"You're just walking too slowly," Shina Etsuha said with a faint smile as he glanced at Yamada. Then his gaze shifted to Bakugo Katsuki, his tone calm and steady. "Bakugo… are you serious about wanting to fight me?"
"Of course I am," Bakugo snapped, veins bulging on his forehead. "You've been pissing me off lately. This so-called 'hidden Quirk' of yours—there's no such thing. I realized it a long time ago. You must've awakened your Quirk ages ago and just never told anyone."
He clenched his fists, glaring at Etsuha.
"But it doesn't matter. I don't care why you've been hiding your ice ability. I'll beat you fair and square!"
The students around them froze for a moment—then erupted into chatter.
"Shina had a Quirk all along?"
"Is that true? But why would anyone hide something like that…?"
"So that's what's going on!"
Etsuha was slightly surprised.
Bakugo's guess was… remarkably close to the truth.
Of course, what Bakugo didn't know was that even the ice abilities Etsuha displayed were only a fragment of what he could truly do.
"I've got nothing to say? Fine," Bakugo continued, a fierce confidence burning in his eyes. "Then I'll show you what I've been working on!"
A sharp grin spread across his face as his palms ignited with explosive energy.
BOOM!
A thunderous blast echoed as Bakugo launched himself forward, his body propelled through the air like a missile.
"This—!"
Midoriya Izuku's eyes widened in shock.
He understood Quirks better than most, and he had spent countless hours analyzing Bakugo's abilities. Using explosions as propulsion wasn't simple—it required incredible control. One miscalculation, and Bakugo could lose balance midair, crashing down with potentially fatal consequences.
And yet—
Bakugo wasn't just flying.
He was controlling his direction freely.
He's already reached this level…? Midoriya thought, stunned. I believe in Etsuha, but… Bakugo's talent is terrifying…
"Impressive," Etsuha admitted, a flicker of approval in his eyes.
But he didn't hesitate.
With a casual wave of his hand—
A towering wall of ice surged up from the ground, instantly forming directly in Bakugo's path. The air grew sharply cold.
"Huh?!"
Even Bakugo hadn't expected such a massive structure to appear so quickly.
But he had anticipated something like this.
Without hesitation, he angled both palms downward—
BOOM!!
A louder explosion erupted, and the recoil force shot him upward, sending him soaring over the vertical ice wall.
"Hah! What do you think, Shina?!" Bakugo shouted, flipping midair. His body rotated as he aimed both hands down at Etsuha, energy gathering in his palms.
"Very strong," Etsuha said calmly. "But… it's not enough."
"…What?"
Bakugo's eyes snapped downward.
From the ice wall below, a sharp spike suddenly shot upward—growing several meters in an instant, aimed straight at his head.
Slice!
A few strands of hair drifted through the air.
"That—!"
Midoriya's mind raced as he analyzed the exchange.
"The ice wall wasn't just a defense—it was a setup! He predicted Bakugo would jump over it and planted a delayed attack! That's… incredible!"
Meanwhile, the others were completely stunned.
"What just happened?!"
"When did that spike even appear?!"
Bakugo landed heavily on the ground, his eyes fixed on the ice wall.
"Don't bother continuing," Etsuha said calmly. "There's no need."
That last strike had been intentionally off by a margin.
If Etsuha had aimed directly, Bakugo wouldn't have had time to react at all.
"Hey! What are you talking about?!" Yamada shouted angrily. "That spike just missed! Our boss hasn't even used his strongest move yet!"
Thud.
Bakugo landed firmly, his face darkening.
"Shut up."
His voice cut through the air sharply, silencing Yamada instantly.
Then, after a brief pause, Bakugo looked at Etsuha and spoke in a low, steady tone.
"He's right."
"I lost."
Not just lost—
He had been completely outmatched.
And Bakugo Katsuki knew it.