"Is it combat training again today?"
Looking at the simulated industrial site filled with pipes, scaffolding, and steel structures, everyone instinctively made the same guess.
That afternoon, it was time for the Hero Basics class taught by All Might. Aizawa-sensei had already ordered everyone into their combat uniforms and brought them to the training ground, where they waited quietly.
Suddenly—
A sharp whistling sound tore through the air.
"I've arrived—just like this!"
All Might descended from the sky and landed heavily, spreading his arms wide as he shouted enthusiastically.
"It's been a while since I last saw you all! How was your week of on-site internships?"
It had almost been a full week since they'd seen him, and All Might greeted them with his usual energy.
However, the response he received was… not quite what he expected.
"So cliché."
"I feel like I've heard that opening a hundred times."
"It's getting less and less fresh…"
Faced with the students' visibly unimpressed expressions, a bead of cold sweat slid down All Might's face.
Kids these days really are getting harder to please…
Clearing his throat to hide the awkwardness, All Might waved a hand grandly.
"Details don't matter, young heroes!"
"Let's move straight into today's lesson!"
His trademark smile returned in full force.
"Since this class follows your internships, today's training will be a rescue exercise—with a competitive twist!"
"Shouldn't rescue training be done at USJ?"
Iida immediately raised his hand, full of questions.
"That facility specializes in disaster rescue," All Might explained.
"But what we're doing today is different."
"This is a game!"
He gestured toward the massive structure behind him.
"The battlefield is this industrial complex—dense, maze-like, with narrow paths everywhere!"
"So what are the rules?"
Masata asked, clearly interested.
"You'll form teams of five. There will be four teams in total," All Might said.
"Once I send out a distress signal, all teams will start from outside the factory at the same time!"
"The goal is simple—whoever rescues me first wins!"
"Oh—and one more thing."
He suddenly pointed at Masata and Bakugo repeatedly, making exaggerated gestures.
"Damage to the buildings must be kept to a minimum."
That warning was clearly aimed at the two most destructive Quirks in the class.
"Alright! Team One!"
"Midoriya Izuku, Iida Tenya, Ojiro Mashirao, Ashido Mina, and Sero Hanta!"
"Iida's injuries haven't fully healed yet, and his suit is damaged. Is this really okay?"
someone murmured.
"But that team's mobility is insane," another student replied.
"If anyone's at a disadvantage, it's probably Midoriya."
The remaining students watched from outside the field as the match played out on a large screen.
"Sero has a huge advantage in this kind of terrain,"
Masata commented casually to Yaoyorozu.
Yaoyorozu nodded thoughtfully.
"In fact, Quirks like his would work extremely well in film or stunt production. He might even become popular that way—finally escaping his 'background character' fate."
"Midoriya's still last place,"
Bakugo muttered coldly from behind.
Masata turned to look at him and laughed.
"Hey, Bakugo, don't be so sure. Maybe Midoriya will surprise you this time."
As the match progressed, Sero indeed surged far ahead, swinging effortlessly through the complex.
"In terrain like this, aerial movement is incredibly valuable,"
Yaoyorozu said.
"Maybe we should research temporary jetpacks. Even a short-duration version would massively improve mobility."
"Yes!"
Yaoyorozu chimed in.
"And with my Quirk, it could be made even faster while saving fuel!"
Even while watching, the class was constantly learning from one another. That was one of the biggest reasons Class 1-A grew so quickly.
"Still, Midoriya's growth is ridiculous," Masata muttered.
"He completely overcame the bone-breaking issue, and his movements now look almost identical to Bakugo's. It's only been a week since—"
Before he could finish, Midoriya slipped mid-jump and fell from a pipe.
Masata covered his face.
"…Why did I even start praising him?"
Watching Midoriya "borrow" his movement style so effectively made Bakugo's pride flare again.
"So not just the magma bastard… even him…"
Bakugo's face darkened.
"Next—Team Two!"
"Igarashi Masata, Bakugo Katsuki, Asui Tsuyu, Todoroki Shouto, and Uraraka Ochaco!"
Masata glanced at his teammates.
"These are some pretty dangerous opponents,"
he muttered.
Todoroki looked straight at Masata, serious and focused, as if the others didn't even exist.
Bakugo cracked his knuckles, refusing to even acknowledge Masata's presence.
"These three are terrifying…"
Asui whispered as she and Uraraka instinctively hugged each other.
"Start!"
At All Might's signal, everyone moved at once.
Todoroki froze the ground beneath his feet, launching himself forward along a rising wave of ice.
Bakugo blasted himself into the air with explosions, chaining bursts to leap across the pipes.
Asui swung forward using her twenty-meter-long tongue, her speed surprisingly high.
Uraraka activated her Quirk on herself, floating upward and drifting steadily forward—her control far better than before.
"Uraraka, if you add a propulsion device to your suit, your mobility would improve dramatically."
Masata's voice suddenly appeared beside her.
"Eh?!"
Uraraka turned her head in surprise—only to see Masata flying beside her, half his body already airborne.
"Hahaha, I won't wait this time. I'm going ahead!"
He patted her head lightly and surged forward.
Masata's lower body was fully elementalized, using magma propulsion to launch himself through the air like a meteor—just as he had during the fight with the Hero Killer.
"Outstanding!"
All Might shouted excitedly from the finish point.
In the end, Masata arrived first—by a small margin.
In truth, he could have gone even faster by leaping directly across rooftops, but this run was mainly for practicing Quirk control.
"I lost to this bastard again…"
Bakugo clenched his teeth in frustration.
His partially frozen fist tightened—he hadn't even used his flames to thaw himself this time.
My tolerance limit is still too low…
Nearby, Uraraka looked deep in thought.
If she could maintain her Quirk on herself for longer periods, then upgrading her combat uniform really needed to be moved up the priority list.
The improvement to her mobility would be enormous.