U.A. High buzzed with energy.
A week had passed since the Nomu attack, and the students of Class 1-A were back to their routines—or at least trying to be. The threat of villains lingered in the back of everyone's minds, but Aizawa was determined not to let fear derail their progress.
"This world doesn't stop for anyone," Aizawa had said. "So neither will your training."
Today was no ordinary training day. Today, they were stepping up.
"Hero Training: Team Combat Simulation," Aizawa announced as the class gathered in Gym Gamma.
Sabo stood near the back, arms crossed, listening intently. He'd already made a strong impression during the villain encounter. His flames, speed, and composure had saved multiple students and incapacitated a Nomu by himself. But today wasn't about showboating. It was about teamwork.
Aizawa handed a tablet to Iida. "These are the teams and mission objectives. Team Alpha and Team Delta, you're first. Your objective is to capture the opposing team's base while protecting your own."
The teams were:
Team Alpha: Midoriya, Sabo, Yaoyorozu
Team Delta: Bakugo, Kirishima, Kaminari
Sabo's eyes narrowed when he saw Bakugo's name.
The hot-headed explosive student had been eyeing Sabo with growing animosity ever since the Nomu attack. Bakugo hated being shown up, and Sabo's cool attitude only made it worse.
"Try not to burn out too quickly, Fire Boy," Bakugo scoffed as he passed him.
Sabo didn't flinch. "Try not to explode your teammates this time."
Midoriya coughed awkwardly between them. "Uh, let's just focus on the mission, okay?"
Aizawa stepped in. "Begin."
The gym transformed instantly. Walls shifted, creating a mock urban battlefield. The timer started ticking down from 15 minutes.
Midoriya and Yaoyorozu strategized quickly, but Sabo had already begun moving.
"I'll scout ahead," he said. "Keep an eye on the perimeter and build cover. We'll need a distraction."
Using his Hiken—Flame Fist—at a lower intensity, Sabo created a flash of heat and pressure that launched him forward into the mock city.
Kaminari was the first to spot him. "He's moving fast! Left flank!"
Bakugo ignored him. "He's mine."
Kirishima, always the reliable one, stayed back to guard their base.
Meanwhile, Midoriya used his analysis to guess the enemy's movement patterns. Yaoyorozu produced a sensor drone and sent it above the battlefield.
Sabo dashed through an alley, leaping onto a rooftop with a swirl of fire. From his vantage point, he could see the enemy base below, with Kirishima pacing in front of it.
He was about to make his move when—
"DIE!"
Bakugo blasted through a nearby wall, gauntlets glowing.
Sabo barely dodged the explosion, twisting mid-air and landing with a sweep of flames to steady himself.
"You really don't like talking things out, huh?" Sabo said, lips curled in amusement.
Bakugo snarled. "I'll show you who the real firepower is!"
They clashed in a thunderous blast of heat and force.
Bakugo moved like a missile, wild and chaotic. Sabo was fluid, controlled, dancing through Bakugo's attacks and countering with precise bursts of flame.
"You fight with rage," Sabo noted, dodging a direct blast. "That won't last forever."
"Shut up!"
A heavy punch almost connected, but Sabo ducked, twisting his pipe forward, and sent a concentrated flame spiraling toward Bakugo's side. Bakugo blocked it with a detonation, but the impact knocked him into a wall.
Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu's drone spotted Kirishima—and Midoriya was already moving.
"Go!" Sabo called through the comms. "I've got Bakugo!"
Midoriya responded, "Copy that!"
Kirishima hardened just as Midoriya leapt down with a powerful Full Cowl punch, causing a shockwave that knocked the guard off-balance. Yaoyorozu created a flash bomb and launched it from a makeshift cannon. The light blinded Kirishima for just long enough.
"Objective secured!" Yaoyorozu called out.
The buzzer rang. The simulation ended.
Team Alpha: Victory.
Bakugo pulled himself from the rubble, panting, and looked up at Sabo, who stood calmly just meters away, barely scratched.
"Tch."
Sabo extended a hand. "You're strong. You just need to focus."
Bakugo slapped it away. "Don't lecture me."
Sabo shrugged. "Suit yourself."
Later, as the class gathered to review the footage, Aizawa offered commentary.
"Midoriya's strategy was effective. Yaoyorozu's support was on point. And Sabo—"
Everyone turned.
"—controlled the flow of battle with precision. You neutralized the threat without causing excessive damage. Well done."
Sabo gave a modest nod. He didn't need praise—but it was nice to be acknowledged.
As the students left the gym, Midoriya jogged up beside him.
"You're amazing, Sabo. I mean, I still don't fully understand your power, but the way you fight—"
"I've been doing it a long time," Sabo said. "But I've never fought like this before. As a team. It's different. Feels... right."
They paused by the locker room, where a group of students passed, talking about the next round.
"You know," Midoriya said, "with your power, you could easily be a top hero."
Sabo looked at the sky, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Maybe," he said. "But I'm not just here to be a hero."
Midoriya blinked. "Then why are you here?"
Sabo gave a small smile.
"To find out why I'm in this world... and what I'm supposed to do with this second chance."