The ending of U.A's festival can be described with a single word: catastrophic.
Across Japan, screens replayed the same dreadful sequence: one student grievously injuring his opponent. The injured boy survived in a manner nothing short of miraculous, before going on rampage.
The nation watched the said student heavily injure the Number One Hero, All Might, and proceeded to battle hero after hero while attempting to kill the one who had hurt him.
By nightfall, not a single person in Japan did not know about what just transpired in the festival.
Citizens saw a single student stand against multiple pros and wound them in succession. They saw the heroes fail to contain him. And to make matters worse, there were many reports claiming they saw giant monsters appearing in front of them as the world turned dark. Many drew the connection immediately to the berserk state of Mori Junsei. It somehow caused some people to see illusions.
And before the day ended, police forces and representatives of the Hero Public Safety Commission arrived at U.A. High to assess the damage and determine the student's fate. Both parties were united in one conclusion: Mori Junsei was a threat to public safety and should be taken into custody.
Principal Nezu refused stating that the incident was a student losing control under extreme circumstances and not a criminal acting with malicious intent. Under such conditions, this was an internal matter of U.A that the police and commission had no place to intervene.
What he did not say: he feared that removing Junsei by force would trigger another rampage, one that would end with a fatality. Nezu understood better than anyone else the depth of the student's resentment toward humanity.
In the end, faced with Nezu's unwavering refusal and the visible support of several pro heroes standing behind their principal, the authorities relented but not before issuing a warning: if such an incident occurred again, Mori Junsei would be designated a public threat.
When they finally withdrew, Nezu wasted no time. He announced that a public conference would be held the following day to address the incident.
It was broadcast live across Japan.
The next day inside a press hall, Nezu sat at the center of a table, to his right Eraser Head and to his left Present Mic. The trio sat across dozens of reporters.
Nezu said calmy. "What occurred yesterday was an unfortunate incident that we did not foresee. Despite the panic, there were no casualties among civilians beyond light injuries caused by crowd movement. We are already planning preventative measures to ensure such an event does not repeat."
A man in the audience raised his hand. Nezu nodded.
"But what about the heroes?" the man pressed. "All Might looked terribly injured. There has been no announcement regarding his condition."
Nezu answered without a change in expression. "All Might is the Number One Hero. His injury was unexpected, but it is nowhere near enough to prevent him from fulfilling his duties at U.A. or continuing his heroic work."
Another hand shot up.
"How do you intend to handle the students? Both attempted murder on live television. That cannot be dismissed as a mere mistake."
Eraser Head answered. "Midoriya Izuku misjudged his own power, which led to Mori Junsei's injury. There was no intent to kill. Labeling it an attempt at murder is misleading. As for Mori Junsei, he was not in a sound state of mind. You all witnessed the drastic change following what was a near-fatal condition."
The man spoke again. "Was it really? In his second match, he was excessively brutal. That appeared closer to his true nature than some temporary aftereffect."
Nezu answered this time. "That was a separate matter. The two students share an ongoing rivalry and chose to fight seriously. Such competitiveness is not uncommon among students in such events. Beyond that context, there has been no pattern of indiscriminate violence. On the contrary, Mori Junsei has demonstrated restraint on numerous occasions."
A woman stood. "Principal Nezu, I've heard from reliable sources that Mori Junsei was involved in the USJ incident. According to what I was told, he attacked villains with excessive force, leaving many permanently impaired."
Nezu nodded. "Your sources are correct in part. What they failed to mention is that he is not formally a hero student. He was the first to discover the attack and warn us before charging in alone to protect his peers. When he arrived, students were surrounded, and a teacher was moments away from being killed. He did not possess the training or luxury of measured response. Excessive force was the only tool available to him and it saved lives. Without his intervention, that day would have ended in a tragedy."
A reporter in the third row rose without waiting to be acknowledged. "Even if it was not intentional, what if he loses control again? We all witnessed top heroes failing to contain him. They were injured in the process. That makes him a serious threat to anyone nearby."
There was a murmur of agreement.
Present Mic spoke next. "I admit his display caught us off guard. None of us anticipated that level of power. More importantly, he is not a villain. Every hero present was restraining themselves. No one was going to attack a student with heavy force or attempt to harm him."
The reporter did not sit. "Among those heroes were his own teachers. How did none of you recognize the danger he represented? And how was he so severely misjudged by the UA entrance exam that he was placed in General Studies instead of the Hero Course?"
All eyes shifted to Nezu.
"Because," Nezu replied evenly, "he did not aspire to become a hero and being in the general studies department means he doesn't take combat-oriented classes. Prior to the USJ incident, none of us were aware of his abilities. Even during that incident, he did not demonstrate this level of power or versatility."
The woman from earlier stood again. "Was his quirk not documented upon admission?"
"It was," Nezu confirmed. "However, the description was incomplete. The student had never needed to fully test or refine his quirk before the festival. Being placed among aspiring heroes appears to have compelled him to explore it further. At present, we believe his quirk was miscategorized wrongly from the very beginning. We are arranging a comprehensive reevaluation to understand its nature."
Another reporter spoke up. "Do you intend to transfer him into the Hero Course? Based on what you've said, he demonstrated extraordinary potential, learning from peers and professional heroes in real time."
Nezu shook his head "Our immediate priority is reassessment of his capabilities and of our own internal procedures. Preventing a recurrence takes precedence. Any decisions regarding course transfers will be postponed until that process concludes."
A different voice cut in "This is deeply concerning. If he has no intention of becoming a hero and does not train to control his quirk, he could remain a danger indefinitely. And frankly why does he not aspire to be one? In our society, youths with powerful quirks strive to become heroes."
Nezu regarded the speaker for a moment before answering. "I do not share your assumption. What triggered yesterday's event was an extreme condition constituting near death experience. Ordinary life does not demand that he push his quirk to its limits. The fact that he only began to discover its depth after so many years is evidence of that. As for aspiration, it is not uncommon for an individual to choose a different path. Possessing power does not obligate one to seek heroism."
——————
Elsewhere in a certain bar of villains, Shigaraki Tomura watched the televised conference with irritation.
"Surprised?" he scoffed. "That's a load of bullshit. That freak fought on par with the Nomu and All Might. He's some sort of a secret boss hiding among the students."
Across from him, Kurogiri said. "Looking at yesterday's recordings, he displayed none of these abilities two weeks ago. Did he truly learn them during the festival? And what sort of quirk enables him to do all of that?"
Shigaraki clenched his fingers in anger. "If I could just put my hand on him… He ruined our attack, and now he tried to steal All Might's kill."
"He appeared more intent on killing the other student," Kurogiri noted. "and All Might remains alive and well."
"No, he's not fine. That boy struck him in the same place I injured years ago. And judging from his condition yesterday, I doubt the damage is as minor as they're pretending."
The door creaked open.
Shigaraki turned. "Teacher, you are here! If All Might is heavily injured as you say, shouldn't we attack UA and finish him?"
All For One stepped into the bar "Patient Tomura, there is no need to rush. He survived my attack. That boy's strike will not kill him either, but it will weaken him further than the state you encountered at USJ."
A faint smile touched his face. "Let him recover. Let him believe in a false sense of safety. Then we shall offer him a reminder of reality. Still… I find myself intrigued by this boy. His quirk is certainly unusual. And he does not strike me as the hero type."
——————
Some time after the conference concluded, Nezu returned to UA and proceeded directly to the medical wing. He entered a private room there.
On the bed sat All Might in his skeleton form, far paler than even normal.
"How are you feeling?" Nezu asked.
"I will live," All Might replied, offering a weak smile. "Recovery Girl believes I shall be back on my feet in a few days. However… the time of my muscle form has been affected. Significantly." He lowered his gaze. "I fear I will barely manage two hours at most going forward. It seems retirement is going to be sooner than planned."
Nezu's expression darkened. "We are not prepared to lose the symbol of peace."
"I am sorry," All Might said quietly.
"No," Nezu said. "I am the one who must apologize. I severely misjudged Ao's strength and his capacity for brutality."
All Might's brow furrowed. "Young Mori possesses tremendous potential. What happened was an accident. He was not in control."
Nezu sighed. "I am uncertain whether he was in control or not. But I am certain he has malice." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "He does not perceive the world as most people do. And I fear the conditions that triggered this could arise again."
"What do you intend to do?" All Might asked.
"I do not yet know," Nezu admitted. "He carries significant trauma shaped by encounters with the worst humanity had to offer. If I had permitted the police or the Hero Public Safety Commission to take him into custody, I believe he would have descended into even a worse rampage." A pause. "And we still do not understand his quirk."
"He still refused to share how his quirk really works?"
Nezu nodded. "He has confirmed that his quirk registration is entirely wrong, though he claims the name is correct. I suspect even that was deliberate misdirection."
"At least we observed a limitation," All Might said. "His body was fracturing under its strain. There must be a power or time limit for his quirk."
"Yes," Nezu agreed quietly. "But we must find a way to make him feel some measure of belonging and trust. And we must persuade him that his view of humanity, however understandable, is profoundly distorted."