Arthur sat in his assigned seat in Class 1-A, reviewing the previous day's assessment results in his mind. First place had drawn attention, some admiring, some competitive, some resentful. Bakugo had been glaring at him all morning, and Todoroki kept stealing analytical glances.
The morning classes had been standard academics, Modern Hero Art History with Midnight, which had proven more interesting than expected. The pro hero had discussed the evolution of heroic iconography and public perception with surprising insight.
But now, as lunch period ended and students returned to their seats, anticipation filled the air. The afternoon schedule showed simply: "Foundational Hero Studies."
The door burst open with explosive force.
"I AM—" a booming voice announced, "—COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"
All Might strode into the classroom, his massive frame filling the doorway, his signature smile blazing like the sun itself. He wore his Silver Age costume, the one from his early hero days, and radiated such pure presence that Arthur felt his Instinct tingle with recognition.
This is power, Arthur thought, analyzing the Symbol of Peace, not just quirk strength, but something more. He carries himself like a king. Like someone who's stood alone against impossible odds and won.
"ALL MIGHT!" half the class shouted in excitement.
"Welcome, Class 1-A!" All Might's voice carried that signature boom even at normal volume. "I will be teaching Foundational Hero Studies! Today's lesson: BATTLE TRAINING!"
He pressed a button, and panels in the wall slid open, revealing numbered cases.
"These are the hero costumes you submitted designs for based on your quirk registration forms! Get changed and meet me at Training Ground Beta! Let's GO!"
The class erupted in excited chatter as students grabbed their cases and headed to the changing rooms.
Arthur opened his case in the boys' changing room, examining the costume he'd designed. Simple and functional. Built for combat rather than flash.
Black reinforced bodysuit as the base layer, flexible enough for full range of motion, durable enough to withstand significant damage. Dark gold armor plating on vital areas: chest, shoulders, forearms. Combat boots with reinforced soles. Fingerless gloves that wouldn't interfere with his energy blade manifestation.
"Whoa, yours looks so practical!" Kirishima said, admiring Arthur's costume while pulling on his own, a simple outfit with gear-shaped elements. "Mine's kinda plain, but my quirk hardens my skin anyway, so I figured less is more!"
"Smart thinking," Arthur approved. "Costumes should enhance capability, not hinder it."
"Dude, you sound like a veteran hero already," Kaminari laughed, adjusting his jacket with white lightning patterns. "How long have you been training seriously?"
"About two years of intensive work. Longer if you count fundamentals."
"Two years?!" Kaminari's eyes widened. "And you're already that strong? Man, I need your training regimen!"
Across the room, Bakugo was pulling on an intimidating costume with grenade-shaped gauntlets. "Tch. Costume doesn't matter if you're weak. I'll blast through anyone regardless of what they're wearing."
"That's the spirit of rivalry!" Kirishima grinned. "I can't wait to see everyone's quirks in action!"
Arthur finished securing his armor and headed out. The costume felt natural, like a second skin.
The girls emerged from their changing room in various costumes, some practical, some flashy, all reflecting their quirks and personalities. Uraraka wore a black and pink bodysuit with thrusters. Yaoyorozu's costume was revealing but logical for her Creation quirk. Asui had a frog-themed wetsuit. Hagakure was completely naked but invisible, only gloves and boots visible.
They gathered at Training Ground Beta, a massive urban environment with buildings, streets, and alleyways. All Might stood at the center, his presence dominating the space.
"EXCELLENT! Now that you're all here, let's review today's scenario!" All Might pulled out a script and began reading. "THE SITUATION: Villains have hidden a nuclear weapon somewhere in their hideout! The heroes must stop them! THE HEROES will try to capture the villains or secure the weapon! THE VILLAINS will protect the weapon or capture the heroes! EVERYONE clear?"
"Yes, sir!" the class responded.
"We'll draw lots for teams and matchups! Two-on-two combat! HERO team versus VILLAIN team!"
As All Might organized the lottery, Arthur analyzed the setup. Indoor combat, close quarters, team-based tactics. This would test coordination, quirk application in confined spaces, and strategic thinking.
The lots were drawn. Arthur found himself on Team G, heroes, partnered with Sero Hanta, the tape-quirk user. Their opponents: Team F, villains, consisting of Koda Koji and Shoji Mezo.
But the first match drew everyone's attention.
"FIRST MATCH!" All Might announced. "HERO TEAM: Midoriya Izuku and Uraraka Ochaco! VILLAIN TEAM: Bakugo Katsuki and Iida Tenya!"
Arthur's eyes narrowed. Midoriya versus Bakugo, exactly what Aizawa had warned against yesterday. And All Might was allowing it.
Testing them, Arthur realized. Or testing Bakugo's control. Either way, this could get ugly.
The two teams entered the building, a multi-story structure with corridors and rooms. The rest of the class gathered around monitors to watch via security cameras.
From the start, it was clear Bakugo had no intention of treating this as training.
The moment the exercise began, explosions echoed through the building. Bakugo abandoned Iida immediately, hunting for Midoriya with single-minded fury.
"That's not teamwork," Yaoyorozu observed.
"Bakugo's too focused on Midoriya," Todoroki said coldly. "He's making it personal."
Arthur watched the screens carefully. Midoriya was moving through the building tactically, whispering into his comm with Uraraka. Smart, coordinated. Meanwhile, Bakugo was destroying walls and corridors trying to find him.
When they finally met in a corridor, Bakugo didn't hesitate.
"DEKU!" he roared, launching a massive explosion.
Midoriya barely dodged, using some kind of tactical analysis Arthur recognized, predicting the attack pattern, moving before it fully developed. The green-haired boy had been studying Bakugo for years, knew his fighting style intimately.
"Kacchan, we don't have to—"
"SHUT UP!" Another explosion. "Fight me seriously, you bastard! Stop holding back!"
The battle escalated. Bakugo's attacks grew more violent, more reckless. Midoriya was forced onto the defensive, unable to use his quirk without breaking himself, relying on analysis and evasion.
Meanwhile, Uraraka had reached the objective room where Iida guarded the weapon. She used her Zero Gravity quirk to float debris, creating a three-dimensional battlefield that Iida's straight-line speed couldn't easily navigate.
But the real fight was Bakugo versus Midoriya.
"He's going to kill him," someone whispered.
"All Might should stop this," Yaoyorozu said, worried.
Arthur agreed, but remained silent. This was All Might's call as the teacher.
Finally, with time running out, Midoriya made his move. He activated his quirk and punched with everything he had.
The shockwave from the punch traveled up through the entire building. Debris and wind pressure exploded outward. The floor beneath Bakugo cracked and cratered.
But Midoriya's arm was destroyed. Completely shattered.
At the same moment, Uraraka touched the weapon, securing the hero team's victory.
"HERO TEAM WINS!" All Might announced over the speakers.
The class erupted in mixed reactions, awe at Midoriya's power, horror at his injury, and concern about Bakugo's psychological state. The blonde was kneeling in the crater, fists clenched, looking utterly defeated.
Arthur filed away everything he'd observed. Midoriya's quirk was immensely powerful but incompatible with his body. Bakugo had serious anger issues that compromised his tactical judgment. And All Might had let it play out further than Aizawa would have, different teaching philosophy.
After Recovery Girl healed Midoriya's arm the exercises continued.
Several matches passed. Todoroki's team won decisively, with the ice-user freezing the entire building in seconds. Yaoyorozu demonstrated brilliant tactical thinking with her Creation quirk. Tokoyami's Dark Shadow proved formidable in the building's shadows.
Then came Arthur's match.
"TEAM G, HEROES!" All Might announced. "Himura Arthur and Sero Hanta! VERSUS TEAM F, VILLAINS! Koda Koji and Shoji Mezo! HEROES, you have five minutes of planning time! BEGIN!"
Arthur and Sero stood outside the building, analyzing the structure.
"So, uh," Sero scratched his head nervously. "You're crazy strong, right? I saw the assessment test. You could probably just blast through and win solo."
"I could," Arthur agreed. "But this is team training. What can you do?"
Sero blinked, surprised. "My quirk? I shoot tape from my elbows. It's pretty strong, good for restraining people or swinging around. Not much else."
"Range?"
"About twenty meters continuous, longer if I don't care about it breaking."
Arthur nodded, mind already forming tactics. "Shoji has sensory organs on his tentacles, multiple eyes, ears. He'll detect us coming. Koda can command animals, but in an urban environment, options are limited."
"So what's the plan?"
"You create chaos. Use your tape to set traps in the stairwells and corridors. I'll eliminate Shoji first, he's their information gatherer. Without him, Koda is isolated."
"That's... actually really tactical." Sero grinned. "I like it! Let's do this!"
They entered the building. Sero immediately began laying tape across doorways and corners to create obstacles that would slow enemies and provide him mobility advantages.
Arthur activated Mana Burst at low output, golden lightning crackling softly around his body. His Instinct guided him through the building, predicting patrol patterns, sensing danger before it manifested.
On the third floor, he found Shoji.
The multi-limbed student had transformed several arms into eyes and ears, monitoring the entire floor. He spotted Arthur immediately.
"Koda! They're here." Arthur moved. Mana Burst at full combat output turned him into a lightning-wreathed blur. He closed the distance in under a second, manifested an energy blade, and placed it gently against Shoji's chest.
"Captured," Arthur said calmly.
Shoji stared at the blade, then at Arthur's calm expression. "That was... incredibly fast."
"You telegraphed your sensory setup. The concentration of eyes and ears on one floor meant you were guarding this area. Logical, but predictable."
"Shoji is out!" All Might's voice announced over speakers. "Villain team down to one member!"
Arthur dismissed his blade and moved toward the objective room. Sero appeared via tape swing, grinning.
"I trapped the stairwells! Koda's gonna have a hard time getting-"
A rumbling sound interrupted him. Through the windows, they saw birds-hundreds of them-swarming toward the building.
"Oh," Sero said. "That's not good."
Koda had called every animal within range. Birds smashed through windows. Rodents scurried up walls. Even stray cats were climbing the building's exterior.
"Creative," Arthur admitted. "But ineffective."
He activated Mana Burst at maximum output. Golden lightning exploded around him, creating an electromagnetic field that disrupted the birds' navigation. They scattered, confused, unable to coordinate.
"Whoa!" Sero watched in awe as Arthur walked through the swarm untouched. "Your quirk is so versatile!"
They reached the objective room. Koda stood in front of the weapon, determined despite clearly being outmatched.
"I won't let you win that easily." He said softly, then he made gestures, trying to command more animals.
"Sero," Arthur said calmly. "Restrain him, please."
"On it!" Sero shot tape from both elbows, wrapping around Koda's arms and legs. The larger boy struggled but couldn't break free.
Arthur touched the weapon. "Objective secured."
"HERO TEAM WINS!" All Might announced. "Time: Three minutes, forty-seven seconds! EXCELLENT efficiency!"
Back in the observation room, the class buzzed with reactions.
"That was so fast!"
"Himura's quirk is ridiculous! Lightning, blades, strength, speed, what can't it do?"
"Did you see how he analyzed Shoji's patrol pattern instantly?"
All Might studied Arthur thoughtfully as the teams returned. "YOUNG HIMURA! Excellent tactical execution! However, I noticed you relied heavily on individual power. What would you have done if Sero had been captured early?"
Arthur considered the question. "I would have adapted. Assessed Koda's animal control radius, eliminated him before he could gather significant forces, then secured the objective. Solo operations aren't ideal, but they're manageable."
"SPOKEN like someone with confidence in their abilities!" "But remember-heroes RARELY work alone! Teamwork isn't just tactics, it's TRUST! Relying on your partner isn't a weakness!"
"Understood, sir. I'll work on that."
The remaining matches concluded. As the class changed back into uniforms, Arthur reflected on the exercise.
All Might was powerful, possibly the strongest hero alive. But more than that, he understood heroism in a way that went beyond quirks and combat. His feedback to each student had been personalized, insightful, and focused on growth rather than just winning.
He's exactly what this world needs, Arthur thought. A symbol that inspires hope, not fear.
"Hey, Himura!" Kirishima called out. "That match was awesome! You made it look so easy!"
"Sero did well too," Arthur deflected. "His tape traps would have been very effective against less mobile opponents."
"Thanks, man!" Sero grinned. "Though, uh, I mostly just tried not to get in your way."
"You created tactical advantages I could exploit. That's good support work."
As they walked back to the classroom, Arthur noticed Midoriya watching him thoughtfully, notebook in hand. The green-haired boy had been analyzing every match, every quirk, every tactic.
He's going to be formidable, Arthur realized, because he never stops learning. That kind of dedication is rare.
Bakugo, meanwhile, was walking alone, still processing his loss. The blonde's confidence had taken a serious hit, but Arthur suspected he'd come back stronger. Pride could be a weakness, but it could also be fuel for growth.
This class is full of potential, Arthur thought. But also full of baggage. We're all carrying something.
That night, lying in bed, Arthur reviewed the day. Battle training had gone well, but All Might's criticism was valid. He'd relied on individual power because that's what he'd always done. Kings fought alone at the front, inspiring through example.
But heroes were different. Heroes worked in teams, supported each other, trusted their partners.
Another lesson to learn, Arthur acknowledged. This second life is teaching me things I never understood as king.
But along the way, he was learning something.
How to be a hero.
To be continued...
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