And then—
『—HERO TEAM, WIN!!』
He practically threw himself into the capture tape.
"Uu... hic... Masue, Tokoyami... I'm... I'm really allowed to go home...?"
"Uh, Iida? The training is over."
"Wait...?! Wh-what was I doing!?"
"Hmm... You are, how should I put this... a very sincere person, aren't you?"
"Stupidly honest," Dark Shadow added.
"Silence is golden, Dark Shadow," Tokoyami muttered.
That was our conversation immediately after the victory declaration.
Even I thought that went a bit too smoothly, but I suspect it's because Iida is just too earnest for his own good. I used the Force to give my voice a bit of a "push," but that's only an aid to persuasion. It shouldn't be enough to make someone lose themselves in a role that deeply; even a Mind Trick would struggle to produce that result.
Apparently, Iida had been so inspired by Himiko's dedication to her "villain" role (though I suspect Himiko wasn't acting), that he had been constantly telling himself to be the best villain he could be. My Force-assisted acting simply synced up too perfectly with his own self-suggestion.
"A fine victory, Young Masue!"
Those were All Might's first words to us. After declaring me the MVP of the round, he approached me directly instead of polling the class for their opinions.
"Now, Young Masue. Tell me—for my own reference—why did you choose negotiation as your primary tactic?"
He likely already knew the answer, but he was asking for the benefit of the other students. I nodded and began my explanation.
"The purpose of this exercise is to gauge our current combat capabilities. From that perspective, my choice might not have been the 'correct' one. However, this scenario involved a nuclear weapon—one of the most destructive forces on this planet. To ensure the risk of accidental detonation was zero, I determined that avoiding combat was the priority. Thus, neutralizing the threat through negotiation was the 'best' move for a Hero. Since it was a drill, I didn't expect Iida to actually fall for it... but I felt it was what a Hero should do."
The surrounding students hummed in understanding. All Might nodded, looking satisfied.
"And you confirmed the details of the 'Villains' and the 'bomb' with me beforehand to use as leverage for that judgment?"
"Yes, Master. If the scenario had been different, I might have prioritized a tactical takedown."
In truth, a Jedi would almost never choose violence first, but that's a matter of my personal creed. There was no need to bring that up here.
"A wise decision! And an important way of thinking! Even in a drill, you must ask: 'What if this were a real incident?'"
All Might nodded vigorously, looking over the class. Since he had already critiqued two other matches, he seemed much more comfortable and fluent in his delivery. He was finding his rhythm as a teacher.
"Being a Hero is a flashy profession, and it's one of the few where Quirk usage is legally sanctioned! But as you've seen today, that doesn't mean you should use them recklessly! Solving an incident without violence is a difficult, but wonderful thing! If we can save people without damaging buildings or the environment, that is the ideal! So, even if your ideas stray a bit from the 'point' of the drill, don't be afraid to try them! If it's the right thing for a Hero to do, we won't take points off for it!"
He then added a "by the way" regarding the financial reality of certain Heroes. He explained that many powerful Heroes actually struggle with debt because their Quirks cause massive collateral damage, the costs of which they are often liable for. He didn't name names, but he mentioned it wasn't uncommon for independent Heroes to go bust and have to find work as sidekicks again.
"So there really is insurance and tax deductible stuff for that..." Sero muttered with a wry smile, looking a bit deflated by the sudden dose of cold, hard reality.
It was an interesting point. Unlike the Jedi, Heroes are essentially private business owners operating for profit. The Jedi Order was a non-profit entity, so I never had to worry about the bottom line. If I'm to restore the Jedi, I'll have to think about the financial side of things. Patent royalties from droids and translation tech probably won't be enough.
I've learned there's an insurance system, but I wonder what else there is? Apparently, we'll cover this in later classes. I'll look forward to it.
The class eventually wound down and we were dismissed. It seemed everyone found the session meaningful. For me, it reinforced the idea that nothing beats practical application.
Of course, as soon as I changed back into my uniform and stepped out of the locker room, Himiko dragged me into the restroom. She spent the rest of the break drinking my blood with a bit more... "intensity" than usual. It had been a while since she'd been that rough, and I had a difficult time holding back my voice because of how much it tickled.
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