Let's rewind to just before the teams entered the building…
"Izuku-chan, can you still use the same attack you used during the entrance exam?" Asui Tsuyu asked, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him.
"Huh? Yeah, I can," Midoriya Izuku replied honestly. "But if I use that attack, I basically lose most of my combat ability afterward."
Tsuyu didn't immediately respond. Instead, she continued calmly, "Iida-chan's Quirk is Engine. As for Bakugo… even though I don't fully understand his Quirk yet, his personality is extremely aggressive, gero."
"Yeah…" Izuku lowered his head slightly. "Kacchan is really strong. Even though his temper is bad and he gets irritated easily, he has clear goals, confidence, physical strength, and a powerful Quirk. All of that… it's way better than me."
"So, Izuku-chan," Tsuyu said seriously now, her expression sharpening, "are you confident you can provoke him and keep him occupied, gero?"
Before Izuku could answer, Tsuyu continued explaining her plan.
"Iida-chan is a very serious person. If he's acting as the villain, there's a high chance he'll stay close to the nuclear weapon. Combined with his Quirk, the weapon will likely be placed in a wide, open area. If we rush in directly, we'll almost certainly lose in terms of speed."
"But there's something I can do that Iida-chan can't," Tsuyu continued steadily. "My Quirk allows me to cling to walls and crawl for short periods of time. If you lure Bakugo away from the nuclear weapon, then drag him across the floor of the room where the weapon is stored, Iida-chan's mobility will be completely restricted."
"Once the floor is broken, he won't be able to maintain his footing, and his speed advantage will disappear. While he's slowed down, I can move along the walls and retrieve the nuclear weapon, gero."
Tsuyu finished explaining her strategy in one breath, then looked at Izuku solemnly. If her plan was to succeed, Izuku's role was the most dangerous and demanding part. He would need to distract Bakugo, endure his attacks, and find the right moment to smash through the floor—all while holding him back.
"That's incredible…!" Izuku clenched his fist, eyes shining. "You came up with all of that so fast! And if it's fighting Kacchan… then yeah! Tsuyu-chan!"
"I won't lose this time!"
"In the end, the one who lost was almost unharmed… while the one who won collapsed to the ground."
"You lost the fight… but did you win the battle?"
The students watching from the monitoring room fell into silence. Meanwhile, All Might had already rushed toward the building.
After hearing the explanation from All Might, Bakugo Katsuki finally understood that, in terms of training, he had truly lost.
"No…" Bakugo stared at his own gauntlet. "He completely saw through my right-hand attack. He even came up with a strategy just to deal with me… Even my final move was turned into part of his victory…"
Self-doubt crept into Bakugo's mind for the first time.
His eyes turned bloodshot as he panted heavily. "Does that mean… even in a straight one-on-one fight… I'd lose completely?!"
It felt like the illusion he'd lived in for more than ten years had shattered. Bakugo stood there in a daze.
"Let's go, Bakugo," All Might said quietly as he stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Win or lose, these experiences will become invaluable lessons."
Back in the observation room, All Might began his evaluation.
"The standout performer this round was Asui Tsuyu. I believe that's clear to everyone, right? Would anyone like to explain why?"
Whenever moments like this came up, Igarashi Masata couldn't help but glance at Yaoyorozu Momo. Ever since childhood, she had always been the model student who answered teachers' questions.
As expected, the moment All Might finished speaking, Yaoyorozu raised her hand.
"First, Bakugo's actions were driven entirely by personal emotions," Yaoyorozu said calmly. "He failed to communicate with his teammate and even discarded his headset, which is completely unacceptable in a team-based operation."
"Second, Midoriya's decision to use a high-output attack capable of damaging the building was extremely dangerous in an indoor environment and could have harmed civilians."
"As for Iida, while he made no direct mistakes, he chose terrain that favored his Quirk—but this was anticipated in advance by Asui."
"Therefore, the best performer was Asui Tsuyu, who formulated and executed an effective strategy under time pressure."
"Tch—still the same as always," Masata muttered beside her with a grin. "You analyze things so fast it's scary. Feels like you understand me better than I understand myself."
"Who understands you, idiot!" Yaoyorozu snapped back, pretending to be fierce—though a faint blush crept onto her face.
"Ahem! Yaoyorozu Momo gave an excellent explanation," All Might said approvingly. "Very well done."
The remaining battles didn't leave much of an impression on Masata—except for one.
Todoroki Shoto, who was also in Yaoyorozu's class, teamed up with Shoji Mezo against Ojiro Mashirao and Hagakure Toru. Under Shoji's coordination, Todoroki froze the entire building in an instant, immobilizing the villains without damaging the nuclear weapon. He then calmly thawed the structure using the fire from the left side of his body.
"Hey, Momo-chan!" Masata whispered exaggeratedly. "Isn't that guy's Quirk way too strong? Ice and fire? That's basically a cheat character. If this were a game, he'd be a final boss!"
Yaoyorozu squeezed Masata's hand discreetly. "Don't play dumb. You know exactly how strong you are."
"Heh, habit, habit," Masata replied with a helpless smile.
Just then, All Might's voice rang out again.
"Next match! Hero Team: Igarashi Masata and Minoru Mineta!
Villain Team: Yaoyorozu Momo and Uraraka Ochaco!"