It's been three days since my transmigration, enough time for me to sort things out and figure out the timeline I landed in.
From what I've seen, this is before the main plot kicks off. Midnight and Eraserhead are well-known, but only as pro heroes, not as U.A. teachers yet. Rumi only started her hero career a year ago. If my theory is right, I'm at least four to six years before Deku meets All Might. His popularity, by the way, is insane. Seriously, I've never seen a real person worshipped like that before. He's basically the idol of an entire generation, inspiring kids everywhere to become heroes.
Now, this situation has its pros and cons. The good news is if I manage to survive, I'll have plenty of time to prepare for the chaos that comes with All For One. The bad news is survival isn't guaranteed. I barely know what's going on in the world right now, and there's always the chance I'll get caught in some random villain attack, just to end up as cannon fodder so a hero can rage out and win. We all know that cliché.
Of course, with the gacha on my side, my chances of avoiding that fate are a lot higher. But still, destiny is a bitch.
So all I can do is pray the gacha gives me something useful. With the right pulls, maybe I can carve out my own name in this world of heroes and villains.
And you know what? I'm not waiting around. None of that "save points for a month" routine other protagonists love to do. I already earned enough for one spin, and I'm using it now.
As the counter dropped from three to zero, my very first card appeared. And honestly, it feels like the universe is setting me up to wreck everyone.
Batman (Bruce Wayne) from DC.
Now that's what I call a good start.
The world's greatest detective. Top-tier martial artist. Billionaire. Vigilante. A man who traveled the globe mastering countless skills. Bruce Wayne became the Dark Knight. He became Batman.
His true powers are wealth, technology, skills, preparation, and yes, plot armor. I mean, come on, dodging Darkseid's Omega Beams? That's not skill, that's narrative protection.
But still, there's no denying it. Batman is always prepared. He's got contingency plans for everyone, including himself, and even contingency plans for his contingency plans, just in case someone tries to use them against him.
With his experience dealing with metahumans and all kinds of supernatural incidents, there's no doubt that if I play things carefully, I can handle at least half the supers in this world.
I didn't wait to put the template into my Assimilation slot. I've got two, so one's free to fill, but I don't have any others right now.
Let's see what changes this will bring. The bigger the gap between me and the template, the longer it'll take. I can follow their habits to speed things up, though it's not mandatory.
Still, that's a good thing. For someone like Joker, spreading chaos is as natural as breathing. Do I really have to start killing just to keep up with that? No thanks.
Anyway, with Batman on my side, I don't have to worry about getting into U.A. anymore, at least not the way I did before.
The body I'm in, or rather the original boy, is only fourteen and about to start high school since he just graduated middle school. He already knew he couldn't aim for the Hero Department, so his plan was to join the General Studies, Support, or even the Management Course. Honestly, anyone can make something of themselves there. His real reason was simple. U.A. isn't just officially one of the best schools in Japan, it's also where All Might himself graduated from. That reputation alone makes it the perfect stage.
I decided to follow his plan too. After all, what better place to gather information than U.A., a school overflowing with students eager to show off their quirks. And now that I have Batman's template, it doesn't feel like a gamble anymore. It feels like a blessing.
I was just about to check today's news when my phone buzzed.
"Hello… Tatsuya Hayate?"
"Yes," I answered, a bit confused. That was my new name, but according to my memory, no one should have been calling me.
"This is Misaki Kirihara from the police force…" A heavy sigh came through the line. "I'm afraid I have some bad news for you."
"…"
Click.
The call ended.
I closed my eyes, forcing a deep breath, trying to calm myself, but it didn't work. My gaze drifted toward the assimilation slot.
[Batman: 1%]
A dry chuckle slipped out. "Really? What a cliché. My new parents are dead."
***********
Worlds which fit most for MASHUP?