Ch. 18: Battle Trials (Part 1)
It was the second day of school and the school year had officially begun. And as for the Hero Course students, they were currently in English class with Present Mic. Just an average, normal high school class.
"Now, which of these four sentences contains a mistake?" Present Mic asked as he turned to the class.
1. {The man whom I respect most is my father.}
2. {That is the house in which he lived.}
3. {I well remember the day on which we both met.}
4. {Please tell me that all you know.}
'So boring…' Mina, Denki, and Kyoka thought with tired looks.
'This really sucks.' Katsuki thought, wanting to just hurry up and get to the only class that really mattered.
"Hey everybody! Look alive! Grammar rules!" Present Mic tried to get the class more motivated.
Momo then raised her hand to answer the question.
"Hanakai! Lay it on us!"
At lunchtime, the students were able to buy pretty tasty meals on the cheap, courtesy of the Cook Hero: Lunch Rush. Izuku, Eijiro, Mina, Ochaco, and Tenya sat at a table where they were visited by said Hero, leading to Izuku gushing at seeing him in person.
"White rice is the perfect comfort food, isn't it?"
"Mm-hmm. This is super good," Ochaco nodded while eating some white rice.
Soon, Lunch Rush left, and they were joined by Asia, Itsuka, Rias, Akeno, Yumi, and Chacha.
"So, how is the Hero Course treating you so far?" Rias asked, occupying the seat next to Izuku.
"I-It's surprisingly like n-normal school so far," Izuku replied.
"Ditto for us," Itsuka added. "Except for the part where our teachers are Pro Heroes."
As the Hero Course students discussed what their afternoon might be like, Rias suddenly held up a fork with an octopus sausage at the end. "Oh, Izuku. Open up."
Izuku blushed slightly as he opened his mouth to allow Rias to feed him the sausage. As he chewed the sausage, he noticed a mischievous glint in Rias's eyes. Then it hit him. The fork she used to feed him. The one she made sure touched his lips. It was the fork she had been using! She just pulled an indirect kiss trick on him!
Izuku's eyes then wandered to Asia and Chacha, who had stopped eating to glare enviously at Rias before offering him some of their own food as well. Mina grinned giddily at seeing a love fight go down, while Tenya tried to calm the two jealous girls down. Ochaco, on the other hand, felt something weird. She didn't know why, but seeing Gremory give Deku an indirect kiss upset her for some reason.
In the afternoon, after all the normal classes were over, it was finally time for the class that the 1-A students were waiting for: Hero Basic Training. They sat in the classroom, waiting patiently for their instructor to arrive.
"I. AM. HERE!" A booming voice that the students all recognized got their attention, especially Izuku's. "COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A HERO!"
As the door swung open, All Might entered the room, his glorious titanic figure gazing down upon the future Heroes while his cape bellowed forward to add dramatics to his entrance.
"I can't believe it's really All Might!" Denki said in excitement.
"Japan's #1 Hero!" Dani shouted.
"To think, All Might would be teaching us. Such an honor!" Ethel said.
"Hey, look. Is he wearing his Silver Age costume?" Tsuyu noted.
All Might's Silver Age costume consisted of a skintight bodysuit that had a red upper half and a blue lower half with white markings on the chest and stripes that ran down his sides. He also wore yellow boots, belt, and braces, and flowing down his back was a majestic blue cape with a red inside.
As All Might marched heroically to the desk, the students continued to admire his awe-inspiring presence.
"I'm getting goosebumps. It's so retro," Ojiro stared in awe.
"Welcome to the most important class at U.A. High! Think of it as Heroing 101! Here you will learn the basics of being a Pro! And what it means to fight in the name of Good!" All Might said while striking heroic poses. "Let's get into it!" He then took out a card which had "BATTLE" written on it in big red letters. "Today's lesson… will pull no punches!"
"Fight training!" Katsuki said with a maniacal grin.
"Real combat?" Izuku asked.
"But one of the keys to being a Hero is… Looking good!" As All Might dramatically pointed to the left wall, four slots opened up to reveal suitcases labeled from 1 to 24. "These were designed for you based on your Quirk Registration forms, and the requests you sent in before school started."
The students became excited at the thought of being able to wear their costumes; they could hardly contain it, some even leaping out of their seats.
"Costumes…" Izuku muttered, recalling the one his mother made for him.
"Get yourselves suited up. Then meet me at Training Ground Beta!" All Might instructed.
"YES, SIR!"
Meanwhile, over at Class 1-B, the students were waiting with anticipation for their own instructor to arrive.
"I'm feeling so anxious waiting. What will we be doing today?" Asia fidgeted.
"Ah, no need to get your tail in a twist. I'm sure whatever we're doing won't be that intense," Setsuna reassured.
"I'm ready for whatever manly lesson coming our way today!" Tetsutetsu declared.
Then, the door opened and the instructor walked in. He was a muscular man with spiky, light brown hair, golden eyes, a thin beard, and a scar over his left eye. He wore a black coat with blue patterning over a gray compression shirt, black pants, and a belt. "Evening. The name's Rex Azurda, also known as Aegis Hero: Blades. Your gym teacher. And today, you'll be taking part in some good old sparring sessions!"
"Sparring, huh?" Togaru smirked excitedly.
"Sir, is the other class doing the same thing?" Monoma asked.
"They will tomorrow. Right now, they're having Battle Trials with All Might. And before you say anything, this was decided randomly through draws, so don't go accusing us of playing favorites, or blaming Class A," Blades said. "And of course, you'll get to have him as your teacher tomorrow while Class A will be with me."
"That seems fair. Understood, sir," Monoma responded somewhat hesitantly.
"Good. Now, get your gym uniforms and let's meet in the fields. I'll explain more when we're there."
After a few minutes, Class 1-B was out in the fields, right where Class 1-A had their Quirk Assessment Test.
"Okay, looks like everyone's here. Now let me explain how this will go," Blades then turned to the large ring behind him. "It'll be a one-on-one fight inside that ring. Immobilize your opponents, make them surrender, or throw them out, whichever you choose. But the most important thing is that Quirks are forbidden. The purpose of this training is to focus on your own natural physical abilities rather than what you can do with your Quirks. There may be a time when your Quirk becomes unreliable due to situations where using your Quirks can be detrimental or facing an opponent whose Quirk can counter yours. Plus, for those who fight melee style, you can figure out ways to improve your skills. So…" He then pulled out a small box. "Let's draw numbers to pair you guys up."
Meanwhile, at Training Ground Beta, All Might waited for the students to arrive. He didn't have to wait for much longer before the first few students walked in, followed by the rest, dressed in their brand-new costumes. Some were flashy and attention-grabbing; others leaned more to the practical and simple side. Before enrolling at U.A., the students submitted Quirk registration forms, along with physical measurements and desired costume designs, which were then designed into costumes by exclusive clothing companies designated by the school.
"They say that clothes make the Pros, young ladies and gentlemen. And behold, you are the proof! Take this to heart. From now on, YOU are all… Heroes-in-training!" All Might addressed the students. "This is getting me all ramped up; you all look so cool! Now, shall we get started? Ya bunch of newbies?"
All Might then noticed one student among them whose costume caught his attention; it was Izuku. His costume was a light green full-body jumpsuit with a red belt, black elbow and knee pads, white gloves, and his usual red shoes. He had a mask with two protrusions and a respirator that resembled smiling teeth.
All Might easily figured out that those two features were supposed to look like his signature bangs and smile. 'That kid's so obvious!' All Might turned his face away while covering his mouth to prevent himself from laughing out loud.
"Hey, Deku!" Ochaco called.
"Uraraka-" Izuku replied back, only to suddenly erupt into a faint blush.
"I love your costume. Not too flashy, y'know?" Ochaco's costume consisted of a mostly black bodysuit with a pale pink design down the middle of her torso with two black circles on her chest. She also wore a pale pink belt, spherical wrist guards that had a dark pink handle each, knee-high boots with magenta soles, and lastly, a helmet with a tinted visor. The skintight costume really emphasized her curves. "I should've been more specific about what I wanted. This bodysuit is skintight. Not really my style."
"Hey, Midoriya!" Mina's voice called out as she and Eijiro approached Izuku and Ochaco.
"Oh hey, Kirishima, Ashi-" Izuku's voice got cut short at seeing Mina's costume. It mainly consisted of a turquoise and purple camo bodysuit that went halfway above her breasts, showing some cleavage. Over this was an unbuttoned cropped, sleeveless tan-colored waistcoat with white fur along its collar. She wore a plain white mask over her eyes and plum violet and beige acid-proof boots with holes in the soles, allowing her to secrete acid from her feet to slide around.
"Whaddaya think? Screams 'me,' doesn't it?" Mina asked.
"U-Uh, yeah… It's something," Izuku awkwardly replied, trying to hide his growing blush.
"Well, what about mine? Isn't it manly?" Eijiro was shirtless and wore baggy black pants with a red half cape with a ripped hem, along with a belt that had an "R" set into its center. There was a jagged sash going from his left shoulder down to his right hip. He also wore two dark red gear-shaped shoulder pads and dark red boots with thick rings around his calves. Lastly, on his face, a black face guard reached from just above his hairline to below his jaw, an extra piece going over the bridge of his nose, and some spiked pieces around his mouth that resembled little fangs. Overall, he looked somewhat like an Oni.
"Oh yeah! It looks manly for sure!" Ochaco replied.
"Hey, great costumes, you guys!" Tomoe's voice caused the four to turn to see her and Momo walking up to them. Izuku's face went completely red at the sight, specifically Momo.
Tomoe wore a bodysuit that was pale blue in front and dark blue at the back, with elbow-length sleeves and short pant legs that went midway down her thighs. There were black markings on her chest and pelvis that resembled a bikini. She had on black gloves and boots, along with dark blue circular elbow guards.
Momo's costume was a sleeveless crimson leotard with a silver trim. It exposed a lot of skin at the front, from her neck area down to her belly button. She sported calf-length crimson boots with heels, which dipped sharply down in the center, and two gold utility belts around her waist, along with a smaller one wrapped below her shoulders.
"Wow, girl. That costume's a pretty bold one!" Mina said to Momo, checking out how much her costume showed off.
"Well, it wasn't exactly my first choice," Momo said, slightly embarrassed. "To make use of my Quirk, I need exposed skin…"
Nearby, Mineta turned around and made a thumbs-up. "I love this school."
"Now that you're ready, it's time for Combat Training!" All Might announced, getting everyone's attention.
"Sir!" Tenya raised his hand. "This is the fake city from our entrance exam. Does that mean that we'll be conducting urban battles again?"
"Not quite!" All Might replied, holding up two fingers. "I'm going to move you two steps ahead. Most of the Villain fights you see on the news take place outside. However, statistically speaking, run-ins with the most dastardly evildoers take place indoors. Think about it: backroom deals, home invasions, secret underground lairs. Truly intelligent criminals stay hidden in the shadows. For this trainee exercise, you will be split into teams of good guys and bad guys, and fight two-on-two indoor battles!"
Tsuyu was quick to voice her thoughts. "Isn't this a little advanced?"
"The best training is what you get on the battlefield," All Might explained. "But remember, you can't just punch a robot this time. You're dealing with actual people now!"
"Sir, will you be the one deciding who wins?" Momo questioned, getting right to the point.
"How much can we hurt the other teams?" Katsuki asked with a scowl.
"Do we need to worry about the losers getting expelled like earlier?" Ochaco asked nervously.
"Will you be splitting us up based on chance or comparative skill?" Tenya inquired, bringing up a good point.
"Isn't this cape très chic?" Yuga asked a completely irrelevant question.
"I wasn't finished talking…" All Might groaned. He then took out a pamphlet. "LISTEN UP!"
'A script!' Izuku noted.
[So he needs a cheat sheet?] Ddraig asked, amused, which Izuku chose to ignore.
"The situation is this! The Villains have hidden a nuclear missile somewhere in their hideout! The Heroes must try to foil their plans! To do that, the good guys either have to catch the evildoers, or recover the weapon! Likewise, the bad guys succeed if they protect their payload or capture the Heroes."
'Sounds like a classic action movie setup,' Izuku compared.
"Time's limited, and we'll choose teams by drawing lots!"
Tenya was skeptical about using this method. "Isn't there a better way?"
"Think about it. Pros often have to team up with Heroes from other agencies on the spot," Izuku spoke up. "So maybe that's the reason why we're seeing that here."
"Yes, I see. Life IS a random series of events," Tenya conceded before bowing to All Might. "Excuse my rudeness."
"No sweat. Let's draw!" All Might brushed it aside.
Soon, the class of twenty-four was split into twelve teams of two.
Team A: Izuku Midoriya & Ochaco Uraraka
Team B: Shoto Todoroki & Mezo Shoji
Team C: Momo Hanakai & Hilda Shirakabe
Team D: Katsuki Bakugo & Tenya Iida
Team E: Dani Fenton & Hanta Sero
Team F: Yuga Aoyama & Koji Koda
Team G: Mina Ashido & Denki Kaminari
Team H: Ethel Ginzan & Tsuyu Asui
Team I: Mashirao Ojiro & Toru Hagakure
Team J: Eijiro Kirishima & Minoru Mineta
Team K: Kyoka Jiro & Tomoe Meguri
Team L: Fumikage Tokoyami & Rikido Sato
"It's not fair! There's ten babes in this class and I didn't get paired with any of them!" Mineta hissed.
"Wow! What are the chances? We're a team!" Ochaco excitedly said to her partner.
"Uh, yeah! Hooray!" Izuku tried sounding excited while hiding his bashfulness.
"I declare that the first teams to fight will be…" All Might said as he reached into two boxes labeled "Hero" and "Villain." "THESE GUYS!" He pulled out balls labeled A and D respectively. "Team A will be the Heroes! Team D will be the Villains! Everyone else can head to the monitoring room to watch."
"Yes, sir!" The class minus Teams A and D responded before making their way to said room.
Izuku's eyes wandered over to Katsuki, who had a nasty scowl directed at him. Izuku, however, clenched his fist and returned a defiant frown, to Katsuki's surprise before he scowled harder.
All Might then led the two teams to a designated building where their battle would take place.
"Bad guys, you can go on in and get set up. In five minutes, the good guys will be let loose and the battle will start," All Might instructed Team D. "Young Iida, Young Bakugo, the key to being successful in this challenge is to embody Villainy. Think from the perspective of an evildoer."
"Got it!" Tenya responded as he started heading in.
Before entering the building, Katsuki turned to look at Izuku one last time, gritting his teeth.
"If things go too far, I'll step in."
"Understood," Tenya said.
"Even though this is training, it pains me to be aligned with criminal behavior," Tenya said as he inspected the bomb. "So this is the weapon we must protect." He then gave a few poundings, and the hollow thunks it made revealed it was empty inside. "Fake, of course."
"Hey…" Katsuki said, getting his teammate's attention. "Do you really think Deku has a Quirk?"
"You saw what he did during the Assessment Test. He even managed to get third place doing so," Tenya replied, making Katsuki angry. "Why is it that you seem to be especially angry when it comes to Midoriya?"
'Was he seriously just tricking me all these years?!' Rage started building up inside Katsuki. 'I'm gonna roast that damn nerd today!'
Outside, Izuku and Ochaco were looking over a pamphlet that had the building layouts.
"You think they expect us to memorize this building's floor plan? It's so big," Ochaco commented. "You know All Might's just as cool in person as he is on television. I'm glad he's not threatening us with some kind of punishment like Mr. Aizawa. We can relax."
However, Izuku was too focused on trying to formulate a plan to hear what she said. "I'm sorry. I kinda didn't catch that," Izuku admitted. "We're up against Kacchan. Plus, there's Iida too. We should be on our guard, who knows what they'll pull."
"Oh right, Bakugo. He's the one always making fun of you," Ochaco said somberly.
"And he's amazing…" Izuku began. "He can be a real pain, sure; but his strength, and confidence, and his ambition. Not to mention, his Quirk. But that just means I have to do better." He then put on his respirator with a determined look. "I refuse to lose today!"
Ochaco saw the fire in Izuku's eyes and smiled. "So it's a fated battle between rivals?"
"O-Oh, not that I'm trying to get you wrapped up in my fight or anything!" Izuku muttered.
"Are you kidding? We're a team, let's win this!" Ochaco said while raising a fist into the air. Seeing Ochaco's positive energy, Izuku smiled back.
["Alright! Let's begin the indoor combat training!"] All Might's voice came over the loudspeaker. ["Team A and Team D! Your time starts now!"]
In the monitoring room, All Might and the rest of the class had their eyes on the giant screen displaying various locations inside and outside the building.
"Pay attention, kids. Think about what you would do," All Might instructed. He then put on an earpiece to talk and listen to the current participants.
Izuku and Ochaco snuck into the building through a window.
"Just like that, we're in," Ochaco whispered.
"Careful. There are a lot of blind spots," Izuku warned.
The duo looked around, wandering the halls in search of the weapon. Then they eventually came across a corner before a dark hallway. When it seemed the coast was clear, they proceeded ahead, keeping their eyes wide open just in case.
Then, just when they passed another corner, Katsuki jumped out in an ambush, an explosion ready in his hand. Izuku quickly pulled Ochaco to the side as Katsuki set off the explosion.
"Uraraka, you okay?" He had lost half of his mask thanks to that explosion.
"I'm fine. Thanks," Ochaco replied, then she noticed Izuku's ruined mask. "Deku!"
"It's just my mask," he reassured.
Then, from the smoke, Katsuki wiped the smoke away, standing with a menacing frown. "What's the matter, Deku? Afraid to stand up to fight me?"
"I knew you'd come at me first. I figured you'd try to catch me by surprise," Izuku replied as he got back up on his feet.
"He almost got the jump on him!" Mineta commented.
"Sneak attack, Bakugo? What kinda man pulls cheap crap like that?!" Eijiro asked while punching the palm of his hand.
"It's a viable strategy," All Might countered. "He's playing the part, acting like a true villain would."
"It didn't work! Midoriya dodged it!" Mina pumped her fists in excitement.
"Look, there he goes!" Denki exclaimed, bringing everyone's attention back to the screen.
"I won't hurt ya so bad they'll have to stop the fight! JUST CLOSE!" Katsuki raised his fist back for a right hook as he rushed at Izuku.
However, Izuku managed to intercept it and grabbed Katsuki's arm. Then Izuku twisted his body to the side to flip Katsuki over his shoulder and slammed him onto the floor on his back.
"Kacchan… You always use a big right hook to start a fight," Izuku said. "I know because I've watched you for years. I analyzed every amazing Hero, even you. I wanted to learn everything I could about them. It was all in the notebook you burned and threw away." He's referring to Hero Analysis for the Future No. 13, which Kacchan had once gotten his hands on. "You can call me Deku, but I'm not the same helpless, defenseless kid anymore. You hear me?! I've changed!" Izuku then summoned his Boosted Gear. "From now on, DEKU IS THE NAME OF A HERO!"
Hearing this, Ochaco recalled the words she said to him yesterday.
"But you know what? I like Deku. It could make a great Hero name! Plus, I think it sounds kinda cute."
Katsuki then got up before lighting a few small explosions in his hands as he scowled at Izuku. "Deku…" The face he saw was different from back when they were children. Now the damn nerd's face was full of defiance! "You wanna fight? Then fine! I'LL DESTROY YOU, DEKUU!"
Then suddenly, Tenya's voice came through Katsuki's earpiece. ["Bakugo! Come in! Give me a status report! Where are you?!"]
"Just shut up and defend the weapon! I've got more important things to worry about!"
Tenya was not pleased with that response. "Are you forgetting what our mission is?" No response. "Hello? He hung up on me! This isn't the time for radio silence! We're supposed to be partners! Ugh!"
Back with the rest of the class, all they saw was Bakugo talking inaudibly as he stood facing Midoriya.
"Hey, who is Bakugo talking to?" Eijiro asked. "I'm not hearing anything. Can we get any sound with this video?"
"He's got a radio in his ear, so he can talk with his partner," All Might explained as he revealed his own. "I gave it to him before the match started, along with a map of the building. Also, this." He then pulled out a roll of white tape. "A roll of Capture Tape! Wrapping this around your opponent means that you've apprehended them, and they're out for the rest of the game."
"So there's a 15-minute time limit and the good guys have no idea what floor the nuclear weapon is hidden on, right?" Mina pondered.
"Correct!" All Might confirmed.
"Then the Heroes are clearly at a disadvantage here! A big one!"
"Real pros have to outwit Villains on a daily basis. That's life!" All Might explained. "Even when the odds aren't in our favor, we fight!"
The students were filled with awe at All Might's inspirational words.
"All together…" All Might began. "LET'S HEAR A PLUS ULTRA!" All Might and the students all said at once.
"Monsieur!" Yuga spoke up. "He is on the move."
Hearing this, All Might turned his attention back to the screen.
Katsuki pulled his arm back to ready another explosion. Seeing this, Izuku called out to his partner. "Uraraka! Go!"
As Katsuki shot himself toward Izuku with an explosion, Ochaco ran off, leaving Izuku behind.
As Katsuki got in close, he threw a kick at the side of Izuku's head, who blocked it using his arms. "Ballsy move! Think you can take me alone?!" But then, Katsuki felt something around his leg as he noticed what Izuku was currently doing. 'He's using the Capture Tape!'
Izuku thought back to one of his previous Hero Notebooks which had an entry on Eraserhead, whose move Izuku was emulating thanks to having seen him in action the day before. 'What will Kacchan do now? Knowing him, he'll be impatient… and try another big punch!'
Then, Katsuki did exactly as Izuku anticipated, and the latter leaped to the side to dodge the explosive attack.
'I was right!'
[Boost!]
After powering himself up, Izuku then countered Katsuki with a punch of his own, striking him in the gut, and causing him to cringe in pain.
"The little guy's really good!" Rikido said in amazement.
"He almost got him out right then and there!" Hanta added.
'Not surprising. Considering how quickly he reacted during the Entrance Exam…' All Might thought back to when Izuku acted to save Ochaco from the Zero-Pointer.
Katsuki quickly recovered from that blow as Izuku held his guard up. 'He kicked first this time. He's switching things up so I can't predict his moves. Does that mean he's worried? No time to worry about that now!'
"Dragon Shot!" Izuku fired a bright green energy ball at Katsuki, who proceeded to retaliate with one of his explosions, causing a smokescreen.
As Katsuki swiped the smoke and dust away, he noticed Izuku flying above him on his wings, shooting him a glance before flying off, leaving Katsuki behind.
"Get back here, Deku!" Katsuki demanded as he ran after Izuku.
'It'll be harder to fight him at close range now. I need some time to come up with another plan…' Izuku mentally said.
Katsuki went all over the building looking for Izuku, and the more he looked without finding Deku, the angrier he got. "DAMMIT! YOU WERE TRICKING ME FOR YEARS BY ACTING WEAK! AND YOU'VE BEEN LAUGHING BEHIND MY BACK, HUH?!" He was so loud that Izuku could still audibly hear it as he ran. "SO WHERE'S THAT FLASHY POWER OF YOURS NOW!?"
This caused Izuku to cringe.
[Is that what he thinks?] Ddraig questioned.
"Let's see how it compares to mine!" Katsuki started lighting mini-explosions in his hands. "QUIRK, OR NO, YOU'LL NEVER BEAT ME, DEKU!"
"That guy has some real anger issues, it's kinda scary," Denki commented.
'I can tell Young Bakugo thinks highly of himself, but this level of pride is something else. It may end up being his demise.' All Might noted as he observed Katsuki's single-minded fixation to find Izuku.
Izuku, meanwhile, was looking out for Katsuki. His plan was working well so far as by making Kacchan focus on him, he probably forgot about Uraraka. He could trust her to find the weapon, now it was a matter of getting back to her so they could secure the weapon. However, the sounds of explosions reminded him that Kacchan was a major obstacle.
If Izuku went after the weapon now, Kacchan would follow him. And if he and Uraraka tried to take him on together, that would've wasted time. So the best course of action now was to capture Kacchan and then meet up with his partner so that they could team up for a two-on-one fight against Iida. He would be on his own, but he should be good as long as he didn't get too close to Kacchan's hands. No pressure!
Meanwhile, Ochaco found the weapon, and Tenya, who was keeping an eye on it. 'Found it! Now I just have to tell Deku, and try my best to stay out of sight until he gets up here.' She was about to radio him until she overheard Tenya talking to himself.
"Bakugo definitely has a villainous side, and that's exactly what we need to succeed in this mission," he stated. "Hmm. I need to temporarily devote myself to criminal intent. Yes. I won't fail this trial and risk bringing shame down on the Iida family name. That means, I must now embrace evil, to become a Hero." With that oxymoronic realization in mind, Tenya gave his best Villain impression. "Behold. I am the personification of Villainy."
Ochaco actually found this pretty funny and let out a small laugh. 'He's so serious!'
Unfortunately, it was still big enough to give herself away.
"Hmm? Uraraka, is that you?" Tenya questioned, making his voice sound like one of those criminal masterminds.
Realizing that she was busted, Ochaco sheepishly stepped out into the open.
"I knew you would come here alone, the instant that Bakugo ran off by himself and engaged with Midoriya," Tenya monologued. "Your Quirk allows you to float anything that you touch. But I've prepared for that, by hiding every object in this room, so you have nothing to use against me, Do-gooder!" He said, presenting the room which was completely devoid of all objects other than the weapon. "My dastardly tricks have rendered you helpless!" He continued monologuing to Ochaco, who was just frozen in place by pure confusion. "You've blundered, Hero! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"He really is… playing the part," Ochaco mumbled to herself.
In the monitoring room, the class was currently paying attention to Ochaco and Tenya. Without sound for context, it looked like Ochaco somehow gave herself away and Tenya was acting like a madman.
"Is Iida okay? He looks like he's gone crazy," Tomoe commented.
"Not to worry, Young Meguri. Young Iida's simply playing the part of a diabolical mastermind. And quite theatrically, at that," All Might reassured.
"Then what happened with Ochaco?" Dani asked.
"Well. It seems she found Iida's performance so hilarious that she couldn't help herself," All Might said.
Izuku was currently watching out for Katsuki when Ochaco radioed him.
["Um, Deku?"]
"I'm here. How's it going?" Izuku replied.
"Iida knows that I'm here. Sorry. Right now he's monologuing." As she said this, Tenya continued his evil laugh while praising himself for being a mastermind.
["Where are you?"] Izuku asked.
["Near the middle of the fifth floor."] Ochaco responded.
"Right above me." Izuku realized, looking up. 'We probably don't have much time left now. We have to finish this fast or they win.' Then, he held the Capture Tape tightly in his hands. 'I won't give up yet! I can capture Kacchan! I won't lose!'
Unfortunately, Katsuki had found him first. "I'm all loaded up." He said with one of his grenade gauntlets flashing red.
"What does that mean?" Izuku asked.
"Why aren't you using your fancy Quirk? Don't tell me you're underestimating me Deku," Katsuki goaded. The sinister smile on his face hinted that he had something planned. "Get over here and show me what you're really made of."
With the Capture Tape in hand, Izuku turned and faced his opponent, ready for round two. "Kacchan, I'm not scared of you anymore!"
Katsuki started getting angry, but he managed to calm himself down and his grimace changed into a grin. "Since you're such a stalker, by now you probably know how my Quirk, Explosion works. I secrete nitroglycerin-like sweat from my hands and make it blow up. Imagine what I could do if I had a LOT of it." He continued speaking, as he pulled the giant pin on his gauntlet to reveal a smaller pin, gearing himself up for something big. "That's right. These gauntlets aren't just for show! They've been storing up my sweat inside for one monster blast!" He put his finger on the pin and aimed at Izuku with a look to kill.
'No! He's going too far!' All Might also realized what Katsuki was going to do. "Young Bakugo! Don't do it! YOU'LL KILL HIM!"
"He'll be fine as long as he dodges!" Katsuki shouted, making it sound like it was no big deal.
[He's lost it!]
Katsuki let it rip, causing a trail of explosions, almost as big as the entire hallway, to shoot toward Izuku, who could only brace himself for impact.
*KA-BOOM!*
The entire building shook from the explosion, catching the two upstairs by surprise. Even the rest of the class could feel the force of the blast all the way from the monitoring room.
"Woah! This is nuts!" Eijiro shouted.
"Hey! Midoriya's okay, right?" Mina asked.
"Come in!" All Might said into the mic. "Come in, Midoriya!"
"Bakugo, answer me!" Tenya was trying to contact Katsuki. "What is going on down there?! Did you cause that blast?!"
While Tenya was preoccupied, Ochaco saw her chance to go for the bomb.
However, Tenya noticed her running and ran to stop her. "Not so fast, Hero!"
Ochaco used her Quirk on herself and jumped over Tenya, floating straight towards the bomb. 'I just have to touch the weapon! In one move, this will all be over!' She then deactivated her Quirk to let herself fall toward the weapon.
However, Tenya activated his engines to speed toward the payload to grab and move it to another spot before Ochaco could lay her fingers on it, causing her to roll into a wall, losing her headgear in the process.
"Admirable attempt!" Tenya acknowledged. "But your Quirk is no threat if you can't touch anything. I can easily keep this weapon out of your reach until time runs out! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Ochaco looked a bit sick, but she was still determined to continue the attempt, despite being at a complete disadvantage. 'It's not over. I won't let Deku down!'
From the smoke, Katsuki walked out chuckling like a madman. "These are awesome. The more nitro-sweat that's stored in these gauntlets, the stronger the explosion is." The other one then flashed red, meaning that it was charged up as well. "Where are you, Deku? Don't tell me you've given up already?" No response. He looked around for the green-haired boy to no avail. "WHERE ARE YOU, DEKU?! SHOW YOURSELF!"
"I'm right here, Kacchan…" Izuku's voice came from above as he flew down to deliver a punch, sending Katsuki flying into a wall.
Izuku's mask had been completely burnt away and his right sleeve was reduced to elbow-length. In addition, his wings also had some burn marks on them.
[Smart move using your wings to shield yourself from that blast. His explosions could give Riser's Queen a run for her money.]
'My thoughts exactly…'
["Bakugo! Use that stored-up power again and I'll stop this fight! Your team will lose!"]
"HUH?!" Katsuki responded in indignation.
["To employ such a strong attack indoors is inviting the destruction of the stronghold you should be protecting. That's a poor strategy! Whether you're a Hero or a Villain! The penalty will be a massive loss of points!"]
Katsuki, frustrated by this new restriction placed on him, decided to take it out on the nerd in front of him, who was ignoring him, infuriating him even further. "Fine then! WE'LL FIGHT HAND-TO-HAND!" He then used his explosions to launch himself at Izuku while pulling his arm back.
Izuku, who was communicating with Ochaco, was a little too slow to notice Katsuki and accidentally stepped on an unstable part of the floor, leaving him a sitting duck. 'It's no good! I can't dodge this!' However, he was far from defenseless as he clenched his fist tight. 'I'll have to counterattack!'
Katsuki noticed this, and right as Izuku swung his arm forward, he set off an explosion to fake out Izuku with a smokescreen and blast himself above him and then set off a second explosion to stop his momentum. He then primed a third explosion to hit Izuku, but the latter managed to react in time to avoid it.
Izuku then fired a Dragon Shot at Katsuki, who once again used his explosions to propel himself out of the attack's path.
"Nice one, Midoriya!" Mina cheered.
"Bakugo's pretty good too," Ojiro added.
"He doesn't come off as a guy with a strategy, but he's actually quite intelligent," Shoto observed.
"What are you talking about?" Eijiro asked.
"He changed his trajectory while in midair using a blast that doubled as a smokescreen. Very clever. Even if his opponent managed to dodge it."
"A feint attack like that requires an extreme amount of precision. He had to calculate the physics and demonstrate control over his Quirk," Momo added. "And as for Midoriya, the fact that he managed to dodge Bakugo's attack shows how sharp his reflexes are."
"Dang. That's impressive," Tomoe said.
"Ugh. They're both uber-talented, I hate it," Denki groaned in slight jealousy.
Katsuki aimed another right hook at Izuku, who managed to catch Katsuki's arm, but the explosive blond wasn't finished as he set off an explosion, slightly burning the green dragon boy. Katsuki then threw a kick at Izuku's side, but then the Boosted Gear glowed again.
[Boost!]
Izuku, with his power boosted, retaliated against Katsuki with a punch to the jaw. "I told you. I'm no longer defenseless. I'm the Deku who will be a Hero!"
Katsuki backed up a bit to regain his senses as that blow to the jaw had left his vision wobbly. 'How'd he suddenly get stronger?! Is it because of that red arm-thing of his? Dammit! That… That nerd! Was he seriously hiding that from me all these years?!' "You've been hiding your true power for years! What's the deal, Deku?! Did you think you think you were better than me this entire time?!"
"That's what you think?" Izuku asked as he recalled the moments during their childhood when Kacchan did amazing things. "You idiot. You've always been stronger, Kacchan! I know that you're better than me! Can't you see? THAT'S WHY I WANNA BEAT YOU! 'CAUSE YOU'RE AMAZING!"
Izuku's response did nothing to calm Katsuki's rage as he opened up his fist. "You're even more of an idiot than I realized. COME AT MEE!"
Ready to end the fight right then and there, both combatants rushed at each other; Katsuki blasting himself forward with his explosions, and Izuku flying with his wings.
Katsuki threw his left arm forward, primed for an explosive punch. "GO TO HELL!" Katsuki's punch was a direct hit, engulfing Izuku in an explosion.
However, Izuku used his wings and the Boosted Gear on his left arm to take the brunt of the heat, and while he still felt the searing heat of the blast, he was in position for his own attack.
[Explosion!]
"Dragon… SMASH!" Izuku threw a right hook forward, unleashing all the power he had charged up in one single blow, right into Katsuki's stomach. The force of the blow sent him flying into a pillar.
As he lay limp on the floor, Katsuki tried to get up, but the pain in his stomach caused his legs to give out before he could even fully stand. It didn't just end there as he felt the urge to hurl, doing so just a second later. He tried to get up again, but then he felt a familiar feeling of something being wrapped around him; it was Izuku with the Capture Tape. Unlike before, he was too incapacitated to try and get out of the snare as Izuku towered over him, casting a shadow over his form.
"I win, Kacchan. I beat you."
["BAKUGO IS CAPTURED. HE IS OUT FOR THE REST OF THE EXERCISE."] All Might announced.
Those twelve words struck a chord in Katsuki's mind. He lost! He lost to Deku! How is that possible?! Several questions and memories ran through his mind. From Deku having a Quirk that he's been hiding all this time. To what he said to him after they were both accepted into the Hero Course. And even the weak Deku he knew back when they were just children.
"It… doesn't make sense…" Katsuki whispered mostly to himself. "Is Deku… stronger than me? That can't… be possible."
And yet, here he was on the ground while Deku was still standing. He was just humiliated in front of the whole class by Deku.
Meanwhile, the class was amazed at Izuku's takedown of Katsuki.
"Man, those last blows were insane!" Hanta commented.
"Midoriya actually took Bakugo's attack head-on to get close enough for that big attack, ribbit," Tsuyu observed.
"A bold move, as there was a risk he would fall to the blast, but it seems fate was in his favor," Fumikage added.
"Yeah, but now there's barely any time left. So it might just end up being for nothing," Mineta pointed out.
Indeed, the timer just reached below the minute mark, counting down 59 seconds, and so on.
Meanwhile, Izuku left the defeated Katsuki behind as he still had to join up with Uraraka and retrieve the bomb from Iida. "I've gotta hurry. Who knows how much time's left!"
["You have 50 seconds remaining, Young Midoriya."] All Might informed him through the earpiece.
"50 seconds?!" Izuku shouted. He was still on the second floor, there was no way he would make it in time to the fifth floor where the bomb was, even if he flew!
But wait! He recalled Ochaco saying that she was in the middle of the fifth floor, and he was still close to the middle of his floor. He looked at the Boosted Gear on his left arm and had a plan, one that just might be crazy enough to work.
Ochaco received Izuku's instructions through their communicator and braced herself as she backed off from Tenya, and moved toward a pillar by the windows, holding onto it, to Tenya's confusion.
"Dragon Shot!" After charging up a Boost once, Izuku fired a Dragon Shot toward the ceiling. The green energy blast blew apart the ceiling, and it didn't stop there as it continued onto the next floor without signs of stopping, eventually coming out through the roof.
Tenya braced himself as he held onto the fake bomb to prevent himself from being blown away by the shockwave. Then he turned to see the center of the room completely destroyed with multiple debris lifted into the air. "What's happening?!"
Ochaco then used her Quirk on the pillar she was holding onto to make it weightless as she held it up. "This is it! Sorry, Iida! Improvised Special Move: The Comet Home-Run!" Ochaco swung the pillar like a baseball bat, sending the midair debris flying toward Tenya.
"In the name of Villainy, I demand that you stop this!" Tenya held his arms up to shield himself from the flying debris, but Ochaco was able to use that to fly past him.
"Release!" Ochaco canceled her Quirk. Tenya barely had time to look up before Ochaco made contact with the missile, securing the win for the Hero team. "I got it." She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Gah! NNNOOO! THE WEAPOOONNNN!" Tenya exclaimed in horror.
["The Hero Team… WIIIIIINNS!"] All Might declared.
Back with Izuku, he was relieved to hear that as his gambit paid off, looking down at his left arm.
As for Katsuki, his mind was still on his defeat against Deku. Truthfully, even if his team managed to win, he would never consider it a real victory, especially not when it meant relying on a technicality from time running out. Either way, his ego had been dealt quite a blow.
And done! I hope the Deku vs. Kacchan fight was exciting for all you readers. Izuku managed to beat Katsuki and take him out of the match before pulling off a literal last-minute plan to score his team the win. In the next chapter, we'll finish the rest of the Battle Trials.
Blades is quite clearly based on adult Rex from Xenoblade 3: Future Redeemed.
Tomoe's costume and Quirk are based on Gwen 10's Cannonbolt from the Ben 10: Omniverse episode, "And Then There Was Ben."
I also thought of listing the updated class roster for 1-B for this fanfic (I actually took time to sort them properly in Japanese alphabetical order rather than just adding the newcomers at the very end like some fanfics do):
1. Chacha Akaninjin
2. Asia Argento
3. Yosetsu Awase
4. Sen Kaibara
5. Togaru Kamakiri
6. Shihai Kuroiro
7. Itsuka Kendo
8. Asuka Koukawa
9. Yui Kodai
10. Kinoko Komori
11. Jurota Shishida
12. Nirengeki Shoda
13. Pony Tsunotori
14. Kosei Tsuburaba
15. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
16. Setsuna Tokage
17. Manga Fukidashi
18. Juzo Honenuki
19. Kojiro Bondo
20. Neito Monoma
21. Reiko Yanagi
22. Orihime Yamasaki
23. Rebecca Riku
24. Hiryu Rin
See you next time. Go beyond! Plus Ultra!