In the silent room, Bakugo fixed his steely gaze on Midoriya, who sat motionless on the floor.
Midoriya’s eyes smoldered with pent-up emotion, as though he might burst into action at any moment.
With a determined expression, Bakugo strode over to him.
"Huh? Teacher, is that really alright?"
"It’ll be fine. After all, once the fight is over, I made it crystal clear that swinging fists any further is off limits."
When someone asked All Might a question, Kirishima answered on his behalf.
Just as Kirishima had indicated, Bakugo extended a hand toward Midoriya.
Midoriya stared at it for a moment, then accepted the offered hand and slowly rose to his feet.
The unexpected display drew admiring gasps from those watching.
"Wow. Who knew Bakugo had any sportsmanship?" someone remarked. "All that villainy, yet he still holds on to a shred of decency."
Before the compliment could sink in, Bakugo abruptly grabbed Midoriya by the collar.
Drawing his face close to Midoriya’s, he growled, "Deku, this time I lost. I won’t be making pathetic excuses. You thought through your moves and acted, while all I did was plan to catch you."
With that, Bakugo released his grip.
Midoriya, silently staring ahead while clutching his bruised right arm, met Bakugo’s intense red gaze—a look that seemed even more ferocious than usual.
He bit his lip once before saying, "Savor this victory, Deku. You beat me—me, of all people. You won’t ever get a day quite like this again, so celebrate it while you can."
"From now on, just like today, I’m going to keep surpassing Kacchan. Honestly, I don’t see this as defeating him. After all, a one-on-one with Kacchan would still be a tough battle. But I’m going to keep chasing you," Midoriya retorted.
Before Bakugo could offer a reply, a large hand landed on his shoulder.
It was All Might.
"Time to head back, Bakugo boy. Evaluation time," All Might announced.
Watching Midoriya silently surrender himself to the patient transport unit and be whisked away, Bakugo turned and followed without a word.
All Might’s parting words resonated as he added, "Win or lose, experience truly comes alive only when you look back on it."
Without another comment, Bakugo joined the others descending from the upper floor toward the observation room.
Standing before the gathered students, All Might declared the highlight of the exercise.
"The standout of today’s battle goes to Iida boy!"
While Iida looked momentarily flustered, the observant Tsuyu—ever the calm frog-girl—raised a finger to her lips and queried, "Wasn't it Ochaco-chan or Midoriya-chan who actually won?"
"Hmm, interesting. What do you all think?" All Might prodded.
Without missing a beat, Yaoyorozu raised her hand and explained in clear, precise tones why Iida had been the best.
"Yes, All Might-sensei. Iida adapted to the situation more faithfully than anyone. Bakugo’s actions, tainted by personal emotion and recklessness, were merely solo antics. And, as you mentioned earlier, launching a large-scale attack indoors is nothing short of foolish."
Bakugo listened silently to her pointed critique. Even though it stung, he couldn’t dispute the truth of her words—a change he’d adopted from spending time with Kirishima.
"Midoriya-san, too, acted recklessly given the damage taken; and Uraraka-san, letting her guard down midway and then launching a wild final attack—if you really consider targeting the core as strategic, then such wild moves are simply unacceptable," Yaoyorozu continued.
Uraraka lowered her head, her expression somber.
Undeterred, Yaoyorozu pressed on, "By accurately predicting the enemy’s response and precisely defining the tussle over the core, Iida-san missed his timing at the end. In short, the hero team’s victory came more as a technicality—a sort of training loophole."
Her crisp analysis hushed the room.
Kirishima quietly nodded in agreement. If one became accustomed to labeling such fortunate breaks as victories, real battles would become all the more dangerous.
Although the criticism stung, the students understood that it was as necessary as it was painful.
All Might wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and gave an approving thumbs-up. "More than I expected," he mused silently.
"Iida boy was a bit rigid, but yes, that's right!" someone cheered.
"Always push yourself to the limit if you want to become a top hero!" came another enthusiastic shout.
Watching the exchange, Kirishima scratched his chin. Tsuyu was not only smart but also knew how to use her smarts effectively—at least off the battlefield. And judging by what he’d heard, her Quirk was remarkably potent. He was eager to see her in action.
But the training before them was not hers to take part in.
With All Might’s brief summary complete, the villain team—comprising Ojiro and Hagakure—faced off against the hero team of Shoji and Todoroki inside the building.
Inside the building, as they prepared for combat, Hagakure removed her gloves and shoes.
"Ojiro-kun, I’m getting serious now—I’m taking off both my gloves and boots!" she declared.
"Ah, okay..." Ojiro replied, though inwardly he thought, ‘Hagakure-san, while that’s a logical move for someone invisible, as a girl it’s a bit risky... even ethically.’
Almost as if reading his thoughts, Hagakure blushed and added, "Oh! You shouldn’t be looking!"
"I can’t see you anyway," Ojiro mumbled.
Then, All Might’s booming voice rang out, rescuing them from their awkward moment. "Now, indoor close-quarters combat training! Round Two, start!"
At the signal, Shoji transformed the ends of his duplicate arms into makeshift ears. His finely tuned hearing picked up the sounds of activity throughout the building.
He shaped one of his duplicate arms into a mouth and relayed the information to Todoroki. "There’s one person in the large northern room on the fourth floor, and another somewhere else on that floor, barefoot... Could the invisible one be acting as an ambush capture unit?"
"It’s too dangerous. Stay outside," Todoroki replied, stepping forward.
His steady, calm voice carried an unwavering confidence in victory as he added, "They’re likely setting up a defensive formation..."
He pressed his right hand against the wall, and a chill emanated from it, slowly spreading across the entire building.
"But that doesn’t concern me," he stated coolly.
While Shoji was momentarily outside, the five-story building was encased in ice.
Todoroki then made his way down a frozen corridor and entered the room where Ojiro awaited. Reacting instantly, Ojiro assumed a defensive stance, but Todoroki calmly cautioned, "You may move, but if your feet’s skin gets peeled off, you won’t be able to fight properly." Even as Todoroki passed by with effortless ease, Ojiro found himself helpless. Though he would have preferred to risk injury to his feet to continue fighting, this was only training.
After a tense moment, Todoroki detached his gaze from his lip, coldly reaching out to the nuclear bomb model. Observing the unfolding events, All Might muttered, "He neutralized the enemy without dragging in his teammates, without causing damage to the core weapon, and even managed to weaken the opponents?"
"He’s the strongest!" someone exclaimed.
"Hero team... WIN!" All Might declared.
Hearing the resounding declaration, Kirishima glanced at Bakugo, whose grimace betrayed his discontent, and thought, 'Terrible matchup, terrible situation. If Ojiro had any chance, he probably would’ve had to intercept them outside the building…' Though Ojiro was by no means weak, the outcome was disappointing in many ways.
Once the skirmish ended, Todoroki once again pressed his right hand against the wall, and the building slowly thawed.
"Hot?" Ojiro asked.
"Sorry. The power difference was just too stark," Todoroki explained.
Ojiro, swallowing his frustration, remained silent—losers rarely speak. If he had much to say, he’d have belittled his opponent from above after winning. For now, it was time to congratulate the victors and exit.
Back in the observation room, All Might continued his evaluation.
In truth, Todoroki’s overwhelming performance left little doubt about who deserved top honors.
After that brief feedback, it was Kirishima’s turn to speak.
Looking first at Tokoyami and Tsuyu—who had already entered the building—Kirishima addressed Sero, "Sero, your Quirk fires something like tape from your elbows, right?"
"Huh? You saw that yesterday?" Sero replied.
"I remember everyone’s Quirks. But tell me—how sturdy is that tape? Can it support a person’s weight?"
Sero frowned in confusion for a moment before answering, "It can hold about three or four times the weight of an average adult man. Why—are you planning to use it to scale straight to the top floor?"
"If the bomb could be anywhere, heading straight for the top floor isn’t very logical," Kirishima said, fixing his gaze on Sero.
He then reflected, "Boxing, like most martial arts, is fundamentally an individual sport. During training, you get help from a lot of people; but once you step into the ring, you’re on your own. If you don’t consider your glaring opponent from the opposite corner a comrade, then the cheerleaders in the other corner have no business stepping into that ring even a millimeter."
For Kirishima, this sort of coordinated teamwork was a new experience—one that would become routine from now on. That realization only strengthened his resolve to show his friends exactly who he was and the power he commanded. In this mission, he knew he had to be at its center.
With a tinge of contrition, he said to Sero, "This time, can you follow my lead?"
"Huh? What do you have in mind?"
Kirishima outlined a plan that wasn’t particularly extravagant. Although Sero’s expression betrayed some concern, he eventually agreed, "I’m still a bit skeptical, but what you pulled off yesterday was so impressive that I trust you. Alright, I’m in."
"Thanks, Sero," Kirishima replied.
At that moment, All Might’s voice announced the start of the exercise.
Kirishima tapped his communicator twice before striding confidently into the darkened building.
During the brief preparatory phase, every light in the building had gone out.
Even as he admired the villain team’s meticulous preparations, Kirishima transformed his body. Adopting a demonic form, he expanded his sensory reach to envelop the building entirely.
It wasn’t long before he detected the bomb on the third floor—the building’s middle level—and began making his way in that direction.
How many steps did it take? He wasn’t sure.
Out of the darkness, a birdlike shadow swooped toward him.
Already aware of every detail, Kirishima casually snatched the head of the shadow-creature in one hand and murmured, "Nice Quirk. It’s hardly affected by physical blows, and its power is impressive."
"What’s your angle?" Tokoyami asked warily.
The Dark Shadow struggled futilely in Kirishima’s grasp. If Kirishima had attacked now, Tokoyami would have been completely defenseless. Instead, Kirishima continued his measured discourse.
"But you lucked out, didn’t you?" he stated.
Locking eyes with Tokoyami even in the dim darkness, his quiet voice, spreading like an eerie stain along the silent corridor, exuded a palpable aura of challenge. "From now on, I won’t attack you even once. I’m just going to walk toward the bomb. Try to stop me if you can—use any means at your disposal. If you can halt me, then victory is yours."
Kirishima’s eyes glowed with a sinister red intensity, as if they might drip with molten light at any moment.
Tokoyami’s anger flared briefly at the declaration, but before he could react further, he felt cold sweat trickle down his spine. Though they’d met only the day before, it was clear from their brief exchanges that Kirishima wasn’t one to bluff or exaggerate—he meant every word.
Then, with deliberate calm, Kirishima released his grip on Dark Shadow.
The creature bounded back to Tokoyami in a single leap, its wary, tearful gaze fixed on Kirishima.
"I’ll give your friend back. I could hold on to him longer, but that would be a waste," Dark Shadow seemed to promise.
Tokoyami groaned softly at the creature’s demonic, toothy grin.
At that moment, Kirishima resumed his forward march. Step by measured step, he advanced without even glancing at Tokoyami.
Seeing this, Tokoyami clenched his teeth and shouted to Dark Shadow, "Stop him! Don’t hold back now!"
At his command, Dark Shadow swelled in size and charged toward Kirishima. But with an almost nonchalant ease, Kirishima brushed the relentless creature aside, as though shooing away an insignificant fly.
Despite Dark Shadow’s fierce ramming, clawing, and biting, none of its assaults could harm Kirishima; they merely scraped against the hardened surface of his skin. He appeared as a demon set in a realm beyond mortal limits.
Meanwhile, confronted with a force unlike what Todoroki had earlier displayed, Tokoyami tapped his communicator and said, "Tsuyu, Kirishima is advancing. I’m sorry—I don’t think I can handle him alone. Honestly, even if I fully unleashed my dark power, I doubt I could stop him."
"Ribbit. Should I help too?" Tsuyu offered.
"No, just secure the perimeter around the bomb. And think—how would you halt an unstoppable armored tank?"
"Understood. Ribbit," Tsuyu replied.
Even as the brief exchange continued, Kirishima pressed steadily forward until he found himself before the second floor.
Climbing the stairs slowly, he was met with fresh resistance—Dark Shadow struggled with all its might to pull him back, yet Kirishima advanced relentlessly, step by determined step.
The pattern repeated, and by the time he reached the third floor, he felt something like a tongue lashing at him.
Deliberately allowing the attack, Kirishima countered by pulling on the tongue against the force that sought to drag him backwards.
Overpowered yet uninjured, Tsuyu was flung forward; however, thanks to Kirishima’s careful guidance, she managed to brace herself against a wall as she landed.
Without hesitation, she extended her tongue once more to secure Kirishima’s arm and shouted to Tokoyami, "Tokoyami-chan, aim for his toes! His big toe!"
The moment Tokoyami heard her, he instantly understood. No matter how formidable one may be, fingers and toes are natural weak points—and injured toes, in particular, can make walking nearly impossible.
Not entirely certain it would work on Kirishima, Tokoyami ordered Dark Shadow to concentrate its assault on the upper part of Kirishima’s combat boot.
Under the fierce strain, the reinforced upper section of his boot was quickly pierced, and Dark Shadow clamped its beak around his big toe.
The force of the attack drove Kirishima to one knee.
On the surface, it appeared as if their exchanges had finally reached an impasse.
In that critical moment, Kirishima seized Dark Shadow’s head with one hand and, with the other, grabbed hold of Tsuyu’s extended tongue.
Then, in a calm and measured tone, he said, "Now, Sero."
At that cue, Sero emerged from the tangle on the opposite side. With his elbows propelling tape like a web-slinger, he launched himself through the air, reaching the bomb model in a spectacular swing.
The moment his hand made contact with the bomb model, All Might’s final call rang out:
"Hero team! WIN!"
Rising to his feet, Kirishima released his clenched fist. Freed at long last, Dark Shadow and Tsuyu staggered, their momentum faltering.
After shedding his demonic form and reverting to his charismatic self, Kirishima caught them both.
Watching him, Tokoyami couldn’t help but murmur the word that had unexpectedly surfaced in his mind, "Immortal..."
At the chuunibyou-sounding title, Kirishima frowned, as if displeased by the overblown compliment. It seemed the stage meant to showcase the defensive prowess of his Hardening quirk had taken on an altogether different, almost surreal character.
Thus concluded Kirishima’s display—a testament to his rightful place as the frontline shield for his team.
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