The sudden blare of the siren produced an unmistakable effect.
The cafeteria quickly descended into chaos as everyone froze in place.
Then, the announcement echoed through the room.
"Security Level 3 has been breached. All students, evacuate outside immediately."
As students leapt from their chairs in a flurry, Iida shouted in alarm, "What does Security Level 3 even mean?"
"It means somebody’s infiltrated the school. In three years, nothing like this has ever happened! Hurry, everyone!"
With that, he dashed toward the exit.
Since the cafeteria served both the Support and General Courses, it normally accommodated a large crowd – a capacity that now worked against them.
While throngs of students jammed the exit, causing a complete bottleneck, Kirishima remained seated in deliberate calm.
Even though he already knew how the situation would unfold, his nonchalance must have struck his friends as odd.
"Kirishima, shouldn’t we get out too?"
"If you head for that door right now, you’ll probably only get out after everything’s settled. That’s my first reason for staying put."
"First reason? So there’s a second reason too?"
At Uraraka’s query, Kirishima finally stood at his own pace and replied, "If I really need to get out, I can always break through a wall. That’s my second reason—and it’s why I’m so relaxed."
He walked over to the window and, using his chin as a pointer, said, "And lastly, panicking won’t resolve anything. It’s better to assess the situation first instead of moving recklessly. Why don’t you all come take a look? It seems there’s no longer any reason to remain outside."
One by one, the students gathered at the window, where they could see Aizawa and Present Mic barring the reporters from advancing.
Present Mic’s face had turned ashen as reporters thrust microphones in his direction, and it looked as though he might explode at any moment.
Assessing the scene quickly, Iida cried out, "So it’s just the media! Everyone, calm down!"
Yet, even as Iida shouted, the pandemonium around the exit did not subside.
Watching Kaminari and Sho struggle amid the crush, he desperately pondered his next move.
"If it were Midoriya... if it were him, in a moment like this!"
Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he called out to Kirishima, "Get me to a spot where everyone's eyes are on me!"
"Kirishima! Can you toss me up near the emergency exit?"
"Huh? I can try and I’ll control my strength, but if I slip up, you could get hurt."
"It’s fine! I just need a proper landing."
"Hm. I’m not sure it’ll be a landing as much as a smack against the wall, but alright—hold on."
Without hesitation, Kirishima gripped Iida by the nape and belt and hurled him toward the top of the door with measured force.
Iida attempted to use his engines to land safely, but instead ended up awkwardly stuck to the wall.
Undeterred, he latched onto a pipe fixed to the wall to steady himself.
After a brief pause, he bellowed, "Short, concise, and bold!"
"Everyone! It’s all right!"
His voice rang out clearly, piercing the clamor around him.
With all eyes fixed on him, he declared, "It’s just the media! There’s no need for panic! We’re fine! This is U.A.! Let’s act in a manner befitting our status as the best!"
Thanks to his intervention, the students gradually calmed down, and before long the police arrived to remove the intruders from the school.
Thus ended an eventful lunch period, and the afternoon schedule began.
Since the class couldn’t be run by just a class representative and vice representative alone, it was time to elect additional officers.
Yaoyorozu calmly signaled to Midoriya, "Alright, let’s get started with the class rep election."
"T-Then we’ll move on to selecting the other officers. But before that, may I say something?"
All eyes turned to Midoriya as it was clear he had something important to share.
With his heart pounding, Midoriya announced, "I think Iida should be our class representative!"
Despite Iida’s startled reaction, Midoriya continued, "He led everyone so brilliantly. I really believe Iida is the right choice."
"I agree. Iida was incredible in the cafeteria. Thanks to him, I survived too," someone added.
"He did end up looking like the emergency exit sign, though."
"Time’s wasting. Something’s got to be done—let’s wrap it up already."
At Aizawa’s cue, as he emerged from his sleeping bag, Midoriya's reaction was as quick as a startled cat, and Iida promptly stood up.
Straightening his back with pride, Iida declared, "If I’m to be nominated by the class, then I, Tenya Iida, hereby promise to discharge the duties of class representative with all my might!"
"I trust you. Emergency Door!"
"Emergency Door Iida!"
"And my position is..."
Aside from Yaoyorozu’s quiet murmur, the atmosphere was upbeat, and Iida’s appointment as the new class representative was confirmed.
At that same moment, teachers stood before the shattered remnants of the U.A. barrier.
They inspected the debris while murmuring, "How can something as ordinary as the media pull off a stunt like this?"
"There must have been someone inciting the chaos. Perhaps an intruder got in, or maybe it was a declaration of war..."
Nezu peered down at what had once been a solid door and felt an ominous chill.
The collapsed barrier strangely resembled a harbinger of the coming storm.
**
After the usual end of school, Kirishima made his way to the gym for which he had already secured permission.
Trailing behind him were Midoriya, Bakugo, Ashido, and also Iida, Uraraka, Tsuyu, and Yaoyorozu.
Following the class reflection meeting, Kirishima had suggested that they train together after school whenever possible, and those available that day joined him.
Chiding Bakugo, who wore a fierce scowl, Kirishima remarked, "Relax your expression a bit. Anyone who doesn’t know you would think you're out to kill someone."
"Hah? You think I can just relax my face? Besides, why did you even drag Deku along?"
"Because Midoriya needs training too. He has to learn how to control the way he wrecks his body every time he uses his Quirk."
"Then what about me?"
"You’re the loser who got beaten by Midoriya yesterday. While the winner trains, the defeated shouldn’t be goofing off."
"Gah!"
Grabbing a fidgeting Bakugo by the head, Kirishima finally swung open the door to Gamma Gym.
After verifying his ID, the massive door slid open smoothly.
Inside, all that greeted them was a bare concrete floor.
Stepping onto the floor a few times, Kirishima then addressed the group, "Alright, let’s think this through. I got permission to use this space so I can train at full power with no restrictions, but it should also be a safe place for you to test your Quirks without worrying about your surroundings."
"Ribbit. If you suddenly tell us to train using our Quirks, it sounds a bit daunting, Kirishima."
"Exactly. It’s hard to know what to do in a place that’s completely empty."
Kirishima smiled at their honest comments and continued, "First of all, everyone here shares one thing in common: enhancing your close-quarters combat skills will benefit you. Your individual styles will vary based on your unique traits, but that’s where I can assist. Trust me—I’ve been training for ten years now. Right?"
Midoriya and Bakugo responded in their own distinct ways.
"Yeah. It’s been over ten years since I started training with Kirishima," Midoriya said.
"Tch. I don’t want to admit it, but that’s the truth," Bakugo grumbled.
"Wait—if it’s been over ten years, does that mean Kirishima has been teaching you and Midoriya since you were six?"
"I started when I was five, so that makes it eleven years. Don’t ask how—that’s a man’s secret," he replied with a sheepish grin.
In response to Iida’s query, Kirishima scratched his chin thoughtfully. Though it felt a bit like bragging—a temperament not usually his—his track record was the best reassurance he could offer.
After all, a teacher’s worth was measured by the success of his students.
Anyone who made it into U.A. was already elite.
Having nurtured three such elites, Kirishima was a trusted mentor.
Even if he hadn’t trained them at all, they likely would have made it into U.A.—but he was convinced they had grown even stronger than their original selves.
"Anyway, that’s that. Hmm, I wish Ojiro could be here too for extra help, but that’s a challenge for another time. Iida, Ashido, Midoriya, and Bakugo all have their own approaches to close combat, so you should discuss your tactics together. As for Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, and Tsuyu, you seem like beginners—have any of you ever been taught combat?"
The three girls all shook their heads.
"No. I’ve thought about how to fight using my Quirk, but until middle school, training with your Quirk is pretty rare, isn’t it?"
"I’m a heteromorph, so practicing wasn’t too hard, but I never had anyone teach me. There wasn’t anyone available. Ribbit, ribbit," one replied.
"Same here," echoed the other.
Sighing inwardly at their inexperience, Kirishima mused that while Japan was known for its low crime rate, with villains cropping up so frequently, it was ironic that combat training was so elusive.
For someone like him—who had learned shooting as a hobby and lived in a country overflowing with martial arts—it was simply baffling.
For the moment, Kirishima gathered his thoughts and said, "Alright. For now, the three of you should begin with the basics tailored to your needs. But first, explain your Quirks. Training isn’t about speed—it’s about direction. Success depends on where you’re headed, not just how fast you get there. So today, let’s start with a discussion."
"Discussion? I don’t really have anything to add," one muttered.
"Come on now—Tsuyu, your tongue can extend, right?"
"Yes. Ribbit."
"We need to know how far it can stretch, how strong it is, and any other physical traits so we can determine what kind of training you require."
After that, Kirishima turned to Yaoyorozu and added, "I think it’d be beneficial for you to learn shooting as well."
"Shooting? I’ve considered it, but there are permission issues, and if I’m not careful, I might seriously hurt someone," she replied cautiously.
"Why not check with Snipe about the permissions? Plenty of long-range heroes use firearms, and I doubt they all trained with toy guns. Besides, with nonlethal rounds, you don’t have to worry about causing fatalities."
"Now that you mention it, that might work."
"Honestly, I’m not entirely sure which direction your Quirk should develop. From the assessment, you seem capable of creating almost anything—provided it’s not too massive or something beyond your understanding."
"Exactly. I can produce anything, as long as it’s within certain limits."
"That versatility makes it hard to pinpoint a single direction. Still, from a combat perspective, I think shooting is a solid choice. More specifically, engaging in firearm combat with close-quarters battle techniques. And ideally, you’d also learn to handle a shield."
She considered his words thoughtfully. "If used well, you might even be able to create devices like flashbangs or tear gas. Alternatively, you could fashion something to disperse sleeping gas. I don’t believe there are weak Quirks, and yours has limitless potential."
"Then what should I do, Kirishima?"
When Uraraka asked about her approach, Kirishima replied without hesitation, "Uraraka, it's clear—just focus on learning martial arts."
"Really? Is that all?"
"Yes. You have the ability to make things float with a touch, right? First, practice how to make contact. It’s not much different from striking in martial arts. Beyond that, you’ll need to figure out what to do with what you’ve made float, or even how to use your own buoyancy for unpredictable movement."
"When you put it that way, it does sound simple, Kirishima."
"Ha, it only sounds simple. Once you actually try it, you’ll see it’s not that easy. Midoriya and Bakugo, even after eleven years of training, still end up complaining after practice."
"Does that look like complaining to you, you crazy giant?"
"Exactly. Don’t mind him. Kirishima pushes everyone efficiently and logically."
Amid their banter, Kirishima shrugged and turned to Ashido, who had been silently watching.
"Mina, you seem to disagree?"
"Sorry, Eijiro. I think what you’re doing is a bit too inhumane," she admitted.
"Mina, even you?"
Kirishima looked momentarily taken aback by Mina’s objection, but then clapped his hands once to recapture everyone’s attention.
"We’re students with a regular curriculum, so I’m not planning on making today’s training brutally intense. It might be tough for those who’ve never done much physical training, but you’ll adjust quickly. I intend to focus primarily on the technical aspects. If any of you want to improve your physical strength further, let me know separately—that kind of training needs to be tailored to your personal habits and circumstances."
With that, the students gathered for a free discussion.
Kirishima watched them, considering what type of training would best suit each of them.
The three he had taught since childhood, along with Iida who had practically learned everything at home, hardly needed major adjustments.
Sometimes, a little guidance or a hint toward further development was all that was necessary.
Yaoyorozu had been advised to study shooting, so Kirishima couldn’t do much for her directly.
Although he knew the basics of shooting and considered his own skills decent, he was no expert—and it would be hard to explain why he knew what he did. She would benefit from training under another teacher or with family guidance.
Still, if she wanted to train together, he was more than willing to help with physical conditioning.
As for Tsuyu and Uraraka, he planned to teach them from the ground up.
From experience, Tsuyu tended to rely too heavily on her extendable tongue.
While her tongue was a formidable weapon, relying solely on it would make her attacks too predictable.
Having a strong asset in one part of her body didn’t mean the rest should be neglected, so she needed to learn to fight using her entire body.
For Uraraka, he was planning to teach her boxing.
Despite her potential, just one or two basics in boxing and grappling would suffice.
Since it was only the first day, he decided to listen to their ideas and occasionally toss out suggestions that might spark their development.
They exchanged ideas about each other’s strengths and weaknesses, brainstorming ways to improve. Some ideas were a bit offbeat, but a number of them proved genuinely innovative.
The passionate debate continued until their allotted time in the gym ran out.
Watching future heroes forge themselves in the heat of discussion, Kirishima couldn’t help but smile.
His duty was to ensure that when the storm struck, the sparks of potential would never be extinguished.
Quietly, he vowed to protect that flame.
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