As Allen moved away from the hospital, a pair of eyes watched him in silence. That gaze inevitably caught Allen's attention, but when he turned around, it was already gone.
"..."
Allen had decided to hide the fact that he didn't remember his entire life in this world. That meant some people knew him—while he had no idea who they were.
Rei – To be honest, I'm a little surprised.
Allen raised an eyebrow at the comment.
"Surprised?"
Rei – That you rushed to help All Might so quickly. After all, to you, he's just a strange man who seems to trust you for some reason.
"..."
Rei wasn't wrong, and it was a thought many in the Chat shared as well.
Allen had no obligation to help Izuku Midoriya. It wasn't that he had anything against the kid either. It was just that, in trying to hide the fact that he didn't "remember" anything about his life in this world, he had acted as if he did. That was why Allen helped All Might train Deku a few times. However, that still wasn't enough reason for Allen to prioritize his call.
In the past, Allen prioritized those who mattered to him. But both Toshinori Yagi and Izuku Midoriya were little more than acquaintances. While Allen respected All Might for being a true hero and Deku for aspiring to become one, his relationship with them was quite superficial.
"Maybe I'm being influenced..."
Over the past month, Allen had mainly used three templates. The first time he used them, he was overwhelmed by the weight each one carried. He felt the burden of everything each version of Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man had gone through. So it made sense that some of that would linger within him...
Superman – Haha, in my entire life I've never seen someone with willpower like yours. You're literally fighting the devil. There's nothing you have now that you didn't already have before.
"You know very well I'll never be an example of virtue..." Allen chuckled quietly. He didn't care about being someone worthy of admiration. His life so far and the decisions he had made were things he didn't regret.
Batman – We all know you've taken lives. But who has the right to judge you when they couldn't endure even half of what you've been through?
"That's..."
Apocalyptic beings, cruel gods, evil mages, conquering aliens, cosmic entities, villains, psychopaths, heartless humans.
Allen Walker's life was a parade of the most dangerous types of beings imaginable. And after witnessing what they were capable of—and facing each of them—Allen had preserved most of his humanity. Even if his hands were stained with blood, he hadn't lost his empathy for others, nor had he been consumed by power.
Gwen – In other words, even if you're not perfect, you're not a bad person~
Natasha – Even if my heart stops every time you face danger, don't forget that I'm proud of you~
"This is bad, you're almost making me blush," Allen coughed, feeling uncomfortably close to that point.
"That's enough about this."
Allen, the shameless king, was almost stripped of his crown by everyone's words. Additionally, the system transmitted the emotions of its spectators, allowing him to sense their sincerity and support.
"Let's go!" Allen rose into the air.
"I need to punch a villain."
Felicia – Oh? So you don't want to be embarrassed~
Akeno – How cute~
Shizuka – Allen-kun is embarrassed~
"All of you shut up, or I'll start banning everyone until I'm left alone."
Allen vanished into the sky, while a woman with purple hair and eyes stepped out from behind a tree.
"I'm glad you're okay."
The woman smiled and then disappeared into the crowd.
...
....
On the day of the U.A. entrance exam, Allen woke up with a soft, warm sensation on his face—along with the imminent danger of not being able to breathe.
Allen pushed Nemuri away, escaping from the soft prison that was her chest.
"Hm~"
Nemuri frowned briefly, then immediately smiled again as if she were having a pleasant dream.
"Again?"
This woman had climbed into his bed. It wasn't unusual, but she had the bad habit of hugging him too tightly. This wasn't the first time he'd almost been suffocated by her.
[Host, among all the ways to die, isn't this the most pleasant one for a womanizer like you?~]
Allen laughed and pinched Nemuri's cheek while still lying beside her.
"Well, it's better than being torn apart. And honestly, dying in the arms of a beauty doesn't sound so bad."
"Allen, don't be mean❤️~"
Nemuri's flushed cheeks and quickened breathing as she said his name left him speechless. What kind of dream was this woman having?
Allen got up, took a shower, and dressed appropriately. He didn't bother waking Nemuri—he knew she'd worked late and wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.
When he went to the kitchen, planning to eat something simple, he found a packed lunch—better known in Japan as a "bento"—with a note from Nemuri.
– You can do it❤️ –
Allen smiled as he imagined her coming home exhausted at three in the morning and still cooking this, worried that he might not eat properly on such an important day.
"This is bad..."
Allen smiled, returned to his room, kissed Nemuri on the forehead, whispered something to her, and left the room.
Immediately afterward, Nemuri opened her eyes, her face red all the way to her ears.
"Idiot..."
....
Allen took the subway to U.A. When he exited the station, he ran into none other than Deku, who was nervously reviewing notes in his notebook.
"What's wrong, nervous?" Allen smacked his shoulder.
"Ah!"
Deku jumped before turning to Allen with a slightly confused smile.
"Allen-san?!"
"What?"
"Oh, right! You're going to U.A. too!"
"You forgot?"
Deku smiled apologetically. Allen had helped him over the past month, and not only that—he was very skilled with his Quirk, appeared more mature than other youths, and even All Might treated him more like an old friend than a minor.
All of that subconsciously made Deku forget that Allen wasn't a pro hero, but someone just like him—about to take the entrance exam.
"Ugh..." Deku groaned.
"What, still hurting?"
"Yeah, I tried testing my current limits and ended up with my whole body aching..."
"..."
Allen froze upon hearing that. Deku looked at him, confused—just as Allen's calm aura vanished, replaced by something demonic as he grabbed Deku by the face.
"Ah!"
"Kid, I sealed your Quirk at 90%, and you're telling me that with just the remaining power you're already at your limit?"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Allen let go of Deku, who dropped to his knees in guilt.
"It doesn't matter. I'll let it slide because I'm magnanimous—but I want a hamburger in return."
Deku nodded rapidly. Over the past month, he had learned just how terrifying Allen could be when he got angry—and he had no desire to provoke him.
They resumed their walk while Deku stared at Allen's back with complicated feelings. When they arrived at Japan's most famous school, Deku's eyes widened in disbelief.
"UA High School is amazing!"
Allen had come once to investigate the place, but only from a distance. As expected, it had an enormous campus with multiple training areas, including a mini city built specifically for combat practice.
"Shut up and move!"
An unpleasant voice came from behind them. When Allen turned around, he found a boy with spiky light-blond hair, sharp eyes, clenched teeth, and a rude, aggressive way of speaking that made him look like an enraged honey badger.
[Katsuki Bakugo
Quirk: Explosion]
The boy had a tag, but despite that, Allen wasn't about to tolerate such blatant disrespect. He smiled—the kind of smile that sent chills down spines and that the Chat recognized all too well. Many unlucky souls had suffered traumatic humiliations after provoking Allen like this.
However, before Allen could act, he stopped when he heard Deku's voice.
"Kat-chan?!"
Deku sounded frightened, yet at the same time he used a strange nickname. In Japanese, the suffix "-chan" was used to express affection and was generally reserved for girls. To Allen, this was extremely odd.
"...?"
Noticing Allen's confusion, Deku looked away. He didn't know how to explain his relationship with Bakugo.
Katsuki Bakugo had been Deku's classmate and childhood friend. Once, they had gotten along. But for the past few years, Bakugo had become his bully, treating him like trash. And yet, strangely enough, Deku still saw him as a friend.
"Shut up, Deku! You're in the way! Wanna die?!"
Bakugo brushed past Deku and Allen, growling and reeking of arrogance.
"If it were me, I'd beat him up… why do you put up with it?" Allen asked.
"Huh?" Deku looked at Allen in disbelief.
"He… wasn't always like this…"
"Let me guess—he has a strong Quirk and thinks he's the seventh wonder of the world."
Deku trembled before nodding.
"His Quirk is really strong."
Allen observed Deku's behavior. He could intervene, but he felt it would be better for Deku to face his demons on his own. So he gave him a pat on the back.
"Now you have a strong Quirk too. Just show him who's in charge."
Allen smiled and walked ahead with a grin full of amusement. If there was one pastime he truly enjoyed, it was crushing arrogant, self-important people.
Deku was about to object, but then he remembered that he now carried the weight of inheriting All Might's power. He felt that he had to shine, that he had to surpass everyone. However, when he looked at Allen's back, he felt immense pressure. With Allen there, how was he supposed to win?
"I have to be number one…" Deku muttered, clenching his jaw.
"Why?" Allen asked without turning around.
Thanks to his enhanced hearing from using the Superman template, Allen had clearly heard Deku's words.
Deku felt his legs grow heavy. Facing Allen always put enormous pressure on him—more than even All Might did.
"I…" Deku felt like he lacked the strength, but he chose to answer anyway.
"I have to be number one. It's the only way I can feel worthy of this power!"
Deku showed determination…
But this time, instead of a smile or praise, Allen let out a sigh.
"Toshinori didn't teach you anything, did he?"
"Huh?"
"Deku, if what you're looking for is recognition by being a hero, you're starting off on the wrong foot!"
Allen glanced sideways at Deku, making him turn pale.
"You're mediocre. You don't have the talent to master your Quirk. You don't have miraculous genetics that stop your limbs from breaking when you use your power. I'm sure there were better candidates than you—plenty of them, actually. But he chose you. Do you know why?"
"I…"
"You don't need to be a genius or the strongest to be worthy. What makes a hero… a hero?"
"..."
Allen turned fully toward Deku, stepped closer, and pressed his fist against Deku's chest.
"It's your heart! Did you come here to be a hero, or to prove you're better than everyone else?!"
"...!"
Allen's fist, which carried no physical force at all, still shook Deku to his core. He had no way to refute Allen's words.
Deku felt like an idiot. He had been worrying about how to shine in the exam, how to be worthy of All Might, how to surpass Bakugo, Allen… but would the man known as the Symbol of Peace ever think that way?
"I'm sorry!" Deku bowed deeply.
"And thank you!"
Allen remained silent for a moment before forming a half-smile.
"Don't worry. It's not entirely your fault. That idiot Toshinori doesn't seem to be much of a teacher."
Deku turned pale. Only Allen could talk about All Might like that. And strangely enough, it didn't feel wrong.
They entered the school without noticing that a brown-haired girl had been watching everything that was said and done.
She looked away, feeling a little guilty. Unlike those who aspired to be heroes, her motivations were simple—she just wanted a good job so she could give her parents a good life.
Of course, there was nothing wrong with that. Even Allen himself wasn't the best example of what it meant to be a hero.
....
Inside the auditorium, Allen separated from Deku and went to look for Momo and Itsuka, who had arrived earlier and secured seats—one of the perks of being rich girls with personal drivers.
"Allen, over here~" Itsuka called out to him.
"Oh, it's Allen," Momo said in surprise, then smiled mockingly.
"Ara, but if it isn't young master Allen. I thought you overslept, given your reputation for being lazy~"
"I'm just glad to see you girls," Allen shrugged as he sat between them.
"Be late to one date and they'll call you lazy for the rest of your life."
"I-it wasn't a date!" Momo exclaimed, embarrassed.
"Really?" Itsuka whispered with an inquisitive look.
Allen shrugged again.
"Well, you dragged me to the movies because you wanted to see a new release, then out to eat, and finally sent me home with a driver… if that's not a date, I don't know what is."
Momo turned pale as Allen exposed her without mercy, and of course, part of Itsuka's aura grew cold.
"Of course, compared to inviting me to your house to play video games until night, it doesn't seem that bad."
Itsuka froze—and this time it was Momo's turn to get angry.
"Who is that guy and why do I suddenly want to rip his head off?!"
"This is bad. I feel like I want to become a villain."
"Two cute girls with one guy—what kind of injustice is this?!"
Many people turned their attention to the trio. Momo and Itsuka wanted to hide, but Allen crossed his legs arrogantly and looked at everyone with disdain.
"You got a problem?"
The pressure behind his words shocked everyone—everyone except three boys: a glasses-wearing guy, a red-and-white-haired youth, and, of course, Bakugo, who looked ready to attack Allen.
At that moment, spotlights lit up and a man appeared on the podium, striking a flamboyant pose.
"Welcome, puppies!"
The man had long blond hair slicked upward, sunglasses, black clothes, and a microphone in hand.
"We'll now begin the U.A. entrance exam! I'm Present Mic, your examiner!"
Allen narrowed his eyes. With that flashy entrance, the exam had officially begun.
===