"Ah..."
I took a single step forward and reached out my hand. Iida, swaying as if in a trance, staggered toward me.
And then—
[[ HERO TEAM... WINS!! ]]
He practically dove into the capture tape of his own volition.
"Ugh... sob... Masue-kun, Tokoyami-kun... I'm... I'm finally going home...!"
"...Iida? The training is over."
"Huh!? Wh—Wait, what was I saying!?"
"Good grief... you really are an incredibly earnest person, aren't you?"
"HE'S A TOTAL SUCKER!"
"Silence is golden, Dark Shadow," Tokoyami muttered.
I had to admit, it went almost too smoothly. Iida's naturally upright and literal personality worked against him. While I had used the Force to bolster the persuasiveness of my voice, it was merely a nudge. It shouldn't have been enough to make someone lose themselves in a fictional role unless they were already halfway there.
Apparently, Iida had been so moved by Himiko's "Villainous" performance earlier that he had been intensely psyching himself up to be the perfect antagonist. My Force-laden words had simply latched onto his own self-suggestion and pushed it to the finish line.
"That was an excellent victory, Young Masue!"
All Might's voice was the first thing to greet us. After declaring me the MVP of the round, he bypassed the usual group discussion to speak with me directly.
"Tell me, Young Masue. Why did you choose persuasion as your primary method? I'd like to hear your reasoning."
I suspected a man of All Might's experience already knew the answer, but he was likely asking for the benefit of the other students.
"The primary goal of this exercise is to gauge our current combat capabilities," I began. "From that perspective, my choice might have been suboptimal. However, the scenario involved a nuclear weapon—the most destructive force on this planet. To minimize the risk of accidental detonation to zero, I judged that combat should be avoided at all costs. In my view, neutralizing the threat through dialogue was the 'Best Path' for a Hero. I knew the chances of a 'Villain' listening were low... but I felt it was what a Hero should do."
A wave of understanding passed through the class. All Might nodded, looking immensely satisfied.
"And that is why you confirmed the details of the Villains' background and the nature of the bomb with me before we started? To build your case?"
"Yes, Master. If the parameters had been different, I might have prioritized a surgical strike instead."
In reality, a Jedi would almost never choose violence as a first resort. But that was a matter of my personal creed; there was no need to delve into that here.
"Excellent judgment! And a vital mindset to have! Even in a drill, you must always ask: 'What if this were a real tragedy in the making?'"
All Might looked over his students, nodding firmly. He seemed much more comfortable now, his speech flowing with the natural charisma of a man used to the spotlight.
"Being a Hero is a flashy profession, and we are the only ones licensed to use our Quirks! But that doesn't mean we should use them recklessly! I hope today has shown you how difficult it is to resolve a crisis perfectly. Minimizing damage to people, property, and the environment is the ultimate goal! So, don't be afraid to try something outside the box, even if it feels 'boring' compared to a big fight. If it's the right thing for a Hero to do, we will never penalize you for it!"
He then added a "by the way" regarding the financial reality of being a Hero. He mentioned that many powerful Heroes actually struggle with debt because their Quirks cause so much collateral damage that their insurance premiums and repair bills eat all their profits. He didn't name names, but he noted it wasn't uncommon for independent Heroes to go bankrupt and have to take jobs as sidekicks again just to pay the bills.
"So there really are insurance plans and tax breaks for that stuff..." Sero muttered with a wry smile, reflecting the class's collective realization that being a Hero was a surprisingly gritty business.
So, unlike the Jedi, Heroes are essentially for-profit sole proprietors, I thought. The Jedi Order was more of a non-profit entity; I never had to worry about the "bottom line" in the Temple. If I was to truly rebuild the Jedi, I would need to consider the financial side of things. The royalties from my droid and translator patents likely wouldn't be enough to sustain an entire Order.
The lesson eventually wound down, and we were dismissed. Everyone seemed to have gained something valuable; for me, it was a reminder that nothing beats practical experience.
Of course, the moment I changed back into my school uniform and stepped out of the locker room, I was promptly snatched up by Himiko and dragged into a private restroom. She proceeded to feed on me until the very last second before the bell rang. It had been a while since she'd been that aggressive about it; I had a difficult time suppressing my own voice from the ticklish, pins-and-needles sensation of her fangs.
I suppose even a Sith-in-training needs to decompress after a long day of "acting" like a Villain.
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