The echoes of the battle trial still lingered in everyone's bones as Class 1-A filed into their classroom. Shoes scuffed the floor, chatter bubbled from every corner, and the air practically hummed with leftover adrenaline.
Yuki Takamine burst through the door like a firework, her strawberry-blonde spikes bouncing as she twirled into her seat. "Did you see that?! Boom—one wall down! And then—BAM! I knocked out a support beam!" Her amber eyes sparkled with excitement, still riding the high of their win.
"Still talking about it?" Toma Nishida muttered, dragging his half-conscious self through the door. His tall frame practically folded into the chair beside her, his dark gray hair a mess and steel-blue eyes barely open. "That was, like, an hour ago..."
Yuki leaned across the desk, jabbing him with her elbow. "Hey! You were awesome too, you midnight ninja. Sneaking around and pulling out strategies like it was nothing!"
"Yeah, well... I was awake for twelve hours straight. That's practically a superpower," Toma mumbled, slumping deeper into his seat. "I should be dead."
Behind them, Shiro Hanabusa glided into the classroom so quietly, he may as well have been a ghost. His silvery-white hair and pale gray eyes gave him an otherworldly presence, and he slid into his chair without a sound. He adjusted his collar, then spoke softly.
"Toma. Your movements were slower near the end. You're stronger when exhausted, but you'll burn out. Fast."
Toma yawned, rubbing his face. "Gee, thanks for the reminder, Shiro. Let me just pass out now so I can recharge."
"Don't pass out yet," came Shin Karasuma's voice from the front of the room. He was already seated, arms crossed on his desk, watching his friends with a small smirk. His black hair had just the faintest static charge clinging to it, like lightning never fully left him. "We've still got All Might's feedback to survive."
Yuki grinned. "Shin, you were insane out there. You basically punched through Todoroki's ice. I thought that stuff was unbreakable!"
"Wasn't easy," Shin said, scratching his cheek. "But I've been training for stuff like that."
Before the conversation could go further, the classroom door slid open with a click.
Shoto Todoroki and Mezo Shoji stepped in, both of them looking composed, but clearly affected by the trial. Todoroki's dual-colored hair framed his calm face, though his sharp heterochromatic gaze landed straight on Shin.
"You were faster than I expected," Todoroki said simply.
Shin met his gaze without flinching. "You were tougher than I thought. That ice wall almost got me."
Shoji nodded toward Yuki. "Your voice wasn't just loud—it was calculated."
Yuki sat up straighter. "Aw, thanks! I mean, yeah, I totally planned all of it. I'm chaos with strategy, obviously."
Todoroki gave her a rare nod. "You threw us off. All of you. Your movements didn't follow any pattern we could predict."
"Exactly!" Yuki beamed, pointing at herself. "We're unpredictable. You can't beat what you can't read!"
The door burst open again—and this time, it was with a gust of wind and a dazzling smile.
"All right, my shining students!" boomed All Might, striking a pose at the front of the room. "Excellent work out there! Time for some reflection."
He walked with dramatic strides to the podium, his cape fluttering with each movement.
"First off—Shin Karasuma, Yuki Takamine, Toma Nishida, Shiro Hanabusa. Your team showed exceptional coordination, adaptability, and flair! Explosive, stealthy, strategic, and strong—you used your quirks in ways that made the opposition struggle."
Yuki beamed. "Told you we were awesome."
"All of you," All Might continued, eyes sweeping the room, "need to remember this: Being a hero isn't just about raw power. It's about how you work together. Yuki's soundwaves created openings. Toma calculated the best angles and acted precisely. Shiro used his limited invisibility for reconnaissance. And Shin—Shin was the spearhead. The unstoppable force."
Shin tilted his head slightly. "We practiced. A lot."
Todoroki raised a hand, calmly. "We relied too heavily on defense. Shoji and I didn't adapt fast enough."
"That's the spirit, Todoroki!" All Might pointed with dramatic flair. "You've got incredible power—but even the strongest defense falls to unpredictability. Learn from it. Grow from it."
Shoji's many arms folded, his face calm. "They had more angles than we prepared for. It won't happen again."
"Glad to hear it!" All Might laughed. "But don't take it personally. You two were a great pair. Shoji's awareness and Todoroki's control are top-tier. You just need synergy."
Yuki leaned back in her chair, resting her feet on Toma's desk. "Man... hearing All Might praise us is surreal. We're in the big leagues now."
Toma weakly pushed her foot off. "If this is the big leagues, I want a nap-league."
"Still tired?" Shin asked, smirking.
"I live tired."
Shiro glanced at Toma. "You'll have to learn to balance your quirk's side effects. Otherwise, it'll control you."
"Yeah, yeah," Toma sighed. "Can I get a lecture and a blanket?"
All Might clapped his hands together. "Listen up! The next trials will push you even harder! So I expect everyone here to think about today's fight. What went right. What didn't. Your quirks are only part of it—your decisions are what matter most!"
Kaminari raised a hand. "Quick question—are we, like, gonna get paired randomly next time? Or should we start bribing Iida now?"
"That... is classified," All Might winked. "But let's just say—surprises are good training. Be ready for anything!"
The class groaned and laughed in equal measure.
As the bell rang and students started packing up, Yuki turned to her team, her eyes still sparkling. "You guys... we killed it. This is just the beginning, huh?"
Shin gave a small nod, his smile soft but confident. "Yeah. Just the beginning."
And as the sun slanted through the windows of U.A., casting golden light on the desks and dust motes in the air, Class 1-A felt a little closer. A little stronger. And a whole lot more ready for whatever came next.