The air in the training grounds was already tense, thick with the smell of scorched earth and smoke.

Bakugo’s eyes were blazing—not with anger this time, but with that familiar, sharp intensity that meant he was completely focused.

You matched him stride for stride, every movement synchronized yet pushing him harder, faster, farther.

“Come on! Is that all you’ve got?!” Bakugo barked, his voice bouncing off the concrete walls, sharp and commanding.

He launched himself forward, claws of his quirk sparking as explosions tore through the ground around him. The blast made the dust rise in choking clouds, and pieces of debris tumbled like rain.

You moved beside him, dodging and weaving with precision, responding with every ounce of your quirk.

The clash of energy and power between the two of you created a storm on the training field. Rocks shattered. Metal rails bent and warped. Sparks ignited from friction and heat.

The ground itself seemed to recoil from the sheer magnitude of your combined power.

“Not bad,” Bakugo muttered through gritted teeth, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “But you’re gonna have to do way better than that if you wanna keep up with me.”

You didn’t respond—you couldn’t. Your focus was absolute, mind and body locked into the rhythm of the fight, each motion instinctive and precise.

Every strike, every explosion, every counter was measured, calculated—but both of you had long since abandoned caution.

It escalated quickly. A miscalculated blast from Bakugo collided with one of your attacks, creating a shockwave that knocked both of you off your feet.

You skidded across the ground, debris flying around you like shrapnel. The training grounds groaned and cracked under the strain.

Bakugo scrambled back to his feet, his eyes narrowing. “Tch—damn it! You’re not holding back either, huh?!” His hands sparked, explosions flickering erratically across his knuckles, the result of his overexertion.

The next few minutes were absolute chaos. Walls crumbled, support beams splintered, and the ground cracked in jagged lines as you both pushed yourselves past the limit.

Smoke and dust choked the air, and the echoing booms from Bakugo’s quirk mingled with yours in a symphony of controlled destruction.

Finally, you both stopped—because the ground quite literally gave out beneath your feet. A massive crater had formed in the center of the training field, walls collapsed, and the reinforced metal of the practice area twisted beyond recognition.

Bakugo dropped to his knees, chest heaving, fists still sparking faintly from overuse. His hair stuck to his sweat-slicked forehead, and his green eyes gleamed with manic pride.

“Ha… ha… look at this,” he said, voice rough, laughter bubbling out despite the exhaustion. “We… completely wrecked it. Half the damn field—gone.”

You stood silently beside him, catching your breath, shoulders trembling from overexertion. Dust coated your clothes, cuts and scratches littered your skin, but you were alive.

Bakugo shot you a sideways glance, smirk softening slightly into something almost… affectionate. “Don’t think I didn’t notice. You went all-out too. Huh… not bad. Not bad at all.”