A Peculiar World

"Hey everyone, I apologize — I ended up posting the draft of the chapter instead of the final version. I was really tired that day and didn't even double-check it. I'll also be organizing my schedule to better manage my future uploads."

Chapter 1 – A Peculiar World

"The first recorded phenomenon was noted in the year 2014, in Qingqing City, China, where a glowing baby was born. Since then, people with powers began to appear all over the world, with no explanation found other than that this was a new step in the evolutionary scale of humanity.

Over time, people with unique abilities—quirks, as specialists called them—became more and more common, and with that, the fragile balance that had existed in the pre-quirk world was destroyed.

More and more people began using and abusing their unique abilities for personal gain, leading to an almost total collapse of the system.

However, just when everything seemed lost, a few individuals with powerful quirks and a strong sense of duty began to fight—not for reward, but to protect those who couldn't protect themselves.

These people were the first heroes."

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"WELCOME TO THE U.A. SPORTS FESTIVAL!"

"It's starting. Azakawa, bring the popcorn."

"On it."

"Where are they?"

"Relax, Miori."

"But—"

"Hm? Where's Arata?"

"He's probably in his room reading."

"Seriously? Hey Arata, you there? The U.A. Festival's starting!"

"I'll go get him. You guys prep the food and snacks."

"Yes, ma'am."

---

Upstairs, in a room far from the living room chaos, a little boy was silently reading a manga on his bed.

He was an adorable child, no older than four. He had short to medium black hair with small white streaks at the ends and deep dark brown eyes—almost black.

The boy seemed completely disconnected from the commotion downstairs, entirely focused on the story in his hands—a rare pre-quirk era manga he'd been lucky to find.

He was immersed in his own world when he heard footsteps approaching, followed by the sound of his door opening.

Lifting his eyes from the pages, he saw a red-skinned girl with small horns smiling at him, arms already outstretched to pick him up.

"Hey, Yui-nee, put me down," the boy grumbled, but the girl just gave a playful smile, showing her sharp canines.

"Nope~," she said, carrying him out of the room.

"I don't wanna watch that show, it's boring."

"It's the U.A. Sports Festival, it's not boring at all. Besides, your brothers are in it—you don't wanna see them?"

Arata sighed and let himself be carried back to the living room by the red-skinned girl.

"I brought Arata," Yui announced, kicking a wolf-boy out of his seat before sitting down with Arata in her lap, handing him juice and snacks with a cheerful smile.

"You…"

Pointing at Yui with a scowl, the wolf-boy seemed ready to protest, but a single glance from her made him think twice. He sighed and sat somewhere else.

Fighting someone like Yui wasn't worth it—especially since he'd just end up getting his butt kicked.

"Yui-nee is so violent, she'll never get married," said a reptilian-looking little girl, making Yui freeze as several other girls nodded.

"Yeah, Aunt Sayo says girls should be sweet and gentle, but Yui-nee is just a scary lady."

"Unu." The girls continued agreeing, while the boys stayed silent, avoiding eye contact with Yui, who didn't say a word.

"You don't need to worry, Yui-nee," Arata suddenly whispered as he stuffed a snack in her mouth.

"If no one wants to marry you, just wait until I'm older—I'll be your husband."

Yui paused for a moment, then chuckled softly as she ruffled the boy's hair.

Truth was, she didn't care much about what others said or thought of her. Her quirk—Oni—and her appearance and strength had earned her plenty of teasing. If not for her peaceful nature and dislike of violence, she might've become a pro hero. But she was too shy for the big city life and preferred doing good right here, in the orphanage where she grew up, surrounded by the people she loved most.

Though she often playfully bullied her younger (and sometimes older) siblings, that was just her way of showing affection and keeping the rowdy ones in check.

Shaking her head lightly, Yui let go of those thoughts and focused once more on her most important mission: spoiling her little brother.

---

"STUDENTS FROM THE HERO COURSE, CLASSES 1-A AND 1-B!"

"STUDENTS FROM THE GENERAL COURSE, CLASSES 1-C, D, AND E!"

"There they are! It's Kata and Sino," said Miori, a 15-year-old girl with blonde hair and violet eyes, pointing at the screen with a smile. The other orphans around her also lit up upon seeing their friends on TV.

"Chill out, Miori," another girl her age said, pulling her back down to sit.

"They actually did it, huh?" the wolf-boy said, a little jealous but genuinely happy for them.

"Kata and Shino worked hard to get into U.A., and even if it's only in the general course, just being there puts them ahead of most." Another added as he brought popcorn and snacks for everyone. "Wish I was there too…"

'Yeah, who wouldn't want to attend a school that nationally broadcasts a tournament where young heroes-in-training show off their quirks... What a perfect way to become a villain's next target.'

Arata thought, being hugged by Yui while watching the start of the competition.

It's not like Arata didn't understand the desire to be a hero—fame, influence, respect. Who wouldn't want that?

But being a hero also meant constantly risking your life. Whether on rescue missions or fighting villains, danger was part of the job.

Broadcasting kids showing off their quirks like this seemed utterly reckless to him.

Of course, maybe if he were a normal kid, he wouldn't think this way—maybe he'd idolize heroes too and dream of going to U.A.

But he wasn't like other kids. Ever since he could remember, Arata had vivid dreams about a boy named Tomas.

These dreams were fragmented, jumping between different moments of Tomas's life. Arata had never told anyone about them.

How would he even explain it?: "Hey guys, I have dreams about some kid named Tomas who lived in 2025?"

He didn't know if Tomas was a real person or just a product of a quirk awakening early, but until he figured it out, he planned to keep quiet.

Besides, the dreams weren't harmful—quite the opposite. They seemed to help with his cognitive development.

Because of them, even at just three years old, Arata was more intelligent than many older kids.

Not a genius, but sharp and quick to learn.

Munching on popcorn, Arata turned his attention to the screen—more specifically to Kata and Sino, his older brothers and U.A. students.

Kata's quirk wasn't bad—a lesser version of super speed. He could reach speeds of 300 km/h easily, but his body couldn't withstand the strain. That's why he was in the general studies course.

As for Sino, he was basically a stone golem—super strength and durability. His only real flaw was his lack of mobility, which could be a problem in most fieldwork scenarios.

Still, Arata was proud of both of them. They were his brothers, after all.

Even if he didn't agree with how the term "hero" had been twisted in this world, he still respected the profession.

Watching the screen as the first challenge began, Arata couldn't help but smile.

'Good luck.'