The aftermath of my clash against U.A.'s entire Pro Hero faculty left Training Ground Beta a sodden ruin-cratered asphalt, shattered mock buildings, water from my 60-meter oceanic torrent pooling in the rubble.
Now, as the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows over the arena, it was Bakugo's turn. Bakugo, ever the lone wolf, had demanded a solo fight, and the faculty obliged. His opponent? All Might himself, the Symbol of Peace, weakened but still a juggernaut.
Class 1-A buzzed around me, Kirishima hyping Bakugo's "manly spirit," Momo analyzing tactics, Todoroki silent but intent. Aizawa, nursing a bruised shoulder from my flood, announced the match from the field's edge: "Katsuki Bakugo versus All Might. Objective: defeat or escape within 30 minutes. Begin."
The system's overlay flickered-no new quest, just a note: User's challenge complete. Observe ally's trial for strategic insight.
Fine. I'd learn from Bakugo's fire, even if he'd never admit needing my eyes.
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Training Ground Beta: Bakugo vs. All Might
The arena had been reset-partially. My torrents left lingering puddles, pipes still leaking, giving Ocean a subtle edge if I'd needed it. For Bakugo, it was a mixed bag: his Explosion quirk thrived in dry heat, but he'd adapt.
He stood at the field's center, hero costume singed from training, gauntlets gleaming with stored sweat. His scowl was a blade, crimson eyes locked on All Might, who loomed opposite, cape fluttering despite his gaunt frame. "Young Bakugo," All Might boomed, voice warm but edged, "show me your resolve!" Bakugo's reply was a snarl: "I'll blast you to hell, old man!"
The fight erupted. Bakugo launched skyward, propelled by twin explosions, palms blazing. All Might blurred, closing the gap with a single leap, fist cocked for a Missouri Smash.
Bakugo twisted mid-air, a blast redirecting his trajectory, dodging by inches. The shockwave cratered the ground, sending debris flying. I gripped the railing, analyzing-Bakugo's speed matched my Saiyan bursts at 60%, but All Might's raw power dwarfed anything short of my Legendary Super Saiyan potential. Bakugo needed strategy, not just rage.
He landed in a crouch, firing a rapid barrage-AP Shots, condensed explosions piercing like bullets. All Might tanked them, his grin unwavering, muscles bulging as he absorbed the hits.
"Too predictable!" he shouted, charging with a Texas Smash, the air splitting. Bakugo rolled, barely evading, his gauntlet unleashing a massive blast-Stun Grenade, blinding light and concussive force.
All Might squinted, momentarily slowed, but his fist grazed Bakugo's shoulder, sending him skidding into a mock building. Concrete cracked, Bakugo coughing but already moving, palms sparking.
"He's not winning head-on," I muttered. Todoroki nodded beside me. "Bakugo's pride blinds him. All Might's holding back, but even 10% of his power is overwhelming."
Uraraka chewed her lip. "Kacchan's gotta outsmart him, right?" I agreed silently, Ocean's regional sense picking up Bakugo's sweat-fuel for his quirk, but also a resource I could've tapped. Not my fight, though.
Bakugo adapted. He darted into the urban maze, using buildings for cover, explosions propelling him rooftop to rooftop. All Might pursued, slower but relentless, each step quaking the ground.
Bakugo's plan crystallized: misdirection. He fired a smokescreen of smaller blasts, obscuring his position, then ducked into an alley, silencing his quirk. All Might paused, scanning, his enhanced senses straining.
"Hiding, Young Bakugo? A hero faces their foe!" Bakugo's voice echoed from nowhere: "Shut it, Symbol! I fight to win!"
The distraction was genius. Bakugo had rigged a decoy-his spare gauntlet, stuffed with sweat-soaked cloth, rigged to a timed spark. It detonated in a distant building, a massive explosion mimicking his full power.
All Might turned, speeding toward the blast, leaving his flank open. Bakugo emerged from a sewer grate, silent as a shadow, and unleashed his trump card: a point-blank Howitzer Impact.
The spiraling blast, fueled by every drop of sweat in his remaining gauntlet, hit All Might's back like a meteor. The arena shook, smoke billowing, All Might staggering forward, coughing blood-his weakened state betraying him.
Class 1-A gasped, Kirishima shouting, "That's my man!" I clenched my fists, impressed but tense. Bakugo pressed the advantage, leaping skyward, firing smaller blasts to keep All Might off-balance.
The Symbol of Peace recovered, though, his grin fierce. "Clever, but not enough!" A Detroit Smash roared upward, shockwave scattering Bakugo's explosions, sending him crashing through a wall.
He rose, blood trickling from his brow, panting but unbowed. Twenty minutes remained-escape was viable, but Bakugo's eyes screamed victory, not retreat.
He vanished again, using rubble and puddles for cover, my water ki sense tracking his movements faintly. All Might's pursuit slowed, his breathing labored-his time limit nearing.
Bakugo's final gambit unfolded: he'd rigged multiple decoys, small explosive traps hidden in debris, triggered by motion. As All Might charged, blasts erupted, disorienting him. Bakugo struck from above, a diving AP Shot barrage, each hit precise, targeting All Might's legs to slow him.
The Symbol stumbled, one knee buckling, but his fist lashed out, grazing Bakugo's chest, tearing his costume. Bakugo hit the ground hard, rolling, barely conscious.
The timer ticked: five minutes left. Bakugo staggered up, defiance blazing. "I ain't done!" he roared, firing one last Howitzer Impact, weaker but aimed at All Might's face-a distraction.
As All Might shielded his eyes, Bakugo sprinted for the escape gate, explosions propelling him just past the boundary as the buzzer sounded. Aizawa's voice crackled: "Bakugo Katsuki-pass, by escape. Barely."
The deck erupted, Kirishima whooping, Uraraka clapping, even Todoroki smirking faintly. Bakugo collapsed, panting, his glare finding me. "Don't think this means you're better, Deku."
All Might approached, clapping Bakugo's shoulder. "You fought with heart and cunning, Young Bakugo. That's a hero's path."
Bakugo shrugged him off, but his smirk betrayed pride. I exhaled, relieved. He'd won-barely, through deception and grit, not raw power. A lesson for us both.
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The S-Tier Pull
As the faculty cleared the field and Class 1-A dispersed for debriefs, I slipped to a quiet corner of the observation deck, the system's neon interface pulsing.
S-Tier Pull Available: Activate now?
My heart raced-after the Zombie Dungeon, Jean Grey's trial, and now this, the system's rewards were escalating. I nodded, the kaleidoscope spinning: galaxies folding, blades glinting, portals tearing reality. It settled, a sleek, obsidian sword materializing in my hand, its edge shimmering with violet light, humming with otherworldly power.
Pull Result: Dimensional Blade (S-Tier). A sword forged from multiversal essence. Cuts portals to any dimension, location, or timeline the user envisions-no limits, no energy cost, no cooldown. Stored in Dimensional Storage or wielded directly.
I gripped the hilt, its weight perfectly balanced, the blade singing as I gave it a test swing. A faint rift sparked in the air, a glimpse of stars beyond-not Earth-616, but somewhere vast, uncharted. I closed it instantly, heart pounding.
No limits meant I could cut to Kuoh Academy, Earth-616, or even abstract realms. Synergy flashed: pair with Ocean for portal-flooded assaults, or All Fiction to erase dimensional threats.
Oceanus rumbled, A blade to cleave the sea's boundaries. Wield it wisely. I stored it in Dimensional Storage, its presence a quiet promise beside the Vampire Dungeon Ticket.
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Debrief and Reflection
The sun set, painting Training Ground Beta in crimson. Aizawa gathered us for debriefs, his voice clipped but approving. "Bakugo, your strategy showed growth, but don't rely on tricks alone."
He listed other matches for tomorrow-Todoroki and Momo versus Aizawa, Uraraka and Aoyama versus Thirteen-but my mind drifted. Bakugo's fight showed what cunning could do against overwhelming odds, a mirror to my own tidal gambit.
All Fiction (two uses daily) and the Dimensional Blade added layers to my arsenal, but restraint was key. I wasn't here to rewrite reality or flee to other worlds, I was U.A.'s hero, Class 1-A's heart.
Back in the dorms, Uraraka plopped beside me, grinning. "You and Kacchan were unreal today! How'd you even think to fight everyone?" I scratched my neck, sheepish. "Just... felt I had to prove something."
She laughed, nudging me. Iida joined, lecturing on "strategic audacity," while Todoroki offered a rare, "You're pushing us all forward, Midoriya." Bakugo, passing by, snorted. "Keep up, nerd, or I'll leave you in the dust." His words stung, but his glance held respect.