In that moment… it was as if my body was swallowed whole by a shadow, vanishing into the darkness.
Present Mic stood frozen, then slowly turned to my father.
"What does this mean, Eraser Head?" he asked, his voice laced with genuine confusion.
My father let out a soft chuckle.
"Well… never mind that. More importantly, do you still remember how to play chess?"
Present Mic's eyes widened in disbelief.
"No way. He's just bluffing. There has to be a way out of this."
He began walking down another corridor, muttering to himself along the way.
"How can you just give up like that, huh?"
As he continued through the dimly lit hallway, a faint glow caught his eye. A thin smile curved on Present Mic's lips.
He stepped toward the light, his stride filled with cautious hope. But what he found… was his friend, already seated, chin resting on his hand, as if he'd been waiting there all along.
My father glanced up, then offered a faint smile.
"Wait… are you telling me there really isn't any other way out of here?"
My father chuckled again, scratching his head and yawning lazily.
"I told you, didn't I? There's only one rule. Beyond that... there's nothing else we can do."
***
The exam had finally come to an end. Each student had given their all—performing brilliantly, leaving a lasting impression.
Yet… amid the applause and praise, a single question quietly surfaced: "What exactly is Tsukasa's Quirk?" Perhaps that thought lingered in many of their minds.
Meanwhile, from a distance, Yaoyorozu watched me. She observed how I chatted cheerfully with the others, how I accepted the stream of compliments with an innocent smile.
Our eyes met. I returned her gaze with a faint, cold smile.
She quickly looked away. I let out a soft chuckle and began walking toward her.
"Yaoyorozu-san, you were incredible out there," I said, offering her a subtle, polite smile.
She glanced at me with mild disdain before giving a small nod.
"Yeah. You were impressive too," she replied curtly.
Just then, a boy approached, his costume looking rather plain. I lit up and ran toward him.
"You're Todoroki-san, right? You were amazing as well!"
"Shut up. Just because you beat a teacher doesn't mean we're the same. I'm better than you," he snapped coldly, his eyes sharp with hostility.
Without another word, he walked away.
I slowly stepped back, returning to stand beside Yaoyorozu.
"Seems like a lot of people hate me," I said quietly.
Yaoyorozu let out a dry, bitter laugh that felt more like a jab than sympathy.
"Yeah… I suppose you've made quite a few enemies."
I raised an eyebrow and sighed deeply.
"As long as I'm having fun, I don't really care."
And with that, I walked away, followed by a few other students preparing to change and head home.
I returned to class after changing clothes and found many students already there. Among their faces, I could see awe, hesitation—and a hint of fear.
"E-Ehem… Umm… Hey, Aizawa-kun! I'm Kirishima Eijirou! You were incredible out there, man! I got chills!" he said with a bit of enthusiasm.
I turned to him and broke into an exaggerated, childlike grin.
"Ehhhhh??? Kirishima-san? Really? You actually felt that way?!"
Kirishima blinked, clearly startled by how drastically different I looked compared to earlier.
"Y-Yeah! You were seriously amazing! Oh—and just call me Kirishima!" he added, flashing a thumbs-up.
I nodded quickly.
"You were amazing too, Kirishima-san! Your body's endurance was off the charts!!!" I replied with bright, explosive energy.
Kirishima laughed and slung an arm around my shoulder.
"Whoa… You're way more fun than I expected! I thought you'd be scary or something."
Just then, someone stepped through the door—his curly green hair instantly giving him away.
"That's Midoriya!!!" I shouted.
Everyone turned at once, then rushed toward him in a wave of excitement. I ran with them.
"Midoriya!!! You were incredible earlier! I couldn't hear what you were talking about, but your fight was so intense!"
"That first match was amazing!! It fired all of us up!!!"
"Congrats, Midoriya!!!"
Midoriya's eyes widened, confusion written all over his face. All he could manage was a repeated, breathless: "Eh? Eh? Eh??"
***
That evening, as the sun began its slow descent and painted the sky in hues of orange, I walked alone, accompanied by no one. I stood at the edge of the bridge, gazing at the fading light.
"Aizawa Tsukasa... Adopted child of a Pro Hero and U.A. teacher. You're quite the intriguing one. Different."
I turned toward the voice and saw him—an eerie figure with pale blue hair. His body was wrapped tightly by a preserved, severed hand, posed grotesquely as if holding him in place. Another hand covered his face, masking his identity.
A quiet chuckle escaped my lips, followed by a faint, cold smile.
"Your appearance is disgusting."
He flinched, trembling slightly as though suppressing a deep, simmering rage. His fist clenched—but he held himself back.
"From what I've seen, you have the potential… to be an exceptional villain. You don't belong among heroes."
I raised an eyebrow at his unsolicited evaluation.
"You're wrong. I already have plenty of toys keeping me entertained over there."
A brief silence fell. Then, from behind me, Hakujoudai and Kakujoudai floated into view—eyes glowing ominously, their pupils sharp and menacing.
My face darkened completely, yet my smile only widened.
"Would you… like to become one of my toys?"
His knees nearly buckled when he saw that face—shrouded in darkness, save for a gleaming, ivory grin.
"Do what you want. Just… be ready."
His whole body trembled. Still trying to mask it, he turned sharply and walked away without another word.