--Friday, July 3, 2172
"Even if the environment and the enemy opponent change, everyone has a maximum of 30 minutes for their respective exams, and your objective will be to handcuff the teacher or allow at least one to escape from the area."
After his shocking announcement about Kai and Momo's opponents, Nezu pulled out a pair of handcuffs to show the young students and explained calmly. Kaminari couldn't help but comment in a somewhat reflective tone.
"Sounds like combat training…"
"Can we really just run away?" Mina quickly raised her hand and asked. Nezu lifted his right thumb and nodded.
"Yes! Everyone except Kai-kun and Yaoyorozu-kun can escape, and it'll be considered a pass!"
As the other students turned to look at the carefree Kai and Momo, who stood straighter with a serious expression, Present Mic added in his typical energetic, rockstar style.
"Though this will be different from regular training. This time, you're up against someone muuuuuch stronger!"
"Stronger…? I don't see it…" Jiro couldn't help but comment, sounding a bit skeptical. Offended, Present Mic quickly snapped back.
"Idiot, shut your mouth!!"
"This time, your exam will be similar to a real battle." Thirteen, now fully recovered and wearing her astronaut suit, added while raising one of her fingers. "Think of us as actual villains."
"We'll be testing your decision-making!" All Might announced in a powerful voice as he looked at the students, soon adding.
"Though with these rules, you might think the best option is just to run, right? That's why we asked Kai-shonen to design this…"
As he spoke, All Might placed his hands on his waist and pulled out what looked like a bracelet about the thickness of a watch, announcing in a strange voice, almost mimicking a certain future cat.
"Ultra-compressed weights!!"
Upon seeing the weights, the group that trained with Kai couldn't help but tremble a bit, as they already knew about them. In fact, some of them had used them, and though they were slightly different from the ones Kai had in his gym, the design was close enough to confirm they were made by the same person.
"With these weights, we'll be carrying half of our body weight! Yes, a handicap!" All Might explained as he attached four weights to each ankle and wrist, then looked at the calm Kai and commented with a slightly amused smile.
"Of course, Kai-shonen and Yaoyorozu-shoujo won't be enjoying that advantage!"
"You're underestimating us!" Bakugo immediately shouted, indignant. All Might looked at him with a somewhat serious expression and replied in a deep voice.
"Are you sure?"
As Bakugo took a step back, feeling an odd pressure from the Symbol of Peace, Aizawa announced in a calm tone.
"Well, each team will take their exam on the prepared stage. Those waiting for their turn can watch or brainstorm strategies with their team. That's all!"
Soon, the group of teachers began walking together, causing some students to gulp. Though for some of the guys, it was hard to tell if it was due to the exam or the sensual rear view of the country's most beautiful pro hero, Midnight.
Before long, the students split into teams to discuss strategies, while Bakugo went off on his own, and Yuga Aoyama started staring at himself in a mirror as if he were looking at the most beautiful thing in the world. Meanwhile, Kai and Momo began walking toward the observation area, soon followed by Midoriya and Uraraka, who were left alone.
"Saito-kun… I didn't think you'd be interested in watching others' fights." Midoriya said midway, looking at Kai, who turned to him and replied with a calm smile.
"Of course I'm interested. As you well know, I hate wasting time, so I need to properly evaluate the 'assets' I'm investing in, don't I?"
"I see…"
Midoriya couldn't help but shiver a little and nod while making a silent vow in his heart to do his absolute best in the exam. Though his strength and ability to control One For All had increased extraordinarily during the brutal training he endured for embarrassing Kai, he really didn't want to experience it again anytime soon.
…
"Long time no see, kid."
In the observation room, Recovery Girl, seated in the main chair, turned to look at the entering group and greeted them with a smile while looking at Kai. The blue-eyed young man nodded and replied casually.
"It hasn't even been a month."
"Hehe, that's true. My memory slips with age." Recovery Girl replied amusedly, recalling that she had visited the boy's house when All Might regained his powers, leading her to comment with visible gratitude.
"Really, thank you for that. You did us a huge favor."
"It was a trade. Besides, I was paid well, so stop mentioning it." Kai shrugged and replied casually, while a smile full of pure pride and love appeared on Momo's face. Recovery Girl responded with a small smile on her aged face.
"What you did isn't something money can buy… but fine, I'll stop bringing it up."
Kai nodded casually and focused his gaze on the screens, while Uraraka looked around a bit confused, not understanding what they were talking about. But seeing the expressions on Momo and Midoriya's faces, the young girl quickly realized she was the only one in the room who didn't know what they were referring to. Though from Midoriya's expression, it was clear Kai had done something that even Midoriya was deeply grateful for.
[Eijiro Kirishima & Rikido Sato, practical exam… Ready, go!]
Soon, the robotic announcement signaling the start of the exam echoed in the room, at which point Kai pulled out his phone from his pocket and opened an app he had developed himself. This sight made Uraraka and Midoriya swallow hard, while Momo clung tighter to Kai's arm, pressing her elbow into his broad chest, her gaze fixed on the screens.
On the screen, Rikido Sato, a taller, muscular young man dressed in a yellow bodysuit that covered up to his head, ran alongside Kirishima down an empty road. At that moment, Kirishima turned to look at his teammate and commented in a relaxed voice.
"We'd probably get a better grade if we captured the teacher instead of running, right?"
"I think so too." Sato nodded and turned to look ahead, but just at that instant, the ground beneath them rose.
With agility, Kirishima leaped back and slid across the road, managing to dodge the attack along with Sato, before looking ahead. In the middle of the road stood a solid concrete wall blocking their path. Quickly, Sato reached into one of the pockets on his belt, while Kirishima hardened himself and commented in a determined voice.
"Cementoss-sensei moves slowly… Let's break through head-on for that good grade!"
"Yeah!!" Sato replied loudly, then brought a vial full of sugar to his mouth, pouring its entire contents down.
Sato's muscles quickly bulged and became more defined, at which point he took off running at high speed alongside Kirishima. At the rear, the human concrete block, the pro hero Cementoss, couldn't help but sigh and comment with a hint of disappointment as he began manipulating the concrete to create barriers.
"So they're coming straight at me…"
Displaying their super strength, Kirishima and Sato began advancing, destroying every barrier in their path. But not long after, Kirishima couldn't help but comment with some concern as he smashed through another barrier.
"No matter how many we break, more keep coming! This is endless!!"
…
"At this rate, they're going to lose…"
In the observation room, Midoriya couldn't help but comment in a worried voice while Uraraka cheered beside him. A bit confused, Uraraka turned to look at Midoriya, at which point Momo commented in a calm voice.
"Midoriya-san is right. At this rate, they'll run out of energy before they even reach Cementoss-sensei. Especially Sato-san; he shouldn't have much time left on his 'boost.'"
Uraraka turned to look at Momo, noticing how Kai was jotting something down on his phone with a flat expression.
…
"We can't keep going like this! I'm pushing ahead! Sato, get ready to capture the teacher!"
Finding themselves in trouble, Kirishima shouted loudly and soon planted himself firmly on the ground, hardening his legs to the max and crossing his arms in front of his head. With a serious voice, Kirishima announced loudly and shot forward like a bullet.
"Iron Juggernaut!"
Like an unstoppable spear, Kirishima pierced through the concrete layers as if they were paper, causing Cementoss's eyes to widen in surprise. But before a smile could form on Kirishima's face, a concrete fist formed right beneath him, sending him flying into the air.
But as he soared, Kirishima twisted in midair and hurled a rock he had hidden in his fist at high speed toward the teacher, catching him off guard. As Cementoss jumped to the side to dodge, Sato, who had been running behind Kirishima, leaped toward Cementoss with his right fist ready to land a punch while shouting loudly.
"Ahhh!!!"
Upon hitting the ground, Cementoss quickly crouched to touch the ground, and a wall formed between him and Sato, which was shattered by Sato's punch. But to the young man's surprise, behind the wall was nothing but a sort of concrete pillar. On top of a concrete pillar extending backward, Cementoss looked at the pair of young men with visible surprise on his face.
"This isn't over. Iron Juggernaut!"
Hearing Kirishima's voice, Cementoss looked up, only to find the young man soaring toward him at high speed. Perhaps because there was nothing stopping him this time, his speed multiplied several times over. With very little time to react, Cementoss focused on extending the concrete pillar to escape, but at that moment, Kirishima twisted in the air and shouted.
"I was saving this, but whatever. Diamond Edge!"
Taking advantage of his spin, Kirishima extended his right arm, hardened to the extreme, to the point it became a sort of sharp diamond. Thanks to the speed of his charge and the sharpness of his arm, Kirishima managed to slice through Cementoss's pillar in a single strike, causing the teacher to lose his support and continue moving through the air due to inertia.
Landing with relative ease, Kirishima quickly reverted his right arm to normal and immediately dug his hardened claws into the pillar. Then, using the momentum of his charge and spin, he spun and hurled the pillar at the teacher. At that moment, Kirishima shouted loudly.
"Sato, jump toward me!"
Meanwhile, Cementoss, now visibly shaken, quickly extended his right arm, barely managing to graze the concrete wall of a building, which deformed and shot toward the pillar that had shattered from the force. It was heading toward him like a rain of debris.
Using the concrete to make contact with the debris, Cementoss managed to control it while moving part of it toward the ground to slow himself down and return to the ground.
But at that moment, the teacher saw Sato leaping over Kirishima's arms, who made another charge but this time used himself as a boost for Sato. Saito, using all the strength in his legs, leaped and approached like a yellow bullet toward him.
"Impressive."
The teacher sincerely complimented them while activating his quirk to create layer after layer of barriers at an incredible speed. His ability to manipulate concrete was so fast that he had once managed to create a barrier to contain an explosion just before it expanded.
Due to the speed, Sato managed to break through several barriers with ease, but soon his momentum waned. He ended up crashing into the last barrier without breaking through, at which point he fell to the ground with his head spinning and commented in a strange voice.
"I'm sleepy… I'm tired…"
"It's not over yet!!" Meanwhile, Kirishima tried throwing more debris, then charged at the teacher, but ended up facing an endless wall of concrete that didn't let him advance much.
…
"Looks like you'll have a buddy to talk about your experiences with in the future, Midoriya…"
In the observation room, Kai commented with a hint of irritation while typing on his phone, which inevitably made the green-haired boy and Uraraka laugh with a touch of nervousness, the latter feeling the pressure to pass increase significantly.
"Show a little mercy, Kai. Kirishima-san tried hard; it's just that his compatibility with Cementoss-sensei is terrible." Momo commented with a smile while pressing Kai's arm against her chest. Kai replied in a critical tone.
"And the idiot never realized it and tried to capture him instead of running. He deserves it."
"Fufu, leaving that aside, how do you think our exam will go?" Knowing Kai was right, Momo changed the topic with a smile. Kai looked at the screen showing Nezu and commented casually.
"I don't know, but it'll definitely involve more than just capturing the teachers, since they already told us we won't have an advantage and can't run. I'm sure Nezu will come up with something pretty twisted."
…
[Eijiro Kirishima & Rikido Sato are eliminated due to being out of combat.]
***
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