After the excitement of All Might—the No.1 hero himself—being their heroic teacher and the one facilitating this exercise, the orange-haired girl had to gently slap her cheeks to shake off all distracting thoughts so she could refocus on the task at hand.
Itsuka and Ibara, being the villain team, were given a five-minute head start to prepare, as their role was to play villains who had taken an entire office building and its occupants hostage.
The two had already discussed each other's Quirks during the Quirk Apprehension Test yesterday when they were partnered up for the upper body strength test, so Itsuka had a pretty good idea of how Ibara's Vine Quirk worked.
Despite the plant-like appearance of her vines, they possessed incredible strength and durability. She could easily pierce through stone and bend metal with them. The vine-haired girl had mentioned that her vines weren't always this strong—years of training with her best friend and the guidance of a retired pro hero had helped her improve both her control and the durability of her vines.
Itsuka wasn't surprised by this, especially since her friend had easily topped the Quirk Apprehension Test yesterday. If anything, she was more surprised that, despite having such power, Ibara was such a humble person.
"So, what's the plan?" Itsuka asked while eyeing the building they were heading toward. "You're familiar with one of our enemies—any suggestions on how we can take him out easily?"
It was clear as day that Ibara and Aino had known each other for a long time. Unlike the vine-haired girl, whose Quirk was straightforward—vines that could extend and do things she herself hadn't imagined—her best friend's Quirk was more mysterious. All the orange-haired girl knew about the boy's Quirk was that it was a transformation-type Quirk with an emitter aspect that allowed him to summon giant hands.
If she wanted to win this exercise, she at least needed to understand a bit more about his abilities.
Ibara nodded, trying to find the proper words to explain her best friend's Quirk. Although she was always careful not to divulge Ai's Quirk to anyone—a habit born from past experiences where revealing it had led to Ai being hurt or avoided—she also knew that this was an important exercise for both of them. Hiding such valuable information could cost their team a precious chance to win.
She only prayed that Itsuka was as understanding as she seemed when it came to Quirks labeled as "villainous."
She really liked Itsuka as a friend, so she hoped she didn't share the same derogatory outlook toward aberrant Quirks as the majority of people they had encountered in the past.
"Ai's Quirk is called Gentle Palm—it's a lot of things, but all you need to know is that it's a blood ingestion activation Quirk."
Itsuka nodded; she already knew about that part from the practical exam.
Ibara, however, stared at Itsuka as she mentioned the blood-based nature of her friend's Quirk. Her shoulders relaxed in relief when she saw that the orange-haired girl merely nodded instead of displaying the usual wary look people often had upon hearing about Ai's abilities.
"Upon ingesting someone's blood, two things happen. First, Ai can summon Gentle Hands—those big floating hands are actually sentient. Ai doesn't control them directly; they follow his commands, but they can move independently without him needing to be nearby. Be careful—those things are fast and strong."
Itsuka's eyes widened in shock. She had always assumed Ai was the one controlling those massive hands, but in reality, they moved on their own, responding to hidden commands. That meant they could act without him even being present. A chill ran down her spine as she realized just how dangerous they truly were—fast, strong, and completely autonomous.
"H-How many can he summon at once? How long can he stay in that form? Are there any drawbacks?" Itsuka asked, now fully realizing just how tough of an opponent Ai truly was.
Ibara patted the orange-haired girl's shoulder, noticing how she suddenly tensed up upon hearing about one of Ai's many abilities.
"He can summon six at once, but theoretically, he can summon more. He started with just one when we were kids, and the number has kept increasing over time. I have no idea how many he can actually summon now," Ibara admitted, biting her lip as she tried to explain Ai's Quirk's time limit and drawbacks.
"About the time limit and drawbacks, you need to understand the second function of his Quirk."
Itsuka's mouth dropped open in disbelief.
"S-Second function? You're telling me there's more than just six floating sentient hands!?"
Ibara tried her best not to laugh at her friend's dumbfounded expression. She couldn't blame her, though—Ai's Quirk was abnormal and unique.
"Y-Yeah," she confirmed. "The second function is called Synchronization. Once Ai ingests blood, his body synchronizes with the person he took it from. That means their bodies become connected in certain aspects—pain, fatigue, exhaustion—everything Ai experiences during the connection, the blood's owner will feel 70% of it. So, if you're fighting him and he manages to ingest your blood, every bit of pain you inflict on him will be transferred to you as well. But don't worry, Itsuka—his Quirk doesn't transfer injuries, just the sensation of them."
Itsuka gulped.
How the heck does a Quirk like that even exist? There's so much happening… and all she could do was grow her hands! What the hell!
Seeing Itsuka's stressed expression, Ibara sighed and rubbed her friend's shoulder in reassurance.
"As for the time limit—he can stay synchronized as long as the other person remains conscious. That means he can use Gentle Palm for quite a while. But the moment the synchronization is cut off, he needs fresh blood to reconnect his Quirk. Important detail—it has to be fresh, just a few seconds old. Any longer than that, and his Quirk won't accept it. Ai always jokes that it needs to be 'warm and uncontaminated.'"
Ibara's smile faded, something that Itsuka immediately noticed.
"And the drawback?" Itsuka asked, confused.
Ibara sighed, slumping her shoulders.
"The drawback? Ai's Quirk is the drawback."
Itsuka frowned. "What do you mean?"
Ibara met her gaze.
"Ai's Quirk exists to hurt him. Everything about it—those hands, the synchronization—it's all designed to inflict pain on him. Unlike normal people, who grow numb to pain over time as their minds cope with suffering, Ai doesn't have that luxury. His Quirk makes sure he feels everything—constantly."
Itsuka shuddered.
What kind of hellish Quirk was that?!
Itsuka hugged the girl, noticing the wobble of Ibara's lips. "It's okay. This is just an exercise—we'll be careful not to severely injure each other."
Holding Ibara's hand, Itsuka gently pulled her along, guiding the vine-haired girl toward the building. As much as she wanted to console her, they were in the middle of an exercise, and prep time was running out.
Fortunately, it didn't take long before Ibara managed to regain her composure. She apologized to Itsuka for bringing up such a heavy topic, but the orange-haired girl simply waved it off. "I completely understand why you feel that way," she reassured her. She also added, "If you ever need someone to listen, I'm always happy to lend an ear."
Ibara smiled at her words, feeling comforted, and gave Itsuka an appreciative hug.
"So, what's the plan!?" Itsuka asked while studying the building map. The two spent the remaining prep time securing the hostage while formulating a strategic battle plan.
Meanwhile, with the Hero Team
"So, you're seriously spooky," Ai burst into laughter at Reiko's reaction. He never imagined he would see someone look at him with admiration after learning that his Quirk essentially existed to torture its owner.
"So, can you heal after everything?" Reiko asked.
Ai nodded. "My Quirk literally keeps me alive when I overdo it."
Reiko was captivated. She loved horror films featuring Quirks spiraling out of control and tormenting their users. Hearing about Ai's Quirk in action only fueled her curiosity.
"I believe, to awaken your eldritch companion, a sacrifice must be made," Reiko mused, stepping closer. Their bodies nearly touched as she placed a hand on Ai's shoulder, tilting her head slightly, exposing her pale, smooth neck to him.
Ai chuckled at her theatrics, finding Reiko oddly endearing. "Usually, I just need a drop of blood. I prick Eve or Ki-chan's finger if I need theirs. I'm not really into the whole vampire aesthetic—it wouldn't be good for my hormones if I went around biting people's necks."
Reiko shook her head in disappointment. "It would add to your spookiness. You should try it sometime."
Ai laughed. "I should be offended by that remark," he said, but Reiko just shrugged it off and offered her finger instead.
Ai shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but it's better if I take our opponent's blood instead. Your body wouldn't be able to handle the additional fatigue. Especially since we're up against Eve—facing her alone will be challenging. We need to approach this strategically."
Reiko withdrew her hand. "I understand, but after this exercise, let me experience the sensation of sharing the bond of becoming one."
Ai smiled at her and shook his head but agreed anyway.
Reiko glanced at the clock, realizing they were running out of time and needed a solid plan.
"I believe you have a strategy to best our opponents? My mind is failing me in conjuring one," she admitted.
Ai tapped his chin, juggling all the information he had gathered so far—the task, their opponents' Quirks, and Reiko's abilities.
Closing his eyes for a moment, he smirked. "I think I have something."
He laid out his plan, and Reiko listened intently, fully engaged. His voice was calm yet filled with conviction.
Minutes later, the buzzer chimed, signaling the start of the exercise.
"Young Yanagi, Young Itami, please proceed with the exercise. Good luck," the No.1 hero announced through their earpieces, connected to the control room.
Reiko and Ai exchanged a nod before heading toward the exercise site.
Back with the Villain Team
"All the hostages are in the upstairs room—locked and secured," Itsuka confirmed. "If they want to get everyone out, they'll need to spend time escorting them down. With both of us in the building, that won't be a walk in the park."
Ibara nodded. They had gathered all the hostages in one place, far from the exit. Even if the hero team reached them, it would take time to extract them—an effective way to delay their opponents.
"Is it just me, or is this exercise scenario a bit unfair for the hero team?" Ibara asked as she finished tying down each door with her vines.
Itsuka nodded. "Yeah, I kinda noticed that too. But I guess it's designed to show us that being a pro hero is a rough business."
She glanced out the window, watching for their opponents. "I think the only way for the hero team to win this is by capturing or defeating the villains. Sneaking the civilians out without the right Quirk would be too difficult."
Ibara was about to respond when the window in front of them exploded. A lilac blur shot between them.
Reacting quickly, Ibara used her vines to capture the intruder, but a ball of water splashed onto her face, clinging to her skin and preventing her from breathing.
Panicking, she tried to wipe it away, but her hands passed through the water like it wasn't even there.
"Sorry, Eve, but you're way too dangerous to fight head-on. I need to take you out fast," Ai muttered, pulling out a capture weapon from his pocket, ready to restrain her.
Before he could act, Ibara's vines erupted outward, forcing everyone away.
Ai was flung to the end of the corridor, crashing into the wall. Itsuka was thrown to the floor.
Lifting her head, Itsuka was caught off guard by the sudden chaos. She looked at Ibara, who was kneeling and covering herself entirely with vines, shielding herself from outside view.
On the rooftop of a nearby building, Reiko Yanagi, clad in her white kimono-inspired hero costume, clicked her tongue. She had lost sight of her target.
She could still control the water inside Ibara's vine cocoon, but with her view blocked, she couldn't tell if it was still affecting Ibara. The uncertainty made her hesitant—she didn't want to accidentally drown her classmate.
Just as she prepared to cancel her Quirk, her earpiece buzzed.
"REIKO, RUN! SHE'S NOT IN THE VINE PRISON!"
Reiko didn't even have time to ask for details—an entire store sign hurtled toward her.
She barely dodged in time, leaping to the side to avoid the fast-moving projectile. Not trusting her Quirk to stop its momentum, she quickly regained her footing.
Looking back, she spotted Ibara glaring at her with predatory intent.
Reiko glanced at the vine prison—it was still intact. Ibara must have created an opening somewhere to escape.
Pressing her earpiece, Reiko asked, "Plan B?"
Through crackling and grunts, Ai responded, confirming the switch to Plan B.
"Okay," Reiko acknowledged before dashing toward the rooftop exit, using her Quirk to descend quickly.
Ibara's sharp eyes followed her movements. Reaching for her earpiece, she issued a firm command.
"Itsuka, don't let Ai out of your sight. If you get the chance, capture or incapacitate him. I'll guard the hostages—I have a feeling they're planning something."
"Got it. Leave it to me," Itsuka responded without hesitation.
With that, Ibara used her vines to ascend swiftly toward the top floor.
Back in the Corridor
Itsuka planted her feet firmly, taking a deep breath before lowering herself into a fighting stance.
She watched as Ai dusted off the debris clinging to him.
Giving him a competitive grin, she taunted, "Just you and me, huh, Itami-san? Show me what you're made of."
Ai narrowed his eyes and lowered himself, ready to engage.
Itsuka smirked, shifting her front leg into a ready stance. "What now? Are you being a gentleman, waiting for the lady to throw the first punch?"
But instead of answering, Ai hurled himself out the window.
A sharp CRASH! rang out as the glass shattered.
"O-Oi!?"
Itsuka rushed to the window, scanning below—only to see him already climbing the fire escape, heading to the upper floor.
Clicking her tongue, she sprinted toward the elevator, determined to beat him to his destination.
End of Chapter 20.