Woooosh—
Izuku tore through the water at terrifying speed, his body cutting forward like a living torpedo. The resistance of the flood zone meant nothing to him—water peeled away in his wake, split cleanly by sheer force.
The pressure screamed against the walls of the pool as a violent current followed behind him, bubbles exploding outward like shrapnel.
He didn't swim. He hunted. Villains barely had time to react.
"What the hell is this kid—?!" one of them yelled—a bulky man with a shark mutation, rows of jagged teeth bared as he twisted through the water.
"Sto—"
Too late.
Izuku's fist drove forward.
BOOOOM!
The impact detonated underwater, a compressed shockwave ripping outward. The shark-man was launched backward like a cannonball, body spinning uncontrollably before slamming into a concrete wall with bone-rattling force.
Cracks spiderwebbed outward as the villain went limp, sinking slowly into the depths.
Izuku didn't even look back. His eyes snapped to the side.
Tsuyu.
She was surrounded—four, five villains circling her through the water, hands reaching, quirks flaring faintly as they closed in.
Tsuyu twisted and kicked, agile as ever, but numbers were starting to overwhelm her.
Izuku vanished.
The water exploded behind him as he blasted forward, speed doubling, then tripling. In less than a heartbeat, he was there.
The next second—He slammed his palms together.
WHUMMMM—!
A concussive sonic wave burst outward, the water itself compressing before erupting violently. The villains were blown away as if struck by an invisible wall, bodies tumbling end over end before crashing hard into the outer edge of the pool.
One after another—thud, crack, splash—they hit and went unconscious, drifting helplessly.
Izuku finally slowed, chest rising slightly.
Needing air, he kicked upward and burst through the surface in a spray of water, droplets cascading off his suit as he took a steady breath.
Moments later, Tsuyu surfaced beside him, floating easily, eyes wide as she stared at the now-still water behind them.
"Thanks, Izuku," she said, genuine relief in her voice.
"No problem," he replied calmly. Then, glancing around, "Let's get out of the water."
Before she could respond, he moved. In one smooth motion, Izuku scooped Tsuyu up bridal-style.
She froze.
"W–wah—?!"
Ignoring the sudden stiffness in her body, Izuku bent his knees—
—and leapt.
The water cratered beneath him as he launched upward, landing effortlessly on a small nearby yacht moored within the flood zone.
The vessel rocked violently but stayed afloat as he set Tsuyu down gently on the deck.
She stared at him. Then at the water. Then back at him. Her face turned a deep shade of pink.
Izuku was already turning away, eyes scanning the area for more threats, posture relaxed but alert—like this was just another task on the list.
Behind him, Tsuyu stood there, completely still.
Internally?
She was absolutely spazzing.
'He—he just—picked me up—jumped—why was that so cool—?!'
She shook her head slightly, trying to regain focus, cheeks still warm as chaos continued to unfold across the USJ.
And somewhere in the water below—
The villains were learning a very important lesson.
This kid was not normal.
Still, desperation—and greed—pushed them forward.
One by one, dark shapes burst from the water. Villains vaulted onto nearby platforms and debris, splashing down around the yacht in a loose circle.
Others stayed submerged, their silhouettes gliding beneath the surface like sharks, waiting for an opening. Ripples spread outward as water dripped from claws, fins, and clenched fists.
Izuku stood at the edge of the yacht, relaxed—but grounded. His feet planted firmly, shoulders loose, eyes sharp.
He glanced sideways.
"Tsuyu," he said calmly, without taking his eyes off the enemies. "You remember how we trained last time, right?"
Tsuyu froze for a brief moment, then her eyes widened slightly as memory clicked into place—the drills, the coordination, the way they moved without getting in each other's way.
She nodded.
"Yeah… kero."
A small smile tugged at Izuku's lips.
"Good. Cover my back," he said simply. "I'll deal with these guys."
Tsuyu shifted into position immediately, crouching low, tongue flicking out experimentally as her eyes tracked the water below. Her stance was compact and ready—perfect for quick reactions.
In front of them, the villains tensed.
There were many—far more than before. Some cracked their knuckles as their bodies mutated further. Others let their quirks flare to life: hardened skin, extended limbs, glowing eyes, water manipulation rippling unnaturally around their arms.
They didn't laugh this time.
Still, they attacked—because backing down wasn't an option.
"GET HIM!"
The first wave lunged forward.
Izuku moved.
He stepped into the attack instead of away from it, body blurring as he closed the distance in an instant.
A punch snapped out—precise, devastating—dropping one villain before he could even react. Izuku twisted, elbow driving into another's ribs with a crack, sending him skidding across the wet deck.
Behind him, water exploded upward.
Tsuyu reacted instantly.
Her tongue shot out like a living cable, wrapping around a villain trying to ambush Izuku from below. With a sharp pull, she yanked him out of the water and slammed him into a railing, knocking him out cold.
Another villain leapt—Izuku ducked, grabbed the man midair, and threw him straight back into the pool like a missile.
They were surrounded. But they weren't overwhelmed.
Izuku and Tsuyu moved together seamlessly—no wasted motion, no hesitation. When Izuku advanced, Tsuyu guarded. When Tsuyu struck, Izuku cleared the opening. Water splashed, bodies fell, and shockwaves rippled through the flood zone.
To the watching villains, it stopped looking like a fight. It started looking like a lesson.
And Izuku Midoriya stood at the center of it—calm, relentless, and very much in control.
Two minutes later, silence finally settled over the flood zone.
The deck of the small yacht was riddled with bodies—villains sprawled across the slick surface in every direction, groaning softly or completely unconscious.
Some lay tangled in broken railings, others slumped against overturned equipment. Below the yacht, the water was just as crowded, dark shapes floating limply or clinging weakly to debris as the artificial waves rocked them back and forth.
None of them were dead. They didn't need to be.
Tsuyu stood near the center of the deck, hands resting on her knees as she caught her breath. Her chest rose and fell steadily, water dripping from her hair and suit.
There were scuff marks along her arms, a small tear near her sleeve, and a faint bruise forming along her side—but nothing serious.
She'd been hit. But she was still standing. Beside her, Izuku stood completely still.
Unscathed.
Not a tear in his suit. Not a scratch on his skin. His breathing was calm, steady—like he'd just finished a warm-up rather than his first real villain battle.
Tsuyu straightened slightly, her eyes drifting toward him.
'Wow…' she thought, watching the way he casually surveyed the area, already checking for movement, already thinking ahead. 'He really is amazing.'
As if sensing her gaze, Izuku turned toward her. A relaxed smile spread across his face, bright and genuine despite the chaos around them.
"We did a great job," he said simply.
Tsuyu blinked, then let out a small giggle, waving a hand lightly.
"Let's not act like you didn't do most of the work, kero."
Izuku chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck but not denying it.
"Well… this is both our first villain battle," he said. "I think we did pretty well."
Tsuyu nodded, her smile softening.
"Yeah," she agreed. "We really did."
For a brief moment, it almost felt calm—like the storm had passed.
Then—
"HELP!"
The shout cut through the air, sharp and panicked.
Izuku's head snapped toward the sound.
Out in the water, Mineta flailed wildly, his short arms barely keeping him afloat as the artificial currents suddenly intensified.
The waves grew stronger, tugging him toward a deeper section of the flood zone. His eyes were wide with terror.
"IZUK—!"
Izuku sighed, already moving.
"I'll be back," he said casually.
Before Tsuyu could even respond, he stepped forward and dived.
His body sliced cleanly into the water, vanishing beneath the surface in a single smooth motion as he rocketed toward Mineta.
Tsuyu watched him go, then shook her head with a fond smile.
A hero's job, after all, was never finished.
TO BE CONTINUED