Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The rhythmic rattling of the dragon carriage echoed against the dirt road, a monotonous percussion that lulled the senses. The afternoon sun filtered through the window glass, bathing the interior in a warm, golden light. They were headed to Priestella, the City of Water Gates, answering a formal invitation that had set the entire camp in motion.

But none of that mattered with the noisy group heading toward Priestella.

—¡Good, I finally managed to finish it! —said a boy with black hair and terrifying eyes, holding a piece of paper with freshly written words in his hand—. As my will states, all my belongings will be divided between Emilia-tan, my lovely Beako, and Rem when she wakes up. You can share them with Petra and Frederica if you want, but do not give Roswaal anything under any circumstances.

—You are exaggerating, I suppose —on the boy’s lap sat a small girl with two drill-like twin tails and butterfly-shaped eyes—. Betty’s Subaru should be a worthy contractor, in fact.

"¡I’m not exaggerating, Beako!". Subaru shouted with fake tears. "I’m seeing my life flash before my eyes".

—Tch... I suppose that Tiger is just excited. Besides, the useless merchant should have everything under control, in fact.

Subaru brought one hand to his forehead while using the other to stroke Beatrice’s head.

—That’s what worries me the most. Otto is still Otto... that’s what I fear most.

"¡I heard that, Natsuki-san!".

Both the spirit and her contractor turned toward the front of the carriage, where a gray-haired boy was watching them through the small window, glaring fiercely at Subaru. That same window slammed shut without anyone moving.

—I don’t understand who allowed Garfiel to be the driver. We haven’t even gone 15 minutes since the last stop and I already want to jump headfirst out the window.

"¡Subaru! Stop acting like a bad child and stop complaining". A sweet voice sounded with a touch of amusement while trying to be serious. "Garfiel isn’t doing that badly".

—I suppose you don’t realize that leaving the reins to that fight-loving brat is a bad idea, in fact. Although my contractor is being a complete idiot, he is right that it’s foolish to let him drive, in fact.

"¡Thank you, Beako! That’s why... ¡A HUG ATTACK FOR MY LOVELY BEAKO". Subaru exclaimed, tightly hugging the little girl while swaying from side to side.

—¡¿EHHH?! ¡LET GO OF BETTY, IN FACT! —Beatrice shrieked while Subaru held her in his arms with an amused smile.

—¡YOU’RE SO CUTE, BEAKO! —Subaru, paying no attention, continued having fun with the girl, also playing with her drill-like twin tails.

An angelic laugh filled the carriage, making the contractor and his spirit’s game come to a stop. When the girl realized they were looking at her, she brought her hands to her mouth.

Her beautiful amethyst-colored eyes shone with happiness and amusement. She looked at the boy sitting in front of her with bright eyes and a sincere smile.

Subaru’s terrifying eyes softened even more when they saw his lady’s happy face. A smile he swore he would protect even if his life depended on it.

—¡Great! Emilia-tan’s angelic laugh gave me back the strength and courage I needed to survive this race of terror —Subaru exclaimed dramatically while staring at the window that was slowly opening.

"Stop making fun of me, dummy". Emilia said with a pout, although a smile of genuine happiness slipped through.

—But seriously, ¿who had the brilliant idea of letting Garfiel be the driver? Whoever did it has to be a complete...

«I suppose that when we finished the break, while you were teasing the merchant with that dragoness, the brat approached Emilia and asked if he could take over, in fact».

Emilia nodded with determination, confidence, and a cheerful smile. "¡That’s right! I saw that Garfiel was excited to drive, so I accepted without any problem".

—Well... —Subaru smiled nervously. Not only had he almost insulted his lady by calling her an "idiot", he also saw the confidence with which Emilia spoke after 15 minutes of terror—. As I was saying, whoever let Garfiel drive is a complete angel, and I’m not surprised that my dear Emilia-tan is that angel who lets Garfiel try to kill us.

—Garfiel doesn’t want to kill us, he’s a good boy. Besides, Beatrice is right, Otto is outside helping Garfiel...

As if the universe wanted to prove the black-haired boy right, the carriage gave a brutal jump, making Subaru almost bite his tongue.

From outside, on the driver’s seat, Otto’s sharp and desperate voice slipped through the window that Subaru opened.

—¡Garfiel, for the love of the Dragon, let go of the reins! ¡We almost decapitated a bird! ¡Natsuki-san, please tell him to let me drive or we’ll arrive in Priestella in pieces!

A wild laugh rang out afterward.

—¡Ha, ha, ha! ¡Relax, Brotto! —Garfiel shouted, the sound of the wind mixing with his voice—. ¡The amazing me knows exactly what he’s doing! ¡That bird looked at us wrong, so I had to teach it who’s in charge!

Inside the carriage, Subaru let out a long, dramatic sigh, resting his head against the back of the seat.

—¿See, Emilia-tan? Our lives are in danger right now and we haven’t even reached Priestella. I think I deserve a prize for my bravery —Subaru looked at Emilia with an amused smile—. I suppose a lap pillow would be nice... although a kiss on the cheek wouldn’t be bad either... —Subaru winked at her, pointing at his cheek with a mischievous smile.

Emilia blinked, and a slight blush colored her snow-white cheeks, although her smile became sweeter.

—Subaru, you’re a dummy. Even though I already know that kisses don’t make babies, we said we would take things slowly, silly —she answered with a pout—. But I suppose you’ve worked hard. If we arrive in Priestella in one piece, I’ll give you a lap pillow.

—You would give it to him even if he did not ask, in fact —Beatrice stated, irritated by the pair of idiotic lovebirds—. You two do the same thing every day, it is irritating, I suppose.

Subaru and Emilia looked at each other, blushing. Although it was not a secret, they had not told anyone about their lady-and-knight moments. But despite the embarrassment, both looked at Beatrice with amused smiles.

—¡Oh, my Beako is jealous! —Subaru exclaimed—. Emilia-tan, I think Beako wants us to include her.

Emilia nodded, understanding what Subaru meant. She sat beside him while smiling at Beatrice. "Subaru... I think Beatrice wants one of your famous hugs, and since you are my knight, my duty as your Lady is to join in".

When the little spirit understood what the pair of idiots wanted to do, she turned her head and saw Emilia and Subaru smiling simultaneously.

Beatrice, clearly agitated, did not expect the pair of fools to knock her down and hug her at the same time.

—¡¡¡¿WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING TO BETTY?!!! —Beatrice shouted while the lady and knight’s hug attack did not stop.

"¡BEAKO IS SO CUTE!" Emilia teased mockingly while Subaru rubbed his cheek against Beatrice.

—¡My Beako felt left out, that is unforgivable! ¡I promise that every day I will give my lovely Beako many more hugs and attention!

"¡GET AWAY FROM ME, BOTH OF YOU!" The poor girl tried to free herself from the arms of the half-elf and human couple.

"I see you are having fun while I have to control Garfiel so we don’t die". Otto said with exasperation.

—Otto, I thought Garfiel had thrown you off the carriage. I was about to ask Emilia-tan and Beako to help me look for your body —Subaru said, leaving Beatrice on Emilia’s lap.

—¡¿How can you say that so calmly, Natsuki-san?! —the merchant shouted indignantly.

Emilia and Beatrice laughed softly at Subaru’s jokes, making Otto regret more and more having joined Subaru.

He was about to answer when the voice of the young man who wanted to kill them rang out loudly.

—¡Captain! ¡The amazing me is about to take us to our destination! ¿Right that I’m doing incredible, Captain? —the young man with sharp, beastly teeth smiled proudly at his captain, pushing the annoying Otto aside.

"You’re doing great, Garf. Of course, if your mission is for us not to arrive in Priestella". Subaru said, raising a thumb with a smile to his sworn younger brother.

—You know that is not a compliment, I suppose?

"Don’t worry, Captain. I’ve got everything under control. It’s nothing compared to our incredible training".

—¡It would be great if this were training, Garf! —Otto shouted in exasperation. The merchant was truly reconsidering his life ever since he arrived at Emilia’s camp.

—¿How are your training sessions going, Subaru, Garfiel-kun? —Emilia asked with genuine curiosity, once again completely ignoring Otto.

The half-elf’s question made both the boy from another world and the camp’s shield smile from ear to ear. Garfiel stepped forward, letting Otto take charge of driving.

—¡Ha! My incredible self is learning many fighting techniques that the Captain has taught me. Although I still can’t beat him in a duel with his amazing power —the boy exclaimed with a bright smile. As long as it was Subaru, he did not mind being defeated.

"I suppose that is normal. Betty’s contractor’s power is very strong, and in fact, it still has a long way to go before it is complete". Beatrice stated proudly.

Everyone fell silent, remembering the magnitude of the power Subaru had shown. Subaru’s astonishing strength and speed surpassed the best knights of the Kingdom. They knew that in the world, only a few could equal or surpass him at his current level.

Although every time they remembered the strength of the half-elf candidate’s spirit knight, they all had one question. ¿Why did it take him so long to show it?.

—My power, huh... —Subaru whispered to himself. He looked at his scarred hand, the bandages on his wrists. His gaze moved to one of the few memories from his world. A limited-edition green shirt with a huge smile on its face that only Subaru and Al knew well.

«You can... be a hero»

The words that once gave him light, the hope of fulfilling his dream, now felt very distant.

—All Might... ¿How are you? ¿Did the war end? ¿My friends...? ¿My mother? —Subaru’s thoughts led him to remember his old life, everything he had lost when he was dragged into a fantasy world.

UA, his mother, All Might who was like a father to him, Class 1-A, his friends... Kacchan, Todoroki, Iida, Mirio, Tamaki... Mirko-sensei, Gran Torino, Aizawa-sensei...

—Momo... I’m sure you’re still the best student in the class, and now a great heroine... —a melancholic smile crossed Subaru’s face—. Kaina... I hope those idiots gave you the freedom you deserved so much. Despite everything, you are an incredible woman.

Emilia, Beatrice, and Garfiel noticed Subaru’s face and the thousands of emotions passing through him. Even Otto noticed while driving the carriage. Beatrice was the most sensitive, since her contract allowed her to know better what was happening to Subaru.

—Ochaco... ¿How did everything end with Toga? ¿Was it the same as Shigaraki or did you manage to save her...?. Either way, I’m sure you’re okay. You are one of my heroines. Although I don’t know if the hero Deku is still alive, I can assure you that your Deku will never disappear, Ochaco... —tears were threatening to fall as he remembered the dearest people he had been forced to leave behind.

—Nejire... I hope everything ended well. I still have nightmares from when I saw you lying there in the final battle. You know, I still blame myself for not arriving in time —Subaru thought while looking at the sunlight through the window—. But you are strong, incredibly strong. I’m sure your graduation together with Mirio and Tamaki was great, I would have loved to be there. Now you are a complete heroine.

The hardest memories to face arrived. The memories that hurt the most, knowing that the girl loved him with all her heart, just as he loved her.

—Eri... my little Eri. I’m sure the girls will take very good care of you until I find a way back to you. Mom must be very happy to have you in the family —Subaru let out an audible sigh—. I’ll look for a way to return to all of you. Although I’m sure I’m being a selfish idiot with impossible dreams, I don’t want to lose them, neither you nor my new friends from another world.

A promise Subaru carried. A promise he had made to himself and intended to fulfill at any cost. The promise he made to the person who started all of this, the promise he made to the woman who said she loved him more than anything.

—¿Subaru, are you okay? —Emilia’s worried voice pulled Subaru out of his thoughts. The half-elf was looking at him with her face tightened with concern, just like Beatrice, Garfiel, and Otto.

"Huh? Emilia-tan? I’m fine, you don’t have to worry about..."

—You’re crying, Subaru —Beatrice interrupted, moving closer and closer. She knew her contractor was not in danger, but something was happening to him.

Surprised, Subaru brought a hand to his cheek and realized that, indeed, he was crying.

—I... I’m sorry, I didn’t know I had gotten so sentimental. It’s a failure as the knight of my beautiful lady and the contractor of the grand spirit of Yin for you to see me like this —he tried to lighten the mood with his usual jokes... failing enormously.

"Subaru. ¿Is everything okay?". Emilia asked again firmly, though with great warmth and concern.

—¡Ha, ha, ha...! Well, I... I’m.... —Subaru, seeing Emilia’s, Beatrice’s, and his sworn brothers’ gazes, let out a sigh, putting aside his extroverted personality for a moment—. I’m fine, I’m not lying. I just remembered my old home...

Everyone made a sorrowful expression. From what Subaru had confessed, they all knew he had been forced to separate from his family and friends.

—Thank you for worrying, I suppose, but I’m fine guys, seriously —Subaru stated, looking at Emilia and the others with a confident smile—. Besides, this is not the time to get sad. That stupid cat is waiting for us.

Emilia and Beatrice stared at him. The first stepped forward, returning his smile, accepting Subaru’s feelings and his silent request.

—¡Don’t talk about Puck like that, Subaru! —Emilia’s cheeks puffed up with indignation. Although her smile darkened when a thought crossed her mind—. But, ¿what happens if they don’t have the stone we need?.

"¡Come on, Emilia-tan!". Subaru hurried to calm his lady. "¿Do you think that damn cat would leave his daughter alone when he sees me as the biggest pervert in the world?".

—And don’t forget Ram, Captain.

"Thanks, Garf. It makes me very happy that you remind me of my dear Nee-sama’s unfounded accusations". Subaru crossed his arms with a frown, though with a touch of amusement.

The half-elf smiled softly at her knight’s antics. Those same antics that made her days shine ever since he had appeared in her life.

—Thank you, Subaru. I hope we can reach an agreement with Anastasia. From what Otto told me, she is very good at negotiating.

"Don’t even mention it...". Subaru said with a grimace, remembering old memories. He shook his head, trying to forget those memories. "According to Roswaal and Otto, we have what we need to make a good deal, and if she decides to overcharge us...".

Subaru made a dramatic pause. He looked at everyone with a degenerate and malicious smile.

"In any case, that’s why we brought Otto". He whispered to them with a playful smile.

Emilia and Beatrice laughed quietly at their knight and contractor’s stupidity.

Without knowing why, Otto felt that they were making fun of him again. That feeling was very common ever since he had Subaru and Garfiel as his best friends, worse when Ram was with them.

—Don’t worry, one way or another we’ll bring back that cat. I have many things to talk about with...

"¡Captain!".

Garfiel’s shout quickly alarmed Subaru, changing his expression to a serious one, leaving behind every trace of joking.

—¡¿Are we under attack, Garfiel?! —when he did not hear an answer, he turned to the girls—. ¡Emilia-tan, Beako, wait here while I go out to see what’s happening!

"¡You are an idiot, I suppose! ¡I will not let my contractor fight alone, in fact!". Beatrice shouted with a frown.

—¡Subaru, we won’t stay here while you put yourselves in danger! —Emilia looked at her knight seriously and without waiting for a 'no' as an answer.

—I don’t want you to do nothing, Emilia-tan. I need you to wait here until we know the danger we’re facing. Beako, ¿what have I told you when things like this happen?

Beatrice frowned and clicked her tongue irritably. "Tch... That you never have to show your enemy all your power and your cards, in fact".

Subaru nodded with a genuine smile. "I don’t want you to do nothing if something happens. On the contrary, if they were to attack us, you will be the secret weapon to defeat them. ¿Right, Emilia-tan?".

Emilia frowned because she knew her knight was right in a certain way, or at least, he had found a convenient excuse.

"¡Fine! But if I see that there are problems, I’ll go out to help, that’s an order". Emilia exclaimed, looking Subaru in the eyes with determination.

Subaru nodded with a smile. —You know, Emilia-tan... you look very sexy when you get serious.

Emilia made an annoyed pout, although she could not help showing an amused smile with a slight blush. "Dummy Subaru".

—Beako, when you see the need to intervene, just do it —Beatrice nodded, although she was still upset with her contractor for leaving her alone.

"Tch... you didn’t have to say it, I suppose".

—Good... —Subaru looked out the window. The carriage began to shake as orange lightning started to appear around the body of Emilia’s knight. —Full Cowl 20 percent.

Like a bolt of lightning, Subaru shot out the window, leaving only a trail of wind inside the carriage. Emilia and Beatrice approached the window to see what was happening.

"¡¡¡KRAAAAAAK!!!". Patrache’s roar alerted Emilia and Beatrice inside the carriage.

—¡¿Subaru, what’s happening?! —Emilia shouted. Without waiting for an answer, the candidate and the great spirit went out to see what was going on.

But before they could take a step outside the carriage, a white light grew brighter and brighter, as if it wanted to devour her and the whole world.

—¡Subaru! ¡¿what’s happening?!

"¡¿Where are you, in fact?!".

"¡Natsuki-san!".

"¡Captain, I can’t see shit!".

As the light consumed everything in its path, Subaru could only hear his friends’ screams in the distance. Without knowing what was happening or who was attacking them, the young hero from another world was slowly losing the duel to maintain his consciousness, letting himself be carried away by a burning sleep.

Emilia was not afraid, she was much more worried about her friends and knight. But that light also made her feel safe, protected... as if everything would be all right while she was inside the mysterious light.

Just as it had come, the light went out in the blink of an eye. Making Emilia wake up suddenly, standing to her feet.

—¿What... happened?.

The beautiful half-elf looked at where she was, quickly realizing that she was no longer in the carriage on the way to Priestella. "¿Where are we...? ¿How did we get here...?". She wondered with a worried and confused expression.

Emilia realized she was inside an enormous windowless room with three walls and a huge piece of glass like another wall. On the wall in front of the glass was an enormous door that giants could fit through. But what surprised the half-elf the most was what was in the middle of the room. Rows of comfortable, expensive-looking, refined chairs filled the room completely, leaving only three walkways where one could walk, one in the middle and the other two on the sides.

Emilia began to panic when she saw no exit from the room, something told her that the door could not be opened even using all her strength.

Although to her relief. She saw the members of her group near her. Although they were not in the best condition, as long as they were together everything would be better. And even more so if she had her knight.

When the girl began walking toward her friends, four lights illuminated the theater, momentarily blinding the group.

—¿Huh...? All of you... too.

Emilia watched in surprise as all the camps arrived. First, the duchess of House Karsten. Although the candidate did not have her memories, she still maintained, at least a little, the presence that characterized her. Her catlike knight, Felix Argyle, and her faithful servant, Wilhelm Van Astrea, were beside Crusch Karsten.

Then she saw the greedy merchant, Anastasia Hoshin, appear with some members of her camp, among whom her elegant purple-haired knight, Julius Juukulius, stood out. Around her were the members of the Iron Fang, Ricardo as their leader, Mimi, and Tivey.

But the baroness’s presence eclipsed everything else. Priscilla Barielle also appeared together with her faithful follower, the one-armed man, Al. Emilia was surprised to see the proud Baroness who, for some reason unknown to her, had a great interest in her knight.

The last candidate appeared. The youngest candidate from the slums, Felt. And with her, the presence that managed to calm Emilia and most of the theater. The knight of knights, the most powerful hero in all of Lugunica and the world... the Sword Saint, Reinhard Van Astrea.

And finally, the rest of her camp. The first to appear was the court mage clown, the Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers. Alongside him were two maids from the Mathers mansion, Petra and Frederica. And to Emilia’s surprise, Ram also appeared, although the pink-haired maid was not the surprise... Rem, the maid Subaru had mentioned so much, was present, dressed in the usual maid outfit, very similar to her sister’s.

—¿Why are we here...? —Emilia wondered, looking at the newcomers. Everyone else was just as confused and anxious to know what was happening. Although others were more intrigued than terrified. Emilia looked at the enormous glass; it was the only thing she could see—. ¿What is happening...?

                                      ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

The morning sun shone brightly over the imposing facilities of U.A. Academy, bathing the hallways in a warm light that contrasted with the usual bustle. A year and a few months had passed. One whole year since the war ended, since the dust settled over the ruins and society began its slow and painful process of reconstruction. Now, the students who had once risked their lives on the front lines occupied the seats of Class 2-A.

The murmur inside the classroom was deafening, a cacophony of laughter, complaints, and overlapping conversations that proved that, despite the visible and invisible scars, youth continued its inexorable course.

—It just doesn’t make sense! —Denki Kaminari complained, letting himself fall dramatically onto his desk, dragging his notebook until it almost fell to the floor—. We’re already second-years! We saved the world, for God’s sake! Why do I still have to memorize the history of the pre-Quirk era and do fucking differential equations?

Hanta Sero, sitting behind him, let out a laugh and leaned back in his chair.

—Wow... I didn’t know we had All Might as a classmate. You know, with that whole saving the world thing —the boy with tape in his arms teased.

—Ha! Looks like his Quirk is already affecting his brain so much that little by little it’s rotting away —a girl’s voice joined the conversation.

—Oh come on, guys! You know what I mean! —Kaminari exclaimed, looking with a defeated air at Jiro and Hanta, who were laughing. Although the electricity boy knew his friends were saying it without even a hint of malice.

The pair of friends laughed when they saw their friend’s reaction. Jiro was undoubtedly the one who enjoyed teasing the blond boy with black streaks the most.

—Well, brother, saving the world isn’t going to make you calculate the exact angle of a civilian rescue trajectory. If you mess up an equation in real life, a piece of rubble will fall on someone’s head —said the black-haired boy.

—Exactly! —Kaminari added, raising a finger into the air as if he had discovered fire. Completely forgetting the teasing and returning to his previous topic—. That’s why we have instincts! And reflexes! My brain isn’t designed to retain dates from the first generation of heroes, it’s designed to emit a million volts! I feel like my brain is going to get stuck in a permanent short circuit before recess!

—To tell you the truth, Kaminari. I’m still surprised you even have a brain —Jiro stated, sitting beside him, spinning one of her earphone jacks around her finger, looking at him with a mix of pity and sarcasm, though with that softness only she had when dealing with the blond—. Besides, think of it this way: when the new generations arrive, they’ll have to read the story of us becoming great heroes.

—Jiro has a very manly point —Eijiro Kirishima nodded from the other row, joining the conversation, showing his sharp teeth in a bright smile.

—You know I’m a girl, right? —the short-haired girl questioned, although coming from Kirishima she could expect something like that, so she let it pass.

Unmoved by Jiro’s complaints, Kirishima continued confidently.

—Besides, a true manly hero has the physical strength and mental fortitude to endure a surprise exam from Aizawa-sensei.

—You talk like we’re going to war again, man —Hanta laughed.

—Kirishima, Jiro, you are absolutely right! —Tenya Iida exclaimed.

The class representative stood up with a leap, moving his arms at right angles and cutting through the air like an out-of-control robot. His glasses shone with the sunlight coming through the window.

—A true hero must not only train their body and their Quirk, but also cultivate their mind! —Iida shouted with that unbreakable intensity that characterized him—. Ignorance is the greatest enemy of justice! The war taught us that misinformation can destroy entire nations! Therefore, all of you should be reviewing your notes right now in absolute silence to honor the sacrifice of...!

—Shut the hell up already, four eyes! You’re giving me a headache with all that shouting!

Katsuki Bakugo’s roar tore through the classroom like an explosion. He had his feet propped up on the desk, his brow furrowed in his perpetual expression of fury, and small sparks crackled in the palms of his hands. Although everyone knew he wasn’t the same arrogant idiot anymore.

—If that electric idiot fails, that’s his damn problem! —Bakugo continued, pointing at Kaminari with his thumb—. Don’t drag us into your morning stupidity with your class rep speeches, four eyes! Just keep your mouth shut before I shut it for you!

—Come on, Bakugo, don’t be so bitter this early! —Kirishima intervened, approaching without hesitation and placing a heavy hand on the explosive blond’s shoulder. Bakugo, though he growled, made no attempt to remove it—. Iida just wants all of us to give one hundred percent. Besides, Aizawa-sensei shouldn’t take long to arrive.

—Get your hand off me, shitty hair, unless you want me to blow your face off! —Bakugo growled, swatting Kirishima’s hand away, although he didn’t use his Quirk. Immediately afterward, he clicked his tongue and looked away toward the window.

Asui approached Uraraka’s face, who was at one side listening to the conversation.

—Is he still really bad, kero?

Uraraka nodded her head. A sad smile crossed her face, carrying the flash of a memory of a certain person.

—We all are... Deku’s loss has been a huge blow for Bakugo, even worse than the one he received from Shigaraki.

—And he isn’t the only one, kero —Asui watched as her best friend continued smiling in pain—. No one will ever be able to forget him, not after everything he did for each one of us.

A beautiful girl with black hair tied in a ponytail approached with elegant bearing and a smile that did not reach her eyes.

—No one wants to forget him, Tsuyu —Momo corrected—. None of us have given up on him. Even though more than a year has passed, I’m sure that sooner or later we’ll see that smile again and laugh at his funny jokes.

—Oh Yaomomo... those jokes were the best only for you —Mina teased, approaching the group with her usual cheerfulness—. And that’s because our dear friend has a bad sense of humor.

Mina jumped to hug Momo from the side, laughing mockingly. The class vice president blushed at the very accurate comment.

—Don’t say that, Mina! —a floating uniform shouted—. We all loved Natsuki’s jokes. And the best ones were when he teamed up with Bakugo.

—To tell the truth, I still don’t understand how those two yelled at each other like worst enemies, but for training and making jokes they were like soulmates.

The gathered girls laughed at Jiro’s comment as she approached the group. They remembered how, at the beginning of their first year, Bakugo wanted to kill Subaru, but over time they became rivals and surprisingly compatible when it came to jokes or funny nicknames.

—You miss him, don’t you? —although she already knew the answer, Momo approached Uraraka with an understanding smile.

Uraraka sighed with watery eyes, the same as every time she remembered her first love.

—So much... —the girl pressed her lips together, trying to control herself—. Every day that passes, I remember how happy I was by his side. I... never thought I would feel so empty without him.

"I understand you, Uraraka...". Momo nodded with the same feeling of helplessness. "I feel exactly the same as you. I didn’t know I would miss him so much until he disappeared...".

—You’re not the only ones, girls... —Toru approached with a sad look—. Natsuki was always a light on the path for all of us. Whether because of his cheerful, funny, or annoying attitude, whenever we were sad he came along and made us laugh.

The girls around her nodded with a sincere and melancholic smile. Uraraka let out a small amused giggle, a very faint giggle.

"That’s our Deku".

—Well! Enough sadness! —the always-cheerful Mina shouted, trying to improve the atmosphere—. Natsuki wouldn’t want us to be sad because of him! We trust that soon we’ll see him again, right?!.

Seeing the acid girl’s encouragement, the others raised their hands and shouted a 'Yes!'. After a few seconds, the group of girls began laughing at how silly they must have looked at that moment, although to tell the truth, none of them cared.

—Oh Yaomomo, kero —after they calmed down. Asui broke the silence, looking at the raven-haired girl with curiosity—. I heard you went to see Mrs. Natsuki again yesterday. Can you tell us how she is?.

—I didn’t know you had gone again, Yaomomo —Jiro exclaimed in surprise—. Not long ago all of us went to visit her.

"Well...". Momo laughed a little embarrassed. "Mrs. Naoko is always very kind. I visit her very often whenever I have enough time. And I’m not the only one. Uraraka also visits her very often". She stated, looking at Ochaco with a knowing smile.

It was the round-cheeked girl’s turn to laugh nervously.

—Yes... Nejire also comes very often to see Naoko and little Eri. All Might practically comes every day, the heroine Mirko also appears from time to time to make sure Deku’s mother is okay —Ochaco commented with a cheerful smile—. Bakugo, Todoroki and his sister, Iida, Mirio, Tamaki...

"Even Lady Nagant. After Subaru saved her and the Hero Commission pardoned her with the help of All Might, Haws and one of Subaru’s final requests, she promised to keep the mother of her hero safe, according to her words". Momo continued Ochaco’s explanation.

—That sounds great! —Toru exclaimed.

"But you didn’t finish telling us, Yaomomo, kero".

—I’m sorry, Tsuyu —the girl apologized, making a small bow, although she stopped halfway, remembering the girls’ scoldings about her formal behavior with her friends—. It wasn’t anything important. We were simply talking, I played with little Eri and Mrs. Naoko taught me how to cook a little.

"To you too, Yaomomo?!". Uraraka asked with a cheerful smile. "Mrs. Naoko has taught me many of her recipes. She has such a talent for teaching cooking that even All Might learned a little". The round-cheeked girl laughed lightly.

While the group continued their girl talk. There was another boy watching his new classmates with a tired look, not because of distrust or arrogance, but rather, that was simply how he was.

Hitoshi Shinso, sitting silently in the middle of the chaos, let out a long sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He was still adapting to the inexhaustible dynamic of the hero class. Sometimes, he felt like he had been transferred to a madhouse full of people with too much destructive power and zero filter between their brains and mouths.

His eyes shifted toward the window, then toward the girls, and finally toward the seat he himself occupied. Subaru Natsuki’s seat. He could still feel the phantom pressure of filling the space of the boy who had carried the world on his shoulders. Everyone in the class spoke of him so naturally, with so much hope. They had not considered him dead for even a second. Shinso admired that resolve.

—If you keep sighing like that, you’re going to end up as wrinkled as Aizawa-sensei —a voice beside him said. It was Mashirao Ojiro, who smiled kindly at him.

—I’m just measuring how much energy they spend talking before class starts —Shinso replied with a half-ironic smile—. It’s fascinating. Kaminari seems to have no off button.

—You get used to it —Rikido Sato said from the row behind him, offering Shinso a small candy—. Or at least, you learn to disconnect when the situation calls for it. Want one? It’s mint.

—Thanks —Shinso accepted the candy, feeling a little more integrated.

Suddenly, the classroom door slid open with a bang, and silence fell over Class 2-A like an anvil.

Shota Aizawa entered, dragging his feet. His appearance had changed drastically after the war, leaving indelible marks of the brutality they had faced. A thick black eyepatch covered his right eye, and each step he took was accompanied by the dull and subtle mechanical squeak of the titanium prosthetic that replaced his right leg from the knee down. He gripped a thermos of coffee tightly, as if it were his only lifeline in this world. His deep eye bags seemed even more pronounced than the year before.

—Sit down, everyone, and be quiet —Aizawa ordered in a monotone voice, dragging himself up to the podium in front of the class, resting his weight on his healthy leg while placing the thermos on the wooden desk—. Iida, stop making windmills with your arms, we’re not first-years anymore. Bakugo, get your feet off the desk before I expel you.

In less than three seconds, all the students were in their seats, stiff and ready, staring at him. Bakugo let out an inaudible growl and lowered his feet, crossing his arms.

—Good —Aizawa took a sip of his coffee, scanning his fledglings with the only eye he had left, feeling a mixture of deep exhaustion and hidden pride that he would never admit out loud—. Today we have natural disaster simulation training in Sector Gamma. But it won’t be a routine rescue. The pros Hawks and Mirko will be there to assess your immediate response capacity under crossfire.

A small murmur ran through the classroom.

—Hawks and Mirko? —Sero whispered, opening his eyes in surprise—. I thought Hawks was still focused only on the Safety Commission now that... well, you know.

—Be quiet —Aizawa cut them off coldly—. Hawks lost his Quirk, Sero. But if you think that makes him any less dangerous, you’re making the same mistake as a rookie villain. He will be in charge of directing the ambush tactics. Hawks is a master of psychological warfare and strategy. His wings were not his only weapons.

Kaminari swallowed audibly.

Shoto Todoroki raised his hand slightly, his expression imperturbable despite the tension that was beginning to form in the classroom.

—Aizawa-sensei —Todoroki began—, if the heroine Mirko will be present together with Hawks, does that mean the simulation will include surprise hand-to-hand combat against her? Because the last time she gave a demonstration on the training field, she kicked Kaminari through three fake walls, and he wasn’t even her main target.

—Hey, don’t remind me, Todoroki! —Kaminari shrieked, instinctively grabbing his ribs and shrinking back in his seat—. My ribs still hurt when it rains! That woman is a demon, I swear!

—If you call her a demon to her face, Kaminari, I’ll make sure not to sign your infirmary pass —Aizawa replied with a coldness that made the temperature in the classroom seem to drop five degrees—. She is a professional heroine, Todoroki, and the answer to your question is yes. Mirko won’t hold back just because you are students.

Aizawa leaned on the desk, inclining forward.

—I know some of you believe that, because Mirko lost an arm and a leg in the war, she has lost speed. Her new prosthetics are made from an experimental alloy developed by the support course and private companies. In fact, her kicks now have thirty percent more impact force than before. If you can’t dodge one of her kicks in the middle of a rescue, you’re dead.

—Thirty percent... —Shinso murmured. The boy mentally noted that detail, feeling a chill as he imagined the impact of metal against bone.

—Assume that everything will try to kill you today —Aizawa continued, his grave tone leaving no room for jokes—. The objective is to rescue the civilian mannequins hidden in the collapse zones while Hawks coordinates ambushes and Mirko hunts you down one by one. If I see you do worse than last time, I’ll give you more homework and punishment for incompetence. Work as a team, communicate, and remember why you are in this class. Understood?

—YES, SENSEI! —they all answered in unison, determination erasing any trace of morning complaints.

Aizawa nodded slightly, satisfied with his students’ response. He was about to turn around to look for the file with the team lineups in his briefcase.

—Very well, put on your hero costumes and head to the bus in five minutes. Iida, you’re in charge of... —but the order was not finished.

The air inside the classroom became dense. No one knew what was happening, but they undoubtedly knew that something was not right. A low-frequency hum made the windowpanes tremble and raised the hairs of everyone in the room.

—Sensei...? —Uraraka murmured, standing up immediately. Although more than a year had already passed since the great war, her instincts were activated at all times, and she was not the only one.

Aizawa turned on his prosthetic leg with surprising agility. His healthy eye became bloodshot, glowing with an intense red as his Quirk activated by pure reflex. His capture scarves rose like snakes around him, ready to immobilize any threat.

—EVERYONE, GET DOWN! —Aizawa roared.

But there was no villain to look at. There was no Quirk to erase. A white, pure, blinding light burst from nowhere in the center of the classroom. It did not expand like an explosion of fire, but instead devoured space in absolute silence, swallowing the desks, the blackboard and, finally, them.

—What the hell is this sh—?! —Bakugo’s shout was drowned out by total whiteness.

Todoroki tried to raise a wall of ice, Iida started his engines, Shinso drew his own scarves... but it was all useless. The light passed through them as if the material world had ceased to exist.

And as quickly as it appeared, the light vanished.

The impact of Aizawa’s body against a soft, carpeted floor knocked the air from his lungs. The sound of the metal of his prosthetic striking the padded surface echoed faintly. His training forced him to roll and stand up in the blink of an eye, ignoring the sharp pain in his knee.

—Enemy attack...? League of Villains...? —he wondered, quickly looking at all his students to inspect whether they were okay—. Iida, Yaoyorozu...? Is everyone okay?

—Aizawa-sensei! Don’t worry, everyone is safe and sound! —Iida shouted, stepping ahead of his classmates to stand at the front like the class representative he was.

—A villain attack...? —Todoroki asked, walking closer to his teacher.

"What?! That can’t be, the war ended a year ago, the bad guys died!". Shouted a short boy with purple ball-shaped hair. "I DON’T WANT TO DI...!".

—Shut up, Mineta, ribbit... —Tsuyu’s tongue grabbed Mineta so he wouldn’t panic any further.

"Are you an idiot? As if the damn villains would stop crawling out of their shitty caves". Katsuki said with a murderous glare at Mineta.

Although he was still trembling, Mineta stopped struggling. His body and his entire being were afraid, but Minoru Mineta was no longer the same. Even if he was scared, he had to be strong, just like in the war.

—We’re not sure if we’re under attack, Todoroki —Aizawa replied without turning to look at him. His gaze fixed for an instant on a dark area; he thought he had seen movement there—. But Bakugo is right. Even though the war is over and All for One is dead, villains will never stop appearing. Everyone, be prepared for an unexpected attack.

Most of them nodded to their teacher, maintaining a fighting stance.

—Show yourself, damn coward! —Bakugo was at the limit of his patience after seeing that no one was coming or explaining what was happening.

"It doesn’t look like they want to attack us... they would have done it already". Shoji commented. "This looks more like a movie theater than a villain hideout".

—Tch... the damn League of Villains took me to a filthy bar —Bakugo growled as he remembered his kidnapping at the camp—. That damn scum doesn’t care as long as it serves them so no one finds them.

"There’s no point in getting worked up, Bakugo". Iida stated with a frown, extending his arms in front of Uraraka and Yaoyorozu. "We should analyze our surroundings before attacking. We don’t know what, how many, or who we’re facing".

—Todoroki, can you light things up with your fire? —Momo asked the half-and-half boy.

"I’m on it". Todoroki answered. The right half of his body exhaled icy mist and the left released small sparks, faintly illuminating the darkness "This is the most I can do without burning something".

—And you, old man... Aren’t you going to help? —Sero addressed the electric blond.

"Yeah, well... I don’t want my brain to fry, you know...".

—Too late, buddy —Mineta mocked, briefly ignoring the tension and fear he felt.

"Says the guy who would let himself get kidnapped if it were a sexy girl!". Kaminari shouted with irritation, to the satisfaction of the pair of friends.

—Kaminari, Mineta and Sero. If you keep treating this like a joke, I’ll expel you without caring about all your help in the war —Aizawa reprimanded them, glaring at them.

The three boys went stiff as boards. They knew it wouldn’t cost their teacher anything to expel them forever and, with that, make them lose their chance to become heroes.

"This is strange...". Todoroki couldn’t finish speaking because he heard a very familiar shout.

—SHOTOOOO!!!

"Huh...? Is the old man here too?".

A few meters away from them, the number one hero was standing. Endeavor had the flames of his suit burning at full power, his brow furrowed and his posture ready to unleash hell. Although his power had weakened, he was still Japan’s current number one hero

—Endeavor? —Aizawa narrowed his only eye, scanning the perimeter.

—Man... and I had just ordered a giant bowl of yakitori —sighed a voice to the right of the flaming hero.

Hawks no longer had his imposing wings, but his posture was anything but defenseless. His hands rested with lethal familiarity on the hilts of two short swords he carried at his waist. His golden eyes didn’t have even a trace of humor; they were sharp, analyzing the architecture of the place, searching for blind spots and ventilation ducts.

—A light swallowed me in the middle of the street while I was on my way to the academy —Hawks continued, tilting his head—. I guess dodging without wings is more complicated than I thought. Does anyone have service on their phones?

—Whoever did this, I’m going to rip their head off! —roared a female voice from the upper rows of seats.

Mirko landed with a prodigious leap beside Aizawa. Her prosthetic arms and legs, forged from dark, polished metal, emitted a faint mechanical hum. She bent her knees, her rabbit ears tense upward, searching for any sound, any heartbeat that would reveal an ambush.

—Were you also transported? —Aizawa asked, his voice tense—. This doesn’t seem like a teleportation Quirk like the one Kurogiri had —Aizawa grimaced as he remembered his friend transformed into a Nomu—. Unless it’s a Quirk with enormous power, something never seen before, this doesn’t seem normal at all.

—I don’t care how they did it! —Endeavor bellowed, the fire of his beard crackling with fury.

"Calm down, old man... you could have a heart attack if you keep throwing those tantrums". Katsuki mocked one of his teachers.

—Are you seriously the one talking about tantrums, Bakugo? —Uraraka asked with an inquisitive look. Katsuki clicked his tongue since he had no way to defend himself.

—Ha! That’s the way to talk, brat! —Mirko praised with a mocking smile—. Teach that brat who’s in charge.

"DO YOU WANT TO DIE?!". Bakugo shouted, not caring that he was talking to a Top hero. He was already used to dealing with the nerd Deku’s teacher.

—I’d like to see you try —Mirko replied, cracking her fingers—. It wouldn’t be the first time I make you bite the dust.

—Silence, please. Fighting among ourselves won’t help at all —Nezu’s calm voice drew everyone’s gaze. The U.A. principal was standing on the backrest of a front-row seat, with his paws crossed behind his back—. This is fascinating. The infrastructure doesn’t match modern Japanese architectural designs. Also, the acoustics of the place... are perfect. Designed so that a voice can be heard in every corner without the need for microphones.

"I don’t think this is the time to marvel at the place, Nezu". Aizawa said, sighing tiredly. "I see they brought you to this place too, which keeps getting stranger. What do you think of all this?".

Nezu brought his paw to his chin while his enormous intelligence worked. For the principal, this new challenge was fascinating.

—We still don’t know if this is a villain attack, an illusion, or simply a prank by a bored villain —Nezu answered with a smile—. Until proven otherwise, we are in enemy territory, so we must remain alert.

"Do you seriously think there would be a fool who would play a prank on professional heroes and children who helped defeat the greatest villain in history?". Endeavor asked, narrowing his eyes at the small principal.

—You’d be surprised by the kind of villains I’ve run into —Hawks replied—. I don’t know if it was because of All for One’s fall or Deku’s loss, but many more villains have risen simply because they want to put their name in history. Even if those attempts are...

"Pathetic". Kaina interrupted, better known as Lady Nagant. "They’re just idiots who want attention. They wouldn’t care if it were a suicidal act, as long as they gain a little recognition".

Although the woman was not a full professional hero, thanks to everything about Lady Nagant’s case coming to light, and thanks to the request of the Symbol of Peace and also one of hero Deku’s final requests, she was allowed to interfere as a hero if the situation required it. Of course, with some supervision.

—So they brought you here too, huh... —Mirko said with an amused smile—. At least I won’t be alone with this group full of idiots, Anti-hero...

Kaina let out a small laugh upon hearing the nickname her friend had given her. She thought it suited what her life had become.

—This makes less and less sense... —Aizawa brought his hands to his forehead with visible exhaustion—. Whoever is doing this, don’t...

Aizawa’s words died when they heard a muffled sob and the voice of someone unmistakable to everyone in the movie theater.

—Grandma... I’m scared...

Everyone turned toward the sound, located in a small group of cushioned seats to the left of where they were.

There, curled up and trembling, was Eri. The little girl with white hair clung with all her strength to the skirt of a woman who hugged her protectively against her chest.

Naoko Natsuki, dressed in casual clothes for being at home, stroked the girl’s hair with a firm and gentle hand. Her face did not show the paralyzing terror one would expect from a civilian trapped in a possible villain zone; instead, her dark eyes were fixed on the girl, trying to calm her.

—It’s all right, my girl. Breathe slowly. I’m here, I won’t let anything happen to you —Naoko whispered, her voice an anchor of warmth in the middle of the cold hall. The woman knew all of the little girl’s past, and she had promised herself she would never let the same thing happen to her again—. I turned off the stove properly before that light took us, so at least the house won’t burn down. That’s a relief, isn’t it?

She tried to make her smile, but Eri was still very frightened, remembering the dark rooms where her father and Mirio had saved her.

—Naoko-san, little Eri!

All Might’s voice rang out with heartbreaking urgency. The former number one hero, in his thin and fragile form, hurried through the seats, ignoring the other heroes. He knelt in front of them, his hands trembling slightly as he checked that neither of them was hurt.

To Toshinori, she was the mother of the boy who had restored the world’s faith; to Naoko, he was the pillar that kept her son’s memory alive. They were a fractured family that held each other together. And to both of them, Eri was the living reminder of the greatest hero of all time.

—Oh Toshinori, you’re here too... —Naoko offered him a reassuring smile. And although All Might was no longer the number one hero, his mere presence made everyone around him feel safe—. We’re fine. We were just a little scared.

—Thank heaven! —All Might let out a trembling sigh, placing a protective hand on Naoko’s shoulder—. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you. I’ll stay by your side.

The protective instinct was not limited to All Might. In a matter of seconds, several figures separated from the main group and surrounded the row of seats where the woman and the girl were.

—Naoko-san! Eri-chan! —Ochaco Uraraka arrived almost floating, landing gently beside them. She crouched down, taking Eri’s small hand in hers—. Are you hurt? Did you hit yourselves when you fell?

—Oh, Ochaco-chan, dear —Naoko smiled at her, her posture relaxing noticeably upon seeing the young brunette—. Don’t worry about us. We landed in these very soft seats. Although I’m very sorry I couldn’t bring the tea I promised you for this afternoon.

—The tea doesn’t matter, Naoko-san! What matters is that you’re safe! —Uraraka shook her head vigorously, her eyes shining with concern.

"Auntie, tell me if they hurt you so I can rip those idiots’ heads off when I see them". Bakugo growled with rage. For the ash-blond, anyone who touched his family was sentencing themselves to death.

Naoko’s smile widened even more when she saw the boy she considered a son. Just as Mitsuki also considered her dear Subaru her own son.

—Don’t worry, Katsuki, we’re fine. And now that I see you’re all here too, I feel much safer.

"Good, stay behind us in case something happens, Auntie".

—Oh, thank you, my little hero —Naoko hugged Katsuki like the loving mother she was. Bakugo, after seeing that they were fine, tried to pull away with all his strength, but it was impossible. When it came to hugging her children, Naoko Natsuki was stronger than All Might in his prime.

Many of his classmates smiled at the scene, but many of Bakugo’s friends laughed mockingly, even taking some photos to tease him even more afterward.

"Like Bakugo said, stay behind us with Eri". Momo positioned herself in front of the woman who was still hugging the boy. "We still don’t know why we were brought here".

—You’re as diligent as always, Momo-chan. Thank you very much —Naoko thanked her, nodding gratefully toward the black-haired girl.

From above, a beautiful girl with blue hair approached. Nejire Hado descended while floating, golden spirals of energy surrounding her legs. Her usual curious and carefree attitude had been replaced by absolute seriousness.

—Naoko-san! Eri-chan! —Nejire landed gracefully, gently caressing Eri’s cheek, who little by little was starting to stop trembling—. Did you see anything strange before the light? Anyone suspicious?

—It was only the two of us at home, Nejire-chan —Naoko answered—. Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

"See... I told you Mrs. Natsuki didn’t know what had happened... we only scared her... now I want to go home...". Tamaki, with a nervous gaze and trembling body, approached the group.

—Ha! You don’t have to be so shy, Tamaki —Mirio approached with a huge smile toward the little girl who was still in her grandmother’s arms—. Look who we have here...!

—Uncle Mirio!

Eri let go of Naoko to run out and hug one of the heroes she loved most. The hero who, together with her father, had rescued her from the evil bird man.

"I’m here, Eri. You don’t have to be afraid". Mirio hugged Eri warmly. "None of us will let anything bad happen to you. We’ll all protect you just like Subaru protected you, understood?".

Upon hearing the name of her hero and father, little Eri stopped trembling and a sincere smile appeared on her face. Mirio, as well as those watching, couldn’t help but smile warmly.

—Just hearing Subaru’s name calms her down, doesn’t it? —Naoko turned to look at the woman who had spoken. A genuine smile appeared when she saw her.

"That’s right...". She nodded, looking at Eri. "My Subaru influenced little Eri a lot. Subaru is her hope, safety and happiness... and she isn’t the only one, right?

Lady Nagant shook her head, maintaining a sincere and melancholic smile. Remembering the hero who helped her when no one else did filled her with happiness and warmth, but also with sadness for not being able to thank him the way she wanted.

—This place is a damn sealed cell —Hawks muttered, walking along one of the side aisles, tapping the walls with his knuckles—. The material isn’t concrete. It looks like some kind of reinforced masonry. And that double door back there doesn’t even have locks or visible hinges. It’s as if it were one single decorative piece.

—I don’t give a shit what it’s made of! —Bakugo shouted, fed up with the situation.

The ash-blond aimed the palms of his hands toward the enormous solid wooden door at the back of the theater.

—AP Armor Shot!

A burst of concentrated fire and explosive force shot toward the door. The sound of the impact echoed deafeningly through the enclosed theater. Mirio instinctively covered Eri’s ears.

But when the smoke cleared, the door was intact. Not a scratch. Not a single splinter on the floor.

—Huh? —Bakugo blinked, incredulous—. Are you fucking kidding me?!

—Bakugo! I told you not to act without thinking! —Iida scolded him, moving his arms robotically—. You could have caused serious damage!

—Shut up, four-eyes! That damn door should have been blown to pieces!

—It’s useless —Todoroki intervened, approaching the nearest wall and placing his right hand on it. A thick layer of ice quickly spread across the surface, but seconds later, the ice simply detached and fell to the floor, as if the wall rejected it—. My attacks have no effect either. The structures of this place repel Quirks.

—They repel Quirks?! —Kaminari pulled at his hair, panicking—. That’s cheating! If a giant villain appears, we won’t be able to destroy the place to escape!

—Calm down, Pikachu —Jiro sighed, rubbing her temples—. If they repel Quirks, it means whoever brought us here wants to make sure we don’t destroy their little theater. Which means, at least for now, they don’t plan to kill us. If they wanted to do that, they would have done it while we were blind.

—Jiro is right —Aizawa approved, limping slightly toward the center of his students—. Everyone, regroup. Don’t separate.

Kirishima slammed his hardened fists together, staying close to Bakugo. —If we can’t break the walls, we’ll have to fight our way out. We’re ready, sensei!

—Don’t be reckless, Kirishima —Shinso said—. If the walls repel Quirks, we don’t know what other surprises the creator of this place has. They could deactivate our Quirks at any moment.

—Deactivate them? —Mina swallowed, looking around nervously—. That would be super bad. Very, very bad.

—Don’t worry too much —Naoko’s voice, as serene as a calm lake, made several students look at her—. If it were a villain kidnapping, they would already be laughing evilly through some megaphone and threatening us with the destruction of the world, don’t you think? That’s what always happened on the news when I watched it with my son.

—Mrs. Natsuki is right —Hawks said, leaning against a seat—. Real villains are theatrical. They like the spectacle. Unless this is the pre-show, they’re making us wait for a reason.

—Well, my amazing self is not going to wait for any idiot to get out of here!

The wild, rough and very familiar voice echoed from the shadows, on the other side of the immense theater.

—What the hell?! —Kirishima turned to look at his blond friend—. Bakubro, how did you shout from that dark place when you’re right here?.

"It wasn’t me who shouted, idiot!". Bakugo answered, stunned by hearing his own voice on the other side of the theater.

—A voice-changing Quirk? —Nezu wondered from Aizawa’s shoulder.

The entire U.A. class froze. If Bakugo wasn’t the one who shouted, that meant they weren’t alone.

Aizawa turned his head so fast that his neck cracked. Endeavor lit his flames to twice their intensity. Mirko straightened, ready to jump.

On the other side of the theater, in the section of seats that had remained dark, the lights began to turn on slowly, revealing a group of people they had never seen before.

In front of them, separated by the wide central aisle, was the Lugunica group. They had been there for several minutes. They had already gone through the initial shock, the heartbreaking crying of the reunion with a Rem newly awakened with all her memories intact, and the surprise of seeing Crusch Karsten recover her authoritative bearing and sharp gaze.

—Who the hell are you people?! —Endeavor’s roar made the seats tremble—. Were you the villains who brought us to this place?!.

Reinhard van Astrea took a step forward, placing himself between the royal candidates and the imposing man of fire. His posture was relaxed, but his hand rested dangerously close to the hilt of the Dragon Sword. Of course, although he knew he wouldn’t be able to draw it, it was still a weapon.

—Us, villains? What are you talking about? —Crusch intervened. Her voice echoed with the authority she had regained from her erased memories—. We should be the ones demanding answers. You appear out of nowhere showing hostile intentions, demanding that we identify ourselves in a place where we were dragged against our will.

—Crusch-sama is absolutely right —Julius Juukulius nodded, fixing a lock of his purple hair and taking a step beside Reinhard—. We are the Knights of Lugunica. And I suggest you lower your weapons and aggressive intentions if you wish to talk.

"Knights? Do you mean Heroes?". Shinso asked, confused.

Hawks blinked, just as confused. —Lugunica? What kind of city name is that? From Europe or America? I don’t know, that place doesn’t sound familiar at all in Japan.

—Japan? —Otto Suwen murmured, nervously adjusting his green hat—. Where did I hear that name...? Is it some village beyond Gusteko? —the merchant brought his hands to his chin. He was sure he had heard it, but he couldn’t remember where.

Emilia’s entire camp was just as confused. That name sounded familiar to them, but they couldn’t remember from where.

But none of Lugunica noticed that there was one man in their group who was sweating buckets. The only man who knew both places mentioned. Aldebaran couldn’t believe what his eyes were seeing and hearing.

—Stop saying stupid crap! —Bakugo exploded, stomping on the ground as small explosions detonated in his hands—. Knights? I don’t know what kind of cheap circus full of cosplayers you are, but if you don’t tell us how to get out of here, I’ll blow you all to pieces!

On the other side of the hallway, Garfiel slammed the shields on his arms together with a deafening metallic sound and bared his fangs.

—Try it, you blond explosive piece of shit! —Garfiel roared, crouching into an attacking stance—. My awesome self is gonna smash you to pieces before you can blink!

"Don’t you realize you’re also blond... and explosive?". Ricardo commented, chuckling under his breath without anyone hearing him.

—Who the hell are you calling blond shit, you extra with a rabid dog complex?! —Bakugo bellowed.

—You, you screaming idiot! —Garfiel shouted back with the same intensity.

Both Class 2-A and Emilia’s camp fell silent for one full second, blinking.

—Hey... —Denki Kaminari murmured, rubbing his ear—. Is it just me, or do those two sound exactly the same?

"It’s not just you, kero". Tsuyu Asui said, tilting her head. "They have the same tone of voice, the same way of yelling, and the same rabid attitude".

—It’s kind of scary, actually —Otto commented from the other side, looking at Garfiel and then at Bakugo—. It’s like hearing Garfiel argue with a very angry mirror.

"Shut up, Brotto! / Shut up, dumb face!". Garfiel and Bakugo shouted in unison at Otto and Kaminari respectively.

—They are definitely the same person —Kyoka sighed.

—This can’t be... first we have a Barusu, then his gang of idiots, and now we’ve found Garfiel’s long-lost brother —Ram murmured, wanting to die at that moment. Now that her sister was fine, she could die peacefully without thinking about a new member of the idiot group.

"Hey... not to add more fuel to the fire, as the Mini-Boss would say, but don’t you think that boy looks a lot like someone from our side...". Tivey commented, drawing everyone’s attention, including Bakugo’s.

Reinhard, after looking at him more closely, instantly realized the enormous resemblance he had to someone very close to him. Crusch and Felix looked at Bakugo with surprise but caution.

—Forgive the intrusion, but I would like to ask you a question, if you would be so kind.

Bakugo stopped looking at Garfiel for a second to turn his gaze toward the red-haired man.

"What do you want?".

—Could you tell us if you are my lady’s brother, Lady Felt’s? —Reinhard asked, to the surprise of everyone present.

Both Felt’s and Bakugo’s jaws dropped wide open. Bakugo scanned the group, searching for the girl they had confused him with as her brother. And he saw a girl, younger than him at first glance. She was dressed in a way... revealing for a child, but the most important features were her blond hair and red eyes staring at him.

"ARE YOU AN IDIOT, REIN?!". Felt shouted, glaring daggers at her knight. "Where did that question even come from?!".

—Well, Lady Felt. You have the same hair color. The same eye color and...

"And...?". Felt narrowed her eyes at Reinhard, making him a little nervous.

—Both fools look like rabid dogs —Priscilla answered instead of Reinhard with her own opinion.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING A "RABID DOG", BITCH?!!!". Both shouted in unison, just as angry and with the same furious glare at the baroness.

—Hey, Bakubro, we didn’t know you had a long-lost sister. It’s not manly to hide such important things from your friends —Kirishima said, a little hurt by Bakugo’s lack of trust.

"Shut up, shitty hair!". Bakugo roared, irritated. "That brat is not my sister!".

—Who are you calling a brat, noisy idiot?! —Felt responded with the same intensity.

Everyone had a sweat drop on their foreheads as they watched the interaction that was so similar between the royal candidate and the hero who delivered the final blow to All For One in his original body. Everyone was thinking the same thing... they are long-lost siblings.

"Oh, Frederica. You didn’t tell me you had another brother with Garfiel’s same voice". Frederica looked at Petra as if she had grown a second head. The stares that had once been between Felt and Bakugo were now between Garfiel and Bakugo.

—Ha! My incredible self can’t be the brother of an idiot like that.

"Tch..! I’d rather die before having a rabid extra like him as a brother!". Bakugo answered with his brow furrowed.

Before Bakugo or Garfiel could leap at each other’s throats, a pink-haired girl with strange goggles jumped out from the second row of the U.A., landing right in front of Reinhard and Julius. No one had noticed she was there, not even those from Japan.

—WOOOOW! —Mei Hatsume shrieked, bringing her face within centimeters of Reinhard’s white armor, her crosshair-shaped eyes spinning frantically—. What kind of babies are these?! The design is archaic, but the weight distribution is perfect! I don’t see circuits or power sources! What alloy is it made of?!

—M-Miss, please, keep your distance! —Reinhard stepped back, a little flushed by the girl’s closeness, clearly uncomfortable and trying not to hurt the strange girl who almost seemed ready to bite his breastplate.

—Hatsume, return here immediately! —Tenya ran toward her, moving his arms stiffly and grabbing her by the collar of her uniform—. It is impolite to inspect the equipment of possible villains!

A blond girl with red-framed glasses hurried down the stairs from the students’ side. Melissa Shield stopped beside Iida, bowing in apology.

—I’m very sorry —Melissa said, with a diplomatic and embarrassed smile—. Mei is an inventor from the support course and gets very excited about new technology. Are those really your hero costumes? Your suits don’t seem to have any technological support to amplify your Quirks.

—Quirks? —Emilia tilted her head, her amethyst eyes shining with confusion—. Wait...

Emilia and Beatrice’s memories became clear, remembering the words of the half-elf’s knight. Priscilla also opened her eyes wide when she understood what they were talking about. She quickly turned to look at Al, who was in shock.

—What is technology? —Felt crossed her arms, showing a fang—. I don’t know what language you’re speaking, blond miss. I’ve never heard of that kind of magic.

—Magic! —Mina Ashido gave a small jump, her horns vibrating—. Wow, you’re super into your roleplay! You guys really take cosplay seriously!

—Cosplay? —Anastasia rubbed her scarf, processing the name she had heard, her blue-green eyes brimming with curiosity and intrigue—. What strange words that even this girl doesn’t understand. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Anastasia Hoshin, owner of the Hoshin Company.

—Well, what a shitty company you have, brat! I’ve never even heard of it —Mirko answered with a frown. The rabbit woman was only waiting for the signal to fight.

"W-What... did you say?". Anastasia’s gaze changed from cheerful to cold as Todoroki’s and Emilia’s ice. "Did you just insult the company I worked so hard to build...?".

Julius quickly approached his lady, glaring at the rabbit heroine. —Calm yourself, Lady Anastasia. We all know your company is number one in Lugunica and the rest of the world.

Anastasia let out a sigh upon hearing her knight. —My, Julius... you know what to say to a girl in these situations, that’s why you’re my knight... —although the merchant smiled at her knight, she glared angrily at the rabbit woman in front of her. What was clear was that Anastasia Hoshin would not forgive anyone who dared insult her company, at least not so quickly.

—This is confusing but very fascinating —Nezu murmured, stroking his chin—. They speak of magic and apparently were surprised to hear about Quirks, they don’t know what technology is when anyone who didn’t live under a rock in the forest knows what it is. Their clothes are not very common to see, girls dressed as maids, butlers...

"It’s not that big of a deal, rat". Mirko stated with disdain. "Hero costumes are getting more pathetic every time".

—You’re right, Principal Nezu —Kiraminari nodded with a mocking smile—. Look at Mineta. He fought in a war and he’s still wearing a diaper.

"Hey! It’s an awesome costume!". The grape boy defended himself. "At least I don’t look as creepy as that clown".

Mineta pointed his finger at Margrave Roswaal. The clown shrugged with a fake grimace of sadness for having his outfit insulted.

—You’re right about that. It’s creepy —Sato nodded as he approached his classmates. Beside him, Koda quickly nodded nervously.

"Mademoiselle’s outfit is brilliant...". Aoyama said dramatically, looking at Priscilla. "But it does not shine more than my incredible costume". He said with a sparkling smile. His friends wondered where he got so much shine from.

—But it is still extremely strange —Nezu continued, analyzing what was happening—. Their body language shows no signs of lying. Aizawa, Endeavor... —the principal stopped for a moment to add a touch of drama to his deduction—. I believe we are witnessing something beyond our understanding...

"What do you mean, Principal?". Aizawa asked with a frown.

—Perhaps... we are witnessing the collision of two different worlds. —the principal answered with some surprise, but also intrigue, because of his deduction.

Aizawa and Endeavor were left stunned by the analysis of the most intelligent being in their world. It sounded like a fairy tale or one of those cartoons young people watch on television.

—Don’t come at me with crazy theories, Principal —Aizawa growled, keeping his glowing eye on Julius and Reinhard—. No one comes from another reality or another world. We’re not in a children’s fantasy.

—What a close-minded maaaaaan you aaaaare —Roswaal L. Mathers sang, floating a few centimeters above the floor, which immediately made Class 2-A tense up—. In this plaaaace, the strangest things can happen... eeeeeeverything is possible.

The margrave already knew it. Roswaal L. Mathers deduced it when the word "Quirk" was mentioned. Anyone who had spent more than a day with Subaru Natsuki would know where this unusual group came from.

Some, like Emilia, Beatrice, Priscilla and Ram, were also beginning to understand what was happening. Rem paid no attention to what was said, her only goal was to defend her beloved hero and sister from all this trouble.

—That clown gives me the creeps —Shoto whispered, creating a small layer of frost in his right hand out of pure caution.

—I agree, Todoroki —Eijiro Kirishima said, knocking his fists together—. But we can’t attack them if they haven’t made the first move. We’re heroes.

—I think there may be a huge misunderstanding. We are students from U.A... or rather, we were last year —Mirio took a step forward with a huge, confident smile, trying to ease the tension—. We don’t want to fight. We want to understand what’s going on!

—Yes, yes, we want to know! —Nejire floated forward, pointing at Felix’s cat ears—. Your ears! Are they a genetic mutation or a transformation Quirk? They look so real! Can I touch them?

Felix blinked, puffing out his cheeks and crossing his arms. —Of course they’re real, nya! Ferris is the best healer in the kingdom! And no, you can’t touch them. That privilege is only for my Lady Crusch.

—Healer? —Tamaki Amajiki murmured from behind, hiding a little behind Mirio—. I wish Recovery Girl were here... these people are too much social pressure for me...

—Me, me! —a little girl with cat ears approached the girl with a huge smile—. Mimi really likes ear scratches!

"Mimi, calm down!". Tivey scolded his sister. "First we have to know what intentions they have. We can’t just get close like that". Those words were answered by a strike from his sister’s club as she pouted in annoyance.

—Why is everyone talking as if they don’t know what a hero is, or what U.A. is? —Ochaco asked, frowning, her voice echoing in the brief silence.

All the inhabitants of Japan who were not Nezu, Aizawa and Endeavor wondered the same thing. U.A. was known throughout the world, even more after the war. After all, All Might and Deku studied there.

Julius looked at her with respect. —We know the concept of a hero, miss. However, your attire and your behavior differ greatly from what we know. Heroes are living legends or knights with immeasurable power... not people dressed in bright colors or with that kind of uniform.

—Why the hell does that idiot talk like he has a stick shoved up his ass?! —Bakugo shouted. Upon hearing the way the finest of knights spoke, he instantly knew he wouldn’t like him.

"Ha! On that, my incredible self agrees"

—Finally, you pair of fools say something intelligent! —Felt joined in the comment. To those from Lugunica, it looked like they were the triplets, Hetaro, Mimi and Tivey, but a rabid version.

A vein of fury throbbed on the forehead of the finest of knights. Although he did not know Garfiel and had not spoken with Lady Felt, he expected them to support him against unknown people.

—They talk as if they really came from a medieval era —Momo whispered to Aizawa—. Sensei, I don’t sense any hostility, ignoring Bakugo and his new friends. They are just as confused as we are.

The heiress of the Yaoyorozu family knew the chivalrous and medieval behavior she was hearing very well. It was not for nothing that she had read medieval romance novels all her life.

—I know, Yaoyorozu. But I won’t lower my guard —Aizawa sighed—. Heroes or not, knights or not, we are locked in here together.

It was then that the attention of some members of Class 2-A began to drift, observing beyond the knights in the first row.

Uraraka tilted her head, searching among the maids and the noble-looking girls. Something in Lugunica’s group caught her attention. There was a group of people seated on a wide armchair, surrounding someone.

Emilia was standing with her hands clasped in front of her chest, looking worried. Beatrice floated nearby, looking down with a mixture of anger and relief.

But in the center of that small circle, sitting delicately on the velvet armchair, was a young woman in a maid outfit with short blue hair. Rem had fresh tears in her eyes, a soft smile of absolute devotion, and she was holding the head of someone resting peacefully on her lap.

Uraraka narrowed her eyes. She saw jet-black hair. She saw the wrists of his arms wrapped in bandages. She saw a limited-edition shirt she had always dreamed of. She would remember that shirt anywhere... it was the last shirt her first love had when he disappeared more than a year ago.

Uraraka’s heart gave a painful lurch. Her breath caught in her throat.

—D... Deku-kun? —Uraraka’s whisper was barely audible, but in the tense silence of the theater, it sounded like a gunshot.

Bakugo turned toward her instantly. —What did you say, round face?

Uraraka did not answer. She simply lifted a trembling finger, pointing across the hallway, past Reinhard and Julius, pointing directly at the lap of the blue-haired maid.

—It’s him! —Uraraka shouted, tears immediately spilling from her eyes—. That’s Deku-kun!

All of Class 2-A, the professional heroes, the inventors, and the Big Three followed the direction of her finger. But no one surpassed the shock of the group of three people who were behind everyone.

Todoroki’s eyes widened, the ice on his arm melting instantly. Iida covered his mouth. Kirishima felt his knees weaken.

Katsuki Bakugo felt the entire world stop. His scarlet eyes locked onto the sleeping face of the black-haired boy. He would recognize that horrible hairstyle anywhere, he would recognize the clothes he wore when he defeated the greatest villain in the history of the world. It was the damn nerd. It was Subaru Natsuki.

—SUBARU! —Bakugo's scream tore from the blond's throat.

In a millisecond, confusion and diplomacy evaporated.

Bakugo propelled himself with a brutal explosion, ignoring Aizawa, ignoring Iida, and flew straight toward Emilia's camp.

—GIVE THE NERD BACK, YOU DAMN BASTARDS! —Bakugo roared, extending his hands to launch a blast.

Reinhard moved at a speed the students' eyes couldn't even register. In one instant he was in front of them; in the next, he was intercepting Bakugo in midair. Without using his sword, the Sword Saint simply placed a hand on Bakugo's chest and pushed him back with overwhelming but controlled force, sending him back to the U.A. side.

Kirishima caught Bakugo before he fell, sliding back two meters from the impact.

—I won't allow you to get near Subaru! —Reinhard declared. His voice was no longer kind; it was cold, sharp, and absolute. The pressure emanating from his body made even Endeavor take a step back out of pure instinct.

—Give him back! —Mina shouted, her eyes full of tears, generating acid in her hands—. What did you do to him?! He disappeared a year ago! You kidnapped him!

—Kidnap him?! —Garfiel made a huge leap, placing himself in front of Rem and Subaru, crossing his shields with beastly fury—. My Captain won't be any prisoner of yours, you damn kidnappers in weird suits! He belongs to our camp! I, the amazing Garfiel Tinsel, will kill you if you try to steal our leader from us!

—Garfiel is right! —Otto stood beside his friend. They could kill him if they wanted, but he would not let his brother be kidnapped—. Natsuki-san is our friend! We won't let any of you take him away!

—He's our friend, damn it! —Todoroki bellowed, an immense flame bursting from his left side, raising the temperature of the theater drastically—. Hand him over willingly or I'll freeze this place with all of you in it!

—He is the U.A. student and a great friend to all of us, Subaru Natsuki! —Iida shouted, the engines in his legs buzzing at full power—. We demand his immediate release!

"We don't know what this U.A. thing is.". Petra stepped forward to defend her hero. She didn't care that she was only a child, she would never let Subaru be taken away from her. Her face, usually that of a sweet little girl, was completely serious with protective determination. "He has saved me many times! I won't allow anyone to take him away from our side!".

Everyone was surprised by the words of a little girl. The Lugunica group smiled and nodded with determination. Meanwhile, the group from Japan was confused but determined to take back their dear friend.

Rem tightened her grip on Subaru's shoulders, looking at the heroes with her intense blue eyes shining with murderous intent.

—If you try to take even a single step toward Rem's hero... —the maid's voice rang out low, sweet, and terrifying, while a horn of white light began to materialize on her forehead—. Rem will massacre you all.

Emilia and Beatrice did not move. Both looked at each other, wondering what they would do.

—Enough! —Endeavor roared, stepping forward, his flames threatening to set the seats on fire—. We are not going to negotiate with kidnappers! Heroes, prepare for combat!

—Yes! —the students answered, ready for war if necessary.

Julius, Garfiel, Wilhelm, and the members of the Iron Fang took battle positions. Reinhard stayed behind, making sure no one took his friend away.

But before the first blow could connect, two screams rang out from the upper stands, breaking the bloodlust with heartbreaking purity.

—DADDY!!

—SUBARU!!

The desperation and absolute love in those voices were like a bucket of ice water over everyone present. Bakugo stopped dead, skidding on the carpet. Garfiel blinked, his shields lowering for a fraction of a second.

From the shadows of the upper seats, a small girl with white hair and a woman with terrifying eyes ran down the central aisle, stumbling over the steps, completely ignoring the chaos in the room. Behind them, Toshinori Yagi's skeletal figure followed closely.

—Naoko-san! Eri-chan, wait! —Uraraka shouted, trying to follow them, but Aizawa extended a scarf to stop her, his only eye fixed on the situation.

—Stop right there! —Julius placed himself in the path of the two women, his sword drawn but pointed at the floor, reluctant to threaten civilians—. You cannot approach him, as a royal knight I will not allow you to take our friend away!

—Get out of my way! —Naoko, who had always been a woman of impeccable manners, looked at the Spirit Knight with a ferocity that made Julius take half a step back out of pure instinct.

—I want to see Daddy! —Eri cried, trying to push Julius's leg with her trembling little hands.

Garfiel frowned, showing his fangs, about to move them aside by force. —Hey, I don't know who you think you are, but my Captain doesn't have...!

—Garfiel, stop right now, that's an order! —a voice like silver bells shouted—. Sir Julius, I ask you, please, not to get involved this time.

"But princess...!"

—Didn't you hear, I suppose?! —Beatrice looked at Garfiel with a frown—. Get out of the way, beast, and let them pass. It's an order from your leader, in fact!

"Garfiel...". The firm voice of a maid caught the tiger's attention. "Stop acting like an idiot. If you don't let them pass, I assure you Barusu will never forgive you".

Ram already knew it, just by seeing the eyes of the crying lady she realized it immediately. The girl was undoubtedly the same one Barusu showed off so much as if she were the most precious being in the world. It was obvious that they were Barusu's family.

Garfiel, upon hearing Beatrice and Ram's scolding, frowned. He didn't know why they wanted to let through people who could take his captain away.

—Garf... —his sister's voice caught his attention—. I understand that you want to protect Subaru-sama, but I recommend that you look carefully. Tell me, have you ever seen them?

The boy was going to deny it quickly. He had never left the sanctuary until he met his captain, and he was sure he had never seen another silver-haired or white-haired little girl like the princess.

His attention settled on the brown-haired woman. She looked like a normal human, with no demi-human traits. Everything was normal until...

—Her eyes... —Garfiel murmured in complete shock. He quickly looked at the girl with a horn on her forehead—. They... they are...

Memories assaulted his mind. The thousands of times his captain showed them those 'photos' he loved taking so much. And he was not the only one. Rem, Otto, Petra opened their eyes wide.

"Lady Emilia. I cannot allow people whose intentions we do not know to approach Subaru". The best of knights replied. He did not want to allow anything to happen to the boy he called a friend.

—Fufufufu~... don't be soooo harsh, sir knight —the margrave's singsong voice caught the knight's attention—. I remind you that you have neither voice nor vote in the decisions of our dear candidate.

"That guy is scary". Hagakure whispered to Mina. The pink-skinned girl nodded with chills.

—I understand that he is from your faction, Margrave Roswaal. But Subaru is a fellow knight —Julius maintained his stance.

"Get the stick out of your ass, pretty boy!". Mirko shouted, visibly irritated with the best of knights.

—Ha! I like that commoner —Priscilla said with a proud smile. Watching the knight make a fool of himself had bored her too much.

"Mr. Julius. I thank you for trying to help and protect my knight". Emilia gave a small bow of gratitude. "But Subaru is my knight, and since he is asleep, I decide who can and cannot approach him".

Those words left everyone from Japan confused. Subaru, a knight? And even more, the knight of the silver-haired girl?. None of them understood what was happening or what Subaru had to do with these people. Was it with them that he spent the year he had been missing?.

Other girls frowned upon hearing how the woman decided who could and could not approach Subaru.

Julius stood firm for a few seconds, reluctant to let anything happen to his friend. But seeing the serious gaze of the royal candidate, he knew he could do nothing to stop it.

Without saying a word, he stepped aside, letting the little girl and the woman run toward Subaru.

—Mrs. Naoko...? Eri-chan? —Emilia whispered, her voice trembling when the woman and the girl arrived.

Naoko stopped, surprised that that beautiful silver-haired girl knew their names. —Do you... know me?

—Subaru... —Emilia smiled, although tears ran down her white cheeks—. Subaru has told us so much about you. He showed us your portraits in that shiny magical box he calls a phone... He always said you were his light. Please... go ahead. He needs you.

"They're his family...". Otto's voice broke upon seeing the scene. He remembered the sadness Subaru tried to hide when he spoke about them. The merchant knew all the suffering his friend endured from being separated from his family.

Eri did not wait any longer. She threw herself at the sleeping boy, crying and holding him tightly, afraid he would disappear again.

Rem, with tears falling down her cheeks, looked at the older woman. The maid quickly saw those eyes, the same color as her beloved's and the same gaze that seemed terrifying but held enormous warmth.

—A-Are you Subaru-kun's mother...?

Naoko did not answer with words. She extended her trembling hands and caressed Subaru's face. She felt the texture of his scars, the dirty bandages covering his wrists. A heartbreaking sob burst from her throat, a sound so raw and full of pain that even Endeavor lowered the intensity of his flames.

—My boy... my little Subaru... —Naoko rested her forehead against her son's, crying inconsolably—. You're alive. Good heavens, look how much you've grown... look how many scars you have... Mom is here, Subaru. Mom is here.

She had not had the chance to hug him after he defeated All For One. She had not seen the scars he had on his arms. Her heart ached for not having been there when they took him away.

—Daddy, wake up! —Eri buried her face in Subaru's chest, clinging to All Might's shirt as if she were afraid he would vanish—. Daddy, you promised you would come back! I missed you so much!

The crying of both women silenced the entire Class 2-A.

Uraraka hugged Tsuyu, crying silently. Kirishima quickly wiped his eyes with his forearm. Todoroki stared at the floor, clenching his fists. Bakugo had let his arms fall to his sides, his breathing was ragged, his eyes fixed on the pale face of his rival, his childhood friend.

«He's alive. The damn nerd is alive. I knew you'd be alive, idiot», Bakugo thought, swallowing the huge lump in his throat.

Behind Naoko and Eri, Toshinori approached slowly. His blue gaze, sunken in its sockets, reflected a relief so immense that it almost made his legs give out.

—Young Subaru... —the former symbol of peace murmured with a soft, hoarse voice, trying to control his sobs at seeing the one he considered his son—. You have fought so much, young Subaru. Much more than you should have, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you like I had promised.

"Excuse me...". Crusch approached cautiously, her posture firm but alert. "Do you know Subaru-dono? It seems you speak with great familiarity. He never spoke about you to us".

—Ha! Speak for yourself, Karsten —Priscilla interrupted with a proud smile—. That the commoner did not trust you is not our fault. Subaru has spoken a lot about his mother and the girl. Although I agree that he has not mentioned that living skeleton.

Toshinori raised his eyes, meeting the duchess's grimace at the orange-haired baroness's words.

The number one hero saw Crusch's sadness when they told her Subaru did not trust her much. He wondered what relationship his successor had with all these people, they seemed very important to him.

—My name is Toshinori Yagi —All Might answered. An echoing gasp was heard in the theater. Priscilla saw her jester let out an incredulous and worried shriek—. I am... or was, a hero. To young Subaru, I was his teacher. And, in a way, he is like a son to me. It fills me with pride to see that, no matter where he went, he kept touching people's hearts.

—N-no... it can't be! Y-you... All Might...?! IMPOSSIBLE!!! —all eyes turned toward the voice behind a helmet. Aldebaran was incredulous. He could not be All Might... All Might is the symbol of peace, someone incredibly strong, not a bag of bones.

Everyone's eyes opened wide. No one who knew Subaru Natsuki would not know who All Might was. Subaru made sure to talk about him as if he were Volcanica himself.

—Pal told me that All Might's real name is Toshinori Yagi... —Al continued with a trembling voice. A drop of sweat rolled down everyone's forehead upon seeing the helmeted man's exaggerated behavior. He looked like a little child—. All Might isn't a bag of bones, he is strong, the best hero in the world!.

"That idiot is right!". Garfiel affirmed, not caring that he had insulted Priscilla's knight. "The captain said his incredible hero was awesome, that he never lost and always smiled".

All Might laughed softly. A feeling of warmth filled his heart upon knowing that his successor had not forgotten him despite all his mistakes. He directed his gaze to all the new people who knew the hero thanks to Subaru.

—It seems young Subaru didn't tell you everything about me... —everyone paid attention to the man—. It's a very long story, and I don't think this is the time to tell it. BUT EVERYTHING IS ALL RIGHT! WHY...?

If Aldebaran's eyes could be seen, everyone would have seen them popping out of their sockets. The one-armed man would recognize those words wherever he was. Everyone else did not understand what the man meant, they simply limited themselves to paying attention.

The members from Japan shook their heads with an amused smile. They remembered and greatly missed the form of the Symbol of Peace. His smile, bad jokes, and his mere presence that made them feel safe.

—Because I am here —everyone in the room witnessed that skeletal man transform into a muscular guy, with two blond tufts of pointed hair and a huge smile capable of lighting up the darkest night.

But just as it came, it left in 5 seconds. A huge cloud of smoke came out around the former hero's muscular body, leaving behind the same gaunt man coughing blood.

—Years ago, a villain gave me a mortal wound. Because of that wound, my body slowly weakened until it ended up in this state —All Might explained. It no longer bothered him so much, not after All For One had died definitively.

Everyone was surprised by the new information. Subaru had always spoken to them about All Might but never about his wound or his pitiful state.

—¡¡¡Shit, it’s All Might!!! —Al screamed as if he were seeing a living God. Although for him, that was what All Might was—. ¡Mister All Might... you are my fan...! ¡No, damn it...! I mean, I’m your fan. ¡Shit! It’s All Might in person —the one-armed man didn’t care if the hero was skeletal, just having him close was already a great achievement for a fanatic.

Everyone stayed watching the scene of the man with the helmet with a nervous smile. Those from Japan couldn’t blame him after being friends with the biggest fan in All Might’s history.

On the contrary, those from Lugunica were shocked to see the knight of the proudest candidate acting so fanatical. The worst of all was Priscilla. The candidate’s face was hidden behind her fan, which was full of irritation.

—¡All Might, can you sign me a...!

He didn’t manage to finish speaking, since he only felt a kick fall onto his helmet, sending him instantly to the floor and putting a dent in his helmet.

"¡Shut up, buffoon!". Priscilla growled. "If your filthy existence does not want to be burned right now, I order you to stop acting so pathetically".

—Shit... that girl really is harsh, and sexy...

Todoroki heard Mineta’s words, and his hero instinct activated quickly. —Mineta, I think if you say one word to that woman, you won’t come out alive.

—Mister All Might, are you injured? —Crusch asked firmly but with a touch of concern. Now that her memories were intact, she remembered how Subaru spoke about his hero and the person who was like a father to him.

All Might nodded, downplaying it. —That’s right, miss. But it’s not something that affects me much. I mean, I’ve had this injury for 7 years, and now I feel it as part of me.

—¡¿Nya...?! ¿7 years and they haven’t done anything to help you? —Felix asked, stunned and upset. As a healer, negligence of that level was unforgivable.

"Allow me to clarify that it is not the fault of our medical system or our doctors". Nezu stepped forward. If his assumptions were correct, he would not allow them to speak badly of his world. "Our dear Toshinori has been very reckless in his life. Even when the most experienced doctor told him not to keep working, he did not stop, even without a stomach and with destroyed ribs".

All Might blushed as he saw everyone looking at him with a frown, even the people who didn’t know him. He felt that the principal had betrayed him.

But the angriest of all was Felix. Now he understood where Subaru-kyun got all that stupidity from.

But before the reprimand toward the hero could happen, a sharp snap echoed through the entire theater.

​The immense wall of black crystal that dominated the front of the place suddenly shone, filling the hall with a white light that made everyone cover their eyes. When the light dimmed, the black crystal was no longer a crystal, but a giant screen, crystalline and sharp.

​—¡¿What the hell?! ¡¿Why is that wall glowing?! —Garfiel shouted, stepping back and covering his eyes.

"¡Don’t be an idiot, Garfiel!". Otto covered his eyes with his hat. "¡Obviously it’s a high-level magic mirror!"

—Not even your two heads make one —Ram mocked with a derisive smile—. Don’t you realize, pair of fools, that thing looks a lot like the Metia Barusu calls 'Phone'.

​Neither of those things, merchant. The Oni maid, Ram, is correct.

A voice echoed through the hall. It did not come from any particular place, but seemed to be born from the very air. It was deep, neutral, and absolute.

Ram and Otto narrowed their eyes while looking at the screen. Whoever had brought them to that place knew who they were.

Welcome, all of you. Both the inhabitants of the World of Quirks, and the residents of the World of Magic

The words floated in the air, provoking immediate but drastically different reactions on both sides of the aisle.

​—¿World of... Quirks? —Crusch frowned, looking at Wilhelm and Felix—. ¿What does that word mean? ¿Is it some kind of foreign noble title?

​—I do not know, Crusch-sama —Felix answered, scratching one of his cat ears with genuine confusion—. I have never heard about "Quirks" in the healing texts nor in the kingdom’s records, nya.

​Felt crossed her arms, tilting her head and showing a fang. —¿Quirks? Sounds like something the nobles of the capital would invent to charge more taxes. Reinhard, do you know what that is?

The Sword Saint shook his head, his usually serene expression showing clear intrigue. —I am sorry, Felt-sama. Not even my Divine Protections grant me knowledge about that term.

Meanwhile, in Emilia’s camp, Garfiel and Otto exchanged glances, but Emilia, Rem, and Beatrice remained silent. On the other side of the hall, Priscilla Barielle simply fanned herself, closing her eyes with indifference. The baroness had no intention of handing over her divine knowledge to low-level beings like all those commoners, while Al, beside her, coughed dryly under his metallic helmet to conceal himself.

On the U.A. side, however, the reaction was completely different.

​—¡Pfft... ha, ha, ha! —Denki Kaminari covered his mouth, trying to hold back his laughter—. ¡¿"World of magic"?! ¡¿Did you hear that?! ¡The guy who brought us here is still doing a role-playing game!.

​—¡Oh, no way, you’re right, Kaminari! —Mina Ashido leaned on Hanta Sero, laughing loudly—. ¡The mysterious voice is also into the role-playing game! ¡I thought only these cosplayers were acting, but it turns out the whole theater is an escape room with a medieval theme!

Only some from their world did not believe this was a game. They saw it as too serious to be one, not to mention that Subaru would not have been lost for a year away from his loved ones.

—¡It’s super immersive! —Mei shrieked, getting dangerously close to the screen, with her eyes spinning like camera lenses—. ¡¿Could it be a hologram with artificial intelligence programmed with a 'Game Master' personality?! ¡What a good baby!

​—¡Hatsume, step away from the unknown light source! —Iida cut through the air with his arms, trying to maintain order—. ¡Even if it is a simulation or an elaborate role-playing game, we must maintain hero discipline!

—A role-playing game... —Melissa adjusted her red glasses—. That would explain the extravagant clothes and the vocabulary. We must have been transported to a Safety Commission facility for a cultural shock training exercise —she murmured to herself, but Melissa’s great intelligence told her that something was not right with all of this.

And as if the world wanted to clear her mind, an irritated voice completely silenced everyone in her world.

—¡It’s not a damn game, you idiot extras! —Bakugo roared, his voice silencing his class’s laughter. His scarlet eyes glared at Kaminari and Mina—. ¡That light went through our attacks! ¡The nerd is right there in front of us and he never asked to come back with us! ¡Aizawa-sensei can’t erase anything from these people! ¡Open your damn eyes!

The laughter died instantly. Aizawa nodded somberly, his hand resting on the capture weapon around his neck.

​—Bakugo is right —Aizawa declared, his voice cutting through the U.A. atmosphere like a knife—. None of this is a game. Whoever brought us here just declared that we come from two different worlds.

Aizawa, although he was still reluctant to agree with Nezu, little by little was starting to think the rat was right. Everything that was happening made no sense.

​—It can’t be... —Uraraka Ochaco looked at Subaru, then at Emilia, and finally at the screen—. ¿Two worlds?

​Listen carefully, There are no performances in this domain. You, the heroes and students, come from Earth, a world where genetic evolution granted humanity biological abilities called Quirks, or Gifts. A world driven by science and technology.

The world of heroes nodded with certainty. That was a history everyone knew, a history that had begun 200 years ago in China. The beginning of Quirks was a story taught to every child at an early age.

But the world of knights had their eyes wide open. There were only two camps that knew the truth about the world where the spiritual knight, Subaru Natsuki, was born. But the others were in shock upon hearing that such a close friend came from beyond the waterfall.

​And you, knights, merchants, and candidates for queen... come from Lugunica. A flat world, governed by mana, great spirits, and Divine Protections. A world where magic is not a fairy tale, but the fundamental law of nature, and Earth’s technology is completely nonexistent.

Things changed, now the world of heroes was stunned. So many stories, so many romance novels, medieval fantasy Isekai, so many games that most children played, turned out to be reality... a reality that, apparently, their friend and the hero who saved the world had to face.

​The silence that followed was absolute, broken only by Subaru’s soft breathing.

Julius was the first to break the paralysis. He took a step toward the center of the aisle, looking at Aizawa and Endeavor with wide eyes.

​—¿Biological... evolution? —Julius pronounced the words as if they were from an alien language—. ¿Do you mean those flames... that ice... and those explosions... are not magic? ¿You do not use mana to alter the laws of the world?

​—What the hell is mana? —Endeavor replied, crossing his arms, with the fire of his beard crackling—. My fire is the product of my genetics. My body produces and regulates these flames. I was born with this Quirk, just like eighty percent of the population of our world.

​—¡Ha! —Felt let out a nervous laugh, pointing at the enormous number one hero—. ¡Yeah, sure! ¡And I was born with dragon wings! Fire comes from the mana gate, old man. Don’t try to fool me.

​—He is not lying, girl —Hawks intervened, tilting his head and pointing at himself—. My metabolism was that of a bird of prey. I had real wings growing from my back until a year ago.

Wilhelm closed his eyes, stroking the hilt of his sword. —Then... that means you do not have a magic gate, or you do not use mana. That is because, in your world, mana simply does not exist.

​—¡Exactly! —Hatsume jumped forward, grabbing her head with both hands—. ¡¿You’re telling me that you launch fireballs, heal wounds, and generate ice... without batteries?! ¡¿Without extreme calorie consumption?! ¡¿What is this "mana"?! ¡¿Is it a clean and infinite energy source?! ¡I need to dissect one of you right now!

«¿Why do I feel like Hatsume wants to copy my style...?». Nejire thought, puffing out her cheeks. Those lines of questions and curiosity belonged to her, not Hatsume.

​—¡Stay away from me, crazy woman! —Garfiel stepped back, showing his fangs, clearly frightened by the scientific intensity of the pink-haired girl.

​—It’s fascinating... that means my hypothesis was correct... —Nezu, the U.A. principal, murmured, rubbing his paws—. If what the entity says is true, we are facing a pure interdimensional collision. Different laws of physics, different evolutionary developments. How fun...!

Aizawa now really wanted to be buried alive so he could rest. Seeing the rat so excited was a clear example that the world would soon explode... or in this case, both worlds.

​—One moment —Todoroki took a step forward, his usual expressionless face showing a crack of genuine surprise—. If they are from a world of magic... and we are from a world of Quirks... ¿What is Natsuki doing with you?

​Everyone from Class 2-A looked at Emilia’s camp.

Naoko, who was still caressing her sleeping son’s hair, raised her eyes, filled with tears but shining with the need for answers.

​—My baby... —Naoko whispered, her voice trembling—. He disappeared in the middle of a terrible battle... We thought that... that a villain had kidnapped him. ¿How did he get there? ¿How did he get to your world?

Emilia tightened her hands over her lap, looking at Naoko with deep empathy.

​—We... do not know exactly, Naoko-san —Emilia answered, her voice sweet and sorrowful—. He says he simply appeared in the Royal Capital one day. He was wearing these same clothes. He was very confused at first, and he did not understand how our world worked. He had no money, he knew no one... but he saved my life that very day.

​—¡That damn nerd! —Bakugo passed a hand over his face, letting out a dry, almost hysterical laugh—. ¡¿Are you shitting me?! ¡¿That idiot Deku was literally sent to another world?! ¡¿Like in the damn manga we read as kids?!

"Tch... ¡¿Why should we believe a damn screen?!". Mirko shouted, crossing her arms. "¿Who assures us that guy isn’t some damn idiot with weird fetishes?"

—Wow... I didn’t expect someone like you to be the voice of reason, Rumi —Kaina mocked with a smile. But she also became serious when she saw her sleeping hero in the front row—. Although I don’t think it’s a deception, at least not completely. That idiot had enough power to bring a large number of people and pro heroes.

"The sexy girl is right". Ricardo affirmed confidently. But he quickly felt a chill when he saw Kaina looking at him with a murderous aura. He quickly looked away to see everyone else. "Besides, he had the power to bring the Sword Saint. Any ordinary idiot wouldn’t have that much power".

​—¡They’re saying Natsuki is an Isekai protagonist! —Mineta, Kaminari, and Sero shouted in unison, grabbing their heads with tears in their eyes. The first two because they were thinking about having an isekai harem.

​—¡And we were thinking he had been kidnapped by the remnants of the League of Villains or that his body had been disintegrated by the singularity of his Quirk! —Kirishima added, tears of relief appearing in his eyes—. ¡It’s so manly to survive a dimensional journey!

"I... I wouldn’t be so sure...". A timid voice was heard like a whisper. "We don’t know if Subaru had to go through very difficult things...". Tamaki regretted speaking when he realized that all the eyes were directed at him. He quickly hid behind Mirio with his body trembling. "Please, Mirio, help me...".

—¡Ha! You shouldn’t be afraid, brat —Beatrice smiled proudly—. Betty’s contractor is a fool, but he is also incredible, in fact.

Naoko and All Might smiled with pride but also sadness for not having been with Subaru. Eri had cried so much that she fell asleep on Subaru’s chest.

"¡¡¡Awwwwwws!!! ¡What a cute and sweet little girl!". Mina and Toru sang in unison.

—I suppose Betty’s cuteness has no limits, in fact —the spirit girl affirmed, crossing her arms. But after a second she realized everything they had said—. ¡¡¡¿Who are you calling a little girl, I suppose?!!!

​—¡Awesome! Then... all those strange stories the Captain told... —Garfiel looked at Bakugo, then Todoroki, and finally All Might—. When he talked about metal carriages that moved by themselves, about people flying without magic... ¡¿he wasn’t crazy?!

"I can’t believe how idiotic you are, Garfiel". Ram shook her head, even more disappointed in the idiot. "It’s foolish that you didn’t believe Barusu after all the proof he showed you".

—¡Hey, don’t blame me! I thought the captain was a good artist

"That’s the problem, Garfiel... you thought". Ram answered with a mocking smile. Making the boy growl in annoyance

—¡Ha! Not only are you a simple extra, you’re also a brainless idiot —Bakugo’s smile widened even more when he saw the extra growling at him with visible anger.

​—It was called technology and Quirks, young man —All Might answered, smiling with melancholy, also trying to keep Bakugo from starting a war with the other world—. Young Subaru was always a boy with an incredible imagination, but everything he told you about his home was true.

—I can’t believe it... —Anastasia brought a hand to her forehead, feeling like she was going to get a migraine—. Emilia’s knight is from another dimension. No wonder I could never find anything about him before he met the Sword Saint.

​—¡And he is the bearer of an inherited power in our world! —Iida added, moving his arms vigorously.

"¡Hey! If you say the purple knight has a stick up his ass, your friend isn’t far behind". Felt said, watching Iida’s exaggerated gestures.

—Lady Felt. I ask you, please, to behave decently and not insult Subaru’s friends —Reinhard said with a kind smile, but deep down he felt embarrassed by his lady’s behavior.

Felt clicked her tongue, irritated by her knight’s scolding.

Crusch Karsten looked at Iida, intrigued. —¿Inherited power? Subaru-dono has physical strength that surpasses many low-ranking knights of the guard. However, he completely lacks the skill to be able to defeat a knight like Julius, except for the spiritual magic he must use with Beatrice-sama. I do not think that "Quirk" is something special?

—¿Eh...? ¿What do you mean the Captain’s power isn’t awesome? ¿Are you stupid or...?

A strong blow made Garfiel stop insulting a royal candidate. Although everyone knew what he was going to say, Felix was the one about to commit murder if it had not been for Crusch realizing it and calming him down.

"Garfiel, don’t be an idiot". Frederica scolded him with a feline voice and a lethal glare. "Don’t you realize Crusch-sama had lost her memory because of Gluttony".

—Although I agree with how stupid Garf was. But it also doesn’t make sense that Crusch-sama doesn’t remember her life with amnesia —Otto commented, rubbing his chin.

"Thank you, Frederica, but you don’t have to be so hard on Garfiel-san". Crusch said with a calm smile.

—¡But Crusch-sama, that idiot called you "stupid"! ¡He should receive the punishment he deserves for insulting someone as incredible as you! —Felix replied with anger in his eyes.

"Wow... it seems that girl wants to score points with the military woman. ¿Could she be in love?". Hawks wondered, watching the interaction from afar.

—Oh old man, don’t get confused with that guy. He’s a man who likes to dress as a cat girl —the one-armed man answered him.

"¿Seriously? Well, what a waste". Hawks replied, shrugging.

—I understand your annoyance, Ferris, but I cannot blame Garfiel. We do not know each other yet, besides, it is my fault. Since the Guardian returned my memories to me, there are many confusing things I experienced while amnesiac.

"¿Are you alright, lady Crusch?". Wilhelm approached upon hearing his lady’s words.

—Do not worry, Wilhelm-dono. It is probably only confusion from my memories. That was what the Guardian told me.

"Let me remind you, Crusch-sama. Subaru-kyun is not a weakling like we all believed at first. He hid a very strong power from us".

—¡That’s right! —Emilia interrupted with a proud smile—. My knight is incredibly strong. One of the strongest and the coolest of all.

"Enjoy it while you can, Half-idiot. That commoner will be mine because I have decided so". Priscilla affirmed without a hint of lie in her voice.

Emilia glared at her. She still remembered all the letters she sent to her telling her to give her the commoner, or the letters she sent Subaru that always made him turn red.

Aldebaran grew nervous remembering what the princess confessed in the royal capital. If the screen showed that conversation, he was sure that his princess and Bro’s would kill each other.

Ochaco, Nejire, Momo, and Kaina frowned upon hearing the girls fight over Subaru as if he belonged to them. But they decided not to say anything for the moment to avoid more problems.

But there was one girl who was completely confused by what she was hearing.

—Lady Emilia... I am not understanding —Rem looked at her lady, waiting for answers—. ¿What do you mean Subaru-kun has a special power?

The half-elf looked at Rem as if she had grown a second head. But she quickly remembered that Rem had fallen because of Gluttony at that time. She was going to explain to Rem, but Ram went ahead.

"What Emilia-sama means, is that it turned out Barusu is not a complete useless person like we all believed".

—Shut up Ram. Only you thought the captain was useless —Garfiel frowned.

"¡Ha! Because the wonderful Ram is never wrong".

—You just admitted that you were wrong about Natsuki-san, Ram-san —Otto also looked at Ram with a frown.

"I don’t understand what you are talking about, merchant". Ram crossed her arms, maintaining her proud composure, but without speaking anymore since she was being cornered.

Beatrice clicked her tongue, annoyed with the pink-haired maid, but looked at her sister with pride. —You were asleep when Betty’s Subaru showed his true power, in fact.

Rem opened her eyes like plates. She remembered that although her beloved was incredible, he never showed a special power, apart from his unique spells. She was going to ask more, but another voice stopped her.

—Yes, yes... all very nice with the brat and his amazing power. When we train again, I’ll give him a beating to bring down the ego you’ve all raised in him —Mirko said with irritation—. But the most important thing now is getting out of this shit, or at least, knowing what that idiot wants.

—That’s right —Aizawa nodded—. We can’t stay here waiting for everyone to catch up.

Thank you, heroine Mirko and Eraser head. That answers the how and why of his abilities. However, I did not bring you here to discuss quantum physics or mana theory. I brought you here so the world of heroes can see what happened to Subaru Natsuki after his disappearance.

A wave of murmurs ran through the hall.

​—¡YES! —Mina Ashido jumped, raising her fists—. ¡Of course we want to see it! ¡He disappeared for a whole year! ¡We want to know what crazy adventures our friend had!

​—¡Exactly! —Uraraka nodded vigorously, joining her hands at chest height—. ¡We want to know if he ate well, if he slept, if he was safe!

—Oh friend... there’s something there... —Ricardo whispered to Hawks and Al, who were nearby. He didn’t have to be an expert to read the atmosphere of the girl with flushed cheeks.

«Shit... I hope the conversation in the capital doesn’t come out...» Al thought, sweating coldly. Now he saw how all of this could start a war.

​—I am very interested in seeing how he applied hero combat tactics in an environment with unknown rules —Momo murmured, creating a small notebook and a pen with her Quirk, ready to take notes. Although she did not say that she was more interested in knowing if Subaru had been okay.

​—I want to see how my baby went through it... —Naoko smiled through tears, caressing Subaru’s cheek—. I want to see all the wonderful things he did. I’m sure he was the best hero of all, right, All Might?

—Without a doubt, Naoko-san —Toshinori affirmed, his chest swelling with pride.

Julius took a step forward, frowning and crossing his arms. —I apologize, Mister Guardian, but I do not see the point of this. We have lived alongside Subaru. We know his journey. I do not see the point of seeing it again.

​—Julius is right —Crusch supported, her posture firm and unwavering—. Subaru-dono was fundamental in the defeat of the White Whale and in the battle against Sloth. We were there. We witnessed his bravery. I do not see the need to be forced to watch memories of the past that we already know perfectly. It is a waste of our valuable time.

All the heroes were impressed upon hearing that their friend led a battle against new enemies. Of course, it was not so surprising remembering his stellar participation in the war.

Felt crossed her arms. —I wouldn’t mind seeing big brother’s fights again. I prefer that to this idiot making me study like crazy.

Reinhard was embarrassed by his lady’s words, although he also let out a tired sigh.

—And not to mention... —Ram’s cold and calculating voice cut through the air, from her place behind Roswaal—. Showing Barusu’s journey would imply revealing confidential secrets of Emilia-sama’s camp.

Otto and Garfiel looked at each other, nodding at the words of the pink-haired maid. They had secrets from the Sanctuary, private conversations. They did not want all of Lugunica to see the moments of vulnerability of their camp.

​Class 2-A blinked, surprised by the cold refusal of the magical world.

​—¡Hey, don’t be like that! —Eijiro Kirishima complained, slightly hardening his fists from frustration—. ¡He’s your friend too, isn’t he?! ¡¿Don’t you want to see his great moments?!

​—¡It is not out of ill will, young man with red hair! —Otto tried to explain, moving his hands nervously—. It is a matter of politics... ¡Ah, this is a headache!

However, before Emilia’s camp could consolidate its refusal, the sound of a fan closing echoed with the force of a whip crack.

​Priscilla smiled, her red eyes shining with savage and arrogant amusement.

​—What a bunch of fearful fools —Priscilla mocked, covering half her face with the fan—. "State secrets", you say. "We already know everything", you claim. What vulgar arrogance for beings who clearly cannot see beyond their own noses.

​—¡¿What did you say, haughty princess?! —Garfiel growled, showing his teeth.

​—I said what I said, mangy dog —Priscilla answered with total calm—. The world is made for my entertainment, and if the universe itself, through this bodiless voice, brought me here to show me Subaru’s life... then it means there is something worth seeing, apart from what he has already shown. I will not oppose it. My divine being wants to see again how that foolish commoner became the "hero knight" that all of you idolize.

"Princess...". Al whispered to her, clearly nervous. "If it shows us Pal’s journey, it is very likely that it will show what you told him in the capital".

—All the more reason, Buffoon —Priscilla affirmed with an even more savage smile—. I want that Half-fool to realize that my divine being will keep the commoner.

​—¡Hahahahahaha! —Ricardo Welkin let out a deafening laugh, slapping his thigh—. ¡The princess has a point! Besides, Miss Ram, no offense, but knowing the secrets of Emilia’s camp is exactly the reason my boss would want to stay.

​Anastasia Hoshin smiled widely, stroking her fox scarf with delight. —Oh, Ricardo knows me so well. Information is money, and money is power. If this "screen" is going to show hidden truths, Anastasia Hoshin will not miss a single second. I accept the invitation, Mister Guardian.

​—¡You are vultures, in fact! —Beatrice shouted, standing protectively in front of Subaru—. ¡No one has the right to rummage through my contractor’s mind!

​The Guardian let the chaos grow a little more before intervening with a voice that made the theater floor vibrate.

​You, knights and candidates, claim to know Subaru Natsuki’s journey. You believe you saw him fight. You believe you witnessed his bravery. You know nothing.

Those words left the cast of Lugunica bewildered. What was it that they did not know about Subaru’s journey?. Emilia’s camp was the most confused since they had seen him every day.

Roswaal was the only one who perfectly understood what the Guardian meant. A smile of genuine interest appeared on his face.

All of you will leave when the visits are over. For the moment, the only thing you can do is sit down and watch the entire truth about Subaru Natsuki.

Those words made it so no one could complain. If the Guardian was not lying, it meant either Subaru and Emilia’s camp had lied, or there were things no one had realized about the boy from another world.

The lights of the immense hall slowly dimmed, leaving only warm and soft lighting over the stands, while the giant screen in front of them remained black, humming faintly.

​Little by little, the combat instinct of both worlds faded, replaced by morbid curiosity and deep concern. They began looking for seats, but far from remaining divided into two sides, the theater’s design and human curiosity itself made the worlds begin to mix chaotically and naturally.

​Subaru’s seat was the most imposing of all. It was in the center of the first row, a wide and padded seat, almost like a small reclining bed, where the black-haired boy rested.

​Around him, the dispute for the nearby places was resolved almost without words.

Naoko did not move from his right side. Her hand held her son’s, her thumb gently caressing Subaru’s bruised knuckles. Beside her, like a silent guardian, Toshinori sat upright, his sunken eyes fixed on the black screen.

​On Subaru’s left side, Emilia took a seat, her hands intertwined over her lap, her amethyst eyes unable to leave the boy’s face.

Rem, who had been kneeling near Subaru’s legs, hesitated for a second, looking at Naoko and Emilia. But the half-elf smiled sweetly and patted the wide seat beside her.

​—Sit here, Rem. There is enough space —Emilia said in a whisper.

Rem nodded shyly, her blue eyes shining with restrained tears, and took a seat. She felt a warmth in her chest that she believed she had lost; being near her hero, seeing that he had not forgotten her, was all she needed.

Eri and Beatrice were missing.

​The small white-haired girl puffed out her cheeks, looking at the girl in an extravagant dress and drill-shaped twin tails. Beatrice with her arms crossed, returning the look with the same intensity.

​—I am his daughter —Eri declared, her voice small but firm, pointing at Subaru’s chest—. And Naoko is his mommy. I want to sit with my daddy.

​—Betty is his contracted great spirit, in fact —Beatrice replied, furrowing her little brow and lifting her chin—. I have spiritual priority, I suppose. My rightful place is always on his lap or hugging his arms, in fact.

​Eri tilted her head, her red eyes analyzing Beatrice before having a brilliant idea. —Daddy has two legs. We can share. One for you and one for me.

Beatrice blinked, completely disarmed by the girl’s crushing logic. She let out a long sigh, closing her eyes with childish drama. She also knew that the girl was her Subaru’s adopted daughter, which meant that as the guardian of the Natsuki family, she had to take care of her.

​—I suppose Betty can be magnanimous for today. I accept your treaty, girl, in fact.

Both little girls settled in, Eri on Subaru’s right leg and Beatrice on the left. Naoko looked at them with infinite tenderness, caressing both their heads, which made Beatrice blush all the way to her ears but not move the hand away.

In the row immediately behind them, Ochaco, Momo, and Nejire watched the scene with melancholic smiles.

​—¿Shouldn’t we try to sit next to Baru? —Nejire whispered, floating one centimeter above her seat, looking at Subaru—. ¡I want so badly to hug him and ask him what kind of villains he fought against! ¡It must have been awesome, but look at him, he’s all asleep!

​—There will be time for that, Nejire-senpai —Momo answered, elegantly settling on Nejire’s left side—. Right now, Naoko-san and Eri-chan need him more. And it seems those two girls, Emilia and Rem, are also very important to him in that world. I don’t think they would give up their places without fighting.

—That makes sense —Uraraka sat on the other side of Nejire, crossing her legs and sighing—. Deku-kun has always been like that. He always attracts people, saves them, and becomes their pillar. No matter what world he is in, he remains the number one hero.

The three girls sat together, behind Subaru. Nejire in the center and the other two girls at her sides. None of them wanted to move away from his side now that he was with everyone again, but they could not allow his mother and the one he saw as his father to be separated for now.

Kaina watched from afar with a melancholic smile. She also wanted to be with Subaru and see that the person who saved her was alright, but she decided to wait for the moment.

​—Although I still think it’s unfair that a cute boy ends up in another world surrounded by such pretty girls —Mina Ashido joked, dropping herself into the seat beside Jiro—. ¡Look at them! The silver-haired girl is literally an angel and the maid girl looks super devoted. ¡Natsuki built himself an isekai harem without us! —Mina joked.

​—¡Ashido, please, have some respect! —Iida, sitting beside Mina, moved his arms rigidly—. ¡We do not know what Natsuki has gone through! ¡This is not the time for romantic theories!

Shinso yawned and leaned back in his seat. —Knowing Natsuki, he probably got into so much trouble that he didn’t even have time to realize the girls were looking at him.

—¿Do you seriously believe that? —Todoroki asked, sitting beside Hatsume—. Natsuki is usually very observant.

"If it’s about Quirks". Melissa affirmed, sitting beside Momo, next to Hatsume. "I don’t think Subaru is the smartest with girls".

Meanwhile, in the back rows of the theater, on the right side, a strange alliance of relaxed personalities was forming.

Hawks walked with his hands behind his head, whistling a catchy melody. He dropped into a wide seat and, almost immediately, an enormous man with the head of a wolf-dog turned his gaze back toward him and a man with a metal helmet and one arm sat beside him.

​—Hey, wingless bird —Ricardo Welkin greeted, letting out a thunderous laugh that echoed—. So you’re one of those who makes jokes in the middle of a crisis, huh? I like you. I’m Ricardo, Captain of the Iron Fang.

—Hawks —the former number two hero smiled sideways, settling himself in the seat—. And I’m not wingless, friend. They’re just... taking an extended vacation. ¿And you’re the guard dog of the merchant group?

​—¡Ha, ha, ha! ¡Something like that! My boys and I are the best mercenaries in Lugunica.

​—You can call me Al —said the man with the helmet, reclining in the seat and crossing the only arm he had left over his chest. On his other side was the proud girl, Priscilla Barielle—. If I were you, I’d get comfortable. If the guy with the voice on the screen says we’re going to watch our bro’s life, this is going to be damn long.

​—Hey, metal man —Hawks tilted his head, looking at Al’s helmet with genuine curiosity—. ¿How the hell do you eat with that thing on? ¿Or do you photosynthesize with magic?

​Al let out a dry laugh under the metal. —It’s a state secret, blondie. But I assure you I eat better than you. Although I’d give half my salary for a double hamburger right now.

​Hawks raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the comment about the hamburger, but decided to let it pass.

—Alright, bird. I hope you can keep your mouth shut for once —Kaina and Mirko sat on Hawks’s right side, Kaina ending up at the corner of the seats.

"If you don’t shut up, I’ll break your legs". Mirko growled with a frown.

—¡Ha! They’ve got you under control, friend.

"Don’t even mention it. It looks like our new Bro already has someone to dominate him".

—¿Did you say something, Aldebaran? —Priscilla asked, glaring at him from beside him. Aldebaran tensed at feeling his lady’s presence. He shrank in his seat, praying to All Might to protect him.

—¿Do you have something to say to this girl, Ricardo?

"No, not at all, Ana-bo". The dog man said quickly, as if sweating buckets.

Hawks let out a laugh upon seeing how those big shoulders were completely controlled.

​A few seats below, the atmosphere was much louder and more volatile.

Katsuki Bakugo dropped into his seat aggressively, crossing his arms and frowning deeply. Beside him, Eijiro Kirishima and Denki Kaminari tried to get comfortable, ready to mediate if something exploded. And the chances of something exploding were high, because right in the seat in front, Garfiel had sat down, and he did not stop glaring at the ash-blond.

—Hey, explosion idiot —Garfiel growled, poking his head over the backrest—. You’d better not make noise during the projection. If my Captain did amazing things when he arrived, I don’t want your disgusting loser voice ruining the moment for me.

Bakugo’s jaw tensed instantly. Small sparks jumped from the tip of his nose.

​—¡¿Who are you calling a loser, you damn extra with a pet complex?! —Bakugo roared, leaning forward, almost touching foreheads with Garfiel—. ¡I am the rising number one hero, Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight! ¡And you’d better shut your dog snout, because at the first word you say, I’m going to blast the fleas off you!

​—¡¿Dynamite what?! —Garfiel let out a savage laugh, smashing his fists together—. ¡What a pathetic name! ¡It sounds like a cheap firecracker from the clown! ¡The amazing shield of the camp sounds a million times more intimidating than your stupid name!

​—¡I’m going to kill you! —Bakugo roared, raising the palm of his hand.

​—¡Try it, dyed blond! —Garfiel roared back.

​—¡Bakubro, Garf, please! —Kirishima and Otto shouted in unison, each grabbing their respective explosive blond by the shoulders to prevent a physical fight.

​—You two literally sound the same —Kyoka said while sitting next to Mina, covering her ears with her jacks and making a pained grimace—. It’s like listening to the same voice in stereo, but from the gates of hell. Please, shut the hell up for once before I break both your eardrums.

In the last row on the left side, in the corner, was Aizawa; beside him were Nezu and Endeavor. The number one hero was irritated because beside him sat an unsettling clown. Ram was next to her master like his faithful maid; on the other side was the baroness together with her jester, Hawks, Mirko, and in the corner, Lady Nagant.

Below them were Wilhelm in the left corner; beside him were Felix, Crusch, Federica, Petra, Mirio, and Tamaki. In the next seat were Anastasia, Julius, Mimi, Tivey, and Ricardo at the end.

In the next row below were the group from Class 2-A with Melissa and Hatsume, with Bakugo all the way in the left corner, Kirishima, Kaminari, Mineta, Sero, and Iida sitting to the left of Mina, Jiro, Toru, Tsuyu, and Uraraka, Nejire in the middle of all the girls and right behind Subaru. To his right were Momo, Melissa, Hatsume, Todoroki, Shinso, Sato, Aoyama, Koda, Shoji, Ojiro, and Tokoyami in the corner on the right side.

And in the first row on the left side were Otto, Garfiel, Rem, and Emilia. In the middle, Subaru was asleep, with Eri and Beatrice on his lap. To his right were Naoko, All Might, Felt, and Reinhard.

​—Your students have a lot of energy, Aizawa-dono —Wilhelm commented, his voice calm and wise, nodding respectfully toward the Erasure Hero who was seated behind him—. They remind me of the young knight recruits of the Royal Guard. Noisy, but with fire in their hearts.

​—They’re a constant headache, Wilhelm-san —Aizawa replied, sinking into the seat and rubbing the bridge of his nose, surprisingly comfortable with the calm presence of the elderly swordsman—. But they’re good kids. They survived a war against terror. They matured faster than they should have.

​—The gaze of those who have seen the abyss... —Wilhelm closed his eyes, nodding with melancholy—. I understand perfectly what you mean. Subaru-dono has that same gaze. A shadow in his eyes that only those who have walked over death possess.

—What do you really know about Deku? —Endeavor interrupted, crossing his thick arms and looking at Crusch Karsten—. If you had him on your side, why didn’t he find a way to return? Deku is a brilliant kid. If there was a technological or, I suppose, "magical" way to come back, he would have found it.

—Deku? —Crusch asked, confused.

"Oh, he didn’t tell you". Nezu answered with a cheerful smile. "Subaru Natsuki’s hero name is 'Deku'. If you want to know the meaning, you’d better ask him yourselves".

—I see... —Crusch murmured, savoring the hero name of the boy she had fought side by side with—. To tell the truth, I cannot tell you why he did not search for a way back, because I do not know.

—I understand —Endeavor nodded, accepting the duchess’s words—. Though I’m sure he didn’t look for an exit because he wanted to be a hero and save everyone he could. That brat is a special case.

—Ohhhhhh, what an eeeeeexquisite description of our dear Subaru-kun —Roswaal L. Mathers sang, crossing his legs in his seat and resting his chin on his hand—. He is a boy who breaks hiiiimself in order to repair others. Fascinating. Very, very fascinating.

​Aizawa shot him a murderous look with his only eye. —If that clown talks about Natsuki like that again, I’m going to strangle him with my capture weapon.

Ram frowned at the threat toward her lord, but preferred not to say anything for the moment.

​—Hey, look at this! —Mei shrieked, completely breaking the barrier of personal space. The inventor had risen from her seat to reach the cat.

​Mei was leaning over the back of Felix Argyle’s seat, touching and gently tugging on the healer’s cat ears, while he tried desperately to push her away.

​—They’re real cartilage! —Mei shouted, amazed—. The nervous connection to the skull is perfect! The nerve endings respond to touch! Can I take a blood sample to see how the feline mutation cells communicate with your sympathetic nervous system?! I have a syringe on my belt!

—Keep your crazy gadgets away from my ears, strange human, nya! —Felix cried, hiding behind his lady’s arm—. Crusch-sama, help me against the crazy girl with the goggles! Her eyes are really scary, nya!

​—Hatsume, for heaven’s sake, return to your seat! —Iida ran down the aisle, stopping beside Crusch and bowing at ninety degrees—. I offer my sincerest apologies on behalf of U.A. Academy! Our classmate belongs to the support and invention course; she completely lacks any sense of personal space!

—Don’t worry about that, strict young man —Anastasia laughed, poking her head in and inserting herself into the conversation without caring at all about Felix’s complaints—. Your pink-haired friend has a very good eye for the unusual and a very active mind. Tell me, young inventor...

did you say you build things without needing mana?

​—I build the best babies in all of Japan! —Mei puffed out her chest with pride, forgetting about Felix—. Mobility devices, pain suppressors, capture weapons! All mechanical and electrical!

Anastasia’s turquoise eyes shone with the symbol of gold. —If you ever find a way to travel between our worlds, look for me. We could make an incalculable fortune in Kararagi selling that "technology" of yours.

​—Business?! —Mei grabbed Anastasia’s hands, shaking them with manic enthusiasm—. I love people who speak the language of funding for my babies! We have to discuss patents!

Little by little, the immense theater filled with a constant and surprisingly lively murmur. The initial tensions had not disappeared completely.

Toshinori looked around. He saw medieval knights and modern students arguing, laughing, threatening one another, and trying to understand each other. Then he lowered his gaze toward Naoko, who did not take her dark eyes off Subaru’s face, and toward the two little girls, Eri and Beatrice, who were leaning against each other on the chest of the boy they both considered their father and protector.

«You’ve made great friends in this world too, young Subaru», All Might thought, smiling faintly as a solitary tear rolled down his sharp cheek. «Your light truly draws people in, no matter the world, no matter the eras, gifts, or magic. You’re still you.»

Attention, everyone.

​The Guardian’s voice echoed one last time, and everyone, from Bakugo to Garfiel, immediately fell silent, settling into their seats.

The story you are about to begin. The story of a hero who has prevented many tragedies in both worlds. Pay attention to every detail. Because understanding his suffering is the first step toward healing him... and yourselves.

The giant screen flickered with a snap. A soft buzz of static filled the room, the darkness of the crystal broke apart, and the image of a completely destroyed field illuminated the faces of both worlds.

The heroes knew that place, that moment from a year ago, very well. The inhabitants of Lugunica stared wide-eyed at the scene shown on the screen.

But one thing was certain.

​Subaru Natsuki’s journey into hell was about to begin.