The training grounds shimmered under the midday sun. Class 1-A lined up in their hero costumes, the air buzzing with anticipation.
Most of them were curious.A few were cautious.And at least one — Bakugo — was ready to blow something up.
Kael stood at the end of the line, hands in his pockets as always, not wearing anything resembling a hero costume. Instead, he wore the same dark, unremarkable clothes from earlier, like he couldn't be bothered to change.
"All right," Aizawa began, his tone as dry as ever. "Basic combat assessment. You'll pair off, one-on-one. The goal is to immobilize your opponent. First up—"
"Let him go last," Kael interrupted.
Heads turned toward him. Even Aizawa blinked at the interruption."Why?"
Kael tilted his head, his voice calm, casual."Because if I go first, you'll all lose interest in the rest of the matches."
Mina gave a nervous laugh. "Wow. Cocky much?"
"Not cocky," Kael replied, "just… honest."
The matches began. One by one, students faced each other, exchanging blows, quirks, and bursts of adrenaline. Kael didn't watch much. His gaze wandered to the clouds, the wind shifting through the trees, a bird passing overhead.
It wasn't that he didn't care.It was that he'd already seen how each match would go.
When Aizawa finally called his name, the students' attention locked in like someone had just announced the final boss.
"Kael versus Bakugo."
Bakugo grinned, his palms sparking."Finally. I get to shut you up."
Kael strolled into the ring without hurry, his voice flat."You won't."
The signal to start hadn't even finished echoing before Bakugo launched forward, explosions propelling him like a missile. The ground scorched under his boots as he aimed a point-blank blast at Kael's chest.
Kael didn't move.
The explosion erupted — but the smoke cleared to reveal Kael standing exactly where he'd been, untouched. Not a speck of dust on him.
Bakugo's grin faltered."The hell—?"
Kael sighed. "That's… boring."
Without lifting a finger, Bakugo froze mid-lunge. His eyes went wide as his body locked in place, muscles refusing to obey. It wasn't ice, it wasn't binding cloth — it was as if reality had decided Bakugo's movement simply wasn't going to happen.
Kael walked past him, voice low but audible to the entire class."You're good at fighting. But you can't fight the rules of the game."
Bakugo's body loosened suddenly, and he stumbled forward to keep from face-planting. He spun around, fury boiling in his veins."What the hell did you just do to me?!"
Kael just kept walking until he was out of the ring, hands still in his pockets."Adjusted the thread," he said over his shoulder. "Made it so, in that moment, you didn't get to move."
The rest of Class 1-A stared at him, processing.
Midoriya's mind was already racing through possibilities. If he can control the fundamental cause-and-effect of movement… then there's no physical or tactical counter. That's…
"Unfair," Ashido whispered.
Kael stopped, glancing back at her."Life's not fair. I just make sure it stays interesting."
He returned to the sidelines and leaned against the wall, looking almost disappointed."Well… that was fun for about three seconds."
Aizawa, though expressionless, was watching Kael far more closely now. He'd seen powerful quirks before — but never one used with such casual precision.
The rest of the matches continued, but the air had shifted.No one was thinking about their own fights anymore.They were all thinking about Kael.