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Chapter Text

Nearly all of the Royal Army’s knights were given patrol assignments. It was one of the most straightforward parts of their job; reassuring citizens of their safety and resolving any crimes or issues.

But as a member of the Royal Guard and the current Sword Saint, Reinhard was completely exempt from this rule. His only quests were to subdue extremely dangerous threats and emergencies which thankfully, didn’t occur very often.

This meant that he always had a large amount of free time to do as he pleased. And despite having more time to train himself and help Felt, having less work than his colleagues simply because he was the strongest was quite unfair.

So Reinhard requested a patrol shift for himself.

Most days, nothing much happened. The attention he got from passersby was flattering, albeit very awkward. Thieves and criminals surrendered to him on sight. A particularly interesting fighter attracted by the fame of his title would try to kill him and Reinhard would capture them without casualties. People would try to give him his purchases for free, and he’d have to convince them to take his money. 

(His salary was already ridiculously high. Even Julius was paid less than him, and his position was far more taxing!)

Ever since he fought an assassin there a year ago, Reinhard incorporated the slums into his route as well. The nobles had questioned this decision, of course, not seeing the ‘value’ in defending such people. Reinhard politely thanked them for their input and proceeded to do it anyway. He wasn’t nearly as well-received there, but that didn’t matter to him.

Reinhard would always do his work and duty as a knight to protect all of Lugnica.

So when a black and purple portal tore through the space in front of him, stretching open wide like a doorway, Reinhard hesitated only a moment. 

A powerful show of Yin magic, something he needed to investigate. He had no idea where it led, but there was enough food in his mansion for months- The Felt Camp would be fine in his absence. And his sword and coat were already on his person.

Decision made, the Sword Saint stepped through.

The inky darkness quickly faded away like a dark curtain, revealing very different surroundings. A huge field encompassed his sight, filled with all sorts of terrain and covered by a glass ceiling.

Keen blue eyes silently assessed the scene.

In the center was a large, shirtless figure with dark-purple skin and an exposed brain. He had an interesting beak along with vivid red marks that lined his arms like scars. The figure had a black-haired man’s face violently slammed into the ground, hints of blood visible from this distance, and in front of them was another man wearing human hands all over his body, laughing maliciously at the downed one.

Three teenagers were nearby, visibly terrified of what was happening, and crouching low in an attempt to remain hidden. The green-haired boy had a broken finger. There were more teenagers farther away, with an injured woman in a bulky suit. 

Clearly, Reinhard had just walked into a battle.

Darkness melted into the space next to the man covered in severed hands. Surprisingly, the mentioned darkness had sentient yellow eyes and a glint of steel hidden within his depths.

“Shigaraki Tomura.” A refined yet gravely voice called.

“Kurogiri.” Shigaraki acknowledged. “Have you killed Thirteen?”

The black-haired man twitched.

“...Thirteen has been disabled, yes. However, one of the students managed to escape-”

“Ha? Are you fucking kidding me?" Shigaraki scratched his neck, suddenly agitated. “You useless shit. If you weren’t my ticket home, I would’ve crumbled you to pieces!”

So this was an institution of some kind, and these men were here to kill students. But why?

“Damn it, we need to leave,” Shigaraki muttered. “Our party is too low level to take on all of the reinforcements, and All Might's not even here yet...”

“Did I hear that right?” The smallest student whispered, relieved. “Are-are they finally leaving?”

“I don’t know, Mineta,” The demi-human girl next to him responded. “I have a bad feeling about-”

“...but I think we have enough time to send him a parting message. Let’s smash up some of his shitty pride as the Symbol of Peace!”

Shigaraki sprinted forward before the students could react, full of killing intent. A hand descended towards the girl’s face-

Reinhard, now in front of her, slapped his wrist away. 

Shigaraki blinked. 

“...Huh? Who the fuck are you-wait, when’d you even get here?!”

“My name is Reinhard van Astrea.” Reinhard greeted politely, as he was taught. “I arrived here a minute ago. Please explain-” 

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter.” Shigaraki cut him off. “One knight-hero ain’t gonna do shit. You see that hero over there, Eraserhead?” He pointed at the black-haired man still on the ground, currently forcing himself up to glare at Shigaraki. “Yeah. So fuck off and let me kill some kids or you’re next!”

Reinhard glanced at the three teenagers behind him before looking back at the man. “But why do you wish to kill those kids?”

“...Are you seriously asking me that?”

“Yes?”

“Oh. Well, I’m here to kill that piece of shit, All Might. But he isn’t here, for some reason, so I’m going to settle with destroying his reputation. Starting with those NPCs over there!”

The demi-human girl narrowed her eyes. “So you’re too scared to fight All Might, kero, and instead you’re going after his students? Lame.”

“The fuck? I brought an All Might killing weapon and wrecked your teacher with it and you still think I’m faking? You annoying little-”

“Shigaraki.” Kurogiri interrupted. “I believe they are merely stalling for time until the heroes arrive. We must make haste.”

“...I see, I see. You’re right, Kurogiri. I almost fell for it! Nomu, kill them all!”

The large man let go of Eraserhead and blurred towards them at incredible speeds. A thin white line traced the attack’s path.

Reinhard caught the huge fist with his palm, wind rushing out from the collision.

Nomu swung wide and Reinhard ducked under the blow before rising up for a strong uppercut. The man’s head tilted back and Reinhard threw an even harder blow straight into his chest, forcing him to back a couple of meters against the concrete.

Strange. He could’ve sworn he put more power into that, yet the man was barely fazed. 

"Please surrender." Reinhard requested.

The man didn't reply.

Out of habit, Reinhard's hand drifted down to the sword sheathed on his hip, fingers tapping along the hilt. As usual, the Dragon Sword Reid refused to be drawn, declaring his current opponent unworthy.

Hm.

The Divine Protection of Unarmed Combat activated as Reinhard dashed into close range. He was faster than Nomu and far more skilled, easily dancing through sloppy swings and punches to land strike after strike on his opponent.

He was breaking him down, yet every one of his hits was doing less damage than they should be. And when he did injure Nomu, it instantly healed.

He put a bit more power into his next kick and the Nomu was thrown into a fountain. Yet the man didn’t even pause, pulling himself back out of the wrecked structure within seconds. 

Reinhard frowned.

Shigaraki cackled. “I have no idea how you can keep up with my Nomu, overpowered summon, but it doesn’t matter. See, my Nomu’s a genetically engineered beast made to kill All Might. It has multiple abilities; including both Shock Absorption and Regeneration!”

The green-haired student gasped. 

“See, he gets it. Any impact that hits my Nomu will get harmlessly absorbed and any damage you do just gets undone! Isn’t it amazing?” Shigaraki bragged on, like a child praising their new toy. 

“That is quite remarkable,” Reinhard acknowledged kindly. “Thank you for telling me.”

Reinhard reached out to Od Laguna. It felt farther away than usual but answered his soulful call nonetheless and soon, two new protections grew within Reinhard’s body. 

The Divine Protection of Shock Absorption Negation.

The Divine Protection of Regeneration Negation.

“Of course, it’s not like there’s anything you can-”

Reinhard kicked his enemy again. But this time, the Nomu slammed into a wall hundreds of meters away with a mighty crash and fell to the ground in a broken, unmoving heap.

He turned back to Shigaraki. “Your beast isn’t sentient. If you order it back, I will have to use lethal force.”

Shigaraki screeched. “What-what the fuck! You hacker!”

“...I’m sorry, but I don't know what that term means-”

“I’m going to kill yo-”

The field’s gates burst open, drawing every eye to a blonde man’s entrance. He was tall and extremely well built, muscles practically straining through his suit. 

“All Might!” The small purple-haired boy cried out in relief.

Reinhard watched as the blonde quickly moved to knock out Shigaraki’s remaining forces with efficient chops before carrying the injured Eraserhead to safety. He took a protective position in front of his three students, glaring down at Reinhard, Shigaraki, and Kurogiri.

“Hello.” Reinhard greeted. “You must be All Might.”

(An even stranger name than Eraserhead but well, who was he to judge?)

All Might narrowed his eyes, practically radiating righteous anger. “I am. And who are you three?” 

The demi-human girl spoke up. “All Might-sensei. The creepy hand-guy and the sentient darkness are the ringleaders-”

Shigaraki seized the moment of distraction, leaping through a portal. He came out of another behind All Might, hand reaching for the blonde’s back-

All Might didn’t even turn around, smashing Shigaraki’s head into the ground with a closed fist. Kurogiri’s yellow eyes went wide. 

All Might dashed towards Kurogiri and the darkness faded away just before he reached him.

Just like that, the battle was over.

“-and this hero saved us just in time. I’m not sure where he came from, though.”

“You should have seen him, All Might!” The green-haired boy exclaimed. “He’s really strong!”

“...I see.” All Might said, a little confused. “Then I must thank you...”

“Reinhard.” He wasn’t used to actually providing his name this much- it was nice.

“...Reinhard-san for protecting my students! I can’t imagine what could’ve happened if you weren’t here.”

Reinhard smiled. “There’s no need for that. Saving people is my duty.”

“Haha! It’s wonderful to see such a hard-working Pro Hero!” All Might boomed.

A hero was a title given to a savior or warrior with truly impressive accomplishments. What could a 'Professional Hero' be, Reinhard wondered.

The green-haired boy finally hit the limits of his self-control, blurting out a slew of questions. “Reinhard-san, h-how exactly did you get inside the USJ? I didn’t even notice you were here until you saved As-”

“Call me Tsuyu, kero.” The demi-human girl interjected.

“-Tsuyu-san from Shigaraki! Do you have some kind of teleportation quirk like Kurogiri? Though if you do, then how’re you so strong? What’s your hero name? Is that s-sword on your side real? But if it is then why didn’t you use it? And how is your hair moving like that in the wind-”

All Might chuckled. “Slow down, Young Midoriya! Give the young man a chance to actually answer your questions.”

“...O-Oh, I'm sorry-”

“I came to this place through Kurogiri’s portal. I don't think he meant to bring me here,” Reinhard answered, warming up to the boy’s curiosity. “I can't teleport. I got this strong through training and latent abilities. I...do not understand what a ‘hero name’ entails. The sword sheathed at my side is real, but will not be drawn if I’m not facing a worthy opponent. And my hair, well, it does this as a result of my Divine Protection of Wind Resistance.”

All Might, Tsuyu, and the smaller boy stared at him.

Meanwhile, Midoriya’s eyebrows furrowed. “A h-hero name is a name heroes choose as their new identity- It’s strange that you don’t know that if you're a hero. And by ‘divine protection’ you mean a quirk, right? T-That’s gotta be the longest quirk name I’ve ever heard...”

Reinhard blinked twice.

“What is a ‘quirk’, exactly?”

Reinhard sat in a small room, hands folded lightly on the table. Across him were two men, one a stick-like blonde wearing a suit and the other black-haired with a long coat. 

“My name is Tsukauchi Naomasa and this is my friend, Yagi Toshinori.” The black-haired man said. “I’m a police detective and I’d like to ask you a few questions about what happened today.”

He must be a part of some sort of law enforcement, Reinhard figured, though the man didn’t seem to be wearing any armor. His black eyes had a kind yet calculative look, almost reminding him of Subaru.

(But Subaru’s eyes were always had far more darkness hidden deep behind them, contrasting how well his friend wore his heart on his sleeve.)

“That’s fine.” Reinhard nodded. He was currently trespassing on their training grounds, after all.

“Great. Now, tell me an obvious truth and then an obvious lie in that order.”

“This is a very nice chair. I...hate appas.” 

“What’s an appa?” Yagi asked.

Reinhard brightened. “Small, red fruits in my homeland. They are very delicious.”

“...Alright. Name?”

“Reinhard van Astrea.”

“Age?”

“20.”

“According to All Might, Eraserhead, Midoriya Izuku, Asui Tsuyu, and Mineta Minoru you acted as a hero in this battle,” Tsukauchi reported. “However, you aren't registered in the hero database. Are you a professional hero?”

“...No?”

“Then you understand that you’ve broken quirk use laws by attacking those villains without a license, right?”

“Isn’t that too far, Naomasa?” Yagi interrupted. “If he hadn’t stepped in...”

“I know. But the law’s the law, Toshi.”

“Excuse me,” Reinhard spoke up. “But I still don’t understand what a quirk is.”

“You wh-wait, he’s telling the truth. How is he telling the truth?”

“I think I can answer that, actually,” Reinhard said. “Tsukauchi-san, what country is this?” 

“Japan, obviously. Why?”

Reinhard’s eyes widened at the confirmation. No wonder everything was so odd here. He was far, far beyond Lugnica- beyond the Great Waterfall. He was in Subaru’s homeland!

“I’ve heard of this country!” Reinhard exclaimed, excited. “You have ‘phones’ and ‘cars’ here, correct?”

Tsukauchi blinked. “Uh, Astrea-san-”

“Please, call me Reinhard. I’m from the Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica. See, we don’t have any  ‘quirks’, there.”

Tsukauchi looked doubtful. “I’ve never heard of that country before. I don’t even think there are any completely quirkless countries on Earth-”

“Lugnica is not on Earth.” 

“...I’m sorry, what?”

“Lugnica is not on Earth,” Reinhard repeated patiently. 

“Are you telling me you’re a fucking alien?” Tsukauchi said, incredulous.

“What's an alien?” Reinhard asked, confused.

“An ‘alien’ is a term for beings that come from outside of our planet,” Yagi provided, helpfully.

“I see. Then yes, I would be considered an alien to all of you.”

A long pause. 

Tsukauchi let out a long sigh. “Alright, what the hell. So you’re saying that you’re what, from a different planet?”

“Essentially, yes. I don’t understand the concept much myself,” Reinhard admitted. “But according to a friend of mine, ‘a multiverse totally exists' and it is 'fucking bullshit, man.’”

"I don't get paid enough for this," Tsukauchi muttered.

Yagi just chuckled. “Who is this friend?”

Reinhard smiled warmly. “Natsuki Subaru. Japan is his homeland, and he has told me a few things about it. Though I must ask...is your planet really a sphere?”

“You’re world’s flat? ” Yagi blurted.

“...Yes?”

“Then what’s-what’s at the edge?” 

“The Great Waterfall,” Reinhard told him solemnly.  

“Oh.”

“We’re getting off topic.” Tsukauchi cut in. “We were talking about quirks. Quirks are abilities that 80% of Earth’s population is born with. For example, our Number Two Hero can emit and control fire. Each person has a single quirk that manifests as a child if they aren’t quirkless. But Reinhard-san, if you don’t have a quirk then how did you fight as well you did?”

“I understand now.” Reinhard cupped his chin. “We have similar abilities where I come from, though we call them Divine Protections instead of quirks. Divine Protections are rare, and range in power from simple utility to absolutely devastating. Very few people are lucky enough to be born with multiple.”

“So what’s your Divine Protection, then?”

Reinhard paused. “That’s complicated. I actually have...216 Divine Protections, at the moment.”

“...Holy shit, you’re not lying. Is my quirk broken?”

Could Tsukauchi’s quirk detect lies, similar to the Divine Protection of Wind Indication? Reinhard wished to know-

Instinctively his Divine Protection of Judgement activated. It searched Tsukauchi for Divine Protections and found nothing- because Tsukauchi had no Divine Protection. The Divine Protection of Judgement couldn't fulfill his request, so Od Laguna immediately created the Divine Protection of Quirk Detection.

“Lie Detector.” Reinhard realized a moment later. “An emitter quirk owned by Tsukauchi Naomasa that notifies the user whenever they hear a spoken lie. The notification sounds like a ‘ping’ that the user seems to relate to receiving an urgent message. If the target believes the lie it will not register under the quirk.”

Tsukauchi’s eyes went wide. “What the hell?”

“Ever since I was born, I have had the ability to wish for any Divine Protection I wanted. It happens almost subconsciously.” Which was why Reinhard was currently at 217. “Just now, I made the Divine Protection of Quirk Detection so I could learn what your quirk was.”

“Remarkable,” Yagi breathed. “That’s even more powerful than his quirk...”

“Also, Tsukauchi-san, didn’t you say that people on Earth only had one ability?”

“Yes-”

Reinhard pointed at Yagi. “Then how does Yagi have two of them? Stockpile and Transf-ah, now it’s just one...”

Yagi’s eyes widened.

Reinhard blinked as the information in front of him changed yet again. “...and now it seems to be eight. You have a very odd quirk, Yagi.”

Yagi chuckled hollowly. “You have 217 abilities, young man. I don’t think you have any room to talk.”

“Fair enough.” 

Tsukauchi covered his face in his hands. “...You just casually learned a national secret, Reinhard-san, though at this point it probably doesn’t even matter. Yagi is that hero you saw earlier; All Might.”

“I know.” 

“Should’ve guessed,” Yagi muttered. “Did you learn that from a Divine Protection, too?”

“No. You’re wearing the same clothes as All Might, yet they're too big on you.” Reinhard stated simply. “You have the same hair as All Might. You talk exactly alike. I only realized that was supposed to be a secret when you introduced yourself under a different name.”

“...Oh.”

Tsukauchi laughed. “He’s got you there, Toshi. Why don’t you tell us what’s happened today, Reinhard-san, from your perspective?”

Reinhard nodded. “I was on patrol when I saw a portal appear out of nothing. I now know that was Kurogiri’s quirk.”

Tsukauchi held up his hand. “Wait a minute. How did Kurogiri’s portal even reach all the way to uh, Lugnica?”

Reinhard just shrugged. Tsukauchi sighed.

“So I stepped through it to investigate, assuming this was the work of Yin Magic-”

Yagi leaned over to speak into the detective’s ear. “Oh my god, Masa, they have magic -” 

Tsukauchi rolled his eyes. “Shut up Toshi, he is a literal knight-”

Reinhard didn’t bother telling the men that he could hear whispers, too.

“-and then I ended up in your training grounds. When I got there Shigaraki, Kurogiri, and the Nomu had already defeated Eraserhead. Thirteen was defeated as well, though I never saw her.”

The mood sobered up in an instant.

“Thirteen is unharmed and Eraserhead is fine too, luckily enough; head injures can be pretty risky,” Yagi said grimly. “What is The Nomu, anyway?”

“According to Shigaraki, it’s a ‘genetically engineered’ creature made to kill you. I don’t really understand what that means, exactly, but the message presented is clear. The Nomu was decently strong, fast, and had multiple quirks. The Shock Absorption and Regeneration were the most problematic.

“All Might’s complete counter.” Tsukauchi summarized. “We gathered the creature and it hasn’t moved since Shigaraki was taken away. The samples were taken match up with what you’ve said.” He glanced at Yagi. “You know that this means that he’s still alive, right? No one else could mastermind this attack.”

Yagi didn’t respond, fists clenched at his sides.

“I beat up the Nomu,” Reinhard continued. “And then Yagi showed up soon after. I am sure you know the rest.”

"How exactly did you beat that thing?" Tsukauchi couldn't help but ask.

"I hit it a couple of times before Shigaraki explained its abilities. Then I countered them and hit the Nomu again."

"...Huh. Well, what’s your opinion of Shigaraki, Reinhard-san?” 

Reinhard tilted his head. “As a commander, he is incredibly immature and almost child-like. He bragged freely about his group’s strengths to his enemies, granting me victory. He seems devoted to killing All Might, though.”

“I see. A pawn, then, yet a very dangerous one. I’m not sure if you saw his quirk in action, but he could disintegrate anything he touched with all five fingers.”

Reinhard’s mind flashed back to the moment he stepped in, Shigaraki’s hand inches away from Tsuyu’s face.

“Ah.”

“It’s a good thing we have him locked up, huh?”

“Yes, it certainly is.” Reinhard agreed.

Reinhard looked down at the letter in his hands, confused.

“You’re...offering me employment here?”

The strange stoat in front of him, somehow also the leader of this institution, broke into a grin. “Precisely! You have decided to stay in Japan for a couple of days, correct?”

Reinhard nodded. 

“Then please accept this job.” Nezu requested. “As a teaching assistant, you'll help instruct our students during your brief stay, and your food and boarding will all be provided.”

An incredibly gracious offer when he had nowhere to stay in Japan. “But why are you trusting me with your students so easily?” Reinhard couldn’t help but wonder.

“You are a trustworthy person,” Nezu stated simply. “And moreover, you’re the most skilled combatant I have ever seen. The fact that you’re twenty only serves to make that even more alarming. So the chance for you to be here to pass on some of these skills to my students, as well as protect them from any possible attacks, is too profitable for me to pass up.”

Blunt, and logical, Reinhard noted. The Divine Protection of Wind Indication didn’t sway once as the stoat spoke.

Essentially his role as the Sword Saint, yet instead of a country he was now tasked with just a single school- and actually had the opportunity to train them, too. Surprisingly Reinhard realized he was actually excited for this opportunity and this brief experience in Subaru’s homeland.

Reinhard smiled, decision made.

Why not?

Chapter Text

“You don’t know what you’re getting into.”

Reinhard glanced over at his new coworker, a man currently covered entirely in bandages save for a head of scruffy, black hair. 

“I think I have a good idea, actually.” 

“How?” Eraserhead demanded. “How could you possibly understand-”

“I have three charges below the age of 15,” Reinhard told the hero.

A grave pause.

“...My god. So you do understand.”

He did.

Reinhard nodded heavily, lifting his hand to the large door. He yanked it open and they walked into hell together, side by side.

“Guys, it’s Aizawa-sensei! And a uh, hot redhead?”

"Whoa, who's that?"

“Wait, Aizawa-sensei’s still hurt! Shouldn’t he be in a hospital, or something?” 

“ Hurt? Bro, the dude looks like a fucking mummy-”

Eraserhead stepped over to the podium and glared. Even with his face hidden, the effect was powerful enough to silence the entire class instantly.

Impressive.

“I’ll be remembering that, Kaminari.” Eraserhead hissed, and the boy in question gulped in fear. “There is no need to be concerned for my health. I am clearly fine and able to do my job- or at least, this one. For some reason, Recovery Girl is stubbornly refusing to let me go out on patrol.”

Everyone in the classroom resisted the urge to mention all of the bandages currently on display. 

Eraserhead waved a hand at Reinhard to bring their attention to the knight as if most of the class wasn’t already staring at him. 

“Hellspawn, meet Reinhard van Astrea. He’s going to be your new teaching assistant, or whatever. Bye.”

With that, the man pulled out a yellow sleeping bag and curled into the corner to sleep. Though Reinhard could tell he wasn't actually asleep- he knew exactly what a sleeping heartbeat sounded like, and there was simply no way a teacher like Eraserhead, someone who put his life on the line to protect his students mere days before, would leave them unwatched in the hands of a substitute he barely trusted.

Reinhard glanced at his new students, and twenty pairs of expectant eyes stared back. Either way, it seemed like the burden of authority had been suddenly thrust upon him.

“Hello, everyone. As Eraserhead has said, Nezu recently gave me a job as the teaching assistant for this course.” Reinhard bowed lightly with a smile. “As such, I will be gladly teaching and protecting all of you during my time here.”

The pink girl squealed out of nowhere, causing Reinhard to give her a concerned glance. She seemed alright, though her mouth was now covered by her hands. 

“Y-You’re the knight who saved us!” Midoriya leaned forward in his seat, excited. 

“Wait, you're telling me that this guy took out the main villains?” A black-haired boy asked. “I thought that was All Might-sensei...”

The demi-human girl from the battle shook her head. “Astrea-san’s actually the one who took out the huge mutant and saved Aizawa-sensei, kero. All Might-sensei only got there afterward to capture Shigaraki.”

“Wait, you mean you beat that giant bird guy?!” A redhead with spiky hair exclaimed. “That’s so manly !”

This seemed to grab the dual-haired boy’s attention, heterochromatic eyes narrowing in interest.

“Thank you,” Reinhard said. That was a compliment, right? He hoped so. “Now, we have nothing planned for today, and I can tell that you’re all quite curious about me, so I’ll give all of you a chance to ask me one question. Raise your hand and tell me your name when I call on you.”

A dozen hands shot into the air at once. Reinhard pointed at the black-haired girl who’d won by a millisecond, her posture as straight as a noble.

“My name is Yaoyorozu Momo. Forgive me for asking, but are you really a licensed pro hero, Astrea-san? You seem to be rather close to our age.”

“I am licensed, yes.” A provisional one as of yesterday, at least. “I may be only twenty years old, but I can assure you that I am quite qualified. And also, please just call me Reinhard.”

Yaoyorozu gasped, taken back. “But to call a teacher by his given name...”

“You are not being rude,” Reinhard assured her. “I very much dislike going by my family name. Next question?”

“Kaminari Denki,” A grinning boy claimed, a lightning bolt running through his hair. “I’m gonna ask the one we’re all thinking- what’s your quirk?”

“I can gain any emitter ability I need,” Reinhard told him.

“Coo-wait, what the fuck ?!”

“Jirou Kyoka.” A purple-haired girl casually spoke up, her measured voice cutting through the classroom. “Can you please elaborate on that?”

Reinhard smiled. These kids were so much politer than Felt. “Gladly. If I desire a specific ability, then I will receive it. This can range from a wide variety of utility and combat types, and I can erase them if I so desire.”

Jirou blinked. “Well, damn.”

“What an overpowered pretty boy.” A boy muttered in the back, strange purple orbs stuck on his head. Reinhard recognized him as one of the students he saved at the USJ.

“I’m Kirishima Ejiro!” The redhead from earlier yelled. “How many quirks do you have right now then, Reinhard-sensei?”

Reinhard performed a quick mental count. “218.” 

The classroom stilled for a second in startling contrast to its usual jumble of movement. Then, chaos.

“ 218? ” The pink girl blurted out, her eyes wide. “That’s-that’s insane !”

“Tokoyami Fumikage.” A bird demi-human intoned, hand still raised. “You have just claimed to hold unfathomable power. May I please request a demonstration of your fantastical quirk?”

“Of course,” Reinhard used the Divine Protection of Telepathy to transmit the message directly into every student’s mind. Most of them jumped in their seats- the common reaction to suddenly having a voice in your mind. “ Does this suffice, Tokoyami?”

Tokoyami’s eyes widened. “...It does. Thank you.”

“Incredible,” Midoriya muttered under his breath. “Already demonstrated and amazing levels of speed and strength now combined with what seems to be a replica of Mandalay’s quirk. These abilities cannot be part of one quirk, confirming his given explanation. But if Reinhard-sensei can wish for any emitter he wants, what’re the limits? Could he wish for duplicates of the same ability to stack their effects? What if he just requests something ridiculously powerful; for example, the ability to instantly render any enemy unconscious-”

The boy cut himself off, abruptly realizing the entire class was staring at him.

“Sorry.”

An ashen-haired boy huffed and Midoriya shrank a little further into his seat.

“There’s no need to apologize! That was a very interesting analysis, Midoriya.” Reinhard praised kindly. “And yes, there are limits to my ability. I usually can’t stack the effects of my di-quirks, and a lot of abilities simply can’t be granted to me.”

“T-Thank you, Reinhard-sensei.”

Reinhard smiled. “No problem.”

“Oi, sensei!” The ashen-haired boy barked out from the back, not even bothering to raise his hand. “Fight me!”

“You cannot speak to teachers so disrespectfully, Bakugou!” Iida admonished.

“Shut the fuck up, Glasses!” Bakugou shot back angrily. 

Reinhard was reminded of another brash, young blonde he knew. “I would be delighted to spar with you at a later date, Bakugou.”

The boy looked away with a scoff.

“I’m Sato Rikido,” A brown-haired student said. “Can you wish for knowledge-based quirks? Like, can you automatically know how to program computers, or instantly be great at cooking meals?”

What was a computer? He’d have to ask Eraserhead about that later.

“Yes. I have several cooking-based abilities, for example.”

Sato let out a long sigh. “Man, that’s totally unfair.”

Reinhard shrugged.

“I’m Ashido Mina!” The pink girl exclaimed, leaning forward in her seat. “I’ve gotta ask- are’ya dating anyone?”

It took him a full second to process the question. Reinhard had never been on a date or even really considered the prospect before, too busy with the duties and responsibilities of the Sword Saint. 

Who’d want to court a monster, anyway?

“...No?”

Ashido beamed. “Cool!” 

Reinhard stared at her, more than a little confused. When she didn’t elaborate he moved on to the next question.

“My name is Iida Tenya, Ast-Reinhard-sensei!” A boy with eyeglasses shouted, his hands chopping through the air. “I would like to ask what your hero name is!”

“I am Hanketsu: The Knight Hero,” Reinhard gave him the name Nezu provided. It did feel a little pretentious, but it was nowhere near as bad as ‘Sword Saint’. 

“I’m Ojiro Mashirao,” A tailed blonde said. “If you’re a knight, is that sword on your hip actually real?”

“Yes,” Reinhard answered carefully. “I will not be drawing this weapon outside of battle. However, I can instruct all of you in swordplay if you so wish.”

Yaoyorozu’s onyx eyes lit up with interest, along with several others. A great relief to see- swordsmanship was something Reinhard actually knew how to teach. 

He received several more questions before the period ended, most of them about his various Divine Protections. 

As the last student filed out, the mummy lying in the corner of the room finally ‘awoke’. Reinhard followed the hero out, trailing behind him through the mess of halls and into the streets. The fact that Eraserhead’s face was still completely covered in bandages didn’t seem to affect his navigation in the slightest.

Eraserhead led him to his new living accommodations- an ‘apartment’ near the school graciously provided by Nezu- before leaving Reinhard to explore with a quiet farewell.

Reinhard stepped through the doorway with a strange sense of wonder. The room was far smaller than the Van Astrea mansion, of course, but the space seemed to radiate a cozy feel that he very much enjoyed. 

The walls were painted a comforting blue, adorned with mesmerizing, flower-like designs, and the furniture was all just so odd - Japan’s craftsmanship was absolutely nothing like what he was used to. But he liked it.

Reinhard took a seat on the very long, very comfortable-looking chair and let his weight sink down pleasantly into the soft fabric. 

Reinhard opened his new front door the next day to reveal Eraserhead, the man’s hand poised to knock. Most of his bandages were now gone, including the ones covering his face, but his injured arm was still in a sling.

“Hello, Eraserhead.” Reinhard greeted with a smile. “How are you doing this fine morning?”

“It’s 8 AM,” Eraserhead grumbled in response. “Why’re you already this cheerful?”

Reinhard just shrugged at that. He’d always been a morning person. This was also the first time he’d slept in a month since he didn’t have any knightly obligations here, so he was especially well-rested.

“Anyway, according to Nezu you’ll be getting a fairly large stipend of yen as long as you continue to teach at U.A. Today, I’ll be helping you buy all of the essentials and stuff you need. You definitely need someone to show you around so you won't get lost."

“That’s very nice of you, Eraserhead.” 

“Don’t thank me, these are just that damn rat’s orders. And don’t call me Eraserhead out of combat- that’s my hero name.”

Ah. “What should I call you, then?”

“Aizawa’s fine.” The man stated simply. “Now c’mon, let’s get this over with.”

They must’ve made quite the sight together on the street- Reinhard still dressed in his white long coat and knight uniform and Aizawa in a careless black shirt, his hands deep in his pockets. Reinhard certainly got more than a few glances from passing joggers.

Aizawa was a very quiet person, opting to walk in silence while Reinhard gawked openly at their surroundings. Japan lacked even the slightest hint of mana(which felt very strange, given he’d been passively absorbing it for most of his life)and seemed to have made up for the difference with remarkable technology. Like their ‘cars’, for example- dragonless carriages powered by machines that gave Reinhard a headache the longer he looked at them.

Their first stop was the ‘grocery store’- a food market. Reinhard spared a curious glance at the automatic doors before rushing to follow Aizawa into the building, careful not to lose the man in the crowd.

“They have a very wide selection,” Reinhard noted. “How’re you going to find what we need in here?”

“There're signs,” Aizawa grunted as he grabbed a metal-like cart from the side and pushed it along. “By the way, can you even cook? Forgot to ask.”

Reinhard considered. “I can, but I’ll likely have to use a Divine Protection just to understand the basics of your world’s cuisine. I also need to learn how to use my new kitchen metias, first.”

“...Kitchen whats?”

“Metias,” Reinhard clarified. “The large, cold device and the smaller, warm ones to be precise. I have already learned your writing system, but the functions of several buttons continue to escape me.”

Aizawa sighed. Reinhard winced at the sound.

“If it’s too much trouble, then you really don’t need to help me with all of this, Aizawa-san,” Reinhard assured. “With my abilities, I will be perfectly fine. I can actually survive for several weeks without any sustenance-”

“No.” Aizawa cut him off, his tone firm. “You are a twenty-year-old currently stuck in an alien world you know nothing about. You need help, so I’m going to buy you your damn groceries and then show you how everything in your apartment works. This is non-negotiable.”

Reinhard blinked twice.

What a kind person.

Aizawa drove through various aisles, tossing different products into their cart with barely a glance. Reinhard recognized milk and bread, along with some other items, but most of the store remained a mystery. He used the Divine Protection of Evaluation on a few, though, and all of them seemed to be of good quality.

Aizawa made a low hum as Reinhard evaluated yet another fresh apple(they really did look just appas!) before placing it with the rest of the stuff. 

“Keep your protections a secret to people outside of U.A, Reinhard. It’d cause mass chaos if Japan knew what you were capable of.”

Reinhard nodded. It looked like living in Japan was going to be quite different from Lugnica, where everyone he met already knew what he was capable of.

Aizawa seemed to be skilled at budgeting, easily choosing the cheapest products on the shelves without sacrificing quality. Neither of them knew how much Nezu was actually going to pay Reinhard, so he was grateful for the savings.

When they finally had everything, Aizawa pushed the full cart back to the front of the store to pay. They stood in line behind two amiable teenagers, watching the store worker analyze food products with some kind of scanning device. It was all very fast and efficient.

Then a man walked in into the grocery store.

He was fairly tall and dressed in full black, wearing some kind of mask that left only his eyes exposed. Reinhard didn’t know if this was the ordinary fashion for Japan or not, but the fact that the entire store flinched back at the sight of him meant that it probably wasn’t.

Or maybe they were worried about the small, metal object clutched tight in his hands.

Next to Reinhard, Aizawa tensed up like a coiled spring.

“Nobody move!” The masked man pointed the object at the worker, who was now trembling in place. “You there, give me all the money this store’s got, or your dead!”

Reinhard frowned. A robbery. 

Aizawa caught the look on his face and grabbed his sleeve. “Don’t. Guns are incredibly fast, lethal weapons. I’m not even sure how that guy got one, but one wrong move and someone could di-”

Reinhard gently extracted himself from the man’s grip. “Thank you for the concern, Aizawa-san, but don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”

The worker was hastily shoving currency into a bag as he approached, the masked man looking on and rudely urging him to hurry. The attacker finally noticed Reinhard then, his eyes going wide with visible alarm at the sight of the knight.

“What’s a hero doing here?” The gun was immediately turned on Reinhard and pointed directly at his chest. “Fuck! Don’t move an inch, man, or I’ll shoot!” 

“Please surrender peacefully.” Reinhard requested. “I do not wish to use force.”

“No, you fucking surrender! I’m the one with the gun here, man!” The man was clearly agitated, spewing out threats as he waved his weapon around wildly. 

The other civillians were all huddled down on the floor and watching them with wide eyes. Aizawa looked like he was waiting for the chance to jump in.

Reinhard took a step forward.

There was a loud bang as a small, metal pellet was fired out of the gun. Reinhard watched it streak through the air at an impressive speed, grazing the sleeve of his uniform as it flew into the wall. Someone screamed. 

Reinhard took a second step forward, and the robber flinched back.

Another bang. This time the projectile was on target, gliding straight towards his chest- 

Only to veer unnaturally off course at the last moment, missing him completely and hitting the wall like the first.

“You’re damaging the store,” Reinhard told him sternly. “Please stop firing that weapon.”

“The fuck?! Let me go!”

“I cannot do that- you are clearly dangerous.”

Reinhard took the final step forward, now within point-blank range of the attacker. The man panicked and four pellets shot toward Reinhard’s face, shoulder, arm, and chest. But right before impact, every single projectile suddenly twisted upward at a sharp angle, four new holes piercing into the ceiling above. 

The store was silent.

Reinhard grabbed the weapon out of the man’s hand and crushed it into nothing in his palm. Then, he politely asked the masked man to surrender again.

This time, he readily agreed.

Aizawa called the local law enforcement and uniformed men arrived to take the robber away. It then took five minutes to convince the kind store worker to actually let them pay for their items, the man stubbornly insisting on giving them their groceries for free.

By the time they finally left the grocery store, every white bag successfully hooked onto Reinhard’s arm, the hero seemed to be quite annoyed.

“Is something wrong, Aiza-”

Aizawa whirled to face him, black eyes narrowed. “That was extremely dangerous. You were calm and efficient, but that doesn’t change the fact that those were real bullets, kid.” 

So that’s what they were called. “Don’t worry, I made sure no one got hurt.”

“Yeah, but what about you? Even if you are ridiculously fast, deflecting bullets is a huge risk to take- especially at close range. If you missed even a single one, you could’ve been killed.”

“I didn’t deflect those bullets, Aizawa-san. In fact, I didn’t do anything but destroy his weapon at the end of the confrontation.” 

“Huh?”

“Od Laguna doesn’t let me hit by projectiles, you see.”

Aizawa stared at him. Reinhard stared back.

Without breaking eye contact, the hero bent low to pick a pebble off the road. He pinched the rock between two fingers, aimed, and flicked it right at the knight’s face.

It sailed directly towards Reinhard’s nose, only to then promptly veer off course and miss completely.

 “...What the fuck.”

“Anything that’s considered a projectile will miss me, and any projectile I throw will always connect.” Reinhard smiled. “So as you see, I wasn’t in any danger. There will never be a need to worry about my safety in battle, Aizawa-san.”

Aizawa pursed his lips. “Bullshit. There is always a need to care for an ally’s well-being, no matter how strong they are. No one’s invincible.”

“But what if they were?” Reinhard couldn't help but ask. “What if you had a weapon so strong, so overwhelmingly powerful that no one could break it-”

“The world isn’t that simple.” Aizawa shot back, full of grim logic. “Even if they truly are the best, there’re always ways to take someone down. Weaknesses to target, cracks in their armor to exploit. Maybe there’s some ridiculous ability out there that’s perfectly tailored to rip them apart, maybe enough people team up on them, or maybe they just get tired and let down their guard one day. Everyone can end up dead- in the end, we’re all human. It’s only logical to be concerned for and protect your allies.”

But if any of that actually did happen and Reinhard was killed, Od Laguna would simply bring him back to life. By Aizawa’s standards, was Reinhard still human?

“I see what you mean.” Reinhard nodded. “Thank you for the lesson, Aizawa-san.”

Aizawa just grunted in response. “It’s way too damn early for heavy conversations, kid.”

With that, the black-haired man strolled off towards Reinhard’s new apartment, his steps smooth and silent despite his injuries. Reinhard hurried to catch up, scrambling for a lighter conversation topic.

As the morning wore on, more and more people seemed to be present in the streets. He saw teenagers bustling about in loud groups, small families walking together at a calmer pace, lone joggers speeding past with small white metias tucked into their ears.

“Are you a good cook, Aizawa-san?”

“Meh, decent. Hizashi’s a lot better.”

“Hizashi?” 

“Present Mic.” Aizawa clarified. “You’ve met him.”

Reinhard tilted his head.

“The loud blonde with a speaker around his neck.”

“...I don’t know what a speaker is.” 

With a sigh, Aizawa stopped walking. He turned to Reinhard and raised the arm that wasn’t in a sling above his head, drawing a huge spike with his hand. Reinhard’s eyes immediately lit up with recognition.

“Ah, the blonde! He seemed to be a very kind person.”

The stoic hero actually smiled a little at that. “Yeah, he is.”

When they got back to Reinhard’s apartment, Aizawa showed him how to use the large, cold metia- apparently called a ‘fridge’- to store food and preserve it for longer. The hero also taught him a few simple rice dishes, some of which with ‘curry’- a sauce filled with varying spices that tasted absolutely delicious. Japanese meat turned out to be even better than his homeland’s. 

Reinhard’s numerous cooking protections let him absorb all of the information and translate it into efficient, practical application within minutes, and by the time the impromptu lesson concluded he was already more skilled than Aizawa.

Reinhard served them both his first Japanese meal and together they dug into it. He was glad to find out that Japan ate with chopsticks as well- it would be quite awkward to have to figure out their dining etiquette.

The food tasted great, just like everything else Reinhard cooked. He savored the new taste that was Japanese cuisine.

Reinhard broke the content silence after a minute, politely making sure his mouth was free before he spoke. “Thank you very much for the help, Aizawa-san. You ended up spending your entire day assisting me like this.”

Aizawa grunted, gesturing with his sling. “I can’t exactly do hero work right now, anyway.”

“...Be that as it may, you still had to waste your day off on a stranger.”

“Not really. I was free, kid, so stop worrying about it.”

That was a relief. Though-

“Why exactly do you keep calling me ‘kid’?” Reinhard finally asked the hero. “I can assure you that I am well into adulthood, even by your world’s standards.”

“Because you are one,” Aizawa answered simply.

Reinhard frowned. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been treated like a child. 

“I am twenty-”

“-years old, yes. That’s still young, Reinhard- only two years older than U.A’s graduating class. I’m not calling you a kid because you’re childish or incapable- you’re incredibly mature and talented. But you’re still a twenty-year-old, and it’s quite clear to me that your world doesn’t treat you like one.”

What did that mean? Was Lugnica meant to treat Reinhard like an ordinary, adult citizen? But that didn’t make any sense at all. 

It would be nice, sure, to have more peace and quiet, live somewhere other than the stuffy Astrea mansion, and be able to talk casually to the citizens without being seen as a hero or a monster. 

But Reinhard had duties and responsibilities to his country as its Sword Saint and strongest weapon. The thought of being treated like a normal person by anyone other than his few friends was wonderful, yet completely impossible.

“...I see.” Reinhard lied.

“And there isn’t anything I can do to change that,” Aizawa continued casually. “However, as long as you’re in Japan, Reinhard, you don’t have to be a knight or whatever the hell your military position is. You are completely free of all responsibilities and duties here- as long as you help protect my students, you can do whatever you want.”

Reinhard watched the man for a moment as he skillfully scooped rice into his mouth, chopsticks gripped in his only working hand. Intelligent, pitch-black eyes stared back, not quite covered by long, unkempt hair. 

“You’re a very perceptive person, Aizawa-san.”

“It comes with the job.”