The training facility within U.A. High School stood vast and silent, its towering concrete walls casting long shadows across the artificial cityscape, creating an environment that felt less like a classroom and more like a battlefield waiting to awaken.
Izuku Midoriya stood among his classmates in his newly assigned hero costume, the fabric still unfamiliar against his skin, his posture slightly tense as he adjusted his gloves with quiet, nervous movements, fully aware that this exercise would expose him in a way the entrance exam never had.
Because this time, there would be no hiding behind timing alone.
And worst of all—
It was still morning.
The sun had risen, yes, but not enough to grant him the overwhelming strength that had defined his most terrifying moments, leaving him in that fragile, uncertain state where every movement required effort and every decision carried weight.
"…I'll have to rely on strategy," he muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the building ahead as though it were a puzzle waiting to be solved rather than an arena meant for combat.
"I AM HERE!"
The booming voice of All Might shattered the stillness, instantly drawing every student's attention as the Symbol of Peace strode forward with overwhelming presence, his smile bright and unwavering despite the underlying tension that filled the air.
"Today, you will learn the fundamentals of indoor hero combat," he declared, his voice carrying both excitement and authority, as though this were not merely a lesson but a defining moment in each of their journeys.
Teams were assigned quickly.
Izuku Midoriya and Ochaco Uraraka.
Versus—
Katsuki Bakugo and Tenya Iida.
The moment the matchup was announced, the atmosphere shifted.
Bakugo's grin stretched slowly, sharp and unmistakably dangerous, as his eyes locked onto Izuku with a focus that bordered on obsession.
"…Perfect," he said quietly, though the intensity behind the word made it feel anything but calm.
Izuku felt it immediately—the pressure, the inevitability of what was coming—and for a brief moment, he closed his eyes, steadying his breathing as he forced himself to think.
"…This is the worst timing possible," he admitted internally, knowing that a direct confrontation in his current state would end badly.
Very badly.
Inside the building, the air felt heavier, the lack of direct sunlight immediately noticeable as shadows stretched unnaturally across the narrow corridors, creating an environment that seemed to suppress him with every step he took.
"…Not enough," Izuku thought, his movements instinctively more cautious as he adjusted to the dimmer conditions.
Behind him, Ochaco spoke in a hushed voice, her concern evident.
"What's the plan?"
Izuku didn't answer immediately, his mind racing as he calculated every possible outcome, every possible route, every possible delay.
"…We avoid Bakugo for now," he said finally, his tone steady despite the tension beneath it. "We win by objective, not by fighting him head-on."
Even as he said it, he knew—
That plan wouldn't last.
The match began.
And Bakugo didn't hesitate.
"DEKU!!"
The explosion tore through the hallway with violent force, the shockwave rattling the walls as Izuku barely managed to dodge, the heat of the blast grazing past him as he stumbled to regain his balance.
Too fast.
Too aggressive.
Too overwhelming—for his current state.
Bakugo emerged from the smoke almost instantly, his movements relentless as he closed the distance with explosive speed, his expression twisted with frustration and something deeper—something personal.
"I'm not letting you run this time!" he shouted, launching another blast that forced Izuku further back down the corridor.
Izuku turned and ran—not out of fear, but out of necessity, his mind already calculating angles, escape routes, and, most importantly, time.
"I need sunlight," he thought, his breathing steady despite the chaos behind him.
Because without it—
He couldn't win.
Another explosion struck the wall beside him, sending debris scattering across the floor as he narrowly avoided being caught in the blast, his movements just barely keeping pace with Bakugo's relentless pursuit.
"…Too slow," he realized, frustration creeping in as his body struggled to respond the way he needed it to.
Then—
A beam of light broke through a shattered window.
Thin.
Fragile.
But real.
Izuku stopped for just a fraction of a second, his eyes locking onto it as warmth brushed against his skin, faint but undeniable.
"…There."
Bakugo noticed immediately.
"…What are you looking at?" he demanded, his tone sharp with suspicion.
Izuku slowly lifted his head.
"…You're loud," he said.
Something in his voice had changed.
Bakugo's eyes narrowed.
"…That again…"
Izuku stepped into the light.
Only slightly.
But enough.
The shift was immediate.
Not explosive.
Not dramatic.
But absolute.
His posture straightened.
His breathing slowed.
The hesitation disappeared completely.
The air itself seemed heavier, the space around him subtly distorting under the weight of something far greater than raw power alone.
Bakugo attacked again.
Faster.
Angrier.
More desperate.
Izuku moved.
And this time—
He wasn't running.
He stepped aside with precise efficiency, slipping past the explosion with minimal movement as though the attack had never posed a threat to begin with.
"…Too slow," he said calmly.
Bakugo froze for a split second.
"…What did you say?"
Izuku looked at him.
Not as an equal.
Not as a rival.
But as something already understood.
"I said…" he began, taking a single step forward, the ground cracking faintly beneath his foot.
"…you're too slow."
Bakugo roared and attacked again, unleashing a barrage of explosions meant to overwhelm, to dominate, to prove superiority through sheer force.
But Izuku advanced.
He moved through the blasts with controlled precision, slipping past each attack as though he had already calculated their outcomes before they even occurred.
Then—
He grabbed Bakugo's arm.
Firm.
Unshakable.
Bakugo struggled immediately, his strength pushing back, explosions sparking from his palm as he tried to break free.
But he couldn't.
"…Impossible…" he muttered.
Izuku looked down at him, his expression calm, almost indifferent.
"You rely too heavily on force," he said, his tone measured and unwavering. "Explosions. Intensity. Noise."
He tightened his grip slightly, just enough to reinforce the difference between them.
"And yet…"
He leaned slightly closer.
"…you lack control."
Bakugo snarled and unleashed a point-blank explosion.
The blast engulfed them both, smoke filling the corridor as the building trembled under the force.
For a moment—
Nothing moved.
Then—
A figure stepped out of the smoke.
Unharmed.
Izuku brushed dust from his shoulder with casual indifference.
"…Was that supposed to matter?"
In the monitoring room, silence dominated.
Students stared, unable to process what they were seeing.
"That's not the same Midoriya…"
"He's completely different…"
Even All Might watched closely, his expression no longer one of simple pride, but of concern.
Because this wasn't just strength.
It was something else.
Back inside, Bakugo's breathing grew unstable, frustration and disbelief colliding as he launched another massive explosion, far larger than before.
"I'LL PROVE IT!!"
Izuku didn't move.
The light around him grew slightly stronger as the sun continued its slow climb.
Still not noon.
But closer.
He exhaled softly.
"…You're getting louder."
Bakugo charged again.
And this time—
Izuku ended it.
He moved faster than before, slipping past the attack with effortless precision before delivering a single, controlled strike.
Bakugo was sent crashing into the wall.
Hard.
The fight ended not with struggle—
But with certainty.
Izuku walked toward him slowly, each step deliberate, the sound echoing through the corridor as he stopped just in front of him, looking down.
"…Let me ask you something," he said.
Bakugo glared up at him, refusing to look away.
"…Why do you keep fighting?"
"Because I'll win!" Bakugo shouted.
Izuku paused.
Then—
A faint, almost amused expression crossed his face.
"…Win?" he repeated quietly.
He tilted his head slightly.
"…Who decided that you could?"
Before anything more could happen—
All Might's voice rang out.
"The heroes win!"
The match was over.
But no one celebrated.
Because what they had witnessed…
Wasn't just a fight.
It was a difference in level.
And as Izuku stepped outside, the sunlight shifted, his strength fading once more as his posture weakened and his expression softened.
"…Ah…"
He looked at his hands.
"…It's going down…"
He turned back toward Bakugo.
"S-sorry, Kacchan, I didn't mean—"
But Bakugo didn't respond.
Because now—
He understood.
There were two versions of Izuku Midoriya.
And one of them—
Stood far above victory itself.
End of Chapter 3