"Alright, boys and girls! Let's announce the results!"
Since Masata was the final student to complete the test, the strength assessment officially came to an end. After All Might and Cementoss finished tallying everyone's performance, All Might stepped forward and declared the results with his usual booming voice.
"First place—Masata! Well deserved!"
The shock Masata had caused earlier was undeniable. Even Cementoss, famous for his defensive power, had been unable to block that attack. Compared to him, the destructive output of the other students simply wasn't on the same level.
"Second place—Bakugo Katsuki!"
Bakugo's close-range explosion had been nothing short of eye-catching. Compared to the Sports Festival, the blast was more concentrated, more refined, and significantly more powerful.
"Third place—Midoriya Izuku!"
That result caught many people by surprise.
Midoriya had edged out Todoroki and Kirishima by a narrow margin, securing third place. When All Might read his name, a satisfied smile crossed his face.
"Tch… damn it."
Kirishima looked visibly frustrated. If he had pushed his Hardening even further—if he'd gone all the way—he was sure he could've destroyed more concrete and overtaken Bakugo.
Todoroki, on the other hand, showed little reaction. His goal had never been ranking. He was only testing a new concept, and judging by the results, he'd gotten what he wanted.
"Haaah—my grades might be bad, but somehow I feel way better now!"
Sero Hanta wiped the sweat from his forehead and spoke to Sato Rikido beside him.
Sato, whose Quirk Sugar Rush multiplied his strength for three minutes at the cost of mental clarity, was still feeling slightly dizzy. Even so, he nodded in agreement.
"That's weird! I spent the whole time running for my life! How is that relaxing at all?!"
Naturally, Mineta had to jump out and complain.
"Midoriya… third place…"
Bakugo stared at Midoriya, who was talking quietly with Iida. His expression darkened.
Just one year ago, that guy had been Quirkless—worthless in his eyes. And now? He was already catching up.
Give him a few more months… would Bakugo end up being stepped on instead?
Bakugo's abnormal silence didn't escape All Might's notice. But as a teacher still learning the ropes, he knew this wasn't something he could forcefully resolve. It would require the right opportunity.
Masata, meanwhile, was still riding the high of victory. After combining his techniques with elementalization, everything had changed—every move felt upgraded.
If this were an online game, elementalization would be a permanent buff. It raised Masata's base attack power, and since the strength of his techniques scaled directly with that stat, the result was a complete jump in combat level.
Watching Masata grin to himself, Yaoyorozu felt a headache coming on. Just this morning he'd been acting intimate, and now he was smiling to himself like an idiot. She genuinely didn't know what to do with him.
"Well then! Quiet down, everyone—class isn't over yet!"
Seeing the students getting noisy again, All Might pulled a booklet from his pocket and flipped a few pages.
"Now is not the time to rest! There's still a real game waiting for you!"
"That was just a test?"
"Whatever it is, bring it on! I won't hold back this time!"
"Smelly hair, I'll crush you!"
Instead of calming down, the class got even louder.
"Quiet down!"
Masata raised his voice, instinctively taking charge.
As class leader, his authority was undeniable. Combined with his strength, popularity, and straightforward personality, the class trusted him completely. One by one, the voices died down.
Even Bakugo only clicked his tongue and didn't argue.
Watching this, All Might felt strangely satisfied.
Looks like I'm still the top idol… right?
"Next, we're heading to another training ground for a large-scale melee!"
Without explaining further, All Might led everyone toward a nearby forest.
"Here's how it works," he continued once they arrived.
"You'll split into five teams of four and engage in a free-for-all battle in this forest! The team that remains standing until the very end wins!"
The rules were simple—and dangerous.
There were no restrictions on alliances, tactics, or approach. You didn't even need to fight directly. As long as your team survived until the end, you were the champion.
It was a test of strategy as much as strength.
"You have ten minutes to form teams!"
The moment the order was given, the students scattered, rushing to find teammates whose Quirks or personalities matched their own.
For some people, there weren't many options.
"Looks like we're still missing one member,"
Yaoyorozu said, frowning slightly as she surveyed her group.
At the very start, Masata had already been dragged over by Yaoyorozu and Uraraka.
Their logic was simple: with Masata's strength, how could they not keep him on their side?
"Hey! Masata! You guys need one more, right?!"
Mineta ran over on his short legs, waving desperately.
"No."
The rejection came instantly—from Yaoyorozu.
"What?! That's impossible! You only have three people!"
Mineta pointed at them, his face full of disbelief.
Masata crouched down and patted Mineta's head sympathetically.
"Well… you know why."
The truth was cruel but obvious. There probably wasn't a single girl in the class willing to team up with Mineta anymore. Too dangerous.
"Tsuyu-chan, want to join us?"
Yaoyorozu suddenly turned and invited Asui Tsuyu, pulling her close.
Asui, who hadn't decided on a team yet, nodded calmly.
"M-Ming… women are all evil!"
Mineta suffered a critical hit and fled in tears, running straight toward Kaminari for emotional support.
Soon, the teams were finalized:
Team One:
Igarashi Masata, Yaoyorozu Momo, Uraraka Ochaco, Asui Tsuyu
Team Two:
Midoriya Izuku, Iida Tenya, Ojiro Mashirao, Sato Rikido
Team Three:
Todoroki Shoto, Bakugo Katsuki, Kirishima Eijiro, Sero Hanta
Team Four:
Ashido Mina, Kurosawa Yoru, Jiro Kyoka, Aoyama Yuga
Team Five:
Kaminari Denki, Mineta Minoru, Shoji Mezo, Tokoyami Fumikage
The great melee was about to begin.