Endeavor's agency wasn't just a building—it was a damn monument. Towering flames etched into its frame, the scent of scorched metal and burnt wood hanging in the air like a threat, and the heat… thick, suffocating, like walking into a furnace wearing a winter coat.
The man himself stood dead center on the training floor—arms crossed, flames licking at his shoulders, his gaze sharp enough to carve granite. The second we stepped inside, his eyes locked onto me.
"Sasaki Kenjiro," he rumbled, voice all gravel and fire. "Explain yourself."
I raised an eyebrow. "What's there to explain?"
"You had over four thousand offers." The flames around him flared, as if fueled by his irritation. "Why mine?"
Todoroki shifted beside me, silent but alert. His eyes flicked between me and his father with the same wariness you'd show a ticking time bomb.
I grinned, letting a swirl of mochi coil around my palm before igniting it in a small, flickering blaze. "Two reasons. First—my Burning Mochi could use more... heat. Who better to learn from than the Flame Hero himself?"
Endeavor's eyes narrowed, but I caught it—the tiniest twitch at the corner of his mouth. Not quite a smile. More like the closest thing to not scowling the man could manage.
"And the second?"
"I want to see how a top-tier pro really operates," I said, shrugging. "Not just the flashy fights—strategy, logistics, public image, crisis response. The whole package."
Todoroki let out a quiet scoff. "At least he's honest."
Endeavor's glare snapped toward him, but he didn't say anything—just grunted.
"Fine. Then let's see if you can back up that confidence."
He stepped back. Flames erupted around him in a blazing spiral, the heat hitting like a wall.
"Spar with me. Both of you. Now."
I didn't wait.
"Mochi Boost."
My body surged forward, fist hardening mid-swing—only for Endeavor to vaporize it with a casual backhand. Fire scorched my skin, the shockwave blowing me off balance.
I twisted midair, mochi re-forming around my wrist as I lashed out with a whip, aiming for his legs.
He leapt over it—predictable—but Todoroki was already moving, sending a wall of ice crashing toward him.
"Pathetic," Endeavor snapped, melting the glacier with a flick of his hand—just in time for my Mochi Gatling to slam into his side. Hardened pellets pummeled him, forcing him to skid back.
"Hmph. Not bad."
Then he vanished in a blur of flame.
His fist connected with my gut—hard—but I let my mochi phase around the hit, absorbing most of the impact. Still, the force launched me into a support beam. I hit it with a grunt and slid to the ground, coughing up smoke but smiling like an idiot.
This is what I came for.
Todoroki wasn't faring much better. He switched between his left and right sides—ice to wall off space, fire to meet his father head-on. But Endeavor was ruthless. Every hesitation was punished. Every crack in his guard, exposed and struck.
Still, we pushed him.
I weaved through firestorms using Mochi Phase, skimming past pillars of heat like a ghost, while Todoroki forced him into awkward angles with timed attacks. For a brief moment, we had him on the back foot.
And then—he smirked.
"Enough."
A wall of fire erupted, searing the air. The training floor trembled beneath our feet. The heat was so intense my mochi started drying, cracking.
When the flames faded, Endeavor stood tall, arms folded, breathing steady.
"Good. You're not completely hopeless."
Todoroki wiped sweat from his brow, his left side still faintly smoldering. "...I still hate you."
"I don't care." Endeavor didn't even blink. "But you're finally using your fire. That's progress."
Then he turned to me, gaze like a blast furnace.
"You're faster than I expected. And that intangibility—annoying."
I grinned. "Appreciate the compliment."
"It wasn't."
We sparred for another hour. By the end, my arms were lead, my core throbbed, and I'd definitely inhaled too much smoke. Todoroki looked one sneeze away from a coma.
Endeavor? Looked like he'd just walked his dog.
"Burnin'."
The agency's sidekick poked her head into the room, grinning like it was her birthday. "Yeah, boss?"
"Show them to their rooms. Patrols start at dawn."
"Roger that!"
As Endeavor walked off, Todoroki finally let himself sag against the wall, arms dangling, breath shallow.
Burnin' whistled. "Damn, kid. You actually kept up with the big guy. Color me impressed."
I stretched, popping my shoulder. "Yeah, well. I wasn't going all out."
"Obviously," Todoroki muttered. "He's the guy who beat a Nomu."
Burnin' laughed, throwing an arm around both our shoulders. "Come on, newbies. Showers, food, bed. In that order."
She guided us down a long hallway, dim lights casting flickering shadows. I caught Todoroki staring blankly ahead.
"You okay?"
He didn't answer for a long moment. Then:
"I hate that he's right. About my fire."
I snorted. "Yeah. Parents suck like that."
For the first time since we got here, he almost smiled.
Burnin' stopped in front of two doors.
"Bunks are stocked. Don't stay up too late—boss hates tardiness." She winked and vanished down the hall.
Todoroki hesitated before turning to me. "...Good fight today."
"You too."
He disappeared into his room.
I flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling, letting the scent of scorched mochi and sweat cling to my skin.
Day one: complete.
And tomorrow?
Tomorrow, I start earning this power for real.