Chapter 220 : The Chessboard and Its Pieces

Dawn at U.A. on the first day of the Joint Training felt different. The morning air, usually filled with a calm spirit of learning, now crackled with a tense, competitive energy. In the Class 1-A locker room, the atmosphere was a mixture of ritualistic preparation and boisterous show of force. Kaminari and Mineta were comparing minor upgrades to their costumes, while Kirishima warmed up by punching his locker (which, thankfully, had been reinforced by Power Loader).

Tatsumi changed in focused silence. He put on his repaired black tactical suit—his hero costume, 'Tyrant'. It was a simple and functional outfit, designed not for show, but for maximum efficiency. As he put it on, his mind automatically switched to operational mode. His analytical soul began running simulations in his head: possible opponents, environmental scenarios, the strengths and weaknesses of his classmates. This was an exercise, a game. But for someone who was used to life-or-death stakes, every "game" was a battle to be won with perfect preparation. He felt a strange glimmer of excitement, the pure joy of competition, a feeling that had long been buried under the weight of responsibility and secrets.

In the Shiketsu locker room, the atmosphere was much more tense and quiet. Their discipline was palpable. Mine methodically checked every component of the support gear connected to her Quirk, ensuring every energy circuit was functioning perfectly. Her mind kept returning to her confrontation with Tatsumi yesterday. His calm smile and his all-knowing gaze had angered her more than Bakugo's shouting. She felt underestimated, and there was nothing she hated more than being underestimated. Today, she would wipe that smile off his face. She would show him, and all those over-hyped U.A. students, the true power of the Spirit Gun: Pumpkin.

When all the students gathered in the large observation room overlooking Ground Gamma—a highly detailed replica of a city—Aizawa and the Shiketsu teacher, Ms. Nagamori, stood in front of a large screen.

"Good morning," Aizawa said in his characteristic flat tone. "The first simulation will begin shortly. Scenario: Hostage Rescue. One team will act as 'Villains' who have placed a fake bomb and taken a humanoid robot hostage on the fourth floor of an office building." He pointed to a specific building in the middle of the artificial city. "The 'Hero' team will have thirty minutes to infiltrate the building, neutralize all villains, and secure the hostage. Points will be awarded based on speed, efficiency, teamwork, and minimal property damage."

"Teams will be determined randomly to ensure you learn to adapt," Ms. Nagamori added. "Let's begin."

Names began to appear on the screen, paired one by one. A small uproar occurred as some strange pairings came up. And then, the two main teams for the first round were announced.

Villain Team (A):

Katsuki Bakugo (U.A.)

Kyoka Jiro (U.A.)

Mine (Shiketsu)

Seiji Shishikura (Shiketsu)

Hero Team (A):

Tatsumi (U.A.)

Ochako Uraraka (U.A.)

Inasa Yoarashi (Shiketsu)

Camie Utsushimi (Shiketsu)

The room fell silent for a moment. Fate, or perhaps a cunning rodent principal, had set a perfect stage. Bakugo stared at Mine's name with a growl. Mine stared at Tatsumi's name with a determined smirk. And Tatsumi... he just looked at his own team list, his mind already at work, analyzing the assets he had.

In the Hero Team's Strategy Room

Fifteen minutes. That's how much time they had to come up with a plan. Inside their private briefing room, the four very different students faced each other.

Inasa Yoarashi was the first to speak, his fiery spirit filling the room. "THE STRATEGY IS SIMPLE!" he shouted with full enthusiasm. "WE WILL CHARGE THEM WITH THE FORCE OF A HURRICANE AND A BLAZING HEROIC SPIRIT! WE WILL CRUSH THEIR DEFENSES AND RESCUE THE HOSTAGE WITH INCREDIBLE SPEED!"

Camie, who was leaning against the wall examining her nails, chimed in, "Like, that sounds super loud. Why don't we, like, just go in all quiet? Use my illusions, make them see things that are, like, not there. Totally ghosting them."

Uraraka, a little intimidated by the strong personalities of her new teammates, hesitantly offered her idea. "Uhm, I could use my Zero Gravity to create an entry point from above... maybe we could go through a window without making a sound, or I could make the surrounding debris float to use as cover."

Tatsumi listened to it all in silence. He let them all voice their ideas, gauging their personalities and ways of thinking. Inasa was passionate raw power. Camie was a master of diversion and trickery. Uraraka was a flexible support and a master of silent infiltration. They were all strong pieces, but they didn't have a chess player.

That's when he stepped forward, taking on that role.

"All of those are good ideas," he said, his calm voice immediately grabbing their attention. "And we're going to use all of them."

He looked at Inasa. "Inasa-san, your spirit is incredible, and your power is our greatest asset. But we can't use it blindly. A frontal assault would endanger the hostage and destroy the building; we'd lose points. You will be our 'heavy artillery,' but you must wait for the signal."

He turned to Camie. "Camie-san, your idea about illusions is excellent. You will be our spearhead. I want you to create an illusion of the four of us making a loud frontal assault just as Inasa-san suggested. Make them think we're coming through the front door with full force."

Then he looked at Uraraka, giving her a reassuring smile. "Uraraka-san, you and I will be the real infiltration team. While they are all distracted by Camie-san's illusion, we will climb the adjacent building. You will use your Quirk to help me cross the gap between the buildings without a sound. We'll go in from the roof."

Finally, he looked back at Inasa. "Once we are inside and have identified the enemy's positions, we will give you the signal. From your position outside, I want you to use your wind precisely. Not to destroy, but to disable. Create small vortexes inside the rooms to disarm them or push them against the walls. You will be our long-range support."

Silence filled the room. Tatsumi had just taken three different ideas and woven them into a coherent, intelligent, multi-layered plan in less than a minute. Inasa, who usually didn't like being told what to do, looked at Tatsumi with a new expression—one of respect. Camie winked, impressed. And Uraraka, she looked at Tatsumi with unconcealed admiration. They had found their leader.

In the Villain Team's Strategy Room

The atmosphere in the villain team's room was far from harmonious.

"LISTEN UP, I'LL BE AT THE FRONT! I'LL BLOW UP ANYONE WHO DARES TO GET NEAR THE DOOR!" Bakugo shouted, pointing at the building layout.

"Don't be an idiot!" Mine retorted, not backing down. "They'll be expecting that! We should lure them into this corridor. I'll pick them off from the end. It's a perfect kill zone!"

Seiji Shishikura, with his haughty attitude, chimed in, "You two are too focused on violence. A true hero must have dignity. We should neutralize them in a way that shows our superiority, not with cheap explosions and shots."

Only Jiro seemed sane, trying to mediate. "Guys, maybe we can combine our ideas? Bakugo-kun can set up explosive traps, and Mine-san can be the sniper..."

But the battle of egos continued. They weren't a team; they were a collection of strong individuals who all wanted to be the star.

The Exercise Begins

"Hero Team, you may enter... now!"

Aizawa's voice echoed through the speakers in Ground Gamma.

In the artificial city, hot under the blazing sun, Tatsumi's plan was immediately set into motion. Four illusory figures—a perfect replica of their team—began to run noisily down the main street towards the target building, with 'Inasa' shouting about heroic spirit.

At the same time, the real Tatsumi and Uraraka moved silently through the shadows of narrow alleys. They arrived at the base of a tall building adjacent to their target.

"Ready?" Tatsumi whispered.

Uraraka nodded, touching Tatsumi's shoulder. "Ready."

With a familiar feeling of weightlessness, Tatsumi used his enhanced physical strength to leap from wall to wall, scaling the building with impossible speed and silence, with Uraraka holding on tightly to his back.

They reached the roof in less than a minute. Across from them, separated by a ten-meter gap, was the roof of the target building.

Tatsumi turned and crouched, "Get on."

Uraraka quickly climbed onto his back. Tatsumi took a few steps back, then ran and jumped. Right in the middle of his leap, Uraraka deactivated her Quirk, returning Tatsumi's full weight, giving him the momentum to land perfectly on the opposite roof.

They moved to the edge of the roof and peeked down through a skylight. Inside, on the fourth floor, they could see the 'villain' team. Bakugo and Mine were still arguing about the best position, while the robot hostage sat in a corner.

Tatsumi touched his communicator, his eyes fixed on the targets below.

"We're in position," he whispered. "Targets are visible. Commencing infiltration."

The game had begun.