After the police arrested the villains and took them into custody, everyone went home safely.
I had to reassure my parents. I convinced them that the villains weren't that big of a threat to us.
Even though they were still worried, they slowly got over the incident.
The next day I got up early and did my morning routine as usual before going to school. You would imagine that after yesterday they would give us some day off to recuperate from the incident, but nooo. We have school the next day. Had this been in my previous life, the government would have shut down the entire school for safety reasons.
Picking up my stuff, I left my house. After wishing my parents a good day.
‘ I wish I could directly fly from here to school, but since I don't have my hero license yet, I'll have to do it the old way.’
….
' Wow, seems like I'm not the only one coming early today.’ I thought as I entered the classroom, seeing most of my classmates present. With everyone glancing at me as soon as I entered.
"Morning, everyone." I greeted them and noticed that most of them were still focusing on me. Even when I went to my desk, their eyes didn't leave me.
Everyone in class was discussing the latest news about yesterday's events, with Sero asking me excitedly,
"Hey! Did you see the news from last night? Who knew we'd get this famous in just a few days at school, right?"
Kaminari nodded, joining the discussion,
"Yeah! I mean, I was surprised to see them talking about us in the news, but we all know who was the real MVP.”
“That's right, you kept your cool throughout the whole ordeal, and you even saved our teacher. Good Grief! I'm starting to think I should turn over the position of class president to you.” This time it was Yaoyorozu's turn to praise me. Even though I knew she was joking, I could notice something else in her voice.
"Hmm… I heard you cut the limbs of one of them. Is it true?” She asked me.
"Yeah, it's true, but I'm not proud of that… He was trying to use his quirk on sensei… I think I've gone too far."
‘Regret? Not even a little bit. But rumours are getting out fast for sure.’
“He could have died!”
"Wait, what do you mean?"
‘What is she talking about? If I wanted him dead, it would have been his head on the ground.’
"You know, from blood loss."
"Oh! I see, you might be right, but at that time I really didn't care about what would happen to him," was my reply as I rubbed my neck, speaking in a flat tone,
"Well… I just wondered what the best course was given the situation at hand. I didn't think that much."
However, the deadpan expressions from my classmates told me otherwise, as Kaminari intervened on my behalf, while I simply laughed off the stares.
"That's right, you can't blame our class vice-president; making the best course of action in this situation is hard; anyone else would have crumbled under these circumstances!"
"Come on, Arata, your quick thinking when the villains showed up is what saved everyone." Jiro soon voiced her remark in an excited tone,
"Mm!"
Everyone nodded as Sero wondered out loud with a light shiver,
"Who knows what would have happened? After we were separated, you even took time to help others. Just thinking about it makes me a bit nervous."
Hearing Sero's comment, the students shivered at the thought. With Midoriya speaking in a nervous tone,
"Yeah, Sero-san. I-I prefer not to think about that… but I guess you guys are right, Arata's actions did make a big difference.”
I downplay my actions, while sighing helplessly,
"You guys would've been fine. At most, everyone would've stalled till All Might came to save the day."
‘Which is what should have originally happened.’
Ida raised an eyebrow, standing up before speaking,
"While your actions may be extreme, you don't have to downplay your efforts. Or are you perhaps weak to compliments?"
“That's the truth. I'm also really grateful for your help. I apologize if I've offended you with what I've said.” Yaoyorozu also stood up before bowing to me.
I shrugged my shoulders, not bothered at all,
"Guys, please. It wasn't that big a deal. Anyone would have done it as well." I humbly deflected, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't just the slightest bit pleased at all the attention.
Kirishima responded with a cheeky grin,
"Nah. I bet he's shy about that sort of stuff."
I shot a glare at Kirishima, who started to laugh. He encouraged me with his enthusiastic tone,
"Yeah man, take some pride in the fact you handled the situation like a Pro Hero would!”
"Because of the USJ incident… a new order was set," Sero said.
"Most of the people outside say that our class handled themselves well. And now with us having real experience against villains, we are the primary class of UA."
"Now that… is an interesting perspective, don't you think?”
My classmates asked me many other questions, such as:
“Was the Nomu scary?”
“How did it feel seeing Shigaraki bleed?”
I didn't have answers for these, since the truth was that I wasn't really feeling anything.
‘ It seems that my inability to die and repeatedly killing myself have changed the way I feel about others suffering.’
Most others focused on the fact that I could immobilise the villain so easily. Some even asked Midoriya about how it felt; he just muttered something about sounds and being unable to move.
The class was confused, as Mina then asked me how it works. I told her that I found out about the ability when I was a kid and never questioned it later, so even I wasn't sure.
….
Aizawa walked inside the classroom, his arm heavily bandaged, and there were some bandages over his head; his face, however, was bored as ever.
Everyone stood up to greet him, before the class erupted with concern, everyone expecting him to be bedridden,
"Morning, Sensei!”
"Sensei, how are you feeling?" asked Ida.
Aizawa responded in his usual stoic tone, as if he hadn't been half-dead the last time we saw him, informing the class of the news as he walked towards the podium,
"Morning, class. Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm fine. You all did well yesterday; Arata, good job helping your classmates, but next time, run away. You're not pro heroes, and students shouldn't have to fight villains, especially if they in their first years."
I nodded my head in understanding as I answered,
"I understand, Sensei."
He turned his attention to the rest of the class as he ominously said,
"Good, but that's not what you should be focusing on right now. Your fight is far from over."
This alarmed the class as they began to ask questions, trying to understand the meaning behind his words.
"Eh?”
"Our fight?"
"Don't tell me… it's more villains?!"
Before anyone could bombard him with more questions, Aizawa explained, his tone unchanged but with a slight grin on his face,
"The UA Sports Festival is fast approaching, so you guys should prepare yourselves."
A brief silence filled the room before Aizawa's announcement, unsurprisingly, sparked a wave of enthusiasm in the classroom.
‘ I almost forgot about the UA Sports Festival.’ Although I didn't generally care about hero activity growing up, I still remember watching some of them on TV. I wonder where some of the old participants are now… I'll look into it once I'm home.' I lifted my head, thinking about my childhood.
"Wait! We just got attacked by villains, and now we're jumping into a tournament? Wouldn't villains flock to the festival? Are you sure about this?!" asked Kaminari.
Aizawa replied to his question, while yawning, seemingly more tired than usual,
"Don't worry, if the academy didn't cancel the festival, it means they're confident they can handle any situation. It's necessary to demonstrate that UA's crisis management protocols are effective, and compared to past years, the security will be increased fivefold."
The class breathed a sigh of relief and calmed down at this announcement.
“Anyhow, our sports festival is the greatest opportunity you'll get. It's not an event that can be canceled over a few villains. It is one of Japan's biggest events! The Olympics were once the world's sports festival. The whole country would be whipped into a frenzy over them. But as you know, that tradition has shrunk in scale, a shell of its former self. And as far as Japan's concerned, what's taken the place of the Olympics is the UA Sports Festival!" explained Aizawa.
"Every major agency in the country will send representatives. For you... this is a chance to show yourselves in the best light.”
Hearing this, Momo asked in a tone full of curiosity,
"Every major hero agency will be watching, right? They'll be there as scouts?"
"They're looking to recruit future sidekicks after we graduate. That's how most pros do it," Kaminari followed.
"And a lot of those sidekicks never manage to go solo. They're sidekicks forever. That'll be you, Kaminari," said Mina.
"Tch.”
Aizawa, ignoring them, finished his explanation.
"If you're picked up by a big-name hero, you'll naturally gain valuable experience and popularity. But your time is limited. Show the pros what you're made of here, and you'll make futures for yourselves. This happens once a year, so you've got three chances. If you're hoping to become a hero, this is an event you can't miss!" Everyone was motivated, hearing his words,
"Alright, time for class," Aizawa said, instantly deflating everyone's excitement