The afternoon settled into a comfortable rhythm after Jirou's performance.
Word had spread fast...about the duet at the performance stage,and of course the unexpected collaboration.
People kept approaching the takoyaki booth asking if "the singing guy" or "the guitar girl" were working there. Jirou handled it with her usual deflection, but the pleased flush on her cheeks gave her away.
By three-thirty, the crowd had thinned enough that they could actually breathe between customers.
"Combat demonstration is starting," Mina announced, checking her phone. "Want to go watch?"
"Someone should stay with the booth," Ochaco pointed out.
"I'll stay, ribbit." Tsuyu was already settling onto the bench behind the stall. "I've seen Midoriya and Bakugo argue plenty of times. You all go."
They didn't need convincing. The four of them headed toward the training grounds where UA had set up a safe viewing area for the combat demonstration.
Already a sizable crowd had gathered...civilians eager to see hero students in action, children bouncing with excitement, even some pro heroes observing with interest.
The demonstration area was impressive.
Reinforced barriers separated the audience from the combat zone, and recovery staff stood by with medical equipment. All Might stood at the announcer's position, his presence alone drawing cheers from the crowd.
"WELCOME, EVERYONE!" His voice boomed across the grounds. "TODAY, TWO OF UA'S FINEST THIRD-YEAR STUDENTS WILL DEMONSTRATE ADVANCED COMBAT TECHNIQUES!"
Midoriya and Bakugo entered the arena from opposite sides.
Midoriya's arms were out of their casts now, wrapped in compression sleeves instead. Green lightning flickered around him as he activated Full Cowl at a safe percentage...probably twenty or thirty percent, Ryuu estimated.
Enough to impress the crowd without risking injury.
Bakugo looked completely in his element, explosions already crackling from his palms.
"Heh." His signature aggressive grin was firmly in place.
"This is going to be good," Jirou murmured.
The demonstration began.
It wasn't a real fight...it was more of a choreographed showcase of their abilities.
But the power on display was still breathtaking. Midoriya's speed created afterimages, his movements was controlled.
Bakugo's explosions lit up the arena, each blast perfectly calculated for maximum visual impact with minimum actual danger.
They worked together despite their rivalry, creating combinations that had the crowd gasping.
Midoriya would launch himself into the air, and Bakugo would use controlled blasts to redirect his trajectory. Bakugo would create a smokescreen, and Midoriya would burst through it with a perfectly timed strike.
"They've gotten so much stronger," Ochaco said, wonder in her voice.
Ryuu had to agree.
The demonstration built to a climax...both of them unleashing their signature moves simultaneously.
Midoriya's Delaware Smash Air Force met Bakugo's Howitzer Impact in midair, the collision creating a shockwave that rattled the barrier and had everyone cheering.
When it ended, both were breathing hard but grinning. The crowd's applause was deafening.
All Might's voice boomed again. "THESE YOUNG MEN REPRESENT THE FUTURE OF HEROISM! STRENGTH TEMPERED BY CONTROL! POWER GUIDED BY HEART!"
Mina was bouncing on her toes. "That was amazing! Did you see when Bakugo—"
"—created that thermal updraft for Midoriya to use," Ryuu finished. "Yeah. They've been practicing together."
"Voluntarily?" Jirou raised an eyebrow. "Those two?"
"Character development," Ochaco said with a giggle. "It's beautiful."
They stayed long enough to watch Midoriya and Bakugo take their bows, then headed back to relieve Tsuyu at the booth. The sun was lower now, casting everything in that particular golden light that only existed in late afternoon.
The festival had shifted in tone. The frenetic energy of morning and afternoon had mellowed into something gentler. Families were starting to leave, satisfied and tired. Teenagers lingered, enjoying the last hours of freedom. The remaining crowd was smaller but more relaxed.
"Final push," Mina announced, tying her apron back on. "Then we can actually enjoy the festival instead of working it."
The evening crowd was different from earlier. People took their time, chatted more, seemed less focused on getting to the next attraction. It made the work easier, more conversational.
A group of elementary school kids approached, probably eight or nine years old, still in their hero merchandise shirts.
One of them...a boy with green hair and freckles that reminded Ryuu painfully of Midoriya...but younger, worked up the courage to speak.
"Um, excuse me," he said, looking at Ochaco with wide eyes. "Are you really a hero student?"
Ochaco crouched down to his level, smile warm. "I am! Third year at UA."
"Wow," the boy breathed. "That's so cool. I want to go to UA when I'm old enough."
"What's your quirk?" another kid asked.
"Zero Gravity! I can make things float. Want to see?"
The demonstration for the kids was simpler than the elaborate displays from earlier, but somehow sweeter. Ochaco floated their empty juice boxes in a slow circle, and their faces lit up like she'd performed actual magic.
"When you're a hero," the green-haired boy asked seriously, "will you save people?"
"That's the plan," Ochaco said gently. "That's why we train so hard."
"Good." He nodded firmly. "Because my dad says heroes are really important. He says they keep us safe."
"Your dad's right."
The kids lingered, asking questions about hero school, about quirks, about what it was like to train alongside people like All Might. Ochaco answered each one patiently, never making them feel like their curiosity was annoying or childish.
When they finally left, waving enthusiastically, she stood with a satisfied sigh.
"That's what it's about," Mina said quietly. "Those kids will remember this day forever."
"I hope so," Ochaco replied. "I hope they remember that heroes are just people trying to do good."
The sun continued its descent. By six o'clock, most of the festival had quieted. Booths were starting to close, staff beginning cleanup, the energy of the day winding down to its natural conclusion.
"We're officially done," Tsuyu announced, counting the final earnings. "Made almost three times our projected quota, ribbit."
"Seriously?" Ochaco's eyes widened. "That's amazing!"
"That's your floating food trick," Mina said, bumping her shoulder. "You're a natural showman."
They broke down the booth efficiently...covering the grills, storing leftover supplies, wiping down surfaces. The work was methodical and familiar, accompanied by easy conversation and the occasional joke.
Other students were doing the same across the grounds.
Kirishima waved from the strength-testing booth. Kaminari was helping Sero pack up game equipment. Even Bakugo was grudgingly helping clean the cooking area, though he'd never admit it was voluntary.
"Class 3-A meeting at the fountain in ten minutes!" Iida's voice carried across the grounds, his hand-chopping visible even from a distance. "Mandatory attendance for festival wrap-up!"
They finished quickly and headed to the designated meeting spot. Most of their classmates were already there, lounging on the fountain's edge or sprawled on the grass. Everyone looked exhausted but satisfied.
All Might appeared, accompanied by Aizawa and several other teachers. Their homeroom teacher looked marginally less tired than usual—high praise from him.
"Good work today," Aizawa said without preamble. "The festival was a success. No major incidents, civilians were happy, and you all represented UA well."
"The earnings will be donated to local charities," All Might added, his smile as bright as ever despite being in his deflated form. "You should all be proud of what you accomplished today!"
"THREE CHEERS FOR CLASS 3-A!" Iida shouted, already beginning his enthusiastic hand-chopping. "HIP HIP—"
"We get it, glasses!" Bakugo interrupted, but even he looked pleased.
The teachers dismissed them with instructions to rest well and be ready for regular classes on Monday. As they dispersed, Ryuu found himself walking with his usual group—Mina, Momo (who'd appeared from her coordination duties), Ochaco, Tsuyu, and Jirou.
"So," Momo said, falling into step beside him. She looked immaculate despite a day of coordinating logistics, her hair still perfectly in place. "I heard about the performance."
"Everyone heard about the performance," Jirou muttered, but there was no real bite to it.
"It was beautiful," Momo continued, ignoring the interruption. "I'm sorry I missed it. Coordinating the festival schedule kept me occupied."
"You'll have other chances to hear it, ribbit," Tsuyu observed. "Several people were recording."
Jirou's expression became pained. "Oh god. It's going to be all over social media, isn't it?"
"Probably," Mina said cheerfully. "You're basically famous now."
"I hate you all."
"No you don't," Ochaco said with a giggle.
They walked together as the sun set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. The campus looked different in this light—softer somehow, more peaceful. The festival decorations cast interesting shadows, and the evening air carried the scent of grass and cooking food.
"Today was perfect," Mina said, voicing what they were all thinking. "Like, genuinely perfect."
"Agreed," Momo said. "Despite the chaos and exhaustion, this was exactly what we needed."
"A reminder of why we're doing this," Ochaco added. "Why we want to be heroes."
"For days like today, ribbit. When we can make people happy instead of just fighting villains."
They reached the dorms as the last light faded from the sky. Other students were already heading inside, calling goodnights, making plans for dinner.
"Group dinner?" Mina suggested. "I'm thinking we order enough pizza to feed a small army."
"Seconded," Jirou said immediately.
They gathered in the common room...not just their core group, but half of Class 3-A. Someone had turned on music. Kaminari was attempting to teach Kirishima a complicated handshake. Todoroki sat quietly in the corner, but even he looked content.
Pizza arrived in massive quantities. They sprawled across couches and floor, talking and laughing, reliving the day's best moments.
"Remember when that kid asked if Bakugo was a villain?" Sero said, grinning.
"SHUT UP, TAPE ARMS!"
"Or when Mineta tried to—"
"We don't talk about that," several people said in unison.
The evening stretched on, comfortable and easy. Eventually people started drifting off to bed, exhausted from the long day.
Ryuu found himself on the common room couch with Mina on one side and Momo on the other. Ochaco sat on the floor in front of them, leaning back against his legs. Tsuyu was curled in an armchair nearby, and Jirou had claimed the other end of the couch.
"This was good," Ochaco said quietly. "Today. All of it."
"Yeah," Ryuu agreed. "It really was."
But even as he said it, something felt... off.
It was subtle. Just a faint unease he couldn't quite identify. Like a discordant note in an otherwise perfect song.
"You okay?" Mina asked, noticing his expression.
"Yeah," he said, shaking off the feeling. "Just tired."
"We should get some sleep, ribbit," Tsuyu observed. "Tomorrow's cleanup day."
They said their goodnights, heading toward the elevators. Ryuu walked Momo to her floor first, then headed up with Mina to their hallway.
"Today really was perfect," Mina said, stopping outside her door. "Thank you. For being part of it."
"I didn't do anything special."
"You were here. That's always special." She kissed his cheek quickly. "Goodnight, Ryuu."
He returned to his own room, that strange unease still lingering.
Standing at his window, he looked out over the darkened campus. Festival lights were being shut off one by one. The grounds grew darker, quieter.
Everything was peaceful.
Everything was fine.
So why did his chest feel tight?
Ryuu shook his head. Exhaustion, probably. The long day catching up with him. He'd feel better after sleep.
He pulled the curtains closed, shutting out the view of campus.
If he'd looked a moment longer, he might have seen it...a brief metallic glint in the treeline beyond the walls.
A figure standing perfectly still.
Watching.
Waiting.
But Ryuu was already turning away, heading to bed, thinking about how perfect the day had been.
Tomorrow they'd clean up. Return to normal. Continue their training.
Tomorrow everything would be fine.
At least, that's what he thought.
In the treeline, the figure smiled.
Patience had paid off.
Now the bonds were stronger. The emotional connections deeper. The amplification potential greater.
Perfect.
Kurogane Takeshi turned away from UA's walls, frost spreading where his feet had touched the ground.
Soon.
Very soon.
---
Welcome to derry...