(Kata POV – Kata's House)
I woke up at 5 a.m.—not as early as yesterday, but still early enough. After a quick stretch, I activated my forcefield. Now I just need to keep it running for as long as possible.
With the barrier active, I moved through my morning routine—exercise, a quick shower, a small breakfast. The forcefield had to come down for the shower, of course. Partial permeability wasn't an option yet.
Dressed and ready, I stepped outside, beginning my short walk to U.A. Despite letting my thoughts wander, the barrier remained intact.
'Good. Progress.'
(Kata POV – Class 1-A)
I arrived at 8 a.m., 25 minutes before homeroom. The classroom was much fuller than yesterday.
A few heads turned as I entered—most still unsure what to make of me. But unlike yesterday, a familiar voices cut through the usual chatter.
"Yo, Okada! Morning!"
Kirishima greeted me with his usual enthusiasm. The reaction from the rest of the class was immediate—wide eyes, hushed whispers, a few confused glances. Kaminari and Sero exchanged amused looks, snickering at their classmates' shock.
'They're looking at me like they expect me to kill him for speaking to me.'
I suppressed a sigh and nodded. "Morning. How're you guys doing?" My voice lacked the same energy they gave me, remaining neutral with no added volume, but I wasn't about to force enthusiasm I didn't feel.
Sero and Kaminari returned my greeting as I walked to my seat. Even after the conversation, I realized with some surprise—my barrier was still up.
'Seems like I can now keep it active even while distracted.'
Before I could analyze further, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero approached my desk. Just as they reached me—
Thump.
Kaminari's hand hit the barrier. He blinked in confusion before knocking against it again, drawing even more attention from the class.
"What's this?" he asked, eyebrows raised as he tried to push through. I quickly deactivated it, letting his hand slip through empty space where the invisible wall had been.
They all looked at me expectantly.
"I was training," I answered simply. A few eyebrows rose across the room.
"I thought you had a strength-based Quirk?" Sero asked. "So… can you also make invisible walls?"
The classroom's general chatter died down. I could feel several intense gazes locked onto me. Bakugo, definitely. Maybe a few others.
'Should I fully explain my Quirk? Or just enough to rationalize what they've seen?'
After a few seconds of silence, I spoke. "I can make a forcefield. I was practicing keeping it active at all times. It's still weak, though. I can also enhance my strength with it."
Technically true.
That explanation was enough for the class. Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero accepted it without question, moving on to another conversation. But I could tell—not everyone believed that was all my Quirk could do.
That was fine.
'I won't hide it forever. But I won't reveal exactly what it is until I know I can survive AFO.'
I kept my responses short but engaged as we talked, until Aizawa arrived for homeroom. I could tell that, after this, the rest of the class was more comfortable with my presence. They must've realized I wasn't as intimidating as my aura suggested.
Classes went on as usual until lunch at 12:30. I made my way to the cafeteria and ordered Lunch Rush's famous food.
The moment I took my first bite, I nearly teared up.
'The manga wasn't lying—this food is on another level.'
A warm, savory flavor burst across my tongue, the perfect balance of seasoning and texture. The rich umami taste melted into the rice, every bite perfectly cooked and packed with flavor.
'It's divine.' I thought, chewing slowly to savor the experience. This sealed it—I was eating here for the rest of my time at U.A.
'Maybe I should learn how to cook from Lunch Rush... if he's taking students.'
Despite Kirishima's invitation to eat with him and the rest of the boys, I chose to sit alone. I wanted to keep training my forcefield, which would've been hard to do at a table given the space it takes, and honestly, I needed a break from socializing. I wasn't used to talking this much, and after a full morning of classes, I felt drained.
After lunch, it was time for Hero Basic Training.
I sat in class, bored, while the rest of the students excitedly speculated about what we'd be doing today.
Suddenly—
"I HAVE...!!"
The door burst open with enough force to rattle the walls.
"...Come through the door, like normal!!"
All Might struck a dramatic pose, his silver-age costume gleaming under the fluorescent lights. His cape billowed as if caught in a wind that didn't exist.
I stared, expressionless, as I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. 'That's about as far from a normal entrance as you can get.'
The rest of the class, however, exploded into excited murmurs, some practically vibrating in their seats as they fangirled and fanboyed over the Number One Hero.
"Hero Basic Training!" All Might announced, flexing his muscles for emphasis. "The class that'll put you through all sorts of special training to mold you into heroes!!" Then, in a softer voice, "It also gives a ton of credits."
The class barely had time to process that before he pointed dramatically toward the front of the room.
"No time to dally! Today's activity is this!!"
His arm shot forward, revealing a card with bold letters written across it.
'BATTLE'
"Battle Training!!" he declared.
From the corner of my eye, I caught Bakugo's expression twisting into something almost feral, a dangerous grin filled with excitement.
"And for that… You need these!!"
With a mechanical whirr, the wall at the side of the classroom slid open, revealing multiple briefcases, each numbered from 1 to 20.
"Your Hero Costumes!!"
A chorus of excited cheers erupted across the room.
'That… was loud.'
I sighed internally. 'I just hope they managed to make my costume properly.'
"All right! After changing into your costumes, come out in training order to Ground Beta!!" All Might instructed before leaving.
Immediately, the class rushed toward the wall, scrambling to grab their cases. I waited until the chaos died down before walking over and picking up the one marked '7'.
(Kata POV – Changing Room)
In the changing room, I quietly undid the buttons of my uniform, slipping out of the jacket and shirt.
I felt the weight of a few glances as I peeled off my undershirt, revealing the old scars and burns scattered across my whole body. The air felt slightly colder against the exposed skin, but I paid it no mind. No one said anything, and I appreciated that.
I focused instead on the contents of my briefcase.
Inside, my hero costume was laid out neatly. It was impressive.
Not entirely my own design—I wasn't that creative—but I'd taken heavy inspiration from Jason Todd's Arkham Knight suit.
I picked up the first piece: black cargo pants, with streaks of red decorating them, reinforced with Kevlar fabric, making them bullet-resistant and cut-proof. Running my fingers over the material, I could feel the layered sheets of titanium hidden inside, strategically placed for extra protection.
I stepped into the pants and fastened them securely, feeling their weight settle around my legs. Next, I grabbed the military tactical boots, also black. The soles were sturdy and shock-absorbent, built for mobility and impact resistance. I pulled them on, lacing them tight.
After that, I slipped on a light, moisture-wicking undershirt before pulling the suit's upper body armor over my head. The sleek black leather had a subtle shine under the changing room lights, and beneath the surface, reinforced fibers and titanium plates covered vital areas, while clinging tightly to my form, highlighting my muscles. As I adjusted it, I could feel the cool metal pressing against my skin through the soft inner lining.
Finally, I pulled the attached red hood over my head. Then, I slotted the last piece into place: a black graphene lower face mask that extended just above my nose.
As it clicked into position, the built-in air filter activated, a faint whirr of machinery humming in my ears. Slowly, the sound faded, replaced by a deep red glow pulsing ominously in sync with my breathing, illuminating the cracks and gaps in the mask's surface.
I exhaled slowly.
'Finished.'
Opening my eyes, my red irises seemingly glowing faintly beneath the hood's shadow, the eerie light from my mask barely illuminating my face.
Packing my things, I made my way out of the changing room.
Emerging from the exit, I noticed most of my classmates were already waiting.
Almost immediately, several heads turned toward me.
Their gazes lingered—some curious, some hesitant. I could practically feel the weight of their stares, but I kept my stride steady as I walked to join the line.
'Did I make my costume too menacing?'
The thought barely crossed my mind before Kirishima walked up to me, a wide grin on his face.
"Nice costume, dude! We've got the same color scheme. Red's great, right?"
I let out a small chuckle, the tension in my chest easing slightly.
"The greatest," I replied.
"Yeah!"
Before I could say more, the sound of approaching footsteps made me glance toward the exit. Izuku was making his way over, last to arrive. Once he arrived, All Might finally spoke.
"Shall we begin, my wards?!" All Might declared, his voice booming across the training ground.
"It's time for Battle Training!!"
Excitement rippled through the class as he began explaining the exercise.
He spoke about how hero encounters with villains often happen indoors, which made it crucial to train for fights in confined spaces. That led to today's challenge: 2v2 indoor battles.
"The rules are simple! The hero team must either capture the villains or secure the weapon they are guarding. The villain team must either capture the heroes or protect the weapon until time runs out!"
As he spoke, some students exchanged excited glances while others looked more serious—no doubt already strategizing.
"To determine your partners… we'll be drawing lots!"
A few groans rose from the class, likely from those hoping to team up with their friends, but All Might remained undeterred.
Most teams turned out the same as in the manga, except for one key difference—Aoyama was paired with Momo.
And I was paired with Mina.
'Mina…' I mulled over my new partner. She was one of the better fighters in our class, and if we were up against Sato and Koda like in the original, we'd win easily.
But since the teams are already different, there's no telling who we'll face now.
I turned, scanning the crowd for Mina, only to find her already walking toward me.
Our eyes met.
For a split second, she flinched before quickly composing herself and continuing forward as though nothing had happened.
'Why'd she…?'
Then, it hit me.
I still had my hood up and mask on—combined with my already sharp features, and red eyes, I must have looked pretty intimidating.
'I'll need to be more mindful of that.'
Reaching up, I pulled back my hood and released my mask, letting it hang loosely around my neck.
By the time she reached me, Mina had a sheepish smile on her face.
"Heh… Guess you saw that, huh?" she admitted, rubbing the back of her head. "I kinda got intimidated for a sec. But your costume is really cool! Did you design the whole thing yourself?"
She was steering the conversation to a safer topic—a small distraction to brush off the moment.
I let it slide.
"I took inspiration from some sources," I replied neutrally.
Then I hesitated. If I stopped there, it might seem like I was upset. Not the impression I wanted to give.
"…I'm Kata Okada. This is our first time talking, right?"
Mina blinked, mildly surprised. For a split second, I caught a small blush creeping onto her cheeks—probably from embarrassment over her earlier reaction and lack of proper introduction.
But she quickly recovered, her usual bright smile returning as she extended a hand toward me.
"Mina Ashido! It's a pleasure to finally talk to the mysterious first-year representative."
She flashed me a cheeky grin.
I rolled my eyes but grunted in amusement, which only made her giggle.