Reviews answers:

Super Sand : I take this opportunity to tell you that it was you who informed me of the news. You cannot imagine the surprise and sadness that overwhelmed me throughout the day. The passing of Mr. Akira Toriyama has deeply affected me, just as it has you and many others, for he was a creator of dreams and hope for many young people, who are now adults, and his work continues to resonate with our youth... I have spent a large part of my life with Dragon Ball, reading, watching, playing video games, and writing fanfictions about it because it has had a lifelong impact on me. He will never be forgotten in my heart, and I believe in yours as well. May he rest in peace with the other great authors who have left us, farewell Mr. Toriyama.

Bosh Joeman : Hi thanks for reading ! I fully understand that a romance between these two characters might seem complex, and in fact, it's quite challenging to execute well. However, I've tried to add depth to the romance and make it feel natural, as you will see in the upcoming chapters. I hope you'll enjoy the result! Happy reading!

Azure Phenix : Thanks you very much !

X3runner : Yes, in a way, Mineta is going to have that role. Mineta isn't a character I particularly like, as is the case for many people. His perverted nature is indeed unpleasant, but his appearance only accentuates his flaws. He lacks charisma and impact in the story, making him particularly hard to appreciate. Regarding Bakugo... now, that's something serious! He's going to be in rivalry with Gohan for a while, but Katsuki will have his development scenes in this chapter and during the sports festival. Thank you for your reading, and I hope you will enjoy this chapter as well. Happy reading!

Redburndragon : I understand what you're saying, but I would argue that it's not illogical from a narrative standpoint. Indeed, one could argue that Midoriya should not have finished last, he should have logically finished ahead of Mineta, at least! However, having him finish last makes sense in the story, from the author's perspective, as it shows that Izuku has progress to make and that he is significantly behind. It illustrates the level at UA and the journey that Izuku will have to undertake. It's a typical shonen plot. But I generally agree with you, he should not logically finish last... but what can you do? Sometimes you have to sacrifice logic to write a good story, at least as long as it doesn't kill the suspension of disbelief.

Crapcase : Wow, it's been a while since I received such a lengthy review! Thank you for your comments, and I'll try to provide a response: It's true that a four-year timeskip is significant, and there are events about which we know very little. When I wrote this story, I wanted to move forward as quickly as possible and, to be honest, I didn't have a well-established plot plan, which creates problems of this kind. Later, yes, I filled in these gaps with flashbacks, including one in this chapter, but perhaps that's not enough? As you rightly point out, it's true that one or two additional chapters would have been nice to better appreciate Gohan's evolution as a person and his adaptation to this world.

Regarding adherence to canon, you present sensible arguments, and you are largely right. Nevertheless, I must admit that I have thought multiple times about changing the story's continuity, and at the time, we must not forget that this chapter is old, I had not yet dared to take the step. This is now done in the French version and the following chapters of this story, which you will see in the future. I certainly have progress to make as an author, and fanfictions serve as a learning experience, so please feel free to give your feedback. If I were writing this story now, with the experience I've accumulated over the years, it's certain that things would have changed and I would have deepened elements that you point out. Some reactions may seem strange to fit the manga's canon, I admit, it's a mistake I wouldn't make now. However, fear not, the canonical events will change to a greater extent starting from the USJ, and I'm sure you'll have things to say about that!

I'm eagerly awaiting your next review, I hope you'll enjoy the upcoming chapter, have a pleasant day and may you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 7 - The Hero's Costume

Gohan was calmly sitting in class, drawing on the edge of his notebook while waiting for the class to start. He had been looking forward to this class since the schedules were distributed yesterday: the heroism class.

The young Saiyan had had a good morning so far. He had woken up peacefully with his terrible alarm clock, found Aizawa slumped on the couch, half in a coma, and then he had made his way with his friends to the classrooms.

Mirio, Tamaki, and Nejire seemed unusually silent that morning, and whenever someone brought up classes, they suddenly changed the subject, with relatively little subtlety. Gohan honestly did not understand why they were behaving like this, but he suspected a surprise was coming during the day.

He continued to draw peacefully, mainly sketches of well-known heroes he liked. Drawing had been a hobby since early childhood, and it always relaxed him, although he was not the most talented, Gohan placed great importance on details and could spend entire days on a small drawing.

As he waited for his classmates, he was drawing the pro hero Miruko. Gohan had seen her from more or less afar during her nighttime activities, and if luck was on his side, he could analyze her fights against villains. Her kicks were phenomenal, and even an accomplished fighter like him could learn a few lessons from them.

"Hello, Son." Said Midoriya, pulling him out of his drawings.

"Hi! How are you today?"

The boy sat next to him and took out his own things. "Good, thanks. I'm looking forward to the hero class..."

The distant admiring glow in his classmate's eyes made the Saiyan curious. "Do you know who the teacher is?"

"M… Me?" He stammered, swallowing hard. He knew for sure, but what he did not know was whether he should reveal the identity of the person in question.

Gohan chuckled softly. "I know who it is." He added, coloring his drawing.

"Oh." Izuku simply exclaimed, a bit reassured.

"It's crazy to have All Might as a teacher. Being able to learn from the best hero, that's absolutely amazing!" Said Gohan, smiling ear to ear.

Upon arriving in this world, the tall man had been a symbol of heroes for him, a man who fought to protect peace and the innocent. All Might was the model for an entire generation, and he was Mirio Togata's idol. Personally, the young man admired Eraserhead much more, because he was a true hero in his eyes.

Gohan greatly respected the hero, but he was a bit more measured in his admiration than his friend Mirio. Although the hero was a very powerful and respectable man, Son Goku was the hero model that his son followed.

Gohan was fully aware of his father's major flaws, but he admired his dad for his courage and determination. Perhaps in terms of strength, he had surpassed Goku since he was ten years old, but as a protector, as a hero, he still had a long way to go.

"Yes!" Midoriya replied instantly, the same glow shining in his eyes, but it was more than admiration; it went much deeper. However, the Saiyan couldn't quite put his finger on it.

As they continued to talk, Iida and Uraraka entered the classroom. Everyone chatted until the bell rang, and then they took their seats before the arrival of the mysterious teacher, unknown to all.

Some students wondered who it might be, with names like Snipe or Cementos being thrown around, but everyone was settled when the door suddenly opened.

"I enter through the door like a normal person!" roared a powerful, well-known male voice. The greatest of heroes stood proudly, entering through the door with his familiar smile.

Many murmurs were heard throughout the class, students greeting All Might's arrival with great enthusiasm. He was the best of all, a true symbol, a bright light defeating and driving away evil!

The man stopped in front of his desk and struck a strange, comical pose before turning to them, holding a sign where the word "battle" was written in bold. "The fundamental study of heroes! In this class, you're going to learn the basics of what it means to be a hero, all through various exercises! Let's not waste any more time and get started!"

He continued to walk until he reached the wall, which actually contained hidden lockers inside. "And so that you can be ready for your first battle... here are your hero costumes!"

The class shouted with joy and stood up to retrieve their costumes. Gohan also stood up, smiling, and walked to the locker to pick up the suitcase containing his outfit. He stood looking at it for a few seconds, lost in his thoughts.

In this suitcase was the outfit he absolutely wanted to wear, an outfit symbolizing why he wished to be a hero. His hand trembled slightly as he left the classroom and headed towards the changing rooms, both from apprehension and excitement.

He then nostalgically remembered everything that had happened to him since he joined this world, his meeting with Aizawa, Yamada, Mirio, and his friends. His work as a vigilante in secret and the people he had saved from villains.

An even bigger smile spread across his face when he remembered designing his costume.

Three weeks earlier:

Mirio, Tamaki, Nejire, and Gohan were sitting at a table, dozens of sheets scattered everywhere on it. Each had a pair of pencils and a sheet of paper in front of them. From a distance, it might have looked like a drawing workshop, but given the seriousness on their faces, it was much more important.

"Ah, it's already been an hour. I'm sure we'll find a magnificent costume!" Mirio exclaimed before slamming his fist on the table. However, at the last second, for a guaranteed comedic effect, he activated his power and his fist passed through the table like a ghost.

They had a little laugh but quickly returned to their thoughts.

Gohan was thoughtful; they had been working on his hero costume for a while. He had a vague idea in mind and a few more days before submitting the document to UA. However, his friends had decided to help him create his costume and had joined him at his house.

The young man wanted an outfit referencing three very important people in his life: Piccolo, Goku, and Eraserhead. The three heroes of his life, people he cherished and wanted to resemble. However, creating a gi mixing orange, purple, and black seemed a bit strange.

Nejire smiled while continuing to juggle her pencils. "What if we created a costume like yours, Mirio? Do you want to team up later? That would be cool! The fraternal duo: Lemillion and Lemillion 2!"

Indeed, most hero teams, duos, trios, and quartets, worked with similar costumes, highlighting their belonging to a team. The most striking example was the Pussycats, one of the country's most renowned hero teams in terms of rescue.

Mirio burst into laughter. "I would like that, but you have another idea in mind, don't you, Gohan?"

Son scratched his neck before speaking. "Well, yes, as I told you, I want an outfit that includes orange, black, and purple. If possible, I'd like it to be a GI."

Hado raised an eyebrow, a sign that she had a question. "Why a gi? You always wear them during training, do you like them that much? Tell me! Tell me!"

Tamaki nodded. "It's rare to see you wear anything else. Since you've been able to shop, you only wear those and sports outfits," he added before sighing, sinking into old memories.

Mirio chuckled. "They're right, I'm curious too. If it's so comfortable, maybe I'll start wearing one. What if it was the secret of your strength?"

Gohan's smile faded and became a bit more distant but didn't disappear entirely. Sweet memories of Son Goku, Piccolo, and all his friends resurfaced, almost bringing tears to his eyes.

The sudden change in mood alarmed his friends, and before they had time to say anything, he replaced his thoughtful look with a smile that was meant to be reassuring. It was only a facade, and they could see it very well.

Thinking about the past always hurt him, although he faced this pain every day and was slowly getting over it. He was grateful to Aizawa for offering him a roof and taking care of him, but he couldn't forget the past.

He was drawn to his old memories, melancholy seeping into him so easily…

The young Saiyan sighed and looked at his friends. He had spoken little of his past to them, only a remark or two here and there, and they had never insisted, even Nejire was gentle. He trusted them, and their questions were legitimate…

"My father wore orange and blue gi," he said before swallowing hard, searching for the right words. "I never saw him wear anything other than a GI, and every time I saw him, I felt comforted by his presence. He was the one who always came to save my life."

A profound silence filled the room, and no one dared to respond. Until now, they had never heard Gohan reveal so much about his past. All they knew was that he had been living with Aizawa for almost five years.

"I want to be like my father, to be a man he would be proud of. Honestly, I want my hero costume to be a GI to pay tribute to him and my mentor Piccolo."

Gohan finished his sentence with slight apprehension, hoping they would now understand why he so desperately wanted his costume to be a Gi. He noticed his friends were thoughtful, but Nejire quickly bounced back.

"Your father sounds like a good person! Was he a hero?"

Immediately, the atmosphere grew heavier, and the young man didn't know how to respond. Goku was his hero, his father who, despite his flaws, had always been there for him. Goku had sacrificed his life to save Earth twice, but in this world, he had never existed.

So technically, he wasn't a professional hero. His father would have loved living in this world, saving people, and fighting villains, a perfect job for the kind-hearted Saiyan. No doubt he would have been as loved and respected as All Might.

"He was my hero," he replied, hoping that would suffice to quench his friend's curiosity.

Mirio smiled. "Well, in that case, in my eyes, he must have been a great hero! Let's all make a costume together to pay tribute to him!"

Nejire clapped her hands at the idea and tried to really focus on a sketch, her observant face was hilarious. She pursed her lips, staring at her sheet with a newfound intensity, surprising everyone.

Everyone got to work with fiery determination, ideas flying from every corner of the table, along with occasional laughter. During this time, Nejire remained silent and focused on her own sheet, which was quite out of character for her, who couldn't stay inactive for long.

Suddenly, after ten minutes, she exclaimed, "I've got it! Look what we could do!" She said, smiling gently at Gohan, then to the others. She grabbed a pencil and began to draw, while everyone watched in admiration her plan.

Her fingers traced the paper with majestic elegance, the soft sound of the pencil scratching the paper setting the rhythm of her movements. Gohan remained silent, lost in the beauty of the moment, all he could think about at that moment was that Nejire Hado was a unique woman and an excellent friend.

The gentle smile on the young woman's lips intensified, burning as brightly as the sun itself, almost making him turn away. He continued to watch her, and let himself be carried away by the beauty of her blue eyes, his heart starting to beat faster until finally, she brandished her sketch.

"Here you go! Look at this! What do you think?" She exclaimed before shoving the sheet in his face.

And what he admired next was something he would never forget, it was his hero costume. As soon as his eyes landed on it, he knew instinctively that it was the right one, as if Nejire had understood what he desired so much, in just one sentence.

He was infinitely grateful for her help because without it, he might not have found such a well-crafted costume. The drawing was very detailed, and in the smallest details, there was everything he loved to wear.

He remained dumbfounded for a few seconds, and he felt his eyes moisten for a brief moment. Son Gohan was happy, and he felt relieved of a weight deeply rooted in his heart; he did not know how to explain it, but seeing this costume was like accepting a part of himself he feared to face.

This costume symbolized his past, the present he cherished so much, and the bright future he wished to protect alongside his loved ones. This costume symbolized the weight he carried, the burden of being Son Goku's spiritual heir, of being a symbol, a protector.

When he would put it on for the first time, he would no longer be simply Son Gohan in the eyes of others, he would finally be the hero who must shine and bring comfort. He would finally be worthy of being his late father's heir...

Nejire might not have understood it, but she certainly felt it; her curiosity was not just a personality trait, it was a part of her intelligence, her instinct. He knew it well from the time he had spent with her; she gathered information to better understand people.

She knew very little about his family, but she understood the importance of his costume to him, what it symbolized. She was incredible…

With a hand gesture, he wiped the tear away, and a sparkling and sincere smile replaced the tension. "It's perfect," he whispered, gently placing the paper on the table.

He raised his head towards her, then met her gaze again, but it was different from all the times they had exchanged looks. This time, and from now on, there was something in Nejire's eyes that irresistibly drew him in, her magnificence made everything else disappear, as if there was only her.

A feeling of happiness, of perpetual bliss, overwhelmed him, and he had trouble breathing for the briefest of moments, as if he was transported to a whole new place whose name he did not know. He couldn't take his eyes off her, savoring the present moment as if it hung by a thread, her wonderful blue eyes took his breath away.

His breathing became more and more erratic again, but he finally managed to calm down. Gohan smiled at her gently and, after a moment that seemed eternal, his eyes finally fell back to the drawing.

"Thank you, Nejire."

Back to the present.

Gohan had slipped away from the locker room, heading towards the nearest restroom to the exercise site, which was the fake city of the exam. He entered the room discreetly and placed the suitcase on the brilliantly white floor.

He opened it delicately, knowing that the costume was durable, he did not want to damage it by mistake. He wanted it to be perfect for the first time. He took out the clothes and admired them for a good ten seconds.

The shoes were exact replicas of his father's dark blue boots with red laces, however, the color of the laces was replaced with black.

The pants were light orange and offered excellent freedom of movement, although they were a bit tighter than Goku's.

The belt and bracelets were a beautiful dark purple, in memory of his mentor Piccolo. The Namekian had always been there for Gohan, watching over him like an uncle would his nephew.

When the young Saiyan put on the bracelets, he felt a deep sense of pride welling up within him. If only Piccolo could see him now, he would be happy. Fighting and saving the innocents with this color on his wrists was like having Piccolo by his side.

After taking a deep breath, he continued to dress without delay. He then wore the black T-shirt, in homage to Aizawa.

Finally, he put on the top of the GI, the light orange shirt. On the chest, there was a kanji engraved in white on the outfit, meaning "hero." While on his back, another kanji was placed, even more significant, "Family."

A crowd of more or less joyful memories pricked his eyes, reminding him of who he was. He was Son Gohan, the son of Son Goku, and he wished to be a man his family could be proud of, someone people in need of help and protection could turn to.

He wanted to be a man who would reassure people with a smile like his father's and a fighter who would defeat the worst criminals, taking the damage to protect those he loved.

In wearing this outfit, he was no longer just Son Gohan; he was a hero.

Gohan exited the room, a radiant confident aura emanating from him as he made his way to the building's exit.

He encountered his classmates at the end of the hallway, who nodded their heads as they saw him wear his costume for the first time. They had no idea what it meant, but simply by seeing their comrade's serene smile and assured posture, they saw his pride.

Iida, who was wearing a costume, noticed and approached him. "Nice outfit, Son."

Without hearing his voice, the Saiyan would certainly not have understood that it was Tenya hidden in that outfit. "Impressive armor," he replied, noting in the back of his mind the elegant design of the armor.

"I am filled with joy at the thought of wearing my costume and starting the training. I wonder what All Might is going to teach us today. Do you have any idea?"

"Honestly, no. I can only guess what he has in mind, but he mentioned a 'battle,' so maybe we'll be facing robots in groups? Or perhaps we will be competing in matches?" He speculated, watching the hero tapping his foot, probably waiting for the last stragglers.

Iida thought for a moment, absorbing his hypotheses. "Indeed, that would make sense, but maybe it could be something else?"

Gohan remained silent and thought about it for a short moment, but he didn't have more time to ponder as Midoriya came out of the locker room and crossed the threshold, signaling his presence to everyone, including their teacher. They would soon find out.

"How beautiful you all look in those outfits, my hero seeds! From today, wearing your costumes, you are now heroes! In the exercise we are going to do now, you will fight against three third-year students, who will impart their knowledge to you."

Following All Might's statement, a murmur ran through the students, who wondered who the three students in question could be.

Iida nearly jumped up and raised his hand as high as he could, so much so that some wondered if he had hurt himself. "Sir! Who are they and where are they?"

Suddenly, three familiar silhouettes in costume emerged from a hidden alley behind good old All Might. Gohan was surprised, cursing himself for not having extended his senses to detect his three friends earlier.

He was very happy to see them here, always pleased to reunite with his friends, and to be able to show them his final hero costume, but he knew their presence in this class meant several things...

"Surprise!" exclaimed Hado, smiling as usual, as she stepped forward towards the first-years. She waved at the whole class but gave a longer look towards Gohan, probably because she was looking at his hero costume.

"Hello, first years!" said Mirio as he dragged a very shy Tamaki along. "I'm Mirio Togata! This is Tamaki Amajiki, and she's Nejire Hado."

Tamaki hung back, feeling quite uncomfortable at the prospect of facing about twenty first-year students. He silently thanked Mirio for introducing him, as it would not have been easy for him to do it himself. Fortunately, he at least knew Gohan in this class, so maybe it wouldn't be too bad.

All Might coughed and drew everyone's attention, while Mirio was ecstatic to see his idol. "Alright! Now that the introductions are done, it's time to get down to business! Yesterday, as I was finalizing my exercise, I met young Togata and his friends, and we talked. I warmly thank them for being here for today's exercise as their schedule is very busy! They are the top three students at UA! Honestly, they are the best candidates for hero titles in Japan! They will make wonderful heroes, and they have a lot to show you. So, my hero seeds, let's get to the heart of the matter."

The great hero suddenly paused and pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket, momentarily shocking everyone present. He had a cheat sheet!

"Here's the exercise: A dangerous and powerful villain, played by one of your seniors, has taken a civilian hostage and threatens to kill them unless they receive ten million yen! The villain is surrounded by a team of police officers and is locked in a fake bank. You, the heroes, will work in groups of seven to find and save the hostage, but also to defeat the villain. Any questions?"

Kaminari seemed hesitant for a moment but eventually spoke up, asking a question that everyone was wondering. "Seven against one, isn't that a bit much?"

Many nodded their heads, agreeing with their classmate's viewpoint.

Gohan, for his part, was indeed wondering if seven against one was appropriate... was it done on purpose so that all his classmates would face certain defeat? They would need to be all against just one of his friends, and even then, they would only have a chance if they knew how to exploit the fake villain's weaknesses.

However, apart from Gohan, no one knew the powers and techniques of the Big Three at UA. So in addition to facing more experienced and powerful students, they would have to do so without any knowledge.

The purpose of the exercise, once this information was acquired, was entirely logical: All Might wanted to confront them with a fight they had no chance of winning, to show them the progress they could make at UA.

It was an intelligent approach, albeit a bit risky for the first day. It could be somewhat demoralizing, but one must be prepared for this kind of combat when wanting to become a pro hero.

Gohan turned to Kaminari and answered his question, sharing his insights up to a point; he did not want to spoil the exercise. "Well, I don't think so. They are the best at UA, so I doubt that even seven against one would be manageable. We'll have to give our best to win, and work as a team as much as possible."

Denki pondered for a few seconds and nodded. "You're not wrong, but if you're completely right, then these guys are really powerful…"

Gohan shrugged and simply smiled, not knowing what more to say. He saw no reason to hide his ties with the Big Three, but he had no reason to spill everything either. Moreover, if he did, it would give his classmates an advantage, and the exercise would not carry the same meaning.

The Saiyan sent an amused glance towards Mirio, who smiled kindly in return; they understood each other. Behind the blonde, Nejire tried to comfort Tamaki, who suddenly felt stressed after All Might's praises.

"Alright! Now, let's draw lots for our teams and their opponents!" He hurried to declare before fetching a cardboard box containing several numbers, which would determine the teams the students would be in.

Everyone lined up and waited to draw their number, but after four long minutes and a verification, all the names were marked with chalk on a board embedded in the wall a few meters away from the pro hero.

Team 1: Midoriya Izuku, Katsuki Bakugo, Tsuyu Asui, Rikido Sato, Kyoka Jiro, Tokoyami Fumikage, and Hanta Sero

Team 2: Son Gohan, Minoru Mineta, Yaoyorozu Momo, Uraraka Ochaco, Denki Kaminari, Mashirao Ojiro, and Koji Koda.

Team 3: Iida Tenya, Todoroki Shoto, Yuga Aoyama, Mina Ashido, Eijiro Kirishima, Mezo Shoiji, and Toru Hagakure.

"We have our teams, and now, what will the matches be…?!" exclaimed Toshinori, maintaining the suspense as his students waited with genuine eagerness for the draw.

1st match: Team 1 against Nejire Hado

2nd match: Team 2 against Mirio Togata

3rd match: Team 3 against Tamaki Amajiki

Gohan remained silent, and his gaze drifted to his best friend, who was still as smiling, maybe even more than before.

Mirio chuckled and took a few steps towards the students of the second team. "So Gohan, we get to face off thanks to the draw! That's awesome, no restrictions this time, let's fight seriously! I've been training a lot these last few weeks and I want to show you my progress!"

Togata extended his clenched fist forward, waiting for Gohan to bump it. The half-breed smiled joyfully and returned the gesture.

"Promise. Let's give it our best!" he said sincerely, because of all the opponents, his best friend was certainly the one who could pose the most trouble with his very technical power and the martial arts knowledge that Gohan had taught him.

It was going to be far from an easy fight…

Behind him, his teammates were surprised by the familiarity between the two. Yaoyorozu was the first to ask the burning question. "Excuse me, Son, but do you know Togata well? We could devise some strategies in that case."

Ojiro showed his agreement and spoke up. "I agree with Yaoyorozu, we need to fight smartly and take every advantage we can over our opponent."

Gohan laughed and gave them a long look. Uraraka looked determined to win, as did everyone else, except for Mineta, who, being the pervert he was, was ogling the girls' bodies.

"I've been friends with them for years, and Mirio is my best friend!" he declared with a broad smile. He thought it was perfectly normal to be friends with third-year students.

His classmates were surprised, but it wasn't so incredible. In their eyes, Gohan's power was enormous, so it was not surprising that he was friends with the top three students at the academy.

Ochaco seemed pleased to know this. "Great! Now we can make a plan!"

Son responded promptly. "Listen up, here's what we're going to do…"

Ten minutes later. Match one…

Nejire waited calmly, floating at the top of the building with the dummy representing the fictitious hostage. She amused herself by performing very complicated aerial figures that were hard for most people to follow, while for her, it was just a simple habit.

She couldn't stay still, especially if she was floating in the air; flying was far too satisfying. Hado was curious to know who she would be facing, but she wasn't very worried, based on what she had got from Gohan that morning, almost none of her opponents could follow her in the skies.

Only the famous Bakugo could use his explosions, and she was eager to see if he could pose any resistance. Contrary to appearances that made her seem like a gentle and cute woman, Nejire was actually extremely skilled in the art of combat.

So much so that it could surprise her opponents who imagined her to be very scatterbrained, but a heroine could not afford to be distracted during a fight, even if very interesting things were happening.

Suddenly, she finally noticed her enemies approaching her. A group of four to the left and a duo running towards her. That made six, where was the last one?

It didn't take long to get the answer, as a series of explosions vibrated the air and resonated across the battlefield, shaking the foundations of the fake bank. The young woman smiled in anticipation, this was going to be particularly thrilling!

"Face me, airhead!" yelled Katsuki Bakugo as he propelled himself towards her head-on, raising his right arm to ready a powerful explosion, evidently not having much empathy for the fake hostage only two meters behind the young woman.

Nejire chuckled and closed the distance between her and Katsuki, catching the explosive boy off guard. He expected her to dodge his attacks and retreat, not to approach! However, despite his speed, he had no doubt about his victory; he was better than this bunch of idiots!

He roared and launched a new barrage of explosions, sweeping from right to left, and a thick screen of smoke filled the air, obscuring his opponent's position. Given the power of the attack, he was confident she was defeated and allowed himself a smile.

That turned out to be a gross mistake because Nejire emerged unscathed from the smoke, and with a quick movement, she sliced through the air and found herself face-to-face with Katsuki, literally. She chuckled softly and tapped him on the forehead while continuing to laugh, clearly taking the fight much less seriously than at its start.

"I'm disappointed, come back when you're stronger!" she declared before using one of her devastating shockwaves, hurling the irate blond against the ground without restraint. The power of the attack and its speed, coupled with the total surprise, prevented him from reacting properly and avoiding the fall.

Bakugo's back hit the ground directly, and he found himself momentarily unable to get up. The young man tried to rise, under Nejire's amused gaze, who saw their fight as a comical spectacle.

Katsuki was in pain, much more than he was willing to endure in a single attack, but he couldn't be beaten by a woman like her! That would be a total humiliation he could not face in the mirror.

Fumikage and Asui, who were only a few meters from him, rushed towards him and tried to speak. They certainly wanted him to follow the stupid plan that Deku had put in place; he would not accept it.

Nejire watched the scene from above, continuing to float peacefully. The remaining students were playing smart, using Bakugo's attack as a diversion for their plan. She could no longer see them in the street, which meant they were either in the building or in the immediate vicinity.

Concentration was required, not just because she had brought down Bakugo, the only aerial threat, but she could not be complacent. As All Might had asked, she had to teach the youngsters the blatant power difference between them.

Smiling slightly as usual, she darted towards the ground group, consisting of Bakugo getting up, with Tokoyami and Tsuyu trying to assist him. One glance was enough for the young woman to understand why these two were still there.

They also served as a distraction and to buy time, time their other teammates would use to prepare a surprise attack while she fought them. That could work, except she was infinitely more prepared for their hasty plan than they thought.

She then decided to play along to punish them severely later, and besides, she was quite keen to have fun and provide the spectators, especially Gohan, with decent entertainment.

"Hello there!" she said, waving at them, floating just a few meters away from the trio. She smiled and pointed at her hostage. "Do you want him? I can give him to you if you answer my questions."

The offer seemed to perplex them, and even Bakugo was left agape, considering it a severe insult. He thought she was mocking him after knocking him down, and he couldn't stand it any longer.

Regaining energy despite the pain in his back, he quickly stood up, wincing. How could one silly attack have hurt him so much?! It was as if his muscles were burning!

"I'm going to kick your ass, bitch!" he yelled before propelling himself with all his might, throwing a huge right hook, his signature move to start the fight.

Another mistake, she read through his attack and punished him accordingly. She bent down, dodging the attack that barely missed her hair, then grabbed his wrist and then his arm.

He growled in dissatisfaction and tried to hit her with explosions, but she used her shockwaves to redirect Bakugo's attack back at him, hitting him squarely with his own attack.

The blast from the explosion obliterated the mask he wore over his eyes, the piece of fabric falling to the ground vulgarly, like an old sock, in his view. He was more surprised and... frightened than hurt, but it was another blow to his pride.

This time, he decided to unleash completely, abandoning all logic and the safety of the hostage. During his inevitable fall to the ground, he triggered his grenade at maximum charge toward Nejire, who was hovering in the skies, awaiting his return.

"Wow, what was that technique?!" she wondered as she flew at high speed to dodge the explosion soaring towards the stratosphere. However, realizing she couldn't avoid it in time, she used her shockwave to dissipate the explosion, once again filling the scene with smoke.

Bakugo landed on the ground, panting and holding his shoulder with his other hand, unsure of the outcome of his technique due to the smoke, but this time, she couldn't have escaped it, especially at that distance...

That's when a dreadful sight appeared, utterly shocking Katsuki... She stood there, waving away the smoke with her hand, a weary look on her face. She had taken no damage, and the hostage was unharmed... but who was she to cause him such difficulty?!

Nejire descended several meters, her beatific smile gone. "I'm going to be serious with you now, but don't hold it against me. I want to learn more about your powers afterward!"

Then she vanished, Katsuki didn't even understand what hit him, was it a shockwave? He wasn't sure, his vision was blurry, and his breathing erratic, he hit the ground, sweating profusely, and could only watch in awe as his opponent effortlessly defeated Asui and Tokoyami, who could do nothing against her.

The two had been unable to do anything during the fight between Bakugo and Hado due to the height difference, but now that she was within reach, they couldn't grasp her. She flew between them with a grace and majestic elegance, then with just two shockwaves, slightly slower than before, ended the fight.

Her two classmates fell to the ground, clutching their abdomens in pain. One attack had been enough for them too... Dark Shadow attempted one last attack but was quickly repelled, and the residual wave sent Tokoyami flying into a nearby small house.

The distraction group encountered a swift defeat, less than a minute in total, and Bakugo could barely discern what was happening. The young blond was completely overwhelmed, dominated, humiliated by this blue-haired woman with the curious smile. He felt a deep sense of shame and inferiority, which he couldn't accept, so he summoned his last reserves of strength, attempting a final gamble.

The last grenade...!

Digging deep into his endurance reserves, he forced himself to stand up, groaning in pain, urging his trembling legs to move. Most normally constituted men wouldn't have been able to overcome the pain, but he was not just anyone; he was a prodigy, the future number 1. He wouldn't lose and would prove his superiority.

"Young Bakugo, that's enough! You can't use that technique in your condition, you'd endanger your classmates!" All Might yelled through the earpiece.

Bringing his hand to the grenade, his epic scream tore through the sky and alerted Nejire that he was indeed not completely defeated. She watched him pull the pin from his weapon and she smiled with an arrogance he could no longer stand, then the explosion was directed straight at her and her grounded classmates.

Nejire was honestly very surprised and respected her opponent's determination to win, but this was just an exercise, and endangering classmates for that... was laughable. She grabbed the two knocked-out first-years and flew as far away as she could, however, her speed was reduced while carrying three weights, the two students plus the dummy...

A significant portion of the explosion grazed her right leg as she threw the students to the ground with the fake hostage. The pain was significant, but she had already seen much worse, she quickly recovered and retrieved the hostage, while Bakugo fell to the ground after his last stand.

She flew up and examined her leg, it was nothing serious, but the power of this first-year was impressive, she had to admit. She was curious to know exactly how his power worked and how he had charged his grenades.

Suddenly, as she tried to regain the top of the fake bank, an attack came at her, but it wasn't physical, it was... sound! The onset of the attack took her by surprise and she quickly covered her ears.

Here were the other students waiting for their chance... It was the right choice, but she was still more than capable of defending herself, and a minor injury wasn't going to bother her.

The green-haired boy stepped forward, a nervous smile on his lips. It was Midoriya, the boy Gohan had mentioned that morning. He thrust his fist forward, and to her surprise, his index finger lit up with a brilliant color, then a huge gust of wind pushed her backward, towards a building.

She was breathless for a moment, but her stamina was considerable, so she quickly recovered enough to see the new combo attack coming from behind her. An adhesive tape tried to wrap around her to hold her captive, but she quickly gained the upper hand in her situation.

Using her power, she dodged the attack, then flew towards Hanta Sero, who was caught off guard by his failure, thinking he had delivered the victorious blow.

Nejire didn't know the guy's power, but she had a bad feeling; her opponents had observed her and prepared a plan to push her here. She needed to step back and attack them afterward. She grabbed Sero by the collar of his costume and flew up about ten meters.

She could play the villain in this exercise, and these first years were very impressive; she had to get serious! "Sorry," she said to the boy she was holding, who seemed visibly shocked, hesitating to use his power.

Nejire sighed. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, we're fifteen meters above the ground. If I fall, so do you, and I doubt you can use your tape as a grappling hook in time. By the way, how does it work exactly?" she asked with a friendly smile that surprised poor Sero, who didn't know what to think.

"Uh... Well... my adhesive tapes stick and are used for capture," he said simply, trapped with her, and frankly, he didn't think his team was going to win against her...

"Oh, that's why your elbows are strange!" she exclaimed before looking at what was happening above.

The remaining capable students had regrouped, including Midoriya, who was holding his finger, wincing. Her smile turned sadder, and she decided to end it so the boy could go to the infirmary.

It was a very interesting and enriching exercise, but it was time. She inhaled, feeling in top form. She reached for her belt and pulled out a pair of handcuffs with which she put Sero out of action.

She then moved towards a nearby roof and placed the boy down. "See you!" she said before propelling herself towards the group of students.

Jiro and Midoriya looked at each other, and the boy nodded while the young woman was uncertain. Nejire couldn't hear them talking from this distance, but she understood that Izuku wanted to use his self-destructive power to hurt her, or at least to make her commit a mistake.

Unfortunately for him, Nejire had faced several villains and undergone far more extreme training exercises; she wouldn't stress about it. She focused and sliced through the air with all the speed she possessed, then skimmed the ground, heading towards Jiro.

The girl's sound power could be very dangerous and surprising, so she would put an end to it before Kyoka could use her abilities again.

Rapidly, Hado used a shockwave that slammed Jiro against a nearby wall while Midoriya dodged the rest by pure reflex. The boy extended his hand towards her, and his middle finger lit up, clearly signaling his intentions, but the young heroine was ready.

She waited until he used his power at the last moment and used a shockwave to propel herself to the side, then, using the momentum, she threw herself at Midoriya and pinned him to the ground. She secured her victory by handcuffing him, while she could hear Sato rushing towards her at full speed.

She quickly got up, jumping to her feet. Nejire winced because of the burn, but she endured it; there were more important things, she wanted to test the power of the boy in the yellow suit, who was the last one still able to fight.

He swung his massive fist at an impressive speed, and she dodged to the side, taking the brief respite to catch her breath. He ran towards her again, attempting a roundhouse kick, but she jumped over it and pointed her hand at his chest.

A mini whirlwind formed there, and she released her most powerful shockwave possible to knock him out. The poor boy took the hit and flew through a nearby window. He was defeated.

Nejire smiled and joyously applauded her victory. It was more challenging than she had initially thought; this class had great potential!

"Exercise duration: 4 minutes and 12 seconds. Nejire Hado is the winner!"

Nejire glanced at the dummy she had left on the roof with disqualified Sero and retrieved it to hand it over to the next group.

Observation room:

All the 1-A students were buzzing, shocked by the images broadcasted on the giant screen. Kirishima exhaled, "That was ultra manly... Bakugo was defeated so easily."

Iida coughed into his hand. "Our senior's superiority was evident. She could have ended the fight very early given her power, but she decided to drag it out to face them all."

Gohan was a bit further back in the room, feeling mixed. Nejire's performance was good, and she was more or less serious, even if she had underestimated Bakugo. She only had a minor burn on her leg and had easily defeated all the others, fighting with sublime grace.

Her combat style was very fluid, and her aerial control was very impressive, even for him, who had seen and fought in the air on numerous occasions. Nejire had her own fighting style, and Gohan had never been able to teach her anything about it because, honestly, she was already doing very well.

It was a pleasure to watch her fight, and he had analyzed everything he could, although he couldn't help but wince when she was injured on the foot. Bakugo's attack was well placed but far too dangerous for an exercise, plus he could have hit those who were already KO.

Gohan turned to his armored friend. "You're mistaken, Iida, she was serious... most of the time. She played the exercise's game to face them all one-on-one, but even if she was objectively stronger than all of them combined, she had some difficulties."

Tenya pondered his words while Team 1 and Nejire returned to the room. She floated slightly, not wanting to walk on her burned foot, but behind her, the students limped or held their backs hunched over, or in Bakugo's case, was carried to the infirmary.

Gohan waved at Midoriya, who was holding his broken fingers in a lot of pain. Izuku returned a weak smile and then looked down at the floor a bit later, imitating the others.

It was a resounding defeat for them, despite their overwhelming numerical superiority. They had learned the hard way how much stronger others could be and how much they could improve by training seriously.

It was a priceless lesson, but accepting and learning from it was a complicated matter. Bakugo had faced his first real defeat and would confront the consequences upon waking. As for Izuku, despite all his efforts and strategy, he ended up being defeated without being able to give his all...

"Good!" declared All Might, his usual smile dimming as his blue eyes fell on Izuku. A hint of sadness, even guilt, crossed him, but he smiled again and looked straight ahead, facing his students. "I want to congratulate you for your efforts, my young aspirants! Even though you lost, you have not failed; you can hold your heads high and learn from your duel against Miss Hado. Now, can someone explain what their mistake was?"

Yaoyorozu raised her hand and spoke quickly. "While using a group as a distraction wasn't a bad idea, especially given the aerial capabilities, I still think it wasn't the right strategy against our senior. The problem was that no one except Bakugo could attack in the air, perhaps Fumikage could have, but the distance was too great, and Hado's speed prevented it. I think they should have given their all in trying to retrieve the dummy rather than targeting Hado directly."

Toshinori remained silent for a second, surprised by the young woman's intelligence. She had understood and explained the essence, to the point that he had nothing more to say. "Well, excellent answer. Any questions?"

Noting the silence, the hero nodded, satisfied. "Perfect, then it's time for the second match to begin!"

To be continued…

A/N : Thank you for your reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to leave your thoughts in a review! The next chapter will be released on March 14th, resuming the Thursday releases. I was supposed to post this chapter two days ago, but life got in the way, so we're getting back to the usual publication rhythm. We have about 10 chapters left before catching up with the French version, so let's enjoy the accelerated release pace together.

See ya next week !

Majin Gaetan23