"Hello, hello... Did I just miss something?" I asked as I approached Uraraka, who sat quietly in the waiting area.
She turned to me, her face visibly tired.
"My match with Bakugo is over. And right now... Midoriya is badly injured," she said softly.
My eyes widened slightly before shifting toward Bakugo, who stood still, his gaze hollow and unreadable.
"From the looks of it... you two won, didn't you?" I asked.
Uraraka nodded slowly, her expression distant.
"Yes. Midoriya and I managed to win."
I gave her a warm smile—an unspoken gesture of congratulations. She smiled back, though faintly.
"AIZAWA TSUKASA!!!" All Might called from afar.
I walked toward him calmly, a faint smile still lingering on my lips.
"It's your turn now," he announced. "You'll be playing the villain, guarding the nuclear device. Eraser Head and Present Mic will take the roles of heroes."
Without a word, I stepped into the building. But before disappearing inside, I took a moment to glance back—offering my father a subtle, knowing smile.
"Fight on~"
He let out a soft chuckle and raised his fist forward.
"Fight on," he replied.
I dashed inside, leaving the rest behind in silence as they began to watch from a monitor screen.
"Hey... Would you believe me if I said my kid has an extraordinary and unique Quirk?" my father suddenly asked, drawing Present Mic's attention.
"What do you—"
His question was cut short by a loud alarm signaling the start of the test.
Eraser Head—my father—burst into a sprint, completely ignoring Present Mic, who scrambled to catch up.
"Hey! What did you mean about your kid having a powerful Quirk?!" Present Mic shouted mid-run.
My father abruptly came to a stop, his feet screeching against the floor. Present Mic halted behind him, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath.
"This," my father said.
Present Mic raised an eyebrow in confusion. But the moment he looked up, his eyes widened in disbelief.
The interior of the building had completely transformed.
All Might rose from his seat in shock, stepping closer to the wide monitor screen. The students around him gasped, eyes wide with astonishment.
[Test! Test! Test!]
Present Mic glanced upward, trying to pinpoint the source of my voice.
"This... is the interesting part," my father repeated.
Light filled the space, revealing a scene that was even more jaw-dropping: the interior had shifted into a grand theater, resembling a grand opera hall carved out of a cavern.
"My child," my father said with quiet pride,
"has tremendous potential. Sometimes... he can even..."
"...set the rules himself—within limits."
***
"What... What the hell is this?!" Present Mic shouted, his voice booming with confusion.
From behind the curtain, I emerged—my eyes pitch black and void of any color, small fangs visible at the edge of my grin.
"Alright then! Time for a fight with Tsukasa's dad!" my father declared, falling into a combat stance and readying his capture weapon.
I chuckled softly.
"Sorry, Dad. I'm not the kind of naughty kid who'd hurt his own father… so I made a new rule."
The stage lights shifted, flooding the room in an intense crimson hue that focused directly on me.
Hakujoudai floated at my side. From it, a pitch-black cube materialized. I reached out and grasped it. Then, with a darkened expression, I raised the object to my face, grinning wide and sinister.
"I declare a new rule: Imagine this cube is a nuclear device—a nuclear warhead, and also a chess piece."
Present Mic swallowed hard, unease creeping up his spine. He turned to glance at my father, only to be met with a faint smile—one that suggested he'd seen this before.
"You have one task."
I tossed the cube into the air, and as it fell, it melted like liquid—then reformed into black and white chess pieces.
"Play the game. The real nuclear device aligns with either the white side or the black. If you manage to find the key piece and win the game… you'll be transported to the real warhead's location."
All Might's jaw dropped. This wasn't a battle at all... and my face at that moment—twisted in a wide grin, drenched in darkness—looked absolutely thrilled by the game ahead.
"Of course… I won't be guarding the warhead."
With those final words, I stepped back, turned around, and gave one last, theatrical bow.
"Please enjoy..."
"The game!!!"