Not So Plus Ultra....

An audio version of this piece read by me can be heard on the link below. Special thanks to Kohei Horikoshi for creating the world of My Hero Academia, and thank you to All Might voice actor Christopher Sabat and Shigaraki voice actor Eric Vale for inspiring my own voice acting dreams, including this recording.... https://audiomack.com/roses311sublime/song/14198038

Philibert, a young man in his late 20′s, was a huge My Hero Academia fan. He read the manga, watched the anime, played the video games, met some of the voice actors from the anime at conventions - he even started writing his own stories inspired by the franchise. His favorite character was the antagonist Tomura Shigaraki. Sure, he was no doubt a villain, but Shigaraki’s growth throughout the series was so inspiring to Philibert. He hadn’t met Shigaraki’s voice actor, but doing so was on his bucket list.

Philibert was walking home from the local comic book store, looking forward to diving into the treasures he had just purchased. He was almost at the corner of his street when a cloud of purple smoke appeared before him. A young man decked out in My Hero Academia gear emerged from the smoke. He wore a League of Villains baseball cap, a face mask with one of Shigaraki’s hands on it, a Deku T-Shirt, and All Might themed pajama bottoms.

“Greetings Philibert, my name is Con Man!” The young man said. “I have arrived to grant your request!”

“My request?” Philibert asked. “How do you know me, and what do you mean?”

“I am a My Hero Academia fan, just like you!” Con Man replied. “The difference is, I have the ability to transport others to fictional worlds. I can send you to the world of My Hero Academia, and you could meet the one and only Tomura Shigaraki!”

Although the concept of visiting a fictional world sounded impossible, Philibert had just seen this guy teleport in front of him. He completely accepted his claims, and was overjoyed.

“That sounds incredible!” Philibert exclaimed. “I’ve been wanting to meet Shigaraki’s voice actor, but I never imagined I could meet the actual character! Yes, how can we make this happen right now?”

“I appreciate your excitement, but there is something you should know about my power.” Con Man warned. “It is true I can send you to this world, but you will not look or sound like yourself upon arrival. You will take on the appearance and voice of a random My Hero Academia character. I have no control over which one that will be.”

This news made Philibert even more excited.

“I get to meet the real Shigaraki, and I get to become a My Hero Academia character? This is better than cosplaying at a comic convention!”

“It sounds great in theory, but keep in mind that although you will look and sound like one of the characters, you will not get their quirks.” Con Man advised. “Knowing this, are you sure you want to do this?”

“Completely sure.” Philibert responded without hesitation. “I am ready to go whenever you can send me.”

*****

Con Man surrounded Philibert with purple smoke. When the smoke faded, Philibert found himself standing in a bar. Standing before him was his all time favorite baddie, Tomura Shigaraki.

“Hello Shigaraki, you are my favorite My Hero Academia character, and because of that, I am here!”

Philibert gasped when he realized which character he had been transferred to the My Hero Academia world as. He was none other than All Might, a character that Shigaraki despised. He noticed his idol wearing casual clothes and a hand over his face, and also remembered that the bar was a early hideout for the League of Villains in the series. Alas, the moment he was meeting Shigaraki was during a time in the storyline where his hero’s hate for All Might was extremely high. If he couldn’t convince Shigaraki that he wasn’t actually All Might, he might not return home to witness the end of the series.

“Who sent you here All Might?” Shigaraki asked in an annoyed tone. “Actually, it’s fine. I was just thinking about how I would find you and kill you, and now I don’t have to seek you out at all.”

“No Shigaraki, I’m not All Might, my name is Philibert! I am from another world where you exist in a manga, an anime, and video games. I was sent here by someone named Con Man, and he told me I would be transferred here in the form of another My Hero Academia character, and apparently I was sent here as All Might. But I’m not All Might, I’m Philibert, your biggest fan!”

“Wow, you’ve really lost it All Might.” Shigaraki replied to Philibert’s protests. “Even if your ridiculous story is true, you still appeared to me in a form that you know pisses me off. You played poorly, and now it’s game over for you. Too bad this isn’t the video game from your world, because in my world, you don’t get to try again. Farewell.”

Before Philibert could say another word, Shigaraki put his hand on Philibert’s head. As Philibert decayed into dust, he reflected on how he should have never trusted someone named Con Man, and how he should have just waited for a convention where he could have met Shigaraki’s voice actor instead. But as his idol already proclaimed, it was game over for him.