A few minutes later, the observation room buzzed with energy as the students crowded around the monitors, watching the screens light up with real-time feeds from the training building.
All Might stood with arms crossed, his presence commanding even when silent. When he spoke, the air settled.
"First match! Team A: Midoriya and Asui. Team B: Bakugo and Tokoyami. Villains are protecting a mock nuclear device. Heroes must retrieve it or capture both villains to win. You've got ten minutes. Begin!"
The doors to the building slid shut behind the two teams.
Inside, Midoriya exhaled sharply as he and Asui crept down a corridor lined with concrete and steel supports.
"They'll expect us to go in direct," he murmured.
"Mm. Bakugo's too aggressive to wait around," Asui said, crouched beside him, her eyes scanning the shadowy hallway. "But Tokoyami's smart. He might convince him to hold position."
Midoriya nodded. "Then we push the opposite. Keep our distance, try to force them to split. You take high ground, scout with your tongue—"
A deafening BOOM echoed through the corridor.
The ceiling above them cracked, and in a blast of smoke and rubble, Bakugo dropped in like a missile.
"I found you, damn nerd."
Midoriya barely dodged in time, flinging himself to the side as an explosion tore up the ground where he'd just been. Asui leapt backward, tongue lashing out to grab Midoriya's arm and yank him down a nearby hallway.
"He's not wasting time!" she shouted, even as the walls behind them crumbled under more concussive blasts.
Midoriya's heart thundered in his chest. He's faster. Stronger. More in control of his quirk… again.
But he couldn't stop moving. "We have to lose him!"
Meanwhile, on the upper level, Tokoyami moved in silence. He stood before the 'bomb', Dark Shadow swirling protectively at his side, flickering in the low light like a living cloak.
"We will protect the bomb," he murmured, "until Bakugo flushes them out."
Back on the first floor, Midoriya and Asui ducked behind a pillar. His brain raced.
"We won't last long in close quarters," he muttered. "But if I can lure Bakugo away, you might be able to slip through and—"
"I'm not letting you take him on alone," Asui replied. "Not like this."
Midoriya gave her a wry smile. "I don't have to win. Just stall."
And with that, he shot from cover, zig-zagging across the hallway. Bakugo saw him immediately.
"There you are!"
He took the bait, breaking into a sprint, hands already sparking.
Midoriya led him in a long loop through the building, drawing out every ounce of agility he had, all while trying not to activate One For All. The last thing he wanted was another broken limb or to injure Bakugo with a punch.
But Bakugo was relentless - he moved like a predator, one explosion after another eating away at the distance between them.
"Stop running and fight me!" he roared, blowing apart a wall to cut Midoriya off.
Midoriya skidded to a stop, barely keeping upright.
Then came a blur - Bakugo closed the gap in a heartbeat, grabbing Midoriya by the front of the uniform and hurling him across the corridor. He crashed hard, rolling to a stop, coughing as dust filled the air.
Bakugo didn't let up.
"This isn't dodgeball, Deku. You said you wanted to be a hero—"
Another explosion lit the room, forcing Midoriya to roll away again.
"Then stand up and act like one!"
Upstairs, Asui made it halfway into the villain's stronghold.
But the moment she touched the metal walkway, a shadow snapped up in front of her like a wall.
Dark Shadow hissed, teeth gleaming.
"Too late," Tokoyami said calmly. "Bakugo should already be finishing it."
She tried to spring away, but Dark Shadow lashed out, catching her mid-air and slamming her to the ground. Her limbs tangled, and she couldn't break free.
Back below, Midoriya stood shakily, blood at the corner of his mouth. Bakugo raised a hand, sweat sizzling into steam from his palms.
"Any last brilliant plans?"
Midoriya breathed heavily… then smiled.
"Nope."
BOOM.
Smoke and debris filled the air, and the buzzer sounded over the PA system.
"All Might here! Villain team wins this round!"
In the observation room, some students cheered. Others watched in stunned silence. Souta remained stone-faced, eyes fixed on the screen.
Bakugo stood over Midoriya, panting heavily, fists still clenched and trembling with leftover adrenaline.
But then - his eyes narrowed.
"You didn't use it," he growled.
Midoriya blinked, still catching his breath.
"You didn't use your damn quirk!" Bakugo barked, taking a step forward. "You're supposed to be strong now! You've got power, I know it! So what the hell was that?!"
Midoriya didn't meet his eyes.
"I didn't want to… hurt myself," he admitted. "Or anyone else."
Bakugo's jaw tensed. "You'd rather lose than fight me for real?"
Midoriya didn't answer.
"Tch," Bakugo spat, turning away, stomping down the hallway. "Don't waste my time next time, damn Deku."
Midoriya stayed slumped on the floor, alone for a few moments before Asui found her way back down, rubbing her shoulder where Dark Shadow had caught her.
"You okay, kero?"
"…Yeah," Midoriya said, voice quiet. "Just tired."
From the observation room, All Might turned slightly, watching the screen with a shadow of concern behind his smile.
---
Match 2 – Hero Team: Kirishima & Jirou | Villain Team: Sero & Shoji
The second match was less about flash and more about maneuvering. Strategy and Environment. And just a bit of chaos.
"Alright!" Kirishima clapped his hands together as they stood outside the building. "Let's go loud, fast, and straight in!"
Jirou didn't even flinch. "Or… we could maybe use our quirks and not just punch everything?"
"Fair."
As the match started, the pair entered the building cautiously. Jirou extended her Earphone Jacks along the floor and walls, picking up faint vibrations above.
"They're both upstairs. Shoji's probably waiting as a spotter - Sero might be laying traps."
Kirishima nodded, tapping his fist into his palm. "So… we spring it?"
"Let me try something first."
Inside, Sero had the high ground, quietly setting tape lines along corners and stair railings, his movements quick and clean. Shoji stood near the bomb, keeping watch with his multiple eyes.
Then came the thumping.
From above.
Jirou's sound waves pulsed through the walls, disrupting Sero's balance and exposing their location. Kirishima barreled up the stairs with a hardened roar, triggering several tape traps, but charging through them like they were streamers at a festival.
"Seriously?!" Sero yelped as Kirishima blasted into the room.
Shoji went wide, trying to restrain Kirishima with his extra arms, but Jirou slipped in behind and sent a sonic blast from her jacks into his side - enough to stagger him.
Kirishima finished it with a diving shoulder into Sero that rattled the walls.
"Hero team wins!"
Back in the observation room, Mina was cheering. "Woo! Go team rock-and-roll!"
Souta watched with casual interest, arms still crossed. "That name fits oddly well to the two of them," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.