In the original timeline, All Might had run out of energy from rescuing civilians and catching villains on his way to school, which left him at a severe disadvantage during the USJ attack.
But this time, thanks to my quiet intervention, he managed to clean up those second-rate villains far more quickly and efficiently.
That gave him enough time to rest and recover, meaning he could take the lead in today's event without forcing the others into a bitter, drawn-out fight like in the canon.
As for me, I wouldn't have to step in against the Nomu or the small fry this time—not unless something truly unexpected happened.
…And of course, the moment that thought crossed my mind, my brain froze.
Wait. Did I just… jinx myself?
While I was mentally facepalming, Thirteen's orientation wrapped up with her usual heartfelt speech about the importance of rescue work. My classmates responded with enthusiastic applause and cheers, thoroughly inspired by her words.
Just as Aizawa was about to tell everyone to calm down and get to work, the lights in the dome began to flicker—one by one—before finally cutting out completely. A hush fell over the class.
Before all signals could be blocked, I mentally commanded my system.
System—send a distress signal to U.A. HQ. Highest priority. Attach USJ coordinates and a possible breach alert.
『✔ Distress signal sent.』
The response from the system popped up in my vision a split second before the real trouble began.
Then, in the center of the facility, near the fountain, the air began to warp like ink spreading across a pristine sheet of white paper. The distortion swelled and twisted, rapidly expanding into a swirling portal.
And from that portal stepped Shigaraki and his entourage.
But what made my eyebrow twitch wasn't the usual gang of wannabe villains—it was the fact that they were accompanied by two Nomu.
Two.
Nomu.
My internal monologue short-circuited for a second.
Oh, come on. Are you serious?
I tilted my head slightly, staring at the pair of bio-engineered monsters like someone watching their peaceful weekend plans get obliterated by a surprise group project.
"Dear gods, whatever I did to offend you, I sincerely apologize. Please stop speedrunning my death flags."
In the original timeline, even All Might had struggled against a single Nomu, and now there were two standing right there like a matching set of nightmares.
If some miracle didn't happen, someone was definitely going to die this time… unless I stepped up and used at least a bit of my strength.
Aizawa was the first to sense the danger, his underground-hero instincts flaring instantly. His scarf whipped forward as he stepped ahead of the group, his expression hardening into the no-nonsense stare we all knew too well.
All Might followed a heartbeat later, locking onto the portal with the intensity of a seasoned veteran.
Then Shigaraki appeared fully in his "hands-on" fashion statement, squinting his tiny red eyes against the dim light. I had to physically stop myself from cringing. His whole getup screamed "edgy shut-in gamer who hasn't bathed in a month and just touched grass for the first time."
Aizawa's voice cut through the rising panic like a whip.
"Everyone, stay back. Don't move. These are real villains."
At the same time, Thirteen moved into position, stepping protectively in front of us with a calm but determined posture.
"Everyone, Be alert. This is not a test."
Her words—and Aizawa's tone—hit my classmates like a bucket of cold water. Most of them had never faced actual villains before. These weren't classmates in a training exercise or friendly sparring partners. These were people who killed without hesitation, unbound by rules or morality.
The cheerful atmosphere from just moments earlier shattered completely, replaced by a heavy, suffocating tension that wrapped around us like an invisible chain.
After noticing the sudden blackout, All Might's eyes flicked toward the dome's perimeter, his expression tightening. He exchanged a sharp glance with Aizawa, and in an instant, both of them connected the dots.
The unexpected appearance of the villains matched the commotion at the front gate earlier, and their instincts immediately picked up that all outgoing signals in this area were being jammed.
Aizawa's eyes narrowed as he scanned the area, his sharp instincts cutting through the chaos. "This is a premeditated villain attack," he muttered, his voice low but firm.
"They're working toward a specific objective, and it may even be possible that someone with a radio-wave emitter quirk is blocking all outgoing signals."
He turned to Kaminari. "Try contacting U.A. with your quirk."
Kaminari frowned, shaking his head. "I… I can't send anything. The signals aren't getting through."
I stepped forward slightly, my calm tone carrying over the murmurs of the class. "No need to worry. I already sent a distress signal the moment I sensed something was off."
All Might's eyes widened briefly, then softened into a look of genuine approval. He gave a firm nod, his smile tightening into that determined expression that always radiated confidence.
Around us, my classmates exchanged bewildered glances.
"When did he even have the time…?"
"Was he watching everything that closely?"
"Holy crap, that was fast…"
Their incredulity was almost palpable, but I didn't pay it much mind. There were bigger problems standing right in front of us. Two of them, in fact—each the size of a nightmare and twice as ugly.
Seeing Eraser Head here alongside All Might and Thirteen made Shigaraki and some of his followers narrow their eyes. According to the schedule they had stolen that morning, only All Might and Thirteen were supposed to be present.
Eraser Head's presence complicated their plan to assassinate the Symbol of Peace—but luckily they had already adapted. Two Nomu had been deployed instead of just one. The second Nomu wasn't as powerful as the first, but it was more than capable of handling any unexpected events.
Shigaraki's gaze lingered on Eraser Head, and for a moment, he grudgingly admired his teacher's foresight.
Master anticipated something unexpected could happen… and even provided two Nomu.
A memory flickered in his mind.
[Flashback]
"Master, today when I destroyed the U.A. barrier, we were a bit later than planned. Our observations weren't perfect, though we did get the schedule without being detected,"
Shigaraki explained, pride lacing his voice, expecting his master's usual praise despite the small error.
But All For One's response over the laptop screen wasn't the approval he anticipated. Instead, his master appeared thoughtful. After a pause, he finally said, "Take another Nomu with you, just in case, during today's raid."
Shigaraki blinked in surprise. "Master… but only one Nomu currently meets standards. The others are weaker; they might not be effective."
"It doesn't matter. Take one more. That's an order."
Though he didn't fully understand his master's reasoning, Shigaraki complied. Once the transmission ended, he returned to his routine of playing games in his dimly lit room, mentally preparing for the mission ahead.
[Flashback ends]
As Aizawa instructed Thirteen to begin evacuating the students, he and All Might sprang into action. The force of All Might's first punch alone sent a shockwave blasting through the dome, knocking several villains off their feet and rattling the equipment around the USJ. The sheer power made the smaller, less experienced villains flinch, some tumbling into walls or scraping against debris.
Aizawa's eyes swept across the battlefield like a predator scanning prey. His mind immediately identified the individuals who could pose the greatest threat and began prioritizing their neutralization, moving strategically to thin the herd.
The precision and efficiency of the two pro heroes were staggering, and even Shigaraki, usually confident and calculating, couldn't hide a flicker of frustration.
Normal masses don't stand a chance against pros like this.
His lips curled in frustration as he immediately barked an order to the stronger Nomu, the one specifically engineered to combat All Might.
"Kill him! Nomu!"
At his command, the grotesque, muscle-bound Nomu—In an instant lunged at All Might with inhuman speed—so fast that even the Symbol of Peace had to react immediately. Their clash was violent and unexpected.
All Might's usual overwhelming advantage was challenged in that first exchange, forcing him to absorb the impact and recalibrate mid-fight. For a brief moment, the shock of seeing the Nomu keep pace made even Aizawa's otherwise razor-sharp focus flicker.
Aizawa's concentration faltered for the tiniest fraction of a second—and Kurogiri didn't waste it. He materialized directly in front of the students, teleporting from the shadows with his signature eerie calm. The sudden appearance made everyone panic and scatter.
Kurogiri began with an almost unnervingly polite introduction:
"It's a pleasure to meet you. We are the League of Villains. I know it's impolite, but we decided to invite ourselves into this haven of justice, U.A., to say hello. And besides, isn't this a fitting place for All Might, the Symbol of Peace, to take his last breath?"
For a moment, the students were caught off guard. His polite tone, mixed with the clear threat behind his words, made them pause and listen carefully before realizing how dangerous he really was.
Then Kurogiri seamlessly transitioned into his full "salesman pitch," passionately explaining that the League of Villains' ultimate goal was to create a new world—a paradise for quirk users, unbound by any limitations. Today's mission: eliminate All Might.
Most of the students listened in stunned silence, wide-eyed. Even in training, their imaginations had never conjured the idea of real murderers calmly explaining their ideology so casually. I couldn't help but smirk quietly.
Even after training to be heroes, they're still kids. Fourteen years old, thinking this is a game…
Kurogiri's monologue grew darker as he revealed his intention to torment us personally. Thirteen readied her quirk to take down the villain, but before she could act, the hotheads of Class 1-A—Bakugo and Kirishima—couldn't contain themselves. As soon as the villain finished speaking, they charged.
Dust and debris filled the air from Bakugo's explosion. When it cleared, the students were shocked to see Kurogiri completely unharmed. His mist form had protected his neckband, the one vulnerable point in his body.
With a fluid, almost liquid motion, Kurogiri expanded his quirk, enveloping all of us in a dome of dense mist. He began teleporting us randomly around USJ, scattering students to areas where other villains were already waiting to engage.
Thirteen reacted quickly, using her quirk to disrupt the teleportation—but she could only save those closest to her. Most of the students were out of reach, sent to their designated zones as in the canon scenario.
The League of Villains' strategy was clear: scatter us across the facility and pick us off one by one. Using his warp quirk, Kurogiri began separating the students, warping them to different disaster zones where villains were already lying in wait. Most of these villains had no idea what our quirks were, so the distribution was completely random.
Izuku Midoriya and Tsuyu Asui were sent to the shipwreck zone.
Shoto Todoroki and Toru Hagakure ended up in the landslide zone.
Denki Kaminari, Momo Yaoyorozu, and Kyoka Jiro were warped to the mountain zone.
Fumikage Tokoyami and Koji Koda were sent to the windstorm zone.
Mashirao Ojiro landed in the fire zone.
Katsuki Bakugo and Eijiro Kirishima were thrown into the ruins zone.
Thirteen, I, and the rest of Class 1-A remained behind to face Kurogiri directly. I kept my domain quietly expanded over the entire USJ, instructing the system to intervene and support anyone who got into serious trouble—subtly, without drawing attention. That way, I could focus fully on my own part of the fight without worrying about the others.