The classroom of 1-A was anything but quiet after Aizawa's unexpected announcement. The moment their sleep-deprived homeroom teacher casually dropped the bombshell—no Quirks in today's combat training—the room exploded into protests, disbelief, and panicked discussions.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Kaminari groaned, slumping onto his desk. "No Quirks?! That's like telling a bird not to fly!"
Jirou rolled her eyes and leaned against her desk. "That's a terrible analogy. Plenty of birds don't fly."
Kaminari dramatically gestured at her. "Yeah, well, I meant the cool birds. Like hawks and eagles. Not, like… chickens or penguins."
"Penguins are cool," Tsuyu chimed in, resting her chin on her hands. "They slide on their bellies and can swim faster than most fish."
"…Okay, fair point," Kaminari conceded.
Meanwhile, Kirishima was cracking his knuckles excitedly. "Actually, I think this could be pretty cool! Real men don't rely only on their Quirks anyway!"
Sero gave him a deadpan look. "Dude, your whole thing is literally hardening. That's, like, as close to a natural fighting Quirk as you can get."
"Yeah, but it's still a skill, y'know?" Kirishima argued. "I mean, my arms are stronger than normal because of all my training. This just gives me a chance to prove I can handle myself even without going all hard!"
"…That sounded wrong," Jirou muttered under her breath, smirking.
Mina snickered. "You walked right into that one, dude."
Kirishima's face turned slightly red. "Wait, no! I didn't mean it like that—"
At the front of the room, Bakugo sat with his arms crossed, already irritated by the noise. "Tch. Like I need to prove anything to you extras. I already know how to fight."
Mina turned to him, grinning. "Ohhh, is someone scared he won't be the strongest without his explosions?"
Bakugo's eyes twitched. "Like hell I'm scared! I don't need my Quirk to kick your asses!"
"That's the spirit!" Kirishima grinned, completely missing the insult in Bakugo's tone.
As the chaotic discussions unfolded, Ryo leaned back in his chair, observing. He wasn't surprised by the mixed reactions—some students saw this as a ridiculous challenge, while others viewed it as an opportunity.
His eyes flickered toward Todoroki, who sat quietly as usual. He hadn't said a word since Aizawa's announcement. Ryo had already noticed it during their battle trial match—Todoroki refused to use his fire. Only ice. Even now, his arms remained crossed, expression neutral, as if this whole thing was beneath him.
Interesting.
Meanwhile, Momo, ever the rational one, adjusted her posture and spoke. "I think Aizawa-sensei has a point. Combat isn't just about Quirks. What if we're ever in a situation where our Quirk is restricted or unusable? What then?"
Iida immediately nodded, adjusting his glasses. "Precisely, Yaoyorozu! A hero must be prepared for all possible scenarios! Even if our Quirks define us, we cannot rely on them alone!"
Ojiro, who had been listening quietly, shrugged. "Honestly, I've been training in martial arts for years. This isn't too different from my usual training."
"I guess that makes sense for you," Hagakure's voice chimed in, though her invisible form made it hard to tell where she was looking. "But some of us rely on our Quirks way more than others!"
Mina leaned forward, groaning. "Ugh, this sucks! What am I supposed to do without my acid?! I don't even know how to punch properly!"
Ryo, listening to this, was amused by how much they relied on their abilities. Some of them seemed genuinely lost without them.
Kaminari sighed dramatically. "Man, this is not what I signed up for. I was supposed to be a cool electric hero, not some martial arts dude! What if I get punched in the face?"
Jirou smirked. "Then maybe you should learn how to block?"
Kaminari groaned, dropping his head onto his desk. "I'm so gonna die."
That was when Kaminari glanced at Ryo and suddenly perked up.
"Uh, speaking of that…" Kaminari gestured toward him. "Dude, how do you feel about this? You pretty much are your Quirk. Are you even worried?"
The entire class turned toward Ryo, their curiosity piqued. Even Todoroki subtly glanced his way.
Ryo smirked, resting his chin on his hand. "Worried? No. But I'm interested."
Mina blinked. "Interested? In what?"
Ryo stretched his shoulders and glanced at Aizawa, who was silently watching their interactions unfold without interfering. "I already know I'm strong. But strength isn't enough. Aizawa-sensei fights without a Quirk and takes down villains just fine. If I want to be a true hero, I need to be able to do the same."
Silence.
Then Kirishima grinned. "Man, that's so badass."
Jirou nodded. "You've got the right mindset. Kinda scary, though."
Momo, sitting a few seats away, smiled slightly. "That's a commendable perspective, Kisaragi."
Ryo turned toward her. "Yaoyorozu, right?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"You're one of the few people in this class who thinks logically," he said bluntly.
Momo blinked, slightly caught off guard, before composing herself. "Well, I'd like to think strategy is an important part of being a hero."
"Good," Ryo said. "We might work well together in the future."
Momo tilted her head. "You think so?"
Ryo nodded. "Your Quirk gives you tools. Mine gives me power. Combine that with planning, and we'd be an unstoppable team."
There was an unexpected pause before Momo responded. "That… makes sense. I suppose that's something to consider."
Kaminari leaned toward Jirou, whispering, "Was that… flirting?"
Jirou smirked. "If it was, it was the most logical flirting I've ever seen."
Before the conversation could continue, Aizawa finally spoke.
"Alright, enough chit-chat." His gaze swept across the class. "We're heading to Gym Gamma. If you're not prepared to fight without your Quirks, then prepare to get beaten."
The class collectively gulped.
Kaminari muttered, "I really am gonna die."
"Don't worry, Kaminari, I'm sure someone here will carry you to the infirmary when it happens," Jirou teased.
"Not funny, Jirou."
As everyone got up from their seats, Bakugo cracked his knuckles. "Tch. Fine. If this is what it takes, I'll crush all of you even without my explosions."
Mina sighed. "Great, now he's gonna be even more aggressive."
Meanwhile, Ryo stood up calmly, rolling his shoulders. Unlike most of the class, he was actually looking forward to this.
Aizawa's gaze met his. "Kisaragi."
Ryo met his gaze. "Yeah?"
"You're the strongest in the class right now. Let's see how you do without your beams."
A challenge.
And Ryo was never one to back down.
As he stepped out of the classroom with the rest of the students, he couldn't help but smirk.
This was going to be fun.