The bus ride to USJ was the calm before the storm. Laughter, banter, jokes tossed like paper airplanes. Kaminari tried flirting with Jirou and got fried with words sharper than her earphone jacks. Bakugo snarled at everyone breathing in his direction. Iida lectured us on bus safety like a one-man PSA.
I sat near the back, staring at the reflection in the glass. Not my face—my Morpher.
It pulsed faintly against my wrist, glowing through the sleeve of my uniform like a heartbeat that wasn't mine.
[Warning: Grid Anomaly Approaching]
My gut twisted. I could've told Aizawa. Could've warned All Might. But what would I say? "Hey, I'm a transmigrated fanboy with Sentai powers and future knowledge, trust me"? Yeah. That'd go well.
So I stayed quiet. Because heroes acted when the moment came. And that moment was racing toward us like a freight train.
The USJ looked incredible up close. A dome the size of a small city, zones modeled after natural disasters: floods, landslides, infernos. The kind of place kids dreamed of training in, where fantasy and reality blurred.
Thirteen greeted us in her space-suit uniform, voice calm and kind. She talked about quirk safety, about responsibility, about how rescue could be more dangerous than combat. Her words resonated with the class. With me too.
But then the Morpher screamed.
A digital shriek cut through my skull. The fountain at the center of the plaza rippled unnaturally. The air smelled like burning ozone.
And then it happened.
A portal bloomed at the fountain, black mist swirling outward like an open wound. Dozens of figures spilled from it—men, women, beasts, shapes too twisted to classify. Villains.
Gasps rippled through the class. Iida froze. Uraraka clutched Midoriya's sleeve. Bakugo's grin went feral.
And at the front, scratching his neck raw, came a man with pale hair and hands clinging to his body like parasites.
Shigaraki Tomura.
"…So this is U.A.," he rasped. His voice crawled under my skin. "And these… are children."
The mist coalesced into a humanoid shape—Kurogiri. His voice rolled smooth and polite. "Shigaraki. Remember the plan. All Might should be arriving soon."
"Then let's play until he does." Shigaraki raised his head. His eyes found me instantly, locking on like magnets. A crooked smile spread across his face. "Oh. You."
The Morpher flared red.
[Grid Breach Detected — Source: Nomu]
My blood ran cold.
Behind them, a massive silhouette moved. A monster of muscle and scars, with a brain exposed like a nightmare science project. The Nomu roared, and the floor shook.
This wasn't just canon. This was worse. The Grid itself pulsed like it was under siege.
Aizawa moved before anyone could panic. His scarf snapped forward, catching three villains at once. His eyes glowed crimson, quirks erasing like chalk wiped off a board.
"Thirteen!" he barked. "Protect the students! I'll handle them."
The class scrambled into formation, but I wasn't listening. My gaze locked on Shigaraki. He tilted his head, nails dragging across his neck until skin tore.
"You don't belong here," he whispered, but I heard it clear as day. "That power… it's not from this world. I want it."
The Nomu stepped forward. Its roar rattled glass. My Morpher blazed with alarms.
[Objective: Prevent Nomu from syncing with Morphin Grid.]
I didn't think. I couldn't. I slammed my thumb into the Morpher.
"It's Morphin Time! Red—Crimson Vanguard!"
Scarlet light exploded around me. Armor clamped shut, visor sealing with a hiss. My sword flared alive, humming with fury. The class gasped, voices overlapping—"What kind of Quirk is that?!"—but I wasn't listening.
Shigaraki's grin stretched wider. "A Ranger. Interesting."
He pointed at me like a conductor starting a symphony. "Nomu. Break him."
The monster charged.
The ground cracked under its weight. Every instinct screamed move! I crossed my sword just in time. Impact detonated like a grenade. I flew backward, smashing through a railing. Pain spiked, but the suit absorbed enough to keep me conscious.
[Enemy Classification: High Regeneration / Shock Absorption]
"No kidding!" I coughed, dragging myself up. "Could've warned me earlier!"
The Nomu roared again, barreling toward me. My HUD screamed red.
I sprinted sideways, swapping forms.
"Blue—Azure Torrent!"
Water armor gelled over me. The sword split into a trident. I slammed it into the ground. A geyser erupted, blasting the Nomu sideways into a wall. Steam hissed.
But it stood up like nothing happened. Flesh knitting instantly.
Shigaraki laughed softly, scratching his neck until blood ran down his collar. "It doesn't matter what you do. That's my masterpiece. You can't win."
"Yeah?" I spun the trident, teeth gritted. "Watch me."
I swapped again.
"Yellow—Volt Striker!"
Electricity crackled across my limbs. I shot forward in a blur, tonfas slamming into the Nomu's ribs. Sparks danced over its chest, muscles convulsing. For one second, it staggered.
One second was all I needed.
"Slipstream Combo—Crimson Overdrive!"
Yellow melted to red mid-dash. The sword reformed, glowing like a star. I leapt, blade slicing deep across its torso. Flesh ripped open. Black blood sprayed.
For a moment, I thought I'd won.
Then the wound sealed. Instantly.
My HUD flashed:
[Warning: Regeneration Overclocked — Damage Output Insufficient]
"Of course it's busted!" I snarled, dodging as a fist cratered the floor where I'd stood.
Around me, chaos reigned. Villains surged against Aizawa, only to drop like flies under his scarf and ruthless efficiency. Thirteen herded my classmates toward the exit, but Kurogiri's mist cut them off, splitting the group into portals.
Midoriya, Uraraka, and Tsuyu vanished with a scream. Bakugo and Kirishima dove headfirst into another. Panic tore through the class.
I didn't have time to help. The Nomu lunged again, arms like wrecking balls. I blocked, sparks flying, but the force hurled me backward into the fountain. My visor cracked. Blood filled my mouth.
The Morpher screeched warnings.
[Color Strain Critical]
[System Integrity Falling]
Shigaraki crouched, eyes wide with fascination. "Yes… yes… I want that. That armor. That light. If the Nomu breaks you, I'll rip the Grid out of your corpse myself."
The Nomu loomed over me, shadow swallowing the plaza.
My limbs shook. My chest burned. But through the haze, I heard a voice.
"Renji!"
Uraraka. She stood across the plaza, panting, hands glowing faintly pink. Beside her, Midoriya clenched his fists, eyes blazing with reckless determination.
"Use us!" she shouted.
The Grid pulsed.
[Assist Token Activated: Ochaco Uraraka — Zero-G Synergy]
[New Technique Available: 'Zero-G Rip Tide']
My lips split into a grin, bloody but wild. "Perfect."
I forced myself up, trident reforming. "Blue—Azure Torrent!"
Water surged in a wave, massive and furious. Uraraka's hand tapped the flood mid-arc—suddenly weightless, floating like a cloud. She snapped her fingers. Gravity slammed back.
The wave collapsed with the force of a meteor, crashing onto Nomu's head.
Concrete shattered. The monster howled, buried under debris. For the first time, it stayed down.
Shigaraki froze. His laugh died in his throat. "…What?"
A booming voice cut the dome in half.
"I AM HERE!"
All Might landed like thunder, cape snapping. His eyes locked on the Nomu. Then on me.
"Young Ranger," he said, voice low but full of weight, "you've done enough. Leave the rest to me."
The Symbol of Peace cracked his knuckles. The air itself seemed to cheer.
And for the first time all day, I believed we might live through this.