"The other people in class aren't coming," Todoroki commented. "Was it too hard with their Quirks known?"
Miyuki shook her head. "Ryuki's checked on their situations. They've all gotten out of the worst of yet, however, they've yet to actually fulfill getting the last marker on a person. Yaoyorozu's group should be coming through soon."
Just as she said, Yaoyorozu with Jiro, Asui, and Shoji entered through the doors.
"Todoroki-san, Watanabe-chan, you passed!" Yaoyorozu greeted.
"Didn't expect any less," Asui added.
Miyuki gazed up and down at Asui. "Are you okay? Ryuki relayed the situation. No lasting damage? Anything hurt?"
Asui smiled. "Nothing at all Class Rep."
"What about the others?" Jiro asked.
Miyuki shook her head. "They're all alright according to Ryuki, but they still haven't gotten someone's third marker."
"Thirty people left," Jiro whispered.
"I hope everyone can pass," Asui nodded.
"Everyone, I'm so glad you are all safe! I was so worried," Yaoyorozu exclaimed as Midoriya's and Bakugo's group came through the door.
"Yaomomo, we're safe, we're safe," Kaminari waved. "Man, you guys were fast."
"We also just arrived," Shoji shook his head. "Todoroki and Watanabe were the fastest."
"I thought Bakugo would definitely also be here already, but I see, it was because you were with him, Kaminari," Jiro said.
Miyuki smiled. "It's a good thing you guys got your markers when you did. You were cutting it close according to Ryuki."
"Tch," Bakugo scowled.
"That makes eleven from Class A, huh?" Todoroki added.
Miyuki nodded, her smile remaining. "Ryuki's telling me not to worry, that the situation is in our favor."
"And zero! One hundred people! All the spots just filled up! The end! Whoo-hoo!" the broadcaster, Yokumiru Mera, announced.
"Alright!" Kirishima and Kaminari cheered.
"Everyone in U.A. passed the first test!" Uraraka shouted.
"Amazing! This is amazing!" Sero exclaimed.
Asui smiled happily. "Kero kero."
Aizawa scowled, his arms crossed. "Jeez, you all made me nervous. Once we get back, you'll have to train more."
Ms. Joke guffawed. "You're happy, aren't you? Act it!"
"I'm mad," Aizawa bluntly replied.
"Your legs look like they're bouncing happily," Ms. Joke bantered back.
"No, they aren't."
Yokumiru stood in front of the 100 examinees and allowed the TV to display the next field. "Well for all hundred of you who passed the first test, please watch this. The next test will be the last one. We will have you all perform rescue exercises as bystanders in this disaster site. We will assume that those of you who have passed the first test have received your provisional licenses and test how well you can carry out suitable rescue procedures."
"There are people," Shoji commented,
"They are people who have undergone training to be professional people-in-need-of-rescue and are in high demand right now — the 'Help Us Company,' or 'H.U.C.' for short! The people from H.U.C. have dressed up as injured victims and are on standby throughout the disaster site. We will now have you all carry out their rescue. In addition, we will score your rescue based on points and if you have more points than the benchmark at the end of the exercises, then you pass. We will start in ten minutes, so please use the restroom and take care of any other necessary business right now," Yokumiru finished.
Miyuki stared at the destruction on the TV. It . . . It looked like Kamino Ward. She shivered as she remembered that cold glint in the man's eye and the helplessness and fear and . . . She took a deep breath. She turned to her classmates. "Ryuki and Saiki still have a lot of time left. Ryuki will be acting as our go-between again. If anyone needs help or an extra hand, feel free to ask through him."
An alarm rang through the building.
"Villains have begun a large-scale terrorist attack! This is occurring in all areas of 'City Name Here.' Due to buildings collapsing, there are many injured. Due to heavily damaged roads, the first group of rescue workers have been delayed! Until they arrive, the heroes in the area will lead the rescue efforts. Save as many lives as you can. Well then, start!" Yokumiru explained.
"Ryuki, search for any buried thoughts amongst the rubble; the closer the better. Saiki, begin removing nearby rubble, especially those that look close to falling and causing further damage, and placing them in secure areas that won't cause more harm," Miyuki commanded.
"Ms. Joke's class has set up a nearby nursing station for any critical injuries," Ryuki alerted after pointing out the nearest buried form. "Most of those we find may end up going there. They've set it up close to the point we were released from, so it's known to all the examinees."
"I'll summon Nimbus to provide transport for any critically injured we find," Miyuki nodded. She quickly adjusted the rubble and let Saiki lift it up and move it away from the survivor. "Hello, I am part of the rescue team dispatched. Are you critically injured? In pain?"
"No, the rubble fell in a way that didn't crush me at all. I was just worried about it actually falling on me," the survivor stated.
Miyuki smiled. "Great." She helped the person up, ensuring they had no pain that hadn't been blinded by the adrenaline and fear. She quickly took out her notepad and wrote "Nimbus" and "O-bon" onto two sheets of paper that she placed between her lips to blow through.
Nimbus was a detailed sketch that was a yellow cloud tinted orange with streaks of white — sentient and capable of carrying people. Of course, the original condition was that someone had to be pure of heart to ride it, but Miyuki couldn't have that condition in place with having Minoru as a childhood friend, so it simply obeyed who Miyuki let ride it.
O-bon was a detailed character she created, though one without a profile. It, essentially, was a lantern that was capable of multiplying itself and hovering in the air. She meant it as a guiding figure and a nightlight when she was scared of the dark as a child. It would come in handy here.
"Nimbus, I need you to help carry anyone who claims to be critically injured. O-bon will light the way for you as to where to travel to and where to find me. O-bon, I need you to work with Ryuki to locate the nursing station as well as myself. Keep the path lit with lanterns along the way; all heroes should be aware of where to go to carry injured survivors," Miyuki planned.
Aizawa ruffled his hair, a blank expression on his face. "When it comes to saving lives, experience really makes a difference." He glanced at the lanterns that were lighting the way to Ms. Joke's class's nursing station and hid a rueful grin. The cloud flying between it, carrying several passengers only made it that much harder to hide it. "Although, it seems the lack of it doesn't stop some people from knowing what to do."
"Everyone seems to be doing well, thanks to their training," Yokumiru commented, gazing at the screen of camera views. "However, naturally, this won't be that straightforward." A faint beeping came from his headset that he quickly picked up.
"How's it going?"
"During their initial response, well . . . there were many who acted incompetently, but even so, the points taken off by the members of H.U.C. were less than I expected. I think in general, everything is going okay," Yokumiru reported.
"Hero candidates at the scene should continue their rescue efforts while also suppressing the villains," Yokumiru announced.
Miyuki gaped. "What?" She quickly turned to Ryuki. "Ryuki, open a terminal to all people on the field. Report where the villains are, any citizens in danger from villain attacks, and so forth until further notice. Saiki, you can distantly hear thoughts, so I'll be relying on you to pick up Ryuki's work. Focus on this, I will focus on going onto the combat team and helping to prevent the villains from impeding rescue. Ryuki, follow me. I might end up needing your Quirk cancellation skills."
"Ah, ah," Ryuki began after opening the communication terminal. "Hello fellow examinees. I speak on behalf of U.A. and will be reporting where the villains' locations are and nearby citizens in danger of their approach. To begin with, if you haven't noticed, the lanterns are lighting the way to the nursing station in the Southern portion of the field. The explosion and the villains are entering from that same side. This means that many civilians who are critically injured are needing to be evacuated immediately. A large batch of heroes are needed to escort the civilians there away. Alongside them should go the combat-active heroes who are willing to ensure the villains don't get in the way of the rescue. The lanterns will re-direct you to a new safe-zone, but immediate help is needed to rescue the endangered citizens."
"What is this?" Inasa blinked, baffled by the change of events.
"Isn't this the voice of that blue-haired dude with U.A.?" Shindo asked, turning to his classmates. "He's telepathic? Wait no, is he even an examinee?"
"Bakugo," Miyuki called through the terminal, "you are not to engage in open combat. Your Quirk is too volatile in this situation with falling debris and rubble. You are to remain on the rescue team until all citizens in the Northern area have been rescued. Once that's happened, you can run wild. Midoriya, I ask you to move into the combat team. Although your Quirk is helpful, you are much more precise and well-suited for close combat with villains that will enable you to help the combat team. These are my two specific ideas and notations. Any arguments can be settled amongst yourselves. You don't even need to listen to me. But I expect that all of you will prioritize the rescue operation before you prioritize taking down the villain."
"Of course, Class Rep!" 1-A echoed (with an exception of Bakugo who just scowled and Iida who nodded in agreement).
"She's got them in the palm of her hands: hook, line, and sinker," Ms. Joke whistled.
Aizawa refrained from rolling his eyes. "She's not the most flashy hero unlike Bakugo or Todoroki. She also is not the most combat ready personally. However, she is the most versatile and methodical. An operation like this, no matter how nuanced and difficult, is best suited for her Quirk and mind."
"Watanabe Miyuki, right? She was third place in the Sports Festival and one of the students of the Kamino Incident," Ms. Joke confirmed.
Aizawa grunted.
"Not what I expected. She's more authoritative than I thought," Ms. Joke commented. "Impressive."
"For this second test, everyone starts off with a certain number of points," Yokumiru murmured, "and then they're graded based on how many they lose. H.U.C. evaluates whether or not they are acting properly in their rescue, and besides that. For example, whether or not you've put yourself in a position to best use your own Quirk, looking at the big picture comprised of the scoring manual and the examinee's data, there are one hundred employees of the Public Safety Commission scoring each person individually. Examinees fail when their total score falls below fifty points. Please do your best to make the right decisions."
Miyuki grimaced as she rode Nimbus towards the nursing center, Ryuki beside her. Saiki was left behind to help the remaining survivors, especially those in the Northern portion of the field who had yet to be reached by heroes. She almost wanted to facepalm as she came upon the scene of Inasa and Todoroki bickering in front of Gang Orca (the villain) and his assistants.
"Ryuki, cancel their Quirks, now. Nimbus, catch Yoarashi when he falls," Miyuki relayed. She jumped off the cloud and spun in the air, letting gravity force her down. "Normal Punch!" She leaned forward as she landed, just barely nicking Gang Orca who dodged and moved back to evade the rising earth that came from the shockwave of her landing. She scowled and quickly enacted Barrier once more, this time, keeping the villains locked within the space with them for a few minutes rather than blocking something out.
With this done, she turned to the two boys, stumbling at the sudden Quirk loss. "You fucking idiots! There are citizens to evacuate and villains to stop, and you're over here bickering with each other! What kind of heroes are you?" She glanced at the "villain" and scowled. "Ryuki! I need you to focus the cancellation on the villain! You two! If you bicker even once, I will make sure you regret it for the rest of your careers." She sent Nimbus off to help evacuate the rest of the citizens and swiped a hand through her sweaty hair. She was glad she cut it short.
"Hoh, what's this?" Gang Orca responded.
"Quick cancellation?" Ms. Joke gaped.
Aizawa's eyes were also wide. Although they had spoke that it would be possible, to actually see it, especially on Ryuki who he thought was simply telepathic, was surprising.
Miyuki launched forward. She had little hope to actually be able to match Gang Orca with close combat, but she had an advantage with Saitama's strength and Gang Orca's lack of Quirk. "Ryuki! What are the survivor numbers looking like?"
'She's still keeping track of the rest of the field in a situation like this?' Todoroki thought.
"Almost completely evacuated, Master," Ryuki responded. "Saiki is on his way now, and Nimbus is currently delivering three critically injured civilians. Midoriya has dropped off Shindo and is on his way back now. Ojiro and others of Shiketsu and 1-A are returning on site to help with the villains as well."
Miyuki smiled. "The situation is looking up." She grinned as Midoriya joined the battle, backing away to catch some air herself. She was not fit enough for this, even with Saitama's strength augmentation.
A sudden alarm rang through the field.
"Um, at this moment," Yokumiru interjected, "all the H.U.C. who were deployed have been rescued from the danger zone. It may seem arbitrary, but with this, all the provisional licensing exam procedures have been completed. After we tally the scores, wee will announce the results here. Those who were injured should go to the infirmary. The rest of you should change and then stand by."
Miyuki breathed a sigh of relief. Summoning Nimbus and then O-bon without taking a break to start rescuing people had really taken a lot of her strength. Her knees wobbled, and she fell to the ground panting with exhaustion.
"Master!" Ryuki yelled.
Smiling, Miyuki pat his shoulder as he leaned down to grab her. "You did a good job today. Thanks, Ryuki."
"It was all Master's work," Ryuki responded quickly.
Miyuki weakly laughed as Saiki appeared along with Nimbus who shrunk and curled into her chest. She dismissed O-bon, giving a friendly wave to the spirit before letting her head relax on Ryuki's shoulder. "It's finally over."
"Okay, everyone . . . Thanks for all your hard work. Now, I will announce the results, but before that, I will tell you about the scoring system. Between those of us at the Heroes Public Safety Commission and H.U.C., we had a two-fold demerit system we used while watching you. In other words, we were evaluating you on how few mistakes you made in a crisis situation. Anyway, the names of those who passed are listed in syllabary order. Please check the list keeping those words in mind," Yokumiru stated.
Miyuki breathed a sigh of relief at her name on the board.
"How could you not pass?" Ashido cheekily grinned. "You're one of our top students! Of course you'd pass."
"Um, next we will pass out your results," Yokumiru said. "They will have a breakdown of your scores, so please look over them carefully. The cutoff score was 50 points. We scored based on a demerit system. You can see how many points were taken off for which actions all I listed out on the printouts."
Miyuki blinked down at her own sheet and the 99 others around her. 'Wow, that is a lot.'
"61 points . . . I barely passed," Ojiro sweat dropped.
"I got 84! Look, isn't it amazing?" Sero exclaimed. "I'm kind of good at this, huh?"
"Wait, Yaomomo, you got 94 points?!" Jiro proclaimed.
"I got 80 points," Iida smiled proudly. "Overall, I think I had trouble with practical application. What about you, Midoriya?"
"I got 71 points," Midoriya answered. "I didn't lose points for my actions, but mostly for my conduct before I acted and for standing around and stuff."
"I'm thankful that they tell us what we need to improve on!" Iida cheered.
"Watanabe-chan, what score did you get?" Asui asked, curious on how she did, especially with all the guiding lights and transporting cloud.
"99 points," Miyuki confessed.
"Eh? 99 points?!" Hagakure gaped.
Miyuki nodded. "They contributed the actions of my summons, so it makes sense that my points are higher as well. I got subtracted a point for saying a cuss at Todoroki-san and Yoarashi-san."
"Watanabe-chan, you swore!?" Uraraka gasped.
Sheepishly nodding, Miyuki explained, "I was a bit heated in the moment, and it just came out. Maybe I've been hanging out with Bakugo too often."
"With them counting your summons, you'd actually expect them to subtract points since you're working as multiple people," Yaomomo refuted. "The fact that all of your summons and yourself worked together and still got 99 points is amazing, Watanabe!"
Miyuki smiled. "Thank you."
"Um, for those of you who passed, from now on, during emergency situations only, you may exercise authority the same as that of pro heroes. In other words, fighting villains, saving people from criminal acts or accidents — you may act on your own judgement in these cases without the direction of a hero," Yokumiru pronounced. "However, this means that each and every one of your actions carries with it a responsibility toward society. I'm sure you all know that the great hero, All Might, has used up all of his power. His existence played a large part in suppressing crime. With that deterrent gone, impudent people will definitely appear. The balance will be destroyed, and as the world changes greatly, you young people will someday become the center of society."
Miyuki grimaced. 'I understand what you're saying, but to still generalize all criminals as "impudent people" and to call these upcoming heroes as the "center of society", no matter how true it may be, creates a rather disturbing image. It loses itself in its generalities and loses focus on individuals and the circumstances around them that encourage people to say things and act in a certain way.'
Yokumiru continued, "Next, you all must become exemplar heroes and become great enough to suppress crime yourselves. This time, all you have received is your provisional license to perform hero activities. I would like you to think of yourselves as fledglings and be even more diligent in your studies at your respective schools. And for those of you who did not pass — there is no time for you to feel dejected that you didn't have enough points. There is still a chance left for you all. After you attend a three-month-long special course and pass an individual test, we plan to issue a provisional license to you all as well. In order to deal with this 'future' that I just spoke of, we need as many good heroes as we can get. The first test was to weed people out, but we would like to grow the hundred selected in that test as much as possible. That is why we watched all of you until the end. As a result, we saw that it wasn't that you didn't have promise. Rather, once your inadequacies are corrected, all of you have the potential to be even greater than those who passed. I think it will keep you pretty busy doing this concurrently with your studies, and you may also choose to retake the exam in April instead."
'Is it just me or does this . . . kind of sound like the villain rehabilitation under the Hero Commission? We'll train you up so that you become the best you can be, ensure that you create a better and more balanced society, and give you this chance to be seen as special and capable of changing the world. As nice as it sounds, it also just sounds like propaganda,' Miyuki looked away.