Mina couldn't stop staring.
Rei sat across from her in the building, the faint crack in his visor catching the light as it lay next to him. His uniform was a little burnt, sleeves singed, but he looked as calm as if they'd just finished a pop quiz instead of a full-on battle against Bakugo and Iida.
'He… took on both of them. Both.' she thought, her eyes drifting to his hand — the same one that had conjured those ghostly, glowing limbs like it was second nature.
All Might had already declared them the winners, but Mina couldn't shake the feeling that she hadn't really done much. She'd followed the plan, sure — but Rei had fought Bakugo head-on, taken a massive explosion, and still managed to make it to the fifth floor in time to save her and finish the match.
"Wow…" she muttered under her breath, leaning forward. "You're kinda scary when you're focused, y'know that?"
Rei looked up, blinking once. "Scary?"
"I mean, not in a bad way!" Mina waved her hands quickly. "Just, like, whoa, this guy's way too composed while fighting a literal grenade boy' kinda scary."
Rei tilted his head, considering that. "I just followed the plan."
She puffed out her cheeks, half exasperated, half impressed. "Yeah, sure, the plan. The plan that probably had you getting launched across the building and still coming out on top!"
For a moment, Rei's neutral expression softened, a small hint of humor flickering behind his eyes. "Bakugo underestimated me. That's all."
"What did you do, anyway? I heard this massive explosion, way bigger than any of the others." Mina leaned forward, eyes wide with curiosity. "If Bakugo made that blast, how come he's the one who got knocked out?"
"Honestly," Rei said quietly, looking down at his hands, "I'm not entirely sure myself." He turned them over slowly, studying the faint bruises along his knuckles. "You know how I summon my ghost hands?"
"Yeah! Well, kind of." Mina tilted her head, tapping her chin. "They just sorta appear next to you, right? Like, poof, ghosty grabby hands."
Rei let out a quiet breath that was almost a laugh. "That's one way to put it. But I've always felt like there's a fixed point inside me where they all come from. Not physical.. more like… my center. My soul, maybe." He paused, eyes distant for a moment. "Normally, I materialize them beside me, then direct them. But that process takes time. And when I don't have time.. well, that's a problem."
Mina nodded along, completely absorbed. "Okay… so how does that help you beat Bakugo?"
"In the last second before he fired," Rei said, lifting his gaze to meet hers, "I realized I didn't have to summon a hand first. I could fire one directly from myself, straight through the air." He gestured subtly, like replaying the motion. "I aimed for the gauntlet. The hand went straight through it, igniting all the built-up sweat inside."
Mina's mouth fell open slightly. "You blew up his own explosion?"
"More or less." Rei picked up his cracked visor, holding it up to the light. "I took part of the hit too, but I didn't need to stay standing to win." His tone was calm, almost matter-of-fact. "I still had reach."
The conversation was cut short as All Might stepped in through a broken doorway, his booming voice filling the half-ruined hall. "Great work, both of you! Shall we go into the observation room for the debrief?"
The two followed him through the building's battered corridors until they reached the rest of Class 1-A. As soon as they entered, cheers erupted.
"Impressive work!" Tokoyami nodded
"What a way to win!" Kaminari yelled a little too loudly
"So manly!" Kirishima pumped a fist into the air.
Rei said nothing, simply offering a polite nod. Mina waved awkwardly, still a little flustered.
All Might stood at the front in his usual confident stance, hands on hips, chest out. "Impressive work indeed! Let's first talk about Young Kageyama and Young Ashido!"
He pointed toward Mina first, his voice carrying a fatherly enthusiasm. "Young Ashido, your versatility and mobility are perfect for support roles! You used your acid well to control the environment, but remember, even the best quirks lose impact without proper coordination. Losing your earpiece shows just how vital communication is in indoor combat!"
Mina rubbed the back of her neck, smiling sheepishly. "Got it, All Might. I'll stick closer next time."
All Might gave her a reassuring grin before turning to Rei. "Now, Young Kageyama." His tone grew more measured, but no less proud. "Splitting up to face both opponents was a bold move—one that can be risky when the number of foes is uncertain. You made your plan based on knowledge you got beforehand, which, in a real fight, would be abundant."
"That's true," Rei said evenly, his gaze steady.
"Even so," All Might continued, voice ringing with approval, "your control, adaptability, and composure under pressure were remarkable. Many would've panicked under Bakugo's aggression, but you stayed focused. You didn't just fight with strength. You fought with strategy."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the class. Even Bakugo, standing off to the side with his arms crossed, gritted his teeth but said nothing.
"Both of you showed the heart of heroes," All Might declared proudly. "Remember what we learned here. Teamwork, communication, and adaptability are just as vital as raw power!"
As All Might moved on to review Bakugo and Iida's performance, Rei quietly stepped aside, leaning against a cracked pillar near the back of the room. The echo of All Might's booming voice filled the hall as he praised and scolded the other teams in equal measure.
Rei's visor, cracked but still faintly reflective, sat loosely in his hand. He turned it over once, twice, deep in thought.
A nervous but familiar voice broke through the noise. "Um—Kageyama, right?"
Rei looked up. Midoriya stood a few feet away, fiddling awkwardly with the edge of his glove. His eyes were bright, but his posture radiated hesitation.
"Yes," Rei replied simply. "You're Midoriya."
"Y-yeah!" Midoriya laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek. "I, uh, just wanted to say—that was amazing! The way you redirected Bakugo's attacks, and how you managed to turn his own explosion against him… that was incredible strategy!"
Rei blinked once, his expression unreadable. "I just adapted. Anyone could've done the same with the right timing."
"Still," Midoriya said earnestly, shaking his head, "most people wouldn't have thought of it that fast. You really kept your composure."
For a moment, Rei said nothing. Then, faintly, the corner of his mouth tugged upward. "Composure keeps you alive. Excitement gets you hurt."
Midoriya nodded quickly, clearly committing the words to memory. "That's… actually really cool."
Midoriya nodded quickly, clearly committing the words to memory. "That's… actually really cool."
Rei raised an eyebrow. "Cool?"
Midoriya froze, panic flashing across his face. "I-I mean—that's smart thinking! Yeah! I'll try to follow that!"
From across the room, Bakugo's sharp voice cut through the chatter. "Deku! Quit drooling over him! He just blew up my gauntlet!"
Midoriya flinched so hard it almost looked rehearsed. "No! I wasn't—ah, forget it!"
Before Rei could say another word, Midoriya had already scrambled back toward Bakugo, muttering apologies under his breath.
All Might's booming voice filled the room again, effortlessly commanding everyone's attention. "Well, let's move on to the next team! Team Shoto Todoroki and Mezo Shoji as heroes, and Team Toru Hagakure and Mashirao Ojiro as villains!"
Rei stood among the crowd of students as the next match began. From the monitors, they watched Todoroki's calm, unreadable expression as he and Shoji entered the villain base.
The fight didn't even last a minute.
A wave of frost exploded from Todoroki's side of the screen, racing down every hall and corridor like a living storm. The temperature in the observation room seemed to drop as the building shimmered under a thick layer of ice. Both Hagakure and Ojiro were immobilized in seconds—completely frozen, though unharmed.
The match was over before it even started.
All Might's eyes gleamed with awe. "And just like that, victory goes to Team Todoroki and Shoji!"
Murmurs filled the room.
"Holy crap, he froze the whole building!"
"That was insane…"
"So cool... literally!"
Rei's gaze stayed fixed on the screen. His visor reflected the frozen battlefield.
'He didn't hesitate. One move, total control… but that much output, that fast—he's either trained for years, or…' Rei's eyes narrowed slightly. 'He's holding back even more.'
Mina shivered next to him, rubbing her arms. "Man, I thought your quirk was spooky, but that guy's an ice monster."
Rei didn't answer right away. "He's efficient," he finally said. "Doesn't waste effort."
Mina glanced at him, smiling faintly. "You say that like it's a compliment."
Rei's lips tugged upward just slightly. "It is."
'Here are the first signs of a power-gap between students. I'll have to work harder if I wanna beat that..'