MHA: The Sentry

_____[POV: Third Person]_____

Rosa's market was relatively quiet that morning. After the incident with the robbers a week ago, Rosa decided to enhance security by installing new cameras and even an emergency button under the counter. Josei, on the other hand, seemed more alert. Not that she was scared, but the attack had made her reflect deeply on her vulnerability. She still felt a chill down her spine whenever someone approached the counter too quickly.

She was arranging the shelves, organizing bags of rice, while her thoughts wandered. Since that day, something inside her seemed different. It wasn't just gratitude for being saved, but something harder to describe. She had always known Ryuji was different—anyone who saw him up close could tell he wasn't an ordinary teenager—but the way he had worried about her, the way he had looked at her after she was injured... that wouldn't leave her mind.

"Hey, Josei! Earth to Josei!"

She blinked, snapping back to the present and staring at Rosa, who was looking at her with an amused smile while holding a box of imported goods. The manager placed the box on the counter and rested her hands on her hips.

"You've been daydreaming a lot these days, chica. Something on your mind?"

Josei opened her mouth to deny it but hesitated for a moment.

"Nothing much… just thinking about everything that happened."

Rosa nodded, picking up one of the products from the box and examining the label. "Entiendo… it was quite a scare. But it's over now. Anyway, we've got something more interesting to think about."

Josei raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"The U.A. Sports Festival is coming up." Rosa smiled, showing her sharp teeth. "And I'm seriously thinking about closing the market that day to go cheer for nuestro pequeño milagro."

Josei blinked in surprise. "You're going to cheer for Ryuji?"

"Of course! Did you see what he did for you? And he's my favorite customer. Siempre tan educado, even though he's a frighteningly strong niño. How could I not support him?"

Josei looked down for a moment, biting her lip. The Sports Festival had always been something she watched on TV. Seeing it live would be different. But the strangest thing was the knot in her stomach she felt when she thought about Ryuji competing and her cheering for him.

Rosa, of course, noticed right away.

"Hmmmm…" The manager leaned her elbows on the counter and smiled mischievously. "You're thinking about him, aren't you?"

Josei felt the heat rise to her face. "What? No! It's not that! I just… I've never been to an event like that before!"

"Uh-huh, sure." Rosa laughed, leaning back against the counter. "Bueno, you should come with me. Let's cheer for Ryuji, watch him crush the competition. I know that chico is way stronger than he looks."

Josei averted her gaze, trying to ignore the blush on her cheeks. "Maybe…"

The manager just chuckled, clearly enjoying herself. "Ahh, esto va a ser divertido!"

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On a cloudy morning, a seemingly abandoned building stood in the middle of a decaying industrial district. The worn-out facade and dirty windows gave the impression of a place that had been vacant for years, but inside, the environment was far from deserted. Wide corridors and halls were filled with people in frenetic activity, carrying sealed boxes, checking merchandise, and obeying the shouts of supervisors who demanded absolute efficiency. The smell of oil and metal permeated the air, mixed with the constant murmur of voices and machinery operating without rest.

On the top floor, isolated from the chaos below, a private office served as the stage for a tense discussion among three singular-looking figures. Sitting behind a dark mahogany desk, a man with spiky black hair maintained a calm yet stern expression. Above his head, an eight-spoked wheel floated in a fixed position.

Leaning against a nearby wall, a woman with short red hair and amber eyes crossed her arms, an impatient look on her face. Her nervous tic, tapping her fingers on her forearm, betrayed her growing frustration.

The third figure, a towering beast-like being, stood by the desk, arms crossed over his muscular chest. With dense white fur covering his entire body, French braids on both sides of his head, sharp fangs visible even with his mouth closed, and eyes glowing with a fierce tone, he exuded an aura of brutality ready to be unleashed.

The man with black hair was the first to break the silence:

"The other two will take a while to get to Japan. It seems they had 'urgent matters' to attend to elsewhere."

The redhead sighed audibly, rolling her eyes.

"Great. My work in getting us here was completely wasted. Now it's just the three of us, when we were supposed to have a full group of five." She crossed her legs, irritated. "This is a complete disaster."

The beastly being chuckled low, a guttural and menacing sound.

"What difference does it make? While the others aren't here, we can handle the target on our own." His deep voice carried a tone of wild excitement.

The man with black hair showed no visible reaction, but his analytical gaze settled on the beast.

"That would be reckless. We still don't know how strong he really is."

The monster merely growled in disdain.

"That just makes fighting him more interesting."

The woman, already irritated, exploded in frustration.

"That Ryuji guy has ruined all my plans with the couple!" She clenched her fists and punched the wall hard, clearly frustrated. "How the hell did Bakugo get expelled from U.A.? Now my ship has turned to dust!"

The beast let out a sarcastic laugh.

"You're completely insane."

The redhead turned to him immediately, her killer gaze accompanying the hand she raised in a gun-like gesture.

"Care to repeat that?" Her voice was a venomous whisper.

The man with black hair intervened before the tension escalated.

"Before anything else, you need to understand the gravity of the situation. Ryuji is strong. Very strong. We have records of three Kryptonians who worked for us and disappeared as soon as they set foot in Japan." His voice was cold and objective.

The woman widened her eyes in surprise, while the beast grinned from fang to fang, intrigued.

"Is that true?" The beast licked his teeth, excited.

"Yes. Additionally, there are records of disappearances of Viltrumites and Saiyans, but no case compares to that of the Kryptonians." He leaned forward. "Not even I can say if my abilities and system can handle someone who has dealt with extremely powerful reincarnated beings."

The redhead growled in irritation and muttered something inaudible, her expression growing even darker.

"I need to vent this stress by torturing someone later... I think that cleaning bitch who stared at me downstairs will do..."

The beast laughed again, his eyes shining with excitement.

"This Ryuji is starting to interest me more and more."

The man with black hair raised his hand, interrupting.

"Control yourself. You're not going to do anything... yet. We first need to identify exactly what his powers are. The U.A. Sports Festival will give us that opportunity."

The beast snorted but didn't argue. The redhead, still sulking, just shook her head, still absorbing the information.

"My power-copying system will be activated during the event. Even if he shows only a fraction of his strength, the system will analyze his hidden abilities and determine the conditions for copying."

The beast laughed in response.

"Your copying system is shit. It's been three years, and you still haven't figured out how to copy each of our abilities."

The man with black hair frowned, sighed, and rested his chin on his hand.

"I won't deny it, this damn thing gives the worst methods. But that doesn't matter now. What really matters is finding out exactly what we're dealing with."

The three fell silent for a few moments, each immersed in their own thoughts. The redhead still seemed furious, the beast could barely contain his excitement, and the man with black hair just gazed out the window.

One thing was certain: the U.A. Sports Festival would be more than just a student tournament. It would be the stage for something much bigger... and much more dangerous.

_____[POV: Ryuji]_____

As soon as Aizawa announced the practical lesson on damage control, the classroom filled with the sounds of chairs scraping and hurried footsteps. Everyone was heading to the locker rooms when I decided to call Hagakure. She stopped, clearly surprised.

"Hagakure, come here for a moment."

She looked around, pointing at herself as if I could be talking to someone else in the room besides her. I shook my head and gestured for her to come over. Mina and Tsuyu, still in the room, also approached, curious.

With a casual motion, I created a small, flat, square box, white as snow. The golden light emanating from my hands dissipated as soon as the box landed in them.

"Here. A gift for you."

She froze.

"G-Gift?" Hagakure asked, her voice wavering between excitement and shyness.

Mina, on the other hand, was thrilled and took the opportunity to tease. "Hagakure, look at that! Ryuji giving you a gift! You're lucky, huh?"

Tsuyu also chimed in. "Ribbit. This is quite unexpected. He doesn't seem like the type to do this kind of thing."

"Hey, I'm right here, you know?" I rolled my eyes. "It's nothing big. Just something I wanted to give her."

Hagakure took the box with her invisible hands and, reluctantly, opened it. Inside was a U.A. gym uniform and a pair of sneakers. She stared at the items, confused. The others behind her also furrowed their brows.

"Uhm... Thank you?" Hagakure said, uncertain. "But... why exactly? I already have a uniform like this..."

I stepped closer and plucked a strand of her hair with a simple hand motion. She widened her eyes, getting a little scared.

"Relax, it's not a voodoo ritual or anything. Chill."

I focused and let my golden energy envelop the strand of hair before infusing it into the uniform and sneakers. The change wasn't visible, which only added to the general confusion.

"Alright. Now touch the uniform."

Hagakure looked at me, then at the box, then at Mina and Tsuyu, who just encouraged her with their eyes.

"Okay..."

She touched the fabric. For the first three seconds, nothing happened. But then, the clothes began to turn translucent before disappearing completely before our eyes.

"WAIT, WHAT?!" Mina shouted.

Hagakure was also shocked. "The uniform... disappeared?!"

"Nope. It's just syncing with your invisibility. If you wear it, it'll become invisible with you."

The realization hit her like a meteor. "W-Wait... this is about my hero costume, isn't it?"

I nodded. "Yep. Since I'm the only one who can actually see you, I noticed your costume was compromised because of that. So I decided to make this outfit that turns invisible along with you every time you touch it. That way, you can cover your body and stay invisible to everyone else without worrying about me, because I'll see you dressed."

The silence that followed was broken by Hagakure's euphoric scream.

"RYUJI, THIS IS AMAZING!"

Before I could react, I felt my field of vision filled by a pair of arms hugging me tightly.

"Hey, hey, calm down!"

But she wasn't the least bit concerned about my discomfort; kids are so carefree.

Mina laughed. "Awww, this is so cute! I didn't know you could be this thoughtful, Ryuji!"

Tsuyu nodded. "Ribbit. He acts like a tough guy, but he's actually a good person."

"Stop it before you label me as the protagonist of a shoujo anime. I just gave her some regular clothes, I don't get all the fuss," I replied indifferently, but that only made Mina laugh more.

Hagakure finally let go of me, but her energy was still palpable.

"Ryuji! I don't know how to thank you! This is serious, it changed my life!" She looked at the uniform, which was becoming visible again, as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

Hagakure took the uniform and smiled at me one last time. "Thank you, really."

"Just don't cry and make me look like the hero of this romance, please."

And with that, they left, leaving me with the strange feeling that something much bigger than just a gift had just happened. I hope I don't have to deal with any drama in the future...

_____[POV: Third person]_____

The car made its way through the bustling streets of the city, while the silence inside the vehicle was broken only by the faint sound of the engine and the tense breathing of All Might at the wheel. Izuku, sitting next to Ryuji in the back seat, fidgeted with the cuffs of his school uniform, his expression slightly uneasy.

"I really wish I had changed clothes before coming... Going to a hospital in a U.A. uniform feels so weird," Izuku muttered, sighing and leaning his head against the window.

"Relax, man. The old man picked us up straight from school. And honestly, he seems so nervous that I doubt he even noticed what we're wearing," Ryuji replied, shrugging.

All Might, focused on the road, cleared his throat without looking at the boys. "I... indeed didn't notice. I apologize for that, young ones. I just wanted to get you there as quickly as possible."

"See? Even he admits it." Ryuji lightly punched Izuku's shoulder, who just huffed and crossed his arms.

Shortly after, they arrived at the hospital. The building was colossal, with a modern facade and an impeccably clean interior. The hallways were wide and well-lit, with the faint smell of disinfectant lingering in the air. The reception area was organized, with nurses and doctors walking briskly while attendants kept the flow of visitors under control.

All Might walked up to the receptionist and spoke to her about the scheduled visit. After a few moments, the woman confirmed their entry and directed them to the upper floor. They followed the cold, white hallways until they reached the room where Nana Shimura was hospitalized.

The sight of the woman on the bed even made Ryuji raise his eyebrows slightly. She was covered in wires and tubes connected to machines monitoring her vitals, her pale and wrinkled skin contrasting with the old scars that ran across her body. Her fragility was evident, making it hard to believe that she had once been a legendary heroine.

Inside the room, Sorahiko Torino was waiting for them, seated by the bed. His eyes fell on the newcomers, lingering especially on Ryuji. He sighed and then asked All Might:

"Is this the boy? Do you really think he can do something?" His tone was skeptical but carried a hint of hope.

All Might opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Ryuji, who simply put his hands in his pockets and said bluntly:

"Ryuji Fugimoto. And yes, I can save her."

Silence filled the room. Sorahiko furrowed his brow, clearly skeptical, but deep down, his hesitation was overshadowed by the desire to try one more time. He nodded slowly, stepping back to give Ryuji space.

Ryuji approached the bed, observing Nana Shimura for a moment. "So this is how you ended up after the fight with that bastard?" he thought, analyzing her condition. Not wanting to waste any more time, he extended his hand toward her.

His body began to emit a golden aura, the light enveloping not only Ryuji but also Nana Shimura. Gradually, the scars began to fade, the atrophied muscles returned to normal, her skin regained its vitality, and even the arm she had lost was restored. To everyone's surprise, her appearance reverted to that of a young woman in her early 20s.

Sorahiko and All Might were frozen, unable to look away from what they were witnessing. Izuku, on the other hand, watched the scene with wide eyes, unable to hide his shock.

Then, Nana Shimura's eyes slowly opened. She blinked a few times, trying to focus her vision as her gaze wandered across the ceiling before finally landing on Ryuji, confused.

"Where... where am I?" Her voice sounded muffled from disuse.

It was then that she noticed the machines around her, the wires that had been connected to her body, and finally, Toshinori Yagi. Her eyes widened as she saw him in tears, unable to contain his emotions. Sorahiko Torino, beside him, also had moist eyes, a small smile forming on his tired face.

"Sensei..." Toshinori murmured, his voice breaking as he tried to speak.

The confusion on Nana Shimura's face grew as she looked at the two, her heart racing as she realized the intensity of the situation.

Meanwhile, Ryuji glanced to the side and saw Izuku discreetly wiping away a tear.

"Ah, for heaven's sake, don't tell me you're crying, princess." Ryuji pulled a tissue from his pocket and handed it dramatically to Izuku.

"Stop being so insensitive!" Izuku shot back immediately, taking the tissue anyway to dry his eyes.

Ryuji just laughed, while All Might and Sorahiko were still processing the miracle that had just unfolded before them.

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(A/N: Another chapter done, I was even quick in writing this one. But I hope I didn't make any grammar or translation mistakes. The next chapter starts the sports festival, it might take a while to come out because I plan to make it long. For those confused about how the MC beat up 3 Kryptonians, I'll just say they're not Superman. He's made differently from the others due to the CODEX, which is why other Kryptonians don't even come close to having the same limitless potential as Superman. The rest of the Vitrumites and Saiyans just ate dirt, they didn't even stand a chance against the MC. Anyway, I'll stop here. See you in the next update.)