"I AM HERE, ALL MIGHT!"
The voice rings out from the tunnel entrance, dramatic and unmistakable.
Every head turns.
Ayaka steps out of the shadows with deliberate confidence.
Her hero suit is built on a pristine white combat base, reinforced with elegant gold detailing that balances ceremonial flair with practical protection. The core consists of a fitted, structured bodice, reinforced seams, and subtle armour plating integrated into the torso for stability and defence without sacrificing mobility. Light pauldrons and bracers protect her shoulders and forearms, while a flowing, translucent overskirt and cape project a composed, dignified presence.
At first glance, the fabric looks decorative—but closer inspection reveals reinforcement woven throughout the entire design, from the structured torso down to the gloves and boots. The silhouette is elegant, but unmistakably functional.
She walks forward as the class instinctively parts for her, stopping just in front of All Might.
Hands on her hips, she strikes a pose.
"So?" she asks brightly. "How was my entrance, All Might?"
Off to the side, Izumi exhales quietly and shakes his head, already resigned.
All Might stares for half a second—then bursts into a wide grin.
"Magnificent!" he booms. "A bold entrance worthy of a rising hero! You truly command attention, young Ayaka!"
Then his eyes narrow slightly as he points at the flowing fabric.
"But tell me—are you certain that won't interfere with combat?"
Ayaka smirks, clearly expecting the question.
"Oh, this?" She grips the edge of the overskirt and cape.
With a sharp tug, the fabric detaches cleanly.
For a split second, the cloth sways in the air—then collapses inward, drawn into a pinpoint of violet light that flickers once before vanishing entirely.
A faint shimmer lingers where it disappears.
The class blinks.
Ayaka now stands in fitted, reinforced leggings and boots, the remaining suit streamlined and ready for combat.
"That was just the ceremonial configuration," she says proudly.
There's a beat of silence—
Then Mina explodes.
"THAT WAS SO COOL!" she practically shouts. "You just—poof!—fashion AND function?!"
Kaminari leans forward. "Wait, can costumes do that?!"
Tokoyami nods solemnly. "A form that sheds excess in pursuit of battle… admirable."
Tsuyu tilts her head. "That's really efficient. Ribbit."
Aoyama clutches his own cape, eyes narrowed. "Zut alors… even I must admit—your sparkle was… formidable."
Ayaka smiles sweetly. "Thank you."
All Might claps his hands again, louder this time.
"Alright, alright! That's enough admiration for now. We have work to do!"
The students straighten almost instinctively, attention snapping back to him.
"Now," he announces,
"it's time for Combat Training!"
Iida immediately raises his hand, posture rigid.
"This is the same Battle Centre used in the entrance exam. Will we be conducting urban combat exercises again?"
All Might raises two fingers in a V-shape.
"No!" he declares. "We're moving ahead two steps!"
A ripple of excitement passes through the class.
"While many villains operate in the open," All Might continues, clenching a fist before him, "statistics show that truly dangerous criminals prefer indoor environments. Imprisonment facilities, private residences, hidden headquarters—"
His eyes sharpen.
"In a society overflowing with heroes, intelligent villains hide in the shadows."
He gestures decisively.
"For this class, you'll be split into heroes and villains and engage in two-on-two indoor battles."
Tsuyu raises a hand, blinking.
"Without basic training?"
"Yes, young Asui!" All Might says enthusiastically. "This is your basic training! However—there will be no robots you can simply smash."
Yaoyorozu raises her hand calmly.
"How will victory and defeat be determined?"
Bakugo snaps, already grinning.
"Can we beat them up anyway?"
Toru pipes in, nervous but curious.
"W-We're not getting expelled if we lose, right?"
Iida raises his hand again.
"How will teams be assigned?"
Aoyama dramatically flares his cape.
"Sensei—doesn't this cape sparkle magnificently?!"
All Might pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing deeply.
"I will answer all your questions," he says, regaining his composure, "but first—prepare yourselves."
All Might flips open a book that looks comically small in his massive hands.
"Now listen closely!" he announces. "Here's the situation. The villains have hidden a nuclear weapon somewhere inside their hideout."
A ripple of tension moves through the class.
"The heroes' objective is to secure the weapon or capture the villains within the allotted time. The villains must either protect the weapon until time runs out—or capture the heroes."
Kaminari tilts his head. "This kinda feels like an arcade game scenario."
All Might bends down and grabs a box labelled LOTS from beside him.
"Teams and opponents will be determined by drawing lots!"
Iida stiffens. "They're being decided so haphazardly?"
Midoriya answers immediately, thoughtful as always. "In the field, pros often have to form temporary teams with heroes from other agencies. They don't get to choose their partners."
Iida straightens, clearly satisfied. "I see. The discernment to look ahead…"
He bows deeply toward All Might. "Please excuse my rudeness!"
All Might pumps a fist. "No problem! Let's move quickly!"
One by one, the students draw their tags.
Team A: Uraraka Ochako & Midoriya Izuku
Team B: Todoroki Shoto & Shoji Mezo
Team C: Ayaka Adachi & Yaoyorozu Momo
Team D: Bakugo Katsuki & Iida Tenya
Team E: Ashido Mina & Aoyama Yuga
Team F: Koda Koji & Sato Rikido
Team G: Kaminari Denki & Jiro Kyoka
Team H: Tokoyami Fumikage & Asui Tsuyu
Team I: Hagakure Toru & Izumi Adachi
Team J: Sero Hanta & Eijiro Kirishima
The room erupts into overlapping reactions.
Ochako pumps both fists, eyes sparkling. "Wow! It must be fate! I'm counting on you, Midoriya!"
Midoriya freezes, face flushing red. "I-I'll do my best!"
Bakugo scoffs loudly. "Tch."
Iida snaps to attention beside him. "Bakugo! We must perform our role as villains with dignity!"
Mina grins at Aoyama. "Looks like we're partners, sparkles!"
Aoyama poses dramatically. "Then I shall shine brilliantly beside you!"
Ayaka glances at Yaoyorozu, smiling calmly. "Let's do our best."
Yaoyorozu nods. "Of course."
All Might sets down two boxes—one black, one white. The black is labelled VILLAINS, the white HEROES.
Standing between them, he plunges a hand into each and shakes them theatrically.
"The first teams to battle will be…"
He pulls out two balls and holds them up.
"These teams!"
A black ball marked D.
A white ball marked A.
"TeamA will be the heroes! Team D will be the villains! Everyone else, head to the monitoring room!"
"Yes, sir!" the class responds in unison.
As the others file past, Izumi slows briefly beside Midoriya and gives his shoulder a tap.
Midoriya watches him go, then exhales slowly, a small smile forming as he steadies himself.
He turns his head and meets Bakugo's glare head-on.
Bakugo scowls, irritation flashing across his face—but Midoriya doesn't look away.
For just a moment, Bakugo hesitates.
All Might's voice echoes through the facility. "Villain team, enter first and prepare!"
Bakugo turns sharply and storms off.
Iida follows, chopping the air with his hand. "We shall execute our duties with utmost precision, Bakugo!"
"In five minutes," All Might continues, "the heroes will break in, and the battle will begin!"
Midoriya watches Bakugo's back as he disappears into the building into the building without a second glance—already moving, already ignoring everything else.
He lifts his right hand.
'It's trembling.'
He tightens his fingers into a fist and exhales.
"…I guess I still have a long way to go."
"Deku!" Ochako says, snapping him out of it. "We need to move. All Might's waiting."
He turns to her, a small smile forming—steadier this time.
"Yeah," he says. "Let's go."
Unnoticed by him, Ochako flushes faintly at the sight of his smile. She quickly shakes her head , pushing the thought aside, and hurries to walk beside him as they head toward the battlefield—together.
***
Midoriya and Ochako stand in front of the villains' base, the tall building looming over them. They lean against the railing, each holding a printed floor plan, the paper fluttering slightly in the breeze.
"It's a lot of work to memorise the building's layout," Ochako says, eyes scanning the pages.
She lowers the paper and looks up at the structure itself, sunlight reflecting off the windows.
"But All Might is just like he is on TV," she adds with a bright smile.
She turns to her left, about to continue—
"Unlike Mr. Aizawa, it looks like there's no punishment.
So we can tak—"
She freezes.
Midoriya is staring intensely at the plan in his hands, lips moving as he quietly mutters to himself, eyes darting across the page like he's already inside the building.
"…You're not relaxed at all," she blurts out. "You're so intense!"
Midoriya pauses and calmly looks up at her.
"Well, we're up against Kacchan," he says.
"And Iida too… so I feel like I can't really take it easy."
Ochako's expression softens, a hint of concern crossing her face.
"I see. Bakugo's the one who's always angry at you, right?"
Midoriya lowers the paper to his side, shoulders relaxing just a little.
"Yes… and he's amazing."
As if caught in the memory, he continues,
"He's a piece of work, no doubt about it.
But his drive, his confidence, his physical strength—and his Quirk… they're all incredible."
Ochako listens quietly as he speaks, watching his expression shift.
Midoriya straightens, stepping away from the railing.
"And that's why, right now…"
He pulls his mask up over his face. His eyes harden with focus.
"I don't have any other option but to beat him."
Ochako studies him for a moment, then smiles softly.
"A fated battle between men, huh?" she says, leaning slightly toward him, teasing but sincere.
Midoriya stiffens, realising how dramatic he sounds.
"O–Oh, sorry! This isn't your problem, Uraraka!"
She shakes her head and steps forward, turning fully toward him.
"It is," she says firmly. "We're a team, aren't we?"
She pumps her fist into the air, grinning.
"Let's do our best!"
Midoriya smiles, calm and genuine this time, and nods.
"Yeah. Let's do our best."
They lean back over the plans, quietly discussing their approach—routes, timing, how to deal with Iida's speed—until, a few minutes later, a sharp buzz echoes from the speakers overhead.
[All right!]
All Might's voice rings out.
[Let's begin the indoor person-to-person combat training—Team A versus Team D!]
Both hero and villain teams ready themselves.
In the monitoring room, All Might and the rest of the students stand before a wall of screens, each one showing live feeds from inside the villains' hideout.
"Okay, everyone," All Might says, arms crossed.
"You should all be thinking along with them."
***
Bakugo and Iida stand on one of the upper floors of the building designated as the villains' base. The space is dim, concrete walls broken only by support pillars and the large mock nuclear weapon positioned near the corner of the room.
"Even though this is training," Iida says stiffly as he approaches the weapon, "it pains me to assume the role of a villain."
He knocks against the casing with his knuckles. It produces a dull, hollow sound.
"Fake, of cour—"
"Hey."
Iida's words are cut off sharply.
He turns to see Bakugo standing a few steps away, his back half-turned, shoulders tense.
"Do you think that Deku has a quirk?"
The question catches Iida off guard. Everyone had seen Midoriya use his power yesterday—clearly and unmistakably. Still, he answers after a brief pause.
"You saw his performance during the quirk assessment test," Iida says carefully. "His power used to damage his own body… but now he has gained control over it."
He adjusts his glasses, glancing at Bakugo again.
"Why do you seem especially angry when it comes to Midoriya?"
Bakugo doesn't respond.
It's not that he ignores the question—it barely even registers.
His mind is already elsewhere.
Numbers replay behind his eyes.
Distances.
Times.
Scores.
Midoriya clearing sprints he shouldn't have finished.
Landing jumps that shouldn't have been possible.
Throwing farther. Moving faster.
A quirk.
A real one.
And Deku said nothing.
Aizawa's sharp glare flashes in his memory—the way he shut Bakugo down before he could say a word during the fitness test.
'But this—this is allowed.'
Another memory surfaces unbidden.
Midoriya standing beside him earlier. Calm. Steady.
Meeting his eyes.
'Since when does he look me in the eye?'
Bakugo turns and starts walking toward the exit.
"I'll move ahead," he mutters. "You stay here and guard the objective."
Iida straightens. "Understood."
Bakugo doesn't slow.
'Why didn't you tell me you had a quirk?'
Another memory claws its way up.
"Are you all right? Can you stand?"
A small hand extended toward him.
Bakugo grits his teeth hard enough to hurt.
'Were you laughing at me the whole time?'
His pace quickens.
'I'll drag the truth out of you.'
The corridor ahead stretches long and empty.
'I'll tear it out if I have to.'
He launches forward, explosions cracking from his palms as he accelerates down the hallway.
***