The sharp buzz of the monitor filled the simulation observation room once again as All Might, beaming with his usual larger-than-life energy, pointed at the next group of names flashing across the display.
"Next match-up!" he boomed, "Team Heroes: Daichi Ishigami and Mina Ashido! Team Villains: Momo Yaoyorozu and Tenya Iida!"
Several murmurs followed the announcement. Kaminari let out a low whistle.
"Whoa, that's a stacked lineup," he said. "Daichi's brain, Mina's chaos, and they're going against Creation Queen and Sonic Legs."
Kyoka, sitting with her arms folded beside Kaminari, gave a sideways glance toward Daichi as he stood up with a calm confidence.
"This'll be interesting," she murmured.
Daichi gave her a brief look and a nod before following Mina, who practically skipped down the hallway toward the locker rooms.
"I get to be a hero!" she cheered.
Daichi chuckled. "Well, let's make sure the villains know they picked the wrong day to cross us."
In the locker room, Mina was tying her pink hair into two small buns while humming a tune. Daichi was checking the functionality of his gear — nothing too bulky, just his utility vest, gloves with amplifier linings, and sound pads integrated into the boots.
"You ready?" he asked as he activated his quirk momentarily, summoning a duplicate of himself. The clone flickered in with a pulsing hum, nodded at him, and vanished.
"Yup!" Mina declared, fist raised high. "Let's do this! I've never been a hero in training before — I'm gonna melt some metaphorical faces!"
Daichi raised an eyebrow. "Let's try not to literally melt anyone."
A few corridors away, in the "villain" locker room, Momo was quietly adjusting her utility belt — filled with spare materials and components she could conjure during the battle.
Iida stood tall beside her, rigid as always.
"This simulation may be designed for educational purposes," he said seriously, "but we must uphold villain behavior convincingly to aid our fellow students' development."
Momo nodded. "Agreed. I'll set traps near the 'weapon.' We need to slow them down and divide them if possible."
They bumped fists — respectful and determined.
Meanwhile, Daichi and Mina entered the vast industrial simulation — a rust-red, metallic maze with narrow corridors, grated walkways, ventilation ducts, and high platforms.
"Let's review the plan," Daichi said as they crouched behind a support column, just outside the main structure.
"I go in loud and chaotic," Mina said, smiling mischievously. "You do your sound-ghost ninja thing."
Daichi nodded. "I'll send a clone through the lower level and another on the upper walkway. Keep moving, but don't expose yourself in open space for long."
He pressed a hand to the wall, sending a small, resonating hum through it. A mental map built up in his mind from the vibrations. Footsteps — soft but paced — were heard in the northern quadrant. "Momo," he whispered.
He created two duplicates, each flickering into form beside him, then sent them forward.
Mina melted part of a grate on the floor and slipped through like a ghost, leaving behind a sizzling trail.
The game was on.
In the uppermost room of the structure, Momo stood beside the "nuclear core" prop used as the objective. Around it, she'd placed two trip mines fashioned from metal balls and adhesive glue. She held a javelin in her hands, ready to form a shield or capture net at a moment's notice.
Suddenly, her device beeped — motion on the third floor.
"Tenya," she whispered into her communicator.
"I'm in position near the ventilation shaft," he replied. "Engaging if needed."
Then — boom.
A shriek of distorted sound echoed down the hall, followed by a blast of pink mist. Mina charged from the corner with a wild grin, releasing short sprays of acid that hissed as they landed. Momo ducked behind cover and conjured a smoke grenade. It exploded instantly.
But Daichi was never there.
The real Daichi crept silently through the floor below, using vibrations to trace Momo's position even through smoke. His duplicate upstairs had charged at her — a decoy. Once he located her exact location, he clicked his fingers, creating a pulse blast from a hidden speaker in the ceiling above her. The pressure knocked Momo sideways into her own smoke.
From a ventilation grate behind her, Mina's actual form emerged and slid beside her with a sweeping leg kick.
Momo barely managed to block using a conjured riot shield.
"Whew! You're fast," Mina panted, "but I'm slippery!"
They traded short-range blows — Mina melting obstacles, Momo conjuring quick defenses — until Daichi's real self emerged behind Momo and placed a sound pad on her back.
"Sorry," he muttered, activating it.
The sonic pad emitted a concussive pulse and threw Momo off balance. She collapsed.
Suddenly — "Engine turbo!"
A blur of blue metal crashed through the wall. Iida had arrived.
With blazing speed, he zipped past Daichi, shoulder-checking him into a crate. Daichi grunted and rolled, absorbing the impact, and sent two clones charging toward Iida from different angles. They activated synchronized high-frequency echoes that distorted the air, trying to throw off Iida's equilibrium.
But Iida, ever the trained runner, closed his eyes and sprinted by instinct.
Mina tried to intercept with an acid wall — but Iida leaped clear over it in a vaulting maneuver and grabbed Momo.
"We're retreating!" he called, pulling her toward the escape route.
Daichi picked himself up and whistled sharply. The clones dispersed. "We can't let them regroup."
Mina nodded. "On it!"
The chase continued through the halls. Iida activated his Recipro Burst, launching them ahead, but the confined corridors made maneuvering tricky. Momo recovered enough to spawn a quick barrier at a choke point, slowing their pursuers.
Daichi analyzed the terrain. "Time for shock and awe."
He summoned three clones and positioned them in a triangle around the villain duo's predicted route. As soon as Momo and Iida rounded the corner—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Three sonic pulses exploded in sequence, distorting the walls and creating a painful resonance. Momo clutched her ears. Iida staggered.
Daichi leaped from above and pinned Iida down with a duplicate's weight while Mina slipped in to secure the capture tape around Momo.
All Might's voice erupted from the speakers: "Time's up! The weapon has been secured! Heroes win!"
A collective cheer rang through the observation room. Kaminari and Kirishima whooped loudly.
"Let's go!" Kaminari shouted. "Daichi's a sound assassin!"
Jiro folded her arms, but the corner of her mouth twitched up. "Not bad," she muttered.
As Daichi and Mina helped Momo and Iida back to their feet, Momo smiled wearily. "You're a strategist, Ishigami."
"And you're versatile under pressure," Daichi replied respectfully. "Nice javelin technique, by the way."
Iida adjusted his glasses. "Your tactics are commendable. Thank you for the battle."
Mina slapped Daichi on the back. "That was so fun! I felt like a real hero!"
Daichi gave her a small smile. "Let's aim to feel that way every time we're on the field."
Later, back in the classroom, the match was reviewed by All Might on the monitors.
"Class 1-A, this was a match of brains, coordination, and adaptability! Daichi Ishigami utilized his Quirk with surgical precision. Mina Ashido's unpredictable movement kept pressure on the Villains. And our Villains gave their all — Yaoyorozu's battlefield control and Iida's speed nearly flipped the outcome."
The class clapped.
Kirishima elbowed Daichi. "Dude, you're awesome! And Ashido — that vault slide with the acid? Manly as hell!"
Mina beamed.
Jiro nudged Daichi and whispered, "Echo Boy's got moves. I'll need to up my game."
Daichi grinned. "Happy to share tips."
All Might raised his hand. "Now then! Who's ready for the next team?"
The students leaned forward in anticipation.
Daichi sat back, arms folded, a rare glint of pride in his eyes. That match had felt right — not just because they won, but because he hadn't needed to hold back, to hide. He had faced strong opponents, trusted a teammate, and contributed meaningfully.
And as he glanced over to the rows of seats where his classmates talked and teased, bickered and bonded, he realized something deeper.
For the first time since being reincarnated into this world, this strange, chaotic, heroic world — he felt like he belonged.