The Class 1-B students surveyed their surroundings while standing at the entrance of Gym Gamma. The training ground consisted of a city-like environment, complete with working facilities and accessible buildings. Some of the students who were sent to Test Area A during the practical exam felt a wave of nostalgia upon returning.
"This is it, huh? Hero training. It sure feels unreal now that we're here," Awase whistled while fixing his bandana. Beside him, Honenuki nodded, having the same thoughts.
"Oh, I wish I brought my phone with me. I'd love to record our first exercise and show it to my mom and dad," Pony Tsunotori, a girl with a horse-like mutation, jumped in excitement, momentarily forgetting that she had spoken in her native language. Only a few who understood English could decipher what she was saying.
"I-I wonder what we're doing today?" Kinoko asked, keeping her eyes forward. Earlier, when everyone had finished changing, the students had a chance to check out each other's hero costumes. Everyone looked fantastic, and Kinoko let out a relieved sigh when everyone complimented her appearance. Despite her costume being heavily inspired by idol culture, which might have seemed unusual for a hero outfit, her classmates found her dress cute and awesome.
With this boost of confidence, Kinoko searched for Ai to show him her appearance and maybe ask if she looked cute in her hero costume. The thought made her face burn, and she quickly pulled her mushroom cap hat down to cover her face.
She didn't have to look for him, though. The moment she heard Ai's voice, she saw someone standing in front of him, and based on the color theme of the person's pants, she was sure it was Ai. This made the smaller girl smile.
She lifted her head, trying to compliment her friend, but the words got stuck in her throat.
Kinoko already knew Ai was fit. Everyone had been gasping for breath during yesterday's Quirk Apprehension Training, yet Ai was one of the few who looked completely fine despite the exhaustion test. She may or may not have stolen a few glances at his muscles flexing during the exercises—so, yeah, she was fully aware that her friend was in great shape.
But being aware was very different from seeing it up close.
Thanks to her short height, Kinoko's eyes were perfectly aligned with Ai's torso, forcing her to take in every painfully obvious detail.
The lilac and gold bodysuit was thin—almost too thin—clinging to his form like a second skin, leaving nothing to the imagination. Every lean muscle was defined beneath the tight fabric, from the sculpted ridges of his abs to the sharp contours of his hips. The material hugged his body with precision, accentuating every twist of his torso and every subtle shift in his thighs and calves as he adjusted his stance.
It wasn't just tight—it was taut, smooth, and dangerously fitted, emphasizing the way his muscles flexed with every motion. Even the smallest movement caused the fabric to stretch and contour around his ridiculously well-defined frame, almost as if it were designed to tease anyone watching.
"You noticed too, huh?"
Ai's cheerful voice snapped Kinoko out of her very hormonal thoughts.
She blinked, confused, as he grinned at her. "The material's pretty smooth and light, but it's actually really strong! I had a hard time trying to tear the sample fabric they sent me."
Kinoko nodded absentmindedly—until she realized something horrifying.
Her hand.
Her hand was on Ai's chest.
And worse… it had been absentmindedly running over his abs while she was lost in thought.
She froze, her brain struggling to restart, but thankfully, before the situation could spiral further, Ibara, the angel of salvation, walked up and pulled Ai's face toward her, fussing over his messy hair.
Kinoko immediately turned away, desperately trying not to look at Ai again, afraid that she might accidentally do something else she'd regret.
Then, she felt a tap on her shoulder.
She turned, only to find Setsuna grinning mischievously. The lizard girl waggled her eyebrows before pointing at something.
Kinoko followed the direction of her finger… and instantly regretted it.
Ai's ridiculously firm butt was right in view.
Her face heated up instantly, and she snapped her head away, ignoring Setsuna's cackling behind her.
Freaking Ai and his stupidly sexy hero costume.
With a deep breath, Kinoko slapped both of her cheeks, trying to calm herself down.
This was going to be a long day.
Moments later, Vlad King arrived, carrying a box under his arm.
"LISTEN UP, MAGGOTS!" he barked, his voice echoing across the training grounds. "Today's Hero Foundation Exercise is a 2v2 battle trial! You'll be paired up and go against another team. But this isn't just about combat skills—it's about strategy, quick thinking, and making the right decisions under pressure."
He pressed a button on a remote, and a holographic projection of a multi-story building appeared in front of the students.
"You'll be conducting a Capture and Rescue Scenario," Vlad continued.
Another click of the remote, and the hologram shifted to live camera feeds from inside the building. The students could now see numerous mannequins placed throughout the structure.
"As you can see, there are quite a few mannequins inside—these will act as civilians," Vlad explained, scanning his students to make sure they were paying attention. "Each of you will pick a small ball from this box. The number on the ball determines your partner, while the color assigns you to either the Hero Team or the Villain Team."
The students exchanged glances, anticipation thick in the air.
"Here the scenario the heroes were chasing down villains when the villains took control of an entire building, holding its civilians as hostages. Your job as heroes is to secure the civilians while apprehending the villains, all while causing the least amount of property damage possible. The mannequins are fragile, so treat them like real people. Injuring them will cost your team points."
Vlad turned his attention to the students who would play villains. "For those of you playing the villains, your task is to secure the building. While you're labeled as villains in this exercise, I want you to treat this as if you're heroes protecting civilians from an invading threat. Your goal is to prevent the enemy from taking civilians, while also trying to capture or incapacitate them. If a civilian manages to escape the building, points will be deducted from your team."
His gaze swept over the students one last time. "Use your heads. Use your Quirks wisely. And above all—show me you have what it takes to be a hero!"
"Shiozaki, step forward."
Vlad called the students one by one to pick a ball from the box, giving them a few minutes to find their partners. Once everyone had paired up, he nodded in approval.
Class 1-B 2v2 Team-Ups:
Ibara Shiozaki & Itsuka Kendo (Villains) vs. Aino Itami & Reiko Yanagi (Heroes)
Yosetsu Awase & Sen Kaibara (Heroes) vs. Togaru Kamakiri & Jurota Shishida (Villains)
Setsuna Tokage & Kosei Tsuburaba (Heroes) vs. Neito Monoma & Hiryu Rin (Villains)
Kinoko Komori & Yui Kodai (Heroes) vs. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu & Pony Tsunotori (Villains)
Manga Fukidashi & Nirengeki Shoda (Heroes) vs. Shihai Kuroiro & Juzo Honenuki (Villains)
Clenching her fist, Itsuka stared at the display listing the 2v2 teams.
Her heart pounded, a mix of excitement and unease swirling inside her. Being paired with Ibara was reassuring—among their class, the vine-haired girl was undoubtedly one of the strongest, her unwavering skill and control making her a formidable partner. But at the same time, their opponents made her pulse quicken for an entirely different reason.
Aino Itami.
Itsuka had seen firsthand what Aino was capable of. He wasn't just powerful—he was destructive. During the entrance exam, he had demolished a Zero Pointer's huge torso with ease, something that most students could only dream of doing.
Itsuka flexed her hands, rolling her shoulders to shake off the tension. They had a solid team, and she wasn't one to back down from a challenge. But there was no denying it—this match was going to be a real fight.
"A-Aino, good luck… You're up against I-Ibara and Itsuka," Kinoko stammered.
Ai glanced at her and smiled. "Don't worry, Ki-chan. I got this."
As he scanned the room, his gaze returned to Kinoko. "By the way, Ki-chan, do you know someone named Reiko Yanagi?"
Before Kinoko could respond, she felt a presence behind her. Slowly turning, she found herself face-to-face with her droopy-eyed classmate.
"Uh-um, here she is, Aino. This is Reiko. Reiko, this is Aino," Kinoko introduced them, fidgeting slightly. She wasn't used to introducing friends to each other, and it felt a little awkward.
Her unease grew when neither of them spoke. They simply locked eyes, unmoving.
Kinoko's stomach twisted. Why are they just staring at each other?
Then, Reiko finally broke the silence.
"You're spooky."
Kinoko panicked. 'Oh no'.
She remembered Ai's stories—how people often found him unsettling. Did Reiko just say something offensive?
Frantically, Kinoko scanned the room, looking for Ibara. If things went south, at least she could help calm Ai down.
Before she could react, a soft chuckle broke through the tension.
"Heh… heh… heh…"
Kinoko's eyes widened as Ai let out a quiet laugh.
"You into horror stuff or something?" he asked.
Reiko gave a small nod.
"Then you'll love me," Ai grinned. "My Quirk could pass as something straight out of a horror flick."
Reiko tilted her head slightly before nodding again. "I can tell."
She extended a hand. "Reiko Yanagi."
Ai shook it, his grin never fading. "Aino Itami."
Reiko nodded once more. "We need to strategize if we want to win." Without hesitation, she tightened her grip on Ai's hand and pulled him toward a corner of the room.
"W-wait, what?" Kinoko blinked, confused, before instinctively following them.
As she trailed behind, something caught her attention—they were still holding hands.
With a small huff, Kinoko turned away, puffing her cheeks in mild annoyance. "Fine. If they're going to ignore me, I'll just go find my own partner."
Vlad King clapped his hands. "Alright, teams are set. Gather around—we're about to start the exercise."
The class moved toward Vlad King, standing beside their respective partners.
The Blood Hero scanned his students before giving a firm nod. "Remember, take this exercise seriously. This isn't just training—it's a scenario you may face in your future careers as pro heroes. The sooner you understand that, the better prepared you'll be."
He took a deep breath before calling out, "Hero Team: Aino Itami and Reiko Yanagi! Villain Team: Itsuka Kendo and Ibara Shiozaki! Step forward!"
The four students walked toward their teacher. Vlad King looked them over. "Are you ready?"
Each of them gave a firm nod.
"And with that," Vlad King continued, "someone will be watching your performance."
A wave of curiosity swept through the class. They exchanged puzzled glances.
"I'm just a teacher assistant during your Heroic Foundation class," Vlad King explained, crossing his arms. "Your real instructor is here."
Right on cue, a loud, booming laugh echoed through the training ground.
The students' heads snapped up toward the sound, eyes widening in excitement. A powerful figure descended from above, his silhouette unmistakable.
Then, with a perfect hero landing pose, the No. 1 Hero made his entrance.
"I AM HERE… TO TEACH!"
All Might's radiant smile shone as the students erupted into cheers.
End of Chapter 19.