By this point, I don't even know how to explain things to everyone there anymore… It's all because of that damn entity!
…
If I had to say it, I'm not some important person in my own world.
To put it simply, I'm just a weeb—a hardcore My Hero Academia fanatic. Obsessed doesn't even begin to cover it, to the point where I actually learned enough Japanese and worked as a translator and non-professional editor for a tiny reading platform.
Novels, manga, related publications, merch… I've bought it all, collected everything, even though I really reached the end of the road that I'd leave a pack of instant noodles sitting for two days because I was too depressed to eat, all because I genuinely loved this series—until the damn author turned it into something no better than a pile of pig slop…
Honestly, the ending of this series… it's utter crap. I spent an entire week online writing analyses, ranting, and criticizing the author. "Horikoshi's work is absolute garbage!" I screamed in a forum. "This ending doesn't deserve the long journey we've been on!"
431 chapters, and the final one was just some half-assed patchwork. Deku barely amounted to an urban legend until All Might handed him a suit of armor out of pity. Even then, his so-called 'success' felt like a confusing mess with some bullshit arguments that sound like they were written by a stoner. He doesn't even confess his feelings directly to Ochako, all because the author was too scared of losing the die-hard shippers to pair the main guy and girl together. And on top of that, chapter 430 already made it clear that Deku didn't amount to jack shit in the grand scheme of things - zero to zero - leaving me wondering what the hell this even was.
Little did I know, that very question would change my life forever.
That night, as usual, I was sitting in front of my computer screen, continuing my crusade to "cancel" the author. A cold cup of coffee sat on my desk, my room packed with manga, figures, and posters of my favorite characters. I'd just posted another rant titled: "10 Reasons Why the My Hero Academia Ending Ruined the Entire Series."
"What a disappointment! How could anyone draw a final chapter this sloppy?! And what the hell was that fist bump supposed to mean—some kind of 'comradeship' bullshit?!" I muttered, my fingers flying across the keyboard.
Suddenly, the lights in my room started flickering like the power was about to go out. A strange, cold breeze slipped through, even though the windows were shut tight. I turned around, my eyes scanning the room.
"Who's there?" I asked, my voice tense.
The lights went out completely. In the darkness, a voice echoed.
"You're so petty, human."
I froze. "Who's that?! I'll call the cops right now!"
A blinding white light erupted, and before me appeared a bizarre entity.
It was gaunt, glowing all over, completely naked, and above all, it didn't seem like a hallucination—it was real, flesh and blood…
That entity—or whatever the hell it was that I couldn't even comprehend—hovered in the middle of my room, its voice reverberating through the space.
"You've mocked and slandered a world you don't understand. An ending didn't suit your taste, so you dismiss the entire journey? You think you know better than the one who created it?"
I stood there, mouth agape, not because I didn't know how to respond, but because this piece of trash deserved a better ending.
"How the hell is something this half-baked even acceptable?!" I stammered. "I've got every right to judge it as a viewer and analyst!"
The entity gave a faint laugh. "You speak of rights? You'll learn what responsibility means when you judge others. Fine then - I'll send you to that world you've trashed."
"What the - ?"
"You'll live in the world of My Hero Academia. Experience what those characters went through. If you still feel the same after everything, I'll bring you back. Then you'll understand why things always happen the way they do."
Before I could process what was happening, the white light engulfed me. My body felt like it was being yanked at breakneck speed. Everything around me dissolved into nothing.
"What the fuck…?"
I woke up in a dark tunnel. Unlike my familiar room, this place was filled with the sound of car horns, hurried footsteps, and the chaotic buzz of a city…
"No way… Is this the world of My Hero Academia?"
I immediately stood up to check myself. Everything seemed fine - no scratches or injuries - but my clothes had changed. I was wearing a black gakuran uniform, glasses, and a student ID in my bag that read "Onodera Ryuga" from Aldera Junior High.
So, I was definitely in the My Hero Academia world right now. But the question was… who was I in this world? What was my role in the story?
I tried to recall what I'd read in the manga, but everything about this "Onodera Ryuga" was a complete blank. What class was this character - this body I was "occupying" - in? Who were my parents here? What was my Quirk? How old was I? When was I born? Where was I right now?
Nothing. Literally.
I originally thought this could just be a short dream, but after pinching myself, plus feeling everything around me - the freshness and quietness of the deserted area, the sound of cars in the distance and a million other things, I was able to confirm that this was indeed true...
Fuck...
Maybe I should figure this out, but I had no idea where to start…
This was going to take some time…
But just as I was wondering what to do next, something familiar appeared in the distance—and it genuinely left me at a loss for what to do.
A muddy brown-green creature was wrapped tightly around a schoolboy who'd just crawled out of a sewer, trying to force its way into him with a disgustingly smug look.
"Don't worry. I'm just taking over your body. Relax. It'll only hurt for about 45 seconds… then it'll feel nice and easy."
Holy shit.
Of all the timelines, why the hell did it have to drop me into the very first chapter?
Volume 1, Midoriya Izuku: Origin. The scene where Izuku first meets All Might. I was about to witness this moment with my own eyes, and it actually got me pretty hyped. But first, Sludge possessing him?? That wasn't good at all.
What if he couldn't escape this? What would happen to me? What would happen to this world?
Calm down. If this plays out like the manga or anime, All Might will burst out from the sewer behind us and save Izuku any second now. But at least for now, that wasn't happening, so… I had to save the kid myself asap, or this could get messy. I don't like the idea of myself being a useless person who can only watch others suffer. At least All Might will come, if he really comes like the original.
Fumbling around, I grabbed a half-empty water bottle and chucked it as hard as I could at the boy being attacked.
"Hey, let him go you shitty pile of crap!"
Sludge turned to me, glaring with rage, then abandoned its attempt to take over the kid and lunged at me instead.
Fuck, fuck, FUCK!
The slimy mass came at me and swallowed me whole. The brown-green muck wrapped around my body, choking me. I tried to pull it off, but it was useless. The bastard was too sticky—it felt like trying to rip apart a thick rubber tire.
"What are you doing? Shut up and stay still!"
In an instant, the slime flooded into my mouth, nose, eyes… I couldn't scream, couldn't breathe, let alone think of a way out. My brain felt like it was on fire. All I could hear was the Sludge's wicked laughter.
"This vessel's kinda mediocre, but it'll do for now… Stop struggling and don't worry. It'll be over soon."
I kept fighting, clawing at the disgusting goo. But it was too slippery—my hands grabbed it, only for it to slide right out.
No, I can't die like this…
"I have to survive. I want to see more of this world. I want to live—and change this shitty ending!"
As soon as those words left me, its body - somehow - started changing...
The Sludge noticed its mass dwindling and tried to pull away just as it was about to finish me off. But it had fused too deeply and couldn't fully escape. A small chunk of it broke off, darting back toward Deku to try invading him again.
But just as it got within a few steps of him, a figure burst out of the sewer - one I'd recognize even in death.
All Might, with his signature grin, grabbed the Sludge, stuffed it into an empty bottle, and tucked it into his pocket. Then he went over to Deku - who was still freaking out from everything - and reassured him with that confident tone and some words I couldn't quite catch…
I think I need a break…
…
My head ached terribly.
The first thing that woke me up wasn't the light, but the pungent smell of disinfectant that assaulted my nostrils, mixed with the foul, muddy taste of sewage still lingering in my throat. I wanted to vomit, but my stomach was empty.
"Ugh..."
"Ah! You're awake!"
A trembling, anxious voice rang out beside me. I slowly opened my eyes. The ceiling was stark white. The beeping of the heart monitor was irritatingly monotonous.
Sitting beside the bed was a boy with messy, moss-green hair and big, round eyes staring at me as if I were a piece of porcelain about to shatter. Midoriya Izuku. He was gripping his pants tightly, his knuckles white with tension.
"Thank goodness... I was so afraid you wouldn't..." He hesitated, not daring to finish his sentence. "The doctor said your lungs have sludge buildup and you need oxygen for a while."
I tried to sit up, but the sharp pain in my chest made me fall back. Memories flooded back like a fast-forwarded film. Sludge. The feeling of suffocation. And All Might.
"That monster..." I asked hoarsely, my throat burning. "Where is it? Did All Might catch it?"
Izuku flinched, his eyes darting away. "Ah, um... All Might put it in a plastic bottle. He... he brought you here and then hurried away because... um, time ran out..."
Wait.
I frowned. Something was wrong. According to the original story, All Might dropped the bottle because he was busy talking to Izuku on the rooftop. But this time, he brought me to the hospital. So where's the bottle?
Just then, the loud noise from the wall-mounted TV interrupted my thoughts. The news was airing live.
"WE'RE IN TATOIN DISTRICT! CHAOS IS IN!
My eyes widened as I stared at the screen.
Thick black smoke billowed through the commercial district. Flames blazed across the sky. And in the midst of that sea of fire, a hideous, greenish mass of mud was screaming and thrashing about.
"The Sludge Villain has escaped and is taking a hostage! The heroes Kamui Woods and Mt. Lady are having trouble getting close!"
What the hell is this...?
I spun around to look at Izuku. His face was deathly pale as he saw the scene on TV.
"No way..." I muttered, a chill running down my spine. "I threw a water bottle at it... I stalled... All Might has arrived..."
Why is this still happening? Why did that monster still get away?
On the TV screen, the camera zoomed in on the "hostage" being swallowed by the mud. Ash-blonde hair stood on end. Bloodshot eyes filled with anger and helplessness.
Bakugo Katsuki.
My heart skipped a beat. Not because I was worried about Bakugo, but because the cruel truth had just slapped me in the face: My intervention was pointless.
Even if I nearly died, even if I messed up the timeline, the "Destiny" (Canon) of this damned world would still fix itself. The bottle would still fall. Bakugo would still be captured. And All Might...
I looked down at my trembling hands. I couldn't change anything. Was I just a grain of sand caught in this giant wheel of the plot?
"I... I'm sorry!"
The chair creaked loudly. Izuku jumped up, his eyes glued to the screen, sweat pouring down his face. He recognized his childhood friend in there.
"I have to go! You rest, Onodera-san!"
Before I could utter a word, Izuku dashed out of the hospital room like an arrow, leaving me alone with the editor's shouting on TV.
I knew where he was going. He was going to do the most stupid but greatest thing in his life: rush into a fire to save his bully friend.
And me?
I flopped down onto my pillow, laughing bitterly. A crazy fan, who boasted that he understood the world better than the author, now just lay in bed watching everything unfold exactly as I had read 10 years ago.
Ting.
The phone on the bedside table vibrated, its screen brightly illuminating the dimly lit room.
I wearily picked it up. Probably spam or an emergency notification. But no, it was a message displayed against a pitch-black background, with no sender's number:
"See? The inertia of this world is greater than you think."
"ACTIVATION MISSION: Find your role." "Deadline: 2 years." "Objective: Change a 'Main Event' large enough to break the original plot." "Failure: Permanently stuck."
The phone almost slipped from my hand.
Change the plot? After just witnessing my first attempt vanish into thin air?
I looked out the window, where the black smoke from the street was still billowing. The fear I felt earlier subsided, giving way to a more familiar emotion. Resentment.
"Fine..." I gritted my teeth, gripping the phone so tightly that my knuckles turned white. "You want to challenge me? Let's see if I can break this rubbish script."