The observation room was silent for a few stunned seconds, everyone processing the abrupt and almost comical end to the battle. Then, a roar of cheers and laughter erupted. They cheered for the heroes' victory, but they also laughed because never in their wildest imagination could they have pictured a win coming that way.
In the basement, Kirishima slowly shook his head, groggily pushing himself up from the rubble. He had blacked out for a few seconds, but he had heard a voice, faint but clear, saying, "Hero team wins!" He wasn't sure what had happened. He looked over to find Tokoyami sitting in a corner, rubbing his temples with a weary sigh. And as for Bakugo... he just stood frozen at his spot, his mouth agape, a look of pure, unadulterated shock on his face. Sato also seemed to be slowly getting his wits back, looking around the demolished basement floor with a dazed expression.
They were told to quickly head back to the observation room. Kirishima, still confused, went to Sato, who had an equally bewildered face. "Sato... you good?" Kirishima whispered. "What happened? Do you know why those two are looking like someone just stole their lunch money?"
Sato shook his head with a shrug. "I don't know, man. One minute, I'm trying not to get blasted into next week, the next, you're flying through the air like a human cannonball. Pretty manly, by the way."
"Yeah, you think?" Kirishima grinned, a flash of his old enthusiasm returning. "It was epic! I thought we were done for, but I just had to get between you and that blast. Totally worth it, even if we lost." They both looked back at the villains before shrugging and walking back to the observation room. On the way, they discussed the fight excitedly.
"That explosion was insane! You just stood there and took it, bro!" Sato said, his voice brimming with admiration.
"And your punches! Man, you were a freaking tank!" Kirishima replied, "I thought for sure we had it, but that guy just kept coming."
"Yeah, it was insane! I was just thinking 'keep him busy, keep him busy' until my brain started to go foggy!" Sato laughed.
When they reached the observation room, they were met with a fresh wave of noise. Everyone suddenly cheered and excitedly ran towards them. "You guys won!" "That was insane!" "I've never seen anything like it!"
Kirishima and Sato stopped in their tracks, utterly confused. "Who won?" Kirishima asked.
The entire class, as one, shouted, "You two, idiots!"
Kirishima and Sato looked at each other, their minds struggling to comprehend. They both pointed to their faces and said in unison, "Us?" And then, as the realization dawned on them, they shouted together, "Hah?! US?!"
Then, in a mix of shock and confusion, they both yelled, "HOW?!"
Suddenly, a voice from the corner of the room spoke up. "Just watch!" It was one of the control operators, sitting at a console with a wide grin on his face. He pressed a button, and the large screen on the wall flickered to life, showing the final seconds of their battle.
The footage, pulled from a high-speed camera, showed Kirishima, his body a crumpled mess, flying across the basement. The camera followed his trajectory with perfect, unnerving clarity. They saw his form hurtle through the air, saw the bomb in the corner, saw the look of surprise on Tokoyami's face as he lunged too late. And then, in slow motion, they saw it. Kirishima's hardened hand, a shattered and battered fist, touched the surface of the bomb with a soft, final thump. The timer on the screen froze at 0:00:01.
A collective gasp swept through the room, followed by a fresh wave of cheers.
Kirishima stared at the screen, then at his hand, then back at the screen again. A wild laugh erupted from his chest. "I wasn't even conscious! I thought I lost!"
Sato slapped a hand over his mouth, trying to stifle a roar of laughter. "That's it? That's how we won?! You just... 'hugged' the bomb?!"
They both looked at each other in shock before bursting into laughter and sharing a celebratory fist bump.
"Apparently!"
Kirishima looked at his battered fist, then at Sato, then the cheering class. His grin softened. "Honestly… I'm just glad we won together. Nothin' manlier than that."
Sato looked back at Kirishima with a wide grin and nodded, "Yeah!"
Just then, Bakugo and Tokoyami walked back into the observation room.
Bakugo still looked like he hadn't fully come back to his senses, the shock of the loss still etched on his face. But as soon as he saw Kirishima and Sato laughing and celebrating, his eyes focused back, and a dangerous rage began to build. The air crackled with tension.
"Hah?! WHAT'S SO FUNNY, EXTRAS?!" Bakugo roared, and immediately, three boys: Iida, Ojiro, and Sero, ran to get behind him, holding him back. "IT DOESN'T COUNT! YOU DIDN'T WIN! IT WAS PURE DUMB LUCK! IF YOU HAVE THE GUTS, TRY FIGHTING AGAINST ME AGAIN!"
All Might, though still smiling, stepped forward to calm the storm, albeit barely. "Now, now, young Bakugo! Settle down!" he said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. He then turned to the entire class. "You two, Sato and Kirishima, demonstrated true heroism! You overcame a natural disadvantage and still managed to secure the win!"
Bakugo, still straining against his classmates, shouted, "IT DOESN'T COUNT! IT WAS PURE LUCK! I HAD THEM!"
All Might shook his head. "Luck is also a power, young man! Luck is born of opportunity, and opportunity is born of perseverance and determination. You fought to the very end, and even though you lost, you still proved what it takes to be a hero!" He then looked directly at Bakugo, his voice dropping slightly. "Your approach of not trusting your partner, Tokoyami, to handle even one 'hero,' and instead trying to handle both of them on your own, was not the best."
Bakugo went quiet, his muscles still tense but his head lowered. He knew All Might was right. Even though Tokoyami was his teammate, he had no way in hell of trusting that "damn crow." And besides, he had figured he could easily handle both of the heroes on his own. He was way stronger than both of them. His pride had cost them the match.
Kratos, observing from his spot, knew what was going on in the boy's head. "Whatever you thought," he said, his voice a low rumble, "still failed in the end. So try thinking it again from another direction." Bakugo was about to argue again, his jaw clenching, but All Might clapped his hands lightly, bringing everyone's attention back to him.
All Might laughed in his iconic way, his voice echoing. "As you can see, it's not always set in stone that the villains would win. Everyone has to look past their inherent weakness, analyze their situation, and then act. Not every situation while performing heroic acts will be the same. So every situation would need you all to think about all these things from every angle possible before acting. And that's what would separate you from average heroes if you want to become the best!"
With the lesson delivered, All Might's smile returned to its full, brilliant glory. He looked to the other students, their faces a mix of awe and a new, tactical understanding.
"Now then! For our next round... we have this!"
Villain Team: Denki Kaminari (Electrification) & Yuga Aoyama (Navel Laser) Hero Team: Momo Yaoyorozu (Creation) & Tenya Iida (Engine)
------
On the fourth floor, with its network of partitioned offices and glass walls, a shimmering bolt of electricity danced across the ceiling, leaving a scorch mark. "Hehehe! This is gonna be a piece of cake, Aoyama!" Denki Kaminari cackled, a mischievous grin on his face. "Just a little zap here and a little zap there, and the heroes will be toast!" He was holding the blinking bomb, and he was absolutely loving the prospect of using his Quirk without any reservations.
Yuga Aoyama, however, was less than pleased with his partner's recklessness. He struck a pose, his back perfectly straight, his gloved hand resting delicately on his navel. "Mon ami, your brilliance is… rather uncontrolled. My Navel Laser requires a precise, clear line of sight, not a field of chaotic, sizzling energy. Your electricity could interfere with my magnificent belt!" He gestured to the thin, glowing band that helped him control his Quirk.
"What, this thing?" Kaminari said, sending a small, playful jolt of electricity toward Aoyama. Aoyama yelped and leaped back, a flash of static briefly enveloping him before it dissipated.
"See?" Aoyama lamented dramatically. "We are incompatible! My dazzling light, your indiscriminate chaos. It is… a tragic paradox." He then looked around, his expression turning serious. "The bomb, Kaminari. Let's place it high and with a long, unobstructed path. The heroes will have to face my glorious brilliance in a straight line." He guided Kaminari to a small, isolated conference room at the end of a long hallway. The room was mostly bare, with large glass windows overlooking a stairwell. They placed the bomb on a small table in the center, and the timer began its five-minute countdown.
Aoyama took his place at the end of the long hallway, ready to fire his laser, while Kaminari crouched behind a filing cabinet, a sinister smile on his face, ready to unleash a wide-area shock.
------
Outside, Tenya Iida revved his engines, his body practically vibrating with anticipation. "Yaoyorozu! We must execute a high-speed assault! My engines are ready! Do you have any insights into their quirks?"
Momo Yaoyorozu, ever the tactician, said, "Their Quirks are a direct counter to ours. Kaminari's wide-area attacks will disrupt our movement, and Aoyama's precise strikes can incapacitate us." She held up a small bottle of orange juice. "Your reliance on a clear path and specific fuel makes you vulnerable. Aoyama's laser can create debris, while Kaminari's electricity could short-circuit your engines and stall your speed."
Iida nodded, then smacked a fist lightly into his palm. "You are correct, Yaoyorozu! My speed is my greatest asset, but it is also my greatest liability if my path is blocked!" He looked at her, his eyes shining with new respect. "And your Creation...?"
"My Quirk requires me to form items from my lipids, which takes time and concentration," Momo explained. "Kaminari's wide-area attacks could fry any electronics or sensitive creations I make, and Aoyama's pinpoint laser could destroy them before they are complete." She realized their opponent's strength was in disrupting their core operational prerequisites.
"I have a theory on their strategy, Iida," Momo stated, her voice calm and analytical. "Kaminari's Electrification is a wide-area Quirk, while Aoyama's Navel Laser is a precise, long-range one. It would be most logical for them to place the bomb where they can both utilize their Quirks effectively without hindering one another."
"A long, unobstructed hallway or a large, open room would be the best environment for them." She pointed at the building's layout, handed to them by All Might, "If they position themselves at one end of a long corridor, Kaminari can fill the space with a chaotic electric field, slowing us down, while Aoyama can fire a precise laser down the center, cutting off any direct approach. We must avoid that path at all costs."
"Understood, Yaoyorozu!" Iida's voice was firm, and his hands, for once, were not chopping the air but were at his side. He had a look of calm determination on his face as he looked at his partner. He trusted her completely. "We will not make a direct assault. A flanking maneuver is the most logical course of action! It is a brilliant strategy!"
And suddenly All Might's booming voice rang out, "START!"
Without wasting a single moment, both of them looked at each other before Iida, with Momo right behind him, bolted into the building.