February 25th.
Less than a week remained before the official start of the spring semester at U.A. High School. The general entrance exams for the majority of junior high graduates had concluded just two days prior.
Wu Xuan was nearly certain that Izuku Midoriya had successfully inherited One For All. He had originally hoped to spectate the entrance exam to see the "new" Midoriya in action, but a notification from All Might had crushed that plan: outsiders—including those already admitted via recommendation—were strictly prohibited from the testing grounds to maintain fairness and security.
"Xuan-kun, your uniform is here."
Momo entered Wu Xuan's room with a familiarity that suggested she had long since stopped knocking. She held a gray U.A. blazer and trousers, still sealed in a crisp transparent garment bag.
"This past month has been suffocating," Wu Xuan muttered, taking the uniform.
He had spent the last several weeks living a life of leisure, mostly to lower the heat from Detective Tsukauchi's investigation. The "Ghost Battles" had ceased, replaced by quiet days in the Yaoyorozu mansion and the development of his... complicated relationship with Momo.
But for a man who lived for the thrill of the hunt and the constant shattering of his own limits, "peace" was a slow-acting poison. Even the most stagnant plant has roots that never stop pushing through the dirt. Wu Xuan's "nails" were growing, and he was hungry for a real fight.
"Only three days left," he said, tossing the uniform onto the sofa. "I'm losing my mind."
"Are you that excited for U.A.?" Momo asked, her eyes shining as she clasped her hands together. "I am too! It will be full of elites from all over the country."
Wu Xuan's lips curled into a predatory smirk. He suddenly reached out, grabbing her delicate wrist and pulling her toward him. They collapsed onto the plush sofa together. Before Momo could utter a word of protest, his lips were on hers, and that familiar, intoxicating sensation filled her senses once again.
An Underground Bar (The League of Villains' Hideout)
A man dressed in a clean bartender's vest stood behind the counter. His entire form was composed of a swirling, dark purple mist, save for two sharp, horizontal golden eyes. Opposite him sat a young man, Shigaraki Tomura, whose pale, chapped face was partially obscured by a severed, pale hand.
Suddenly, the television behind the bar crackled to life. Static filled the screen, masking the face of the speaker, but the voice that emerged was hoarse, deep, and heavy with authority.
"Kurogiri... are the preparations for the U.A. invasion complete?"
Shigaraki turned his stool toward the monitor, scratching at his neck. "Don't worry, Teacher. With the Nomu you gave me, I'll kill the Symbol of Peace. I'll kill... All Might." He spat the name with a mix of loathing and manic excitement.
The man on the screen—All Might's eternal nemesis, All For One—spoke again. "This operation is a trial to kill the Hero and a lesson to train you, Tomura. However, there is someone else I am curious about."
"Oh?" Shigaraki grunted.
Kurogiri interjected, "He is referring to the student Giran mentioned—Wu Xuan."
"According to Giran's intel," Kurogiri continued, "the boy was targeted by the police recently, and his vigilante activities have gone dark. Our contact with him was severed."
All For One let out a low, chilling chuckle. "A student of U.A. who uses such 'extreme' methods to pursue raw power... heh. I find him fascinating. Kurogiri, once the operation begins, keep a close eye on his performance."
Shigaraki began to scratch his neck more violently, his voice rasping with annoyance. "He's just a madman. A guy chasing power with no ideals, no conviction. He's trash."
"Madmen can be quite useful, Tomura," All For One lectured calmly. "To be a true leader, you must learn to handle every type of person. Only then will you truly grow."
Though clearly dissatisfied, Shigaraki remained silent, obeying his master's word.
"Imagine it, Tomura," All For One's voice rose with a hint of mania. "Imagine the look on All Might's face if his 'shining star' of a student were to stand upon the stage of the League of Villains. Anything that brings despair to that man... is worth our time."
He laughed—a sound of pure malice. Little did he know that Wu Xuan looked down on him for that very reason. To Wu Xuan, building an entire existence around hating one man was small-minded. Whether you were a "Hero" or an "Enemy," if your world revolved around someone else, you were already a loser.
A single relevant follow-up question:
As the "invasion plan" looms, do you think Wu Xuan's encounter with the League will be the "pressure" he needs to finally awaken the time-stop ability of [The World]?