Authors note:
Speaking: "…"
Thinking: '…'
___
Two Days Later
Class 1-A Classroom
The last few days had been rather normal for Class 1-A, no hero training, just regular academic subjects. Granted, they were still being taught by pro heroes. However, today, they were about to receive their first lesson in a new subject introduced this year: Non-Hero Combat Training. And the professor teaching it was none other than Izuku Midoriya himself.
"Man, Shoto, you look like a total wreck. What on earth happened to you?" Inasa loudly commented, noticing his favorite flame user lying face-down on his desk, arms folded beneath his head.
Sighing, Shoto lifted his head slightly and answered, "It's nothing. I'm just dreading the next period." A cold shiver ran down his spine.
"Why? I saw on the curriculum that we'll be taught by Doctor Midoriya. I've seen all his lectures on Quirk Theory, I'm such a huge fan!" Yaoyorozu chimed in excitedly, stars in her eyes. "His research on Quirk Theory is second to none in this world. I'm so excited to have the honor of being taught by him!"
Watching the fangirl, Shoto couldn't help but feel pity for the realization about to hit her.
"Lord have mercy on this gullible soul," the bi-colored teen whispered.
"What'd you say?" the wind user asked suspiciously.
"Nothing," Shoto quickly replied.
As the school bell rang, signaling the end of their break, most students returned to their seats and began settling down, except for Haruki, who was still busy trying to annoy Iida. Conveniently seated in front of him, Iida became the target of small paper balls Haruki kept flicking at the back of his head.
When the door opened, Shoto once again slumped face-first onto his desk as the rest of the students greeted their professor. Walking in with grace, the green-haired man, not a day older than any of the students, approached the teacher's desk, followed closely by a somewhat skinny blonde man. Midoriya was dressed in his Joker ensemble, complete with his signature cane, though missing his usual top hat and masquerade mask.
Taking a paper from the desk and stepping onto the podium, he briefly scanned the room before beginning.
"Good. Looks like everyone is present. Now then, let me introduce myself. My name is Izuku Midoriya, and I'm one of the world's leading scientists in Quirk Theory. However, you can address me as my hero persona, Joker, if you prefer."
After a brief pause, he continued.
"Today, I'll be teaching Non-Hero Combat Class. The gentleman beside me is Toshinori Yagi, a retired pro hero who wants to start teaching here. However, since he has no experience as an educator, he will be serving as my assistant for the upcoming year in hopes of learning from the process. If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them now.
"Oh, and Shoto, please sit up straight. If you're too stiff, it's going to affect your performance today."
After saying that, he tapped his cane on the ground twice. Suddenly, Shoto sat up straight, a bead of sweat dripping down his face. The rest of the students looked momentarily surprised at his sudden change in posture but quickly turned their attention back to the teacher as Yaoyorozu raised her hand.
Receiving a nod from the green-haired professor, she asked, "I apologize in advance if this sounds rude, but I thought you would be teaching us biology or something else connected to your research." A hint of confusion was visible in her expression, earning her a concerned look from the ice user.
Nodding, Midoriya replied, "Understandable. No need to worry, young lady. I will also be responsible for teaching you biology. In fact, if my memory serves me right, we'll have a biology lesson tomorrow. However, the principal decided it would be a waste not to have me teach you combat skills as well, so here I am.
"If no one has any further questions, I'd like to start the lesson."
Scanning the room, he found no additional raised hands.
"Well, that's new. Normally, at least one student asks a question about my age, but you all seem to be rather well-informed. Anyway, let's get started. Today, we'll be evaluating your current combat skills and battle tactics.
Each of you will face me in a spar. Afterward, I'll assign you roles that fit your combat style and abilities."
Looking a bit confused, Mr. Yagi interrupted. "But, young Midoriya, didn't you tell me yesterday that we would follow the plan I proposed?"
Turning his head toward his assistant, Midoriya answered bluntly, "That was my intention, but your plan was so god-awful that I had to scrap it. Pitting untrained first-years against each other in a building that's very easy to break is neither a good nor a safe idea. That's something we can do with second or third-years, students who have enough experience to restrain themselves and avoid endangering their classmates."
Hearing that, the blonde assistant slumped down in defeat.
"Now then, moving on. We'll conduct this lesson in Ground Alpha. But before that, you'll need to change into your hero costumes, of course," the space user said with a smile, as the class erupted into cheers, excited to finally try them out.
Pressing a button on his watch, the wall to the right of the podium opened up, revealing numbered compartments labeled one through twenty.
The next generation of heroes was about to sprint to the locker bearing their assigned number when their professor raised a hand, halting them.
"Before you run off to get changed, there's something I need to explain first.
"With Katsuki and I having recently discovered a fascinating new technology, we decided it was time to upgrade the outdated hero costume system..."
Reaching into his suit jacket, he pulled out a poker card. It was the Ace of clubs and had a half-burning, half-freezing design. Showing it to the class, he then pulled out another object from his jacket, it seemed to be some sort of mini laser pointer.
"Here, you see this? This is your hero suit." He held up the card while keeping the laser pointer slightly behind it.
Seeing the confusion among the students, he began to explain further. "The technology I was recently talking about is nanotechnology. By combining rare metals, either found in extremely scarce quantities or only obtainable through specific quirks, we were able to create an alloy that can be used effectively in nanotechnology. These cards are made from this alloy, and each one has been programmed to transform into your costume, even adapting into different materials like cloth."
"Now, the way this works is that with this signal imprinter, I can mark your consciousness as authorized to activate the transformation. By imprinting a code behind your ear, which can receive your thoughts with limited accuracy, you can mentally command the costume to materialize as long as you're touching the card. However, I do have to warn you, once you deactivate it, your previous clothes will be destroyed and replaced by the school uniform. So don't use it when you're wearing your favorite outfit. If you want the replacement clothes to be something other than the uniform, you can ask me or Professor Bakugo to change the code, but currently, it's limited to only one outfit at a time."
Finishing his explanation, he suddenly threw the card at terminal velocity towards Shoto, who caught it between his fingers with ease.
"That one's yours, Shoto. I took the liberty of making it the showpiece." Then, clapping his hands, he called out to the class. "Alright, who wants to get their costume activated?"
After about twenty minutes of applying the costume link to the students behind their ears, the class made their way to Ground alpha , where the lesson would take place. Upon arrival, they were greeted by a vast training area covered in multiple small 9m by 9m concrete fields, with a much larger field in the center, roughly the size of a football field.
Heading directly to the central platform, the students looked around in astonishment at the sheer scale of U.A.'s facilities. Stepping before the stairway to the raised concrete field in the middle, Midoriya placed his cane before him, resting both hands on its curved hilt.
"Big, isn't it?" he mused. "I requested the school to build this type of training ground specifically for our new combat lessons. Time to see if it was worth it."
Slipping a hand into his jacket, the green-haired hero pulled out a black disc with a glowing green circle in the center. Flipping it into the air, the round object suddenly expanded and reshaped itself into a stylish black top hat with a green strap. As he placed it on his head, a Colombian-style masquerade mask, matching in color, magically appeared on his face, complete with green-tinted glasses that completely obscured his eyes.
"Now then, Shoto, would you please come forward for a demonstration of how this will work?" The space-user gestured toward him with an inviting hand.
Sighing as a bead of sweat rolled down his face, the bi-colored teen pulled the card from his pocket and mentally commanded it to transform. Briefly feeling the cold, metallic texture, the sensation quickly shifted into the comfortable touch of the temperature-resistant fabric he had requested for his costume.
The outfit was an all-black, baggy jumpsuit with a white belt, fingerless gloves, a small heat regulator strapped to his back like a backpack, and a black hood with white stripes around the collar. His belt held five metal cylinders, while two tanto knives were diagonally mounted on his back.
"Can I at least have my bow?" the fire-user asked quietly.
"No, this is only a simple sparring demonstration. You won't need it. Oh, and also, don't use any of the special techniques Kacchan or I taught you," the teacher instructed calmly before stepping onto the raised concrete field.
"Sure, sure. I'll just let myself get pummeled into oblivion even faster," Shoto muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he slowly made his way toward the arena.
"Don't be so sarcastic, buddy! You got this! Show him why you're the best in class!" Inasa cheered him on.
"I wish I was being sarcastic," Todoroki answered begrudgingly.
Now standing face-to-face with the Master of Space himself, ten meters apart, Shoto got into his stance.
"Here's how this will work," Midoriya explained to the students and his assistant, who was diligently taking notes. "For two minutes, Shoto will be on the offensive, trying to deal as much damage to me as possible. After that, I will start attacking to test his defenses. The battle will end as soon as he touches the ground outside the training field or if his back hits the floor."
A bit of chatter broke out among the students.
"Dude, how the hell is he gonna last two minutes against Todoroki?" a boy with spiky yellow hair asked in disbelief. A small black lightning pattern flickered across his temple as he turned to another student, a figure with the head of a black-feathered bird. "He wiped the floor with us during the Quirk Apprehension Test. I heard the professor is supposed to be some famous Quirk scientist."
"I wouldn't be so sure," the bird-headed student responded thoughtfully. "This is U.A., after all. They wouldn't hire just anyone for a combat-oriented class. Besides, you saw how tense Todoroki's been ever since the lesson started. They seem to know each other."
"You could be right... He did seem weird. But come on, you saw how powerful he was two days ago! I'd say he could easily beat some pros," the electric boy replied, full of enthusiasm.
The sound of a cane tapping the ground twice pulled their attention back to the fight.
They barely had time to react before Shoto launched the first attack, a wide-range flame wave that surged across the field. Running behind the torrent of fire, he left a trail of ice in his steps, rapidly spreading frost across the battlefield.
However, the students watched in disbelief as Midoriya extinguished the flames with a bare hand.
Undeterred, Shoto readied himself for close-quarters combat, coating his left fist in flames and his right palm in a razor-sharp layer of ice, forming a makeshift blade. He lunged forward, unleashing a flurry of fiery punches and frosty slashes. But to the class's shock, their teacher dodged every single strike, barely even moving from his spot.
"Dude, he's barely even moving! How the heck hasn't Todoroki landed a single hit?!" the yellow-haired student exclaimed.
Back in the fight, Shoto noticed that the entire field was finally covered in a layer of ice, including Midoriya's feet. Taking off, he flipped backward before using his flames to propel himself into the air, making sure that the ice he had just melted was immediately covered again.
While airborne, he formed an ice forearm bracer on his right arm, leaving a small hole at the wrist where an ice arrow materialized.
As he fell, he launched a barrage of ice arrows at his target, but the teacher effortlessly deflected them with his cane. Nearing the ground again, Shoto formed an ice ramp to soften his fall and maintain his momentum. Now sliding across the field at high speed, he created more paths for himself in the form of angled walls, encircling the green-haired teacher.
Moving in rapid circles while keeping his right hand on the ground, the flame user unleashed continuous barrages of ice at the professor, slowly trapping him within a jungle of ice spears and a frosty dome. Feeling the temperature drop to a critical point, he formed another ramp, using his built-up momentum to launch himself directly above the frozen battlefield.
In the air, he turned downward, forming a massive fire spear in his left hand.
"Flashfreeze Heatwave!" he yelled, hurling the spear at the icy prison below. Upon impact, the frigid air rapidly expanded, unleashing a superheated blast upon impact.
'That was way too slow for him not to dodge' Shoto thought, staring down at the smoke rising from the explosion.
But a calm voice suddenly answered his unspoken question, from right behind him.
"A flashy attack," Midoriya said, "but unfortunately... your two minutes are up."
Quickly whipping his head around with a sense of dread, Shoto barely managed to coat his back in ice before a fist sent him crashing into the ground, easily shattering the makeshift shield.
Upon impact with the concrete, he left a medium-sized crater. He barely had time to evade the dropkick that followed from above. Landing on his feet, the young Todoroki unsheathed the tanto knives from his back, coating one in fire and the other in a layer of ice. Bracing himself for the imminent close-quarters encounter, he shifted into a defensive stance.
In the blink of an eye, his teacher appeared before him, striking at him with his cane, each attack perfectly placed to throw him off balance. Then, unexpectedly, the teacher used the hook of the cane to pull Shoto's right leg out from under him.
"A good effort, but your close-quarters combat without your preferred weapon isn't good enough yet. Now, it's time to end this," the teacher stated.
With that, he delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to Shoto's ribs, sending the teen flying out of the arena.
Slowly turning their heads, shock evident on their faces, the class witnessed something they had never thought possible. The class's best had been beaten to a pulp in less than thirty seconds of the teacher's attack, not only that, but with barely any effort.
Lying in the trail of dirt, the young Todoroki attempted to push himself to his knees in order to stand up.
"Dude, that wasn't even remotely close. Todoroki barely lasted thirty seconds. Who is this guy? Scientist, my ass. He's got to be some big-shot underground hero," the lightning boy gasped in shock as he watched Shoto's bloody form walk past him, heading back to the arena.
"You've had your demonstration. Now heal me," the ice user demanded, holding his ribs with one hand.
Jumping down from the field, the teacher in question stepped before his student. "Of course. I was planning to do it anyway. System call: generate luminous elements, shape form, liquid shape."
As he finished the incantation, two glowing drops of liquid dripped from his fingers onto the flame user's body, quickly healing all his broken ribs and scrapes. Moving around a bit, the ice user was content with the outcome and retracted his hero costume in exchange for his school uniform, the Ace of clubs appearing right back in his hand.
"Well done, Shoto. You've displayed excellent skills in both long- and close-range combat, as well as brilliant control over your Quirk and combat sense. Your role is in the attack unit as an Allrounder. Thanks for your help," the teacher praised before turning his attention to the rest of the class.
"Now then, let's continue. As you can see, I'm more than capable of handling anything you throw at me. This demonstration was to show you that when you're facing me in a sparring match, there is no room for holding back. When we fight, I will match my level to whatever you can dish out and attack accordingly, so you don't need to worry about me hitting you as hard as I did Shoto. I only hit him that hard because I know from experience that if I use less force, he won't learn from his mistakes."
"But that aside, who would like to go next?" the teacher asked.
Most of the class was still in shock from the fight they had just witnessed. Some students fidgeted, reluctant after seeing what happened to the class's best. However, Shoto noticed that many had a determination in their eyes that could rival his father's desire to surpass All Might.
Raising a hand, a student with spiky red hair, red eyes, and sharp teeth spoke. "Sir—Mr. Midoriya, can I go next?"
Nodding, the teacher welcomed the boy onto the field.
'Eijiro Kirishima. Quirk: Hardening. He can harden any part of his body in a stone-like manner. He should be good at defending, if nothing else' Shoto thought, watching the teen pull out his card, the Ten of Hearts, its design resembling cracked stone.
His face bore a tattered red mask with jagged edges, resembling the remnants of a battle-scarred warrior's helm. Dark fabric clung to his torso beneath heavy, gear-shaped shoulder guards, while loose crimson pants and a thick belt gave him the look of a brawler ready to charge headfirst into battle.
"You can start as soon as you hear the cane tapping the ground," the teacher explained.
"If it's cool with you, could we fight with just our fists for this spar, ah—Sir?" Kirishima asked enthusiastically. Noticing the intense look his teacher was giving him, he quickly switched to a respectful bow at the end.
"Sure, why not? I don't see a reason not to. But don't expect this to be any easier just because I won't be using my cane," Midoriya told him. His cane floated away from his hands, landing at the edge of the field, earning gasps from most spectators.
"Thank you, sir! I wasn't counting on it. All I'm interested in is seeing how good my hand-to-hand combat is against a master," the red-haired young hero beamed, his hands and forearms hardening into a rock-like appearance.
Hearing the cane tap against the ground on its own, the battle began.
And it went exactly as expected. The poor guy was hopelessly outmatched in both offense and defense, unable to land a single hit before falling onto his back after a few perfectly placed strikes from the professor. Though, to his credit, he remained relatively sturdy on defense.
Helping his student to his feet, the teacher quickly healed the scrapes on the teen's back before turning to his evaluation.
"Eijiro Kirishima, your attacks theoretically have enough power to break through walls, but without proper technique or speed, landing them will be difficult. On the bright side, your defensive attributes are impressive. With enough training under my wing, we'll get your martial arts skills up and running. You're in the combat unit as a Tank."
"A Tank, huh? That's such a manly role! Thanks, Teach!" the red-eyed teen exclaimed with excitement before returning to the other students.
"Who wants to go next?" their professor asked.