Todoroki kept his breathing controlled, his gaze fixed on the upper floors of the building. "We could freeze the whole structure," he said quietly. "End it in one move." Momo shook her head immediately. "No, Todoroki-san… even in training, that would count as endangering hostages. Sudden thermal shock might destabilize the bomb model." Todoroki exhaled sharply through his nose. "Fine. What do you suggest?" Momo opened her mouth—and froze when the entire building shuddered. A deep metallic groan rolled through the lower floors. Dust drifted down the stairwell. For a moment, Todoroki thought it was structural fatigue—until he heard it. A single, casual impact echoing from above. His eyes narrowed. "He's already manipulating the interior…"
They reached the fourth-floor landing just in time to hear another pillar crack. Todoroki reacted instantly—slamming his palm into the floor, sending wedges of ice into the fissures to hold it together. Momo swallowed. "He planned this."
No sooner had she spoken than a window at the far end exploded inward. Takeru crossed the frame in a blur. One moment he was outside; the next he had landed silently on the tile floor, his posture relaxed, his eyes fixed on both of them with an almost bored calm. Momo snapped her stun baton up, electricity humming. "Stay back!"
Takeru didn't stay back. He flickered out of sight. A displacement of air burst where he had stood. Momo barely had time to gasp before he reappeared at her side, his fingers closing around her wrist, firm as iron. She struck anyway, slamming the crackling baton against his ribs. The electricity surged. Takeru didn't move. He smiled, ripping the baton from her hand like she was a child. "Cute," he said before snapping the baton like a twig between his fingers.
Momo froze in sheer terror. Before she could retreat, his fist drove clean into her solar plexus. The air left her lungs in a single crushed gasp. Her eyes rolled back, her knees buckling as she folded against him. Takeru put the capture tape on her in one fluid motion and picked her up by the back of her neck like she was a puppy.
Todoroki hardened his stance. "Put her down."
Takeru shifted Momo's limp form, using her as a barrier, her taped body angled between them. "Why? She makes an excellent shield. You planned to fight with one hand tied behind your back anyway."
Todoroki stiffened. "You don't know anything."
Takeru's grin sharpened. "Really? You think you can beat someone like me by half-assing your way through the fight?" He chuckled. "Show me that fire."
"Shut up!" Todoroki slammed his palm forward, unleashing a jagged stream of ice that ripped through the floor—
CLAP.
Takeru casually brought his palms together. The shockwave detonated down the hall. A hurricane blast of compressed air shredded the incoming ice, scattering it into glittering shards that skittered across the floor. Todoroki's attack simply evaporated. His eyes widened—not in fear, but in calculation. "I see."
"Game over," Takeru said softly. He blurred again, vanishing from sight. Todoroki braced for an aerial angle, rotating ice across his flank—
A soft metallic tap sounded behind him. He turned—
Too late.
CLANG.
Toru Hagakure's invisible form swung the metal pipe straight into his ribs. Pain exploded through his side. He staggered, his instincts flaring, but the blow had knocked him off balance and broken his concentration. That instant was all Takeru needed. He reappeared in front of Todoroki, his arm already drawn back.
"Good night, Todoroki."
The backhand connected with a clean, concussive crack. Todoroki flew sideways—slammed into the wall, cratering the concrete before sliding unconscious to the floor.
Silence. The siren announcing the end of the match blared overhead. Two minutes. Villain team: complete victory.
Takeru lowered Momo gently to the floor so Recovery Girl could approach. Toru stood beside him, pipe still in hand, breathing hard. All Might's voice boomed over the speakers, stunned but impressed: "V-VILLAIN TEAM WINS! …IN RECORD TIME!"
Gasps and shouts erupted from the monitoring room. Ochaco muttered, "That was… scary. Takeru-kun does not take the villain role lightly."
Bakugo snorted with vicious glee. "Tch! That bastard meathead fought like a real villain. About time someone humbled Half-n-Half! They deserve it for being weaklings."
Back on the field, Takeru dusted off his gloves and looked down at Toru. "Nice hit," he said, his voice warm. Toru's hands fidgeted indicating she was flustered. "…Thanks, Takeru-kun."
He hooked a thumb toward the unconscious Todoroki. "And that," he said with a puff of his chest, "is how to be a villain."
When the dust settled, All Might stood before the gathered class at Ground Beta, his massive frame almost buzzing with restless energy. He kept glancing at the smashed concrete wall where Todoroki had been embedded moments earlier and then at Momo, whom Recovery Girl had already treated.
"W-WELL!" he boomed, trying—and failing—to sound composed. "THAT WAS… UH… A VERY BRISK EXCHANGE!" All Might boomed, trying to sound diplomatic. His eyes flicked toward Takeru, who stood with his back straight and fresh as a daisy, not like a man who had rag-dolled the two strongest students in his class. Toru hovered near his side, still holding the bent metal pipe like a trying to look menacing and failing . The boy's strength was overwhelming; All Might would be lying if he said the display of casual violence wasn't concerning.
All Might cleared his throat loudly. "THE VILLAIN TEAM IS AWARDED FULL POINTS! Their efficiency, teamwork, and decisive tactics—while brutal—accurately reflected how true villains may behave in the field!"
The class murmured, some in awe, some in horror. Kirishima shook his head in disapproval. "Punching a girl is not manly! Takeru, bro, that was too HARDCORE." Jiro grimaced. "Hardcore? He used Yaoyorozu as a shield! That was disturbing…" Mina, wide-eyed and sparkly, leaned forward with a half-grin. "I mean… he was the villain. And it was definitely hot in a morally concerning way."
Mineta was crying a river "Momo-chan… used as a hostage… why wasn't I the villain?! Takeru, you lucky bastard!!"
"Mineta, stop talking," Jiro sighed.
Bakugo snorted sharply, his arms crossed. "Tch. Idiots. They got stomped because they weren't ready. They let the meathead set the pace. They deserved it." Despite the insult, there was no trace of denial in Bakugo. No excuses. His eyes remained locked on Takeru with something like… competitive respect hidden beneath the hostility. Even Todoroki, bandaged but conscious again, said nothing. He only glanced at Takeru once—his eyes wary, but attentive.
All Might lifted a thumb. "Now then! Let's break this down." He gestured at the replay on the giant screen. Takeru ripping pillars apart. Toru sneaking through the vents and dropping behind Todoroki. Momo falling unconscious in a single controlled blow. Takeru's shockwave bursting through the ice stream. Todoroki being swatted into the wall like a bug.
"Team Villain," All Might said, "displayed perfect synergy. Hagakure-san used her stealth to full effect, and Kurogane-shōnen executed a ruthless but effective tactic. Their plan exploited their opponents' weaknesses without hesitation."
Takeru nodded respectfully. Toru, meanwhile, swayed from foot to foot, glowing with pride.
All Might then addressed Team Hero. "Yaoyorozu-shōjo, Todoroki-shōnen—excellent composure under pressure. But you underestimated the speed and unpredictability of your opponents. Learn from this, and you'll grow stronger."
Momo bowed deeply in apology. Todoroki only grunted.
Then All Might turned back to Takeru with a wide grin that didn't fully mask his unease. "Kurogane-shōnen! Your mobility, precision, and battlefield control were outstanding. That shockwave counter… impressive. Very impressive."
Takeru dipped his head slightly in acknowledgment. "Thank you, All Might-sensei."
But Toru was vibrating beside him. She tugged lightly at his sleeve. "Takeru-kun… um… your, uh… villain laugh was… u-um… really cool."
Takeru blinked. "I didn't laugh."
"Oh!" Toru's invisible hands flailed. "Well—your face did the laughing! Like… evil smiling! Very, um… handsome. In a scary way. But—uh—not bad scary. Good scary! Like… attractive scary. Not—! I mean—!" Her voice dissolved into squeaks.
Mina leaned over with a wicked grin. "Toru, girl… breathe."
Takeru placed a gentle hand on Toru's shoulder. "Thank you, Toru-chan. You were great. Your hit was perfect. I know you must have been scared crawling through the vents, but you did your job perfectly."
Her hands waved wildly. "It was nothing... Takeru-kun, you did all the work."
All Might cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "YES! Well! That concludes this match! The rest of you will continue observing and learning. Now, I exit." All Might made a dramatic exit.
Momo sat on a bench near the wall, her posture perfectly straight but her hands tight in her lap. Recovery Girl's healing had wiped away the pain, yet her expression remained tight and distant. She was staring at the floor as if trying to piece together what she had done wrong, or what she should have done.
Takeru walked over, slow enough not to startle her. "Yaoyorozu-san," he said gently, "are you feeling better?"
She looked up sharply, and despite her effort to appear composed, he saw the flicker of embarrassment behind her eyes. "Yes—ah—yes. Recovery Girl handled everything." Momo's shoulders stiffened. "I was captured immediately. I misread the situation, failed to adapt, and I—"
Takeru cut her off with a raised hand. "Yaoyorozu-san, I took you out first because you were the biggest threat."
She blinked at him, clearly unprepared for that. "You have an incredibly powerful quirk," Takeru continued. "Versatile. And you're smart enough to use it well. If I had let you get even one technique off, the whole match could've gone differently."
Momo flushed lightly, her lips parting in surprise. "You… you really believe that?"
"Of course," Takeru said. "Your quirk requires knowledge, planning, and precision. You need intelligence to maximize it. To me, that makes it one of the most dangerous quirks in the class."
Momo exhaled, almost a sigh of relief mixed with confusion. "I—I appreciate that, Kurogane-san. I know I still have much to improve. But today, I felt… inadequate. Especially compared to Todoroki-san or… well… you."
Takeru crouched slightly so they were at eye level. "If it was me against the entirety of Class 1-A, I would still win. I am simply stronger and more experienced. There was no scenario in which you could have won. Todoroki did not give it his all because of pride. Why? I do not know. But you... you doubt yourself too much. It is not talent you lack, Yaoyorozu-san, but self-belief. Hesitation will get you killed on the field. We are heroes; our decisions will decide whether people live or die. A quirk like yours is only this powerful because you are intelligent. Do not hesitate and believe in yourself."
She nodded. "Thank you for your advice, Kurogane-san. That was very kind of you."
"That is what heroes do. And please, call me Takeru," he said, giving her a wink.
Takeru stood and gave Momo a small nod. "Take it easy for the rest of the day, Yaoyorozu-san. And don't underestimate yourself next time."