Chapter VIII: First Contact

"Hero work isn't just about fighting villains," Aizawa began, "above all else, it's about helping the community and keeping the peace. Oftentimes, heroes won't encounter any unsavory elements and instead, help in humanitarian and rescue efforts. That's why this coming Saturday, your class will be participating in simulated rescue operations in one of U.A.'s facilities."

The whole class erupted in joy. While it's true that fighting villains were the most eye-catching aspect of being a hero, rescue work was just as important, if not more so. It was understandable then that the students with non-combat-oriented quirks were happy. Although, some of the more volatile ones in the class felt that the training was a complete waste of time.

Class 1-A's homeroom teacher continued giving instructions. "It's up to you if you'll wear your hero costumes or just the standard school P.E. uniform, as long as you feel comfortable during the exercise. Furthermore, I won't be the only one to supervise this activity. All Might and another member of the school faculty will be there. Not only that, some of the third years will be there as well to aid in the instruction."

That additional info jest made the students even more excited.

"If nothing else, that would be all for today. You are dismissed."

That was how Izuku recalled the announcement from their sensei two days ago. Right now, he and his classmates were inside a school bus headed for the rescue training facility Aizawa mentioned prior. Sitting beside was Īda who was busy reprimanding everyone for being noisy. Everyone was so excited that for the whole time they were traveling, the bus was drowned in a ruckus. Some didn't mind, others just kept to themselves, while a few decided to sleep their way through this.

However, Izuku remained quiet for that time because he was still contemplating the words of his jujutsu sensei.

"What does Izuku Midoriya want?"

Those were the same words that continued plaguing his mind. Ever since he was young, Izuku's dream was always to become a hero that could save people with a smile. It started with an innocent video of All Might rescuing trapped civilians and from then on, that had been his goal. However, all that changed when he met his hero and was told that he could never be one without a quirk. It crushed him, but it didn't deter his underlying desire to help others.

It was only when he met Satoru Gojo that his dream became a possibility once more. That said, becoming the first jujutsu sorcerer in over four hundred years made him aware that not all things are as they seemed. The conversation he had with the ancient sorcerer opened his eyes about himself and his true intentions for being a hero.

Was it really just because his peers were doing it? Is there more to it than just that?

"Have I been lying to myself this whole time?"

"What's wrong, Izuku?" Uraraka's voice was more than enough to snap the troubled teen from his mental crisis. "You've been so quiet lately."

"Oh, it's fine," assured the greenhead. Despite that, he was still conflicted.

Beside Ochako, Tsuyu Asui popped up and began talking to the greenette. "I hope you don't mind me being blunt, Midoriya. I'm just that way."

"I don't mind, Asui."

"Thanks… and call me Tsu."

"Sure thing, Tsu. So, what do you want to talk about?"

Tsuyu is a very observant individual. Having an almost constantly passive face made it difficult for people to know what she was thinking. However, she can still express herself when feeling extreme emotions. Now though, there was one thing the Frog quirk mutant wanted to confirm with her green-haired classmate.

"It's not obvious, but your quirk is kind of similar to Kurosaki's."

The comment may have been innocent, but it was enough to rattle Izuku. He took a glance and Kazui and found out he wasn't even worried. In fact, he gave him a small nod that said, "It's alright."

Breathing in deeply, the successor of the Honored One slowly looked at the frog-like girl and answered, "Y-Yeah. I noticed that too."

"It's definitely flashy, isn't it?" Kirishima chimed in. He held his forearm out and hardened his skin. "Compared to mine, though? I don't think I can even come close."

"That's not true, Kirishima," Izuku quickly refuted. "Your quirk is amazing. I'm sure your quirk is more than enough to make you into a pro."

"My Navel Laser is both strong and flashy in the pro department," Aoyama confidently stated.

"Well, it's not that great if you get a bad case of stomach ache after use," Mina innocently remarked, shattering Aoyama's built-up confidence.

As for Kirishima, he diverted the conversation to those whose quirks are both powerful and flashy. "If we're talking about exceptional quirks, look no further than Midoriya's Limitless, Kurosaki's Fullbring, Bakugō's Explosion, and Todoroki's Half Hot, Half Cold. No way my quirk is as strong as those four."

The four mentioned students all had different expressions. Izuku grew embarrassed, Kazui simply smiled at the redhead, Bakugō looked away, and Todoroki did not react whatsoever.

Tsu, being the blunt person she is, had a few words to say. "Bakugō's always angry, so I doubt he'd become popular."

The ash blonde took offense to that. "What the hell did you say, frog girl!?"

The insults didn't stop there as Kaminari chimed in. "We've only known each other for a week yet I'm not surprised we all agree that your personality is a heaping pile of shit swimming in sewage."

Bakugō turned to the electric blonde and focused his ire on him. "What is with that vocabulary, you piece of shit!? Do you have a death wish!?"

"I second that, Kaminari!" Kazui chirped from his seat with a knowing grin.

"Shut up, Baby Face!" yelled the irate Pomeranian.

"Huh, Katsuki's being teased." Izuku thought while watching his former bully getting mocked by his classmates. "Somehow, I find it kind of refreshing."

Meanwhile, Momo found the discussion rather uncouth for her taste. "Such vulgar conversation."

"But I like stuff like this, too," Ochako joyfully commented.

"By the way, Kurosaki," Ojiro, a classmate with a tail quirk, interrupted, "where did you learn sword fighting like that?"

Everyone's attention was now on Kazui, including Aizawa.

"Yeah, Kurosaki! Where did you learn how to use a sword like that?" Jiro questioned the hybrid.

Kazui looked around and he could already tell they were eager to hear him. Even Bakugō, who doesn't want anything to do with him, and Todoroki, who barely had any interest, were curious.

"It's not that I was taught how to use a sword like that," Kazui replied. "My father taught me basic Zanjūtsu, but what you saw during the battle training was all me."

"First off, what is Zanjūtsu?" questioned Ojiro. "That's the first time I've heard of it." His opinion was the same as the other Class 1-A students and their teacher.

"It is the sword style taught to the Shiba family. My grandfather was a Shiba who took on my grandmother's surname, so it's no surprise that they taught me that."

"Hmm… that makes sense. However, you make it sound like this Zanjūtsu has a system. What you demonstrated had nothing whatsoever."

"I agree with Ojiro, Kazui," Momo interrupted, wanting to give her own thoughts on the matter. She had one of her classmates tell her about Kazui's part during the battle training, so she was also curious about the subject. "If it is a sword style, it should have noticeable patterns, no matter how small they may be. Yours have none. Everything was erratic and unpredictable based on what everybody said."

"The answer is simple; it's because I let my body move on its own."

Everyone on the bus was lost.

Seeing their confusion, Kazui posed a question to his peers. "Tell me, what's the difference between a king and a horse?"

That question seemed to have come out of nowhere, so it's not surprising that the other students of Class 1-A were confused. It hardly had anything to do with Kazui's insane sword skills.

"Huh? What's that got to do with you?" Kaminari questioned.

"Everything," was Kazui's answer. "I repeat, what is the difference between a king and a horse? Now, I'm not talking about one being an animal and the other being a person, or one having two legs and the other having four."

Everyone, even Aizawa was interested that they thought over the question and yet, none could come up with a definitive answer. Even the smarter ones like Momo, Tenya, and Izuku failed to provide one. Luckily for them, Kazui elaborated on the matter.

"Imagine two beings that possess the same power, form, and ability. If these two beings possess equal form, power, and ability, then why is it that one becomes the king and leads them into battle while the other becomes the horse and carries the king? So, what is it that distinguishes these two beings?"

Silence reigned as Class 1-A pondered on the question. Try as they might, none could give the hybrid an answer. Kazui expected this, however. He knew that since this world was driven by a quirkist point of view, the answer he wanted his classmates to find would be unreachable.

"There's only one answer." The class waited and was surprised at the answer. "Instinct. For identical beings to gain power, they must develop a killer instinct, and that instinct is mostly forged in battle. The strongest are those who developed an insatiable hunger for battle; to test themselves and break through the boundaries and reach their full potential. The interesting part here is that this thirst for power isn't an unnatural desire. In fact, it forms the very essence of our being. Deep within ourselves is the honed instinct to defeat and subjugate our enemies.

"Now, you're wondering how this all connects to me, right? Simple, when I fight, I don't try to use reason and logic. When I fight, I tap into those pure base instincts deep within me that are waiting to be released. Since that instinct is rooted in my core, then when I'm in the heat of battle I truly become myself. I don't always go searching for the next fight but if I find myself in one, I always relish the thrill and excitement it brings since I can truly become who I am."

Although initially silent, Kōda couldn't help but ask despite his shyness. "Then, what is your true self, Kurosaki?"

There was this unseen smile that lasted mere moments coming from Kazui. What is he, they asked. "Wild, untamed, powerful, brave… transcendent." The last word was spoken in a whisper, yet some managed to hear it.

Once again, silence pervaded the transport vehicle as the students thought deeply about their class representative's words. It was only shattered when their homeroom teacher notified them that they have arrived.

"We're here," Aizawa lazily said.

"Alright, everyone." Kazui stood up and urged his classmates to exit the bus. "Let's get off the bus and head to the facility."

Like a responsible class rep, the son of the Transcendent gave out clear instructions to the rest of Class 1-A as they entered the large dome-like structure that will serve as the venue for their rescue simulations.

Just as the last student got inside, Aizawa had a few words for the carrot top. "That's an interesting take on strength, Kurosaki."

Kazui glanced at the droopy-eyed teacher. "Oh? I take it that you have a different opinion then?"

"I find it illogical to give in to our basest instincts," the Erasure Hero expressed. "Never using a logical approach would deprive us of a valuable asset. It would only make us into animals."

"Humans are animals, Aizawa-sensei," Kazui immediately countered. "For millions of years, humanity has survived the unforgiving world through sheer will, dedication, and the base instinct to fight for survival. There's a reason why people always tell us to trust our instincts when all our strategizing and planning fail. It is our innate instincts to fight, persevere, and survive that will be the deciding factor. Even you have to agree that what I said was logical. Right, Aizawa-sensei?"

Kazui didn't wait for a reply. He quickly left Eraserhead to join his classmates. As for the teacher, this quick exchange of views was an insight into the mind of who could be the most complex individual in his class.

"I better share this with Nemuri after this exercise."

"How did the press manage to enter the school premises?" Vlad King questioned the rodent-like school head as he and the rest of UA's staff went through the reports regarding the break-in. "I know the media is hungry for some news but our security is second to none."

"Aizawa, you were one of the staff members who went to check the damage; do you have anything to report?" Nezu asked the underground hero.

"There was a section in the school perimeter that was destroyed," Aizawa began explaining. "Based on observations, that particular area wasn't punched through nor any explosives were used. Instead, the wall seemed to have disintegrated."

"A quirk, perhaps?"

"Possible… and a powerful one at that."

"This is alarming," All Might expressed, now in his skinny Toshinori Yagi form. "Whoever planned this must've wanted to cause trouble for the school."

"The question here is what kind of trouble," Midnight added.

"I have a few guesses but the most apparent would be an infiltration," the rat supreme calmly replied while taking a sip of his tea. "As for the purpose? The most logical one would be gathering intel on the faculty and student."

"I just remembered," the Space Hero: Thirteen interrupted. "Class 1-A would be having their rescue simulations in the USJ this Saturday. Is it possible that the infiltrator managed to grab the schedule of the teachers as well?"

"I wouldn't rule out that possibility, Thirteen." Nezu gently placed his cup on the table and eyed his assembled teachers. "With that in mind, our best course is to add more personnel to assist Aizawa and Thirteen with Class 1-A."

"Principal, if I may," Yagi raised his hand, "I would like to recommend bringing along the Big Three along. Young Mirio, Tamaki, and Nejire would be a great help in defending the class while also providing the teachers some assistance during instruction."

"A wise choice, Yagi." The white chimera turned to Class 1-A's adviser and asked, "Would that be adequate, Aizawa?"

"Yes," answered the Erasure Hero.

"Excellent!" Nezu delightedly exclaimed. "As for the break-in, this will be the last time any miscreant will have the chance to infiltrate UA. Powerloader, I want you to begin installing upgrades to our security system. This is also an opportunity for the Support Course to utilize their talents so let some of them join in. I hear that Miss Hatsume is making great strides in her studies."

The Support Course teacher groaned at the mention of his best and most unpredictable student. "God, that girl's going to give me a headache."

"As for the rest of you, be ever vigilant from now on." Though calm and collected, the teachers know that Nezu was serious. "This might be just the prelude of what's to come. That would be all. Dismissed."

After a quick talk with his enigmatic student, Aizawa led his class inside a massive building where they would conduct the exercises. As they went inside, they were greeted by the familiar puffy white space suit of Thirteen as well as three other individuals who happen to be the most famous trio in this school.

"OH, MY GOD!" Uraraka squealed like a four-year-old in a toy shop. "It's the Space Hero: Thirteen! She's my favorite hero!"

Seeing Uraraka just as excited about heroes made Midoriya smile. At least she doesn't go into a mumble storm like he used to. That habit of his has lessened a bit due to his training with Gojo. Concentration and control are key aspects in manipulating curse energy and he applied it to one of his more… eccentric traits. Still, like any hero fanatic, he was overjoyed that he'd get to meet a premier rescue hero.

"Never thought I'd see the day someone else besides you would be gung-ho on heroes," Gojo remarked with a snicker. Despite being inside the head of his protégé, he still enjoyed the interactions Izuku had with some of his classmates. It reminded him of his time as a teacher at Jujutsu High.

"So, this is what I look like if I'm in a hero frenzy," Izuku replied while observing his brunette friend.

"She's a bit tame compared to you when we first began, but yeah, this is basically what you look like while excited."

"I still am, though. At least I'm not overly giddy like some nut and I don't mutter much as I used. Those exercises in curse energy control did help with that."

"What can I say? I am an amazing teacher."

"Right." Somehow, Izuku wasn't convinced.

A little in front, Momo eyed Kazui curiously. While the reaper wasn't in his white militaristic attire, he did carry something that caught her attention.

"Is that a sword on your hip?"

"Oh, this?" Kazui raised his sword and showed it to Momo. "Yeah, it is. She's been itching to get some action lately. Getting the approval to bring it was surprisingly easy."

"She?" Mina questioned. "Your katana is a she?"

"Yep."

"You're weird."

"You have no idea how deep my weirdness can get."

Of the four individuals who came before them, the pro hero stepped forward and introduced herself. "Good morning, Class 1-A. I'm your rescue instructor, Thirteen, and I welcome you to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint."

"I'm pretty sure there is some copyright infringement involved here," Gojo, Kazui, and Izuku thought.

"I'm pretty sure there's a reference in there somewhere," Kaminari whispered just enough for the others to hear.

"It's no JoJo reference, that's for sure," Kazui remarked. He and the electric boy turned their attention to their space-themed instructor.

"This facility has multiple simulations of various disasters imaginable such as floods, fires, earthquakes, and more!" Thirteen then gestured to her three assistants. "Today will be extra special because with me are the best assistants I could ask for! Go on, introduce yourselves."

The first to step forward was a tall, muscular boy with short blonde hair. He wore a white costume that was accented with reds, blues, and greens; a long red flowing cape, and the number one million on his chest embroidered in gold.

"Hey there, freshmen!" the older teen gave the class a friendly smile that radiated confidence. "I'm Mirio Togata but just call me Mirio; everyone else does. Oh, I'm in my hero costume, so, you could call me by my hero name: Lemillion."

If Kazui and Izuku were being objective, the girl who excitedly jumped to their class was definitely prettier than either Momo or Ochako. She had periwinkle-colored hair that curves all the way down to her knees. The senior student was wearing a high-collared royal blue body suit with mint green accents on her torso running to her legs. Turquoise spirals ran through her legs while even bigger ones wrapped around her forearms like gauntlets. The final touch on her get-up was the two locks of hair that spiraled into horns.

"Hey, everyone. My name is Nejire Hadō and my hero name is Nejire-chan!" Nejire now darted from one Class 1-A student to another, her words of curiosity coming out in a rush. "Oh my gosh, you have a bird's head! Does that mean you can do anything a bird can? Hey, why do you have two hair colors? And what's with that scar? Ooh, you have horns! Hey, why do you wear black sunglasses? How do you get your hair in a ponytail like that? I tried to get mine to do that and I couldn't, it's not fair! Wow, you have a sword with you! Does that mean you can do some cool sword moves like in those movies?"

"Wow, she's an airhead," Kazui leaned in and whispered in Izuku's ear.

"Yeah," agreed the Limitless successor.

"It's kind of adorable, though."

Mirio gently pulled the overeager Nejire by the shoulder and apologized on her behalf. "Sorry about that. She's just excited and curious about meeting new people. You don't have to worry about her hurting unless you are villains; then you'll get one heck of a hospital bill!" The muscular blonde looked over his shoulder and called the final member of their group. "Hey, Amajiki, come and introduce yourself!"

The last of the trio looked like he didn't want to be there. He slouched as he walked over. His costumed consists of a black body suit under a white tunic and a vest covered in pouches. He wore a long white cloak that concealed his dark hair and his eyes were protected by a purple visor.

"Poor kid looks like he'd rather crawl over and die than be here," Gojo observed from within Izuku's mind.

"I feel kind of sorry for him," the greenette remarked.

"I'm Tamaki Amajiki," the boy mumbled, barely audible for anyone to hear. "Can I go home now?"

Aizawa nodded at the three students. "These three are the best and brightest UA has to offer. I know it's a bit cliché, but there is a reason why they're called 'The Big Three.' Togata, Hadō, and Amajiki will be graduating this year and I wouldn't be surprised if they manage to crack into the hero rankings or establish their own agencies in their first year as pros." His gaze became stern while eyeing his students. "This is what you all should strive for – the top." Glancing around, he noticed one of the assigned teachers was absent. "It appears All Might isn't here, but since he's running late, we'll start without him."

Most of the class groaned in disappointment. Izuku had a pretty good idea why the Number 1 hero was running late. It was months ago when the boy saw All Might's skinny form and discovered that the hero could only perform his duties for three hours. Since Gojo had access to his memories, the sorcerer also knew the Symbol of Peace's greatest secret.

"Regardless, you all have so much to learn," Thirteen said. "First off, do any of you know what my quirk is?"

"Me! Me!" Ochako raised her hand eagerly. "Your quirk is called Black Hole and you use it to help people during disasters!"

Thirteen acknowledged. "That's true. I use my powers to help people during calamities and save lives. However, my quirk is still extremely dangerous; used incorrectly, it could potentially kill the people I'm trying to save." Though hidden behind the dark helmet, everyone could tell that the rescue hero was serious in her words. "Never forget that every quirk has the potential to do both good and bad, meaning it could save or kill someone depending on your motives. When rescuing someone, your self-control must be greater than ever. This is the reason why you're here – to learn to use your powers to help people."

"With great power comes great responsibility," Kazui said, quoting an old line from a pre-quirk movie.

Aizawa nodded in approval; even the Big Three listened with rapt attention. The students understood the underlying message of the quote which simplified what Thirteen wanted to express; no power is inherently good or evil and all can kill or save lives.

"Now that was a reference," Gojo remarked, understanding which movie was referenced.

The Erasure Hero was about to throw his own piece of advice, but something caught his attention. At that same moment, Kazui felt a familiar presence. Immediately, he released a pulse of Pesquisa to determine how many individuals were present besides his classmates, seniors, and teachers. There was too much that he didn't like about the situation.

Down the stairs behind Thirteen, a swirling mass of dark violet, almost black clouds expanded. From within its misty interior came an individual whose face and body were covered by severed hands. The next was the one presumed to have created the vortex, himself comprised of the same cloudy mass held together by a metal collar around his neck. Finally, a large hulking humanoid with an exposed brain and bird-like head.

Eraserhead scowled. He knew who these individuals were and he was not about to let his students get hurt. "Thirteen, get the students back! We're under attack by villains."

Izuku shared the fear his classmates felt. They were barely a week in UA and villains were attacking them!

"Calm down, Izuku," Gojo told the boy. "As long as you keep up Infinity, you'll be fine. That said, be ready to fight."

On instinct, Kazui had his hand on his zanpakūto, ready to draw out the blade for the inevitable fight.

"Eraserhead and Thirteen, hmm?" the misty villain suddenly said. "According to the schedule I received, All Might was supposed to be here as well. Instead, we have three extra students."

"Eraserhead!?" Midoriya exclaimed, surprised to find out his teacher was the obscure underground hero.

Thirteen pressed a button on her helmet. "Damn it! Can any of you contact the school?"

The students tried but all they got were static.

"They must be jamming the communications!" Momo said. "The alarms haven't sounded so it's safe to assume they disabled it too."

"We need to get someone out of here and get help," Tenya suggested. Of course, when he said that, the massive doors behind them suddenly closed. "We need to get that door open first!"

"Nobody's going anywhere until I see All Might!" the hand-ridden teen yelled. "The League of Villains came all this way to kill the Symbol of Peace." The declaration startled the heroes and students. "If he isn't here, then maybe we can get his attention by dropping a few kids. Some bosses only appear when mobs are killed." He then looked at the human cloud and gave the order. "Kurogiri, let's start the game."

On cue, the villain known as Kurogiri summoned another portal, and from it came a multitude of villains.

"Lemillion, you're with me. Nejire and Suneater, you stay with thirteen and protect the students!" After giving out his orders, Aizawa loosened his capture tool and jumped into the cluster of villains.

Without a word, the Big Three readied themselves. Nejire gathered spiraling energy around her hands while more gathered around her feet, pushing her off the ground. Suneater opened two of his pouches and consumed whatever was in them. After a moment, his hands morphed into large tentacles while his feet turned into sharp talons. Lemillion fell into a short concentration before his body crackled with power. Surges of golden sparks flowed through his body while his veins glowed red.

The blonde senior blitzed forward, surprising both Izuku and Kazui with his speed. The next thing they knew, Lemillion already clocked a villain out cold.

"You think you could stop us?" Kurogiri suddenly appeared in their midst with a sinister chuckle. "It'd be difficult to fight you as a group, but we've already prepared to separate you across the facility where you'll meet our associates."

"I won't let you!" Nejire-chan fired two spiral blasts at the mist villain.

Kurogiri wasn't fazed. He summoned two portals; one that consumed the blast and the other positioned above the students to release it.

"Crap!" Kazui cursed. On instinct, he powered his Blut Vene to protect his classmates. The blue lines spread from his body to the ground before surrounding the rest of Class 1-A, the remaining seniors, and Thirteen with a thick dome of reishi. "Blut Vene Anhaben."

If Kurogiri had eyebrows, he'd raise one out of curiosity. "That's an interesting ability you have there, boy. My master would definitely want to have your quirk in his arsenal." He was about to say more when he felt a pulling force fling him to the far corner of the facility.

The other student looked around who sent the villain flying and found Izuku with two fingers pointing to where he sent Kurogiri using Blue.

"That should buy us enough time," said Izuku who was now calm. "Thirteen-sensei, what are your orders."

"As your teacher, I give you permission to use your quirks," the space-themed hero declared. "Your task is to get that door open and let Īda escape to inform the rest of the faculty."

Tenya protested. "But teacher! I cannot, in good conscience, leave all of you here! Besides, Midoriya and Kurosaki are the fastest in the class. It would be more beneficial if either one of them were to notify the other teachers."

"You're not, Tenya," Kazui assured. "Besides, Izuku and I may be faster, we're more suited to holding these villains off. If you still won't budge then consider this an order from your class representative."

Īda wanted to argue but he can't deny the class rep's logic. "Okay," he gave in. "However, all of you should make it out of here."

"Promise. Now go!"

"Ashido," Thirteen called the pink girl, "see if you can melt through the steel doors with your acid."

"You got it, teach!" Mina answered and quickly got to work.

After giving out orders, Thirteen stood guard along with the two third years and the rest of Class 1-A. Izuku took off his shades to maximize the use of Six Eyes. With his enhanced perception, it'll be easier to determine where the enemy may come from. However, the moment his perception increased a hundredfold, a portal was already aimed at Kazui.

"Kazui, look out!"

He teleported to the carrot top and pushed him away, taking his place as the one being consumed by the cloudy gateway along with Mineta and Tsuyu.

"IZUKU!" Uraraka cried out in horror.

"I was actually aiming for the orange-haired boy, but the one with green hair would do," Kurogiri said as he emerged from another portal.

"Bastard," Kazui cursed. "I'm going to throw him into the Garganta when I get my hands on him."

"Where did you take them!?" Uraraka yelled at the teleporter. "Where did you take my friends!?

"As I said, I sent them somewhere to face their death. Do not fret, however, for you will be joining them."

"LIKE HELL WE ARE, YOU FUCKING EXTRA!" Bakugō shouted and pounced at Kurogiri.

"You think we're just going to stand here and do nothing!?" Kirishima added, joining the explosion boy in the attack.

"NO! We need to stick together," Thirteen yelled at the two but it was all for nothing.

"Get back here, you idiots!" Kazui shouted, but it was too late. The enemy summoned multiple portals that swallowed not just the two knuckleheads but most of Class 1-A including himself.

"Kazui!" Momo called to him before completely vanishing.

"I'll be fine!" he answered back before disappearing into the hazy cloud. "How the hell did I get so careless!?"

"Oh crap, not again!"

Izuku was falling when he was released from the portal. He was panicking but he had enough sense to deduce that he got sent into some sort of facility that simulates a shipwreck. Still, Gojo hasn't taught him how to levitate yet so the next thing he felt was the hard and cold embrace of water hitting his face.

"Look alive, Izuku," Gojo alerted within his mind. "You're not alone in this pool and most of them aren't friendly."

Notified by his mentor, Izuku looked around to find that he was surrounded by villains with water-based quirks; one of which looked like a shark headed straight at him with his mouth wide open.

Panic set in again, making the bearer of Limitless almost fire a wild shot of Blue. Luckily, the shark villain was tackled by Tsuyu.

"Need a hand?" she asked then coiled her tongue around Midoriya and swam to the boat that floated at the surface.

"Thanks, Tsu," thought Midoriya before firing a shot of Blue, sucking most of the villains into the singularity he made into the deeper part of the large pool. He then quickly swam to the boat along with Tsuyu to find Mineta scared shitless.

"What is happening right now!?" Mineta screamed, completely and utterly frightened. "We've barely been in UA for a week and we're already dealing with villains! Real fricking villains! We're gonna die! I'm gonna die, and I'll never get the chance to see Yaoyorozu naked!"

Tsuyu gagged. "I can't believe I touched you with my tongue. Also, the class rep would probably kill you if he heard that."

"You did what you had to do to save us, Tsu," Midoriya said after assessing their situation. "Thanks for saving me back there."

"Don't mention it. Though, I might need some mouthwash after this."

"After we get out of this mess."

"So, what do we do?"

Izuku looked around, his Six Eyes scanning the area and taking in every bit of information he could gather. "I'm working on it."

It was time to put that analytical mind of his to good use.

"What did you say!?" Jiro yelled over the noise of fighting.

"I said, I'm thinking of a plan!" Momo answered after ducking under a wild punch from one of the villains. She then landed well-placed strikes with her staff on the assailant before finishing with a kick to the groin.

Kaminari watched the whole thing and cringed before tackling another villain and knocking the guy out with a jolt of electricity. "Damn, Yaoyorozu. Where'd you learn how to fight like that?"

"It runs in the family," the rich girl answered before hitting another villain in the face with her weapon. Considering she descended from a long line of Jujutsu sorcerers, it was pretty much a given.

Skilled as she was though, she cannot see all directions. This was the reason why another villain managed to get a cheap shot to her face. However, thanks to her superhuman strength and durability, it only made her stagger a bit before answering with a fist of her own, sending the fool into a nearby boulder.

"There's too many of them!" Jiro shouted as more villains appeared. "We need to take out these losers all at once!"

"I can do that," Kaminari answered. "But I might zap the two of you."

Momo took in the situation. Barring a few scratches and bruises, she, Jiro, and Kaminari were practically unharmed while dozens of unconscious bodies of villains littered the ground. Unfortunately, two more pop out for each one they take down

"Think, Momo, think. Kaminari and Jiro are fine but that won't mean anything if they get taken out by the electricity that'll be released," thought Yaoyorozu. "I can probably take it thanks to my enhanced durability but it's going to be painful with most of my costume torn, especially in the center. I should ask the support department if they can make me something better – Focus, darn it! How can we use Kaminari's electricity without me and Jiro getting hurt? Wait, that's it!"

"Jiro, get over here!" Momo fell to her hands and knees, her focus now on creating a specific item that could keep them safe from a powerful surge of electricity. She concentrated on the image, and suddenly, a large thick blanket burst from her back, tearing her costume and draining her lipids. Nevertheless, it was worth it as she dragged Jiro underneath the blanket with her. "This is an insulation blanket! As long as we're here, we'll be safe. Give it everything you got, Kaminari!"

Kaminari smirked; permission to go all out was given. "Badass. Take this, you bastards. INDISCRIMINATE SHOCK: ONE-POINT-THREE MILLION VOLTS!"

Kazui was surrounded by at least thirty villains. He was pissed, not just at the mist villain guy but at himself for being careless. He is the class representative and seeing his classmates split part and plunged into danger made him feel like he failed.

"Not again," he said to himself. "I'm not going to let what happened to my family happen to my classmates."

The boy needed to blow some steam and these fools just presented themselves.

"I'll ask just this once," Kazui spoke, gaining the attention of the villains, "walk away. I can't guarantee any of you here will be leaving alive."

The villains looked at each other for a moment and laughed. The kid was outnumbered one to thirty and he had the guts to make threats?

"You're pretty gutsy for a kid," a villain with some mutation quirk said. "However, you think you can take all thirty of us all by yourself? I think playing hero made you lose some common sense."

"So, that's a no?" Kazui asked. His grip on his sword tightened.

"We'll kill you just like the boss told us," another villain, this time with clawed hands, answered. "That said, he never said we couldn't have fun with all the girls in your class. That girl with black hair has a nice figure. I wonder if she's a screamer."

The moment they mentioned Momo, an ungodly pressure suddenly appeared. The villains all dropped to their knees as the unbearable weight forbade them any breath of air.

Kazui's eyes were shadowed by his hair. Momo was his first real friend and for them to have the audacity to think of having their way with her made his blood boil.

These idiots just committed suicide.

The pressure slowly vanished, giving the villains a sense of levity but their intentions with the girls of Class 1-A just signed their death warrants.

"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret," he spoke, his voice now menacing. "Do you know who the boogeyman of all villains is?" he questioned the gathered villains.

They didn't answer, yet they knew who it was that struck terror in their hearts...

The Hollow.

Kazui swiped his hand across his face, black energy solidifying over his features until a bony white mask with jagged teeth and two lines over the eyeholes that revealed golden pupils over black scleras formed.

The villains took a step back. They never saw him in person, but they knew the description of the dreaded mask of the Villain Hunter. What they didn't expect was that he was here – a student in UA – and what's more, they just intruded into his territory and threatened who could be the most important person for the vigilante.

"Oh god, it's him!"

"He… He's a student here!?"

"We're fucked. We are absolutely fucked."

"Come on, you cowards," shouted one brave villain. "He's just one kid. We're not even sure if he's the real deal. We can ta–"

The next thing everybody knew, one of their own got bifurcated in the blink of an eye.

"Oh, I am the real deal, alright," Kazui said sinisterly, making his enemies want to turn tail and run. "None of you are leaving here unless you're inside body bags." He grinned at them, letting the more violent part of him take over. "Playtime is over. Shine, Mangetsu."

What followed next was a bright flash of light and the pained and dying screams of thirty unfortunate villains.

"Okay, I have a plan in mind," Midoriya said, giving a semblance of hope to his classmates. "It's something I've yet to try, but it will definitely get us out of this mess."

"That's good," Asui said. She looked over her shoulder and asked, "Does it involve him?"

Izuku looked over to Mineta who shrunk in the far corner muttering denials. He couldn't blame the boy since this was their first encounter with villains. The midget was clearly close to his breaking point.

"Not much, but his help will be beneficial," Izuku answered. "Also, we do need to get him out of here, too."

The frog girl sighed. "Alright. I just need to pick him up, right?"

"Yes. Just grab him and jump as high as you can until you reach the other side. Though it's not needed, Mineta's adhesive balls can immobilize the villains. You can jump to the shoreline, right?"

Asui nodded. "I can. I have the proportional strength of any frog, including the best jumpers. I could probably stay in the air for about eight seconds at best."

"I think that's more than enough," stated Midoriya. "The only problem we have is me overloading my brain and straining myself with what I'm about to do."

"How so?"

"You know why I wear black sunglasses, right?" Asui nodded at him. "Since I've been using Six Eyes for some time now, I'm going to experience a bad case of migraine later on. It's worth the pain though if we get out of here."

"Just don't push yourself, Midoriya," the frog girl forewarned.

Izuku simply chuckled. "We're way past that." He closed his eyes and called for his inner mentor for some advice. "Gojo-sensei, how much is it going to deplete my curse energy."

"With your Six Eyes? It would barely put a dent in your reserves," answered Gojo. "That said, it's the amount of concentration that'll be taxing on your head. Expect the worst like bleeding through your eyes. After that, it would be difficult keeping up Infinity."

Izuku cringed at the possibility of having to go through that again. However, any kind of pain is worth it if it meant getting Asui and Mineta out of there.

Raising two fingers, he concentrated a large amount of curse energy into the two digits and glanced at Asui to give her the signal. "Tsu, now!"

Without any question, Asui wrapped her tongue around a creaming Mineta and jumped as far as she could. As soon as her feet left the boat, Midoriya fired his most powerful curse technique as of yet.

"Curse Technique Amplification – Maximum Output: Azure Glow!"

The technique sank into the watery depths and the effects were instantaneous. A powerful attractive force caused by the emergence of negative space expanded underwater that immediately began sucking in the water and the many villains swimming in it.

Screams of fear and desperation were barely heard as the villains were consumed by the negative singularity, causing their bodies to implode upon contact and filling what was left of the waters in the Shipwreck Zone to be painted in their blood.

Teleporting next to Asui and Mineta who reached the shore, Izuku looked at the damage he caused and was horrified. He felt sick at the many limbs and body parts that didn't get churned by Azure Glow after it dissipated. The two students shared the same expression he had, but it was nothing compared to what he felt.

Suddenly, he lurched forward and began gagging just as his eyes and nose started bleeding.

"Midoriya!" Asui cried, quickly coming to the greenette's side with Mineta behind her. "Your eyes and nose are bleeding."

Izuku gagged some more until whatever he ate that day was expelled. The froggish girl rubbed circles on his back while he vomited the very last of his breakfast.

"I… k-killed… them," he said, still unable to wrap his mind around the fact that he took lives. "I killed them. I didn't mean to– Argh! My eyes! Not again."

"Come on. Let's get you over there." With Mineta's assistance, Asui helped Izuku up and led him to a nearby wall where they let him rest.

Once the boy was situated as comfortable as he could be, the two students couldn't help but feel pity at the distraught expression Midoriya had. While killing was something to be avoided, they knew very well that it was never his intention, and that this wasn't the outcome he expected.

As for Gojo, he knew that this would happen, and he also knew that sooner or later, Izuku was bound to kill somebody. This was one of the things he needed the boy to understand as a Jujutsu sorcerer – they don't have the luxury of seeing the bright side of the world and they will be forced to make the hard decisions.

"I know you didn't mean to kill them, Izuku," Gojo spoke. "However, it was either your friends or the villains. Those people were going to kill you; that was their mission. Even if you managed to stop them, they'd keep coming back. The choice was obvious."

"But killing is wrong," Izuku countered, not wanting to accept what he did.

"I never said it was right. However, in this situation, it was necessary."

"Necessary? You think killing is necessary!?"

"Yes." The answer from Gojo surprised Izuku with how fast it came. "Look, maybe you could've found a way of stopping them without killing, but do you have time for that? Your other classmates are in the same danger as you and some of them don't have quirks that could help them. Saving people also means sacrificing others; those who don't deserve to be saved. If you hadn't done what you did, they would've killed you, Tsuyu, and Mineta, then moved to the others; to Tenya, Momo," he paused and looked at the boy sternly, "to Ochako."

The truth finally sank into Midoriya.

"This is one of the lessons of being a Jujutsu sorcerer. We are always faced with tough decisions and there are many more just like this that you'll encounter in your hero's journey."

"Midoriya, snap out of it."

Izuku's daze ceased upon hearing Tsuyu's voice. "Huh? What?"

"You were staring at the ground for god knows how long." She offered him a wet towel she had on her to Midoriya for him to wipe the blood stains off his eyes. "Here, use this to wipe all that blood off."

"Thanks." He accepted the towel and wiped the stains over his face.

"Listen, Midoriya," Asui called, her voice gentle and considerate, "what you did back there… we won't hate you for it."

"What?" asked a confused Izuku.

"You must be thinking that just because you killed those people, we'll hate you," Asui clarified. "No, we won't. You only did what you had to do to save us and even then, you didn't know that the effects of your power would be that deadly. So, don't blame yourself. To us," she gestured to herself and Mineta, "you'll always be a good person."

It may not have amounted to much, but her words were enough to put Izuku into a sense of ease. He got up and wiped the bile from his mouth, a little better now and with eyes less painful than before.

"Thanks, guys," he said.

"You're welcome," Tsuyu replied.

"What the heck happened to your eyes, anyway?" Mineta asked. He was still scared shitless but he'd regained some composure.

"I overused my Six Eyes," Izuku answered. "Information overload and too much concentration make my eyes and nose bleed. Until I recover, my Infinity won't be as effective."

"That bad, huh?"

"I'm not entirely defenseless, but it's going to be a lot harder for me this time." Izuku looked around, hearing something in the distance. "Come on. It sounds like there is some fighting over there."

"No way!" refused Mineta. "I've had enough of villains for a lifetime!"

"We won't be fighting, Mineta," clarified Tsuyu.

"She's right," agreed Midoriya. "If it's villains, we won't get involved but if we see any of our classmates in trouble, we will help them. Otherwise, we'll just sneak around and head back to the entrance."

After a moment, Mineta finally relented and followed the two as they crept to the Shipwreck Zone's perimeter, doing the best they can to avoid detection.

Despite surviving their encounter, things are about to get exponentially worse. Gojo was aware of this and he'll do what it takes to protect his precious student.

"If shit hits the fan, which I know it will, I'll be taking over the driver's seat. I just hope you won't hate what I'm planning once I do, Izuku."