Yaoyorozu Momo seemed to place full trust in Uchiha Madara's presence. After saying only a few words, she went downstairs alone—without even outlining a proper strategy.
Madara leaned lazily against the large steel prop labeled as the "nuclear weapon," his eyes half-lidded as he monitored Yaoyorozu's movements through the comms in his earpiece.
Suddenly—
BOOM!!!
A loud explosion burst through the wireless headset, followed by a burst of electricity and a sharp screech of static.
"…She didn't just mess it up, did she?" Madara straightened his posture, tapping a button on his earpiece. "Hundred, do you copy?"
"I'm fine," Yaoyorozu's voice came back, slightly breathless. "One of them's coming your way. Sorry… I think the plan failed."
"…Plan?" Madara blinked and gave a helpless sigh. "You never told me there was a plan."
He stretched casually and muttered, "Let them come, then."
Just as he finished speaking, a sharp crackle of electricity surged across the room. Sparks flickered, and from the smoke emerged Kaminari Denki, looking smug.
"Nuclear warhead acquired!"
BOOM!!
The entrance door blew open in a burst of debris, and smoke filled the space, obscuring Madara from sight.
"I don't think so." His voice echoed through the smoke, calm and unwavering. "You'll have to get through me first."
Madara's eyes turned scarlet in the shadows.
A moment later, his figure disappeared.
BANG!
Kaminari let out a pained grunt, clutching his stomach. But surprisingly, the blow wasn't as agonizing as expected. As the smoke cleared, he found himself face-to-face with Uchiha Madara—who stood calmly, arms folded.
"I know your Quirk—Hypnosis," Kaminari muttered, avoiding eye contact. "You need direct eye contact to activate it, right?"
Madara said nothing, simply watching him in silence as Kaminari grabbed the mock warhead with both arms.
"We win!" Kaminari shouted triumphantly, but… the buzzer didn't ring.
"Huh?" He frowned, tapping his headset. "Kyoka-chan? Is it over?"
"There's still three minutes left in the exercise," Madara said as he walked slowly toward him and casually sat on a piece of rubble. "Why don't we chat?"
Kaminari's eyes widened in realization. "Wait… Don't tell me…"
"You never looked into my eyes, right?" Madara gave a slight smile. "Then when did it start?"
"…Don't tell me—"
"You lost the moment you saw me." Madara's smile deepened. "I never needed your eyes."
Outside, in the observation room, everyone stared at the screen with growing disbelief.
"Is… is that Hypnosis?" Bakugo muttered, eyes narrowing. "How the hell did he pull that off without direct contact? That makes no sense."
"In theory," All Might said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "his Quirk should require a visual trigger… but the Kaminari boy never met his gaze."
The room fell silent, filled only with murmurs of confusion and awe.
Inside the illusion, Kaminari Denki tried everything—electrifying himself, shouting, moving—but nothing broke the illusion's grip. He couldn't escape.
At last, the buzzer sounded.
The match ended, and the villain team had won.
Madara stood inside the illusion with a faint smirk. "Time's up."
With a snap of his fingers, the entire world around Kaminari shattered like glass.
In the real world, Kaminari blinked, suddenly back at the room's entrance—unchanged, unmoved. He hadn't taken a single step.
"…What the hell…" he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "These Quirks… this isn't just Hypnosis—it's broken."
Madara turned his back and waved casually. "I'm heading back."
As the rest of the matches continued, the day progressed smoothly.
By 3:30 PM, all groups had finished their matches. The students—barring Izuku Midoriya, who had sustained serious injuries—were mostly unharmed, with only minor scrapes here and there.
Oddly enough, All Might dismissed class early for the day, citing a bizarre and unconvincing excuse, giving the Class 1-A students an earlier dismissal than usual.
In the days that followed, life at U.A. High—and across the country of Japan—remained calm.
The only newsworthy disturbance came when rumors leaked to the press that All Might was teaching at U.A. This resulted in reporters swarming the campus, nearly triggering the school's security alarm systems.
The teachers handled the situation with firm denials, offering all sorts of excuses for All Might's "absence," and finally, the commotion was suppressed.
But today's Hero Fundamentals class was a little different.
Three instructors supervised together: Aizawa Shouta, All Might, and another pro-hero from the faculty.
Standing at the podium, Aizawa stared at the class through bloodshot eyes.
"Today's exercise will focus on rescue operations in response to natural disasters—floods, collapses, landslides. Emergency response."
The class immediately burst into chatter.
Some students groaned, while others buzzed with anticipation.
"Quiet down." Aizawa tapped the podium lightly. "For this session, you'll be allowed to choose clothing more suitable for the scenario. We recognize some costumes are better suited for certain conditions."
He paused and scanned the room.
"The training site is located far from here, so we'll be taking a bus. Start preparing immediately."
"OH!!!"
The class responded in unison.