gave away and Rin broke down, sliding down onto the kitchen floor.

"Mamma . . .," the teenager stared dejectedly at her mother, pushing her nails into her palms to bar her own tears. The woman's wails shook her weak body violently but it was so painfully obvious how hard she was trying to compose herself, trying to be strong for her daughter, trying to protect her from the dark past that was trying to grab at them again.

"Don't cry, mamma . . ." Hoshi quietly bent down and pulled her mother's head into her chest, rubbing her back to soothe her tears away. As Rin grabbed her daughter's small shoulders with her weak fingers, the amber-eyed girl placed a gentle kiss on top of her head.

'You've always been guarding me, mamma. But this time . . . I'll protect you.'


(Wednesday, 4th May, 8:11 a.m. – Midoriya Household)

The wooden chopsticks made a rattling clink as they hit the marbled floor.

"Oh!" Ochako gave a short gasp as she realised her fingers had unconsciously let go of her chopsticks but before she could push back her chair and bend to pick them up, her husband was already by her feet.

"No bending over, Ocha," Deku smiled at her as he walked over to the basin and rinsed the chopsticks before handing them over to his wife so that she could continue her breakfast.

"Sorry, Deku-kun," the pregnant brunette shot him an apologetic smile as he sat down beside her on the table. He kissed her briefly on the cheek.

"I know you've been worried about Graviton's escape but please don't let it affect you so much," the freckled male had an anxious expression and tone to his voice. Ochako shortly nodded and took a bite of her egg roll but the troubled expression never left her face. Sipping his coffee, Deku continued, "Shoto-kun and everyone else has been searching very hard but out of Tartarus, he seems to have disappeared into thin air. And there's no sign of the Villain who helped him escape."

"Someone with a Quirk that can possess other people's bodies, huh?" the brunette sighed, leaning her chin on a cupped palm as she absent-mindedly nibbled at a cheese sandwich.

Although her husband was not on the case and she was on maternity leave, they frequently got information from their friends who were on the investigative team. The suspect, Ichijou, after going through intense probing and cross-examination, had been revealed to be not guilty. He had lost consciousness after some middle-aged female visitor had touched him and had woken up with an intense headache and a feeling of numb emptiness. And by the time he realised he was lying on the Tartarus transportation bridge, he had been surrounded by a number of guards and labelled a "traitorous Villain."

"We know nothing about the Villain's identity and even the female suspect Ichijou talked about, Inoue Masae, described an experience similar to his when a teenage boy accidentally brushed against her on the street." Deku stared sombrely down at his plate and Ochako immediately recognised it as his thinking face. "Although we can safely deduce that their Quirk requires physical contact to activate, we have no clue as to the Villain's true identity – whether they're a male or a female, young or old, what their appearance is like, whether they're hiding in plain sight like a normal citizen . . ."

"A Villain who can attack from anywhere and we wouldn't even realise, huh?" Images of a bloody past, filled with deaths and losses, pierced through her mind. Even now, so many years later, she would never forget the harrowing battles all of them had been through, during the Era of Terror. Countless number of times death was only inches away, ready to grab Deku or her friends away from her . . .

Ochako shook her head as a determined expression came over her. "Deku-kun," he snapped out of his reverie at her resolute voice and immediately disliked the expression on her face. "Can I please see the investigative files for this case?"

He was taken aback but a fittingly staunch look bloomed on his visage as well. "Ocha . . . please don't. I won't allow you to." And for a quiet, tense minute, they glared at each other, a silent clash of emerald and umber.

But Ochako's eyes eventually softened. "Deku-kun, please," her soft voice and the way she sweetly took his scarred palm in her warm hands cracked against the wall in his heart. "I just want to take a look at the files – I won't hamper my or the baby's health in any way. I am the one who put him in Tartarus and I'm pretty sure if I check, I'll find something . . . a clue." He swallowed hesitantly, the saddened look in her eyes straining against his will. "I won't even leave home . . . I can just ask Kyouka-chan to visit me with them."

The freckled male rolled the word "No" on his tongue, ready to blurt it out.

But this woman . . .

"Deku-kun," she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her chin on his shoulder, her warm breath fanning over his ear. "Please, darling?"

CRITICAL HIT.

"I'll send Kota-kun along with Jirou-san, then," he sighed, heavily disappointed in his weak will – how she played him!

Ochako clapped her hands together in joy. "Yay, thank you, Deku-kun!" She buried her head in his chest, pressing her ear over his beating heart. The heart that belonged to her. "I love you, Deku," she whispered, face flushed with happiness.

Placing his chin on the top of her head, he kissed her hair gently. "I love you too," he mumbled into the brown locks. "With all I have."


(Wednesday, 4th May, 8:48 a.m. – U.A.)

Even before she had opened the classroom door, from the very top of the staircase, Inori had recognised Reiko's screaming.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" The blonde's mouth had widened to an impressive radius as she skated around the room happily, expertly weaving between and around the chairs and desks. She held a richly-textured maroon jacket in her hands. "IT'S EXACTLY AS I'D THOUGHT IT WOULD BE!" she stopped near Habiki and almost yelled his ear off before continuing her skating. "SO FUCKING COOL! I WANNA WEAR IT RIGHT NOW!"

"As expected from one of Japan's top support designers!" Akaname's eyes seemed to be twinkling from behind his glasses and even with an orange surgical mask on, Inori could see there was a wide smile inhabiting his face. "Iida Hatsume Mei's company does splendid work!" His table was littered with green-themed outfits and it was then that the black-haired girl realised what was going on.

'. . . Our Hero Costumes seem to have arrived.'

More than half the class was already filled with students and everyone seemed to be fiddling with their new suits, excitement visible on even the quiet and inexpressive ones. The students' who hadn't arrived yet had neatly packed, large black boxes placed on their desks with the magenta logo of the Hatsume Corporation stamped on top. Inori entered into the room and made her way to her own desk, briefly replying to everyone who greeted her.

'My heart is beating rather fast,' she gulped, the only change in her expression being her slightly widened eyes. The black box had a mysterious, seductive glint to it and her fingers itched to run over its smooth texture and rip off the packing tape to reveal what lay inside.

Habiki wrapped the black cloak of his hero costume around his body and tugged at the drawstrings, tightening them. "A perfect fit," a satisfied smile sat upon his pink lips. Fuma was inspecting the material of his martial arts gi and despite his typically lidded eyes and serious expression, his eyebrows had an impressed arch to them.

Excitement rapidly clicked in Inori's mind.

"Ah, Tetsuya-san, calm down!" Akaname cried out as the black-haired girl began aggressively tearing at the packed box with her fingernails, her violent movements a comedic contrast with her completely placid face. "You'll damage your costume that way!" The bespectacled boy approached her and chided, moving his arms around in panic. She didn't even look at him.

"I wanna see, I wanna see~!" Koji bounced towards them, the pink-and-white jester hat on his head bobbing along to his movements. "Is it like the Halloween Frankenstein costume you wore back in elementary school?" His lips curved into their signature Cheshire smile.

'Tetsuya-san . . . in a Frankenstein costume?' Suzuran's brain immediately conjured a picture of chibi Inori covered in green paint and wearing tattered men's clothes. The image traumatised her so much she immediately wiped it away.

"Tch, so fucking noisy," Ryo, unlike most in the room, was sitting lazily on his chair with his attention fixed on his gaming tablet. His box had already been torn open and the contents sorted through.

Jigoku sneakily looked into the emerald-haired male's box and chuckled at the design of his Hero Costume. "Well, with an outfit like that, I can understand why you're not very invested, mate," he commented, a hand placed over his mouth to hide his sneer.

And predictably, a vein popped on Ryo's head and he jumped to his feet, turning to the horned boy with a murderous glower. "You got a problem with my clothes, you thorny piece of eggplant?!" The smile on his face was the mirrored version of a raging, upside down scowl.

Far from insulted, Jigoku took a few steps towards the class delinquent, looking straight into his dark eyes with his own crimson ones. "Don't be mad, Kenshi-kun," as he spoke, both his gaze and voice took on a contemptuous tone. "I understand your pain at not being amongst the Top Five for the talent show but keep your chin up, okay?" With every word the lilac-skinned boy said, Ryo felt his temperature increase by ten degrees. "I will be more than glad to offer you some advice, mate," the shorter boy smirked at him, showing off his pointed canines.

CRACK.

"YOU FUCKING EGGPLANT BASTARD!" If not for his faster reflexes, Jigoku would've definitely had an ugly bruise on his face from the powerful punch Ryo threw at him. As it passed merely centimetres away from him, he could feel the potent gust of wind created purely by its sheer force. "JUST CAUSE YOU WERE AMONGST THE TOP IN THAT SHITTY SHOW AND TELL, DON'T GET TOO AHEAD OF YOURSELF!" Ryo's yells attracted the attention of everyone in class and when a crystalline blade started emerging from his wrist, Akaname felt his life span shorten.

"Not this again," Yasu got up from his seat and jogged towards the two boys, leaving his unpacking incomplete.

Kenio and Aisen, who'd been walking to class together, slid open the door only to see the familiar scene of Ryo trying to violently attack another male classmate while Yasu did his best to hold him back. "Man, that guy really needs to take a chill pill," Aisen made sure to whisper in a soft voice – he wasn't ready to take on an already fuelled Kenshi in battle.

When his ginger-haired companion saw who the new harbinger of his rage was, he wasn't very surprised. "Well, this time, I think I know why Kenshi-san's volcano burst," the freckled boy awkwardly smiled.

"KENSHI, YOU BASTARD!" Jobu came running and crashed through between the two boys and straight at his classmate. "YA NEED TO STOP PICKING ON EVERYONE, YA KNOW?!"

"HUH?! WHY THE FUCK AM I THE ONLY ONE BEING BLAMED HERE?!" Yasu, like the superhuman he was, had somehow managed to loop his hands under Ryo's arms and was holding him back. But the boy was still trying to violently kick at the smirking Jigoku. "THIS NARCISSISTIC EGGPLANT STARTED SHIT FIRST!"

"I don't know what Kenshi-san's talking about," the boy looked back at his classmates innocently. "I was just trying to give him some advice as a classmate."

"I DON'T NEED YOUR FUCKING ADVICE!" If he got anymore angry, the veins in Ryo's body would surely pop. "DON'T LOOK DOWN ON ME JUST CAUSE YOU MADE IT TO THE TOP 5!"

"Aizawa-san, can you please stop recording this?" Habiki deadpanned at the grinning boy who stood on his table with his camera panned towards the fight.

"You don't know how many views this is gonna get on Instagram, Hara-kun!" came the instant reply as Koji continued moving around to gather different angles.

Sighing, the black-haired boy turned to the other one who was clicking close-up pictures of the squabble. "Not you too, Madou-san."

"Ehhhhhhhh?~" The snow-haired boy pouted at him. "But it's for our precious memories as a bonding class!~"

Habiki resigned himself to his seat as the two boys continued making videos and taking pictures of the row. 'No matter how you look at it, there's no bonding in that . . .'

"Ugh, can I just fill a transfer application for Class 1-B?!" Asuna grumbled under her breath, shooting disgusted stares at the boys.

Twiddling her fingers, Suzuran sat on the chair opposite hers. "I-I don't think that's possible, Nishiya-san . . ."

"Ne, Kita!" Reiko was one of the few students who looked excited at the tiff happening. "Between Tejina and Kenshi, who do you think would win in a fight?!"

"Eh? W-Well," caught slightly off-guard at the weird question and her friend's sparkling eyes, Kagami had to think for more than a few seconds. "If it's a straight out brawl, then definitely Kenshi-san . . . but in a realistic fight, Tejina-san might be able to trick and outwit him."

Haruka just sat silently on his seat, rock music blaring into his ears through his earphones and his attention focused on an action manga.

"I'm glad to see all of you are so pumped up to receive your costumes."

A dark miasma shadowed the entire classroom as the very familiar voice of their mentor filtered through everyone's ears.

Tsukuyomi stood looming in the doorway, like an Apocalyptic Horseman with his eerily glinting crimson eyes, and Kenshi, Jigoku, Koji and Mashiro immediately froze in their spots. "I hope I get to see such frenzied energy during the simulated war on Friday from all of you, hmm, disciples?" All the boys quietly and robotically made their way to their seats and obediently settled themselves down, gazes rooted to their desks. The Jet Black Hero said nothing else as he sauntered in, Kazumi following close behind and having a hard time controlling her snickers at the dejected faces most of her classmates were making.

The other students also soon filled in after Kazumi's entrance and before Tsukuyomi could begin the obligatory roll call, the last student, Hoshi Fujita, stepped through the classroom door.

Kazumi did not miss the way Tsukuyomi's eyes flitted towards the sapphire-haired girl. 'Hmmm?' Since the past few days, the bubbly and kind Hoshi had been off, and the fact had come to the attention of at least half the class. As the small teenager quietly made her way towards her seat, her amber eyes lost somewhere faraway and her lips pursed in a straight line, the lamia couldn't help following her with her eyes. The redhead really did not care much about what had happened to her – after all, it was beneficial to her since the other girl had stopped bothering her with her 'friendship' – but she was the tiniest bit curious as to what kept her so depressed all these days.

However, after Tsukuyomi had finished the roll call, the important announcement he had for everyone caught her full attention. "I'm sure Deku has already informed all of you about the Heroes vs. Villains simulation we shall be running this Friday." There were obedient nods from all the students.

Dark Shadow popped out without warning like usual and spoke, "Let me inform you all kiddos about what the Heroes vs. Villains sim actually is!" Used to his acts and screeches, the students remained more or less unperturbed and focused all their attention on the sentient silhouette.

"The Heroes vs. Villains battle is a class exercise all of you will be participating in and can be considered as a sort of a 'Practical Test' for all of your Quirks. For the simulation exercise, the entire class of twenty will be divided into five groups of four each." Some students, like Akaname, Kenio and Suzuran, were even taking notes. "Each group of four will be divided into two pairs – as you all may have already figured out, one pair will play the role of the Heroes and the other of the Villains!"

Tsukuyomi took over the explanation. "The exact nature and mechanics of the exercise will be explained to all of you on Friday. Make sure to be suited up in your new Hero Costumes and report to Ground C by 10:00 a.m. sharp." His crimson eyes narrowed. "For those who did not do well in the Quirk Apprehension Test, this is a second chance you get to prove yourselves as worthy enough to become a true Hero."

Yasu, Aisen, Ryo, Kazumi, Jobu, Kagami and Inori perked up at the sentence.

'This time . . .,' Aisen's face was filled with determination.

'. . . I won't . . .,' Ryo cracked his knuckles.

'. . . Lose.' Inori's eyes glinted fiercely.


Student Name: Hoshi Fujita

Quirk: Gravity Field

Hoshi can control and emit a gravity field around her which trails after her and can attract various kinds of debris. With enough applied pressure, the debris can catch fire and Hoshi can increase or decrease the force and the radius of the field at will.

P.S: Due to her short attention span and exploratory nature, she is very bad at directions and is prone to getting lost.


(Thursday, 5th May, 10:12 p.m. - ?)

The air in the dark building smelled of mould and dust. An overwhelming stench of disuse and abandonment lingered strongly. But the darkly dressed figures that inhabited the shadows in the room contrasted against its lonely image.

A trial of wait and anticipation.

The wait for their leader to return.

After what seemed to be a painful eternity, the only door to the large hall creaked open, old metal creaking in protest to the painful movement of hinges. All the figures in the room tensed and jumped to alertness.

Slow footsteps made their way inside the room.

"Identify yourself before you intrude any further!" In the shadows, several guns were drawn, pointed straight at the figure. The man did come to a still – but his motionlessness lasted for only a few seconds and he had started walking again.

Within a heartbeat, all dozen guns were fired.

The bullets flew at immense speed towards the man, each of them travelling at pinpoint accuracy and with powerful precision. But before they could tear through him and fill him with holes, they crashed to the floor and exploded on contact, many creating tiny craters on the ground while some came to a rolling stop around his feet.

The man continued walking until the only source of light, a flickering bulb in the centre of the sprawling room, threw its muted light on his figure. And when he was finally painted into vision, the figures couldn't stop their jaws from hanging open as a look of admiration and reverence flitted onto their faces.

"Boss . . .," one of the men stepped out of the shadows, taking shaky steps towards the newly entered figure. His fingers unconsciously reached out at the almost unbelievable scene before his eyes.

His boss, the man he'd always worshipped, had been arrested and transported to Tartarus four years ago. Wasn't the news they showcased on television a mere trap? Then was this sight in front of him a mere delusion?

But this man, this figure of awe, was so painfully familiar – merciless eyes of gold, sapphire curls pulled into a low man bun, the brutal smile which had been the last thing countless lives had seen before their bodies had been extinguished. "Good to see you again, Ren," he smiled fondly at the youthful male, his voice flooding in memories and nostalgia. "You have become taller."

"Boss . . .," the young male dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his widened eyes. This man in front of him was older, had paler skin and a leaner body . . . but there was no doubt he was the very same Leader he'd always revered and sworn to follow. "It's really you . . . boss . . .," his voice was on the cusp of bawling as he crawled towards the man and bowed his head, touching the tips of his shiny leather shoes with his forehead.

And at the act of veneration, all the other figures in the room slowly walked out of their hiding place and prostrated themselves before the man, foreheads touching the dusty ground. "Welcome back, boss Graviton," they echoed in unison, all subordinates of the tall man standing in the center of the room.

Danuja inhaled a deep breath and closed his eyes. 'Rin . . . Hoshi . . .'

"I'm back."

. . . . . . . .

Outside the old, dusty hall, the little girl stood with her back leaning against the wall as she lazily sucked on her strawberry-flavoured lollipop. As she listened to the happy cheers that resounded from within the room, she drawled to herself, "What a good thing for you, Danuja-kun." She took a big bite from her lollipop and crushed the hard candy between her teeth. "I hope you're finally happy that you trusted me."

From under her pink beret, crimson-ringed eyes stared at the glittering city that lay beyond the broken, dirt-stained windows of the old building.

"And now that we've helped you, it's time to fulfil your end of the bargain."


(Friday, 6th May, 9:53 a.m. – U.A.)

A chilly breeze blew through Musutafu.

The golden sun rays flashed upon the group of twenty teenagers, the prodigious Heroes-in-making, as they strode towards Tsukuyomi and Deku. The latter had a proud smile on his freckled face as he gazed at the determined faces of the young fledglings who would one day take over the reins of their society's future.

'All of them . . . are gonna be amazing Heroes! I can see it!'

As soon as she'd spotted her olive-haired idol, Inori had felt her face grow hot and her legs turn wobbly. 'D-Deku?! B-But why is he here? I didn't hear anything about this!'

"All of you look very good in your new Hero Costumes!" The Symbol of Peace flashed the youngsters his famous heart-wrenching smile and half of the students felt their hearts bump against their ribcages at the compliment.

"Deku will be watching over all your battles along with me today so make sure to not embarrass yourselves in front of the No. 1 Pro Hero." The said man nervously laughed at Tsukuyomi's blunt sentence but for everyone else, the nervous knots in their stomach had only doubled.

'Talk about pressure!' Kenio clenched his white-gloved hands, his lips twisted with anxiety. 'I felt somewhat confident during the Talent Show but my stomach just won't stop hurting this time!'

'Mother, father, onii-san . . . I won't let any of you down.' Fuma exercised his fingers, his body itching to jump into action.

Kazumi silently sniffed the air. 'Ah . . . nervousness, fear, anxiety . . .' Her tongue quickly flicked out and brushed against her lips. 'Everything is perfectly set up for me to reduce to smithereens under my tail.'

Aisen chanted repeatedly to himself. "You can do this . . . you can do this . . . you can do this . . . Don't let Creati's words of encouragement go to waste!" But shakily, his lavender eyes flickered to Kazumi's back. 'I just hope . . . I'm not pitted against her.'

"Before we start," Tsukuyomi had singled out five individuals with his gaze, "I want the Top 5 of the Quirk Apprehension Test to step forward and face their other classmates." Although confused, Kenio, Jigoku, Reiko, Asuna and Fuma did as they were told. "You five are going to be the leaders of the Hero pair – so choose one classmate each as your Hero partner." Their eyes lit up with happiness at the announcement and Reiko exclaimed an unabashed cheer. "Shimamura, you go first."

"Okay!" The blonde nodded and took no time to call out her partner. "Kita, you're my teammate!"

Kagami, although caught a little off-guard, nodded hesitantly at her and stepped towards the blonde. Reiko immediately proceeded to hug her friend and announced they'd definitely win.

"Kanashimi, you next."

Fuma's lidded eyes took a long time searching through the crowd of somewhat overwhelmed students before resting on the figure he'd decided. "Itou-san," he emotionlessly called out and Haruka gave a short nod before walking towards the jade-haired boy and coming to a still beside him.

'E-Eh?!' Aisen broke into a cold sweat. 'This team-up is unfair! They're gonna obliterate anyone who's in opposition!'

"Tejina, it's your turn."

"Hmmmmm," Jigoku drawled out a hum as he let his crimson-gaze rove over the remaining thirteen students, a smirk crowning his pale lips. Kenshi's vein popped at the amused look on the horned boy's face. "There are quite a number of talents among all of you but since I get to choose only one . . .,"

His lips quirked up even more. "Tetsuya-san, if you would please," he playfully winked at her.

'E-Eh?!' Kenio couldn't help but let his jaw drop as he watched the raven-haired girl wordlessly walk up to Jigoku. "It's going to be a pleasure to be able to work along with you," he could hear the fanged boy purr at her as she nodded at him. 'W-Why Inori-san?! . . . I wanted to choose her . . .' For some reason, Kenio had a momentary, unpleasant twinge in his heart.

But Tsukuyomi had already called out the next student. "Nishiya, go ahead."

Asuna was quick to make up her mind. Pointing at the most shocking choice, the brunette yelled, "Kenshi-san, you're in my team! Make sure to keep up with me!"

Everyone was stunned into silence for a few moments before the full weight of her words hit Ryo and he growled at her, "Who the fuck do you think you're demeaning like that, you flower brat?! My crystals can break through your plants in one hit!" But despite grumbling, he sauntered to her side and in another surprising move, Asuna kept quiet despite being chided.

Kenio did not need Tsukuyomi to call out his name since he had decided his choices long ago. 'Even if I don't have Inori-san . . .,' he glanced at the quiet girl, "Yuki-kun, please be in my team!" The freckled boy called out to his smaller friend.

Looking abruptly surprised, the blond pointed to himself. "M-Me?!" he sputtered, before asking in a softer voice. "Are you sure, Nakamura?"

'After all, I ranked amongst the bottom three . . .' The bitter thought wouldn't stop haunting his mind.

"Please, Yuki-san!" Kenio stared at him earnestly, vermillion eyes bright and honest. "I'm sure together, we can win!"

Gulping and feeling many eyes hovering on him, Aisen was hit with the familiar feelings of anxiety and nervousness that had plagued him during the Talent Show and caused him to give up halfway through his performance. But remembering the vow he'd made in front of Inori and Yasu, and feeling a familiar, piercing gaze on his back, he swallowed all his fears and grinned at Kenio. "We're gonna kick two birds with one stone!" he exclaimed as he jogged up to the ginger and they exchanged hi-fives.

Kazumi couldn't help the amused smile that crept on her lips. 'Two delicious little cupcakes . . . all they need is a little bit of frosting . . .'

Aisen slightly shivered as he noted the smirk on his maroon-haired classmate's face. 'I-It's gonna be alright!' he tightly clenched his fists, trying to still his shaking body. 'The chances of facing her are a 1 in 5 . . . Besides, Nakamura's with me! He was in the Top 5! With his animations and my light buffs, we can win!'

"Why didn't anyone select me?!" Koji found himself quietly whining as he wrapped his arms around his torso and wiggled his body. "Ah, the fading appreciation for humour and comedy in this bleak world is so sorrowful – Alexa, play No More Tears Left To Cry!"

"~Ain't got no tears in my body . . . I ran out, but boy, I like it, I like it, I like it~," Mashiro softly hummed along to his request, rubbing the shoulder of the fake-weeping boy.

Habiki awkwardly chuckled at both of them. 'I really, really am scared of what would happen if these two were to pair up . . .'

"Alright, alright!" Deku clapped his hands to settle down the chattering students. "Now that the Hero pairs have been chosen, it's time to choose the Villains! First up . . .," tapping a finger against his chin, the freckled adult searched through the crowd. ". . . Madou-kun and Hara-kun!" The monochrome haired pair looked up before turning to each other – Mashiro's mouth tore in a wide smile when he realised he was partnered with Habiki. "Both of you will be facing Shimamura-chan and Kita-chan as the 'Villains'!"

"We won't let you boys win!" Reiko pointed a challenging figure at them as they walked up to the front of the crowd.

"It's nice to see you so excited, Rei-chi, but this time, I'm afraid, the Villains are gonna take the cake~," Mashiro light-heartedly grinned at her, with a stiff and pale Habiki trailing beside him.

'On the other hand, I wish he and Aizawa had been paired up . . .' The silver-eyed boy felt like he had hammered his own feet.

"Itou-kun and Kanashimi-kun will be facing . . ." Deku's furrowed eyebrows and burnished eyes gave away how seriously he was taking the match-ups. ". . . Koji-kun and Fujita-chan!"

Fuma's eyes flew open just as a mischievous, predatory smile lit up Koji's face – Haruka merely quirked an amused eyebrow while Hoshi had to be prodded to realization by Suzuran. Her face was listless as she silently paced after her loud partner. "Let's both do our best, Fuma-kun!" Koji beamed at his childhood friend – but only Fuma noticed the dark look that hid behind the friendliness of his black eyes.

"Now, for Tejina-kun and Tetsuya-chan . . .," Inori wanted to rip the butterflies in her stomach that fluttered at the way her name rolled off Deku's tongue. "Ah, I know!" Akaname felt those dazzling emerald eyes rest on his face. "Shimizu-kun and Hitori-kun will be facing you both!"

'W-What?' Akaname's tapered eyes widened behind his glasses as panic seeped into him. Throwing a side glance at Kasai who looked every bit as startled as him, he felt his teeth grit together. 'It's bad enough I'm a Villain . . . but to be partnered with him-'

When both boys did not budge, Tsukuyomi growled, "Is there a problem, Hitori, Shimizu?"

Kasai nervously stared at his teachers, briefly glimpsing at Akaname. He was aware that the bespectacled boy didn't really favour him much. But before he could ask if a partner change was possible, the taller male stepped forward and said, "No, not at all, sensei." When he turned to look back at the blue-haired boy, his glasses shadowed his eyes due to their sunlight-induced glint. "Let's do our best, Hitori-san."

As they walked to join the rest, Kasai knew just how much effort speaking that sentence had taken for him.

The fourth pair was quickly decided. "Jobu-kun and Asagumo-chan will be facing Nishiya-chan and Kenshi-kun!"

Suzuran almost felt her legs give away from under her as the silver-haired boy standing in front of her cracked his knuckles. "Hah, two of my 'favourite' people!" In an almost violent contrast to his shaking partner, Jobu didn't have the slightest trace of anxiety visible on his face. "I couldn't have asked for anything better, ya know?!"

Ryo bared his teeth, sadistically grinning at him while Asuna just stared disappointedly at her opponents. "You'll finally taste my crystals down your throat, you cheap Real Steel copy," the emerald-haired boy hissed.

"I can't wait to make you taste a REAL punch, Crystallina." Poor Suzuran looked incredibly small and out of place amidst the three intense individuals, her eyes looking like they'd tear up any second as she tried to stabilise herself on her shaking legs. Even her spider appendages were shivering.

'I'm doomed.' Asuna, Kenshi and Jobu with her stuck in the middle. 'I'm done for.'

But there was another person in the group who was at least as shaken as her . . . if not more.

Aisen felt himself freeze as everything around him slowly began fading from his vision. "Ssssssso that leavesssssss me and Hanransha-san against Nakamura-san and Yuki-san, I sssssupposssse?" His dear classmate, Enoshima Kazumi, had a lovely smile gracing her beautiful face.

Even Deku looked slightly troubled. "Yes, for the last group, Enoshima-chan and Hanransha-kun against Nakamura-kun and Yuki-kun." Nevertheless, it was apparent that there would be no changes in the matchups.

Aisen wondered if it was too late to pretend to be sick.

"Now, as to the rules and the mechanics of this Simulation!" Deku announced, finally getting to the best part.

"Let me first inform you about the structure of the Simulation site – Ground C has been fashioned as a high-end, five-storied shopping mall complete with replicas of inside-stores and automated puppets which will act as 'hostages.' Yes, this simulation is titled 'Mall Hostage' and is a race against time between the Heroes and the Villains to respectively save and kidnap as many hostages as they can." The students gulped as most of them realised the intensity of the exercise.

"There are a total of 55 hostages in the mall and each are of five types – babies, kids, teenagers, adults and the elderly. All types have varying difficulty levels and, similar to your entrance exam, have a different amount of points corresponding to how easy and or how difficult it is to save them. It is safe to say that the team with the higher points will obviously win."

'So the babies and the elderly are gonna have higher points compared to the adults or the teens,' Kazumi deduced. 'Easy enough.'

"Although they're merely automatons, they have the frailty of a normal human so be very careful while handling them. Rough handling and inappropriate behaviour will affect them and we'll be carefully monitoring everything from behind the scenes." Growing a bits serious, Deku continued, "The Villains will have a deducted amount of 30 points for accidentally 'killing' a hostage . . . but if a Hero team kills a hostage, you automatically fail."

The ten 'Heroes' were suddenly burdened with the heavy weight of responsibility that crushed their shoulders.

"The hostages have been randomly placed in different parts of the mall which has two exit doors, at the back and the front respectively, and an emergency exit staircase that runs along its left outer wall. It also has a rooftop and a car parking basement so if you include both of them, there are a total of seven floors. The Heroes will take their hostages to a distance of at least 50 metres away from the mall while the Villains will pile them in their escape vehicle which is parked at a closer distance to the mall."

'No matter how you look at it,' Kenio found himself unconsciously gulping. 'It's more difficult for us.'

"A quicker way to win the exercise would be for one of the pairs to knock out the other." Some ears perked up to the statement. "For each defeated Hero or Villain, the opposing team will receive a total of 80 points. However, if the pair with more points is completely knocked out, the other team will automatically win. So combat is avoidable but preferable."

Mashiro licked his lips. 'This is gonna be so much of chaotic fun!~'

"And, as a final note," Deku nodded towards everyone, "If all of you are not out of the mall within twenty five minutes, the hydrogen bomb the Villains have placed on the rooftop will go off, killing everyone inside and nearby." Several eyes widened at the twisted addition. "So make sure to save as many people as you can and as quickly as you can!"

The students immediately broke into hushed chatters amongst themselves, faces filled with exhilaration but also nervousness. For the budding Heroes, this was the first Hero-like assignment they would embark on enrolling in the prestigious U.A.

"After a ten minute rendezvous, Team 1 will immediately move to Ground C." Reiko, Kagami, Mashiro and Habiki immediately stood to attention at Tsukuyomi's words. "Shimamura and Kita will take the back exit while Madou and Hara will take the front. After the initial entrance, you can use whichever door you like to exit and enter the building the other times." They nodded obediently.

"We can win, Kita!" Reiko threw an arm around the turquoise-haired girl, face full of confidence.

Kagami smiled back and nodded at her, staring at the two boys who were their rivals. 'Thankfully, we have gotten off easier than many of the others.' Despite their relaxed postures, Mashiro and Habiki seemed to be having an intense discussion. 'I'm positive the two won't approach me because of my Quirk so, most probably, it's gonna be a race against time in the end. And with Reiko's speed . . .,' The normally composed girl couldn't keep off the smile on her face. 'I know we can do this!'

Habiki glanced at Kagami but said nothing, focusing more on the plan he was building with Mashiro.

And somehow, the ten minutes had passed away in the blink of an eye.

The large gates that had hidden Ground C from the students' eyes slowly pulled away to reveal a miniature version of the South Musutafu mall but it was still a looming building with its six-tiered height and sprawling breadth. The hostages could be anywhere in the large building.

"Remember, no combat until your first entrance into the building!"

Reiko's skates jutted out of her ankle, elevating her several inches in height, while the other three took on running positions, knees bent and bodies leaning forward.

Deku shot his raised arm down in tandem to Tsukuyomi's yell.

"Team 1, go!"


ED 1 – No Title by Reol


Pinky: Ehehehehe, I completely changed Inori's costume from what was posted on her OC form! Since I had no idea what I wanted as her Hero Costume back then . . . *nervously laughs*

Inori: . . . I like this better though. *stares down at her costume*

Pinky: / I know, right?! You look like a cool Prince in this!

Inori: -_-; Prince . . .? I sound like some perverted cross-dresser if you put it that way . . .

Pinky: *w* Talking about cross-dressing . . . WHO WANTS TO SEE AISEN, HABIKI, MASHIRO AND KENIO WEARING CUTE MAID OUTFITS?!

Kenio: WHA-

Habiki: O_O; . . .

Aisen: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO-!

Mashiro: Hmmmm . . . It doesn't sound too bad of an idea . . .

Pinky: Thank you so much to all the lovely readers who share their wonderful and interesting opinions through reviews and favourite and follow my story! QwQ You guys are the BEST!