The doors slide open—
—and the room erupts.
"That was insane!"
"It was over so fast!"
"Did you see the street?!"
Voices overlap, excitement buzzing sharp and loud. A few students crowd closer, eyes still wide, adrenaline not yet burned off.
"That punch—!" Kirishima says, half-laughing, half-stunned. "That was unreal!"
"I blinked, and it was over," Mina adds. "Literally blinked!"
Hagakure lets out a nervous little laugh as she waves vaguely. "Eheh… yeah… it got kinda intense really fast…"
Questions begin flying toward Izumi.
"How did you stay balanced like that?" Kaminari asks, still half in disbelief. "You didn't slide, lose consciousness or move back at all."
"And the sparkle of that finish!" Aoyama adds dramatically, placing a hand to his chest.
"Mon ami, were you shining at one hundred percent of your radiance? Or was that merely… a preview?"
"Was that full power?" Sato asks cautiously.
Izumi answers without embellishment.
Short technical explanations.
Some nod slowly as they process it.
Then—
THWACK.
A loud smack echoes as Ayaka appears behind him and slaps his back with enough force to make nearly everyone flinch.
"That's what I'm talking about!" she says brightly.
The class freezes.
Izumi does not move.
Not even a twitch.
He turns his head slowly toward her.
"How many times do I have to say to stop surprising people?"
Ayaka blinks at him, visibly offended.
"Surprise? What surprise? You sense me before I even decide to move."
She plants her hands on her hips.
"There are no surprises with you. So don't pretend."
A few students glance between them.
…That's not a normal sibling complaint.
"I meant the oth—"
Before Izumi can complete the sentence—
"Anyway," Ayaka continues, grinning wider, "what's with you dropping life lessons mid-fight? Since when do you hand out character development? Especially during battle?"
Several students blink.
Izumi exhales softly and pushes her forehead back with two fingers.
"Don't start."
"Oh, I will start," she says, swatting his hand away.
She leans slightly closer.
"Who was it that said," she deepens her voice in a poor imitation of him, "Never extend a fight by engaging in unnecessary conversation unless it directly benefits you."
A few quiet snickers ripple through the room.
She points at him accusingly.
"You absolutely meant that speech."
"I di—"
Izumi stops.
A fraction too late.
He exhales once through his nose.
And says nothing.
Ayaka's eyes light up.
A massive demonic grin spreads across her face—sharp, predatory, deeply satisfied.
Several nearby students instinctively lean back.
That grin… should not be physically possible.
And yet—
It widens.
"Oh," she says softly.
"That's confirmation."
She circles him slowly, inspecting him like she discovered something rare.
"So you did mean it."
Silence.
"You forced him into it on purpose."
Nothing.
Her grin stretches further.
"How fascinating."
The class watches in disbelief as the demonic grin somehow expands again, defying what they were certain was its maximum limit.
Mina subtly grips Kaminari's sleeve.
"You gave him an entire internal crisis," Ayaka continues sweetly, "and then knocked him out."
A few students exchange glances.
That… might not be wrong.
Izumi adjusts his sleeve calmly, ignoring her entirely.
Ayaka clasps her hands behind her back and rocks slightly on her heels.
"Well, well, well."
She tilts her head.
"Look at you. All strategic and emotionally aware."
Still nothing.
She leans closer to his.
"I'm telling Mum and Dad you care about your classmates."
A dangerous pause.
"I am sure they'll be thrilled."
He finally turns his head just enough to look at her.
"Try it."
The tone is calm.
"Then I will open Pandora's box."
There it is.
For the briefest moment—
A flicker.
A micro-flinch in her eyes.
Her grin falters.
Only slightly.
Only for a heartbeat.
Izumi notices.
The air tightens.
Then—
Her smile snaps back into place.
"Oh?" she says faintly.
"If you open Pandora's box, it'll only burn the entire ship down with you and I on board."
Her eyes narrow faintly.
"Mutual destruction."
A beat.
"Go ahead."
She leans closer.
"But I'm still telling Mum and Dad."
They lock into a staring contest.
Neither yielding.
Neither blinking.
Around them, the class looks at the destroyed street on the monitors
Back to Izumi.
Back to Ayaka.
Back to Izumi again.
The same person who levelled a city block without stepping back—
is now locked in a silent war with his sister.
Collectively, one thought forms:
What an absurd pair.
Their attention shifts as the entrance door slides open again.
Shoji enters, supported lightly by a recovery bot.
And just like that—
The room's focus fractures.
Several classmates immediately crowd around him.
"You okay?!"
"That hit came out of nowhere!"
"It looked brutal!"
Shoji raises a hand gently, offering a small nod. "I'm fine. I just… didn't see it coming."
Someone pats his shoulder. Another gives him a thumbs-up. The atmosphere softens.
Then—
All Might claps his hands sharply, laughter booming through the room.
"ALRIGHT, YOUNG HEROES! Settle down! That's enough excitement for one match," he says, smiling.
But his smile, though bright, carries weight.
The room gradually quiets as all eyes turn to him.
All Might folds his arms.
"Well done to all participants," he begins, "This battle demonstrated something extremely important."
He looks first towards Hagakure and Shoji. "Awareness and adaptability are strengths—but even strengths have limits"
"Hagakure. Shoji." His tone is steady, encouraging. "Do not be disheartened by this outcome."
They straighten slightly.
"You encountered an opponent whose raw capability far exceeded the demands of the scenario," All Might continues. "That happens. In real hero work, it happens more often than we would like."
He begins pacing slowly.
"You must learn to evaluate a situation quickly. If you can choose your battle—choose wisely. If you cannot… then you must determine how you can still be of use."
His tone sharpens—not harsh, but firm.
"And sometimes," he says, "the most you can do is not engage directly. Not because you are weak—but because preserving yourself allows others to act."
A murmur shifts through the class.
"That is not retreat!" All Might declares. "That is judgment!"
Toru's gloves curl into fists.
Shoji's posture straightens almost instinctively.
Around the room, students listen closely—some swallowing, some clenching fists, all absorbing the weight of it.
"There will be times when you cannot overpower an enemy. Times when even your best effort would only result in unnecessary casualties. In such moments, your duty is not to charge blindly forward."
His gaze sweeps across the room.
"It is to create openings. To evacuate civilians. To gather information. To support those whose abilities are better suited to that specific confrontation."
His tone softened slightly
"And sometimes… the greatest contribution you can make… is to stand back and allow another hero to take the lead."
The implication was clear.
Izumi and Todoroki.
"Victory is not defined by who lands the final blow." All Might finishes, "It is defined by whether the best possible outcome was achieved."
Silence settles.
Shoji lowers his head briefly. Not in shame – but in acknowledgement.
Toru clenches her fists.
"We'll figure it out next time," she says, steadier now.
"Yes!" she adds quickly, the brightness returning.
"We'll be smart about it."
A quiet murmur of agreement ripples through the class.
All Might nods once.
"Good."
Then—
"Adachi."
All Might turns his attention toward him—
—and pauses.
Izumi stands straight, composed as ever.
Beside him, Ayaka is very obviously not in whatever had happened.
She clasps her hands behind her back and attempts to whistle.
Nothing comes out.
She tries again.
A faint, painfully off-key puffs of air escapes.
Several students stare.
All Might's brow creases slightly.
A beat.
Then he clears his throat and shifts his focus fully to Izumi.
Izumi meets his gaze.
"You performed exceptionally well. You demonstrated brilliant spatial awareness, restraint and control," All Might says. "Especially in your final strike."
Several students lean forward.
"You redirected majority of the force outward—into the environment—rather than into Todoroki himself. You ended the match decisively without causing lasting injury."
A few students blink.
They hadn't noticed.
All Might's smile widens, proud.
"That level of restraint, paired with such overwhelming power, is the mark of a true hero in the making."
Izumi inclines his head. "Thank you, sir."
All Might exhales, then his gaze shifts toward the door.
"As for Todoroki," he says, voice firm but respectful.
The room quiets further.
"He showed determination.
But power left unused is still power left unrealised."
A beat.
"Limiting yourself for personal reasons will only cause greater harm—to yourself and to those relying on you."
His smile softens slightly.
"Control," All Might says, smiling knowingly, "is what separates strength from mastery."
"Reflect on that."
Silence lingers.
Then All Might straightens, energy lifting again.
"Now then!"
The atmosphere shifts once more.
"On to the next match!"
He stepped toward the two metal boxes labelled HERO and VILLAIN, reaching inside each with dramatic flair.
Metal spheres clink softly as he withdraws two at random.
"The next match!"
"Villain Team: Team J!"
"Cero Hanta and Eijiro Kirishima!"
Kirishima's eyes light up instantly.
"Alright!" he grinned, slamming a fist into his palm. "Let's make this manly!"
Sero grins. "Guess we're villains today!"
All Might lifts the second sphere.
"And Hero Team: Team H!"
"Tokoyami Fumikage and Tsuyu Asui!"
Tokoyami inclines his head solemnly. "This shall be… enlightening."
Dark Shadow ripples behind with quiet eagerness.
Tsuyu gives a small nod. "Ribbit."
All Might gestures toward the screens.
"Due to the… extensive damage caused earlier," he adds with a chuckle, "we'll be switching locations."
A few students laughed nervously.
"Training Building C will be used for this round."
The screens flicker, revealing a more compact layout—narrow corridors, reinforced interiors, limited visibility, more enclosed spaces.
"Adaptability," All Might declares, his voice rising with renewed energy, "is the mark of a true hero!"
The four selected students begin preparing.
Cero rolls his shoulders as they walk. "So… long-range pressure and frontline tank. Not bad."
Kirishima cracks his knuckles, a sharp grin cutting across his face. "Yeah! Let's do this!"
There's excitement in him—but also focus. He'd watched what overwhelming power looked like.
He wasn't underestimating anyone now.
Across the room—
Tokoyami follows behind Cero and Kirishima, Dark Shadow shifting faintly behind him like a living silhouette.
"An enclosed structure," he murmurs. "Light control will be decisive."
Tsuyu adjusts her gloves calmly. "Corridors mean limited swing space for tape, ribbit. We should keep moving, ribbit."
They walk toward the doors without looking back.
The heavy doors slide open with a low mechanical hum as the class watches them go.
All Might's voice follows them.
"Remember!"
They pause only slightly.
"Go beyond—"
His grin widens.
"PLUS ULTRA!"
The doors slide shut.
The monitors switch feeds.