My Hero Academia: Echoes of the Fallen

Chapter 3: Clash of the Mutated Quirks

"Feels like we're walking through a graveyard," Bakugo's voice echoed in the desolate sanctuary. A silence fell among them, disrupted only by the distant groan of damaged structures.

Uraraka nodded, her voice firm yet tinged with melancholy, "Except the dead here can't rise."

"That's not entirely true," Todoroki glanced at Midoriya, a spark of challenge in his voice. "At least not for Izuku."

Midoriya shrugged, grinning, "I suppose you're right. But let's hope it doesn't come to that."

They reached a large room, repurposed into a makeshift training area. The remaining UA survivors filled the room, their chatter dying down as Mr. Aizawa entered.

"Kirishima," Aizawa addressed the burly figure standing at the corner, "you're joining the team for the next mission."

A steady nod was all Kirishima gave in reply. He'd recently recovered from injuries, his quirk now mutated to extend his hardening ability to objects he touched, a boon for their upcoming mission.

"Alright," Aizawa's voice sliced through the silence. "Today, we train. We have to understand each other's abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. We'll be doing a 3v3 scrimmage. The objective is to immobilize your opponents."

The team split into two, and the training exercise began. The once silent sanctuary filled with the symphony of colliding powers and resolute spirits.

As the group entered the training room, the ruined walls echoed with the resonance of battles long past. Midoriya could almost see specters of his old classmates in their youthful vigor, practicing their moves.

Kirishima stepped forward, his newly hardened skin glinting in the scant light, an imposing sight that made Midoriya recall his battles from before. The enhanced quirk had given Kirishima's body a more rigid, boulder-like appearance. His arms could transform into hardened shields, something they hadn't seen before. The mutation was undoubtedly powerful but also fitting, given Kirishima's sturdy personality.

"Kirishima's quirk has evolved," Aizawa explained, "His hardening can now extend to any object he touches, but the hardness is still proportional to his concentration. So, don't go easy on him."

"Also joining us is Tsuyu," Aizawa added, pointing to their amphibian-like classmate. Her quirk had morphed in this post-apocalyptic world, enabling her to produce a paralyzing secretion along with her already formidable frog-type  ability.
The scrimmage began

The teams squared off in the vast training area: Bakugo, Kirishima, and Tsuyu against Todoroki, Uraraka, and Midoriya. Tension filled the air as they prepared to clash.

"Let's see how you handle this," Bakugo growled, fiery explosions crackling in his palms. His quirk had intensified too, his blasts now capable of shockwaves that sent tremors through the ground.

With Todoroki firing an ice shard towards Bakugo. Bakugo responded with an explosion, creating a shockwave that fragmented the ice into a mist. Kirishima, with his hardened arm, charged at Todoroki, but a wall of ice intercepted him.

Uraraka used her gravity manipulation to levitate large debris, launching them at Tsuyu. She countered by launching herself in the air, evading the rubble, her elongated tongue shooting out towards Uraraka.

"Let's do this!" Kirishima yelled, charging at Todoroki. His body resembled a walking fortress, jagged rock-like skin gleaming. Todoroki reacted, a wall of ice appearing to deflect the charge. But Kirishima was relentless, his rocky fist shattering the frosty barrier to icy shards.

Across the room, Uraraka was in a mid-air battle with Tsuyu. Tsuyu's tongue shot out towards her, but Uraraka swiftly manipulated her gravity, flipping in the air and evading. She used her quirk on a pile of debris, sending it hurling towards Tsuyu, who nimbly leapt away, landing with cat-like grace.

Bakugo was a human bomb, his palms crackling with energy, shockwaves sending tremors through the ground. Todoroki retaliated, conjuring a wave of ice to snuff out the explosion. But Bakugo was quicker. He detonated another explosion, the sheer force knocking Todoroki off balance.

Midoriya braced himself, calling upon the spirit of Ingenium - Tenya Iida's brother and a renowned hero known for his speed. A rush of energy surged through him, his legs adopting the same powerful engine quirk that defined Ingenium.

Midoriya launched himself at Bakugo, aiming to catch him off-guard. But Bakugo was too quick. A sudden blast sent Midoriya flying backwards. He skidded across the ground, the dust clouding his vision.

Aizawa, observing from the sidelines with other pro heroes, jotted down notes. Each of them was silently evaluating the performance of the young heroes, discussing improvements and strategies.

"They have improved," a hero noted. "Especially Midoriya. He's learning to manage his borrowed quirks."

"Yes," Aizawa responded, "But they must remember their limitations. Midoriya's necromancy is potent, but he can only summon three heroes in seven hours."

Taking a deep breath, Midoriya charged at Bakugo once again. The difference in speed was evident, Bakugo barely having time to react. Yet Bakugo was instinctual, a sudden explosion pushing him away from Midoriya's approaching fist.

"Bakugo, above you!" Kirishima yelled. Bakugo looked up to see Uraraka, who had used her quirk to decrease her weight and elevate herself, now diving towards him with a large debris in tow. Bakugo shot another explosion skywards, the force sending Uraraka off course and making her debris harmlessly scatter.

Todoroki, meanwhile, had been alternating between his ice and fire, forcing Kirishima to change his defensive stance continually. A layer of frost began to form over Kirishima's rocky skin, slowing him down. Todoroki capitalized on this, launching a wave of fire. Kirishima roared, pushing through the heat with gritted teeth, his skin glowing from the temperature.

Tsuyu was in a deadlock with Uraraka, both nimble fighters dodging each other's moves. Tsuyu lashed out her tongue, but Uraraka's gravity manipulation kept her just out of reach. On the ground, Bakugo took the opportunity to charge at Tsuyu, a loud explosion marking his path.

The fighting was fierce, their quirks pushing the heroes to their very limits. Sweat trickled down their faces, breaths were heavy, and yet the spirit to continue remained unabated. They were growing, their quirks adapting, their minds strategizing. Each move, each countermove was a lesson, and they took it all in stride. The echo of their powers against each other filled the once silent room.

As Midoriya picked himself up, he noticed Bakugo diverting his attention towards Uraraka. Realizing the danger she was in, Midoriya rushed to her aid. The spirit of Ingenium pulsed within him, lending him the speed he needed.

As Bakugo readied his explosion, Midoriya dashed in front of Uraraka, raising an arm to shield her. Bakugo's instincts kicked in, and he quickly altered the direction of his attack, sending the explosion upwards instead. The shockwave was intense, and it sent both Midoriya and Uraraka spiraling away.

Meanwhile, Todoroki was still locked in his elemental battle with Kirishima. Todoroki conjured an enormous wave of fire, forcing Kirishima to bear through the extreme heat. His rocky skin glowed ominously, but Kirishima roared, showing his resolution to not back down.

Tsuyu, on the other hand, was in a grueling match of evasion against Uraraka. Her tongue lashed through the air, narrowly missing Uraraka, who was deftly maneuvering with her gravity-altering quirk.

With Bakugo's attention momentarily diverted, Uraraka saw her chance. She quickly touched a large piece of debris, rendering it weightless. With a firm push, she sent it hurtling towards Bakugo, who swiftly detonated an explosion to dissipate the incoming threat.

While Bakugo was occupied with the debris, Todoroki unleashed a barrage of ice shards towards him. Bakugo swiftly countered, sending a blanket of explosions that deflected the shards.