U.A. High School — Lounge.
"Beep… beep… The number you have dialed is currently out of service or powered off. Please try again later."
All Might slowly lowered his phone, a faint sense of unease creeping into his chest.
"Neither Thirteen nor Aizawa can be reached… No matter the reason, I abandoned my students because of something unrelated to teaching…" He clenched his fist. "I've made a terrible mistake. What excuse could I possibly give if I only show up after class ends?"
He paused, thinking.
"But in about ten minutes… my body should recover enough…"
With that, he planted his feet firmly and forced power through his body. Muscles swelled, his frame expanding as strength surged back into him.
His eyes lit up—
He tried to stand—
"—Wait!"
A sudden voice cut him off.
A small animal stood at the doorway.
"Principal?" All Might recognized him instantly.
"YES! Whether I'm a mouse or a bear is unclear, but my true identity is… the principal!"
Nezu declared in his usual theatrical tone.
All Might gave a faint, tired smile as he crouched down. "Your fur looks especially well-groomed today."
"The secret is keratin. Humans can't achieve this kind of luster," Nezu replied casually. "But we'll discuss that later. Look at this first."
He held up his phone.
Displayed on the screen was a report: All Might resolved three incidents in just one hour.
All Might's expression shifted.
At first glance, it looked like proof of peace—but he knew better.
In the past, any city under his protection would see crime rates drop drastically. But today, in Shizuoka Prefecture, the opposite had happened.
That realization made his heart sink.
Nezu shook his head slightly. "Your body can no longer sustain that level of activity. And don't forget—you're responsible for nurturing the next successor of One For All. Taking a break isn't a bad thing."
"As for USJ… Aizawa and the others will handle it."
"All that is true…" All Might muttered, rubbing his hands together as if trying to brush the thought aside.
But Nezu calmly poured tea.
"First, let's talk about the fragile balance between being a hero and being a teacher."
"…"
Meanwhile — USJ.
"This is… a second quirk?!"
Shota Aizawa's eyes widened in shock.
The flying Nomu had changed again mid-combat.
He tried to evade—
But it was too late.
The massive creature slammed into the ground with crushing force, sending out a shockwave that blasted Aizawa several meters away. Before he could recover, another Nomu—already waiting—stepped in and struck.
Bang!
Aizawa couldn't dodge in time.
His body was sent flying.
These weren't ordinary enemies. Surrounded by multiple mutation-type Nomu, his Erasure quirk was rendered nearly useless. Within moments, he was forced onto the defensive, his stamina draining rapidly.
"These things… what kind of monsters are they…?!"
Only now did Aizawa fully grasp the scale of the threat.
If even he was struggling—what about the students?
Elsewhere in USJ—
As Kurogiri drifted forward, cloaked in swirling mist, Tenya Iida immediately stepped up.
"Everyone, fall back and prepare to engage!"
Though many students had been shaken at first, they quickly steadied themselves. Among them, Shoto Todoroki and Katsuki Bakugo burned with fighting spirit, clearly ready for battle.
Within seconds, Kurogiri reached them, his mist forming a dense vortex that radiated an ominous presence.
"A pleasure to meet you," he said calmly. "I am a representative of the League of Villains. Our purpose… is to kill All Might."
"So strong…" Iida's heart pounded violently.
This wasn't like anything he had faced before. The sheer pressure alone made it hard to breathe.
The others felt it too.
Kill All Might?
What kind of organization even dared to say that?
"Who cares what your goal is?" Bakugo sneered, stepping forward without hesitation. "You showed up in front of me—so just die!"
A burst of explosive light ignited in his palm as he launched himself forward.
At the same time, Kirishima Eijiro hardened both arms into blade-like forms and charged alongside him.
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted.
"Did it work?!"
Everyone stared, holding their breath.
"…That was close," Kurogiri's voice echoed from within the smoke, completely unharmed. "You're all still unpolished—but clearly not to be underestimated."
"Everyone, fall back!" Thirteen raised a hand, a miniature black hole forming at her fingertip.
This enemy was far more dangerous than expected.
Just then—
A calm voice spoke from the side.
"Leave this one to me."
It was Shina Etsuha.
"Etsuha, be careful!" Thirteen warned immediately. "This opponent isn't something you should face directly. Focus on protecting your classmates!"
She knew how strong he was—but this was a real villain, not a training exercise.
Yet what happened next stunned everyone.
The moment Kurogiri saw Etsuha—
His entire demeanor changed.
"Shina Etsuha?! Damn it—why are you here?!"
"Eh?"
Before anyone could react—
A dark portal snapped open beneath him—
And in an instant—
Kurogiri vanished.
He fled.
Without even attempting to fight.