Two Days Later
"I'm not sure if I'm alright with this."
Hiroshi and Fuka sat across their parents. They had just gotten the email from UA about testing out becoming a boarding school with the Hero Course students first, and wanted to discuss it with them.
"Normally I would be all for something like this, but this would mean that you would have to deal with Mitsuki's and Masaru's son, and I know you three don't get along, a fact that is distressing," their mother said, sighing.
"I still can't believe you worked with his parents," Fuka muttered, remembering the surprise they got when they told them about how Katsuki's parents used to work with them, primarily when their company was Kazan Fashion. "But I'm alright with it. We'll all be having our own rooms, and they're separating the dorm buildings into male and female sides. Worst case scenario, we can ask them to let Hiroshi room in the Class 1B dorms instead."
"Still, this would be an awfully big move..." their father stated, hand on his chin in thought.
"I think it'll be a good idea," Hiroshi said, shrugging. "We'll have easier and quicker access to UA facilities, and it'll be easier to make plans with our classmates."
"True... But you'll be away from home."
"We can always come and visit. They'll be imposing a curfew, sure, but that doesn't mean we can't ask for permission to visit our families once in a while," Fuka stated.
"... Alright, if you want to be UA's test subjects for the change to a boarding school format, I don't see why not," he said, as Hitomi nodded in agreement. "Just promise me that you'll send us messages every now and then about how you're doing?"
"Of course!" Fuka said, nodding.
"Don't worry, we'll be fine," Hiroshi stated, smiling, though his parents noticed that there was a small hint of sadness behind it.
"A-are you sure you want to be away at this dorm?" Izuku's mother asked, fretting. She had finished reading the email she got from UA's faculty, and she hadn't stopped worrying about Izuku. "You'll be living away from home for the first time! This is... this is a big step!"
"I... I think I do," Izuku said, looking down at the ground. "I know that I'll be worrying you since I'll be away, but I think this will be a good thing for me! W-we won't need to be spending money on tickets between home and UA now if I'm there, and I-I can always use UA's special facilities to train!"
Inko put her hand over her mouth in thought. That was true. The money that would be spend on travel could be used to pay for the dorm instead, and Izuku would be able to put in more work towards his training. And now that she thought about it, Izuku getting to spend day and night at his dream school could be a fantastic experience for him. It was still scary to think about, though. The faculty promised that they'll be able to take care of everything, and, well, with all those teachers on campus (since they'll be making a teacher dormitory as well), she felt reassured about his safety.
"... Alright, if that's what you want, then I'll support you 100%, Izuku," Inko said, holding her son's hand. "It must be exciting for you to think about, to live at UA."
"I-It is!" Izuku said. It was true, it was exciting to think that he can live at UA now. But at the same time, he knew that the point of him staying at the dorms will be to protect himself and the others from Virus and other aliens with the help of the alien-improved security system that Hero had been helping design. Not to mention that with them being on UA's campus, they were technically allowed to use their Quirks to protect themselves in case they were attacked by someone who could slip through the security system (a rule that Principal Nezu helped get approved of, though it was strictly if there was no other way). He couldn't tell her that yet, though, her heart wouldn't take it. "Thanks, mom."
"Anytime, sweetie," Inko said, smiling for her son.
"So it's going to be you, Fuka, and Hiroshi under the same roof, huh?" Setsuna's father, Kiba, said as he crossed his arms. The man shared the same sort of eyes and teeth as his daughter, though his short spikey black hair, square jaw, and scruffy short beard was a stark contrast to her.
"Technically Hiroshi's going to be in the 1A dorm, but yea," Setsuna said, shrugging.
"Oh, that's so romantic!" her mother, Amina, said, smiling while holding her hands to her face. Setsuna resembled her far more with the same sort of curly green hair, though hers was worn in long loose ponytail. "You have my approval!"
"Moooom! Hiroshi and I are just friends!" Setsuna said, blushing while curling a strand of her hair around her finger. "That's just it... friends... But yea, it'll be like a big sleepover! Just with all of our classmates!"
"Hm... If it makes you happy to go, then I think it's fine," Kiba said, sighing. "Just don't go into each other's rooms at night!"
"Dad!"
"Oh, don't be such a party pooper, dear! Go ahead and visit each other as much as you want at night, Setsuna!"
"Mom!"
"I think it's a great idea!" Ochako's father said over the phone.
"Really? Even though it's going to be more expensive than the apartment I'm renting right now?" Ochako asked, laying in her bed.
"Yea! You'll be cutting down on traveling expenses anyways. So it'll pretty much evens out, right?"
"When you put it that way, yea..."
"And I can't think of a safer place than UA! Sure, they had that USJ Incident, but that was like, a crazy one off thing."
"Yep, that's true," Ochako said, mildly lying. It was good thing that it was easy to cover up Virus's little 'visit' to Training Field Gamma, or otherwise she might've had a harder time convincing her father. "So I guess I'll need some help moving my belongings to the dorms when they're finished?"
"Of course! Let your old man handle that!"
"Thanks dad," Ochako said, smiling.
"Any time, sweetie."
"Going to live in UA seems like an awfully big change..." Tenya's mother said, as he sat across her and his father.
"Indeed. But I personally trust UA to do be able to protect their students," Tenya's father said, nodding.
"Seems like it'll be a lot of fun!" Tensei laughed, his arms still in casts. "It'll be good for a robot like him to socialize some more."
"Robot!?" Tenya said, shocked by Tensei's lighthearted jab, though he recomposed himself quickly. "Yes, I understand that this is a big change, and that it might seem like it's out of the blue for UA to go through... But I think that it's just another test of heroism! To adapt to sudden changes, such as living situations, can teach a hero how to make on the fly decisions!"
"I guess you can see it like that," Tensei said, shaking his head while smiling. "I think Tenya's got a point. Just send us a message every now and then, you know?"
"... I suppose I'll give my approval," their father said.
"I as well. Just promise me that you'll stay safe, alright?"
"Of course!"
"No!" Pony's little sister said, hugging her leg. "You can't leave home, Pony! I'm going to miss you too much!"
"Aw, I know, Sadie," Pony said, patting her little sister's head. "But I gotta. I wanna stay in UA and learn to become a hero with my friends!"
"I don't see why not," her mother said, nodding. "It'll be like college in America! But for high school instead. It'll be a nice change of pace for you."
"I agree," her father said, crossing his arms. "It'll be worthwhile experiencing life on your own for a while."
"No! No no no!" Sadie said, burying her face into Pony's leg.
"Don't worry, I'll come visit you as often as I can!" Pony said, smiling.
"... Promise?"
"Promise."
"Would you be able to adjust to such a drastic living situation change like that?" Momo's mother said, as they sat in their study while their maid served them tea.
"I don't know... but I have to try, don't I?" Momo said, looking at her parents with a steady resolve. "If I'm to become a hero worthy of protecting people, I'll need to spend as much time as I can training and learning, even if it means going to a dormitory."
"I don't see why not," Momo's father said, shrugging. "I'm not sure how big this dormitory will be, but I think that living differently from how we are will open a new perspective for you."
"Exactly what I was thinking," Momo answered.
"... Alright, I suppose that I'll give my approval, too," Momo's mother sighed. "But do you think that we'll be allowed to send you a maid or two to join you? I'm sure they'll have enough space for-"
"I think I can manage to learn how to take care of myself," Momo said, sweating.
"Oh! Of course!"
"You definitely got my permission to go, Kyoka!" Kyotoku said, as he strummed on his guitar. "If that Furinji kid's going to be at the dorms and All Might is, too, then that's the safest place there is!"
"Thanks dad," Kyoka said, smiling a bit.
"It's still odd to think that our little Kyoka is really classmates with an alien," Mika said, taking a sip of her tea.
"That kid's one super cool dude," Kyotoku said, his hand on his chin. "Hm... Maybe we can meet him when we help you move! I'm just dying to meet him-"
"Iiiii'm sure he's gonna be super busy," Kyoka said, sweating a bit. "Yea, since he and Fuka are most definitely going to be moving in at the same time, he'll probably be helping her unpack too!"
"I'm good with just waiting for him, then," Kyotoku said. "It ain't everyday that you have the chance to meet an alien! Well, I guess for most people, not for you and your classmates."
"Are you ashamed of us meeting him?" Mika asked.
"No! It's not that!" Kyoka clarified. "It's just... yourhisfavoritebandandIhadn'ttoldhimaboutyoutwoyet."
"What!? He's a fan of our music!?" Kyotoku said, eyes wide and jaw dropped. "Now I just gotta meet him! I feel a new song comin' up!"
"Oh! Maybe you can call it 'My Girl and Her Alien Friend'?" Mika said, throwing the suggestion out. "Or maybe 'The Hero from Outer Space'?"
"Dad! Mom! Don't!" Kyoka laughed while blushing. "That's gonna be so embarrassing!"
"I just gotta show off to him! Can't let a fan down, right!?"
"Right!"
"You guys!"
Thursday Afternoon
"So everyone's got permission from their parents, huh?" Denki said, as they walked to the large classroom for their hero classes, though they weren't dressed in their costumes for whatever reason.
"Yep!" Setsuna said, nodding. "It was no problem convincing my parents."
"Ours were a little hesitant 'cuz of, well, you know what," Fuka said, as Katsuki scoffed behind all of them, having managed to overhear what she said. "But in the end we got it."
"Mine were concerned about the big change from living in our mansion to living in a dorm," Momo stated. "But they understood that it was good for the experience."
"My parents were concerned thanks to the fissures and bandages holding my body, but in the end, they too understood," Shihai answered.
"So all we need to do is prepare ourselves for the actual meetings between our teachers and them for official approval, right?" Kyoka said, her hands behind her head.
"So what do you think we're doing for class?" Eijiro asked, his hands behind his head.
"Yea! Despite this being hero class, we're not wearing our costumes!" Tetsutetsu said.
"Maybe it's about O-" Minoru said, before getting kicked in the butt by Kosei and Denki.
"You idiot!" Denki hissed. "Did you forget the drilling they did to our brains to make sure we don't talk about it in public!?"
"We're really need those special lessons from All Might about that..." Kosei said, remembering that All Might told them that he has some techniques to teach them about how to prevent their minds from being read.
"I think it's got something to do with Hiroshi," Mina said, pointing out their missing classmate. "They did pull him away earlier than us."
"Yea, maybe it's something impromptu about aliens," Fuka said. "He never mentioned anything about it last night."
"I guess we're about to find out," Kyoka said, opening the door. At the front of the classroom they saw Hiroshi, who was currently being possessed by Hero, judging from the green eyes and slicked back hair. With him was All Might (in his skinny form, since the windows were covered to prevent people from peeking in) and surprisingly Principal Nezu.
"Hey everyone," Hero/Hiroshi said, waving to them all as they all took seats. "I guess you all know that this isn't any average hero training class we're having today, is it?"
"Yea, what's going on?" Sen said, raising his eyebrow.
"This is taking time away from fighting..." Togaru grumbled.
"Are you going to be teaching us stuff, Hero!?" Toru asked, waving her arm vigorously.
"Indeed. But not about heroism. About my race, our history, and as many other aliens as we can talk about. Principal Nezu asked if it's possible I can inform you all, and it is," Hero/Hiroshi said. Everyone looked at each other, surprised by this topic.
"Um... I think it's going to take a lot more than one class to learn about that type of stuff," Kyoka said. "Like, that would be an entire course all on its own, right?"
"Well, we'll be doing it in a way that you all can learn a lot in a single sitting," Hero/Hiroshi said. All Might walked over to Izuku, and handed him a big stack of blue Campus notebooks.
"You're going to need these, my boy," All Might said, confusing Izuku.
"Just put them into your backpack and have one out with a pen ready," Hero/Hiroshi said. "Wear it, too."
"Alright, Hero," Izuku said, as he laid out a Campus notebook in front of him and a pen in his hand.
"Okay, so I'm going to have to ask you all this before we get started," he followed up, looking at everyone seriously. "Will you all be willing to let me pull you into my mental dimension with Hiroshi? Don't worry, it's not the same as mind reading. You'll only be able to see what I share, and I'll only know what you want to share or say."
"Is that how we're doing this!?" Mina said excitedly. "We're gonna go inside the place that Hiroshi gets to go into!?"
"Not quite the same, but in a way yes."
"I am all for it!" she said, as everyone else nodded. Hero/Hiroshi nodded, leasing control back to Hiroshi, who quickly changed into Hero.
"Alright, just close your eyes, and I'll handle the rest," Hero said. Everyone did as he said, and with a deep breath, a pink glowing energy covered his hand, which he released in a gentle wave across the Hero Course students.
"Whoa! So is this where Hiroshi goes to every time he turns into Hero!?" Ochako said, looking at the dark red space surrounding them. H-shaped particles of light floated all around them. "It's so pretty!"
"Yea, this is a really-" Kosei began to say, when he looked down. "HOLY SHIT WHERE ARE OUR LEGS!?"
Everyone looked down at themselves, and sure enough, they were missing their lower torsos. Everyone began reacting in their own ways. All Might and Nezu were perfectly calm, however.
"AH! AH! AH! AAAAAAAAAAH!" Minoru said, as he tried patting down at his nonexistent legs.
"This is weird, this is so weird!" Kinoko whispered, as she paced around somehow without her legs.
"... This isn't really too different from when I use my Quirk," Setsuna said, shrugging.
"Speak for yourself! I just look like I'm streaking bottomless now!" Toru pouted.
"I spent all that time running around with Death Arms, and now I lose my legs!?" Kyoka lamented.
"Hey everyone, glad to see that you all made it," Hiroshi said, walking towards the group. "Welcome to Hero's mental dimension. Or rather, the Inner Space, as I've recently learned."
"Why do you have your legs!? What happened to ours!?" Denki said, pointing at the complete Hiroshi.
"Well, for one, I'm technically physically here, which is why I'm complete. Second, only your mental consciences have been transferred here. Your physical bodies are all still outside," Hiroshi explained. "If it were only one or two people that Hero brought in, they'd be more complete, but since it's like, over 40 people, we had to get rid of some parts. You won't be needing legs here, since you'll be able to hover around without them. And your projections are basically what you physically look like, which is why you're still invisible, Hagakure, and you still have your Tape mutation, Sero."
"Nuts," Toru said, wishing she could stop being invisible.
"Could you've told us this before you brought us in here?" Yosetsu said, as he felt the empty space underneath him.
"Nah. I wanted to see all of your reactions," Hiroshi said, with a shit-eating grin. "But since now that you're all here, hey Hero! Get in here!"
Some of the light particles that had been floating around started to coalesce, and from them came Hero's form, though it had a slightly goldish glow coming off of him.
"Welcome to my Inner Space," Hero said, nodding.
"Whoa, it's... weird to see you and Hiroshi in the same place at once," Hanta said, pointing at the two.
"Yea, never thought I'd see you in the same room like this," Sen added.
"That's fair," Hiroshi laughed.
"Usually I'm focused on my surroundings to fight, but since we're all in here and there isn't a fight, I can create a mental construct to interact with you all," Hero explained. "And in here, one minute is equal to one second out there, which is why this is the most optimal way to teach you all about my race, the Ultras, our history, and about other aliens. Mr. Midoriya, you have the notebooks that All Might gave you?"
"Oh, so that's why you gave me these!" Izuku said, holding up the notebook and pen. "But wait, how will I-"
"You can still move your hands in the real world," Hero explained. "You'll be able to draw and write whatever you need to in that 'imaginary' notebook as long as you have the real one in your hands. And since you have that bag with you-"
"I can grab more and use them! Wow, you really thought of everything in a short amount of time."
"Thank All Might for it. We had plenty of those notebooks laying around," Principal Nezu laughed.
"I'll be sitting back on this for now, since Hero told me a lot about Ultra history. This is all primarily for you guys," Hiroshi said, as he leaned back as if he were laying down, and floated away, apparently sleeping.
"So where are we starting!?" Mina said, bouncing up and down in excitement.
"Well, I guess we got to go to beginning, before my race became what it is," Hero stated. He snapped his fingers, and the space around them changed. Soon they found themselves in a place full of absolutely gargantuan green crystalline structures and humans walking around.
"Where is this?" Momo asked, as they looked around. "It's... beautiful."
"This, everyone, is the Land of Light in Nebula M78," Hero said, sighing happily. "My home. Though far from the only place that Ultras exist."
"There are humans in the Land of Light?" Eijiro said, pointing to the people walking.
"That's what we used to look like," Hero said simply. "Granted, we can still take on a human form of our own, but most of the time we choose to honor heroic people who've sacrificed their lives to protect others to bring them back to life."
"Wait, so you guys used to look like humans!?" Rikido said, jaw dropped.
"You'd be quite surprised at the number of aliens that look just like humans," Hero shrugged. "What we'll be seeing right now are basically recreations that I've memorized every detail that I could. I wasn't born at the time, so I wouldn't have known about any of this."
"So why do Ultras not look like us anymore?" Mina asked.
Hero pointed up to the sky, as the brilliant green sky and buildings became tinted with red. They looked up, and saw the sun, frighteningly large and bright.
"Our home's star was dying," Hero said. "Its death meant ours. So our race's best scientists came together and created a replacement."
The scenery changed, and soon they were at a tower, where they saw them erecting a tall torch-like device up. "That is the Plasma Spark. The accumulation of all the knowledge and technology they had. With this, they saved our planet. But in the process, my race began to change."
The scenery changed again, and everyone noticed the human-like Ultras beginning to change. They were being covered in light much like how Hiroshi would be when he was transforming into Hero. Soon, all of them grew giant-sized, resembling the Ultras that they were more familiar with. Though they soon upscaled to match the Ultras in size rather than staying small.
"With this change, we gained wondrous powers. The powers to shrink, to grow, use beams, breathe in space, all sorts of abilities much like Quirks here," Hero said. "With this change, came long life as well. Our race began to live for thousands of years. We came to see this as a gift given to us to protect peace and others, so in the Land of Light, came the Inter Galactic Defense Force. We would send members all over the universe, planet to planet, to protect the inhabitants from any harm that could befall them. Eventually we came across the technology to allow us to go to different dimensions altogether to protect more places. Before that we'd have to rely on wormholes and rips through dimensions to get anywhere else."
"That's so crazy!" Itsuka said, as Yui looked at all of the giant Ultras in awe. Izuku meanwhile was scribbling furiously into his mental notebook.
"If you guys are so long-lived, how old are you, Hero?" Mashirao asked.
"8,751," he answered plainly.
"You're that old!?" everyone shouted.
"In terms of human years, I'd be in my late twenties, I think," Hero said, thoughtfully. "Actually, my birthday should be coming up soon now that I think about it. On Earth it'd be what you'd call June 13th?"
"Wow, that's really soon!" Fuka said, crossing her arms.
"We should hold you a birthday party!" Mina said, cheerfully.
"Oh! Oh! That would be so much fun!" Toru said. "An alien birthday party would be amazing!"
"Yea yea yea! Let's do it, Hero!" Pony said, nodding her head up and down while pumping her fists excitedly.
"It would be nice to have a party..." Hero said. "I dunno, it's-"
"I'm fine with lending you my body for the duration of it," Hiroshi said, shrugging. "After all, my own birthday's pretty much passed already."
"Really? That's... thanks," Hero said, before shaking his head. "Wait, we're getting off track here. Let's keep on going."
Soon the scenery changed again, and this time the buildings were on fire, with Ultras being attacked and slain left and right by other aliens, and vice versa.
"What's happening!?" Tenya asked, horrified by the sight of such violence.
"The Ultimate Wars," Hero explained gravely. "It was one of the most violent periods in our history. Long ago, an alien of darkness known as Alien Empera attacked the Land of Light. There were thousands of causalities, both on our side and on his. For a period of time, he actually successfully ruled the Land of Light."
An Ultra was thrown back into a building, unconscious, as a caped black alien with spiked armor walked passed them all.
"Is that Virus-" Manga said, horrifed.
"No. Virus is dangerous, but he doesn't belong to Alien Empera's race. Alien Empera's the last of his kind. He chose to embrace the darkness in order to survive, and came to resent the light, which is why he came to take control over the Land of Light, to subjugate it. He could've won, if it weren't for a young brave Ultra."
An Ultra came onto the scene, ready to fight. The most prominent feature he had were two large horns on the sides of his head. He was joined by a sharp-eyed male Ultra and a female Ultra with protrusions that resembled pigtails of all things.
"Ultraman Ken. Ultrawoman Marie. Belial," Hero said, giving Ken and Marie a respectful bow, though he skipped Belial. Ken and Belial fought Alien Empera, though he overpowered the two until Marie gave Ken a sword, and he engaged in a swordfight with Alien Empera. "Armed with the powerful Ultimate Blade that was protected by Ultrawoman Marie's family for generations, Ultraman Ken struck down Alien Empera, freeing the Land of Light and expelling all of the enemy forces that invaded. This won't be Alien Empera's end, however, as he came back thousands of years later, but was defeated again."
With one last slash, Ken struck down Alien Empera, who faded away in particles of light. Soon, the scene changed to show Ultraman Ken and Ultrawoman Marie adorned in large red capes, overlooking a group of Ultras sparring against one another. "Thanks to his actions in the Ultimate Wars, Ultraman Ken was given the position as Top Commander of the Inter Galactic Defense Force, marrying Ultrawoman Marie. The two became known as the Father of Ultra and Mother of Ultra in time."
"What about Ultraman Belial?" Denki asked. "He seemed pretty tough! I bet he-"
"Belial... Belial was jealous of his best friend Ken," Hero interrupted, in a low tone. "Devastated by losing his chance to be the Top Commander, and losing his chance at love with Marie, Belial became consumed by the pursuit of power. Alien Empera inspired him. The power he had, the power he fought against, he wanted. So Belial decided to commit one of the most serious crimes. He attempted to take the Plasma Spark for himself."
The scene changed, and everyone found themselves at the top of the tower containing the Plasma Spark. Belial approached it, only to become overwhelmed by its power, driving him away as he writhed in pain. Father of Ultra and a group of Ultras watched as he was escorted away from the Land of Light. "Because of this, Father of Ultra was forced to banish his former best friend."
"Ooooh..." Denki said, biting his lip as Belial disappeared from view.
"That isn't the last of Belial in the Land of Light, however," Hero said, as the scene changed. Belial was now on an empty planet, seemingly alone. "Now we're really hitting recreations of events, since no one was around."
"Forced to wander the universe, Belial eventually found himself on a moon that contained the spirit of Alien Rayblood, a powerful alien whose body had been destroyed long ago, but his spirit lingered. Alien Rayblood infused himself into Belial, turning him into a being known as a Reionics, granting him the powers of darkness," Hero stated, as a strange alien with two large horns and eyes at the base of them appeared in front of Belial. He entered Belial's body, as a dark miasma coated Belial, and once it dissipated, the silver of Belial's body had turned black, the blue Color Timer now a bright pink, and his fingers were now large and clawed. What was most striking was that his eyes had changed shape and color. They had become long, almost wrapping around to the back of his head, and pointed, turning the sharp-eyed Ultra into an even sharper-eyed Reionics, the yellow having turned into orange. A double-ended club-like polearm appeared in Belial's hand. "Alien Rayblood also armed Belial with the Giga Battle Nizer, a weapon that allowed him to control and summon an army of 100 monsters. With this, Belial went back to the Land of Light, and attacked his former home and friends. He beat the frontline defense, and defeated Mother of Ultra and Zoffy, a high ranking officer in the Inter Galactic Defense Force, though at the time he had yet to attain his rank."
The scene changed, and Belial was back at the Land of Light, tossing aside and injuring many Ultras. He came face to face with Father of Ultra and Mother of Ultra, as well as a third Ultra (who must've been Zoffy). Belial knocked away Mother of Ultra and the third Ultra, before engaging with Father of Ultra. It seemed like Father of Ultra had Belial on the ropes until he was struck in the side, making the Top Commander stagger before Belial began overwhelming him. The Hero Course students watched as the tide turned to Belial's favor.
"W-what happened!? He was winning!" Mina said, watching as he was driven back by his former friend.
"In the battle against Alien Empera, Father of Ultra sustained a wound on his side. A wound that wouldn't heal properly, no matter how much time passed," Hero said gravely. "A wound that Belial was all too familiar with."
"A wound on the side, huh?" All Might whispered, touching his astral body's side. The old hero began to feel a kinship with this particular Ultra.
"Belial would've won, if it weren't for the arrival of the strongest Ultra in existence," Hero stated. As Belial raised his Giga Battle Nizer over his head to deal the final blow against Father of Ultra, a caped red-eyed Ultra appeared. He was unlike any of the Ultras that they had seen up to that point. Instead of red skin, his was purple, he wore boots and gloves that matched his silver skin, a sun-like jewel on his abdomen, had what looked to be a full beard, and a crown-like crest on his head. "This, is Ultraman King. The oldest Ultra, older than even the Plasma Spark."
"So he's the ruler of the Ultras?" Ochako asked.
"Not quite. King is but one of the many names he goes by," Hero stated. "His power is comparable to that of a god."
"A god!?" everyone shouted. Almost immediately at their exclamation, King instantly overwhelmed Belial, before sealing the fallen Ultra away in a special prison.
"Indeed. There's almost nothing that King can't do. However, it's because of this power that he chooses to act as a guide to us, only coming to fight when there is no other choice," Hero said. "This was the only time he appeared in front of our kind in since the Plasma Spark's creation, and he would disappear until Ultraman Leo's time."
"Who?" Jurota asked.
"Another Ultra, though he came from Planet L77 as opposed to the Land of Light in the same universe," Hero said. "Like I said, there are Ultras from other planets and universes, the Land of Light is far from being the only place that they exist. Though there are universes where there aren't any Ultras to begin with, like this universe."
"Since we're on the topic of Ultraman Leo, I should introduce you to the Ultra Brothers for a bit," Hero added. The scenery disappeared, and 11 Ultras appeared amidst them all.
"The Ultra Brothers are an elite group of Ultras in the Inter Galactic Defense Force," Hero said, admiring them. "Brothers in arms, they defended our universe's Earth for decades."
He began walking to each of them. "This is Ultraman Mebius and Ultraman Hikari," Hero said, pointing to the Ultra with the left-arm brace and the only blue Ultra. "Mebius is the youngest and newest of the Ultra Brothers, though just as skilled as his seniors. In fact, it was him who beat Alien Empera for the second and final time. Hikari is the head scientist of the Inter Galactic Defense Force, responsible for many inventions and tools that we Ultras use. It was him who taught me to create the Hero Hand and other various things."
He walked next to an Ultra with a very different crest from the others. "Ultraman Leo and his twin brother, Astra," he said, pointing to him and the Ultra next to him. "The only two Ultras from a different planet, though no less respected and revered."
Next was an Ultra who had horns much like Father of Ultra. "This is Ultraman Taro, the son of Father and Mother of Ultra. He was trained by the two to become one of the strongest Ultras in history to carry on their legacy."
"Oh, so they actually are parents," Itsuka noted.
Standing near Taro was an Ultra with a hole in his crest. "This is Ultraman Ace, adopted son of Father and Mother of Ultra. He's famous for his mastery over beam techniques that can slice through anything."
"Like what?" Kosei asked.
"Anything," Hero said, as a scene in the background played of Ace moving his hands in a vertical fashion, releasing a blade-like wave of energy that went through a blue-and-red alien, bisecting it as it fell apart.
"Holy shit that's hardcore!" Kosei said, as everyone backed up in shock from the utter violence of the attack, though Togaru seemed intrigued by the slicing.
"Is he the guy you learned that guillotine thing from!?" Setsuna said, smacking Hero in the head.
"Like I said, I only learned the movement! The capturing ability actually came from Taro, he's the one that taught me how to use that," Hero stated. "And well, despite the violent nature of his techniques, Ace is actually a poet at heart, and has a soft spot for children."
He stopped at an Ultra with a red crest. "This is Ultraman 80, an Ultra dedicated to teaching the younger generations, both for humans and Ultras."
"His name's an English number?" Neito asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yea, that seems odd for an alien," Juzo added.
"Actually, his name is Ehiti, but 80 is what humans on Earth heard," Hero explained. He walked over to an Ultra without a Color Timer on his chest. Yui stared at this particular one for a while. "This is Ultraseven, who was actually mapping the Milky Way for the Land of Light when he came across Earth and chose to protect it."
Finally, Hero stopped at three very identical Ultras.
"Ultraman Jack, known for his special Ultra Bracelet, which could transform into any tool he needs at the time," he said, pointing to one with a bracelet on his left wrist.
"Zoffy, one of the next highest ranking members after Father of Ultra," he followed, pointing to an Ultra with a series of 12 badges on his upper torso and shoulders.
"And finally, the first Ultra to appear on Earth, Ultraman," Hero finished, pointing to a more unassuming Ultra.
"Wait, so his name is just 'Ultraman'?" Eijiro said, scratching his head.
"That is correct."
"But you all are called 'Ultras'," Tetsutetsu said.
"Well, he only became known as 'Ultraman' as his host came up with the name for him, and he had abandoned his original name a long time ago," Hero explained. "You see, we Ultras have a tradition where we can choose to abandon our given names and take up ones that humans give us. His just happened to be 'Ultraman'. I went through with this Hiroshi. This tradition's becoming less popular with more recent members, though."
"So what was your original title assigned to you at your birth, Hero?" Reiko asked.
"That's... I... I can't say," Hero said, looking away from them. "For now, let's just say that I just wanted to go through this tradition."
"I see... pardon my obtrusion into your personal history," Reiko apologized.
"So are Zoffy, Jack, and Ultraman actual brothers?" Hanta asked, changing the subject.
"What? No, they're not related," Hero said, confused. "Well, if we're talking about familial relations, Jack is married to Mother of Ultra's sister, making him Taro's and Ace's uncle. And Ultraseven's mother was also Mother of Ultra's sister, making him Taro's cousin, and therefore Jack's nephew-in-law... Why'd you ask?"
"They just... look really similar," Hanta explained.
"But their markings are completely different," Hero said.
"But their faces-"
"Sero!" Ochako scolded. "Don't say that! That's racist!"
"Is it?" Hanta said, scratching the back of his head.
"Yea, you can't just ask if they're all related if they have similar faces like that!" Pony joined in scolding him.
"I... suppose they do have similar faces," Hero said, looking at the three closely. "It is true that the older generations have more similar facial structures than the newer generations, but we're able to tell the differences between everyone depending on body markings and subtle facial differences, like eye shape, crest height, face length..."
"I have a different question!" Kinoko said. She pointed at Hikari. "Why is Hikari blue? Everyone else is red."
"Oh, that's because Ultras from the Land of Light are separated into three Tribes, which I suppose are like what ethnicities are on Earth," Hero explained. "Hikari is from the Blue Tribe, who're incredibly intelligent, and tend to work as researchers or scientists in the Land of Light. Ultraseven and Taro are Red Tribe, who're incredibly strong and tend to be the soldiers. Ultraman, Zoffy, Jack, 80, and Ace are Silver Tribe, who tend to have a balance between intelligence and strength. You can tell the difference between a Red Tribe and Silver Tribe Ultraman based on the largeness of their silver markings, though Red Tribes can have white markings instead of silver. What Tribe you end up with is a sign of just having an older member who belonged to it. Taro's maternal grandmother was a Red Tribe while his maternal grandfather was a Silver Tribe, which is why he's Red Tribe as opposed to his parent's Silver Tribe."
"But you have blue spots, Hero," Fuka said, pointing at the blue patches on Hero's body.
"Yea, and you change colors, too," Setsuna thought aloud.
"That's because my father's a Blue Tribe and my mother's a Red Tribe. Newer generations tend to show more mixed traits compared to older ones. And the reason my colors change is because I trained and trained until I managed to attain alternate forms," Hero said, as an image of a family appeared. A Red Tribe Ultrawoman was cradling a large capsule with a baby inside, while a Blue Tribe Ultraman was at her side, holding her hand. "Oh no, not my baby picture-"
"Aw, is that you!?" Toru said, as she and some of the other girls rushed to look at the image closer. "You're so cute!"
"I never knew that baby Ultras were a thing!" Ochako said, her eyes sparkling.
"I guess it makes sense, if parents are a thing with Ultras," Mina said.
"Shouldn't have memorized that at all..." Hero said, somewhat embarrassed.
"Is that really you? Your face isn't red," Izuku said, peeking up from drawing and writing into his mental notebook.
"Oh, this?" Hero said, popping his mask off, taking the fins off with it as well. Without it on, it revealed his face to be squarer and flatter compared to the Ultras that they've seen. His eyes were a light blue without it on. "This is sort of similar to what Mr. Iida's wearing right now on his face."
"You mean you've been wearing glasses this entire time!?" Kyoka said.
"Is that what they're called?" Hero asked, putting his mask back on. "If their purpose is to correct vision, then yes."
"This is all very interesting, but I feel like we went off track way back..." Itsuka pointed out.
"Oh right, hadn't finished talking about Belial," Hero said, coughing into his hand. His baby picture and the Ultra Brothers disappeared, and the scene where Ultraman King was imprisoning Belial resumed. "With Belial sealed, King left as he came. And for thousands of years, Belial was imprisoned, guarded to prevent his escape, with the Giga Battle Nizer sealed in a different place away. At least, until an Alien Zarab found and took it, and broke Belial out in hopes of aligning with him. It didn't end well."
A stony skinned alien with a metal dome-like head had found his way to Belial's prison, and released him, only to be struck down immediately by Belial after giving him the Giga Battle Nizer. Taro and a group of other Ultras intercepted Belial, only for him to overpower them all. "Freed from his prison over 400,000 years later, he resumed his attack on the Land of Light. And this time, he succeeded in getting what he wanted. The Plasma Spark."
Belial fought Ultra Brother after Ultra Brother, beating all of them while launching Mebius away from the planet, getting closer to the Plasma Spark, with only Father of Ultra and Mother of Ultra in his way. He soundly bested the two of them, and grabbed the Plasma Spark. He flew away, and ice began to cover the Land of Light and all of the Ultras. Taro went to the remaining light left behind by the missing Plasma Spark, and absorbed it.
"W-What's going on!?" Setsuna said, watching as all of the Ultras around them become coated in ice.
"Without the Plasma Spark, the Land of Light lost its source of power. It froze over, covering everything. Only Ultraman and Ultraseven were spared thanks to shielding themselves at the last second, though the amount of power they had to put into protecting themselves forced them into staying in their human forms for a long duration of time. Mebius was spared thanks to being launched off the planet during his fight with Belial. The planet would've died, if Taro hadn't taken in the remaining light to protect it."
"Oh no!" Ochako said, covering her mouth.
"Where you frozen too?" Momo asked, horrified by all the frozen Ultras.
"Actually, I was off planet far away at time, but I was far too deep in my training," Hero explained. The surrounding changed, and they saw what looked to be a younger Hero fighting several giant aliens under the guidance of an older Ultraman. This Ultra was broad-shouldered, with triangular chest armor much like Hero's in Burst Helios, and a primarily silver body. His eyes were sharp, and he wore red bracers around his wrists. He had a large sharp head crest, and squarish yellow eyes. "That's my main instructor at the time, Ultraman Ampion. We couldn't help out at the time because I wasn't strong enough, and we didn't get the message in time."
They moved away from the young Hero and senior Ampion, and found themselves at a large mountainous area in space. Ultraman, Ultraseven, Mebius, and a human on top of a dinosaur-like monster were facing off against Belial and his monster army. "Belial had retreated into the Monster Graveyard, as he plotted his takeover the universe. A recovered Ultraman, Ultraseven, Mebius, and a human Reionics known as Rei came to stop him."
"Excuse me, did you just say Monster Graveyard!?" Minoru said, his eyes bulging.
"Yes. It's a distortion in spacetime and dimensions where all monsters, good or bad, go when they die. Their spirits enter the Monster Graveyard and over time their bodies are reconstructed, though they're stuck there unless someone purposefully pulls them out," Hero said.
"Wait, a Reionics? Isn't that what Belial became? You mean that someone evil like that was an ally!?" Sen said, watching the human with them transform into an Ultra-like form.
"While it is true that the blood of a malevolent alien like Alien Rayblood coursed through his body, Rei is actually a very heroic person. The Reionics are simply the result of Alien Rayblood's essence spreading across the universe and entering one's DNA," Hero stated. "However, even with these four working together, Belial was too strong. Not even the arrival of the alternate universe Ultraman known as Ultraman Dyna could help. At least, until he arrived."
Soon, a blue-and-red Ultraman appeared, who, unlike other Ultras that they've seen, had two crests on his head, and armor that resembled Ultraseven's. Leo and Astra joined him soon after. "Ultraseven's son, Ultraman Zero, arrived and fought Belial. He had been banished to train with Ultraman Leo and Astra, as punishment for attempting to repeat Belial's theft of the Plasma Spark, sparing the three from the Land of Light's frost. He was stopped by his father, who wanted to prevent him from falling into the same path as Belial. And they succeeded, though Belial attempted one last move."
Zero and Belial squared off, striking each other with their strongest blows, until Zero removed his head crests and combined it with his Color Timer, releasing a blue beam from his chest, sending Belial flying. He landed in lava, but it was far from over, as monsters appeared and dove into the lava, forming a giant monster. "With his monsters, he created a being known as Belyudra, with him as the brain."
"Holy shit he's bigger than anything I've ever seen!" Manga said.
"H-He makes Ultras look like ants!" Toru said, shivering.
"Indeed. But with everyone providing assistance to occupy Belyudra, Zero managed to strike Belial down, borrowing the power of the Plasma Spark," Hero said, as all of the Ultras fired off attacks at the giant monster, and Zero struck Belial down, who was on top of Belyudra. "With that, this assault of Belial's ended, and the Plasma Spark was restored in its rightful place."
"This assault? He didn't die!?" Nirengeki exclaimed.
"Indeed. This wasn't the end of Belial," Hero explained. "He survived, and continued plotting his revenge against the Land of Light, growing stronger and stronger. Zero would match him, however, and grew stronger as well. Eventually, Belial came to his greatest scheme. Omega Armageddon."
"That sounds bad," Fuka said, taking a deep breath.
"It was. Belial entered the World of Side Space to enact his revenge. He and a new army attacked its Earth, forcing almost all of the Inter Galactic Defense Force to come and fight against them. And it is here where Zero was defeated by Belial."
The space changed around them to be a fiery Earth full of wrecked buildings. Belial sent Zero flying back, injured from their fight, before turning towards a giant tower-like bomb, and activated it. The scene changed to them being in space, watching the Earth explode with thousands of Ultras watching, having been beaten back by Belial and his army. Amongst them all, they could see Hero and Ampion in the back, powerless to stop it. "Belial activated the Super-dimensional Eradication Bomb, which destroyed the World of Side Space's Earth, and would've spread throughout the universe. It could've spread to all universes if it weren't for Ultraman King's arrival."
Just then, King appeared, flying past all of the Ultras, and a bright light radiated from the godly Ultra. In an instance, the Earth was repaired, and all of the damage that Belial had done was gone. But King was nowhere to be found. "He used all of his power to repair the damage, but even that was a struggle for him, as he had to fuse with the universe itself to keep it from falling apart. This became known as the Crisis Impact."
"No way..." Izuku said. Everyone had gone silent at the sight.
"But even being at the epicenter of the destruction, was not enough to take Belial down. It wouldn't be until his son came to finally put an end to him," Hero said. Belial was assaulting a city, when an Ultra with red, black, and silver markings appeared, with eyes identical to Belial's, though his were blue. "Ultraman Geed."
"He has a son!?" Rikido said. Shoto raised an eyebrow; who knew that there was someone out there with an even worse father than his?
"Who in the multiverse would want to have a son with him!?" Setsuna said, mouth agape.
"Geed... isn't the son in the traditional sense. Rather, he was a clone created using Belial's DNA, who spent 19 years thinking that he was human. Him being a clone after Alien Rayblood's fusion with Belial is why he has black markings," Hero stated. "But that didn't stop him from being one of the greatest Ultras. He fought against his progenitor, doing the one thing that no Ultra could've done."
"What was that?" Mina asked.
"Show Belial compassion after all that he's done."
In a vortex of flying broken buildings and debris, Geed and Belial fought, trading punches after punches, until to everyone's surprise, Geed grabbed his 'father' in an embrace, showing the fallen Ultra affection. For an instant, everyone thought they saw Alien Rayblood leaving Belial's body. It was for naught, as Belial continued to fight, though he was killed after a final beam attack between him and Geed.
"Belial was unable to let go of his anger and grudge, leading to his true end at the hands of Geed," Hero said, matter-of-factly. "Still, the fact that someone managed to show compassion to Belial of all Ultras, makes Geed truly the best out of us, despite his extremely young age."
"So Geed's actually 19?" Tsuyu asked.
"Indeed. In human years and in Ultra years," Hero stated. "By Ultra standards, he is extremely young."
"He's not much older than us, then..." Momo said.
"So Belial's finally gone? Good riddance," Tetsutetsu said, crossing his arms.
"Yes... and no," Hero said, to everyone's confusion. A image of a strange reddish orange stone-like shard appeared in front of all of them. "Belial himself is dead and hasn't been resurrected for quite some time. But due to all of the battles and injuries he sustained, he left behind pieces of his body, DNA, in the form of shards called Devil Splinters. Devil Splinters are incredibly dangerous, having the ability to corrupt and cause beings to go berserk, or even revive dead ones if it comes in contact with a piece of them. Many Ultras, including ones that aren't officially a part of the Inter Galactic Defense Force, have been tasked with finding them."
"Geez, this guy's hard to get rid of!" Sen said.
"So he fell into the dark..." Fumikage said, thinking back to how Belial's powers came from a dark source of power. Shihai looked down below him, contemplating it as well.
"I wouldn't necessarily blame darkness on its own," Hero said, noticing Fumikage's and Shihai's dour expressions. "Remember, Geed is Belial's son, and he used the powers of darkness as well. There was another Ultra who used Belial's powers of darkness as well."
A new Ultra appeared in front of them. His Color Timer resembled a ring, but the most striking part was that he had black markings along with his red and silver ones.
"Is he a clone too?" Tenya asked.
"Oh, no, he's not. He's Ultraman Orb, from the Planet O-50. Ultras from there have natural black markings, unlike those from the Land of Light," Hero explained. "They're also chosen by the Voice of Light, granting them its powers, and some even gain the ability to use the powers of other Ultras from different universes. For Orb, he could combine the powers of two different Ultras to create special forms for himself, using special cards containing their power."
The image of Orb changed, changing his body markings to include dark purple markings and two small shoulder pads. "Spacium Zeperion, formed from Ultraman and Tiga, an Ultra from a different dimension."
It changed again, this time to one that was predominantly red with orange markings, the black now being miniscule. "Burnmite, formed from Taro and Mebius."
It changed a third time, showing that Orb now had bright blue markings and two small head crests in addition to his main one. "Hurricane Slash, formed from Jack and Zero."
Finally, it changed a fourth time, but this time, Orb was now muscular, with the black dominating his color scheme, but the most striking thing was that his eyes now resembled Belial's. "Thunder Breastar, formed from Zoffy and Belial."
"So he really used Belial's power?" Nirengeki said, looking at Thunder Breastar. "How did he control it?"
"For a time, he didn't," Hero stated. "When Orb used Thunder Breastar the first few times, he went out of control, Belial's dark powers overwhelming him. It wasn't until he confronted his past and came to terms with it that he gained control over it. And being here on this Earth, I've seen the powers of darkness being used to protect people, like you two..."
"Hero? Is something wrong?" Fuka asked, noticing how Hero trailed off.
"Sorry, it's just... for thousands of years, my instructors and teachers talked to me about how since Ultras are Giants of Light, that darkness is a dangerous and evil power," Hero explained, scratching his head. "But teaching you all what I know and learned, and seeing how shadow-based Quirks are used by heroes, it's... something to think about... Dammit, I'm thinking like Tregear..."
"Tregear?" Izuku said, raising his head from his mental notebook.
"Yea... Belial is far from the only Ultra from the Land of Light that fell from grace," Hero said, as a blue Ultra appeared. Much like Hero, he wore a mask, though his was sharp and curved, giving him the appearance of devil horns. There were straps on his legs and arms, and a gold breastplate covered his Color Timer. "Tregear was a Blue Tribe Ultra who was a friend of Taro's, but fell into madness upon learning about how Belial and Hikari fell into darkness, and coming to the conclusion that the concept of light and dark, good and evil, were nothing but farces, and decided that he'd destroy everything that he felt that Ultras stood for, simply because he could. He was defeated by the Tri-Squad and other Ultras recently, so he's no longer an issue as well."
"Wait, you mean one of the Ultra Brothers became evil!?" Ochako said, recalling how earlier Hero talked about Hikari.
"What's the Tri-Squad?" Momo asked.
"Dang, I never really went into depth about them all, huh?" Hero said, scratching his head. "This is becoming a deeper dive than I initially thought it would be... Good thing that this is the end of the classes... Okay, so-"
Everyone opened their eyes, and rubbed them, yawning as they awoke. Izuku looked down, and flipped through the stack of Campus notebooks, looking throughout all the pages. And this was only half of what Hero went over with them, he was going to need to do another 'Ultra History Lesson' later. He did get a lot of useful information about aliens, though. Like Alien Babarue, a race of aliens who had such deceptive disguising abilities that they could fool people into thinking that they were really an Ultra. Or Alien Nowar, a race of aliens that constantly experimented on other aliens, turning them into weapons for their own curiosity and benefit. Or Alien Zetton, a race of one-eyed beings with a chrysalis like head (not to be confused with Zetton, a giant bug-like alien named after their planet and them). Light covered Hero as Hiroshi took his place again, popping his joints.
"Damn, I think my brain's about to burst from all that information," Denki said, rubbing the temples of his head.
"We did just get the biggest history lesson of all time," Kosei said, stretching his arms and checking his legs. "We're not going to be quizzed over this, right?"
"Nope," Hiroshi said, shrugging. "This was all so that you guys would understand more about the Ultras and other aliens."
"I think we got a lot more than we bargained for," Setsuna said, popping her head off to massage the top while putting it in her lap. "Oof, I think I learned more about Ultras and aliens in one setting than I learned math in 5 years..."
"I need more information... I want to learn more about Ultras, especially the ones that aren't from the Land of Light like Hero is..." Izuku said, looking through all the notes he took on the Ultras. "Hero mentioned one named Cosmos, right?"
"Yea, Cosmos is a pacifist who primarily used defensive and subduing techniques on giant monsters and aliens, since he believed that everyone had the right to a peaceful life. His heart was his strongest weapon," Hiroshi said, recalling what he learned about Cosmos. "He only ever used offensive techniques when they've proven themselves irredeemable."
Katsuki narrowed his eyes and shifted his gaze away. Who knew that there was a pathetic Ultra like that? That Zero guy was much more his speed. From what he saw, he was among the best of the best, with his losses only being against that Belial freak, who was also absurdly strong like him.
"And we should get some more information about native Earth monsters, too... There might be some here that we haven't discovered yet..." Izuku noted, recalling how many Earths had their own native giant monsters. "Or maybe Virus might've taken some along with him..."
"I suppose that is a good idea to cover as well," Hero said.
"Yea, Hero thinks that could be helpful, too," Hiroshi said.
"Gee, thanks for that, Midoriya," Denki bemoaned. "As if my brain wasn't fried enough already..."
"Nah, we'd know your brain's fried when you go 'wheeeeeeey'," Kyoka said, smirking while Denki gave her a stink eye.
"This is a good start at least," Fuka said, stretching out her legs after they fell asleep from sitting so long.
"Did we really need to learn so much about Ultra history, though?" Yosetsu asked, adjusting his headband. "When will we ever need to know about like, Belial or Tregear? Hero said it himself, they're dead."
"I think it's nice to know," Kinoko replied. "Like, it's neat to know what's happened outside of our universe."
"Are we forgetting that the universe was almost destroyed!?" Minoru said, still hung up on seeing the Crisis Impact. "What would've happened if it was fully successful!? Would we even know what happened!?"
"Exactly why we should learn as much as we can about outside our universe," Hiroshi said. "So that if possible, we can try and prevent anything similar happening to our universe."
"Yea, we're not gonna let someone mess with us!" Eijiro said, slamming his fists together.
"If guys like Belial, Tregear, or Virus think that they get away with shit, they have another thing coming!" Tetsutetsu followed, cracking his knuckles.
"We're gonna have to train nonstop now, right? Hero's peers aren't the only ones who can save others, right?" Itsuka said, smiling confidently. "We gotta follow their examples!"
As the class chattered about, inspired by the things they've learned about Ultras, All Might sighed and smile, before thinking back to Father of Ultra.
"Found someone to relate to, have you All Might?" Principal Nezu asked, startling All Might a bit.
"I... maybe," All Might said, touching his old wound. "To think, that somewhere out there, there was someone like me... I'd... I'd like this meet this Father of Ultra one day..."
"I can send a message to my instructors about trying to arrange a meeting like that in the future," Hero said in Hiroshi's head, having overheard what All Might said.
"Hero said he'll be glad to help set up a meeting or something in the future," Hiroshi said to All Might.
"No no, it's alright. I'm sure the man has plenty to do," All Might said, laughing it off. "Besides, I'm just one man protecting one planet, while he's out there, in charge of protecting entire planetary systems and universes."
Hiroshi nodded and shrugged, though he and Hero decided to keep a possible meeting in mind.
"Anyways, since the school day's over, why don't you all go home now?" Principal Nezu said, clapping his paws together to get everyone's attention. "After all, I bet you all need to get ready to have All Might, Vlad King, and Eraserhead come and meet your parents soon for their official approval."
The students nodded and said their goodbyes to each other, everyone leaving the classroom, though Hiroshi lingered a bit, looking out the window.
"Do you think we're doing the right thing by involving them all like this?" Hiroshi whispered to himself. "I knew becoming your host would lead to some crazy things, but everything that's happened within the last few days... it's a lot more than I expected."
"... I don't know," Hero admitted. "But with Virus around, I'm not sure if they have a choice not to."
"Yea..." Hiroshi said, his fists tightening.
"Hey Hiroshi! What's keeping you?" Setsuna said, peeking into the classroom after realizing that he was still in there.
"Oh, nothing. Just... thinking to me and Hero for a bit," Hiroshi said. "There's... no turning back with all of this, is there?"
"Nope," Setsuna said, realizing what he's been reflecting on. "Honestly, I've always expected us to get into some crazy wacky shit with you being Hero's host, but these last few days have definitely been a rollercoaster."
"True..." Hiroshi said, looking to the ground for a bit. "I just... Things spiraled so far out of my control with my fight against Virus. To think, he really was that much stronger than Hero and me-"
"It's alright, Hiroshi," Setsuna said, detaching her wrist to put a reassuring hand onto his shoulder, before pulling him closer to the door. "We can do it! After all, we saw how those Ultras kept going against all odds, right? Let's show them all that we can do the same!"
"Of course," Hiroshi said, grinning back at her. She was right; Zero, Geed, Orb, and so many other Ultras never stopped in the face of adversity. Now it was his and Hero's turn. And with Setsuna, Fuka, Izuku, and the rest of the newly formed SiDE Team, they weren't about to let Virus, All for One, and the Unearthly League to get away with whatever plans they have.
ORIGINAL AO3 NOTES:
- Figures we'd get a filler-y chapter where Hero finally explains a lot of Ultraman history to the Hero Course students, right? This one's probably the most skippable out of all of them unless you like recaps of Ultraman lore and the students' commentaries. This is definitely one of the weaker chapters I've written in my opinion, since the only point of it is to let the Hero Course students know more about Ultra history.
- Credit to Wickerstein on FFnet again for suggesting this idea a while ago.
- Thought that it would be a good idea to show at least the primary SiDE Team teens' talking to their parents about the UA dorms. And with the Forest Training Camp Arc not happening before this (it's gonna happen, just not in the same way and stuff), I figured that Izuku's mom would be more fine with letting him go to the UA dorms.
- I came up with the justification about why Taro doesn't appear to belong to the same Tribe as Father or Mother of Ultra, since he's Red as opposed to their Silver. It was always kinda strange to me that they never address that. The real reason is that it's 'cuz they designed Taro using Ultraseven as a base while giving him horns like Father of Ultra.
- I hope it isn't too unbelievable that there were more Ultras off-planet when Belial took the Plasma Spark. I always thought it was suspicious that the only ones that were off-planet were Zero, Leo, Astra, and King at the time (excluding Mebius 'cuz he was thrown out before the freeze, and Dyna 'cuz he literally came from a different universe). Like, there's a lot of people that go on patrol or to other planets, right? So I figured that it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to think that Hero and his instructor at the time weren't on the Land of Light, but were unable to join in thanks to Hero's relative weakness at the time. There're probably more Ultras that were doing the same.
- Why doesn't Hero mention that Z used Belial's powers, too? In my mind, I think he hasn't had the chance to catch up with Z, so he doesn't know anything about Z's adventures. All the stuff about the Absolute Conspiracy and Z happened and finished while Hero was training, and he left to go on his first solo mission before Z came back to the Land of Light.
- Figures that Katsuki might not look at Cosmos fondly 'cuz of his pacifism, huh? At least, that how I'm gonna think on it, since Katsuki's all about fighting.