"I wonder if I can keep up with... the speed of a world you're not in."
_______
Because Kacchan and I lived in the same neighborhood... We've known each other since we were little. He was the type who could do anything he tried his hand at... A rascal who led the group of neighborhood kids.
Good or bad aside.. Kacchan was full of confidence... and I thought he was cool. But... after his Quirk manifested... it accelerated him down the wrong path.
Standing in front of me was Bakugo, having small explosions on his palms.
"Even though you're scared... That's what I... hate about you!
All men are not equal. This was the reality I learned about society at the young age of four.
___
[MY HERO ACADEMIA]
"Hey, Bakugo! Give me your status! What happened?"
Iida's voice crackled sharply through the wireless earphones, echoing in Bakugo's ears.
Bakugo clicked the communicator on with a harsh jab of his thumb, teeth clenched. "Just shut up and defend!" he snapped. "I'm really angry right now!"
He cut the line immediately.
Iida stood beside the nuclear mock-up, one hand pressed against his communicator, posture stiff with disbelief. "I'm not asking about your emotions!" he shouted into the silence. "Hey! Bakugo?!"
Only static answered him.
"...He hung up," Iida muttered, lowering his hand slowly. His shoulders tensed as frustration bubbled over. "Charging off on his own like that... what is wrong with him?!" He threw his hands up. "Jeez!"
Back in the monitoring room, Kirishima leaned forward, squinting at the screen. "What was Bakugo saying? Hard to tell with just the camera angle and no sound."
All Might glanced down at him, tapping his ear. "He's communicating with his partner using the small wireless radio."
(Y/N) didn't bother looking away from the screen. His gaze remained locked on the feed, sharp and attentive, absorbing every movement and decision being made inside the building.
All Might lifted an object into view. "Each team was also provided with the building's floor plan..." He held it up briefly, then raised another item. "And this, capture tape!"
(Y/N)'s eyes flicked to the tape, interest briefly piqued. 'If I had to guess, he thought, you wrap it around the opponent's wrist or limb to restrain them.'
All Might continued, "Once you successfully wrap this around your opponent, it counts as a capture."
'Knew it,' (Y/N) confirmed internally, already shifting his focus back to the screen.
Mina raised her hand."The time limit's fifteen minutes, right? And the heroes don't know where the nuclear weapon is?"
"Yes!" All Might replied brightly.
"Then the heroes are clearly at a disadvantage," Mina pointed out.
All Might smiled. "Heroes must be able to overturn any disadvantage they face." He looked back at the class. "Besides... didn't Mr. Aizawa tell you?"
All Might thrust his fist into the air. "Here we go!"
'Don't tell me...' (Y/N) deadpanned internally.
As expected, the entire class pumped their fists into the air, voices ringing out together, including All Might, and a noticeably flat, unenthused (Y/N).
"Plus Ultra."
Aoyama suddenly spoke up. "Monsieur, Bakugo is—"
All Might turned, curious.
Inside the building, Bakugo rocketed forward using a burst of Explosion, blasting through the corridor straight at Midoriya.
Midoriya's eyes widened. He raised his guard instantly and shouted, "Uraraka, go!"
Using the momentum of his propulsion, Bakugo twisted midair and delivered a spinning kick aimed straight at Midoriya's head.
Midoriya barely managed to block it, his arms shuddering from the impact as he slid backward.
"Looking away?" Bakugo snarled. "You must be pretty confident!"
In that instant, Midoriya snapped his capture tape forward. The tape shot out and began wrapping around Bakugo's leg halfway up his calf.
Bakugo's eyes widened. 'The capture tape?!'
'Hero Notebook Number Ten... page eighteen!' Midoriya thought rapidly.
His mind raced, recalling Eraser Head's movements during the fitness test.
'I'm glad I got to see Eraser Head's moves in person. Now, if it's Kacchan... he'll get impatient. He'll swing with his right arm.'
Right on cue, Bakugo lunged forward, his right arm exploding outward in a violent blast.
Midoriya gasped, barely twisting out of range as the explosion tore through the space where he'd been standing, the heat and shockwave grazing him as he escaped by inches.
'I was right!' For a split second, the two of them locked eyes, Midoriya steady despite his labored breathing, Bakugo burning with raw fury.
"That guy's amazing!" Sato blurted out from the monitoring room, leaning forward.
"He's not even using his Quirk," Sero added in disbelief, "and he's fighting the guy who placed second in the entrance exam!"
All Might watched the screen quietly, memories surfacing unbidden.
'Back then... when Midoriya charged in to save Bakugo from the Sludge Villain. He's always had incredible reaction speed in a crisis.'
Years of obsessively writing notes. Years of observing, analyzing, internalizing.
'That fanboy knowledge...' All Might smiled faintly. 'It's finally paying off.'
Back inside the building, Midoriya remained crouched low, chest rising and falling as he panted. Sweat dripped down his temple, but his eyes were sharp, focused.
'He kicked first that time,' he realized. 'He's changing his pattern so I can't predict him anymore.'
'He's being cautious now.'
Bakugo clicked his tongue and preparing to blast forward again, and Midoriya bolted.
"What?!" Bakugo snapped, eyes widening as Midoriya took off down the corridor.
Bakugo chased after him instantly. "Come back here, Deku!"
Midoriya's footsteps echoed as he sprinted, glancing back only once.
'I can't get close to him anymore,' he thought urgently. 'Not like before. I need a plan.'
Bakugo skidded to a stop at an intersection, eyes darting left and right. The corridors twisted endlessly, branching like a maze.
"Where'd he go...?"he growled.
His frustration finally boiled over.
"HEY!" Bakugo shouted, his voice echoing through the building. "You tricked me, didn't you?!"
He slammed his fist into the wall. "Was it fun messing with me all this time?!"
Midoriya heard him from afar, flinching as Bakugo's voice reverberated through the halls.'
"Huh?!" Bakugo barked suddenly, palms sparking with small explosions.
"You've got a flashy Quirk now, don't you?!"
Midoriya clenched his fists as he ran. 'I can't tell him the truth.
I can't tell him this power came from All Might.'
"Then use it!" Bakugo roared, explosions crackling in his hands. "Try and hit me with it! 'Cause I'm way above you!"
"He's... really angry," Kaminari muttered from the monitor room, unease creeping into his voice. "That's kinda scary."
All Might frowned slightly.
'Young Midoriya once told me Bakugo thinks extremely highly of himself... But this level of obsession...'
On-screen, Bakugo kicked a door clean off its hinges.
(Y/N) watched silently, arms folded, mind working. 'That ego of his... it's spiraling. The more Midoriya challenges him, the worse it gets.'
Midoriya ducked behind a corner, pressing his back against the wall as he struggled to catch his breath. His lungs burned.
'He ignored Uraraka completely and came straight for me, he realized grimly. I knew it.'
His thoughts sharpened as he forced himself to think logically.
If they wanted an advance guard, Iida would've been the better choice, he analyzed. He has mobility, and Bakugo knows that.
'Which means... Bakugo's acting on his own. They aren't coordinating.'
Midoriya steadied his breathing. 'In the first place, a direct head-on fight with those two gives us the worst odds.'
His eyes hardened with resolve.
'If Uraraka and I both went for the hideout, Kacchan would immediately double back. And if we both stayed here fighting him, we'd run out of time.'
'So this is fine.'
He straightened slowly. 'All that's left... is for Uraraka to find the nuclear and deal with Iida.'
A determined glint flashed in his eyes. 'Then I'll join her. A two-on-one. That's how we win.'
'That's assuming I can beat Kacchan, though...'
Midoriya clenched his fist, staring down at it as if searching for an answer in his own trembling fingers. His knuckles were white with tension.
'It's fine, he told himself firmly. As long as I'm careful of his palms... I can do this.'
Just then... "WHERE ARE YOU?!" Bakugo's voice thundered through the building, sharp and furious. "YOU DAMN NERD!"
Midoriya flinched, his thoughts snapping apart like glass. He lifted a hand to rub at his nose, exhaling slowly.
'And... I forgot to tell you something, Kacchan...'
Memories surged forward, uninvited.
"You're Quirkless! How can you even stand in the same ring as me?"
"It's not like I'm trying to compete with you or anything! Believe me!"
The words echoed painfully in his mind.
Midoriya's eyes hardened as the flashback faded. The hesitation that once weighed him down burned away, replaced by something sharper, something resolute.
'I take it back. Everything I said back then.'
Elsewhere in the labyrinthine halls, Bakugo stalked forward, boots striking the floor with purpose. His heart was pounding—too fast, too loud. A flicker of memory crept in despite his resistance.
A much younger him. A much smaller Izuku, reaching out, trying to help.
Bakugo snarled under his breath. 'Stop it... I'm— I'm way above him!'
His palms sparked instinctively, tiny explosions crackling as if reacting to his agitation.
Meanwhile, Uraraka had already reached the floor where the mock Nuclear weapon was hidden. The room was wide and strangely empty.
Iida stood near the objective, posture stiff, hands clenched at his sides. His brow furrowed beneath his helmet as he wrestled with himself.
"Bakugo is a natural at being bad," he muttered, "and that suits this training perfectly."
He straightened, resolve flooding his stance.
"Then I, too, must devote myself fully to the role of a villain."
He looked down at his hands.
"That is right. This is another trial—one that will forge me into a man who brings no shame to the Iida family!"
His fist tightened.
"Become a villain!" he declared dramatically. "Be dyed with evil in order to become a hero!"
He spun around sharply.
"I am... extremely evil!"
Uraraka, hiding behind a pillar, nearly lost it. 'He's taking this way too seriously!' she thought, biting her lip to keep from laughing.
The faint sound gave her away. Iida turned his head instantly. "Have you arrived, Uraraka?"
She stiffened, then stepped out slowly with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her head.
Iida pointed straight at her. "I knew it! The moment Bakugo ran off on his own, I deduced that you would attempt to reach the objective alone."
He spread his arms wide, confidence radiating from him.
"Your Quirk allows you to make objects you touch float," he continued. "Therefore—"
He gestured to the barren room. "I removed every single usable object on this floor!" He jabbed a finger toward her.
"You can no longer rely on your tricks! You have blundered, hero!"
A theatrical, villainous laugh followed.
Uraraka blinked. "...He's starting to really look like a villain."
Back in another corridor, Midoriya stood slowly, stretching out the capture tape in his hands. The fabric tightened with a soft, ominous sound...
...and then he froze.
Footsteps. He turned. Bakugo stood at the far end of the hallway, one arm raised, the metal of his gauntlet gleaming.
"They're loaded," Bakugo said calmly, almost smugly.
Midoriya swallowed, raising his guard. "Kacchan..."
Bakugo's grin widened, sharp and dangerous. "Why won't you use your Quirk?" he taunted. "Don't tell me you think you can win without it."
His eyes burned into Midoriya. "Are you underestimating me, Deku?"
'I don't have a choice,' Midoriya realized, tightening his grip on the capture tape as he pulled it taut.
'I can do this. I can.'
"I'm not scared of you anymore!" he shouted, his voice echoing down the corridor.
Bakugo's teeth clenched, then his grin returned, even wider than before. "With all that stalking you do," he said mockingly, "you probably already know this."
He aimed his right hand straight at Midoriya.
"My Quirk, Explosion, lets me secrete nitroglycerin-like sweat from the sweat glands in my palms, and detonate it."
His thumb hooked around the pin on his gauntlet, "And if these were made the way I asked..."
"They store that nitroglycerin inside."
All Might's eyes widened in the monitoring room. 'Don't tell me—'
"Young Bakugo, stop!" All Might shouted into the intercom.
Bakugo only laughed. "He'll be fine as long as he dodges!" Bakugo yelled back, manic excitement flooding his voice.
The pin released.
A massive explosion tore through the hallway, fire and smoke swallowing Midoriya whole, but at the last second, Midoriya twisted his body, barely avoiding the brunt of the blast as the shockwave sent him flying.
The battle had crossed a line. And everyone watching knew it. The blast sent Midoriya into another room, with the portion of it destroyed. He raised his head.
"Is that... even allowed...?" He panted heavily. Suddenly, Bakugo emerged from the hole while laughing as dust settled.
"Wow... The more that's stored in these gauntlets, the stronger the blast." A huge grin appeared on Bakugo's face, "Even if you're at full strength... I'll force you to surrender!"
____
[MY HERO ACADEMIA]
Iida clicked the communicator on with his thumb, his voice sharp with urgency.
"Bakugo, answer me! Did you do that? What in the world did you do?! Explain yourself at once!"
Static answered him. At the same time, Uraraka's eyes lit up. Now!
"If we retrieve the weapon, we'll win!" she shouted, breaking into a sprint.
Iida caught her movement in the corner of his eye and immediately reacted, charging toward her. "I won't let you, hero!"
Just before he could reach her, Uraraka slapped her hands together and activated her Quirk on herself. Her body lifted lightly from the floor as she leapt upward, floating with surprising grace.
'We need to touch the weapon itself for it to count,' she reminded herself.
Iida's eyes widened slightly behind his visor. She can make herself float, too?!
"Release!" Uraraka called out, canceling Zero Gravity midair. She dropped rapidly, aiming straight for the mock Nuclear.
But Iida was already moving. With a burst of speed, he kicked off the ground and shoved the weapon aside just before she could touch it.
Uraraka hit the floor hard, rolling across it before slamming shoulder-first into the wall. "Oof!" Iida planted himself firmly between her and the objective.
"Your Quirk is not a threat if you cannot touch anything," he declared, striking an exaggerated villainous pose.
"I'll simply hold out until time runs out!"
An over-the-top, menacing laugh echoed through the room. Uraraka groaned slightly, pushing herself up. 'He's so serious...'
Then her expression softened. 'But Deku's trying so hard, too...'
Elsewhere... "Hey, hey, what's wrong, Deku?" Bakugo taunted, spreading his arms mockingly.
"I didn't hit you directly, so you can still move, right? Come at me!"
Midoriya sat upright, teeth clenched, chest heaving as he forced himself to think through the pain. 'That explosion wasn't just power... it shot outward.'
'His costume... it was designed so his Quirk would work at long range, too.'
He raised his trembling hand and pressed the communicator. "Uraraka... what's the situation?"
"Deku!" Uraraka's voice crackled through his earpiece, sharp with strain.
Bakugo's grin twitched violently. "Ignoring me again?" he snarled. "I can't believe this bastard!"
In the monitoring room, Kirishima shot to his feet. "Teacher! You've gotta stop this! Bakugo's gone nuts, he's gonna kill him!"
"No..." All Might muttered, eyes glued to the screen. He remembered Bakugo's words earlier, 'I won't do so much damage that the fight gets stopped.'
'Strangely enough... part of him is still sane,' All Might thought grimly. 'Whether that's discipline or sheer stubbornness...'
He raised the microphone. "Young Bakugo! If you use that attack again, I will stop the match, and your team will lose!"
Bakugo froze mid-step. "Huh?!"
"To cause such large-scale destruction indoors is reckless," All Might continued firmly.
"You are inviting the collapse of the stronghold you're supposed to be protecting. That is a foolish strategy for both heroes and villains!"
"And you will lose a significant number of points for it!"
Bakugo's fists trembled. His teeth ground together in frustration, sparks snapping angrily from his palms.
'As a teacher... I should stop this,' All Might admitted inwardly. 'However...'
Bakugo suddenly raised his arm, shouting as he surged forward. Midoriya reacted instantly.
"Go to the pillar by the windows! Over and out!"
"Fine then!" Bakugo roared, blasting himself forward. "Let's fight it out with our fists!"
Midoriya tried to dodge, but the floor beneath them was shattered and unstable. 'No good... I can't move!'
He drew his arm back. 'A counterattack... watch the timing...'
Midoriya threw his punch.
Bakugo detonated an explosion point-blank, using the recoil to launch himself upward. He twisted midair, firing another blast sideways to change direction, then slammed a final explosion into Midoriya's back.
"Gah!"
In the monitoring room, (Y/N) narrowed his eyes. 'Despite his brash personality... without a doubt, he's talented,' he thought. 'Raw aggression paired with natural instinct. What a chaotic combination.'
"What was that just now?" Kirishima muttered, stunned.
Todoroki spoke calmly, eyes sharp. "He doesn't look like the type to think... but he's more subtle than I expected."
(Y/N) glanced at him, recognizing the same conclusion. "He changed his trajectory mid-blast," He continued evenly. "Used one explosion as a smokescreen, then adjusted immediately after."
Todoroki nodded without looking away from the screen.
"Getting a clean hit while fighting inertia," Yaoyorozu added thoughtfully, "requires extremely precise lateral control over explosion output."
Kaminari sighed heavily. "Ugh... this class really is full of monsters..."
Back in the building, Midoriya barely had time to steady himself before Bakugo shouted, "LOOK, HERE I COME!"
Midoriya turned. "It's your favorite right swing!" Bakugo yelled.
The blow smashed into Midoriya's back, sending him screaming forward.
"Deku!"
Bakugo grabbed his elbow, pivoted, blasted himself around with his left hand, and hurled Midoriya over his shoulder.
"You are... below me!"
"Gah!" Midoriya hit the floor hard, vision swimming.
'He's not giving me time to think... I can't... keep up...'
'He's too strong...'
His fingers twitched weakly. 'I have no choice... I have to use it...'
"This is just lynching!" Mina cried out, horrified. "He could've ended this already by capturing him!"
Tokoyami's voice was low and cold. "Those are not the actions of a hero."
Kaminari sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I thought Midoriya was amazing too, but... in terms of raw combat power..."
"...Bakugo's just pure instinct," he finished.
All Might tightened his grip on the microphone, knuckles whitening. 'I should stop it...'
His eyes burned with conflicted resolve as he watched the screen. 'But... I don't want to stop them.'
Midoriya scanned the corridor frantically, then, instead of standing his ground, he dropped low and scrambled forward, crawling across the shattered floor toward the far end of the hallway.
That alone drew murmurs from the monitoring room.
"He's... running away?" Mina blurted, eyes wide.
Kirishima frowned, arms crossed. "That's not something a man wants to do..." he admitted, then narrowed his eyes. "But he doesn't have a choice. Still, something feels off. Why now?"
Midoriya reached the window at the end of the corridor, nearly tripping over his own feet as he dragged himself upright. He turned just in time to see Bakugo advancing, explosions crackling impatiently in his palms.
"Why won't you use your Quirk?!" Bakugo roared. "Are you looking down on me?!"
Midoriya's gaze dropped to the floor, shadows gathering beneath his eyes. "...No."
Bakugo snapped.
"You've been like this since we were kids!" he screamed, veins bulging in his neck. "Have you always been underestimating me like this, you bastard?!"
"That's not it!" Midoriya shot back, his voice cracking.
He lifted his head, tears trembling at the corners of his eyes, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles went white. "You're... you're amazing," he said, forcing the words out. "That's why!"
Bakugo stiffened. "I want to beat you!" Midoriya shouted. "I want to win..."
He sucked in a breath, then yelled with everything he had left, "...and surpass you, you idiot!"
"Tch!" Bakugo clicked his tongue, rage boiling over.
"Don't look at me like that!" Bakugo screamed, thrusting his palm forward as sparks exploded outward. "You damn nerd!"
And then, neither of them stopped. They charged.
'These are the first emotions he's shown that aren't just "I want to be a hero," All Might realized, watching intently.'
'This anger... this desperation...'
'I'm sure this is necessary,' he thought grimly. 'For you to reach the future you're aiming for.'
Both boys pulled back their right arms. Midoriya forced One For All into his arm, veins bulging. Bakugo's palm glowed as compressed explosions snapped and hissed, ready to fire.
"I said this looks bad!" Kirishima yelled, panic rising. "Teacher!"
All Might opened his mouth. "Both of you!"
"LET'S GO, URARAKA!" Midoriya shouted instead.
All Might froze.
Through the radio, Uraraka heard him clearly. "Okay!" she replied instantly, gripping one of the concrete pillars with both hands.
Iida stiffened beside the weapon, raising his guard. "What are they—?"
'There's still no way I can beat you head-on,' Midoriya thought. 'But...'
"SMASH!"
Bakugo fired first, an explosion detonated point-blank. But at the last second, Midoriya twisted his arm. Instead of striking Bakugo... His punch slammed upward.
The shockwave erupted through the ceiling, blasting through multiple floors at once. The building screamed as debris rained down in every direction.
Bakugo's eyes widened. "What?!"
Iida grabbed the weapon instinctively just as the entire floor shook, then noticed Uraraka swinging the pillar like a bat.
"What the?!"
"Sorry, Iida!" Uraraka called out, activating Zero Gravity on the pillar mid-swing.
Using the flying debris as stepping stones, she launched herself forward. "Improvised special move... Comet Home Run!"
Taking advantage of the situation, she jumped and crashed into the objective, hands slapping onto it. "I got it!" Uraraka grinned, clutching the mock missile triumphantly.
"No!" Iida shouted. "The weapon!"
His voice echoed helplessly through the ruined building.
Bakugo stood frozen, body twitching violently as he stared at the massive holes torn through the structure.
"So that's it..." he snarled, teeth grinding. "From the very beginning... you were underestimating me, weren't you?!"
Midoriya's voice came weakly through the settling dust. "I wasn't... going to use it..."
That sentence hit harder than any punch. Bakugo's eyes widened, his rage stalling, just for a moment. Then, the dust cleared.
Midoriya stood barely upright, fist still raised, his entire body trembling.
"Because I can't..." he said hoarsely. "Because my body... can't handle the impact..."
He swallowed hard. "Mr. Aizawa... said so too..." His legs finally gave out.
"This was all... I could think of..."
Midoriya collapsed to the floor. Bakugo stared at him in silence. He didn't need the scoreboard to tell him the truth. Despite everything, he had lost.
The atmosphere in the monitoring room was extremely intense and quiet. After all that had happened, All Might spoke through the microphone.
"Hero team... WINS!"