Chapter 222 : Echoes of Victory and the Silence of Defeat

BBZZZZZZZZT!

The loud buzz of the match-end buzzer was deafening in the wrecked office space. For a moment, all movement ceased. Dust and paper fragments slowly drifted down from the air, landing on a floor filled with cracks and explosion craters. Amidst the destruction, the two sides stood frozen, separated by more than just physical distance; they were separated by the chasm between a decisive victory and a devastating defeat.

For Mine, the world seemed to lose its sound. Bakugo's angry roar beside her, Aizawa's victory announcement echoing from the speakers, the surprised cheers from the observation room—it all sounded like a distant, meaningless drone. Her mind was fixated on a single image replaying like a broken film: her powerful pink energy beam, fueled by all her anger and pride, hitting that green dragon shield, and then... vanishing. Not just blocked, but absorbed and nullified as if it were just a small spark.

She looked at the young man across the room. Tatsumi. He was still standing there, the arm that had held the shield now hanging limply at his side, his breath slightly ragged. But his expression... there was no arrogance there. No mockery. All she saw was a serious gaze, and what angered her the most, there was a trace of... pity in his eyes. As if he understood something about her that even she didn't. A burning shame coursed through her, far hotter than the energy she had just unleashed.

"DAMMIT! HOW DID WE LOSE TO THESE EXTRAS?!" Bakugo's roar finally broke through the silence in Mine's mind, pulling her back to the bitter reality. "YOU, PINK PIGTAILS! WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE LIKE AN IDIOT?!"

Tatsumi saw the crushed expression on Mine's face. The echo of the soul within him—the heart of the Night Raid Tatsumi—felt a strange wave of sympathy. He recognized that look. It was the look of a warrior whose pride had just been stripped away. Without thinking, he stepped forward, extending his hand. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice sincere and without any hidden meaning.

That simple act of kindness was the final spark that reignited Mine's extinguished anger. It felt like an insult.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" she screamed, slapping Tatsumi's hand away roughly. "This... this isn't over! Don't think you've won!" With tears of frustration threatening to fall, she turned and ran out of the room, ignoring the calls of her Shiketsu teammates.

In the Observation Room

The atmosphere in the observation room was mixed. The Class 1-A students cheered for their team's victory, while the Shiketsu students looked silent and tense. The teachers—Aizawa, Ms. Nagamori, and All Might, who was present as an advisor—watched their students return to the room with unreadable expressions.

"Let's begin the analysis," Aizawa said, his flat voice immediately calming the commotion. On the main screen, replays of the battle from various angles began to play.

Aizawa first highlighted the Villain Team's failure. "You didn't lose due to a lack of power," he said, staring intently at Bakugo and Seiji. "You lost because you weren't a team. You were four individuals who happened to be in the same room. Your egos were your greatest enemy. Bakugo, you were too obsessed with a frontal assault that you ignored the warnings from your teammate. Shishikura, you underestimated your opponents. And Mine," he paused for a moment, noticing the girl wasn't there, "you let your emotions and your obsession with a single target blind you to the bigger picture. Jiro was the only one who tried to cooperate, but her voice was drowned out in your noise."

The blunt criticism made Bakugo growl, but he couldn't argue.

Then, Ms. Nagamori took over, displaying the Hero Team's footage. "Conversely, the Hero Team showed almost perfect synergy, despite it being their first time working together," she said in a more appreciative tone. "Each member understood their role. Utsushimi-san created a perfect diversion. Yoarashi-san showed incredible control, using his immense power not to destroy, but to support his team from a distance. Uraraka-san demonstrated great infiltration skills. And all of it..." she turned towards Tatsumi, "...was orchestrated by a clear strategy and calmly executed by their leader."

The praise drew all eyes to Tatsumi, who just stood there silently, looking a little uncomfortable with the attention.

Finally, Aizawa replayed the last scene. The moment where Mine's massive energy beam met Tatsumi's dragon shield. He played it in slow motion, then froze the image at the exact moment of impact. The entire room fell silent, mesmerized by the sight.

"Incredible..." All Might whispered, his gaunt eyes widening. "To be able to manifest a specific part of your Quirk with such power and speed, under the pressure of battle... Young Tatsumi, your growth rate is truly phenomenal! That was a defense on par with a veteran Pro Hero!"

Deku, in his seat, was writing frantically in his notebook, trying to deconstruct what he had just witnessed. Instantaneous partial manifestation! he wrote. Unlike his full armor which takes a moment, the shield appeared in a split second. This means he can not only summon his armor, but he can also 'print' its parts as needed. This level of control... this is something completely new. How did he train for it? Is this the result of his 'special training'?

Todoroki looked at Tatsumi from across the room. He saw the calmness in Tatsumi's eyes, a calmness that was unnatural for a teenager. He remembered their fight at the Sports Festival. Back then, Tatsumi's power felt wild and explosive. Now, it felt controlled, sharp, and far more dangerous. He felt a familiar thrill of rivalry, but this time it was filled with a deep respect.

In the corridor outside the observation room, Bakugo punched a wall, leaving a small crack in its surface. "DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!"

"Calm down, Bakugo," Kirishima said, trying to soothe him. "It was just one exercise. We'll win the next round."

"THIS ISN'T ABOUT WINNING OR LOSING, WEIRD HAIR!" Bakugo roared, turning to his friend, his eyes blazing with frustration. "Didn't you see that?! The way that damn Dragon moved... the way he stopped Pigtails' attack... that wasn't just power. It was... something different. Dammit, why is he always... always one step ahead?!"

His anger was no longer just the anger of an arrogant rival. It was the anger of a combat genius who had just seen something he couldn't comprehend, and it scared and infuriated him.

In another, quieter corner, Mine was finally found by Inasa and Camie. She was sitting on a bench, staring blankly at her hands, as if she no longer trusted her own abilities.

"That was a shameful display," Seiji Shishikura said, suddenly appearing, his attitude not at all helpful. "You let your childish emotions blind your judgment. You have disgraced the name of Shiketsu."

Mine's anger flared up again, a defense against her own shame. "SHUT UP, MEATBALL! THIS IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" she screamed, a small, weak spark of energy appearing at her fingertips. She stood up and walked away, wanting to be alone with her defeat.

At lunchtime, the atmosphere in the U.A. cafeteria was filled with chatter about the first match. Tatsumi found himself sitting at a table with Momo, Uraraka, Iida, and Tsuyu. They all praised him for his brilliant strategy and his incredible defense.

"That was so cool, Tatsumi-kun! The shield just appeared out of nowhere!" Uraraka said enthusiastically.

"Indeed, an exemplary demonstration of Quirk control!" Iida added.

But Tatsumi seemed a little distracted. He thanked them, but his mind was elsewhere. He kept replaying that moment. The echo of the soul within him was so strong. He hadn't thought about creating the shield. His body, his soul, had just reacted. As if he had faced that same attack hundreds of times before in a life he had never lived.

He looked across the cafeteria. He saw Mine, sitting alone in a corner, stirring her food without appetite. He didn't feel any pride in his victory. Instead, he felt a strange wave of guilt and sympathy. He had shattered his rival's confidence, and it didn't feel like a victory at all.

Momo, who was sitting next to him, noticed his change in mood. "Are you alright, Tatsumi-san?" she asked gently. "You won the match, but you seem... sad."

Tatsumi looked at Momo, then back towards Mine. He sighed softly. "I was just thinking," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "That sometimes, the way you win a fight can feel like a loss."

His enigmatic statement left his friends silent. They looked at him, realizing once again that behind his calm exterior, their newly returned friend was a far more complex figure carrying a much heavier burden than they could ever imagine.