Thirty seconds into the match.
U.A. Academy main building, Hero Department, Gymnasium No. 3.
Izuku Midoriya.
The reinforced hoop creaked under the weight of a person but held firm.
Then, Niren Shoda landed softly on the gym floor, like a panther. He turned around.
Since the start of the match, just half a minute ago, the basketball hadn't touched the polished parquet floor even once. The students started to chatter, Kaminari-kun whistled, and someone—probably Yui Kodai—clapped their hands.
"Yoo-hoo! That was awesome! We're a great team!"
Partially fragmented, Setsuna Tokage, in her hero costume, flew up to Shoda-kun and headbutted him on the shoulder, grinning widely. Then, they gave each other a high-five. While the girl reassembled, Niren spread his hands apologetically in response to the playful teasing from Mina Ashido.
"What can I say… I see the ball, I see the hoop, I can't help myself."
Standing nearby, Kirishima, err… Eijiro-kun nudged Midoriya in the side with his elbow.
"He's amazing, right? Saved the ball and made it through everyone himself! That was manly!"
Izuku nodded silently.
Since he was almost useless on the court when the game was being played in the air, and since Katsuki had yelled at him, telling him to "stay the hell away from the ball, or I'll kill you," Midoriya had time to think.
Kacchan—that childhood nickname for Katsuki Bakugo, like the last thread connecting their once-good relationship—was amazing too.
To catch up to him… to beat him with that incredible quirk of his, which earned Katsuki the title of genius wherever he went… to reach his level… to prove to him, and most importantly, to himself, that he wasn't any less capable, was Izuku's dream. A lifelong dream, one of two.
They had faced off in a match during practice, but Midoriya didn't feel it was a complete victory. In close combat, he still had nothing to counter with. Months of analyzing Kacchan's movements had become useless the moment they engaged. The boy still couldn't control One For All, even after a month of training and nearly two weeks of classes. And Kacchan, once again, had made Midoriya admire his talent, instantly realizing that Izuku had studied his moves, adapting and changing his fighting style. In the end, they only won thanks to Kyoka Jiro's abilities.
But now, Izuku Midoriya realized, with surprise and even disbelief, that he wanted not only to surpass and earn respect from his childhood mate… or rather, his childhood inmate, but from one more person.
The blue-haired guy smiled widely at his female friend, who had the same hair color as Izuku and very big c… and the green-haired boy quickly averted his gaze, feeling his cheeks betray him by blushing. Niren had very beautiful female friends.
Actually, some of their classmates were really, well… girls. For Midoriya, who two months ago had spent his entire life with his mom as the only woman he could talk to without feeling flustered, it was still very hard to get used to interacting with such… well, girls.
And now they were playing basketball together. All of them. Izuku was grateful to Niren, even for the opportunity alone, as well as for the personal invitation, but it was only a minute into the game that he understood why Niren had organized this. Not just to unite the class. He, Midoriya, like the other students, had a chance to closely observe the skills and quirks of powerful students like Tokoyami-kun and Tokage-chan. And especially Kacchan and Niren himself.
Midoriya couldn't be sure whether his new… friend, maybe?—understood how important this opportunity for observation was to him, but he suspected he did—they had already exchanged notebooks, and Izuku couldn't have said whose notes were more meticulous and thorough.
Yet, despite all that, the blue-haired guy didn't resemble an otaku or a nerd at all—he was confident, calm, easygoing, and, more often than not, unintrusive, despite being quite the stickler and perfectionist. Honestly, Iida-kun, who shared the same flaws without the same virtues, had certainly picked the right senpai!
Niren treated everyone with positivity and respect, without forced politeness and with a marked disregard to Japanese social norms, which ultimately made him approachable—and as a result, it was very easy to call him by his first name and transition to informal speech. If this was a result of self-discipline, Izuku could only imagine how much time and effort it took to achieve it.
It wasn't just for the basketball match that Izuku felt gratitude. Niren was the first, the very first person besides All Might, who treated him attentively, someone he could talk to normally, express his concerns to, and receive advice from. The first person who treated him as an equal—even the Born Hero, with all his incredible human qualities, couldn't objectively treat Midoriya as an equal, and Izuku wouldn't want such sacrilege anyway.
But with Niren, it was different.
He didn't coddle him but offered advice. He didn't try to prove his point but engaged in dialogue and listened to Midoriya's opinions. Shoda-kun even read his notebooks filled with hero notes! From the very first day—no, even a month earlier—he had invited him into his group, where, for the first time in his life, Izuku was able to interact with, well… young women.
The boy had never been part of a group since kindergarten when, a year later, at the age of four, he was kicked out of Katsuki's circle and regularly beaten up. That's why he valued this gesture more than anything else.
The only thing that had made him tense up a bit was when Niren had called him out for being late…
But, as he quickly realized, Shoda-kun was absolutely right.
Reassessing his actions, Midoriya was horrified to realize that, more often than not, he acted far more foolishly… or irresponsibly than he thought.
Before, he secretly took comfort in the thought of his intellectual superiority over most people around him, even though he feared admitting it to himself. No, he never thought of himself as better, and he certainly wasn't better than Katsuki, but still, Izuku was… smart? At least, that's how he saw himself.
Moreover! Even without a quirk, he still prepared to become a hero, refusing to give up on his dream! He had acquired basic knowledge in self-defense and first aid! He had prepared for the challenging entrance exam to U.A. in less than a year (and passed by the skin of his teeth, ugh…). He endured months of grueling training, which he genuinely believed to be hellish, under the guidance of the Greatest Hero in the World! He strictly adhered to a schedule and diet… well, until he decided to toughen them up on his own, but still.
Izuku believed he had every reason to think he knew what "preparation" meant.
And it was all the more terrifying to meet Niren—not the great, godlike All Might, not another cool, experienced pro hero, not a well-established adult, but just a peer, another student—and realize that he, Izuku Midoriya, knew absolutely nothing about preparation.
And, moreover, he often simply didn't think things through. Niren wasn't an unattainable symbol like the Symbol of Peace, the top, the Olympus, the summit that was impossible to reach. Niren was an example of a human being like "young Midoriya," who simply acted and thought more efficiently.
Why wasn't Izuku doing the same? Why couldn't he do it? He could do it, right? This realization felt like a Copernican revolution.
They had spoken many times over the past two weeks, and Izuku listened in awe to the tough training Niren—and not only Niren but also his companions—Kodai-san, Tokage-chan, Ojiro-san, whom he hadn't met yet—underwent every day. Niren talked about it like it was something completely normal, offhandedly. Midoriya asked questions—lots of questions!—and Niren eagerly told him about how he and Yui-san, whom Izuku was still slightly intimidated by, researched her quirk, how he prepared for UA, how he designed his costume, and how Tokage-chan (for some reason, she got embarrassed) approached them and asked to be trained…
Izuku was an asocial otaku—and he was well aware of it. And don't get him wrong, he was ready to be content with that. It wasn't as if he ever believed he'd have a girlfriend… especially not one as cute as his new classmates. But this was the first time in his life he wondered, "What would I do in that situation, if a girl came to me and asked me to train her?"
He didn't like the answer: he would have blushed, fumbled, and been unable to utter anything coherent, let alone help. No one would ever ask him for such a thing anyway.
A hero's job was much more than just saving people… it was comforting them, giving advice, presenting yourself publicly, having social skills…
Despite spending a whole year training under the Symbol of Peace, Midoriya had to meet his peers, who hadn't had such an advantage, to fully realize how much he still had to work on. And how many things he had been missing before.
The irresponsible "almost"-late arrival on his first day of school… what would it have cost Izuku to look at the building plan in advance? Or leave half an hour earlier? How could you let that happen, Izuku Midoriya?! Sure, he was lucky to arrive two minutes early, but could he rely on luck when such an Enormous Responsibility was on his shoulders?
Because of that same responsibility, Izuku hadn't told Kacchan that "someone" had given him a quirk, and that he couldn't use it without hurting himself. It troubled him a lot: the only person he could, with some stretch, call a childhood friend now thought that Izuku had hidden a quirk all his life and had lied to him. Izuku had the urge to tell him, but… that would be a mistake, right? It wasn't just his secret to tell. Especially since Katsuki probably wouldn't believe him and would mock him instead anyway.
And because he had thought about it beforehand, Midoriya didn't yell "Detroit Smash!" when he used the All Migh…—no, all his new strength—to punch through the ceiling, saving himself and Kyoka-chan. He didn't shout it, though he really, really wanted to.
But he couldn't: after all, it was one of the signature moves of the Symbol of Peace, and their powers were already too similar. What if someone figured out the connection between them? Kacchan could! And Niren could too!
For the same reason, he was ready for Kacchan's sudden attack during practice. Midoriya knew that in a direct fight, he still didn't stand a chance against Katsuki, since he hadn't yet mastered control over his quirk. That's why, after deflecting the first strike, he avoided further confrontation, focusing on winning the training match. After all, that was the main objective! Not to prove to Kacchan that he was strong too, but to win and accomplish the task set by the instructor: defeat the villains, even at the cost of injury, ego, or even his life!
Thanks to Jiro-chan's scanning abilities, he had time to think, remember his attempt to use his fingers for the ball throw, plan his strategy, and finally fight, using his power several times during the match. And he didn't even get knocked out before the match ended! Though it was incredibly painful...
And all of this was due to the initial push from the tall blue-haired guy, who simply pointed out Izuku's mistakes by showing his own example!
There were other things too. For instance, the situation with that terrifying girl, Toga-san, the slightly arrogant beauty, Yaoyorozu-san, and the loud Iida-kun, whose enthusiasm still intimidated the boy. Izuku only learned about this afterward, not from Niren, but from Jiro-chan, during their awkward conversation before the "raid" on Ochako Uraraka's team and Kacchan.
Midoriya was sure that Iida-kun acted correctly. That he would have done the same. That All Might would have acted the same way!... After all, intervening when you're not required to is the essence of heroism! That's what the Symbol of Peace always said!
...but it turned out that there are different ways to intervene.
Niren thought differently, acted differently, explained his actions—and time proved that the guy was right once again! Shoda-kun didn't let anyone step in for Yaoyorozu-san, forcing her to face the pressure herself, which may have seemed cruel at the moment, but would benefit her in the future. He didn't allow Toga-san to be ostracized, and within just a week, having taken her under his wing, he integrated that scary girl into the group as a full member, uniting the class instead of dividing it into two camps.
It was embarrassing to admit, but as a result of all this, he even began to perceive Niren as… a better version of himself. From the moment he saw another boy like him defeating the same kind of robot he had beaten while protecting Uraraka-chan—but instead of being crippled afterward, Niren managed to survive and land on his own. While Izuku had to be saved by the one he was trying to protect...
A boy just like him—only without the great gift of the Symbol of Peace…
Just as Aizawa-sensei had said—he, Midoriya, was still just a burden being carried by others...
No! That will change! It's already changing! Even All Might deemed him worthy! And people like that don't make mistakes!
Midoriya shook his head for added confidence.
He used to think that Niren's abilities were similar to the ones passed down to him by All Mig... meaning, his quirk, One For All, the power that Izuku would eventually make completely his own.
But now, in the match, Niren's powers didn't seem at all like the enhancement quirks of All Might, Rabbit Hero Mirko, Chivalrous Hero Fourth Kind, or Lion Hero Shishido.
Someone ran by, and then there were shouts all around. Izuku frowned and, barely aware of what he was doing or where he was, placed his hand on his chin, deep in thought.
If he analyzed Niren Shoda's movements, it didn't seem like he moved through normal muscular contractions, like ordinary athletes, only more efficiently. No, his movements were different—they looked impressive but not effective. He didn't stretch forward, he didn't tuck in, he didn't build up maximum momentum—but somehow, he accelerated almost instantly, as if pushing off something in mid-air. It looked almost as if… it resembled Bakugo's movements, but without the obvious explosion effect, at most just a clap and a gust of wind.
Despite years of observation and analysis, Midoriya had never seen abilities like these two had. The closest thing was Endeavor, who could fly using his fire. And possibly one of the female students from U.A. Academy, whom he had seen once at the Sports Festival.
Could he, Izuku, use a similar method of movement?
Niren also clapped his hands way too often for it to be a coincidence… he jumped on the spot… stomped, as if adjusting his shoes. A habit? Hardly, the actions were too varied. A habit? But such fidgetiness didn't match his calm and confident personality. So, there was a possibility it was necessary for his quirk. There was even a pattern—it always happened before he sprinted or dashed.
Midoriya bit his finger. How unlucky that he missed Todoroki-san's fight against Shoda! So many useful observations! And how he missed his notebook for taking notes...
What did Niren call his quirk again?... Izuku blushed again but shook his head. No, the first name was just a joke. The real one was "Battle Multiplier," it seemed. Maybe his powers only activated during combat? And for him to release those "waves," he needed to take damage, which he inflicted on himself with those claps?
Too few observations, need to keep watching.
Someone nudged Izuku in the side, probably even a girl, but he was too deep in thought. The successor to All Might's mind detachedly noted that he needed to do something about his zoning out—it was a useful skill but very dangerous in a combat situation. He needed to come up with a way to limit the time spent on analysis. A timer. Yes, that might work.
As for Niren's powers, it seemed that the guy had been lying when introducing his quirk to the class. Though he didn't seem like someone who would lie to people, the facts suggested otherwise.
But why would he deceive his classmates or even the teachers?
Well, Izuku himself would never do the s...
And then he froze. No, he, Izuku, did that as well! He was deceiving everyone too... but he had a reason! It wasn't his secret, and he could never, ever reveal it...
And then he remembered his urge to reveal the truth to Kacchan.
Well, at least not without a serious reason.
Something clattered on his left, someone shouted... but Izuku felt like he had just grasped something very important.
Could it be that Shoda also had a serious reason for hiding the truth?
But what could that be? And why? And...
BANG!
"You damn nerd! Shut your filthy mouth and stop mumbling!" someone barked right next to his ear.
Midoriya jerked, lost his balance, and clumsily landed on his backside. Out of old habit, he raised his hands and curled up...
"K-K-Kacchan, but you told me not to get inv..."
"Shut up! Get up! If you just stand there like an idiot, I'll kill you! Use that shitty quirk of yours! I don't care!"
Izuku looked up in surprise. He had been sure that Bakugo would try to attack him at some point—because he believed that Izuku had hidden his quirk from him and "made a fool of him."
They hadn't been able to talk.
But instead…
"I'll win! I'll win against him! Then against you! I don't care about anything else, just get up! Our left flank is wide open, go there!"
Midoriya wiped the saliva off his cheek and looked in astonishment into the eyes of his school rival, who was behaving even more aggressively than usual, and to his horror, saw pure madness and pinprick pupils.
Usually, Kacchan, despite his explosive and loud nature, kept himself under control.
But this Katsuki Bakugo… Izuku had never seen him like this.
He wasn't even looking at Midoriya, staring intently at Niren's back.
Niren, as if sensing it, turned, smiled slightly, and made a beckoning gesture.
The entire match felt like their personal battle...
And that battle had just begun.
Author's Note:
Originally, I had planned a different chapter order, where this part would come after the match. But now, I think this way is optimal—right now, we can contrast both Bakugo and Midoriya, remember them better, and in the next chapter, our good old Niren Shoda will be dunking balls and dealing with Katsuki.
Trust me, writing an interlude from the perspective of important characters that you need to flesh out feels like a brain grinder. I try not to overuse it because in the past, when I did it with Setsuna in chapter seven and with Himiko in chapter eleven, I got almost K.O.-ed.
But… here we go again!
I hope you enjoyed it and noticed the difference in how these two heroes think. In my fanfic, they've shifted from the protagonist and deuteragonist into secondary characters, but their importance hasn't faded—they're both going to continue growing, fighting, and evolving alongside Niren until the very end.
That's why I tried to flesh them out now, while there's still time, instead of doing it later when the story will have more action and dynamics.
Have a great day! :)