Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I.

Sung Jinwoo did not believe in reincarnation.

But as he stared above, he could not mistake that what shone brightly above to be anything else but hospital lights.

He already knew that death awaited him. Years of not using his powers and abilities made it gradually fade. What was once a wildfire, never ceasing, has digressed into mere embers of a flickering flame. 

He did not have any regrets. He saved the people that deserved to be saved. He remained true to his identity, living as a shadow who protects those without their knowledge.  He watched old friends and family have families of their own. 

(He, himself, tried to have one with Haein. She was the only person he tried to approach, her personality remaining the same whether it was in a post-dungeons and pre-dungeons era. However, maybe it was because of years of fighting in the dimensional rift made him too used to being alone that he could not imagine his life to be otherwise. Haein understood. She always did, and that was end of that. )

He could hear the hear voices of numerous people. They were hovering over someone below him. He wanted to see who they are, but he couldn't turn his head. He tried to move his hands, but did not have the strength to do so.

It was annoying. Why can't he do anything? Why was he weak? Why is he even here in the first place? This isn't where he's supposed to be━

A sharp cry rang in his ears.

"My, he's a loud one isn't he?"

Oh, that was him.

Two arms reached and carried him gently. His eyes drifted over to a woman's body lying in the hospital bed. She had a face similar to his mother, and it sent a familiar pang inside his chest. Saving the world from the Monarch of Destruction led to sacrifices. Sacrifices that only he was made to do. He could only stand by and watch as his sister and mother walked past through him to greet his father, heart twisting in only a way families react over their own and them being none the wiser. 

The woman (his mother, his mother, his mother) seemed to sense his gaze and smiled warmly at him. It was full of love and affection that Jinwoo could not look away. Fate must be cruel, he supposes, for letting him stay in three worlds where only one━now two━gave him a family. 

He felt like a rock was lodged in his throat, and he cried harder. 

II.

Being a toddler with the mind of an adult was harder in practice than in theory. 

"Come here Mizu! Come to mama!"

With legs slightly wobbling, Jinwoo tried to walk to his mother's awaiting arms. On the third step he took, he fell face first into the carpet. 

He glared at the cause of his failure (a toy truck, a damn toy truck) as he felt his ears burn from humiliation. When he was in his prime, he was confident he can even best the speed of light only by walking! With a little mana manipulation and speed stat here, he can simply do it.

A switch was pulled.

Shadows that came from everywhere approached him and seeped into his own. Power surged in his veins and he breathed in the familiar feeling of being strong and being close of summoning if he could just━

Faces and voices that followed him until death appeared in his mind. His most trustworthy allies, who pledged their all to follow his cause. Closing his eyes, he knew who he should seek. He passed through each one, until he finally came across them. A link started to form between him and the other, and he could almost laugh at how elated they felt. He felt his back become warmer, the back that he had trusted them with to protect with their sword. 

Sung Jinwoo's first shadow.  

Jinwoo opened his eyes and spoke, "Igris." 

The shadow contracted into a humanoid knight, with purple flames decorating his whole body, and kneeled to him. 

"You called, my liege?"

Sung Jinwoo, now named as Shun Mizushino, had attempted to summon a shadow at age three━

And succeeded. Along with unlocking his full power.

III.

Shin Kozue and Shin Iichirou were simple people, with simple dreams, and wished to live simple lives.

However, as they watched their child, a part of them realized that he would not follow in their footsteps. 

But, as haunting and menacing the creature he called upon is, they could not bear to be afraid. 

Iichirou placed a hand on his wife's shoulders, squeezing it gently before letting go. He approached Mizu, firmly ignoring the shadow that watched his every move, and embraced him. "I'm proud of you for activating your quirk so early, but let's get you checked up to check if you're alright, okay? That must have took a lot of energy to do, bud."

Small hands hugged him back, and Iichirou looked beside him to see that the shadow was no more, as if it had dissipated into oblivion.

"Yeah, okay."

Once they had let the doctor observe Mizu, there were no abnormalities in his body, with his health as fine as it was prior to the quirk manifestation. "Although he developed his quirk, his toes have yet to be single-jointed. But do not worry, as quirk manifestation occurs the latest at age 4. It is likely that the formation would occur by then." The doctor explained, voice calm, but her eyes did not betray her interest and intrigue as she watched their son. "Congratulations on having your quirk, young man, not many do in your age. I can recommend your son to a━"

Kozue felt uneasy at where the conversation was going and held Mizu's hands, quickly thanking the doctor and being on their way. She witnessed how the doctor's eyes widened at the showcase of Mizu's quirk, the strength of the energy the three saw firsthand. Power attracts many, most especially by the greedy. Even if they had only known each other today, Kozue could tell that if she were to let it continue, there would be no stopping where it was going.

(Although Kozue could see the doctor's abnormal curiosity to Mizu, she was not able to see the glint of her eyes, memorizing and planning to make her next move.)

When they finally tucked Mizu goodnight, the couple immediately scoured the web for any research about managing powerful quirks. Both of their quirks were not as nearly as powerful as their sons even when combined, so they had little to no experience in handling such a situation. 

They had named Mizu's quirk as Shadow call and described it as an ability to summon a powerful shadow creature. But call it a parent's intuition, and they way Mizu frowned disappointedly, looking as if had expected more from the doctor, they knew that their son's power was more than it seemed. 

The two shared a look and held hands, they knew what they had to do.

Shun Kozue and Shun Iichirou were simple people, with simple dreams, and wished to live simple lives.

However, if their son was destined to live the opposite, then they would try their best to give him the support that he rightfully deserves. Even if they had to shun their yearning for simplicity.

They are his parents, and they will act as one, until the end. 

Chapter Text

IV.

It was troubling to find a suitable place to train his abilities.

"Kieek! My Liege, kieek! why not create one instead?" Beru, after shedding tears of joy and launching into a speech on his unwavering allegiance to Jinwoo, suggested. 

Bellion nodded in agreement, "We can simply go to an island again and build the castle there, my liege."

Jinwoo contemplated his options. The first option was to create it near his home, somewhere secluded and underground. The second was to travel to an island with a spacious area. Both options are doable given his abilities, but the former would take a longer time as he needs to create the area itself.

He could choose the first one. There was no imminent danger and his family was not constantly in threat. He could take his time and practice using his powers slowly and steadily. 

But his intuition felt that he would have a harder time if he followed it, so he did the latter with a small sigh. 

And now, he stood facing Tank, Igris, and Beru. His feet felt heavy in the sand as he readied himself for a sparring match he's had for a long while.

"Come at me."

V.

One blink, and five years had gone by.

Sung Jinwoo, now 7 years old, held his mother's hand as they walked side by side. As they passed by through an electronics store, he stared at a hero clad in America's colors, a person they called All Might, as he featured in a heroic adventure that saved another person.

He was now used to the kind of society he lives in somewhat. Heroes and villains roamed the streets and fight for good and evil, respectively. Almost everyone, he learned, had a special power called quirks. It was similar to his world before, excluding the sudden dungeon outbreaks and replaced with occasional super-powered evil heists.

"Oh Mizu, do you also like All Might?" His mother asked, surprised but underlying a tone that he could not decipher. 

It is not like that, Mom. Jinwoo wishes he could say, but how could he tell his thoughts on comparing the dependency people had on his past world with the world he lived in today without being accused of an adult who possessed an innocent child?

All Might, here, had a responsibility that many top guilds in Korea held. If various guilds filled with talented individuals still continued to struggle in maintaining peace and order, how much harder could it have been for one man?

He could feel a sense of kinship, although he was quite literally not the same as he was once before, the experience still remained etched in him. The burden of many people is a weight that only the strongest and mightiest could carry. There were no mistakes nor mishaps allowed, as people's lives depend on your existence. 

It was a good thing that he let everyone forget. For the sake of himself and the world, he was willing to throw away his identity to the unknown.

So instead of making his parents spiral into worry for a possible stolen identity, he nods and smiles mutely. There is truth to his answer, after all. He likes the man well enough and hopes that someday, someone will come and lighten the responsibility he holds. He is merely one. And one can only handle stress until it breaks. 

(A small, fleeting part of him whispers that he could do it and hold the torch with him, but he squashes it down. It is not like he is the only hero that exists.)

A loud crash broke his train of thought. He looked forwards and saw a man speeding towards them, local police on his tail. His arms stretched and he yanked his mother to him. Pointing a knife to her throat, he faced back to the direction he came from, eyes screamed certain death to the victim with one wrong move. 

"Leave me alone or the woman gets it!"

And Sung Jinwoo tapped into the dark. 

VI.

Sung Jinwoo remembered that there were laws when it comes to quirk usage. 

No one was allowed to use their quirks in public without a hero license. Even if they are in a life-threatening situation, the person would be fined for a specific amount of money, ranging on how long and how destructive the quirk was to the surroundings. 

(There were flaws that were glaringly obvious when this law was established, but Jinwoo had no power to change it. Yet.)

Sung Jinwoo didn't want to have that on his record. His family is not poor, but they're not rich either. 

So that leaves him to the method of...

"I guess I'll have to fight quirkless." Quirkless, which meant utilizing the abilities that weren't addressed with his registered quirk. "Strength and speed would be enough."

He ran towards the criminal and grabbed his arm and pressed. As the villain screamed in pain, holding his now broken arm, he reached for his mother's hand and escorted her away from the man.  

"Oh no you don't brat!" The latter attempted to swipe Jinwoo using his other hand.

Without looking back, while still running away with her mother, Jinwoo used his free hand to choke the neck of the villain. He heard the man's breath stutter, body struggle, and finally inevitably go silent. 

(As he was too focused on prioritizing her mother's health, Sung Jinwoo did not realize the stares of awe that watched him quickly take down the villain in seconds.)

"Are you alright, mom?" He asked, placing what he hoped a comforting hand on her shoulder. He still had the villain's body in his hold, on the off chance he might act up again. 

She stared at him and a myriad of emotions cross her face that Jinwoo could not catch it all. But what stood out the most was relief, and that was enough for him. 

She wrapped her arms around him, "I'm glad that you're alright. Thank you for saving me, my son."

How warm, Jinwoo thought as he encloses her mother's body with a free hand, only managing to cover half of her body. 

"Excuse me, young man?" A policeman, judging by his appearance, spoke up once they both broke out of their embrace. "My name is Tsukauchi Naomasa. Will you let go of the culprit's body?" 

Jinwoo's eyes narrowed. He had mixed emotions when interacting with Japanese authorities. During the ant raid and the giants outbreak, they had shown two sides of their personalities. One was full of greed and aimed to take down the strength of Korea, while the other was full of respect (some begrudgingly so) at his abilities and assisted him in any way possible.

But, even he could give the benefit of the doubt, so he nods and lets go of the man's neck. He falls with a thud. 

"We would also like to ask some questions regarding this incident," Tsukauchi faces his mother, "Do you and your son have some time to spare?"

The faster they're able to give their statements, the easier it'll be for the criminal to get jailed. Her mother holds his hand, and he lets the two start the conversation from there. He tunes out the details, trusting that her mother would be able to take control of the situation from there.

What mattered most was that she was safe. A childish side of him chimes that he could get a reward for saving her, but he embarrassingly ignores it. 

(Meanwhile, as the trio were occupied from their own thoughts, one boy from the gathered crowd was also doing some on his own. Taking a deep breath, he clicks "upload" from his phone, exposing the world to a footage that would most likely shake up Japan at it's core)

Chapter Text

VII. 

Tsukauchi Naomasa felt his head ache for the umpteenth time.  

He stares at the ceiling of his office, then back to his computer screen.

It reads, in glaringly bright red, "Young boy defeats criminal to save his mother using just his arms!". Embedded on the article was a video, not shot in professional standards, but enough to let everyone see clearly of the boy subduing the villain Bendstretch in less than a minute. 

He scrolls to the comments section, and notices those with the most likes. 

samehero: kids are scary as fuck. 

2 shares    1 reply     20 likes

click to see reply (1)

       BoneSteel: no, only him.

       5 shares    0 reply     400 likes

CatsareCute: no but like how can he move like that? is that even normal? is he normal?    

500 shares      0 reply     3500 likes

Anonymouslygirl_42: that's not a "boy" that's a "BOY?!?!???!!"

200 shares      10 replies     7000 likes

someweirdoiguess: What's the police even there for lmao the kid handled what even a bunch of professionals couldn't

50 shares      30 replies      150 likes

RaNdOmpeRsOn: aren't you guys hyping up the kid too much? lol he broke the man's arm big deal i can do it too

0 shares      1 reply      0 likes

click to see reply (1)

      Liliesandroses: smells like jealousy in here. 

           100 shares     0 reply       1500 likes

And all of it done without using his quirk, He thinks exasperatedly, as he recalls his conversation with the mother-son duo.

"Shun Mizushino, although you saved your mother, Shun Kozue, from harm, you still used your quirk. For this reason you may be liable to—"

"But I did not use it, Tsukauchi-san. My quirk, that is."

Naomasa pauses, dumbstruck at the information. He asks the boy to repeat what he says, observing if there is any lie to his statement. 

A part of him is annoyed, though, as he knew that it might be a silly excuse to get himself out of the consequences. Once he sees the boy's aura become grey, he would have a stern talking to him. 

"Tsukauchi san, I did not use my quirk." Mizushino reiterates, staring directly at his eyes.  

His aura remains blue. Truth. 

Mizushino was not lying back then, and that marked the start of the headaches for Naomasa. He was lucky that this information was learned in the confines of a private station. If it was leaked by any chance, it would have been a bigger mess than it already is. 

He can already predict the higher ups scrambling to save their image. If he strains his ears, he can already hear their nagging about how their precinct has stooped this low and how they're to too weak to be able to be bested by a kid alone. 

Naomasa drinks his coffee and sighs. It was not like the villain was of high-ranking. Bendstretch merely possessed a nimble body to compliment his quirk. However, even if he and his gathered men tried to capture him, he was not confident that he could do it as quickly as Mizushino.

If he closed his eyes, he could reimagine the situation like it happened in real time. The way the boy moved, his movements and gestures to the villain, it was not like that of a hero or a seasoned master. 

No, it was like a predator, who bared his fangs at his prey and ate. 

"Tsukauchi, the chief is calling for you."

Damn, he couldn't even finish his coffee.

VIII.

Shadow soldiers lunge at Sung Jinwoo, who blocks them with his arm. It forces them to disperse, flying away from his direction. Fire spreads from his left and right, and he sees Tusk and two magicians as his attackers. He grabs his daggers, Kamish's wrath, and bombards them with numerous strikes. 

The three go down, but Iron immediately replaces them and charges at him with a roar. Jinwoo dodges his fist, retaliating with one of his own. Iron's form shakes because of its' energy, but recovers enough to step back. 

He does a signal with his hands and suddenly hundreds of ants cover Jinwoo whole. They attempt to claw and bite him to keep him preoccupied. The latter tries to swat them away, but one managed to nick his skin.

Blood seeps out from the small wound, and in the darkness brought by the ants, he frowns disappointedly. 

"It seems that I have gotten rusty," He sighs, as the wound finally closes shut. "Well, I suppose it's due to my negligence in training. There was no need to practice in a world without monsters." 

He remembers the villain who yanked his mother without giving him a chance to react, and he steels his resolve. 

Sung Jinwoo channels his mana and forms a shockwave to get rid of the ants. He draws his daggers again and takes a deep breath, observing the many eyes he had ordered to duel with him. 

He runs to them. 

The island shakes with its force, and another day passes.

IX.

Sung Jinwoo watches, in half-exasperation and half-amusement, as his parents attempt to peek at the dozens of reporters from their windows. They failed to the point where it is laughable, with hundreds of flashes going off and questions asking for him. 

"Don't bother with them Mizu," His father says with a displeased frown, "These people can become vultures if need be."

His mother nods, eyes bright with determination, "It doesn't matter if they view you as disrespectful. We'll take care of it." 

(Looking at the both of them, a certain memory came to mind. A teenage girl, with hair tied up in a ponytail, speaking to him. She says that he should not mind them, eyes seeking for mutual agreement. Before he could reply, a knock on their door interrupts their conversation, and the memory closes to no more.)

Jinwoo's heart aches slightly, but he tamps it down with a small smile.

While his parents smile back, all warm and pure, a sharp knock echoes in their house.

His father sighs, "I'll answer it." Although Jinwoo knows that it wasn't meant for earshot, the rather—colorful, he'd say instead—description of his father's complaints about the insistent reporters made him proud, and maybe even a little scared.

The door opens and Jinwoo feels suspicious as the change of atmosphere. He could not sense the reporters who had stubbornly remained in front of their house any more. What remained were a few people, he analyzes with his perception, not more than five. 

He moves from the living room to stand beside his father and heard the beginning of their conversation.

"You are trespassing our—"

A badge was shoved directly in his face, "Mr. Shun Iichirou? We're from the Hero Public Safety Commission." A woman dressed in a suit states, her eyes quickly flitting from his father to himself standing a little farther from them. "We'd like to talk about Shun Mizushino's potential in heroics. May we go inside to discuss the finer details?"

A snake attempts to slither inside, and Sung Jinwoo wanted to growl. 

Chapter Text

X.

When one sees pure, unadulterated strength they either act into three types accordingly. The first type, they would surrender and marvel. Whether in awe, respect, or even in envy. For the second type, they would try to destroy that power from the inside out, cementing their position as the strongest.

In the last type, they would covet that power and make sure to turn it into their own, by any means possible. 

Once Sung Jinwoo heard who they work for, he already knows which type they classify in. 

His father looks at him, eyes gentle and posing a question. What do you think son? Do whatever you want and we'll support your decision completely.

Something inside Jinwoo swells and aches at the same time. His feelings toward his father had always been cloudy with the experiences he had with the one in his past world. But, as he stares into his now father's eyes, he recalls every moment he had spent supporting him and simply being there with him that a layer of his prejudiced beliefs peel off, making him a little vulnerable, a little closer to him. 

He takes a breath, soon, he'll address it soon.

"Dad..." He speaks up, "...you can let them inside. I'd also like to talk to them."

The suited woman smiles, and his eyes bore at her noticeable glee in her perceived assumption of an curious, innocent boy. 

His eyebrow twitches.

He has met many people like her in the past, that he is confident that can predict the formula they're going to use to convince him of joining them. 

She and her men enter and settle in one of their couches. His mother stands beside him, gently clasping Jinwoo's hand with her own. He squeezes it gently, hoping to remedy her rigid frame and how her muscles tense at the unexpected guests. It thankfully works, and he looks back at the people occupying their living room. 

After all the formalities, she'll tell me about how my accomplishment and its influence. She'll probably emphasize how quickly I was able to finish the guy and compare me to the pros. They would want me to feel proud and flattered. They must've already done a background check on my quirk, and realize how I didn't use it at all.

"First, I would like to introduce myself. I am Kaneko Azami, a recruitment officer working for the HSPC." The woman, Kaneko, begins, "The article of Mr. Shun Mizushino has become quite popular right now. Even browsing in videos of professional heroes, it is difficult to find a simple yet effective takedown of a villain in mere seconds. His quirk, Shadow call, was not utilized and yet he still had the capabilities to knock out opponents only through power and speed."

Then, she'll compare me with those of my "age" and tell me that I can do more...

"However, we believe that he can possibly do more than that. Others may see him only as potential, but we see that he has already begun his progress in becoming a hero. He has already entered a level that almost none of kids your age haven't even begun with..." 

...but only if I work for them, and implying that only they can do it and no one else can. 

She grabs two stack of papers and gives one to each of his parents. "The Hero Safety Public Commission can provide him the support that he needs and even more. We have state-of-the-art resources to build sturdy training grounds to hone his quirk."

Maybe they'll give me something for free, depending on how interested they are of me.

Arms gesturing wide, as if presenting them with a invaluable diamond. "We can do all of this for free, no cost, as long as he comes under our care. In fact, we'll be the one who will pay for his services. The contract would be tackled immediately, once we have your go signal."

Fuck, it was like Adam White all over again, except their offers felt were similar to charging bulls when they see red. At least Adam had the decency to be careful when approaching him. 

Well, he was a kid here and not the strongest S-Rank Hunter, so he sees their appeal as reasonable in their standards. Yet, he still could not help but release a bitter laugh at how similar yet strikingly different his two worlds are.

Kaneko heard his laugh and directs a smile towards him while his parents read the papers, most likely assuming that it was a laugh of excitement or happiness. 

Ha. Funny. 

He notices the calculative stare that she possesses, and gives her an obvious look that he knows. Kaneko looks surprised and she clears her throat, eyes darkening slightly, before returning her attention to his parents with an "amicable" smile plastered wide. 

Moments pass and his parents return the papers to Kaneko with unreadable expressions. 

The people in suits look at them expectantly, with a hint of pride—Jinwoo observes. He wonders the number of times they must have succeeded in pulling other "potential" heroes in considering how they are open with their feelings. 

Their flabbergasted expressions they pulled off when he rejected them, and by extension his parents, was hilarious to say the least. 

XI.

Sung Jinwoo was accustomed to the change of time, given his experience, and so a few years go by rather quickly in his eyes.

He was now 14 years old, turning 15, eating ice cream as he walks down by the neighborhood. Puberty has taken quite a toll on him, he thinks—all gangly limbs, and growing pains. Despite being an absolute being that ruled the shadows, a teenager's body is still a teenager's body.  

(Unbeknownst to him, many of his teenage classmates, both girls and boys alike, stare at him. Years of going through extensive training and diet made him become leaner among all his peers. Even now, as he strolls along, students whisper shyly of their admiration.)

One child holding a ball bumps into him by accident and gives him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, mister!" 

"It's alright, just be careful next time." He says, and the child nods before heading off in a slower pace.

He stares at the child running off to two children, his friends—Jinwoo suspects, and he dons a small smile. How has it been since he has felt such in peace? Although he had defeated all the monsters and protected his previous life, there was still a void in his heart. He had to remove his presence in the memories of everyone, including his loved ones. Everyday, he yearns to feel their warmth, and so he remains as their shadow. Forever watching, but never approaching.

And besides, all of them looked happy. Content. 

So who is Jinwoo to shake their lives due to his own selfish desire with his sudden appearance? Will they even believe him?

A loud crash snaps Jinwoo out his reverie. He sharpens his senses and realizes that it came from the direction where he last saw the children. Cursing, he goes faster and sends three of his shadows to help him. 

He bites his lip as he hears another explosion.

He hopes that he's not too late.

A signal goes off in him, and he is brought to the perspective of one of his soldiers. In an alley bare of people, he is holding back what he assumes is the culprit, and the three children took the opportunity to run away. 

He lets out a sigh of relief and uses Shadow exchange to switch places with them, feeling his body melt in the darkness, and closes his eyes.

=========

Once he opens them, he notices that someone was holding him by the neck. 

The man in question looks taken aback, before noticing that the children has escaped. He then glares at Jinwoo, "YOU! YOU DARE LET MY MONEY ESCAPE?! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!"

Jinwoo furrows his eyebrows, money? what money?

(A memory resurfaces of his parents.

The news shown on television have pictures of multiple children who had gone missing, as the camera pans to the devastated expression of their families. He feels his two hands being grabbed gently and one on his shoulder.

"Son, there are a lot of evil people in this world. They do not care about the weak, the children, and the innocent and will do anything in order to get what they want. When they see something of value, they will do anything to get it." His father explains.

His mother's hand trembles a little, "If the inevitable happens and you are in danger to these people, I want you to promise me that you will tell them that we can give anything that they want in exchange for your return. We will do anything and everything to obtain it." She pleads, "Promise me, Mizu."

"I am strong, so you two do not need to worry." He remembers himself saying, heart clenching at their sincere warning and promises, "They cannot harm me."

His father chuckles at his confidence, "You may be strong, but you are still young." 

I'm actually not, though? but Jinwoo still nods obediently, and they resume watching.)

The news was about human trafficking. 

He puts the pieces together. Human trafficking. Children with quirks.

Oh, he is going to pay. 

And so he smiles at man, eyes made of cold anger. "You really don't know how to grab someone's neck, huh? Let me show you how to do it properly."

"Huh? What do you mea—" His right arm shoots forward and clenches his neck, hard. The man immediately chokes and splutters, releasing Jinwoo from his grip to try and remove it. His other arm gets the dagger from his inventory and stabs him in the gut. Blood flows from the area, fresh and dark red, and the man squirms in pain. He easily lifts the man, and he could hear his breathing go erratic.

He strides closer to the man, and says straight to his face. "People like you deserve to rot." He then drives him up to the wall, and it cracks at his sheer power. He hears bones breaking but he thinks nothing of it, still continuing to apply pressure. "No, you don't even deserve to be called a person."

He slams the man's head in the wall, and hears a particularly loud crack!, giving him a sense of wicked satisfaction. "You're a piece of trash that deserves to die."

The man could barely breathe, let alone speak. It could only groan weakly. 

However, Sung Jinwoo doesn't think it's enough. 

He throws him to the ground and stands over him, and he punches it repeatedly. This continuous beat up made it's face become distorted to the point of it being unrecognizable. He takes a breath, one punch. Another one, one punch. And another, two punches. It was only then could he remove this raging fire inside of him that seeks to—

He pauses, fist raised mere centimeters of it's face. 

The assaulter was dead. It was no longer breathing, with his its rolled up and mouth agape. It looks like his blood loss made him hard to recover from his head trauma, and it was only worsened further by beating him up. 

He clicks his tongue and summons two ants, he points at the body.  "Get rid of it."

They follow his order at once, dragging him to their shadows and disappearing. 

He's alone, and the fire inside him subsides.

All he feels is fatigue, even though he never struggled. 

"Now...what do I do next?"

XII.

A door clicks open, and Mizushino ambles inside. His hair is a little disheveled and shirt a little crinkled. In anyone else's eyes, they would think he had experienced a strong breeze. Completely normal, given the weather these days. 

He calls out, "I'm home," in his nonchalant, calm voice. 

But Shun Iichirou and Shun Kozue notices. 

They see how his eyes were cloudy, as if he was preoccupied. How his voice trembles slightly at the end and he moves on instinct, letting his body go on autopilot while continues to ponder.

He seems so withdrawn.

They share a look, and Kozue goes to the kitchen cupboards to boil water and find hot chocolate while Iichirou greets him, gentle and light. "Welcome home, son."

No verbal response, but there was a small nod, and Iichirou could count that as progress. He steps closer and sits behind the couches, and slowly wraps an arm around his son's shoulders, urging him to lean on his own. His child doesn't fight it, and he places his head with a small sigh. He pats his shoulders gently, and he could feel his muscles flinch, until it slowly and completely relaxes.

Iichirou attemps to fill in the silence. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

He notices Mizu purse his lips, in debate with his thoughts, before speaking, "I am strong."

Iichirou agrees, "I know," He was not blind nor ignorant. He had seen it firsthand, go up against a villain to save his mother, and sometimes his presence is too stealthy that he does not notice him while he cooks in the kitchen (He's had enough broken plates as a testament to that). He, too, was once a kid like him but he was not as mature and skillful as him. Kids are supposed to be loud, naive, and compulsive, and he was the complete opposite but... "It adds to your charm."

That earns him a snort, and a roll of his eyes. A smile of both pride and relief makes its way to his face. 

"But, what about others?" His son asks him, and the father's heart throbs at his son's sorrowful expression. "How will they deal with it?"

Iichirou opens his mouth to reply, when a mug of hot chocolate was placed on the table. Kozue then sits beside their son and holds his hand. It's of silent reassurance, all the while his father pats his arms, and Mizu lets them and shuts his eyes tightly.

Their hearts ache at their child, who felt so small. They did not want to prod into the details, because they trust him that he will tell them soon. Although they can force him into answering, they choose not to do so, as it seemed that these were the times where only comfort was necessary. Any more than that, and they may let him relive that experience, the last thing that they would want to inflict on their beloved son. 

Moments pass and with a slightly wavering voice, Mizu calls out to the both of them. "Mom...Dad..."

They watch him, awaiting his next words.

"...I want to enroll to a Hero Academy. I want to become a Hero."

The couple holds him tighter. We're here, we're here, we're here.

And with the way their child burrows to seek more of their touch, it was enough. 

Chapter Text

XII.

"Alright class!" Their homeroom teacher calls for their attention, "As you all may know, all of you are soon graduating from middle school..."

Screams of glee emerge from the classroom. However, it was quickly silenced with a raise of the teacher's hand, and they stare at him with muted anticipation. "You've already passed your future life-careers and your high school choices. And unsurprisingly, most of you wanted to be heroes!" He smiles, seemingly proud of this fact.

Like a popped trigger, it elicits another reaction with more enthusiasm and excitement. 

"All of you have such great quirks, and I expect nothing less. I hope that you continue to strive for a hero that can protect our homes from harm..."

The two parties, teacher and students, look at each other, before raising their fists at the sky and shouting,

"...PLUS ULTRA!!"

In the midst of the celebration, of declarations of dreams, Sung Jinwoo takes a deep breath and looks down at his chosen high school.

On it states U.A High school: APPLICATIONS OPEN! Join now and become a worthy PLUS-ULTRA HERO!!

His hand slightly crumples the paper.

No turning back now.

XIII.

Sung Jinwoo raises his head, squinting slightly due to the sun's brightness. There it stood, all pristine and elegant, the U.A. Building. Other people, by groups or individuals were gathering inside. The symbol of U.A., a combined letter U and A placed atop their gate, shines brightly.

He goes through it and looks around. Most people came in pairs or groups of more than three. He hears them speak excitedly, and one student goes, "How fun! All of this is so fun! I can't wait to become a U.A student!"

He frowns at the comment. Though it was only natural for them to feel excitement and as per the student's words, "have fun", it still leaves an unsettling emotion in himself.

They're young. They do not know how it feels yet. Leave it. 

The grip he has on his backpack tightens, and he tries to pay no mind to the comment any longer. His main goal is to enroll in this school as a hero student. He does not have the time to act the opposite of his age and dismantle the fragile and naïve thinking of the students. 

'If I was sixteen, maybe I would also say that too.' He thinks as they were ushered inside and wait for the upcoming announcements of the entrance exam. He sits at the chair and crosses his arms, and hopes that it would come sooner. 

Few minutes later, a blond man with his hair slicked up, headphones on his shoulders, and whose outfit is reminiscent of a convoluted mixture of Rock N' Roll and TV Host (Jinwoo has seen worse in his past world) walks at the center of the stage. He clears his throat, before shouting, "WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO MY LIVE SHOW!! EVERYBODY SAY HEEEEEEEEEY!!!!" 

The crowd of students roar back, "HEEEEEEEEEEY!!!!"

"That's Present Mic!!! I'm such a fan of his!! I watch is hero takedowns AND listen to his shows!!"

"Do you think we can get his autograph later?!"

"I want to take a picture with him!!"

The man, whom Sung Jinwoo now dubs as Present Mic based from eavesdropping in the conversations around him, smiles in delight. He raises his hand, index finger up, "ALRIGHT, EXAMINEES! I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE LOW-DOWN ON HOW THIS'LL GO DOWN! ARE YOU READY?!"

Responses of excitement only increases the energy of Present Mic, and he joyfully explains the rules of the exams.

====================

Based from Present Mic's explanations, after discarding all the times he asked for a reaction from the audience (which was honestly not much, but it was enough that it irked his nerves a little), there was a practical and written exam. The practical exam is similar to target practices in a set landscape close to absolute ruins. There were robots (how were they able to develop that?! there weren't any of those back in his past world...) with set points based on their size.

Currently, he was stretching his arms and legs as he stands in line in front of his assigned area. A large gate looms over them, and he belatedly realizes how renowned is this school to be able to create such landscapes. The students in front of him are chattering about who-knows-what, probably how big the area they're in, but bares them no attention as he focuses on what he needs to do. 

'Well, the gist of it basically was to decimate as much robots as possible while avoiding any roadblocks or obstacles,' he concludes with a short, determined nod.  

Sung Jinwoo doesn't know much about robots, but he does know how to destroy.

"AAAAND START!!!"

He perks up at the voice and dashes inside, kicking the gate open and lays his eyes upon the first robot he sees. It immediately took notice of him and points a laser that reflect at his body. Before it could even speak, let alone raise its arm, Sung Jinwoo grabs his dagger and stabs it directly at the chest. Electricity sparkles and the robot shakes, attempting to break free. He digs it deeper until it loses its power, eyes losing its red light. He lets go of it, and it lays there, crumpled and destroyed.

It was at that moment that he notices the inscription at its chest, 3 points...huh?

He then marches forward, muttering, "I don't have much time. I have to hurry up and find more."

He grabs his other dagger from his storage and swings them both horizontally. The mana enveloping it forms a long arc, and it destroys a group of robots standing a few meters away from him. They crumple into a pile of metal, and he notices that they have a smaller build than the 3-pointer, a 2-pointer maybe?

He purses his lips, he didn't really memorize the structure of the robots in detail, so he didn't quite understand the differences. The only thing he's got going was the height, the bigger: the more points it has. And, as long as it was a robot, it was his target. With that resolved in his mind, he runs again and notices three robots at a corner alleyway. They react to his presence and so he pushes strength into one of his legs to  reach them. Once they were closer, he throws his daggers directly at two heads. They go down instantly. 

As the last robot of the three remains, he puts away his dagger and punches it forcefully and pulling it back afterwards. It makes a hole in his chest, and he now holds a glowing cube, whose light is quickly flickering. "Oh, this is probably the heart." He eyebrows furrow, "Do robots even have hearts?"

"Will you not use us, my liege? Please allow us to be of your assistance." Iron speaks as a small figure on his shoulder effectively snapping him out of his thoughts. Meanwhile, two robots flank him at both sides and simultaneously charge. He jumps backward the very second their arms meet his body, causing the two fight with each other instead. He watches them both fizzle out of power due to their own attacks, before peering at the figure. 

He notes that even though Iron speaks respectfully, there is a hint of impatience. He also feels his shadows getting restless with his every movement. The two pieces of the puzzle click together, they want to fight them, too. 

Sung Jinwoo smirks, how could he, as a monarch, deny his subjects? He opens his mouth to reply in favor to Iron's question━

His back tenses, as a different kind of strength arises from somewhere in the area. 

Something is coming...

He nods at Iron, "I'll only let some of you fight. Evacuate and save those who may be harmed."

The shadow takes his command as a go signal, and a set amount of his shadows disperse. Shouts of surprise, gratitude, and even curses were echoing from left and right, and that was when he knew that they were doing their job properly━ quite enthusiastically as he feels their eagerness roaring inside him. A part of him feels bad for taking out his shadows and squash other's chances of getting more points, but if this power that feels is faced by them, there was no doubt that they will not be left unscathed.

(Besides, the only sparring partners the shadows had were themselves and him. He could see how it would be tedious for them to repetitively fight against the same group, all the while not applying their progress into actual targets. The apple does not fall far from the tree, in the end.)

Once that was settled (hopefully it would be also said the same for his fellow competitors), he rushes towards where the source was pulling him and he assesses where it was and what it looked like and━ 

"Why is it always the damn giants..." He mutters, with a tone of slight irritation, but lunges at it nonetheless. "First I get a giant sculpture, then an orc, and now a fucking robot. Yippee." 

The very many━ notice how his brain did not even want to comprehend its length━ foot tall robot glares down at him. He narrows his eyes, remembering moments both traumatic and refreshing. He's well past over it, but there are times when it prickles him—the past version of himself, weak and unable to prove anything.

I must've looked like an ant to others, Sung Jinwoo thinks, before swinging his daggers with brute force to dig its chest where he feels the most power in—most likely the location of its core, without any mana involved. 

For a moment, there was no sound. 

But a shockwave permeated, and the robot crashes down.

It struggled to remain standing, its legs creaking, while its eyes were flickering in and out. He clicks his tongue, yet another move that he was rusty with, and attempts to do it again when it finally gives in. It falls on its back, destroying a few buildings in the process. 

It sizzles one last time, electricity covering it, until it doesn't.

"AAAAAAND TIME'S UP LISTENERS!!! THE PRACTICAL EXAM IS NOW OVER!!!!" He hears Present Mic announce, and he looks over at what he's done.

In his wake, he had managed to obliterate the robots blocking his path. Maybe a little too well, he peers at the burning buildings, broken roads, and heads of too many robots than he can count. He looks back at the giant robot once more, who now has two daggers embedded deeply into it's chest and scratches his head. 

He hopes it was enough to make do for the written exam.

Apparently, his high intelligence stat was only meant for mana, not academic capabilities. He sighs and walks to the exit, preparing himself for calculations that he wishes his brain can miraculously catch up with.

XIV.

Inside a certain office, a certain someone watches a footage of a participant from his computer, one who is freshly graduated in middle school, completely demolish his exam. He watches how the student his robots from left to right. Most students, though already familiar with their quirk for a long time, had to attack at least two or more times to defeat just a single robot, maybe three robots if they had an offensive-based quirk. He had designed them with capabilities to withstand such power. 

However, it didn't take more than one move for the student to finish them off in groups. 

And, he observes, there is a stark difference on how most students treated this exam compared to him. While they attempted to merely "defeat" the villains, the latter's goal was to absolutely kill it. 

The footage continues and reaches to where the student somehow senses their last resort, a robot of over more than a hundred meters tall, and charges it head on. What was worth quite a lot of metal, weapons, and sheer power, was wrecked with two daggers. It was a shame he could not see it in more detail, as the camera drone had to flee due to the powerful shockwave that came after. 

He drags the footage of the participant in a separate file from the rest. SPECIAL CASE.

He swivels his chair to look over at the night sky at his back and cackles with manic glee, already imagining the stupefied faces of the rest once he compiles the ones left remaining and finally completes his work for tonight. 

Chapter Text

XV.

U.A. Teachers, the backbone of the school, equipped with the experience and knowledge that bright, hopeful heroes strive to obtain for themselves. They have a duty outside being a hero, and a responsibility to watch over the new seeds generation by generation, letting them bloom into the best heroes. 

Every year, after the entrance exam, they monitor the footage that the principal arranges, and they pay attention to the students with the most potential. They make comments here and there, and take in some under their wing to those they took a shine in. 

However, the same U.A. teachers, who were depicted as such and experienced this every year, were currently facing a crisis.

Principal Nedzu, a hybrid super-intelligent mammal whose brain far surpasses humans, was smiling gleefully. 

"He's smiling, Mic." A dark purple haired woman with a red domino mask voices out to her fellow co-teacher. "That's not good. He's already excited and it hasn't even started."

Said co-teacher, Present Mic, shivers and shakes his head, headphones on his neck following his motion. "You're right, Midnight. He might have something up his sleeve again."

The rest of the teachers, who overheard the conversation, pretends to be unaffected.

But then he started humming as he set up the presentation he'd prepared of the students, and they immediately failed.

(They suddenly remembered the last time he'd hummed like that. It was the first time he'd created the robots that would serve as their practical exam for normal applicants. And guess who were the oh-so very lucky people who had to become guinea pigs to test out the danger of these robots?)  

A clap shakes them out of their thoughts, and they wearily go to their seats. Once everyone was settled down, Nedzu finally starts, "Good day, U.A. faculty teachers!"

"As you all may know, we happened to end our practical exam for both recommended students and normal applicants yesterday!" He then pushes a button in his laptop, and a hologram showing various footages start to play simultaneously.

"First, let's begin with the recommended students..."

For these students, due to their family backgrounds, they've had a leg-up when it comes to training their quirks. Most especially to those whose families are in the top hero rankings. Though some stood out, it was not new or something that, within years of interacting with the principal, he would find interesting.

As the other teachers drown their worries along with the commentary Nedzu makes, time passes by and now it was the normal applicants turn.

Alright! His reaction is probably a fluke! Present Mic internally cheers as the mammal sets up what he hopefully thinks of another compilation of hero-hopefuls with mere potentials, not quite enough to be called talented yet. 

But then, instead of a various clips of many students combined into one frame, it is merely one video. Most raise an eyebrow in confusion, wondering why only one was presented.

Before they can raise awareness of this sudden difference, Nedzu presses play and their eyes widen as their jaws drop.

Seconds. It only took seconds, after Mic's announcement to start, before the student finishes off a robot with a mere dagger—where did that even come from? he wasn't holding anything before—and rushes to attack a group of robots.

They stare as they see him swing his dagger and some sort of aura? power? coats it and creates a shape of a long arch. They gape when it effectively takes down a group of robots. 

"Daggers are used for close-combat. How the hell is it able to do that?" Power Loader, who teaches the support class and is knowledgeable with anything and everything related to weapons, given his expertise in hero costumes, swears under his breath. His hands form into fists as he watches the boy zoom in and out of the maze as if it was his domain.  

The student easily aims at the head of the two robots with thrown daggers, all the while taking down another, and a man dressed like a cowboy with a horse's muzzle attached to his face hears her—named as pro-hero and U.A teacher Snipe—whistles lowly, eyes narrowed in interest. It was a perfect stab of the head, and he itches to know how and where the student has gathered such experience given his youth. It takes months, even years to successfully shoot down a target, and he easily does it without a single misstep or falter. He brushes the end of his gun, maybe I'd go for a run at the training center again...

"That...That aura..." Another teacher wearing a spacesuit mumbles, as if in a trance. The voice unusually low than normal. "It is similar to mine..."

Snipe hears her and asks, "What do you mean, Thirteen?"

Thirteen responds, but her eyes remain glued to the footage. Her quirk Black Hole, allowed her to drag anything tangible akin to its name. It destroys, destroys, and destroys, truly representing the end of total doom. Her eyes burn as she watches the student talk to a small figure, a wisp of energy that was too familiar to go unnoticed. With a voice a little louder than she must have intended, she deduces. Both their quirks are...

"Darkness and oblivion. I sense darkness and oblivion."

Darkness and oblivion.

It echoes, reverberates almost, and the teachers fall into stunned silence, eyes not unmoving from the screen. 

XVI.

"His name is Shun Mizushino, quirk Summon Shadow... the ability to summon a set amount of figures he names as shadows for a set amount of time." Nedzu recites aloud, before tilting his head, as if he was thinking out loud. "But it is a wonder, why isn't his ability to summon daggers mentioned? it seems that I would need to talk to him I suppose..."

"Principal Nedzu, where did you find the kid?" Like a sharp knife, it cuts through the principal's monologue. Tired eyes rove over the mammal's form as he maintains eye-contact. "Agility, endurance, speed, strength, experience...it's not normal to have all of them at his age."

The one who spoke, known as Eraserhead in the underground scene, turns his head to the endless loop of the footage that still remains on the hologram. It was replaying the last scene with the 0-pointer their principal had prepared (for a surprise! as the rest felt a pang of sympathy for the poor students). "When you use a sharp object to stab, it ends with the object being stabbed, the obvious effect."

He nods towards the student in the footage, as the rest surveys the footage once more, curious to see where he was going. "But his attack caused a shockwave. A shockwave. It means that the power that he poured when attacking the robot created a pressure strong enough to affect everything that surrounds him." 

"I only know of one person who is also capable of doing such a feat━ someone that I know all of you know very well."

The rest of the teachers felt a chill coming up their spine. 

"O-Oi, Aizawa...you don't mean that..." Vlad King, clad in a red-tight suit, splutters. He was shocked to the point where he let the civilian name of the hero slipped out. "Don't tell me you..."

Eraserhead, Aizawa, stares right back. The teachers gulp at his intense stare. He is known to be cold and rational when judging a student's abilities. Among all of them, they could even say that he was the pickiest in choosing those who are talented and those who completely lack it. But, the very same person, who disregarded many of the students' abilities for entering the hero course despite the others believing the opposite, was now saying such conclusions. He does not say anything, as he lets the silence speak for itself. 

Is his strength...

...on par with the number 1 Pro Hero, All Might?

Vlad attempts to speak, but no words come out of his mouth, so he sighs and rubs his forehead with his hand. Oh, how they can relate, too...

If this student was able to extract such capabilities, and he is only a bundle of raw talent and potential, if he is still able to grow, grow, and grow━ 

Nedzu smiles, "I don't suppose we'd have to discuss the student's abilities, do we? What we need to do instead, is where to place him in."  

The teachers shake out of their reverie once they heard their principal. For a while, they had let themselves be stricken by such strength, and overwhelmed by such power that they temporarily forgot their roles. They are teachers, so they must look at this special situation as any other teacher would do. Only Aizawa seemed calm, as he nods at the suggestions Nedzu brings up. 

But only two teachers hone at the tenseness of his body, the rigidness of his voice, the way his eyes flicker to the screen and a miniscule moment revealing an expression of surprise on the man's face.  

Shun Mizushino...what a handful you will soon become.

XVII.

Sung Jinwoo didn't particularly fear the result. He'd done his part, done it well in his standards. In the practical exam, he was sure that he'd pass. On the other hand, the written exam...

━His hands turn clammy, his throat feels like it's closing up, and he'd lost count of the times he'd walked around in circles in their living room. The utter humiliation he'd feel if it was the reason why he wasn't accepted in the hero course. But, a hopeful part of him thinks, he'd done great at the practical! Maybe it would be enough. It should be. If worse comes to worst maybe━ 

"It's here!" His father announces with his mother in tow, and Jinwoo gulps, desperately trying to keep his face neutral. He takes the letter, no his hands are not shaking, and he slowly opens it. 

A recorded hologram of a mammal? bear? appears, "Hello, Mr. Shun Mizushino! I am Nedzu, the principal of U.A., the one who will now announce your results for the written and practical exam!" 

"For the written exam, you have an average of 80 out of 100 percent! 5 points above the cut-off score. Your strong points are in Literature, Arts, and History. However, you have a hard time grasping Mathematics and Science."

He winces at the score, even before, academics were not his strong suit. ("Barely, my liege," a voice sounding suspiciously like Igris speaks, and he musters what he believes is an intimidating aura, effectively shutting his shadow up. At least he passed). 

"Now, for the practical exam!" The black, beady eyes, though Jinwoo knows is recorded, seemed as if it was watching him in real time. "Your technique, senses, and overall skills are outstanding. With the highest score ever recorded in the history of U.A., with 200 points! You are the first place in the Entrance Exam, Practical portion!..."

"With this, you are now qualified to enter U.A. High! Welcome to your Hero Academia!"

He can't tell whether the tears are coming from his mother or father, but he can barely seem to even care, as he feels relieved out of all the tension. His legs sag, and he crumples onto the living room, his parents hold remaining strong on him with mumbles and whispers of emotional praise and happiness. He could feel his shadows cheering with them, and he lets a small, genuine smile, of pride make its way to his face. He made it. 

He expects the hologram to finish, as it had already announced his place, but it still remained there. His family also notices, as they stop hugging him and observes the recording, too. To his surprise, it continues to speak. 

"Mr. Shun Mizushino, because you've excelled particularly well at the practical exam and passed the written exam...our teachers have decided that we'd make a special exemption for you and offer you another examination of sorts..." Nedzu proposes, a very gleeful, almost manic smile that Jinwoo narrows his eyes at, "If you accept it and finish this test successfully, then you will have the opportunity to learn and grow in more advanced conditions..."

A display of an email address appears above the figure. 

"If you'd like to accept it, do contact this email so that we are able to discuss further details..."

Finally, the hologram disappears, leaving behind a more excited family, and a mildly surprised yet exasperated boy. 

Ah, maybe he did it a bit too much, this time?

Chapter Text

XVIII.

Agreeing to the special exam was inevitable for Sung Jinwoo.

His family struggled to hide it, but any parent would want to have their child engage in a special exam, especially once they heard that it is because they acknowledged how talented their child is. There is a sense of pride the comes with being proud of someone, bringing joy nonetheless. Besides, if the principal truly meant what he'd said, then it would benefit him in the long run if he'd agree. 

(He wonders, if his parents from back then would react like this. He crushes the fleeting thought. No need to reminisce such memories of the distant past.

He is here, not there. 

Not there.)

So, he writes to them with the given email address. Their exchange of emails went something like this:

Dear Principal Nedzu,

I am agreeing to the special examination you've mentioned. I would be grateful if you could give me some further details about it. 

Regards,

Sung  *DELETE* Shun Mizushino

________________

Dear Mr. Shun Mizushino,

The special examination will be implemented at U.A. on March XX XXXX. Here, we will test your capabilities in a more concentrated environment that are suitable to assess your skills.

Do inform us if you are not available at this time so that we can make the proper adjustments. 

- Nedzu, Principal of U.A. High

________________

Dear Principal Nedzu,

This is noted. I am available at that time.

Thank you for the opportunity.

Regards,

Shun Mizushino

________________

And now, skip a few days of training with him and his shadows, he stands once again at the U.A. gates.

There were no other students present and he could see Principal Nedzu along with a few other people ━teachers, he presumes━ stationed a few meters away from him. He walks through the gate and ignores the curious looks some of them aim at him unabashedly. If he was the man before he'd consumed this power, this ability, maybe he would also be dumbstruck. But the roles were reversed and changed, so what he can only feel is a little disconcertment and maybe even amusement, at most. 

I wonder how would they react if I use Shadow's Domain? He thinks as he addresses the mammalian creature (he has yet to know what kind of animal origins he is rooted from), "It is nice to meet you Principal Nedzu. I am Shun Mizushino."

Simple. Brief.

He was really never the talkative type, even before. 

Nedzu reaches out a paw and they share a handshake, "Likewise, Mr. Shun Mizushino. Although you've already heard it from my recorded message in your letter, I would still like to say that I was very intrigued by your performance. The way you handled my robots was simply awe-inducing."

"I just followed the instructions," Jinwoo scratches his head, feeling a little shy at the praise.

It only makes the latter smile wider, and he leads him towards the same arena he'd been tested in the practical exam. The rest of the teachers follow the two, and he hears them whisper most likely about him, based on how they stare at him with poorly hidden interest. 

Once they have reached the gate, Nedzu stops and faces him again to explain the gist of the examination. "What you're going to take today, Mr. Shun Mizushino, is somewhat a proficiency test. We're going to assess how you'll do in various areas and specializations of heroics. We'll take note of particular areas you've excelled in, and let you enroll depending on what year your level is on par with."

He suddenly imagines himself standing in high school students above his year, and he could already feel that he'll stick out like a sore thumb. 

"Ah, if you wish to do so, you can opt out by pressing this," The mammal hands him a red button, and though he does not think he would need it, he's placing it in his pocket. "You'd fail, but you will still be able to enter the normal heroics course."

I'd experienced enough failures in my past life, I don't want to do it another time. Jinwoo merely nods instead as he walks to entrance. The gate closes with a loud bang! He grabs his dagger from his spatial dimension and steels himself. 

The surrounding around him changes with a bright flash, and he looks around right after—to finally notice where he's in.

It was an arena, or a colosseum of sorts, and there were no other people besides him. There seemed to be robots with cameras in different areas, the way he assumes would be how they can monitor him. And facing front, stands a gate that gave out an ominous feeling to everyone...

Well, everyone else but me. Jinwoo thinks as he could relate the feeling to a simple involuntary twitch of the muscle. 

The gate slowly opens to reveal three masked people, clad in black, almost skin-tight suits. Once the gate has fully opened, they do not waste any time and attack him immediately. They do not let him drop to a fighting stance. One immediately goes for the chest with a punch while the two go in favor to attack his sides. They move fluidly, sturdy with experience and ability.

However, it was nothing in the face of a skill of an assassin.

Sung Jinwoo easily dodged and cloaked himself, making him to invisible to the three. They freeze a little in surprise, and he takes the opportunity to knee one in the gut with his full strength.

In a fight with numbers, as he'd learned through countless experiences, it's important to make the first move as a critical hit. 

The person stumbles, wheezing, flailing onto the ground, and before he could make his move again he feels a knife grazing his neck. He raises his eyebrows, surprised at the quick reflexes. He deduces that this must be the most skilled out of the three, as he surveys the two.

The one he'd attacked was still on the floor, but give or take 30 minutes they'd be up and coming again. He had to attack now, when their formation is broken. But first he had to—

"You're a skilled one, student." The voice is gravelly and rough, and the knife edges closer to his skin. "But it looks like you need to give up."

He scoffs, a little irritated at the display of arrogance. "As if I'm—"

Wait, two? But earlier there were three where's the other—

The cry of a child echoes. 

He whips his neck to see that one of the three had a child in its grip. He falters with his words as he watches tears leak out of the child, and how an arm tightens around its thin neck. The knife edges closer, and if he made a wrong move, the blood spilling would no doubt be his. The person he has attacked had recovered, and was now watching him with wary eyes, ready to make his next move. 

Ah, so this is how they're going to play?

He thinks of how he is in Japan, not in Korea, and how his life differs before and now. And so he takes a deep breath, and grits out:

"I will defeat you, villain."

Though he cannot see given their masks, he could the one holding the child smile wickedly, "Finally you call of us, little hero-ling~"

He remembers his child self watching All Might, his escapades of justice spreading throughout and the screeches of pride of joy from the citizens as he saves the day once more. 

Be a hero. Act a hero. 

He breathes.

And he moves.

XIX.

When Akihiro received his very first mission as a member of the Help Us Company, he was very much disappointed. All three years of training and coming out on top as the most valuable trainee helper with superb acting skills and top-notch delivery, he'd thought that they would give him a difficult task to tackle with. Like, say, acting undercover from a pristine hero competition. Then his advice would then help the heroes to improve themselves, and in return, he'd reap the benefits as their advisor when it comes to proper victim treatment. 

Imagine, the praise of from his fellow actors! The position he'd earn! 

But then, he gets this...this single hero?! 

"Why am I assigned to only one? Even the other interns are handling at least five or ten!" He exclaims, clenching his fists at the apparent bias. "Please let me prove my worth!"

Their supervisor, a woman in her early thirties tsked, "Look, newbie. This hero you're assigned to isn't an ordinary one. It's from U.A! And a special student at that!"

But it isn't even an official test! Just a normal test! "...Is there really no other assignment besides this?" He asks with a strained smile. 

"The higher ups have put their foot down when assigning this to you. You're the brightest trainee we've seen given your versatile quirk...and..." She hesitates, seemingly debating with herself. With a single sigh, she leans forward to mutter in his ear, "This is between the two of us, but the Hero Public Safety Commission also caught wind and pressured us to give them the results of the test, even though our main client is U.A. Do you get it? This isn't just an ordinary test placement."

Akihiro tilts his head at the surprising information, "Then, will we give it to them?"

The woman scoffs, "Isn't it obvious? Of course they agreed. Everyone goes mad for money these days, and that includes this company." She narrows her eyes speculatively, "You understand why I'm telling you all of this, right? You have to give concrete results or else they're going to be mad." 

He frowns, it seems that he would have to give up the possibility of changing tasks. 

Though a part of him didn't sit right with the thought of selling information to outsiders illegally, this world isn't all pure and good. He'd seen it as reflections from his fellow co-trainees, how their once pure goals were transformed out of their greed for money and power. It wasn't surprising that the ones who'd handled them were to have the same rotting principles. 

U.A. Special Exam in assessing student Shun Mizushino...is it?

----------------

Now, when Akihiro was finally experiencing the special examination, he could only gape in the arms of the "villain" who'd caught him. 

The student, named Shun Mizushino as he recalls, moves like a menace. 

He watches with unblinking eyes as how the hero-to-be slithers away from the barrage of attacks that the villain gives to him. As if in a trance, he fluidly summons a dagger from who knows where and slashes just in time from a punch. The brute strength pushes the other party away, giving him leeway to fight back. He quickly does a chain of attacks, and while the villain dodges a few, there were still times where it had affected him. 

The latter attempts to retaliate with a kick, but is blocked by a hand holding their foot. Shun Mizushino then twists the foot by force, and Akihiro cringes at the sound of bones breaking. However, there is only but a slight grunt of reaction from the recipient, and he gives them their respect from their pain tolerance. He remembers that the acting villains were professional heroes, their years of experience reflect from the way they fight.

And that's what makes it scarier, he gulps, feeling his throat dry at the sign, for him to dodge such attacks and make an effective countermove of his own despite the gap in experience. 

If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that the student and the actual hero swapped places. While the student had little to no scratches, the other had gashes and knife wounds from the previous attack. In addition, given his sharp insight he'd hone from assessing heroes as part of his training, the calm façade that the "villain" was showing off gave him an aura that made him look like he was indomitable could not hide the fact that he was experiencing fatigue. He could notice the slight shifts in his stature, how his chest heaved a fraction longer than it normally would. 

"...Do you get it? This isn't just an ordinary test placement."

"I get it now, supervisor." He mutters, quietly so that the one holding him "captive" would not hear, never looking away from the two lunging at one another once again. It seemed that they would be putting their all in this attack, as he could feel the wind blowing harshly from its force. "This isn't ordinary, not one bit..."

Definitely not one at all. 

XX.

Aizawa Shouta has never felt more tired. 

Yet, here he is, blood boiling as he holds his ground against Shun Mizushino. The one student whose strength he'd compared to All Might, and the one whom all teachers have an eye on. 

And the one who'd pushed him back, gave him wounds, and has shown exceptional skills in fighting. 

He really is something. He huffs, silently acknowledging his monstrous potential.

However, he is still an amateur. He purses his lips, before signaling Midnight, his co-teacher and fellow partner in crime in this scenario. She reacts immediately and calls out to the student, and grips the child tighter, who whimpers at the pain. "Little hero-ling, don't forget me~!"

Now then, Aizawa observes how his body tenses in anger at the sound, what will you do now, Shun Mizushino? 

But then he smiles, and Aizawa Shouta feels a chill creeping from his back. 

Name: Shun Mizushino.

Age: 15

- Skilled in close-combat. Uses two daggers. Strength rivaling that of All Might.

And most importantly, 

Quirk: Shadow Call.

Shit he'd been so preoccupied with shutting down his close ranged attacks that—

The teenage boy calls out loud, "Now, Beru."

And suddenly, the floor is covered in darkness. A being arises, with a body consisting of a horrid combination of human and ant. It swiftly moves to suppress Midnight who could not even release her gas, with an accurate squeeze on her neck. She faints and loses her grip on the child, who then runs behind the student.

And this, "Beru", most likely the name of the said creature as said by Shun Mizushino himself, emits a green light, and the bruises that the child actor had disappears, his skin now good as it was before. It pats the child's head, once, before blending itself back into the ground.

The darkness disappears after that, and now there are only two.

His eyes widen slightly, they'd been briefed on his main quirk, but to think that the shadow summons also had the ability to heal? 

"Looks like it's my victory, villains." 

The gate from the arena opens at his words, and stepped in were the faculty members of U.A.. All of them had contemplative expressions, excluding Nedzu, the principal and basically his boss, who sported one of the most largest grins he'd seen on the mammal (and he's worked here for years). Most of them surrounded the kid and gave him no time to escape in asking questions regarding his overall abilities or simply praising his win. 

The rest had assisted the two his fellow "villains" and actual co-teachers Midnight and Vlad King who fainted, and also approached him to tend to his wounds temporarily until Recovery Girl, their school nurse, arrives from a conference.

Well, He smiles a little while he watches the student go from surprise and, to his amusement, a tinge of bashfulness, Disregarding flaws and shortcomings, a loss is a loss and a win is a win. 

A sudden clear of the throat, sharp and resounding, is heard. 

The child, whom he knows as the actor U.A. had paid to act as a victim, snaps his fingers and smoke surrounds him. Once all of it has dissipated, it now reveals an adult, but whose face still clearly resembles the child, equipped with a clipboard and pen. 

"My name is Akihiro from the Help Me Company. I am the one tasked to assess Student Shun Mizushino's skills in various areas of heroics, in the eyes of a captive and an outsider."

But instead of hearing scales and percentages, what he gets is a formal bow to him and the direction of the huddled group of teachers and student, and a request.  

"Is it alright if I talk with the members of the U.A faculty before I give my complete assessment to student Shun Mizushino?" 

He looks over at the teenage boy, who looks like ice frozen. He huffs a small laugh, he was still a teenager in the end, prone to show his emotions and all. It looks like he'd thought that he'd pass and get it over with. There were a lot of variables that needs to be considered, so I have to agree with the postponement of the results, even if he'd won.

Shun Mizushino, I'll see what you'll become.