Lucius Best's apartment occupied one of the upper floors of an upscale building in the wealthy district — spacious, modern, with one of those panoramic windows that covered almost the entire living room. The bathroom gleamed with light marble, and Lucius, wearing only dress pants, stood before the mirror, rubbing alcohol into his freshly trimmed beard with the careful precision of a man who knew he looked stylish even in the smallest details.
That was when a red blur shot past the window, so fast that its reflection wavered on the glass. Lucius blinked, tilting his head.
"…Celebrity?" he muttered, suspicious.
Before he could step closer to the window, another figure filled the view — a large black spherical robot, big enough to block out all the light for a second before continuing on its path toward its target. Lucius took two steps back, eyes wide.
"Oh… that's not good."
He spun on his heel and rushed to the stack of folded clothes, rummaging like a desperate man until he found the small white remote. A click — and the wardrobe at the back of the room slid aside, revealing the secret compartment. The pedestal for his supersuit… empty.
Lucius froze.
"Honeeeeeeeeey?" he called, in a tone far too serious to be casual.
From the other room, her muffled voice answered:
"What?"
Lucius pressed his lips tight.
"Where is my supersuit?"
"What??"
"WHERE — IS — MY — SUPER — SUIT?!"
A brief silence fell over the house… until his wife responded:
"I… I put it away!"
Outside, an explosion rattled the window glass. The building trembled for a moment. Lucius widened his eyes and dashed down the hallway toward the next room.
"Where did you put it?" he insisted, yanking drawers open in urgency.
"Why do you need to know?!" she shot back, offended.
"I need it, Honey!" he said, nearly tripping over the rug as he pulled out boxes, cushions, anything in his way.
"Uh-uh!" her answer came sharp. "Don't you dare run off to do some heroic nonsense! We planned this dinner for two months!"
"The public is in danger!" he argued, still searching frantically.
"My night is what's in danger!"
Lucius threw his hands up, completely losing patience.
"TELL ME WHERE MY SUIT IS, WOMAN! We're talking about the greater good!"
"Greater good? I'm your wife! I am the greatest goooood you're ever gonna get!"
And Lucius finally stopped searching, lowering his head with a sigh… he knew she wasn't exactly wrong, but this was definitely not the time for this.
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Inside the building designated as the "villains' hideout," Uraraka watched the papier-mâché nuclear bomb placed in the center of the room. The texture was rough, hastily painted, but the shape was recognizable enough.
"So… this is what we're supposed to protect?" she murmured, tilting her head.
She crouched slightly, touching the structure with care — as if she feared it might be even more fragile than it looked.
Before she could dwell on the thought, a harsh voice exploded behind her:
"HEY. INFINITY GIRL. Question."
Uraraka jumped so hard she nearly smacked her forehead into the mock bomb.
"G-GAH?! W-What?!"
The blond stared at her with furrowed brows and a closed-off expression — not his usual explosive anger, but something different… a confused irritation.
"Deku. Does he have a quirk or not?" Bakugo asked, his voice low and tense, as if he were trying to process something painful to admit. "I'm not… I dunno… hallucinating, right?"
Uraraka took a breath, trying not to look like cornered prey.
"O–of course he has a quirk!" she replied, laughing nervously. "You… didn't see what he did yesterday? He's really strong… he just, uhm… kinda hurts himself a lot when he uses it…"
Bakugo clenched his teeth.
"Tch. That nerd… fooling me this whole time…?"
Uraraka raised her hands, distressed.
"N-no, it's not like that! Maybe he never said anything because— because— he… doesn't control it well yet! And, look… there's also Takeda, so it's not a good idea for us to go straight at them, don't you think? The two of them are really strong! Better to wait and—"
But Bakugo had already turned his head away, ignoring every word she said. His jaw trembled slightly.
"Deku… you bastard…" he muttered, almost spitting the name. "Fooling me all this time…"
Uraraka just sighed, dropping her shoulders as she watched him walk deeper into the room, sparks crackling in his hands.
Outside, Midoriya and Ryo were standing before the blueprints All Might had handed out before the test. The silence between them was almost tangible.
Midoriya held the paper with both hands, his eyes following every line of the drawing.
"Okay… okay, I need to memorize this…" he whispered, already feeling sweat forming on his forehead. "At least there's no punishment like yesterday with Aizawa… so I should be more relaxed but…"
His gaze drifted to the side.
Ryo analyzed the blueprint calmly. His greenish eyes — cold and empty — moved methodically over the paper. Nothing on his face showed tension or worry, only focus and a hint of fatigue.
Midoriya pressed his lips together, thinking:
"There are two people who never let me relax for even a second… Kacchan… and Takeda-kun…"
But there was something about Takeda specifically that felt strange. Something familiar. As if some old memory tried to surface… but couldn't.
Before he could think further, a dry voice pulled him back:
"Midoriya."
"AH—!!" Izuku almost dropped the paper. "Y-yes?! What is it?!"
Ryo lowered the sheet slightly, looking at him as if asking something obvious.
"I think with the strength we currently have, we can just go through the front without any issues."
Midoriya blinked, not understanding immediately.
"T–through the front?"
"Yes." Ryo pointed at the blueprint, tapping specific sections. "The villain team only has one real source of attack. Bakugo. The gravity girl is support. Useful, but not dangerous in direct combat."
He looked back at Midoriya, cold as ever, always straightforward.
"We are two offensive forces. I'm the strongest between us, but you have power too. If we just enter through the front and deal with Bakugo right away, the victory would be basically guaranteed."
Midoriya's jaw dropped.
He didn't expect… this.
Takeda had always kept himself isolated since the beginning, irritated by everything that came near him and somewhat antisocial… And Midoriya couldn't read him because of the distance he kept from everyone…
But here he was, being extremely analytical, logical, and… talkative?
Ryo kept his hand on his chin, calculating possible routes and reaction times. But when he turned his head, he noticed Midoriya staring at him with bright eyes — as if he'd just discovered a new star in the sky.
Ryo frowned, a faint shiver crawling up his neck at the intensity of the stare.
"Hey. Stop looking at me like that."
"S-sorry!" Izuku stepped back twice, blushing. "It's just… I was surprised! You're really different from what I imagined…"
Ryo sighed, brushing his fingertips across his forehead as if trying to dispel the annoyance.
"You'll only see this side of me in teamwork situations. There's no way around it. It would be idiotic of me to isolate myself when something like this requires someone's head working at full capacity and proper teamwork."
Midoriya blinked.
"And I'm not stupid enough to let my habits get in the way," Ryo added. "I want to pass this test. That's all."
Izuku gave a small, sincere smile.
"I… I'm glad to hear that."
"Good for you," Ryo replied flatly, returning his attention to the map. "Now focus. We need to finish a plan before All Might calls everyone."
And as if on cue, the hero's booming voice echoed across the field:
"TEAM I! GET READY!"
Ryo exhaled slowly, folding the map with precision.
"Yeah. It's starting."
Midoriya swallowed hard, picking up the blueprint he had dropped and pressing it against his chest.
The two walked together toward the building — one filled with determination…
and the other with the kind of indifference of someone who just wanted to get this over with.
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Ryo pushed the window open carefully, creating just enough space for him and Midoriya to slip through. The inside of the building was dimly lit, with long, silent hallways where every shadow seemed to hide something.
Midoriya followed right behind, ducking so he wouldn't hit his head.
"R–right… we need to be careful," he whispered. "There are a lot of blind spots around these corners… any one of them could be an ambush."
Ryo didn't answer. He simply moved forward with steady steps, posture straight, gaze fixed ahead. His greenish eyes drifted from corner to corner, sharp and alert. Midoriya kept close, slightly hunched, as if trying to make as little noise as possible.
The words spoken before they entered still echoed in Izuku's mind.
"If things don't go as planned with Bakugo… you leave and let me handle him."
The memory made the boy swallow hard. He looked at Ryo walking ahead—far too calm for someone about to face Bakugo head-on.
And then—
A sudden crack cut through the silence.
Ryo turned his head just enough to catch the faint orange glow forming in the dark corner of the hallway.
"Shi—"
An explosion tore through the air, lighting the corridor for a split second.
But Ryo had already moved.
Inert Transition surged through his body in a blink—like a sudden hardening of his muscles, a tension that made every motion instinctive and fast. He stepped back sharply and grabbed Midoriya by the collar of his suit, dragging him along with almost inhuman precision.
Midoriya hit the floor with a thud—but unharmed. The wall beside them burst open, concrete shards flying.
"DEKU!!" a furious voice roared down the corridor.
Bakugo emerged from the smoke, his face twisted with predatory rage—like a beast closing in on prey.
Midoriya sucked in a breath.
"Takeda! You— you okay?!"
Ryo just gave a small nod.
"Yeah. Didn't expect him to come straight to us, though."
Bakugo's glare landed immediately on Midoriya, completely ignoring Ryo.
"Since yesterday… since YESTERDAY I've been thinking about this. You… you useless nerd… had a damn quirk THIS WHOLE TIME?!"
Midoriya trembled, stammering:
"I—I kinda figured h-he'd… come after me first…"
Ryo watched them with raised brows, as if observing a pointless argument. He exhaled slowly before releasing a resigned sigh.
"Midoriya."
"Uh— y-yes?"
"Go to the nuclear device."
Midoriya blinked, confused.
"What? But—"
"You heard me." Ryo fixed his cold gaze on him. "We both know you can't use your quirk normally. It'd be stupid for you to end up incapacitated for the rest of the test. Besides, I'm enough to deal with Bakugo right now. So go. Recover the bomb. Secure our win."
Bakugo's eyes widened.
"HEY! DEKU! DON'T YOU DARE RUN!"
Midoriya looked at Bakugo, then at Ryo… and pressed his lips together.
"…Got it."
He rose quickly and sprinted into one of the side hallways, disappearing.
Bakugo shot forward instantly, propelling himself with both hands.
"DEKU! GET BACK HERE—!"
But before he could cross the hall, Ryo stepped forward, blocking his path like a wall.
Bakugo snarled.
"MOVE. ASIDE."
Ryo just tilted his head slightly.
"If you want to get to him, you'll have to go through me first."
Bakugo's rage erupted all at once.
"YOU—!"
He launched an explosion straight toward Ryo's face with his right hand.
But the green-eyed boy shifted aside with almost lazy grace. His arm came up, grabbing the blond by the face mid-air—as if catching something far too light.
Then Ryo spun his body and hurled him down the hallway.
The impact against the wall echoed, ripping a guttural sound from Bakugo, who dropped to his knees, gasping, trying to regain the air knocked out of him.
Ryo was already standing where he'd been, hands in his pockets, watching him like one observes a wild animal struggling to stay upright.
"I don't know what your obsession with Midoriya is…" he said calmly. "But if you want to get to him, you'll have to go through me first."
Bakugo lifted his head slowly, hatred burning in his eyes. He looked like a rabid dog ready to tear apart anything in its way.
"I was already pissed at Deku…" he growled, rising to his feet with trembling fists. "…and now someone ELSE is in my way and pissing me off EVEN MORE."
Ryo just cracked his neck.
"Not my problem."
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The main screen showed the building's narrow hallway, dust still drifting down after the sudden explosion. Even without audio, everyone had clearly seen Bakugo's surprise attack, Ryo's quick dodge, and—above all—the moment he grabbed Midoriya by the back of his costume and pulled him away as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
As soon as the feed switched back to live footage, showing Bakugo getting up with rage in his eyes and Ryo stepping between him and Midoriya, the entire room burst into murmurs.
Kirishima was the first to speak, leaning forward:
"Woah… did you guys see that? That move Takeda pulled… that was manly as hell!"
Iida adjusted his glasses, visibly impressed:
"The precision of his defensive movement was remarkable! He analyzed the trajectory of the explosion in less than a second and reacted before Midoriya even realized the danger. Extremely efficient."
Asui tilted her head, observing Ryo's posture on the screen:
"He doesn't even look scared… ribbit. He's really calm even with Bakugo attacking like that."
Mina raised her hands, excited:
"Guys, he tossed Bakugo like he was a pillow!"
All Might, who had been watching the footage with his arms crossed, pressed his thumb lightly against his chin. His eyes were half-narrowed—he wasn't simply watching; he was analyzing.
"Young Takeda…" he murmured softly, mostly to himself. "Your reaction was impeccable. And he made a clear decision: to put himself on the front line so Midoriya-kun could advance…"
Meanwhile, the camera showed Bakugo gritting his teeth, completely consumed by anger, while Ryo simply watched him with a neutral expression—almost bored, yet alert.
All Might took a deep breath.
"This confrontation…" he said, his tone heavy but steady, "will reveal a great deal about Young Bakugo's emotional control. And about Young Takeda's hidden capabilities."
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Ryo and Bakugo froze for a few seconds, just staring at each other. The tension was so dense it felt like it was squeezing the air inside that narrow hallway. Then, without warning, Ryo moved. A single step—and he vanished from his initial position, reappearing almost in Bakugo's face.
Bakugo's eyes widened at the absurd speed, but he reacted fast. He blasted the floor right in front of him, sending up a wave of dust and concrete. Ryo raised his forearm to shield himself from the debris, slowing for just an instant.
From within the smoke, Bakugo emerged with a roar, hand ready for a direct explosion. Ryo dodged with his body, grabbed Bakugo's forearm, and tried to throw him the same way he had before.
But Bakugo was already waiting for that.
"That's not gonna work again, you freak!" he snarled.
Using Ryo's own momentum, Bakugo twisted in the air and landed behind him, shoving the boy hard. Ryo flew down the hallway and hit the floor, sliding several meters before regaining balance with the soles of his feet.
But the blond didn't give him a moment to think. He was already on top of Ryo with both hands together, detonating an explosion big enough to shake the entire wall.
The impact reverberated through the corridors. Dust fell from the ceiling. And several floors above, Midoriya stopped running, his heart tightening.
"Will he be okay?" he whispered, before sprinting again.
In the ruined hallway, Bakugo kept his guard up, watching the cloud of smoke. He expected to see Ryo on the ground, burned or thrown far away.
But nothing appeared.
"…Huh?" Bakugo narrowed his eyes.
Then a calm voice came from above:
"Close one."
Bakugo's eyes widened and he looked up—too late. Ryo released the hand he had dug into the ceiling and dropped, planting a firm step on Bakugo's back to propel himself away. The blond bent over involuntarily, letting out an annoyed gasp.
"You little—!"
He turned just in time to see Ryo land a few meters ahead, completely unscathed, his green gaze as cold as ever. Bakugo's right gauntlet flickered for an instant in a reddish hue before returning to normal.
Ryo raised an eyebrow. That intrigued him—but Bakugo cut his thoughts short by blasting his palms out of sheer irritation.
"STOP dodging, damn it! Face me head-on! I know that you are strong!"
Ryo responded only with an indifferent stare, completely neutral, almost bored. Something inside Bakugo snapped at that.
He furrowed his brow… then smiled. A crooked, almost deranged smile.
"That look…"
Bakugo lifted his head slightly, as if seeing a ghost from the past.
"I knew I'd seen that before. It always gave me this damn discomfort. But now… now I know who you are."
Ryo slowly narrowed his eyes.
"You… were that weird kid from our class. The emo in the corner."
Bakugo raised his right gauntlet and aimed it.
"I never liked the way you looked at me. It felt like… you were judging me."
The blond pulled the pin on the gauntlet, locking his arm to stabilize the shot.
"I didn't mess with you out of pity. I just thought you were trash like the others. But I'll admit—you've shown something decent."
Ryo took a slow breath, the greenish glow pulsing faintly in his irises.
"…You talk too much."
Bakugo grinned, wild.
"And now I'm gonna show you WHO you're dealing WITH!"
Ryo's eyes widened as he took a step back when he noticed the flare inside the gauntlet as Bakugo pulled the pin.
"Hey, Bakugo—"
But it was too late.
A white flash filled the entire hallway, swallowing their shadows, and then—
BOOOOOOOOM!
The explosion shook the entire building. Dust fell from the ceiling. Chunks of concrete came crashing down. Windows rattled on the upper floors.
And the hallway where the two stood disappeared into light and smoke.
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The observation room shook entirely when the explosion echoed through the walls. The screens trembled for a second, as if even they had taken the hit.
A heavy silence fell over the class.
"W–What was that!?" Sero yelled, eyes wide, almost slipping out of his chair.
"That explosion… wasn't it way too big?" Jirou muttered, feeling the floor still vibrating faintly.
The internal cameras took a few seconds to stabilize after the shockwave. Dust fragments flickered on the screen, covering the hallway where Bakugo and Ryo were.
All Might froze in front of the monitor. His lips trembled.
"Young Bakugo…" he murmured, his voice weighed down with concern. "That was one of his sweat grenades…!"
Iida stepped closer to the teacher, expression rigid.
"This is extremely dangerous! The destructive power of that weapon is completely inappropriate for a controlled testing environment! We must stop the test at once!"
"Bakugo really went overboard…" Kaminari swallowed hard. "Like, way overboard…"
Momo, watching the screen with analytical focus, rested her hand on her chin.
"That kind of explosion is equivalent to specialized ammunition. Using it in a closed hallway… it's not just reckless, it's potentially lethal."
Mina covered her mouth, pale.
"T-That other guy… he was right in front of that…?"
The cameras adjusted their focus.
Only smoke.
Neither of them visible.
All Might leaned forward, truly tense now. The eyes that once shone with confidence were widened with real fear. He had warned Bakugo to stop, but the boy ignored every warning and fired anyway.
"By my muscles… that could have—!"
But a static-filled voice suddenly cut him off.
[I'm fine…]
Ryo's voice came through All Might's communicator as the smoke on the cameras began to clear, revealing both students standing in the middle of the haze—alive and unscathed.
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The dust finally began to settle, falling like gray snow through the ruined corridor. First came Bakugo's silhouette: chest heaving, his right gauntlet releasing steam, eyes narrowed against the smoke.
He raised an arm to block the lingering dust and forced his vision forward.
"Tch… did I overdo—?"
Bakugo stopped. His expression flickered.
A few meters ahead, standing, was Ryo.
His arms were raised to shield his face, his uniform torn and scorched in several places. Right behind him, the floor and wall had vanished into a massive crater — the direct point of impact from Bakugo's concentrated blast.
And Ryo… was standing.
Unharmed.
Bakugo's eyes widened for a second — then he grinned.
"Heh… damn. You actually held up pretty damn well."
He wiped his forehead with his arm, brushing away the sweat.
"Honestly? I was kinda unsure if you were gonna survive that one. But… look at you. You went past my expectations."
Ryo didn't answer. He just lowered his arms slowly, breathing deeply, staring at Bakugo as if none of it had been a big deal.
The blond's grin grew even more provoking.
"But look at the state you're in, you weirdo."
He motioned toward the ruined uniform.
"Bet you can't even keep going properly. So stay there, nice and quiet, and let me go deal with that dumbass nerd."
Bakugo turned as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"If you can, ask someone to carry you to the infirmary. Or go cry in your mom's la—"
He didn't finish.
Because the instant the word "mom" left his mouth, Ryo lifted his gaze.
A gaze that cut through the smoke — cold, murderous, glowing with a ghostly green hue. For the first time, Bakugo felt a real shiver crawl up his spine — an instinctive, visceral fear that made him hold his breath without meaning to.
"...W-what the hell—?"
He couldn't finish.
Ryo vanished from his sight.
A dry thunderclap echoed as the floor cracked beneath the boy's foot.
When Bakugo blinked — just once — Ryo was already in front of him, his fist mere centimeters from his face.
And then a colossal shockwave exploded outward, devastating the opposite side of the building. So powerful it tore through walls, ripped out concrete, and carved a path outward like an air cannon blast, striking three nearby buildings. The entire floor shook violently, the structure groaning as if ready to collapse.
Down the halls, windows shattered.
And in the room where Midoriya had just arrived, he dropped to his knees, grabbing the floor to keep from falling as the building shook.
"W-What was that?!" he yelled, completely disoriented.
In the observation room, almost no one breathed.
Monitors rattled.
All Might froze in place.
The classmates were left gaping.
Ryo's fist, which looked like it had struck Bakugo, had actually passed mere millimeters from his cheek.
A thin red line appeared on the blond's face. Just a cut. Almost nothing.
But enough for Bakugo to understand.
He fell back onto the floor, legs shaking, heart pounding. His eyes wide with pure panic.
Ryo straightened, lowering his smoldering fist. The green glow in his eyes faded slightly… but the resentment was unmistakable.
He pointed a finger at Bakugo, his voice low, firm, weighted with a threat that made the air feel heavier:
"Never..."
His stare pierced Bakugo's like a blade.
"Talk. About. My. Mother."