My Hero Academia: Son of Justice

by Jayme F. Midorikawa

The son of the disgraced former greatest Hero of The Soviet Union is extended a chance at a new life by the Symbol of Peace, All Might. After having lived so long resenting Heroes and Villains, and being scared to death of his own Quirk, will he be able to step forward and become the Hero he once dreamed of, and will he be able to find new purpose through friendship, or even love?

115. Joint Training Arc Part 1 - New Faces

Welcome back, everyone. After having played things just about safe with the Pro Hero Arc, it feels good to finally be back to writing action scenes involving my OC's again.

Maybe not working so strictly within the lines of the canon like last time will spur some actual responses or engagement from the audience this time around. The lack of any kind of response really doesn't inspire confidence in my work, I have to admit.

I know there are some pretty big flaws or personal annoyances in how I've presented my OC's in the beginning, as newcomer readers have pointed out in the past, but any kind of feedback regarding what I've been doing, building toward or changing recently would make a world of difference.

I work insanely hard on this every single day on top of college and actual day-to-day work, so a little engagement is all I'm asking for. I really don't think that's a lot to ask in return.

Anyway, lack of reviews or personal messages aside; the fact so many of you are still reading here every day does help make up for it to a considerable degree, and for that I still thank you all, just as I still thank my three beta readers, Mizu, Jonny and Carlos; as well as all the current contributing fanartists on DA: Syyndev, Akane Kahomi, AliceKuroCross, Suki-Chan2509, effasempai, Eliza-Frost, Vanera-Taro and Yumake.

My Hero Academia is the property of Kouhei Horikoshi and Shonen Jump. I only own my original characters and the original events surrounding them.

A/N: [[]] indicates that characters are contextually speaking Russian.

Chapter 115

Old and New Faces

(Старые И Новые Лица)

Thursday, December 4th

No matter how hard Nikolay had tried to get back to sleep after the dream he'd just had, and how it had somehow caused his Quirk to build up so much vibration-born Kinetic power on its own; he simply couldn't do it so easily. So he was especially far from well-rested by the time morning had finally come along, and he had ultimately made his way back down to the commons area, where nearly everyone was already in the middle of breakfast. From where he was standing, he could see that only Izuku and Bakugo were the only ones not here, but he naturally assumed the former was still sleeping from having exhausted himself so much yesterday, while the latter was likely trying to squeeze in some extra training before the starting bell rang.

"Hey, Kolya-san, did you feel that tremor last night, too?" Eijirou's question came the moment Nikolay had taken his seat with his food; causing him to momentarily flinch with surprise; one of his biggest worries having already come true while he had to play dumb: "No, I was out like a light the whole night. There was seriously an earthquake?"

Tenya dutifully answered: "Indeed, but it was thankfully very brief, with no damage to Yuuei or the city to speak of on the news. It's odd, though; every Japanese cellphone has a built-in alert system connected to the International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering to warn people of incoming earthquakes, down to even the minutest magnitude, and yet nobody's alert here went off before it happened, or even during it."

Taking the seat right next to Nikolay, Mina finally finished: "Yeah, it was super weird! I even called Setsuna-chan in Class B to see if she or her classmates felt it too, and they didn't even know anything had happened! It's like that tiny earthquake just happened right outside our dorm building and nowhere else. Freaky, right? But hey, at least nobody got hurt and nothing got broken."

As everybody wholeheartedly agreed with her relief, Mina looked and saw how Nikolay's hand was barely shaking as he tried to eat; his face clearly trying not to betray the same kind of reaction. Naturally, this drew her in to lay a comforting hand over his, giving him an assuring smile. "Hey, no need to be nervous, Kolya-kun. I'm sure you probably never had to deal with earthquakes back home…I-I mean, the whole Siberian Flash thing with Tunguska-sensei not counting, obviously. Earthquakes are always kinda scary, especially when you're living so high up."

Meeting her eyes, Nikolay finally got his hand to stop shaking, giving her a single grateful nod and a faint smile. "Yeah…I'd heard that Japan gets more earthquakes regularly than anywhere else, but I guess it's impossible to not get shaken up when they happen."

However, even as Mina looked visibly relieved that her boyfriend's nerves had been calmed; the fact was that Nikolay's mind was racing. Even despite his efforts to try and dispel his built-up Quirk stores last night without drawing attention, it had still ultimately been for nothing. Thankfully nobody seemed to suspect anything, and that was just about the best outcome he could have asked for.

Suddenly, Minoru exclaimed from nearly across the whole dining section: "Hey, would somebody go and wake Midoriya and Bakugo up already? It's not like them to be sleeping in this late! Honestly, how could Midoriya still be in bed after an earthquake? He's on the ground floor with me and Aoyama-san, for crying out loud! He'd feel it more than anybody!"

While Eijirou was already answering about having overheard Bakugo leave his room just short of everyone else; Yuga, from his own spot while having spent all this time sitting with a pensive look in his twinkling eyes, immediately spoke up: "I'm afraid Midoriya-san isn't here, either. There was a bit of a ruckus in his room last night that stirred me awake, so I went to go and check on him. I suppose his recent training yesterday took more of a toll on him than expected. He actually activated his Quirk in his sleep and nearly totaled the whole place. It shook him up pretty bad, so he's been out jogging since then."

For as nonchalant and accepting of these events as they came as Yuga sounded; this news of Izuku somehow activating his Quirk unintentionally in his sleep had naturally left nearly everyone else looking visibly shocked, especially Ochako, Nikolay, Eijirou and Tenya; none of them ever even having considered such a mishap to be possible. Of course, the news that Izuku didn't seem to be hurt the last time Yuga had seen him was a relief in its own right, and with no reason to believe he would allow himself to be late for class even after all of that, they were quick to put these momentary worries aside and get back to finishing their breakfasts and getting ready for school.

---

It wasn't long after, that everyone finally got dressed in their uniforms and were making their way for class before the starting bell. They hadn't even left the general area of the dorms themselves, though, before the welcome sight of a visibly beaming Oleg came round the corner just short of the main school building itself.

"Dobroe utro (Good morning), everyone! I trust you all had a pleasant night? I certainly hope so." Everyone was of course used to the Quirk History teacher being an especially jovial sort, but there was an especially visible energy about him that couldn't help but instinctively get many of the students pumped up; Eijirou especially as he greeted his teacher with an enthusiastic fist bump. "Good morning to you too, Tunguska-sensei! What's got you so jazzed up?"

With a smirk on his bearded face that could have almost looked suspicious if one looked close enough, Oleg slyly answered: "Nothing in particular. We all just have our especially good days. I just have a feeling that today's going to be a very fruitful one all around."

Naturally, the large teacher began to slow his stride as the rest of the class continued on their way; just enough to where he could walk side-by-side with Nikolay. [[And good morning, Kolya! I hope you're—oh my goodness, you look like you've barely slept a wink all night! What happened?]]

Knowing there was still at least a little time before classes would begin, and by now knowing that when Nikolay and his father started speaking Russian to each other, it was a deeply private matter, Mina was quick to hurry along and give the two their privacy while they walked at a much slower pace behind the rest of the class. And once he knew they weren't going to be listened in on, Nikolay sighed and answered: [[Unfortunately, you're right. I just…I had this really, really weird dream last night, Dad. I hadn't been able to get back to sleep nearly enough afterward.]]

With his son not saying anything more after that, Oleg felt at a genuine loss as to what it possibly could've been; his watchful eyes momentarily drifting back to the distant sight of the other students ahead, with Mina trailing in the back in wait for Nikolay to rejoin them. And the sight of that had his parental instincts kicking in immediately. [[You're…*ahem*…you're not perhaps having any…let's say dreams centering around…around malenkaya Ashido lately, are you, Kolya? It's perfectly natural for a boy your age to do so, of course.]]

Nikolay's whole body came to a jerky stop in the face of such a ham-fisted conclusion; his fair face turning bright red that this was the first place his father went with this discussion: [[W-what?! No, no! That's not it at all, I swear! No, this was something…something very different…very weird…and honestly kinda…well, okay, really scary. I mean, it felt so real, Dad; like I was actually there!]]

Sighing with a relief of his own that they wouldn't have to talk about what he thought they would have to; Oleg looked much more prepared. [[Tell me, Kolya. Don't leave anything out.]]

With a deep breath to steady himself, Nikolay proceeded: [[When it all started, I was on this rooftop with everybody from class, but we were all older, like we'd all just graduated and become Pro Heroes. But then, I suddenly started getting this really chilling feeling like I was being watched…I mean, it was like that feeling, but so much worse, like the person who's watching doesn't even have to be there for you to know their eyes are on you. You understand what I mean?]]

Oleg's resulting nod was nothing short of solemn, spurring his son to continue. [[I looked back, like you naturally would, and out of nowhere I was looking across this vast ocean, and there was this humongous storm on the horizon, like something on a biblical scale…and there was a shape on the water coming at me; it looked like a person, but it was too dark to really make anything out. Then when I turned around, I was suddenly out on these vast rolling fields of wheat and grass, like straight out in the Central Steppes…and then I started flying, but not like my Quirk is usually able to make me…it was much stronger, and it felt…it felt like it was driven completely by fear, the worst kind of fear I've ever felt…and it was like I could feel my Quirk building in my whole body not from vibration frictions, but from movement as a whole. It was almost like I was seeing and feeling things through a body that wasn't my own. And then there was this…this man's voice, one I know I've never heard before, and he was talking to me like he knew me, saying something about…about some kind of bridge, or another person…and that's when I woke up…with my Quirk having built up more energy than I'd ever felt. So I had to run out and try and shoot it out into the ground before it'd break something in me. I don't think my Quirk ever did anything while I slept since it first manifested in me.]]

Oleg could see how Nikolay was already clutching at one of his wrists to keep his hands from shaking the more he thought back on it. Unfortunately, timing simply wasn't on their side, as with a heavy sigh, he placed a supportive hand upon his son's shoulder. [[I wish I had an answer for you right now, Kolya. If you want, when classes are over for the day, we can go to Hound Dog-san's office and discuss all of this with him. I know he seems scary, but he has a role as your school therapist for a reason, remember?]]

Nikolay couldn't help but instinctively shudder at the thought, but thankfully was able to smile in appreciation for his father's support all the same afterward. [[Thanks, Dad…but for now, I don't really wanna jump the gun. I mean, it's always possible I could just be having one of those weird one-off dreams that people have for no reason they can think of, before everything just gets back to normal. People have those a lot, I'm sure.]]

As naïve as Oleg believed that sounded, he likewise knew that continuously pressuring his son to dwell on the matter wouldn't help him or anyone else right now. So, with an accepting fatherly smile and nod, he beckoned Nikolay to catch up with the rest of his friends; watching him depart with a hopefully glimmer in his eye…but a pinching sensation of unease in his chest.

VRRRRM!

Without warning, he suddenly felt his phone go off, and as soon as he pulled it out, he was met with a single message from Toshinori: 'Oleg-san, come meet me at the faculty break room at lunch break. Midoriya-shonen is here, looks like he's been jogging all night, and says he has something important to share with us then, which I thought you should be a part of.'

---

With no delay was Oleg headed straight there once the lunch break bell rang. Thankfully, no word had come from Aizawa or Midnight over the previous two classes of anything being outwardly wrong with his son. By all accounts he seemed to be back to normal. Oleg could only take that as the best possible sign that Nikolay's assumption of simply having an outlandish dream was in fact correct. It still didn't explain why his Quirk chose to react to it like he'd described, however.

Upon reaching the room where Toshinori and a clearly troubled-looking Izuku were sitting together, he could just feel how heavy the air over his curly-haired head was. "What's going on, Toshinori-san, malenkii Midoriya?"

With both his teachers now here, Izuku clutched the pant legs of his uniform tight as he met their inquisitive eyes head-on. "I'm sorry to trouble you both like this right out the gate, All Might, Tunguska-sensei…but something happened to me last night that I can't possibly share with anyone but you…something I know must be related to One For All."

"Please, tell us everything you can recall clearly, Midoriya-shonen." Toshinori asked with a deathly tension in his voice; knowing his disciple wouldn't ask something like this impromptu meeting for no reason.

As Izuku proceeded to answer; his green eyes reflected a deep remembrance, as though he could actually see what was on his mind playing out clear as day. "Last night, after I went to sleep after training, I had this dream unlike any I'd ever had before. In fact, I don't think it was so much a dream as it might've been a vision, like the one I had during my fight with Shinso-san at the Sports Festival…a vision of the far past, of All For One and his brother, the first User of One For All…in fact, I think I may have actually seen the moment it was actually created and put in him."

Izuku could hardly say he was surprised when he saw how intense Toshinori and Oleg now both looked, but he knew he simply couldn't stop there. "I was seeing visions of what you'd described before, All Might; of what society here was like when All For One ruled. There were people with all kinds of different Quirks wreaking havoc everywhere, attacking people at random…and amid all of it, I saw both those men, how they fought over differing ideologies about what Quirks are meant for, and how people should use them. But throughout the whole thing, I felt like I wasn't seeing this all on my own…because when I looked, I saw several different people standing there with me, and they were all acknowledging my being there as well. There was…a woman with dark hair, and four men, and one who was really hazy, and two others who I couldn't make out any details of. But of the men that I could clearly see…one of them was this young man with long white hair…I think he must've been the First User himself. In fact, at one point, I saw him actually being held prisoner when All For One gave him One For All…and when that happened, I tried to reach out, and he turned in my direction, as though he could actually sense me!"

Naturally, Oleg was at a loss for words, and Toshinori was hardly any different, with his legs barely shaking with disbelief. "The First User's memories? All For One's memories?! You actually saw them, Midoriya-shonen?!"

"I still have trouble believing it myself, All Might…but I don't know what else it could possibly have been. I know I wasn't just imagining things, asleep or not. It all felt way too real for that, just like at the Sports Festival. You mentioned seeing vestiges of One For All when you were younger as well, right?"

As sure as Izuku sounded, so too did he also sound considerably desperate for some kind of outside validation that he wasn't actually imagining what had happened. With a heavy sigh, Toshinori answered: "Yeah…that's right, I did. After that had started happening to me, my master…my predecessor, she taught me all about these vestiges. That's actually the whole reason I was ever even able to tell you both about One For All's origin story to begin with, in fact."

Izuku's shoulder trembled as he breathed a sigh of relief, but his mind was still far from put at ease, especially as he now looked upon the old scars on his right hand; the most visible reminder of that very first time he'd seen those vestiges himself. "Like I said, I only saw up until he first received One For All. That's when he started talking to me…about only being at 20 percent…and about something he called 'the singularity.' All Might, back then you said that these vestiges weren't actually conscious…but after this, I'm not so sure that's the case anymore."

Indeed, Oleg could see just how deeply troubled Toshinori looked by this whole new development, anxiously pinching at his pointed chin in thought. "You're right. I can't say that it ever happened to me exactly like that. And my master never brought it up. As far as I know, you're the only one who's been able to experience this phenomenon. So…"

With this, Toshinori's train of thought and speech alike drifted, as he couldn't help but think back to when he himself had first learned of these once frightening images granted by their shared Quirk, how Nana Shimura's wise and calming words helped to put so much into perspective for him in his youth:

"They aren't dreams, then. They're real vestiges, Toshinori-kun. The fact is that there are all kinds of stuff packed real tight into that Quirk. 'I want this and that.' 'I want to be this way or the other.' Wherever you find power, there's sure to be feelings behind it. The feelings of all the Users along the way get recorded in memory, as part of that power. That's what I believe, at least. I'm sure it must sound real occult-like to you, but I'd actually say it's more romantic, honestly…because it means that even if I die one day, I know we can always meet again within One For All, Toshinori-kun. I'd think that's a romantic way of thinking about it, wouldn't you?"

"All Might?" "Toshinori-san?"

Izuku and Oleg's voices together swiftly snapped Toshinori out of his painful trip down the road of his memories, hurriedly recollecting himself despite suddenly hacking up blood in his surprise. "Right, I-I'm fine! So, you said that it was a burst of One For All's power that woke you from this dream, right? Any injuries to speak of?"

As soon as Izuku confirmed he was alright, Toshinori's overall demeanor visibly eased up. "Good. That's one bit of good news, at least. All I know for sure is that I don't know exactly what's going on with you, but the fact that the First User mentioned this 'singularity' is definitely noteworthy. Could he have been referring to the Quirk Singularity Theory, perhaps?"

At the sound of this, Oleg visibly flinched. "'The Quirk Singularity Theory'? You mean that whole doomsday theory of Quirks all becoming too powerful for their own users to control, thus leading into an extinction event? They even had that going around the halls of Hero schools and science institutions all across the Motherland when I was a kid, but I always thought it was nothing more than a paranoid delusion."

Clasping his hands together in thought, Toshinori answered: "A lot of people still do…but when you see what some of our generation's Quirks are already capable of, and consider how strong the Quirks of even some of the students here already are, it can't help but make one consider it with a little less skepticism, Oleg-san. But we don't have time to start delving into that. Midoriya-shonen, do you know if it was something inside you that triggered this, or was it perhaps some external factor? Do you remember anything else?"

Izuku bowed his head in disappointment. "Unfortunately, that's all that happened. Your image was kinda fuzzy, and I couldn't see anything of two of them, like I mentioned. I wonder if the fact you were so fuzzy is because you were the newest addition to them."

With a supportive hand upon his inheritor's shoulder, Toshinori couldn't hope to hide the look of true embarrassment on his skinny face. "I'm sorry, Midoriya-shonen. There's so much about all this I don't know about. The only thing I can say confidently is that that power of yours is your biggest ally in all of this…and we'll all figure it out together."

The inspiration that filled Izuku's chest to hear Toshinori say this so confidently, was truly a testament to just how effective the man was, even without his powers as All Might. The way his face brightened up with a similarly confident smile said just as much. "You bet! OH! Before I forget, All Might…that woman among the vestiges…she had to have been your master, right? Because…"

Thinking back to the last time he had heard his icon speak of his master; just how much veneration and respect he had for her and everything she stood for, had Izuku's heart racing with understanding as he finally lifted his head back up with a reassuring smile again. "She was really pretty."

Toshinori could only look upon the freckled boy discerningly…before ultimately smiling in an unspoken agreement with such sentiments, knowing just what Izuku truly meant. Anyone who had seen Nana Shimura with their own eyes and felt the confidence and hope she radiated so naturally would have easily said the same thing. "Yeah…she really was."

As Toshinori and Izuku were about to call for Oleg to leave for the dining hall with them, they both looked back, and immediately saw the shaken and troubled intensity in his blue eyes as he kept his large arms crossed; his bearded face stiff as a rock with unspoken apprehension; something neither of them could simply ignore. "Oleg-san?" "Tunguska-sensei, what is it?"

Meeting his colleague and their student's worried gazes, Oleg's voice was spoken as though it were teetering on the razor's edge of unknown but overwhelming worry. "Toshinori-san…malenkii Midoriya…there's something else we need to get out in the open after hearing all of this…because I don't think you're the only one this situation as a whole pertains to anymore."

He didn't hesitate once he saw the weight register on both their faces, before proceeding to share with them every single thing that Nikolay had shared with him just this morning. And just as he himself had felt then, he could see that Toshinori and Izuku's minds were starting to go down the same route his had been all day.

And Izuku was the one to bring this to light as he nervously spoke up: "The timing lines up way too much to just be a coincidence…but if Kolya-san having a dream so similar to mine, being spoken to by someone, and having his Quirk react to it like mine did means what I think it does, then how do we even begin to tell him about all this? There's honestly still times where I even find myself feeling overwhelmed by everything my Quirk is preparing me for; I can't imagine how he would take it. That's not even counting the revelations of things like an inheritable or passable Quirk being given to someone who was Quirkless like me."

Alas, Izuku's search for at least a hint on how to approach this potential major change with his foreign friend was fruitless, as Oleg and Toshinori looked just as at a loss; with the former Symbol of Peace ultimately sighing in defeat. "Unfortunately, this is a lot to take in and think about in so little time. For now, the best thing we can do is keep this between us, and brainstorm a way to investigate Bezpalov-shonen's potential link with subtlety on our own…and try not to rope him into this business unless it becomes an absolute necessity. The boy is indeed very strong like you, Midoriya-shonen, but not everyone is able to take their entire foundation of understanding the world being shaken up nearly so well."

With that, Izuku and Oleg had no choice but to accept another painful weight of secrecy upon their shoulders, just as the bell signifying the end of lunch period once more rang, while Toshinori followed them out, trying to clear his throat in an attempt to somehow lighten the mood. "Well, with that all being agreed, you've got a very special class coming your way next, Midoriya-shonen. Perhaps we should both come by and watch."

Before Izuku could even finish looking to his teachers with confusion, the door to the actual faculty offices suddenly slid open, and the trio now found themselves being met with Aizawa, and another young man Izuku's age with similarly curly purple hair and initially cold eyes with dark bags around them; the sight of whom immediately made Izuku brighten up while the 1-A homeroom teacher looked his colleagues with his typical distant stare. "Ah, All Might, Tunguska. I see you two and Midoriya are just as chummy as ever."

While the two visibly flustered teachers instinctively tried to answer to the contrary; Izuku's head was elsewhere, as he happily approached the familiar face accompanying Aizawa so casually. "Shinso-san, from Class 1-C! I haven't seen you in quite some time! I thought that was you I'd seen with Aizawa-sensei on my way here earlier! How are you?!"

And to Izuku's joy, the enigmatic yet misunderstood boy, Hitoshi Shinso, from the General Education Course, gave a subtle smile in the wake of this surprise reunion, even giving a confirming nod to Izuku's assumptions. "That's right."

But before Izuku could even further the pleasantries, he could just feel Aizawa's stern eyes on him as he ordered: "don't bother heading back to class, Midoriya. You and your classmates are to get changed into your costumes and head to Gym Gamma. You've all still got a very long day ahead of you."

---

Indeed, almost immediately after lunch period had ended, a similar announcement had been made for all the 1-A students to head to Gym Gamma after getting changed. As they all proceeded to make their way, Nikolay was soon approached by Momo. "The weather's certainly started to get much colder recently. Are you sure your costume is going to be enough to keep you warm as it is, Bezpalov-san?"

Before either Denki, Minoru or Eijirou could give any good-humored answers of their own, Nikolay answered with a semi-confident smirk: "Honestly, after huddling in a grass shelter in Siberia, the word 'cold' really starts to lose its meaning…but after getting that fever after acclimating to the summer temperatures here, I'm not so sure. I mean, it's pretty cold all year around through a lot of Russia, so I can't imagine it could get too bad out here."

Emboldened by his assuredness in this, Mina took that chance to step in with an eager smile: "Well, even if the temp isn't an issue, this is a good chance for you to start thinking about your costume's winter design, Kolya-kun! Pretty much every Hero out there has those kinds of variations to keep them at their best, and looking supes stylish to boot! I even got a note saying my winter design is already here! Oh, I can't wait to finally see it!"

Like that, she had inadvertently set off the floodgates among many of the other students, as they had already reached their locker rooms. And while everyone got changed into their costumes, with a few of the boys complimenting each other on their updated outfits for the season, Nikolay was just left feeling embarrassed, even as Eijirou was already there at his side once they were all ready. "Hey, don't sweat the small stuff, man! Your outfit's completely you as far as I'm concerned. If you don't think anything about it needs to be changed, then don't! I'm not!"

As they all began to make their way out to continue to the gym, Nikolay modestly answered: "I get all that, but it doesn't change the fact that a lot of the design for my costume comes from my mom's old notes. I don't want to change any of that, but I still need to at least try and get some practice in, designing how I want at least one version of my costume to look and function. Everybody out there judges Heroes on how they look as well as how they work, you know?"

He could already see how Eijirou was giving a conceding shrug, knowing that his Russian best friend was definitely not wrong. But their conversation couldn't continue much further, as Mina once again came energetically bounding onto the scene, twirling on her heels before striking an eager pose while still keeping her stride with the rest of the class. "TA-DA! My own winter style! It's cool as heck, don'tcha think?!"

Neither Nikolay nor anyone else she was showing off her new winter outfit for could deny that. A great deal of Mina's signature Hero costume was still the same, from the small tan vest to the skintight purple-turquoise camouflage bodysuit, or even her white eye mask. But what had changed was that her vest now had short sleeves, each adorned with a small black hexagon with a purple Latin letter 'P' inside; the waist of it now had a fluffy white trim, and the once similarly frizzy and flowing white fur lining the neck of her original vest had now been replaced with an especially fluffy wool-like collar with two black marks at the front, that went all the way around her neck. In the strangest way, it somehow all came together to somehow do the impossible, and make her even more irresistibly cute in Nikolay's eyes than she already was.

And he certainly wasn't the only one to think so, as Tooru excitedly cheered: "AWW, THAT LOOKS SO CUTE ON YOU, MINA-CHAN! THAT COLLAR TOTALLY MAKES YOU LOOK LIKE A MOTH!"

While Mashirao and others quietly muttered their confusion as to how anyone could take that as a compliment, Mina was instead shining bright at the comparison. "You really think so, Tooru-chan?! Thanks! It was actually a Hero with a Moth Quirk on TV that inspired me to wanna become a Hero too, y'know? That just proves I made the right choice with this look! What do you think, Kolya-kun?"

Fortunately, the fact that Nikolay's face was as bright red as it was, gave his girlfriend all the answer she needed, as she chuckled knowingly while leaning in and rubbing her shoulder against his arm teasingly. "Aww, you don't have to say anything, I know you love it! Hey, maybe we can design a winter version of your costume together later!"

"Yeah, you're definitely more fashion-experienced than me, so I'll take all the help I can get." Nikolay answered with no hesitation, earning another joyful giggle from Mina, while he himself took to looking over everyone else's notable winter costumes. A majority of them hadn't changed much of anything right off the bat. Naturally, Shoto had an acclimation to cold, so his costume had no visible changes, and Tenya's full suit of armor was pretty much perfect for all times of the year. Izuku's costume hadn't changed any besides his gloves he had gotten at the time of the School Festival, while Mashirao had switched over from his fur-collared white karate gi, to a white bulky winter jacket with the same golden fur trim around the hood.

To everyone's concern and astonishment, Tooru's minimalist costume hadn't changed at all, save for some different boots and gloves lined with warming fur inside, which only raised so many questions as to how she was going to fare once the cold really started setting in, while Momo's only update to her costume was a wide-collared red cloak hung over her shoulders. By comparison, Tsuyu's costume looked relatively the same, although the material looked just slightly thicker, and she now had what almost looked like a combination between a collar and inflatable sacs strapped around her neck that somehow resembled a frog when its neck would inflate.

But the only other most notable update in attire, once more taking the lead of the whole class, was Bakugo, who had officially switched out his sleeveless black top with a long-sleeved black shirt adorned with a wide button-strewn collar, with a large orange X spanning across the chest of it, and a single orange stripe around the arms.

By the time Nikolay had finally finished admiring the changes in his classmate's costumes, for as few as there were, they had now finally made it to the raised observation platform of the expansive industrial layout of Gym Gamma, where now everyone could more fully take in and appreciate the changes that had been made, from subtle to very visible. And while Izuku had been quick to compliment Bakugo's new look (to his permanent frustration at either perceiving being insulted and then complimented), so too had Mina, Kyouka and Hanta likewise noticed the intricate metallic frameworks lining Nikolay's gloves that were his Magne Grips; the visible proof to everything he had described to his classmates after the festival of the battle he and Izuku had been in beforehand.

Seeing this between Nikolay and Izuku, Mashirao couldn't help but comment: "Everybody else's changes are more cosmetic or for the occasion, but you two have definitely made the most drastic changes so far, Midoriya-san, Bezpalov-san! Looks like that Hatsume-san really came through for both of you big time."

Having seen firsthand what Mei's inventions had been able to help them accomplish so far, Nikolay couldn't hide the childlike smile of satisfaction on his face, just like Izuku was as well. "Yeah, her tools for us have really been something so far. Why don't you ever go to her to see if there's anything she could make for you, Ojiro-san?"

But while Mashirao awkwardly brushed off Nikolay's suggestion; mere feet away, Ochako hadn't been able but to help overhearing the mention of the Support Department's wunderkind in association with Izuku; an association that immediately had her mind racing with memories of just how up close and personal Mei had gotten with him the very first time they'd all met post-Sports Festival…and the more those memories kept playing louder and louder in her head, even with her rosy face still maintaining the nonchalant smile, the rest of her body immediately acted out by slamming one of her fists straight up into her jaw while she habitually shouted "GET OUT," trying desperately to quiet her now restless mind.

But while she continued doing this to the bewilderment of many of her classmates; a painfully familiar voice suddenly called out from across the deck, bringing all of 1-A's activities to a screeching halt: "WHAT'S THIS?! ARE WE SLACKING OFF?!"

Ochako's self-pounding finally came to just as sudden a stop, and every one of the students could already feel their skin tingle as they looked in the direction of their sudden visitor: "Is that goofing off just your way of underestimating us?!"

Out of all of them, this sudden arrival actually brought an eager smile to Eijirou's face as he eagerly stepped forward, pounding his fists together in readiness. "AWESOME, YOU'RE ALL HERE! NOPE, WE AIN'T UNDERESTIMATING ANYBODY! WE WERE JUST WAITING ON YOU GUYS!"

Stepping forward in an equal show of intent, Class 1-A finally found themselves standing face-to-face with the entirety of their self-proclaimed rival class, the entirety of Class 1-B, with the unmistakable and still just as insufferable Neito Monoma once again forcing himself into the forefront, nearly throwing his back out as he lurched himself back in a defiant and ready gloating pose. "Oh, is that so?! Too bad for you, Class A, because the tides are finally shifting in our favor! TODAY IS THE DAY OUR RIVALRY AND YOUR SPOT AT THE TOP OF THE TOTEM POLE FINALLY COMES TO AN END!"

While Nikolay and Mina were already leaning in to whisper aside to each other ("How is it that we can actually work together, and he still acts like we aren't even friends?"), Neito went on to suddenly pull out a single crumpled piece of paper out of his costume's suit jacket, upon which were two bar graphs, with one barely taller than the other; the whole thing hastily labeled in a scrawl as 'School Festival Survey: Which classes' performance was better received? [Research by Me!]'

"CHECK OUT THIS SURVEY I PAINSTAKINGLY CONDUCTED AND WEEP AT THE RESULTS, YOU CLASS A FOOLS! WHICH DID PEOPLE PREFER: YOUR DINKY LITTLE CONCERT, OR CLASS B'S PLUS-ULTRA LEVEL, HIGH-QUALITY THEATRICAL PRODUCTION?! THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE SPEAKS THE PLAIN AND SIMPLE TRUTH, I SAY!"

And like fish and bait, Eijirou and Kyouka immediately rushed forward, looking at Neito's questionable-at-best paper as though it were a death knell, while much of the rest of both classes had already started putting aside his pettiness and started greeting their friends on both sides; Tetsutetsu, Pony, Setsuna, Nikolay, Mina and Tenya easily being the most enthusiastic among them.

"Fancy seeing you guys here all out of the blue-like! Is this maybe that whole thing you were talking about before, about our classes working together, Pony-chan?!" As soon as Mina asked, the blonde-haired horned Class B girl was already eagerly nodding in confirmation, quickly raising everyone's spirits and anticipation alike, even in the wake of Neito's nonstop gloating; the loudmouthed boy completely oblivious to the unmistakable orange-haired Itsuka Kendo making a beeline to knock him out cold before he would say something he'd regret.

"YOU'VE ALL BEEN HOGGING THE ATTENTION AND GLORY LIKE PIGS IN SLOP EVER SINCE THIS YEAR STARTED, BUT THOSE DAYS ARE COMING TO AN END, BECAUSE TODAY IT'S CLASS A VS CLASS B! THIS IS OUR FIRST EVER JOINT BATTLE TRAINING, AND WE'RE GON-*GACK!*"

"Quiet, you."

With a lightning fast swiftness that left Itsuka doubling back in her tracks, one of Aizawa's grey wrapping came shooting out and swiftly snaring around Neito's neck, rendering him mercifully silent and squeezing enough of the energy out of him that his classmates could take him back. With that incident finally out of the way, the students could all turn to see they had now been joined by Aizawa and Vlad King side-by-side, both classes' homeroom teachers looking as serious as the grave as they addressed their respective students. "Listen up, all of you. We've got two special guests here with us today who are hoping to join the Hero Course with you." "So try not to make a bunch of fools out of yourselves."

Of course, the idea of this surprise activity having further surprises in store for the students had them all already abuzz with anticipation, whether it was Denki and Minoru both silently hoping for more girls, or Bakugo simply grinning like a rabid animal at the thought of fresh meat to work his Quirk off of.

However, what they ultimately ended up seeing drew both ecstatic cheers from some students in both classes, and complete disbelief all in one; with Izuku and Mashirao both going slack-jawed with surprise, while Nikolay and Mina both immediately exclaimed: "MAJA-CHAN?!" "SHINSO HITOSHI-SAN!"

Standing stalwart and ready between Aizawa and Vlad King were none other than the very same Hitoshi Shinso that now left Izuku's senses awhirl with shock and joy to see him here with them all; the purple-haired dark-eyed boy wearing a bundle of wrappings over his shoulders and neck in a near identical way to Aizawa himself over his P.E. uniform, while also having a very intricate-looking black face mask hanging around his neck as well. His eyes were just as distant and calculating as they had been all the way back at the Sports Festival; everyone who recognized him could immediately just feel that.

And right next to him, exuding a much more upbeat and eager energy, was the very same Maja Kieslowska grinning from ear to ear; her turquoise wax hair and blue/pink eyes easily capturing the light of the afternoon sun, and she was adorned in a Hero costume that could only have been described as a flexible Wax bodysuit that went up to the top of her neck, her wrists, and even over her feet; the whole thing looking almost as though it was secreted and formed into this shape and holographic-like array of colors from her skin and nothing more; having that distinct melted texture while still managing to really hug and accentuate her lean but feminine figure, as Minoru and Denki's immediate facial reactions clearly proved.

"Hej, dawno się nie widzieliśmy! (Hey, long time no see, everybody!)"

---

Hokkaido, September 15th

With all of their students having officially taken their leave to begin the long-awaited journey back to Yuuei after the extent of the Gagaringrad incident; Principal Nezu and Vlad King knew their chance had finally come, stepping into the hospital room designated for the local teens those very same students had both worked alongside and fought in order to save, based on everything they both understood of what exactly had been going on, courtesy of the ever helpful Leonid Viktorovich Briner.

Looking upon the youthful yet beaten faces of the apparent star of the bunch, the Polish Maja Kieslowska, alongside her similarly handcuffed and recovering friends: the blonde-haired Ukrainian Danila Ignatenko, the gaunt, slightly bearded and curly black-haired Slovakian Jozef Mečiar, the short lavender-haired Estonian Tuule Koppel, and the olive-skinned and long-haired Hungarian Gazsi Istvan; the two Yuuei representatives could feel a simultaneously swelling of gratitude, empathy and consideration alike; just as the teens themselves all finally focused their attention on their two unfamiliar visitors, with Maja finally being the one to try and break the tension while the police and the Kapenta Agency Heroes were all still situated out in the hall. "I-I didn't want to interrupt all the goodbyes…but exactly who are you two?"

With the opportunity for introductions provided, Nezu happily clapped his paws together as he took the literal and metaphorical first step: "Yes, our apologies for the intrusion and lack of proper introductions. As I told our students, we simply wanted a chance to really get all of the finer details of these recent events, as well as a chance to speak individually with and truly get to know some of the promising individuals they got to know over the course of these last couple of days. As for who we are, you are welcome to refer to me as Nezu-sensei, Headmaster of Yuuei Academy."

"And I am Sekijiro Kan, Hero name: Vlad King; homeroom teacher for Yuuei Academy's Hero Course, Class 1-B; and before we go any further, after everything your town's leader has told us, we would both like to extend our sincerest condolences for what you've all gone through…as well as our heartfelt thanks to you, Maja Kieslowska-san, for your helping our students in saving all those townspeople out there right now."

As the imposing teacher gave an appropriate bow to express said feelings, with Nezu professionally following suit; Maja and her friends likewise bowed as best they could from their hospital beds, expressing their appreciation for it all just as much. With that having been done, Nezu proceeded: "Of course, for the sake of complete transparency, after everything that Briner-san told us of all your individual Quirks, I would be remiss in my duties as Headmaster if I didn't say that we were also quite eager to see youths with such promising Quirks for ourselves while we had the chance. Yuuei Academy, as I'm sure you've heard for some time, is fully dedicated to helping cultivate all promising individuals who wish to use their abilities for the good of others all around, into the kind of Heroes that can do just that with efficiency and gusto.

"Of course, with that being said, our goals being intrinsically tied into the world of Heroes and their inherent responsibility to helping uphold society, also means that everything we do, every decision we make, must likewise be in accordance with the law…and as it stands, many of you here are standing accused of a number of considerable crimes for which you ultimately need to serve an appropriate sentence…sadly, regardless of the circumstances in which you committed them. And this presents us with a considerable dilemma."

There was a distinct lack of any real audible or visible surprise to be seen from any of the Gagaringrad locals. Clearly they had long since resigned themselves to the consequences of their actions, perhaps even to the worst possible extent. However, Nezu knew this was one thing he could at least provide one bit of leniency with for their sakes. "However, with Briner-san and all your parents having informed the police of your very circumstances that put you in such this position, and with our government and Konstantin Khodamchuk-san having agreed to inform the Russian government of the very same details; it is looking more and more likely that your roles as unwilling victims of Pietro Granin's Quirk will be taken heavily into consideration, meaning your sentences will not only be carried out here in Japan, due to your families' status as political refugees, but will also be considerably lessened from those of his fully loyal subordinates. It is already in discussion that when the time is right, they will be extradited back to Russia to stand trial and face due punishment to the fullest extent of their laws…for better or for worse."

Of course, the way he and Vlad King could feel the air in the room grow heavier, made it all too obvious just which of those two possibilities was more likely when it came to Pietro's fully willing followers and soldiers.

With another surprisingly resonant clap of his paws, Nezu had his beady eyes laser-focused on Maja, much to her and her friends' confusion. "With that all being said; from what we've both come to understand; you, Maja Kieslowska-san, may actually stand to face an even lighter sentence next to your friends, still. By yours and your friends' given testimony to the police; for the extent of your time under Pietro's Quirk's affect; you were the only one to actively avoid taking another person's life, even when human instinct in battle could have easily justified you doing so for the sake of your own survival. Personally speaking, that tells me that you have an exceptionally resilient moral compass and strength of will, two of the very foundations of character that places like Yuuei are made to build great Heroes from."

To anyone else, it should have been plainly obvious just where the bipedal mouse headmaster was going with this. Even some of Maja's friends were beginning to have the light of realization reflect in their eyes as they listened intently. But for once, Maja herself was not one of them, as she nervously answered: "W-what are you trying to say, Nezu-sensei?"

With a spring in his step, Nezu hurriedly climbed his way up until he was standing upon one of Vlad King's broad shoulders. "I'm saying that, if we can come to an agreement with the police, we could very well have it be that, once you have served an fair portion of your sentence alongside your friends here in jail as atonement for your actions under Pietro's Quirk, we at Yuuei would very much like to have you join our Hero Course, where we could be able to help you cultivate your abilities and make you into the Hero we feel you're capable of becoming, Kieslowska-san. Of course, you would have to be kept under constant surveillance by myself and the other Yuuei staff, in accordance with your remaining sentence. I suppose you could consider this something like a juvenile parole program of sorts. Of course, any decision or agreement we out here could come up with is nothing next to your own personal desire and consent. If you do not wish for this, then we shall respect that."

With his offer having finally been made, Nezu remained silent so that Maja could have time to think on it. As for her, she was now looking between him and Vlad King with disbelief on her face, looking for even the slightest sign that they were simply pulling her leg. She even tried to get a look at the police officers behind them for the same kind of sign. And to her further shock, none of them looked to be in disagreement or indignation at what Nezu had just suggested.

Had they actually discussed this idea between them beforehand? Why on earth would a Hero school as prestigious as Yuuei Academy ever want to give her a chance as a student after everything she had done with her friends because of Pietro Granin? She knew that if she'd been in his position, she wouldn't have stopped to consider such an idea.

But the fact was that he seemed completely sincere in his offer, and it was now down to her to make the final decision. And as Nezu, Vlad King, the police and the Kapenta Agency Heroes watched through the window, they could all see how her once vibrant eyes were dark with contemplation and doubt; her head slowly shaking the more she thought about it.

"I'm sorry, Nezu-sensei…I mean, thank you, I don't really know how else to say it. This is so generous of you, it's honestly unbelievable. But…but I just wouldn't feel right going to your school, knowing my friends here are still sitting in jail. It doesn't matter if they'd still be avoiding the death penalty or not, I can't just abandon them like—[[DON'T MAKE US YOUR EXCUSE, MAJA!]]

The normally withdrawn and awkward Jozef suddenly speaking out so loudly and impassioned, left Maja both silent and dumbstruck, while the tall Slovakian looked her in the eye intently. [[Don't do that to us, not now! Not after everything that's happened already! If you're going to turn down such a big opportunity to try and make everything right again, then please don't use us as an excuse for it…please.]]

While Nezu and Vlad King both looked to the ever-present Leonid in the hall for him to act as the interpreter in their universally Russian conversation; Danila likewise took the reins: [[You've got the opportunity to become a Hero like we've all kept dreaming of for years, Maja. That's the whole reason Pietro talked us into going with him and ended up brainwashing us in the first place! But this time, the chance is actually genuine! You deserve to go for it more than any of us!]]

Sitting up in her own hospital bed, Tuule likewise spoke up: [[We all gave up the right to become Heroes because of the stuff he made us do, but you're the only one with an overall clean slate left between us. That alone should be reason enough for you to go to Yuuei when the time comes. Besides, what could be a better inspiration for the rest of us to one day hopefully use our own Quirks for good, than to see you rise to the challenge, right? Hell, you could end up being that inspiration for all kinds of directionless young Quirked kids out there who don't know what to do with themselves between trying to become a Hero or a Villain. That sounds hella worth it to me.]]

Maja was already completely blindsided by just how passionately her friends were beseeching her to take Nezu and Vlad King's offer, and she was clearly trying so damn hard to try and maintain her composure, even as her eyes began to well up with tears of internal conflict and gratitude for all their faith in her in spite of everything.

Finally, Gazsi clutched the bars lining his own hospital bed as he looked beseechingly into the Polish girl's eyes. [[Maja, you know we aren't your only friends in this world anymore. If you were to set foot on those school grounds, we all know that those very same young Heroes would happily take you in without a second thought. You're not ever going to be truly alone anymore, I can just feel it.

[[And besides…with Marius Lazarescu still missing somewhere out there, you know everyone in town is going to be pulling out all the stops to try and find him…and until that day comes, Gagaringrad and its people will be able to keep their spirits high, knowing at least one of them is finally walking that righteous path to becoming our first real homegrown Hero…and nobody could be a better pick for that honor than you. You know that we and our families, and everyone else in town will be rooting for you when the day comes for you to arrive and finally get started.]]

That was the final linchpin to put all of Maja's conflicted thoughts and emotions in place, as her tears finally began to freely flow down her face; knowing just how right her friends were about everything. They'd all let themselves get led down the wrong path in their mutual unspoken desire to become Heroes, and here she was finally being given the genuine chance, the chance to make right everything that had once gone so wrong. And she knew that in the end, her family, everyone she loved, would be there to cheer her on and help her achieve the potential she'd so long dreamt to achieve.

And so, with no hope of being able to stifle her tears, and fully understanding what would have to happen first before she'd finally get that chance, Maja Kieslowska looked Nezu and Vlad King in the eyes, and clutching her hands into emotional, shaking fists; she finally gave an affirming nod of acceptance to his insanely selfless offer at a true second chance, with a shaky "Dziękuję (Thank you)."

---

As Aizawa finished explaining these very same circumstances behind Maja's presence, as well as explaining Hitoshi's past expressed desire to join the Hero Course, he could see how visibly moved many of his students were by the former's story; just as Vlad King could see Tetsutetsu and Pony both looked as well. "And so there you all have it. Starting today, we have two potential new students whom we could possibly be working with on this course."

Nikolay, Mina, Tetsutetsu and Pony all simultaneously already began eagerly greeting Maja in response ("Welcome to Yuuei, Maja-chan! You're gonna love it here!" "This is so exciting! We're gonna have so much more fun together now!"); while Eijirou was looking similarly pumped with his fists clenched and his smile unmistakable. "Today's just getting better and better! The more proven manly folks we get to train with, the better, I say! Welcome aboard, you guys!"

However, while Izuku, Denki, Tenya and Ochako were similarly extending their pleased welcomes to Hitoshi and Maja together; Bakugo's expression was the polar opposite; his fierce eyes almost twitching like the corner of his mouth as he felt his blood boil with indignation. "Is this some kind of sick damn joke?! You're seriously throwing a bone to some glorified criminal, of all people?! She doesn't deserve to be a Hero and we all know it!"

Bakugo didn't even bother to pay attention to the shocked and disapproving looks on many of his classmates and the Class B students' faces at his unwelcoming attitude to new potential friends and partners; instead burning his gaze into Maja and Aizawa, whether to see her spirit start to crack, or to see if Aizawa would actually understand his position.

But to his consternation, she didn't look remotely perturbed. If anything, just by the look in her eyes as she met his stare head-on, and then looked to all the other students before her, she looked more resolute than she already had. "Thank you all for welcoming me like this…and I understand I may not be actually welcome by all of you, and I don't blame any of you for that. The fact is, outside of everything you heard in your friends' stories about Hokkaido, you don't know me from a hole in the ground. But that's why I'm so happy to have this chance to try with all of you. I want to make right all the things I did wrong; I want to do right by those of you that helped me, my friends, our families and our home. I want to be the kind of Hero that can help people just the same as all of you…and I hope I'll get to know all of you that much better in the process, and that one day I might be able to call all of you my friends as well."

With that, as though in a clear show of resilience against Bakugo's clear disapproval, and even more as an affirmation of her dedication to this new direction in her life, Maja proceeded to take one determined step forward, almost striking something similar to a Heroic pose as she declared wholeheartedly: "You can all call me the Wax Hero, Świeczniki. That's the Polish word for 'Candelabra,' so you can call me either one if you like."

Maja's confidence quickly gave way to a flustered embarrassment when she actually started hearing some of the students clapping in response to her show of spirit. Once she stepped back, Aizawa took over, looking firmly upon Hitoshi at her side. "Go on. Introduce yourself, too."

As Hitoshi finally stepped forward; his calculating eyes were thoroughly looking over all these bright-eyed and eager potential peers before him. All the while, Izuku could overhear Yuga and Mashirao whispering between each other: "Ojiro-san, that kid's the one who can brainwash people just by having them talk to him, right?" "That's right. I didn't stand a chance against him back then. Midoriya-san got hit hard by it, too, but he somehow managed to break the spell."

Izuku didn't want to dare interrupt Hitoshi's introduction by answering his classmates, modestly replying "It was just a fluke, really."

However, listening to them nevertheless did get his mind racing again as well. 'Actually, Shinso-san's Brainwashing Quirk is what triggered my being able to see the vestiges of One For All's previous Users in the first place. Could that really just be a coincidence…or something more?'

Finally, Izuku's reflection was snapped as Hitoshi at last spoke up: "I had encounters with several of you at the Sports Festival, but don't go thinking that we're friends just because we fought once. I'm not the type for displays of good sportsmanship like that. I'm so far behind all of you, and I'm doing everything I can to catch up, and fully intend to keep doing so, no matter what. I'll be a great Hero one day, and strive to use my Quirk to help people. So to me, all of you are simply obstacles for me to overcome. I'm not here to make friends."

Compared to how Maja's upbeat declaration of intent had left nearly everyone feeling just as lighthearted as her; so too had Hitoshi's stoic and cold introduction leave many of them with their hearts feeling hardened in their chests. Soon, several students from both classes even began to politely clap in support for just how clearly dedicated he was in his own way to his goal. Even Nikolay couldn't disagree when Mina whispered to him: "It sounds mean, but you gotta admit it sounds like the kinda thing a Hero like Endeavor would say, right?"

"He certainly does sound pretty similar to Todoroki-san back at the start of the year." Nikolay finally said mid-nod, unable to help looking between Hitoshi and Shoto to make sure he was actually accurate in such a bold statement.

With the students' clapping finally starting to die down while Hitoshi took his place back at the visibly impressed Maja's side; Vlad King took that chance to start working at a nearby console, soon causing a series of large screens to rise around the perimeter of the platform; each one displaying different sections of Gym Gamma's expansive industrial block-resembling grounds. "With that all being said, let's get right to it then: BATTLE TRAINING TIME! This is going to be a series of battles between Classes A and B! This whole industrial block is but just one section of Gym Gamma! With the odd number of Class A's 21 students compared to Class B's even 20, with the inclusion of Kieslowska-san and Shinso-san making the total number of participants at an odd 43, each class is going to be divided into five teams: consisting of four teams of four students, and one team of five; and one team will go up against another. Naturally, with the odd number of students, for the sake of fairness, we're going to give Shinso-san and Kieslowska-san a fair chance to really show what they can do, by having them each participate in two rounds; one where they'll be sided with Class A, and another where they'll side with Class B; meaning that three of these matches will be five-against-four, and one will be five-against-five."

While Hitoshi and Maja both looked visibly intrigued by this sudden stipulation to their roles specifically; many of the other students were already muttering in apprehension and excitement to one another, with Tooru loudly proclaiming: "WHAT?! But that's totally unfair to the four-person teams!"

Taking that expected cue, Aizawa answered: "On the contrary; the four students that will be taking on the comparably inexperienced Shinso and Kieslowska are the ones at the real disadvantage. Having five members to your team will be just as much a disadvantage as it will be an edge."

With a pronounced energy as he finally finished working at the console, Vlad King's whole outward energy practically ignited like a wildfire. "The scenario this time around is 'Heroes trying to capture a team of Villains!' so think of the opposing team as Villains, and capture all four or five of your opponents within the twenty-minute time limit in order to win!"

In an instant, Tenya already was giving voice to Nikolay's immediate confusion, looking and sounding as though he were having a complete existential crisis: "So we're Heroes, but the opponent views us as Villains?! What role do we play up, then?!"

Leaving the talking down of his classes' president to Momo, Aizawa once more continued, motioning towards a series of large cages adorned with a cardboard cutout of Principal Nezu's head at the top: "Each team's home base has one of these lockup prisons. Once a member of a team has been thrown inside, they count as captured. Outside of the twenty minute limit, the capture of four enemy team members is the only way to end these matches."

As sharp as a whip, Bakugo immediately spoke up: "'Only capture four opponents?' Is that why you said the five-member teams have a handicap?"

Like magic, more and more of his classmates began to come to the same logic he was following, while Aizawa kept his arms observantly crossed. "That's right. Even for the five-member teams that Shinso, Kieslowska and Bezpalov are going to be on, losing four members means an instant loss of the match. I think you can all tell just what this means for our two candidates going forward."

Before any of the students of either class could even begin to answer, with many of them already wondering what Aizawa meant by calling Hitoshi and Maja 'candidates'; Vlad King exclaimed with the same intimidating energy: "That's right; no matter how this exercise turns out for them, one way or the other, Class 1-A's days of having the advantage in sheer numbers ends today!"

"Sensei's; what exactly do you mean by all that?" Nikolay finally asked, drawing several agreeing exclamations from his other classmates, just before the sound of several approaching footsteps from back the way they had come, drew all their attention; now being greeted by the sight of Toshinori, Oleg and Midnight stepping onto the platform, all led by a singularly clapping Principal Nezu.

The sight of Midnight accompanied by the two adult male teachers at once made Mina's eyes widen and light up. "Oh, All Might-sensei, Tunguska-sensei and Midnight-sensei are here, too! One lady with two men; is there some kind of scandalous love in the air?!"

"Cut that out, Pinky-chan; I don't mess with older men," Midnight cracked back with a knowing smirk; ignoring how embarrassed Oleg looked to be hit with such an inappropriate question, while Toshinori looked as though he hadn't heard a word of it.

Brushing that awkward moment aside, Nezu had his eyes set on Nikolay for his words upon their arrival. "A very fair question; and one I'm happy to have gotten here in time to answer, Bezpalov-kun! Everyone, please listen before we begin the exercise, as there is one final caveat to this whole arrangement that your teachers have neglected to share, regarding our two new…potential arrivals to the Hero Course."

As Hitoshi and Maja both looked to the Yuuei headmaster with visible confusion, much like the actual Hero students themselves, Nezu continued: "You see, while it is true that we wish to balance out the number of students between Classes 1-A and 1-B; obviously that would not happen if we were to accept Shinso-kun and Kieslowska-chan both into the Hero Course. But we likewise never wish to turn down a potentially promising new student into our halls, either. To do so would forever tarnish Yuuei's reputation as a prestigious institute of learning!

"As such, it has been decided that your two new allies and opponents here will be working for an extra goal that pertains solely to them: to perform alongside their chosen teammates in both their matches to the very best of their abilities, in order to show us how well they can utilize and control their Quirks in cohesion with those of their allies, as well as their understandings and mentalities as Heroes in a situation. At the end of the whole Joint Training Battle exercise, we will judge both their respective performances, and based on the results…one of them will be accepted into the Hero Course, and the other will have to unfortunately be sent back to where they had come from."

The air among the students had grown so quiet and still with shock at this sudden new rule, that a pin drop would have been deafening…until Maja finally spoke up: "I don't understand, Nezu-sensei; I thought my being welcomed into Yuuei was a sure thing already!"

Remaining visibly unperturbed, Nezu answered: "I apologize for not having filled you in on this beforehand, Kieslowska-chan, especially since we all now know what failure here today would ultimately mean you going back to. Alas, I'm afraid this is part of our responsibility as teachers here at Yuuei. In order to become a truly capable Hero, you need to be prepared to overcome wall after wall of numerous different challenges…and that is exactly what this will be for both of you: your first obstacle to prove you have the skills and the heart to wholeheartedly pursue your goals of becoming Heroes like every other student here today."

Natural instinct among many of the students, especially Nikolay and Mina, was to protest their Headmaster being so nonchalant about their Polish friend potentially going back to jail after she'd been granted a second chance. However, their looking to the two homeroom teachers for some sign that they were as displeased as they were; only to find Aizawa and Vlad King both faintly nodding in agreement with Nezu's rule, and especially with Hitoshi and Maja themselves soon doing the same with stalwart looks in their eyes, silenced all such protests.

If they were as willing to take on this pressure as non-Hero Course students so willingly, then what right did either of these classes have to say otherwise; especially considering what a good friend Maja was to as many of them?

With Oleg, Toshinori and Midnight all closely observing this gamut of emotions and mental acceptance between all the students present of just what all was expected and at stake at the end of the day; Aizawa finally went to the console himself. "Alright then. With everyone in agreement, the teams shall be formed at random like so."

With but a few presses of the buttons, the screens showing the corners of the industrial block suddenly flashed an extensive list of each of the confirmed teams; all students reading them over intently, with many feeling an immense excitement at who they were going to be fighting alongside and against, while others felt a great apprehension pierce their hearts; namely Nikolay when seeing just who he was going to be working with as a teammate. The teams and their opponents were confirmed as such:

Team 1-A, consisting of Eijirou, Tsuyu, Kouji, Denki and Hitoshi; against Team 1-B, consisting of the dead-eyed Kosei Tsubaraba, the distinctly Chinese vampire-dressed Hiryu Rin, the large sasquatch-looking Jurota Shishida, and the vine-haired Ibara Shiozaki.

Team 2-A, consisting of Momo, Fumikage, Yuga, Tooru and Maja; against Team 2-B, consisting of Itsuka Kendo, the mushroom-esque-dressed Kinoko Komori, the literal comic book page-headed Manga Fukidashi, and the completely black-bodied and white-haired Shihai Kuroiro.

Team 3-A, consisting of Shoto, Tenya, Mezo and Mashirao; against Team 3-B, consisting of Tetsutetsu, Pony, the fully armored and masked Juzo Honenuki, and the tall black-haired Sen Kaibara.

Team 4-A, consisting of Nikolay, Bakugo, Kyouka, Hanta and Rikido; against Team 4-B, consisting of Setsuna, Maja, the intense bandana-wearing Yosetsu Awase, the humanoid praying mantis-looking Togaru Kamakiri, and the glue bottle-headed and massive Kojiro Bondo.

And finally, Team 5-A, consisting of Izuku, Ochako, Mina and Minoru; against Team 5-B, consisting of Neito, the tiny egg-shaped Nirengeki Shoda, Reiko, Yui, and Hitoshi.

With everyone's teams established; Nikolay immediately felt his heart plummet into his twisting stomach at the realization that he and Bakugo were now going to be working together; and upon looking to the boy in question, he could see that Bakugo was eyeing him with no less disdain and hateful intensity on his face, looking as though the thought of them working together in battle made him physically ill.

All the while, Hitoshi was hurriedly approached by both of his chosen teams from both classes; being showered upon with both Eijirou's forward enthusiasm ("I know you said all that stuff before, but heck, I still wanna be friends! You got a real manly aura about you! Good to have you with us!"), and Neito's manic energy ("I like you already! You seem ready to crush that rotten Class A bunch right into the dirt!"); answering both with an incredibly blunt and disconnected "Thank you for having me.'

With those introductions going on; so too did Maja find herself being eagerly approached by both her teams; with Momo humbly taking the lead for Class A ("I'm happy to see we'll be working together again like this, Maja-san. I can only hope I'll be good enough to lead you and this team of ours to victory."), while Tooru was overly energetic in her own greeting ("I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT THAT QUIRK OF YOURS CAN REALLY DO, MAJA-CHAN!"), Yuga was silently observant, and Fumikage was far more subdued ("A tortured soul torn between two paths, trying to reshape her destiny. Which one will win out, I wonder.")

By comparison, her Class B team was much more universal in their reception of their new foreign ally, with Setsuna of course taking charge with a confident smirk ("After Tetsutetsu-kun and Pony-chan talked so much about you, I'm excited to work with you finally, Maja-san. It'd be nice to have our own little exotic sprinkling on our class like Class A does.")

And in the wake of being already so widely accepted by so many familiar and new faces, Maja could just feel her chest swell with anticipation as she eagerly shook both leading girls' hands with each introduction. "I won't let you down, you can count on that!"

And of course, with the official team introductions out of the way, and with just a little time left before the first match would officially begin, she soon found herself being eagerly approached by Eijirou, Nikolay and Mina from all sides; their faces all glowing just as happily as hers, as the pink young Hero was naturally the first to show joy and support for her Polish bestie. "You're gonna knock 'em dead out there, Maja-chan! Yaomomo's a total brainiac, you've got a super team right off the bat!"

Mirroring her enthusiasm, Eijirou was likewise offering an encouraging fist bump, which Maja gladly returned as he chimed in: "Don't let anything Bakugo says to you get in your head; he never really means it. Whatever team you're on, I know you'll be tough enough to really shine out there!"

And with his two best friends having done their parts to help ease Maja in more than she clearly already was, Nikolay likewise stepped in and offered her a confident and supportive handshake of his own. [[No matter how this might turn out, I'm happy you're at least getting this chance with all of us. I know you'll give everyone your all.]]

Gladly taking his hand before suddenly pulling him into a one-armed hug; which Mina happily jumped in on with a squeal of laughter; Maja gave the three a confident wink. "Thank you all, seriously. I know you'll be cheering me and the rest of your pals on out there…so know I'll be doing the same for all of you. Now go on, Kolce (Spikes); you've got a match to win."

Eijirou, recognizing the Polish nickname Maja had unofficially given him for his hair right from their first meeting at the School Festival, after his initial surprise, was already grinning confidently from ear to ear, pounding his fists together before taking off into an eager stride with the rest of his teammates, waving goodbye to his friends along the way, before both teams were ultimately out of sight, delving into the depths of the industrial block; with Vlad King taking hold of a nearby microphone; his voice echoing across the whole area: "Each team will start at their home bases! If the battle comes to a stalemate by the time the twenty minutes are up, the team with the most members remaining out of jail will be declared the winners!"

As Vlad King read off these rules for the opening two teams; Mina took that chance to look at Nikolay at her side, noting how he was grasping one of his wrists to keep his hand from shaking. Inching in closer on instinct upon seeing this, she could just feel what had to be scratching at the back of his head. "You nervous, Kolya-kun?"

Not wanting to take his eyes off the screens for when the match would begin; much like how Izuku had already taken out his handy notebook in preparation; Nikolay didn't feign any ignorance as he answered: "A little bit. Working with Bakugo on a construction job is way different from an actual training battle…but if I don't take this chance to at least try, then when will I ever?"

That was just about as reassuring an answer as Mina could have asked for from her boyfriend in regards to his new hotheaded teammate; hence why her answering smile was as at ease as it was, as she wrapped one of her arms around his, hugging it close while affectionately rubbing her cheek against his shoulder while everyone else's backs were still turned. "That's that Hero's spirit. I know you'll do great out there, even in his eyes."

At the same time, watching the screens from their own corner of the platform; Midnight couldn't keep her own curiosity to herself when seeing just how serious both Toshinori and Oleg looked. "Well don't be keeping me in suspense, you two; which teams do you think are gonna win?"

Breathing in deep, Oleg immediately answered: "I know what you're trying to do right now, Nemuri-san. Answering with Kolya's team would be too predictable…which is precisely why this whole exercise is going to be such an interesting thing to see unfold."

Nodding in agreement, Toshinori added: "Besides, at a glance, anyone would say that Class 1-A stands the better chance, with as many real-life disasters as they've managed themselves through. However, recent data shows that, even with not quite as much field experience, but just as much training, Class 1-B has actually gotten far stronger as well. For the most part, they've managed to avoid trouble, and have instead focused all their time as a whole towards improving their already impressive skills and bringing out their true potential. In their own way, they've evened out the skill level playing field between themselves and Class 1-A…so it could honestly be anyone's ball game already."

And as though he could just feel the weight of Toshinori's words in his very bones, Vlad King finally took that chance to call out into the microphone: "Now, Match 1: Class A, with strength honed by real danger, or Class B, with steady improvement via hard work?! I can't wait to see! START!"

---

In the precious few minutes between their departure from the observation platform down to their designated starting points, Tsuyu had decided to be the one to really get the ball for her team rolling, turning her attention to the quiet and forever pensive-looking Hitoshi, who by now had his elaborate black mask affixed over his nose and mouth. "I think we should really try and know what we're working with as a team before it's too late. Can you tell us about your Quirk, Shinso-san-kero?"

Never taking his eyes off the path ahead, Hitoshi answered: "I'm sure Midoriya and that tailed classmate of yours gave a pretty vague idea after the Sports Festival. Essentially, if I can get someone to respond to me in any way verbally, I can get them to do whatever I want them to. Of course, I need to focus my attention on my target and think to myself 'This is who I'm going to brainwash.'

"However, the effect isn't entirely inescapable. All my target would need is to suffer a powerful enough physical impact to break my Brainwashing. Although, even that is entirely dependant on how it is I initially take control."

At the sound of this, Eijirou and Denki both went wide-eyed with realization. "Oh, THAT must be why Midoriya was able to snap out of it during your guys' fight at the tournament!"

Of course, while the two boys could have looked as excited as they wanted, Hitoshi by comparison slightly bowed his head in unmistakable disappointment. "That's right. It's really the one biggest weakness of my Quirk as I know it. If I were in a situation where I was outnumbered by my opponents, my Quirk would be virtually useless. Not that I've ever tried to Brainwash multiple targets at once, though it'd probably be impossible. It'd split my focus too much."

However, upon looking, he could see that Tsuyu's blank yet still emotive face didn't lose any of that confidence about it, keeping a thoughtful finger on her chin. "Not really, so long as your opponents don't know about that aspect of your Quirk. As long as that's the case, I think your Quirk can be really strong-kero."

With her vote of confidence, the rest of the three 1-A boys were quick to echo just as much, leaving Hitoshi silently surprised at how quick they all were to support him and give him a morale boost, even if his straightforward and utilitarian way of thinking ultimately came through again: "True, but there are further limits than that. I can't command my target to speak or use their brain in any way. For example, if I were to hold up a sign that said 'Asui Tsuyu' and told my target to write it down, that would work. However, I couldn't make them draw on their own knowledge to produce the name."

With that, he then motioned to the mask upon his face. "Then there's this, too; my Persona Cords mask. It's kind of like an extra set of vocal cords that I can modulate. Since my Quirk doesn't work if I speak through a microphone or a loudspeaker, all these little plates composing my mask instead shift around and resonate to modify how my voice sounds when it projects."

"Meaning?" Denki and Eijirou's question came simultaneously, but that was hardly surprising in Hitoshi's eyes, as he bluntly answered: "It's a voice modulator."

And like that, Eijirou's body nearly jolted with that much more enthusiasm. "WOW! That makes you, like, super strong, man!"

However, Hitoshi's own eyes gave no such reciprocation or sentiment. "But this equipment is only as strong as the person using it."

And it was almost immediately after he'd made that foreboding statement, that Vlad King's announcement of the start of the first match had finally come, and with Team 1-A having by now already reached their home base, only to realize that with all their chatter they hadn't come up with an actual plan; it was time for everyone to move out regardless; with Tsuyu already taking the lead, leaping upon a nearby wall and quickly activating her Camouflage Special Move, allowing her body to quickly take on the color and visual texture of the stone and steel around her, carefully creeping her way around so as not to draw any attention to herself once she'd get eyes on Team 1-B. "Each team basically knows what the other's capable of, so let's stick together and overwhelm them with our numbers."

With the rest of her teammates quickly understanding her thinking, Denki was careful to keep his voice down. "Hey, don't you think maybe I should put some distance between us so I can do my thing without collateral damage?"

"Maybe try not to make it too far, Kaminari. You don't wanna end up alone." Eijirou reminded as his eyes were already scanning what little horizon there was in this maze of concrete and steel, just readying himself for the first sign of trouble.

"True enough. After seeing what that Shiozaki girl could do with her Vines against Setsuna-san during the tournament, I don't wanna end up on the wrong side of that." Denki admitted with a shudder, while Hitoshi was remaining as steadfast and un-emotional as ever. "We're going to want to take down the person with the nastiest Quirk before anyone else."

"Yeah! See, you're already getting the hang of this, Shinso!" Denki proclaimed with a pleased smile; completely ignorant to the mental eye-rolling the purple-haired boy was giving his optimism right now. "That much should be obvious to anyone."

Meanwhile, Tsuyu, carefully peeking around the first corner of her wall, similarly chimed in: "He's right, which means we should probably try to take Ibara-san out first, while she and the rest of her team go after Kaminari altogether. His Quirk has the widest range, after all…or perhaps they'll go after Shinso-san, since his Quirk is also pretty nasty, on top of his general lack of experience-kero."

Even despite the assurance he wasn't the only obvious target, Denki still couldn't help but look as though he'd just been read his death sentence. "Gee, thanks for having my back, you guys!"

"Don't sweat it, man; we just wanna get this all set up so you two can go all out!" Eijirou readily reassured his shaken friend, just as a flinch of movement from the watchful Kouji snapped him to attention; watching as the masked rocky-headed boy raised an arm to greet an approaching pigeon, which proceeded to coo into his ear before flying off again as he sent it of with thanks.

"What's going on? You managed to find Shiozaki already?" Eijirou asked, already visibly aching to get into action while Kouji had his eyes watching the other birds precisely flying overhead. "Yes, she's currently advancing on the left, and she's alone. They said she's using her Vines to try and search us out along the way."

Eijirou was already instinctively cupping a hand behind his ear, trying to listen for the sound of spreading vines, before just as quickly realizing he wouldn't even know what that would sound like, along with the fact that waiting around like this would just leave his team open. "Well, I can't say I'm all that thrilled to be going after a girl, but—

BAM!

The sudden distant sound of a heavy impact on metal immediately had the whole of the 1-A team stone still as they looked to the direction it had come from.

"ROARING RAGE!"

Just in time for the bestial 1-B student Jurota to come flying in like a massive hairy cannonball from above, having now grown nearly twice his size and now looking that much more feral, as he plucked Tsuyu right off the wall with one hand, and plowed the other straight into Eijirou before he could even think to activate his Hardening, sending him ricocheting off several walls in the blink of an eye, and leaving a ready Hitoshi and Kouji, and a visibly shaken Denki, left standing.

With Tsuyu still momentarily helpless in his clawed grasp, and now towering menacingly over his three opponents, Jurota growled clearly: "We took Kouda's scouting method into consideration, and we knew you'd all be most wary of Shiozaki-san out of all of us! She was the bait while I snuck up on you all! Giving you time to prepare would've allowed Kaminari to do what he does best, so a brutal head-on attack was our best option! I'VE GOT A NOSE FOR THESE THINGS!"

In the blink of an eye, just as Kouji began to squat down in preparation to call out for the birds above to attack, Jurota suddenly bowed his head down, revealing a ready Tsubaraba just behind his back, holding his hands around his mouth in the shape of a square as he began releasing rapid exhales through the opening, sending a multitude of Solid Air walls straight for him, effectively trapping Kouji in an invisible cube cell. "AIR PRISON! Your Quirk's completely useless from in there, Kouda! It's fully sound proof solitary confinement!

"NOW WRECK THEM, SHISHIDA!" "YOU GOT IT!"

At his teammate's command, Jurota reeled his towering body back, ready to lay into the horrified Denki and Hitoshi where they stood; the blonde sparkplug already crying out "AND WE'RE DONE FOR!"

But as he wrenched his eyes shut in preparation for an absolute pounding…Denki felt nothing. And upon reluctantly opening his eyes, he was instead met with the sight of a visibly confused Tsubaraba, looking at the listless, almost zombified expression on the now listless Jurota's face.

And their mutual confusion was immediately given a source, when Tsubaraba shifted his dull yet angry eyes to Hitoshi alone. "YOU! HOW ARE YOU SPEAKING WITH MY VOICE?!"

And as Denki looked in shock and immediate relief (in contrast to the disbelief widely expressed by all his classmates watching this battle already unfold), he was met with the sight of a laser-focused Hitoshi, currently turning a dial on the side of his mask, causing the multiple plates and gaps adorning it to shift and open. "My own personal piece of gear: PERSONA CHORDS!"

As Denki was already impulsively about to start cheering at the sight of Hitoshi's Quirk and equipment at work; the dark-eyed boy was already taking the next steep, reeling an arm back with the wrappings around his neck in hand, about to whip it straight around Tsubaraba and take him down.

"TOO SLOW! AIR PRISON!" But the 1-B boy himself was even quicker on the draw, immediately bringing his hands back up and rapidly exhaling another invisible cube around Hitoshi, cutting off his capturing attack, before just as swiftly smacking his animalistic classmate across the back of the head. "WAKE UP!"

As Jurota quickly shook his head out of the sudden daze he'd found himself in, and Denki could only look at just how royally screwed he now was, Tsubaraba had a victorious grin on his face. "It's a good thing Shiozaki-san and Shinso's other victims told us all about what his Quirk did to them way back when. They didn't say anything about a voice modulator, though. Now, Jurota-san; WRECK 'EM FOR REAL!"

Denki's heart was pounding so fast, he almost felt like he was going to have a heart attack. But even for as fast as his blood was flowing, or for as frigid as the sweat upon his brow was at the realization of how outnumbered he was, that still didn't stop him from breaking into a desperate sprint straight for Jurota; the sight of this already spurring Tsubaraba to hop off his classmate's back, while Jurota himself was already swinging a massive hands straight for Denki.

'The big guy's the priority target right now! Go on, touch me…FOR A REAL BIG SHOCK!' This was all Denki could afford to think to himself, swallowing the terrified lump in his throat in desperate preparation for the hit that was about to plow right into him.

BZZZZZT!

And with the force of a truck, Jurota finally made contact, only to feel a sudden jolt of overwhelming electrical power start coursing through his entire body, sending him into uncontrolled spasms where he stood; all while still managing to hit Denki hard enough to send him crashing into another set of pipes behind his back, leaving the blonde boy winded. "What a freakin' powerhouse! I got him with such a huge current, and he still managed to follow through!"

THWIP!

And in that same handful of seconds, just as Tsubaraba had jumped from Jurota's back, he had suddenly found himself getting wrangled in midair by Tsuyu's prehensile tongue from what seemed to be absolutely nowhere, until he eventually followed it and soon managed to spot the frog girl's camouflaged form on the wall in front of him; her large eyes meeting his head-on. "Got you!"

But to Denki's disbelief, the sound of Tsuyu's voice caused the still spasming Jurota to snap at attention, immediately taking off into a mad bestial charge as she tried to hop away with Tsubaraba in tow for everything she was worth. "Are you serious?! He can still move after that?! HURRY UP AND GET HIM IN THE SLAMMER, TSUYU!"

As Tsuyu continued to hop in vast leaps and bounds, she swiftly landed a hard enough strike with her leg against the Air Prison holding Kouji, shattering it and setting him free to start beckoning forth a host of insects to his position, just at the same time as Eijirou was back on his feet and right at his side, his Hardening already encapsulating his whole body, with a Red Gauntlet strike already reeled back and ready to stop Jurota dead in his tracks.

"HUMAN MODE!" With those two words, just before the two 1-A boys could attack, Jurota's whole body suddenly shrank back down to their same size, twirling like a male ballet dancer right between them with not a single hair out of place; leaving Eijirou and Kouji both wide-eyed with shock.

And just before either of them could react—"AND ONCE MORE, BEAST MODE!" In a flash, they were both once again finding themselves completely ensnared in his massive clawed hands, Jurota having once more grown to twice their size as he yanked them right off their feet, covering Kouji's mouth with his hand for good measure in a grip too strong for him to fight his way out of.

"YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN MATCH MY STRENGTH, KIRISHIMA! HOW DO YOU LIKE THIS?!" Like a half-man half-animal catapult, he proceeded to fling Eijirou helplessly high up into the air; the spiky-haired young man barely able to get his bearings enough to figure out where the hell he was going…until he spotted the singular form of the white-dressed and Vine-spreading Ibara Shiozaki in the distance; her cold eyes betraying the praying stance she was holding as she honed in on him. "A bereft little lamb from the heavens."

…and that's when the realization of what was about to happen hit Eijirou far too late, as a multitude of her Vines came shooting out from nearly every direction below his airborne body, completely entangling him in all of it, sufficiently capturing him.

Down below, realizing there was nothing he could do for Eijirou at the moment, Denki instead focused on rushing Jurota in an attempt to perhaps get him to loosen his grip on Kouji. But even for his massive size, Jurota was far quicker than he looked, easily able to stride backwards away from his approaching opponent, before his razor sharp sense of smell picked up another distinct scent coming in from behind his back, prompting him to launch himself up in another powerful leap, just as Tsuyu had tried to wrangle his feet with her tongue. "I KNOW WHERE YOU ALL ARE AT EVERY MOMENT! YOU CAN'T HOPE TO GET THE DROP ON ME!"

With Denki and Tsuyu's joint rescue effort foiled, Jurota immediately proceeded to start rebounding off one wall and horizontal surface he could, making a beeline for Team 1-B's home base and jail, where Ibara was already in the process of locking a completely Vine-cocooned Eijirou up, while Hiryu Rin was vigilant in standing guard.

But every step along the way, Kouji was furiously pounding away at his hairy captor's arm, chest and face, earning a frustrated growl out of Jurota. 'Kouda certainly isn't coming quietly. Carrying him for too long will just slow me down. That's why retreating from the others is the best option for now until I can lock him up, too.'

---

And the moment he saw Jurota finally return and manage to get Kouji thrown and locked up in the cell right alongside Eijirou; up on the observation platform, Vlad King was already eagerly shouting out through the loudspeakers lining the training ground: "AND THAT'S TWO OF YOURS FOR ONE OF OURS, CLASS A! CLASS B HAS TWO PRISONERS ALREADY! SHISHIDA AND TSUBARABA'S PLOY WORKED PERFECTLY! BOTH TEAMS HAVE THREE PLAYERS LEFT, BUT CLASS B HAS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE! WILL THESE FEARSOME MOVES FROM MY PRECIOUS STUDENTS FINALLY BE ENOUGH TO PUT CLASS A IN ITS PLACE?!"

"WOOH! YOU'RE THE BEST, VLAD KING-SENSEI!" "AW, C'MON, YOU'RE TOTALLY BIASED!"

While the Class 1-B homeroom teacher was subsequently being cheered on by Neito, and getting hammered down with protests from Mina, Yuga and Kyouka over his clear bias; many of the other students were likewise muttering in astonishment at how swiftly Class B had managed to get the advantage, with Izuku busily scribbling down further notes after seeing what Hitoshi specifically had done and tried to do.

And among them all, Nikolay and Oleg had their own thoughts racing, especially when Maja couldn't help but comment: [[Man, Class B is no joke. I honestly thought that Kirishima guy's Quirk would make him an unstoppable force in a fight.]]

Not taking his eyes off the screen, Nikolay answered with unmistakable confidence: [[That's because he normally is…just apparently not against a Quirk that specializes in capture, rather than full-on fighting. If he can't move, then it's pretty much already over as far as offense goes.]]

"That Shishida guy's Quirk is scary strong…and way too familiar if you ask me." Minoru suddenly commented from nearby; Nikolay, Maja and the likewise nearby Setsuna all seeing how intimidated the small boy was at what he'd just seen the bestial Class B student manage so easily…which of course got Setsuna grinning confidently as a result.

"Shishida-kun's put in a lot of work as one of our classes' best mixes of offense, defense, and even scouting. Nobody can avoid that sense of smell of his. I know what you're talking about though, Mineta-kun. In a way, with his enhanced senses and animal-like fighting style, I think you could maybe even compare his Quirk to that Vukodlak Villain back at Erubi City."

Of course, making such a comparison that bold made it impossible for Oleg not to answer: "Don't forget that he once made the change to being a Hero once before, malenkaya Tokage…and how that ultimately turned out. Comparing malenkii Shishida to him in any way isn't fair to the former."

But while that grim reminder hung heavy in the air, Ochako; who couldn't help but likewise listen, suddenly jolted with a realization. "But if Jurota-san's Quirk is similar in that way to Vukodlak's, then doesn't that mean he could potentially have at least one of his same weaknesses from before?" And like that, she had left her most familiar classmates, her teacher and Setsuna visibly contemplative of what that could have looked like.

---

Down in the training ground, with the momentary skirmish having ended, and with Tsubaraba now securely locked away, Tsuyu and Denki wasted no time repeatedly slamming a pair of lead pipes into the Air Prison still holding Hitoshi; each hit landing like a hammer, until it finally shattered, setting him free. "Back at the Sports Festival, Bakugo was able to smash through these things like they were nothing. That Tsubaraba guy must've made them a lot tougher since then. Class B is really strong-kero."

But while Hitoshi was back on his feet, Denki's expression was just about as bad as the rest of him looked after having gotten hit so hard. "What do we do now, Tsuyu? It already feels like we're losing!"

"Learning the ins and outs of Shinso-san's Quirk took longer than we expected, Kaminari. We just weren't prepared for what Class B was going to do." While Tsuyu was as straightforward and blunt as ever; Hitoshi was already readjusting the tuning for his mask; his eyes barely managing to convey the frustration he was truly feeling. "I should've been quicker with my binding attack. I'm sorry."

"No, I should apologize for putting you on the frontlines-kero. My poor strategizing is to blame." Tsuyu immediately answered, just as Denki; even despite his bruises; gave a similar supportive grin. "We can seriously get hurt during full-blown battle training, but those were some slick moves you made, Shinso-san. You even managed to save me! I owe you one for that! You said you're not here to make friends, but you can consider me a fan already. You're cut out to be a Hero for sure."

Hitoshi couldn't bring himself to keep looking Denki in the eye; his mask once more helping to hide any possible hint of a reaction on his face, as he hurriedly finished re-tuning his Persona Cords. "Whatever. So what's the plan now?"

Like a shot, Tsuyu suddenly proceeded to pull down one of the sleeves to her costume, revealing her arm fully coated in a thick and slimy membrane-like fluid. "I have an idea! Kaminari, locate your target. I saw what you did to Shishida right when he attacked you. Remember?"

A flash of remembrance registered in Denki's eyes as he looked to the disc-shooter mounted on his right arm, before he hurriedly hit a tiny button on the side of his sunglass visor, immediately projecting a grid layout of the immediate area, with a single signal on the other side of their current position. This immediately made him light right up while Tsuyu finished her train of thought: "You used your Electricity to distract him so you could shoot one of those stick-on tracking devices of yours on his body without him noticing, right?"

"That's right! Man, I'd gotten so nervous right before and after, it was like my body just did that on its own! That's amazing that you even noticed that, Tsuyu!" But of course, even his enthusiastic compliments were dulled by her straightforward responses: "It's more amazing that you didn't even notice it stick to him-kero."

---

"You all used me as a decoy for a sneak attack? Don't you know such sinful deeds can only be atoned for with a good lashing?"

Back at Team 1-B's home base, with two of their opponents successfully captured, Jurota had taken that moment to proclaim their inevitable victory, and subsequently revealing the formerly unaware Ibara of the role she had unwittingly played; her demure and almost saintly demeanor betraying the sadism inherent in her comments.

However, Jurota looked completely unperturbed by such a threat, still gloating as though he were Vlad King himself. "A lashing? But it all worked out perfectly! There's only three of 'em left, and if we just capture two more, then that's OUR win, Shiozaki-san! Now we know the secret to Shinso's voice modulator, so we just gotta snag him, then we can just ignore everything he tries to say while we focus our efforts on the real pain in the neck, Kaminari!"

But before he could let out a single victorious laugh, Jurota's entire body went stiff with alertness; his fur almost completely standing on end as he began vigilantly sniffing at the air; this change in tone immediately putting Ibara and Hiryu both on the defensive, especially when his head whipped in the direction the scent was coming from that had set him on high alert. "What's this?! We've got…THREE ASUI'S HEADING FOR US!"

No matter how nonsensical such a thing sounded, neither Ibara nor Hiryu were about to call their classmate's Beast Mode-assisted sense of smell into question. Instead, Ibara focused her gaze on the direction Jurota was pointing, with her Vines quickly beginning to grow that way once more. "I shall have to teach them that such deeds are steeped in sin…and must be punished as such!"

---

With the rest of the students still watching, the realization of what Tsuyu had just done for her teammates had left them all utterly speechless; not a single one of them, save for Izuku and Minoru, ever having even known she could do such a thing as use her body's mucus to hide Denki and Hitoshi's scents.

And the only reason the green and purple-haired boys had even known of this aspect of Tsuyu's Quirk to begin with, was that she had mentioned being able to "secrete a poisonous fluid" when describing her Quirk to them all the way back in USJ. And the fact she hadn't seen reason to use it once had nearly led them both to forget she could do so to begin with. And of course, if even they could barely remember, then there was no way for the Class B team to ever suspect it, thus securing her team their advantage all over again.

And between Nikolay, Mina and Ochako; they were already crowding in and congratulating the flustered rosy-cheeked girl before she even knew what had hit her; Nikolay eagerly complimenting her: "That's amazing, you were right on the ball, Uraraka-san! Even if Shishida-san doesn't have the blindness handicap like Vukodlak did, his nose can still be just as disoriented with a scent trick like that!" "Yeah! Did Tsu-chan ever even tell you she could do that before; is that how you guessed it, Urara-chan?! Why wouldn't she tell the rest of us that?! Aah, you're so lucky!"

While Mina pretended to act as though she'd been left out amid the lightness in the mood, Ochako was awkwardly trying to explain herself and simply credit her own sense of reasoning for her getting lucky; while the rest of the students and teachers continued to watch with bated breath for how the rest of the match was going to turn out.

---

With her fluid sufficiently applied to her teammates; Tsuyu, Denki and Hitoshi were once again off like a shot, already having come together to put their most desperate plan yet together as they moved. "Given Shishida's heightened senses, we should assume he's always got a lock on our positions."

"And now we exploit that." Hitoshi surmised; his piercing gaze already starting to make out the beginnings of their titular opponent through the pipework of the training ground; Denki likewise sticking to the middle ground; knowing he would still be Team 1-B's primary target. "With us all smelling like three Tsuyu's, as long as we stay out of sight, he won't have any idea who's who! Looks like he hasn't noticed my tracker yet, either!"

But naturally, Hitoshi was nowhere as optimistic as he got a clearer view of what lay ahead. "The real issue is where the other two are."

But this soft-spoken concern landed on deaf ears where Denki was concerned, as he slid and leapt from one pipe to the next in his eager momentum. "Right now, let's just focus on taking down Shishida, since he's the biggest threat here with that nose and strength. Speaking of which, are you sure you're okay, Tsuyu? I mean, he walloped you pretty good back there."

"I managed to take that hit, but…I definitely can't go toe-to-toe with him-kero." As soon as Tsuyu hesitantly answered; she quickly spotted the beginnings of a thick and rapidly expanding mass of vines creeping through the metal-works ahead, with Ibara Shiozaki herself barely visible at the opposite end of it, keeping her hands clasped in her praying stance while eyeing the distant forms of her team's targets. "I swear on my name, Vine, that all schemers and sinners will be judged. VIA DOLOROSA! Their positions now, O Apocalypse Beast!"

Mere feet away, Jurota was dutifully sniffing at the air like the fiercest bloodhound, with Hiryu standing at the ready to fight once given the word. "At ten, twelve, and two-clock! They're on the ground and closing in fast! Also, please don't call me that! It's Gevaudan!"

Ignoring his classmate's momentary gripe, Hiryu's mind was racing underneath the paper talisman hanging over his face from his headwear. "Closing in? That means they must have our location…but none of them have a Quirk that can scout, do they? Hey, Apoca-Beast—

Before he could voice his concern; a momentary glance towards Jurota while his back was turned, left Hiryu wide-eyed and jumping with surprise. "Hey! Something's stuck to you! On your pocket, isn't that one of Kaminari's-?!"

Before his classmate could even finish, Jurota had jolted at the sudden alertness in his tone, looking down to find that, to his shock and immediate anger, there was indeed what looked to be some kind of disc-shaped object stuck to his pocket; Denki having made a fool out of him this whole time without him even noticing.

But before any kind of furious outburst could even begin, Ibara's calming and authoritative voice broke through with a resolute certainty: "CAPTURED ONE. I shall drag them forth!"

Indeed, with her Vines having expanded as far as they had, it was only inevitable that at least one of their opponents would end up snagging on one of them, and with the sensation resonating all the way down to Ibara herself, she was like the fiercest predator, reeling in her prey for the consumption to come.

Watching and waiting with building anticipation and apprehension, Hiryu began to step forward in defense before Jurota. "We don't know exactly who's gonna show up! Keep your distance, Shishida-san; just in case it's Kaminari!"

And in no time at all, his protectiveness of his classmate was quickly validated, as the unmistakable head of spiky blonde and black-streaked hair of Denki Kaminari came into view, thoroughly wrapped in Ibara's Vines…however, to their growing worry, his expression still had that fire of a fighting spirit. "DING, DING, DING! LEMME TELL YOU ALL WHAT YOU WON! SINCE YOU'RE ALL HERE TOGETHER, YOU GET A THREE-WAY ZAPPING!"

Just like that, his body already began to spark and illuminate in a golden glow…only for every single one of the Vines still crawling all over the training ground to instantly collapse inward and completely mummify and bury Denki in a rapidly growing sphere of thorny, Electricity-nullifying confinement; Ibara Shiozaki's proudest Special Move yet: "CRUCIFIXION", before going that further step by erecting even more of her Vines into a thick and binding wall between herself and Denki's own prison: "FAITH'S SHIELD!"

But even for as disheartening as this painful constricting trap was, Denki wasn't allowing himself to be discouraged, as his gaze was still focused through the one remaining opening; one that fortunately managed to give him a straight view of Jurota not too far away. 'This is a damn good counter, but don't count me out yet! I just need to be within ten feet of my tracker for my Electricity to make a straight beeline for it!'

But just as the beginnings of that last saving grace of an electric bolt began to shoot out through that literal window of opportunity; Hiryu had likewise realized what Denki was trying to do; and with lightning-fast reflexes and precision, his hands proceeded to grow a multitude of scales, which he proceeded to rapidly fire forth; knocking away Denki's tracker off of Jurota's leg, thus rendering the 1-A sparkplug's last move pointless, just as Ibara finally closed off the last opening in her thorny prison cell.

"MORE COMING! GET THOSE VINES BACK UP, SHIOZAKI-SAN!"

Already feeling quite encouraged by the capture of what was once their biggest threat, Ibara immediately was getting herself ready to act upon Hiryu's desperate call. "Very well. Their positions please, Shishi—

And in that instant she opened her mouth, she felt her entire body become sapped of every semblance of physical control, leaving her standing listless like a puppet on strings; catching the alerted attention of her teammates just as quickly. "WHAT THE?! NO, THAT WASN'T ME TALKING, SHIOZAKI-SAN!"

Indeed, well-hidden behind the pipes was Hitoshi, already in the middle of re-adjusting his Persona Cord mask now that he knew he'd taken away Team 1-B's biggest area of advantage with Ibara's Brainwashing.

His, Tsuyu's and Denki's last-second plan for their electrical teammate to sacrifice himself had paid off beautifully. Of course, this had been their first time going up against Ibara and her Vines, but it was only natural to assume that he didn't have a completely infinite extent to which she could grow them; especially when remembering what had happened at the end of her battle against Nikolay at the tournament, how it had destroyed so much of them. And since Team 1-B had made no secret of just what a threat they considered Denki to be, it was only natural that she would want to utilize the majority of her Vines to confine him, thus giving his remaining two teammates a greater opening to act.

And Hitoshi, upon seeing how well Denki had played his part, was already getting the wrappings around his neck into his hands in preparation to fight; all while Jurota and Hiryu were anxiously looking all around for hide or hair of him; the Chinese-dressed student gritting his teeth with frustration. "It's too echo-y in here; I can't tell where Shinso's voice is coming from! Shishida-san, you got a lock on any of them yet?!"

Looking his teammate's way, he saw that Jurota was frantically jabbing a pointing finger in one direction, deliberately trying to communicate without actually speaking out loud; initially fueling Hiryu's frustration. "Pointing?! Just tell me, man! You're getting too paranoid! Is one of them over there or what?! Hey! Talk to me!"

However, thinking about just who exactly they were in most danger from now, Jurota's reasoning finally registered in Hiryu's head; his hidden eyes now scanning his surroundings just as anxiously as he began building up his Scales on his hands again, aiming and firing them at Ibara's listless body. 'This would be so much simpler if we could actually read each other's lips…oh well, for now I just gotta snap Shiozaki-san out of it!'

THWIP!

But at the very same moment he began firing his Scales, Tsuyu's inescapable tongue came shooting out, looping around Ibara and lifting her up out of Hiryu's line of aim, causing his Scales to cut through her connecting Vines instead, thus inadvertently allowing Tsuyu to wrangle Ibara away freely, dropping her into a railing-guarded section of roof where she would be safe from his Scales for certain.

"ASUI! SO YOU GOT SOME SLICK MOVES AFTER ALL, HUH?!" With Hiryu's determined and angry shout, Tsuyu immediately took off hopping out of sight as he tried to fire his Scales after her. "SHISHIDA-SAN, ASUI'S HIDING! FORGET ABOUT SHINSO FOR NOW! GIMME HER POSITION!"

But, to his growing consternation, Jurota was either completely blinded in his drive to zero in on Hitoshi's position, or he was now simply too paranoid to listen to any voices of his own. At this point, if Hiryu was going to have any hope of getting some kind of communication across, he was going to have to get physical.

WRAAM!

But the moment he caught a faint green and black blur out the corner of his eye, Hiryu was summarily slammed aside by a devastating descending dropkick from Tsuyu; having circled around in order to catch him at his flank, sending him tumbling across the floor as his body nearly folded.

As for Jurota; instead of reacting upon Tsuyu attacking his teammate, he instead then proceeded to start tearing his way through the pipes with his claws like a rabid rampaging force of nature. 'Tracking those matching scents told me the real Asui was back there; which means the one I was smelling in this direction must be him! Shinso, you were going on earlier about how far behind us all you are! But you're just full of surprises, aren't you?! YOU'VE ALREADY PROVEN YOURSELF AN IMMENSE THREAT!'

With his eyes going into an animalistic tunnel vision, Jurota finally erupted out the other side of this narrow corridor of pipes, where Hitoshi himself was now standing completely exposed, and most of all, alone; with one of his wrappings already snugly wrapped around one of the larger pipes just above where Jurota was now standing.

'Eraserhead's trademark: BINDING CLOTH!' With this cry of his Capture Tool technique ringing in his head, Hitoshi gave one affirming and powerful tug on the cloth, thus causing the large pipe above to snap, and immediately come crashing down hard on Jurota's head. But rather than go down like the oversized furry mass he was; Hitoshi instead saw his sunglasses-covered eyes burning angrily into his own in response. Clearly his strength and adrenaline allowed him to take more punishment than Hitoshi had calculated.

"DOWN, APOCA-BEAST!"

As Jurota started seeing red as he began to close in on Hitoshi again, he suddenly ehard the sound of Hiryu's desperate voice calling from behind his back. But by now, his anger and energy had clouded any semblance of reasoning. 'No, I won't be Brainwashed again! One on one, you don't stand a chance against m—wait, Apoca-Beast?'

And that was the final thought that would ever cross Jurota Shishida's mind for the rest of this battle, as with a furious speed and subsequent power, he felt Hiryu's body come slamming into the back of his head like a wrecking ball; knocking the two Class B boys out cold; Jurota finally collapsing like a tree before Hitoshi's feet, while Tsuyu stood victoriously at the other end of the destroyed tunnel of pipes; having just thrown Hiryu with her tongue like a catapult the moment she saw the danger her teammate was in.

With the fight having officially ended, the three of them could finally get to work, with their unwitting ally in Ibara, in securing the rest of their opponent team in the 1-B jail cell. As they finally got to work hauling them back the way they had come, Tsuyu suddenly took that chance to speak up to Hitoshi: "Shinso-san, you said before that you're lagging far behind all of us, but I don't think that's true at all. You're actually really powerful."

However, just as when being faced with Denki's compliments, Hitoshi was stubborn in not letting his emotions show in any discernible way, especially as with how deep in reflective thought as he was, now that the battle was officially over. "You both say that, but that's not true either. I do have a long ways to go yet. Relying on others isn't good enough if you want to become a real Hero. I need to be able to go Pro on my strengths alone."

Of course, even when saying this, Hitoshi couldn't rightfully ignore the lingering sense of concern scratching at the back of his head, thanks to the stipulation Nezu had placed on his shoulders. Even if what he'd done here had managed to secure victory for his team, there was no telling just what kinds of criteria the principal and the teachers were judging by…and if they didn't judge his capabilities today to be good enough for the Hero Course, then there was truly no telling just what he was going to do with himself, being this close to his goal.

---

"Grrr…Match 1 goes to…Class A and Shinso Hitoshi-kun!"

With Vlad King having begrudgingly conceded this first round to his rival teacher's class; all of Class 1-A erupted into ecstatic cheers, while Class B were all fuming among themselves to varying degrees at how thoroughly their classmates had been beaten. But among the celebrating students; Izuku was especially inspired by how well he'd seen his classmates and Hitoshi do. 'Amazing! Asui-san and Kaminari-san really thought on their feet and made good use of Shinso-san's Quirk! Once they sorted out the situation, his presence alone let them control the whole field. With the right teammates, he can become a real formidable force of a Hero.'

Likewise, even as Nikolay and Mina were both ecstatically hopping up and down while holding each other by the arms in spontaneous unison together in their cheer for their friends; with even Maja unable to help but get in on the good mood as well; his own mind was racing in the wake of how he'd just seen things play out. 'That Shinso guy's Quirk is really something…but those Class B students were all really impressive, too! God, I hope we can get a chance to work together in training soon; there's so many different ways we could put our Quirks together!'

And once their celebratory hopping had finally run its course; knowing the first teams would be back soon, and the start of the second round wouldn't be far behind; he and Mina quickly turned to Maja, Momo and their teammates as well. "You're up next, Maja-chan, Yaomomo! You all super-pumped? Brains and brawn together, you're gonna totally nail it!" "Yeah, you know we all believe in you!"

Momo was as naturally modest in her gratitude as she ever was ("Thank you both, really. I know I'm not very much good in actual combat, but with this team, I know we'll be able to come together the best we can."

Maja knew Momo was including her in that declaration as much as Fumikage, Yuga and Tooru; but even despite her similarly confident smirk, her eyes betrayed an equally distinct nervousness. "I gotta admit, before Nezu-sensei had dropped that bombshell on us, I was ready to just go in there and clean house the best I could with you all…but now…well, guess I gotta start putting my head to similarly good use from now on, too, huh?"

Of course, nobody here could blame her for being this nervous, knowing what she would have to go back to if she ended up failing here. But knowing her strength through her Quirk as well as they did; Nikolay and Mina didn't let her uncertainty stop them both from placing firm, warm and reassuring hands on her shoulders; just at the same time as Teams 1-A and 1-B had finally returned. "We won't say you're worrying for nothing, Maja, but we're rooting for you from our hearts all the same. Whatever happens, in this next round or the one between us after that; we all know you're going to be giving your best regardless." "Yeah, student or not, on our team or Class B's; you're a Hero like us as far as I'm concerned, Maja-chan; and besties don't lie! You're all gonna totes dominate out there!"

And there's this week's new chapter, and the beginning of this take on the Joint Training Arc! I hope the return of Maja from the Hokkaido Arc in this particular arc has those of you that liked that arc especially excited to see what will become of the matches to come, and especially what Nikolay and Bakugo being forced to work together in actual Hero studies will look like.

If you're at all excited, or have anything to say about anything shown in this chapter, please let me know either in a review, or a personal message; any kind of engagement with my readers is what I crave the most.

I hope you all have a pleasant rest of your week; give a thought and prayer to the people of Ukraine and of East Palestine, Ohio; I hope the weather treats you all better than it is me, and I will see you all with the next chapter on 03/04!