Midoriya sprinted through the shattered hallways, feeling the floor tremble faintly beneath his feet — lingering vibrations from the monstrous explosion Ryo had caused. His heart pounded fast, not only from the battle but from worry.
"Takeda… please, be okay…"
Turning the last corner of the mental map he'd sketched while running, he entered the room where the "villain team" was supposed to be guarding the nuclear weapon.
"Uraraka!" he gasped.
The girl jumped in fright, hands flying to her chest.
"A-Ah! Midoriya!"
She looked around, clearly nervous… but Midoriya noticed something strange.
The nuclear device was nowhere to be seen.
Midoriya blinked.
"W-Wait… where's the weapon…?"
Uraraka smiled… a proud little grin that showed she was very pleased with herself.
"Hehe… I hid it somewhere you won't be able to reach, Midoriya!"
She pointed upward.
Midoriya lifted his chin — and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
The nuclear weapon was floating up near the ceiling, hanging there like a balloon tied to nothing. Floating thanks to the girl's touch.
"It's… really high…" Midoriya muttered in despair. "How am I supposed to get up there…?"
He was thinking out loud. Too loud.
Uraraka smiled — a mischievous one.
"Sorry, Midoriya… but I can't let you win that easily!"
And before he could even ask what that meant—
WHUMPF!
A barrel came flying straight toward him.
"Huh!?" Midoriya yelped and threw himself to the side, rolling on the floor.
Another barrel.
Then a huge crate.
All of them floated at first, then suddenly regained weight and speed the moment she canceled her Quirk, turning into unpredictable projectiles.
"Uraraka, wait! We can talk—"
"Sorry! I can't! I'm a villain now!"
More crates came flying, and Midoriya was forced to run, leap, and slide across the ground to avoid being hit. A crate nearly clipped his shoulder — barely. He dove behind a pillar, breathing rapidly.
"This is bad! If I stay here, she'll keep pinning me down with these projectiles… and I'll never reach the weapon!"
Suddenly, something slammed into the pillar beside his head, cracking the concrete.
Midoriya turned on reflex — Uraraka was already touching another crate, making it float.
And then… an idea sparked.
"That's it."
Even Midoriya was startled by the firmness of his resolve.
He dashed out of cover, throwing himself straight toward Uraraka.
"H-Huh!? Midoriya!?" she stepped back, startled.
Crates and floating barrels shot at him like improvised meteors, but Midoriya dodged them all — sliding, leaping, twisting, shifting his body.
He got so close that Uraraka let out a tiny squeak, startled.
"H-Hey, wait! D-Don't get so close—"
Instinctively, the girl shoved him with both hands.
Midoriya's body lost its weight instantly and floated backward uncontrollably.
"UWAH!" he yelled, spinning in the air. "She touched me!"
Normally, that would be it. Zero gravity was basically a "game over" unless you had a way to move midair.
But Midoriya looked down. At Uraraka. And at the bomb floating above them.
He drew a deep breath.
"Let's see if this works!"
He extended his hand downward, aiming his index finger.
One For All surged through his finger like a concentrated electric current.
"Delaware… SMASH!!!"
BOOOOM!
The air exploded beneath him, launching him upward like a green rocket. Midoriya blasted off, a human missile, slicing through the air and shooting straight toward the ceiling.
Uraraka stared wide-eyed, almost letting a curse slip.
"N-No way he used it like that…!"
Midoriya shot past her height, then higher still, and finally — grabbed the nuclear weapon midair, clutching it tightly to his chest as he spun weightlessly.
He stabilized his momentum and smiled as he hovered in zero gravity.
"I-I did it!"
And the voice echoed through the room:
"HERO TEAM WINS!"
----------------------------------------
In the observation room, Class 1-A watched the images displayed on the large monitor with full attention. Team I's victory still echoed through the room, and most of the students were trying to process what had just happened.
"Ribbit… The losing team came out untouched compared to the winning team with Takeda's condition."
On the screen, Ryo appeared with part of his uniform burned, still out of breath, standing in front of Bakugo sprawled on the floor. Kaminari let out a low whistle.
"Dude… that punch of his… was terrifying. Seriously, if it had hit Bakugo's face, it would've sent him straight to the next life."
Jiro crossed her arms, visibly tense.
"I could actually feel the pressure from here…"
Dash stretched his arm out as if he were punching the air.
"I felt the impact from here! Like… vwooosh—BAM! Dude, it was beautiful!"
Momo crossed her arms.
"He looked like he was about to kill someone…"
"No way!" Dash shot back, buzzing with excitement. "That was epic! He held Bakugo like he was a level-1 NPC!"
Kirishima, just as hyped as him, jumped right in:
"Now that's manliness! Takeda was a beast from start to finish! And that final pose… man, that was badass!"
Attention returned to the screen when the camera showed Bakugo again. The blond was breathing fast, his hands still trembling, eyes widened and fixed on Ryo's as if he were staring at something he couldn't comprehend.
In his head, everything was spinning.
"That punch… that would've killed me… He… could he have taken me out from the beginning? Then why… WHY didn't he do it!?"
The more he remembered that crushing sensation of imminent death, the worse his breathing became. The image of those merciless eyes burned in his mind, corroding every drop of pride.
Bakugo trembled.
"Have I… always been this insignificant compared to him since the start?"
A heavy hand on his shoulder made him flinch. All Might crouched beside him.
"Young Bakugo… it's alright. Let's go back to the observation room."
The hero then looked at Ryo.
"Young Takeda, go to the infirmary and treat those burns. That's an order."
Ryo took a deep breath, finally noticing the injuries. The skin on his arms was red and marked from Bakugo's massive explosion. He nodded.
"Understood. I'm going."
And he left, while Bakugo remained frozen like someone trapped inside his own mind. All Might helped the blond stand and guided him back.
Back in the room, everyone gathered. All Might clapped his hands to get their attention.
"Very well, young ones! After analyzing the battle… the MVP is… Midoriya!"
"EEEH?!" Midoriya almost choked on his own air. "M-me?!"
The rest of the class murmured with confusion. It was impossible not to question it.
"But, like… shouldn't it be Takeda?" Sero whispered. "He basically carried the whole thing against Bakugo!"
All Might gave a nervous smile.
"Well… you must be wondering why. Does anyone know the answer?"
Momo raised her hand, calm as always.
"I do."
The room went silent instantly. Everyone turned to her.
"Although Takeda was essential," she began, "his final action against Bakugo was impulsive. It could've caused serious structural damage to the building if he had missed or overdone it. It was simply dangerous."
Bakugo's eyes trembled as he heard that.
"As for Bakugo," Momo continued, "he acted the most on personal impulse. The explosion that damaged part of the building put everyone equally at risk. This is unacceptable in a battle that simulates a real mission."
Some students averted their eyes from the blond.
"Uraraka was also careless," Momo went on, "allowing the enemy to approach directly without retreating or using the mobility her quirk grants her. Her carelessness is what made her get caught off guard."
She then turned to Midoriya.
"Midoriya showed the best combat reading, best adaptation, and best strategic use of his quirk. Even being clumsy at first, he managed to improvise, foresee risks, and act without compromising the building or his partner."
The room stayed silent for a few seconds until All Might, smiling nervously and taking a deep breath, responded:
"Exactly! Young Yaoyorozu is absolutely correct! Very well observed!"
The others began to agree, murmuring praise and congratulations toward Midoriya. The boy turned red like a tomato, shrinking as his classmates crowded around him.
Meanwhile, Bakugo remained motionless, eyes glued to the floor the entire time… until the next match began. His eyes shot to the screen the moment he saw it.
Todoroki simply walked into the building, raised his hand… and froze the entire structure within seconds. The villain team didn't even have time to react.
Dash, on the other hand, wrapped everything up in mere seconds by incapacitating the hero team in an instant with Tokoyami.
Absolute victories.
Bakugo's eyes widened.
"No… no way…"
He grit his teeth until it hurt.
I'm supposed to be the best.
His breathing grew heavier.
"Then why… why am I surrounded by monsters?"
----------------------------------------
Ryo left the infirmary with his arms bandaged, his skin still throbbing from the ointment that had been applied. Recovery Girl had said that, considering the size of the explosion he had taken head-on, he was theoretically unharmed despite the light burns on his arms.
Walking down the hallway, he rubbed his forehead with a heavy sigh.
"Damn… that punch. What the hell was that, man? I can't lose my head like that. Not again…"
The memory of the murderous glare he had thrown at Bakugo bothered him more than the pain in his arms.
"I can't let provocation get to me… I know where that leads. Control, Ryo. Control."
A sharp sting shot through his right arm, making him freeze mid-movement and hiss softly.
"Tsk… I should've rested more in the infirmary…" he muttered, opening and closing his fingers as his hand trembled slightly. "Damn…"
Even so, he kept walking toward the classroom. He stopped in front of the door for a second and took a deep breath before opening it.
And then—
"OH! TAKEDA'S HERE!!" Kirishima practically exploded with excitement, jumping up from his seat. "Dude, that fight was WAY too intense! Face-to-face with Bakugo, not stepping back even an inch! So hardcore!"
"I still can't believe you just tossed Bakugo like he was a handball!" Sero pointed out, laughing.
"And you walked out of that explosion like it was NOTHING!" Mina popped up in front of him, making dramatic gestures with her arms. "It was SO cool!"
And then Dash arrived, speaking way too fast for any normal human:
"AND THAT PUNCH?! DID YOU SEE THE HOLE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING?! I'M TELLING YOU, YOU'RE A HAND CANNON! A MEGA CANNON! I WISH I HAD RECORDED IT! ALSO ARE YOU OKAY?! YOU LOOKED REALLY BAD WHEN THAT BAKUGO GUY EXPLODED WITH—"
"Dash, breathe," Momo murmured—unsuccessfully.
Ryo tried to open his mouth.
"I—"
"WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE TO THROW BAKUGO WITH ONE HAND?!" Kaminari jumped in front of him.
"Takeda, have you trained martial arts before?" Ojiro asked.
"Dude, you almost knocked down the building with the force of that hit!" Kirishima added, sparkling with excitement.
And then, just when Ryo was about to tell everyone to shut up, Midoriya's voice cut through the chaos—soft but steady:
"Guys… calm down. He just got out of the infirmary, he's probably still tired after the Battle Training."
Silence fell over the group like a blanket.
Midoriya stepped a bit closer, cautious:
"Your arms… do they hurt? The burns… are they serious?"
Ryo took a deep breath and answered quietly:
"They're mild. But… I'm exhausted. I just want to sit down for a bit."
Kirishima's eyes widened, guilt all over his face.
"Ah! My bad, bro! We got way too excited!"
"Sorry, Takeda!" Mina bent forward apologetically.
"Thanks for putting up with us," Sero added with an awkward smile.
Dash scratched his neck, still buzzing with leftover energy:
"Sorry, man… I just… got excited. But if you want, I can talk slower. Or not talk. I can also not talk. Do you want me not to talk?"
"It's fine, man. I just need to relax a bit at my desk…" Ryo muttered.
They cleared the way, and he slowly walked to his seat. When he finally sat down, he felt his whole body sink into the chair. His head tilted back, eyes drifting to the ceiling.
The sigh slipped out by itself.
"…I wanna to go home."
----------------------------------------
[Location: Manhattan, New York]
The urban center no longer resembled a place meant for human life. It was a battlefield — one created in a matter of seconds.
Buildings had shattered facades, their concrete skins peeled open as if struck by artillery. Flames roared out of storefronts and broken windows, columns of fire stretching so high they illuminated the smoke-choked sky in a pulsating orange glow. Cars exploded one after another, their alarms blending with sirens, screams, and the low mechanical hum of emergency drones scanning for survivors.
Yet even in the destruction, there was order.
Hero agencies, local police, volunteer responders, and firefighters worked in seamless coordination, forming corridors and evacuation lines that moved like living, breathing organisms. People carried the injured out of danger in improvised stretchers, children sobbed as they clung to rescuers, and medics kneeled on the hot asphalt, treating burns, fractures, and smoke inhalation without rest.
Near what used to be a leisure plaza — now a burning crater of twisted play structures — firefighters fought a losing battle to contain the inferno. Several water-type heroes worked alongside them, amplifying the hoses' reach and creating mobile water shields.
"Double curtain! Cover street two! Push those embers away from the center!" a fire captain barked, pointing sharply.
"On it!" replied a heroine whose arms extended into aquatic tendrils.
She swept her limbs in wide arcs, producing walls of water that clashed against the flames, steam erupting in violent bursts.
Above, pro heroes with flight quirks intercepted falling balconies and signage before they crushed evacuees. Others used raw strength to clear the streets, lifting cars like toys and tossing debris aside to open escape channels.
Short, tense commands cut through the chaos:
"Get the kids from the municipal school! The roof's collapsing!"
"Copycate! Creating a bridge— hang on!"
"We need medics at sector C! Two critical!"
"Keep that exit open! Don't let the smoke clog it again!"
The situation was catastrophic…But it wasn't hopeless.
And then—
A new wave of cold air swept through the avenue, sharp and sudden.
One of the firefighters looked up first.
"Wait— is that…?"
A sleek figure slid across a patch of blackened asphalt on a trail of instantly-forming ice.
"MOVE ASIDE! FIRE LINE— CLEAR A PATH!"
The man shouted with practiced authority.
Frozone swept in, elegant even amid chaos, raising both hands as streams of ice spiraled from his palms and solidified into towering barriers. Frozen arches formed between burning buildings, preventing collapse and creating cooling pockets where firefighters rushed in to evacuate those trapped inside.
"Damn good timing, Frozone!" a firefighter yelled, panting.
"Just doing my job."
He adjusted his visor, surveying the area.
"Where's Celebrity?"
A nervous paramedic pointed shakily toward the main fire zone — a place no one dared approach anymore.
"H-He was fighting some kind of robot up north.. He hasn't come out."
Frozone narrowed his eyes.
"Alright… show me where he—"
Before he could finish, someone screamed from across the plaza:
"LOOK! THERE! COMING OUT OF THE FLAMES!"
Heads snapped toward the burning distance.
A silhouette moved through the fire, steady and unchanged by the flames. At first glance, with the heat warping vision, people assumed it was Christopher — the arrogant but powerful Captain Celebrity — returning dramatically, probably with survivors in tow.
People began to clap, relief washing over the crowd like a wave.
Newscopters zoomed in, the footage broadcasting live across the city.
Some even cheered:
"YES! I knew he'd make it—"
"Celebrity's made it!"
"We're saved!"
Frozone's frown deepened.
Something was wrong.
When the figure finally crossed the curtain of flames, all sound died.
The applause froze.
Children stopped crying.
Even the fire seemed quieter.
It wasn't Captain Celebrity.
It wasn't human at all.
A humanoid robot stepped onto the cracked pavement, its black metal surface still glowing from the heat. Its face was expressionless, featureless — except for a thin red neon slit that crossed horizontally where eyes should be, sliding left and right like a scanning lens.
Every inch of its body screamed precision, design, and malice.
But what silenced the entire plaza was what it held.
Dangling from its right hand like a discarded toy—
Was the upper half of Captain Celebrity.
His torso was charred, the blue suit torn and melted into his burned flesh. His cape was gone. His face, though disfigured, was unmistakably his — eyes open, unfocused, empty.
A collective gasp rippled through the survivors.
"N-No…"
"That… that can't be…"
"IS THAT— CELEBRITY?!"
"Oh my God… oh my GOD—"
Frozone's face went pale.
His breath caught sharply.
The robot lifted Christopher's body higher — as if presenting proof.
Then dropped it on the ground.
Like trash.
The thud echoed through the plaza.
Even the heroes flinched.
A soft metallic click came from deep inside the machine. Its chest opened in slender panels, revealing internal monitors that lit up with cascading green code.
PRIMARY TARGET: NEUTRALIZED.
CAPTAIN CELEBRITY – STATUS: TERMINATED.
MAIN MISSION: COMPLETE.
UPLOADING COMBAT DATA…
TRANSMISSION SUCCESSFUL.
Frozone clenched his fists, cold mist swirling around him.
"…What the hell are you?"
His voice trembled — not with fear, but with fury.
The robot turned its head toward him, the red slit locking onto his position.
Its servos whirred.
INITIATING PROTOCOL V:
INDUCE FEAR.
The machine took a step forward.
Then another.
Heroes backed up without realizing it.
Firefighters instinctively retreated.
Some civilians screamed and fled, others stood frozen, unable to process what they were seeing.
The air itself felt heavier.
Frozone slid smoothly in front of the evacuation line, raising his arms as a massive ice barrier erupted upward.
"EVERYONE GET BACK! THAT THING IS HOSTILE— MOVE! MOVE!!"
But even he could feel it.
The city wasn't just under attack.
It was being hunted.