DISCLAIMER: I do not own My Hero Academia or Sword Art Online. All rights to these series belong to their respective creators: Kohei Horikoshi for My Hero Academia and Reki Kawahara for Sword Art Online.

Chapter 1: A New World Beckons

Izuku Midoriya had always believed in heroes. Ever since he was a small child, he had looked up to them, especially All Might, the Symbol of Peace. He admired how All Might always saved people with a smile, never wavering in the face of danger. It was that dream of being a hero that kept him going, even though the odds were stacked against him.

Today, though, those odds seemed to crush him more than ever.

"Get off, Deku!"Kacchanvoice echoed in Izuku's ears as he lay on the ground, dirt staining his uniform and bruises forming on his arms. His school bag had been thrown aside, and his notebooks were scattered on the ground, some of them , orKatsuki Bakugo, his childhood friend turned bully, stood over him, sneering. Behind him, a few of their classmates snickered, as if this was just another ordinary day. To them, it was.

Izuku had stepped in to defend another boy their age, one who had been the focus ofKacchan'swrath earlier. The boy had been cowering, tears brimming in his eyes asKacchanand his lackeys picked on him for a trivial reason—he had accidentally bumped intoKacchanin the hallway. Izuku knew he couldn't just stand by and watch, even though he wasn't much better off than the kid. It was always like this. He was always the one standing up for others, but it never seemed to made sure to remind him where he stood in the pecking order.

"You think you can be a hero with no quirk?"Kacchansneered, his crimson eyes glaring down at Izuku. "You're useless, Deku. You can't save anyone. Hell, you can't even save yourself!"

Izuku's heart pounded, and his fists clenched at his sides. He looked up atKacchan, the words on the tip of his tongue, but nothing came out. The hurtful truth was there—he was quirkless, powerless in a world where power was everything.

Kacchanstepped closer, grabbing Izuku by the front of his shirt and lifting him slightly off the ground. "You should just give up already," he hissed. "Heroes need power. And you? You'll never have it."

With a sharp push,Kacchanshoved Izuku back down, causing him to stumble and hit the ground hard. The laughter of the other kids echoed in his ears, and tears stung at the corners of his eyes, but he bit his lip, refusing to cry in front of them. Crying would only give them more reason to torment him.

Kacchanand his group finally left, their laughter fading as they moved on, leaving Izuku alone. He stayed on the ground for a moment, catching his breath and wiping away the dirt from his uniform. His eyes landed on one of the notebooks that had fallen beside him, but something else caught his attention. It was a flyer, half-crumpled but still readable.

"Sword Art Online: The First VRMMO Game," it read. "Beta test applications now open."

Izuku's curiosity piqued, and he picked up the flyer, examining it more closely. It was for a new, revolutionary video game. A "deep dive" virtual reality game where players could fully immerse themselves in a new world. It sounded… incredible. A world where quirks didn't matter. Where maybe, just maybe, he could be something more than useless.

That evening, Izuku sat at the kitchen table, nervously fidgeting with the flyer in his hands. His mother, Inko Midoriya, was across from him, watching him with concern in her eyes. She always knew when something was bothering him, even if he tried to hide it. And lately, there had been a lot on his mind.

"M-Mom…" Izuku began, his voice shaky. He never really asked for much. He didn't want to burden his mother, who already worried about him enough. "There's… there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

Inko set her chopsticks down, giving him her full attention. "What is it, sweetie?"

Izuku took a deep breath, holding out the flyer for Sword Art Online. "It's… a new game. A VRMMO. I… I know it's expensive, and I know I don't usually ask for things, but… I really want to try it."

Inko blinked, surprised by the request. It wasn't like Izuku to ask for something like this. He was always more focused on his hero studies, always scribbling notes about heroes and quirks. But as she looked at the flyer and then back at her son, she could see how much this meant to him. His green eyes, usually filled with a mix of determination and sadness, now held a spark of excitement she hadn't seen in a while.

She didn't fully understand why he wanted to play this game, but she trusted him. Izuku never asked for much, and if this could bring him some happiness, maybe it was worth it. After all, she knew how hard school had been for him lately, even if he tried to hide it. She didn't know who was bullying him—Izuku never wanted to talk about it—but she could tell something was wrong.

After a moment of silence, Inko smiled softly. "If this is something you really want, then… I think it could be good for you, Izuku."

Izuku's eyes widened in surprise. "R-Really?"

Inko nodded. "Yes. I know things have been tough at school, and maybe this game will give you a way to escape, even if just for a little while. But remember, Izuku…" Her voice softened, and she reached across the table to place a hand on his. "Even though it's a game, don't lose sight of who you are. Be yourself, and don't let anyone change that."

Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat, nodding quickly. "I won't, Mom. I promise."

Months passed, and the day finally came when the full version of *Sword Art Online* was released. Izuku could hardly contain his excitement as he and his mother walked into the store to pick up the game. The shelves were filled with excited gamers, all eagerly awaiting their chance to enter the virtual world. As they reached the counter, Izuku clutched the box tightly in his hands, his heart pounding with anticipation.

"This is it," he thought. "A whole new world… where I can be something more."

Inko watched him with a mixture of pride and worry. She had seen the way his eyes lit up whenever he talked about this game. It reminded her of how he used to talk about being a hero, before the harsh reality of being quirkless had started to wear him down. She hoped that this game would give him a little bit of the confidence he had lost.

As they left the store and made their way home, Inko glanced over at her son. "Remember, Izuku… even though it's a game, always be true to yourself. Don't let it change who you are."

Izuku nodded, clutching the game to his chest. "I won't, Mom. I'll make you proud."

As soon as they got home, Izuku raced up to his room, setting everything up as quickly as possible. He put on the NerveGear, his heart pounding with excitement and nerves. This was it. A whole new world was waiting for him.

"Link start!"

The world around him faded, and as the virtual reality took over, Izuku found himself standing in a grand city, surrounded by players just like him. It was incredible. The buildings, the people, everything felt so real. His heart swelled with hope.

For the first time in a long while, Izuku felt like he could be something more than just a quirkless kid. Here, in this world, he could be a hero.

And little did he know, this game was about to change his life forever.

AUTHOR NOTES: My goal for each chapter right now is somewhere between 2,000-5,000 words per chapter, however, there will be a few smaller ones here and there, as well as some bigger ones. I have plans to incorporate other arcs of SAO into the MHA world when we eventually get there but will primarily be pulling from the Aincrad Arc of SAO, since it's my favorite part of the show.