Welcome back to "Through the Rough"! We're about to wrap up the first half of the Provisional License Exam Arc adaptation as our heroes are close to getting through the preliminary trial to determine who's eligible to take the exam itself!
Izuku, Rebecca and Katsuki have had to deal with other challenges in the form of Orc, Britney, and Mora respectively. Now that they've got the momentum, it's only a matter of time until they pass the preliminary into the real deal in terms of the exam! But in the meantime, how's everyone else been doing?
Well, let's find out!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
"Magimech Attack…" Shiki started to bellow as he had a couple of his balls hovering gravitationally in front of his right fist, "Gravity Cannon!" he yelled, firing them off. They bounced around, hitting the targets of several other examinees as they flashed red. Watching from behind, Ochaco and Momo's eyes sparkled with amazement. The Satan Gravity Quirk user was really proving his mettle in this preliminary test.
"And that's another three examinees who've cleared…" Yokumiru tiredly noted. Shiki looked at his own targets, seeing them flash blue to indicate that he passed.
"Awesome!" he exclaimed.
"Well done, Shiki!" Momo complimented.
"Yeah, that was great!" Ochaco agreed with two thumbs up.
"Ah, but I should've left a few for you guys…" he realized, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "Sorry…" he apologized.
"It's alright," the Creation Quirk user assured, holding up her hands in a placating manner, "Why don't you go ahead and get to the exam center?" she advised.
"We'll get our two takedowns ourselves and meet you there!" Ochaco promised.
"Okay, see you later!" Shiki called out before flying off. The Zero Gravity Quirk user waved goodbye, but then lowered her head and frowned.
"Hey… Yaoyorozu?" she said, getting the class deputy's attention, "Do you think… we're relying on Shiki too much?" she inquired. The Creation Quirk user blinked in surprise before looking off to the side with a guilty expression.
"Honestly, I do feel as if I haven't done enough in return for all that he's done…" she admitted, "Granted, he's the grandson of one of the greatest heroes of Japan, so of course he's incredibly strong…" she pointed out.
"Yeah…" Ochaco agreed, "He really wants to protect his friends no matter what…" she noted, "It's why he felt so bad about failing to stop Shura back when the League attacked, right?" she assumed. Momo nodded.
"It's obvious that both of us have some form of affection for him," she said, causing the Zero Gravity Quirk user to yelp in surprise as she blushed a bright red, "But we need to push those feelings aside and do our best in this exam," she insisted firmly, "That's the only we can become heroes as great as he'll be," she affirmed with a smile.
"…Right," Ochaco responded with a nod, hurrying off alongside the class deputy to get the requirements they needed to clear the preliminary test.
OPENING
Insert "New Genesis" by Ado
Opens with Rebecca dressed in her hero costume, with her hair now in pigtails as she looks toward the dawning sky. The wind waves through her hair before she looks back and smiles to see the rest of Class 1-A, with her boyfriend standing at the front as he smiles. The title logo comes on screen.
As the music picks up, we get shots of each member of Class 1-A in training, thinking about their battles in the U.S.J., the Sports Festival, the hero killer attack in Hosu, the Müller raid in Shibuya, the final exams of the first semester, the forest training camp attack, and the incident in Camino. Everyone's motivating each other as they prepare to enter the next phase in order to become heroes. They all stand outside an exam center together, having determined looks on their faces.
There are several scenes of Homura drawing her energy blades to block off rubber balls being sent towards her, Denki, and Momo, Minoru unleashing a barrage of his sticky balls to trap opponents, and Fumikage releasing Dark Shadow as it covers him like armor. We see Weisz equip his Arsenal armor as he speeds past everyone alongside Tenya and Izuku. However, they're brought to a halt as the wind picks up around them.
They look to see that it's courtesy of Inasa Yoarashi, whose grin is wide until he spots Shoto through the crowd, making him glare with contempt. Other Shiketsu students are on the scene, including the likes of Milani Lucra, Nasseh Saimin, Lyra Dekki, and Callum Steelford. There's also students from Ketsubutsu Academy, which also includes the likes of Orc, Mora, and Britney.
We watch as Rebecca finds herself forced into battle against Britney, running around from her smoky form while using her new pulse blasters to try and throw her off. Orc confronts Izuku, while Mora locates Katsuki. The three U.A. students fight on with all their effort.
Meanwhile, Shiki has his green markings expand as he flies across a ruined battlefield to confront Gang Orca, who blows him back with a sonic blast. Ochaco catches him in midair, followed by Kyoka plugging her earphone jacks into her amps to unleash a soundwave that tears through the ground. Mashirao and Tsuyu join in the fray, taking care of Orca's minions in the exercise.
During his ordeals, Katsuki starts thinking about what had happened with All Might back in Camino. He looks toward Izuku, who is running beside him, and then at Rebecca. He brushes his thoughts off for the moment, continuing onward.
We get a shot of Nero in his office with Ijuna, the League of Villains hiding out in a warehouse, Overhaul and the Shie Hassaikai looking over a car fire, Kris finding the likes of Rogue Out, and Laguna meeting with the imposing figure of Goodwin. The song winds down as Rebecca brushes her back and smiles toward the horizon with her boyfriend. Their classmates all stand behind them, ready to become heroes.
END OPENING
After having to deal with one of the Shiketsu students, who managed to hit one of his targets in the wake of his victory over Bakufu, Izuku met up with Homura and Hanta, teaming up with them to gather their remaining takedowns. Rebecca joined forces with Kyoka and Mezo, sneaking around to hit other examinees' targets themselves. Katsuki had stuck with Eijiro and Denki, getting their takedowns as well. The nine students arrived at the exam center, exchanging pleasantries.
"So you passed too, huh?" the Explosion Quirk user noted to his rival, getting his attention, "Well, I guess it's to be expected with the power you have…" he remarked, much to the One For All inheritor's shock as his eyes widened, not expecting a semblance of a compliment, "It looks like… you've made that borrowed power your own," he pointed out. The freckled teen felt the whole world stop. Something about the way Katsuki had said that was… unnerving.
"Hey, Izu," Rebecca chimed in, snapping him away from his thoughts, "You doing okay?" she inquired of him sweetly.
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," he assured with a stutter, sharing a hug with his girlfriend, "What about you?" he asked, "Looks like you got put through the wringer…" he mentioned upon noticing the scrapes along the Cat Leaper Quirk user's body.
"Yeah…" she admitted in response, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head, "Someone from Ketsubutsu ambushed me, but I handled her okay," she told him.
"Same thing happened to me," he pointed out to her shock, "The guy's Quirk let him remodel his metal arm into whatever he needed it to…" he explained, closing his right hand into a fist, "He was really strong…" he added.
"Well, sounds like you won either way," Kyoka noted, chiming into the conversation, "Come on," she beckoned to the couple, "We should get some R-and-R before the real thing gets started," she advised. Izuku and Rebecca nodded, following her and their other classmates inside. Homura was the first to enter, taking notice of Shoto sitting at one of the benches. She smiled, heading over to him.
"So you passed first in our class," she said, getting his attention, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised…" she admitted with a shrug.
"Yeah, but…" the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user started to reply, looking over to see Inasa chatting away with everyone else in the area, "it was him who took down all those examinees at once," he pointed out.
"I see…" Homura uttered, narrowing her eyes slightly.
'So that man is the one who scored the highest amongst the recommended students at UA, but decided not to attend…' she noted to herself, looking over at Inasa curiously.
"He has such broad shoulders…" she said aloud.
"Huh?" Shoto uttered in confusion.
"Eep!" Homura yelped, covering her mouth with her hands, "Confound my loose lips!" she exclaimed quietly. Inasa looked over at the pair, more specifically the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user. He gave off a glare, only to have his shoulder get patted, catching his attention. He looked over to see Callum there.
"Stay focused," he advised of his junior, "I know you're not exactly a fan of Todoroki, especially given that he's Endeavor's son," he pointed out, "But that shouldn't be something that gives you the right to look down on him," he mentioned seriously. His costume consisted of metallic shoulder pads, bracers, knee guards, and shoes, while he wore black pants underneath a turquoise cloth and bandages wrapped up from his waist to his pectorals. He also had metal rings around his thighs and crossed metal straps over his shoulders. Inasa huffed.
"Fine, Steelford…" he grumbled as he stomped off without another word. Shoto and Homura watched on. For someone they saw as so upbeat, his attitude sure changed in a split-second…
"So those Ketsubutsu guys got you too, huh?" Eijiro assumed as he chewed on a meat bun.
"Yeah," Rebecca confirmed as a reply in between bites of her own food, "Weird thing is, they didn't even try to throw their balls to hit our targets…" she mentioned.
"Same thing happened with Bakugo…" Denki recalled, glancing over to the Explosion Quirk user as he was using a device to remove the targets from his person, "The guy he fought didn't even bother to grab a ball or two…" he pointed out.
"Maybe it's just a weird coincidence?" the Hardening Quirk user suggested with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Maybe…" Izuku responded, narrowing his eyes as he put his hand onto his chin in thought.
"Oh, so you all made it, too!" a familiar voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they saw Lyra approaching alongside Milani, "Gosh, with all the competition, there's still no telling who'll make it…" she pointed out, placing her hands onto her hips.
"Uh, yeah," Rebecca agreed with a nod, "How many more spots are left now?" she wondered curiously.
"Under thirty from what I heard," Milani answered as she glanced back at the doors, "There's a few from our class who haven't made it yet either…" she mentioned.
"I'm sure Nasseh'll get here sooner or later," Lyra assured, "In the meantime, we might as well chat!" she insisted to the U.A. students with a clap of her hands, "I especially wanted to get to talk with you, Rebecca!" she added in admittance.
"M-Me?" the Cat Leaper Quirk user stammered out, arching an eyebrow.
"Mm-hmm!" the heterochromatic girl responded with a nod, "A friend of mine at school told me all about this girl from UA she said was so brave and strong," she explained, much to Rebecca's surprise, "I'm sure she was talking about you," she mentioned, "After all, you both went to the same middle school," she pointed out. Izuku watched on and smiled, glad that his girlfriend was seemingly connecting with a lot of other people. He wanted to make connections as well outside of his school, and that sort of happened back during the preliminary test. However…
"MIDORIYA!" Minoru wailed angrily with tears of blood in his eyes as he lunged out, tackling the One For All inheritor.
"M-Mineta?!" he stammered, "Wait, what are you doing?!" he questioned frantically, trying to get the Pop Off Quirk user off of him.
"You two-timing, curly-haired bastard!" he yelled, "What's Rebecca gonna say when she finds out what happened back there, huh?!" he shouted in question, causing many eyes in the area to turn to them.
"Oh, Sero talked, didn't he?" Izuku realized with a grimace. Back during the preliminary test, he had run into the Shiketsu girl, Camie. She was very quick on her feet, able to ambush him from all angles.
Her Quirk was seemingly the ability to transform into the exact image of another person. She had turned into Rebecca, trying to trick her foe and get his other targets hit. But he caught onto her act, knowing that it wasn't really his girlfriend with him. Afterwards, Homura and Hanta had arrived, with Camie turning back into herself, though without clothes. She evaded their capture, getting away.
"You did see her naked, right?!" Minoru inquired with trembling fists.
"Uh, sorta…" Izuku replied as he sheepishly scratched at his right cheek, "I mean, there was this slime all over her body, so I couldn't see anything, uh… indecent…" he pointed out with a stutter, struggling to find the words as his blush grew. Listening from afar were Rebecca and the others. The former sighed.
"Sounds to me like your friend had a run-in with Camie," Lyra noted, putting her hands onto her hips.
"Camie?" the Cat Leaper Quirk user repeated, earning a nod from the heterochromatic girl.
"She's known to be pretty eccentric, always talking up a storm with slang and whatnot," she noted, "Though the whole naked thing they're talking 'bout is a first…" she mentioned, arching an eyebrow, "Maybe your boyfriend was seeing things," she suggested.
"Yeah, probably…" Rebecca agreed. Milani had overheard the conversation. She glanced over and narrowed her eyes onto Camie, who was just standing around.
A while passed as more students were clearing the preliminary test. Many of Class 1-A were still trying to get their two takedowns. Weisz joined Tenya and Yuga in obtaining theirs, being the last three of the 100 examinees to take part in the true test.
"We all got through!" Eijiro exclaimed excitedly.
"Yeah, alright!" Hanta yelled, sharing a high-five with Denki. Everyone was growing excited for the challenge ahead. But they didn't realize just how much of a challenge it was going to be for some in particular.
X
"Guh…" Weisz groaned as he sat up against the wall, being handed a bottle of water from Mashirao, "Thanks…" he breathed out gratefully, quickly downing the beverage without so much as a care.
"Sounds like you went through the wringer…" the Tail Quirk user noted to his classmate, sitting down beside him.
"Huh…" he sighed, "I wanted to save Arsenal for the real test, but things got tight when only ten spots were left, and I hadn't gotten my targets…" he explained, "I guess that very first test was telling…" he grumbled out, thinking back to the first day of school and how he was at the bottom, "Without machines, I'm completely useless…" he admitted in frustration.
"Come on, that isn't true…" Mashirao assured, putting a hand onto his shoulder, "You're a smart guy, just like Tony was in that movie we watched last night," he pointed out, much to the Machina Maker Quirk user's surprise, "Whether or not you have that fancy armor shouldn't matter, because—"
"I'm still Arsenal," Weisz finished for him, letting off a small grin, "Thanks, Tailman," he said with gratitude as he stood up, "I think that's what I needed," he affirmed, walking off to grab a snack off of the table.
"No problem, Arsenal," Mashirao replied, smiling a little himself. Time passed, with each of the 100 examinees taking the time to gather themselves before things for the true test would begin.
"Well, it seems as if Beast Squad Six didn't make the cut," Nasseh commented, wearing a black bodysuit that slightly exposed his chest and had gold lines going down the sleeves. He was with Lyra, Milani, and Callum.
"From what I overheard, they fought their targets and lost," the heterochromatic girl noted with a shrug.
"Guess it's to be expected…" the turban-wearing girl beside her admitted, "The only reason none of the other elite squads were selected was because they weren't young enough…" she pointed out, "More importantly, we might have a problem," she mentioned seriously.
"What is it?" Callum asked.
"It's Camie," Milani answered, "Those UA kids ran into her earlier, and she fought them in a way that's not like her," she pointed out.
"Yeah, going nude?" Lyra chimed in, much to the surprise of the boys as their eyes widened slightly, "I thought she didn't abuse her Quirk like that…" she said.
"That's not the main issue," Milani retorted to her confusion, "That Midoriya boy… he said she transformed into one of his friends to try and get the drop on him," she told her classmates, "I don't think she's really Camie…" she admitted, narrowing her eyes onto their classmate.
"Hm," Callum huffed, unfolding his arms, "We can worry about it after the exam," he decided, enticing his classmates to nod in agreement. It wasn't long before things started getting set up… with the entire exam site being turned into a disaster zone, much like what had happened in Camino. Seeing that made Rebecca tremble a little. She balled her hands into fists.
"Hey, what's with all those people?" Mina asked. There were several elderly individuals and children heading into the ruined areas, looking to put themselves into danger. The hundred examinees were being required to perform rescue maneuvers in saving citizens from the disaster site in various scenarios. The fake citizens themselves were part of a special rescue company that specialized in the maneuvers.
"So grading probably depends on not only saving them, but how we do it…" Weisz noted, putting his hand onto his chin.
"We need to be careful," Tsuyu chimed in, "I have a feeling there's gonna be another challenge to all of this…" she admitted with a croak.
"This reminds you of Camino, doesn't it?" Tenya inquired of Izuku, getting his attention, "There were many casualties that night…" he recalled, "Even with as many heroes as there were, things still turned out badly," he mentioned.
"Not this time," the One For All inheritor affirmed, clenching his fists. The horn went off as the test began, with the walls of the exam center coming down. Class A hurried off together in groups, coming across one of the first civilians caught in the catastrophe.
"HELP MY GRANDPA! PLEASE!" he cried out, wailing all the while. Rebecca was the first to approach, crouching down to his eye level.
"Don't worry, we'll get him to safety just like you," she promised, picking him up in her arms, "I can get him to a first aid station!" she assured to her classmates, "The rest of you should split up and help the others out with finding anyone else who's been injured!" she advised of the group.
"You heard the lady!" Weisz called out, "Let's get a move on!" he insisted, hurrying off. Izuku smiled, seeing his girlfriend carry the crying child away from the disaster site. He knew that he had to be just as heroic as her and like All Might was, heading off to find more citizens in need of rescue.
The 100 examinees were all working together in various ways. Whether it was helping remove debris, clearing areas for rescue helicopters to arrive, or guiding citizens to safety, they all were working to get the many citizens to safety. Rebecca had arrived at the temporary aid site, handing the little boy off to someone who could administer treatments. She was about to head off in search of more civilians, only to be stopped as Yo grabbed her by her right wrist, much to her surprise.
"The more people we save, the more need there is to protect them in case something else happens," he pointed out, "You can't just go running off," he advised seriously. Frustrating as it was, the Cat Leaper Quirk user understood what he meant, especially how the exam seemed to be modeled after the incident in Camino. If danger still lurked, then the people had to be protected.
"This is quite the showcase, Mera," Noah commented from up in the broadcast booth to his colleague, "From what I can tell, those first-year students are doing fairly decent in spite of their lack of speed," he mentioned, folding his arms over his chest.
"Well, I'm sure a handful will pass…" the tired Safety Commission member noted, letting out a long yawn. His blonde-haired companion chuckled. His eyes then glowed as he looked about the disaster zone. Rebecca was doing whatever she could to assist those tending to the injured. Izuku was using his strength to help carefully remove debris for the likes of others to help get other civilians out.
'Both of you seem to be doing well…' he noted inwardly. He then let out a slight gasp.
"Is something wrong, Glenfield?" Yokumiru asked upon overhearing him.
"Oh, uh, no…" he stuttered in response, clearing his throat, "I just realized that I have to get in touch with someone shortly…" he noted, walking off.
"Alright…" his fellow Safety Commission member said, putting his hand up to his mic, "It's time to get things started," he communicated.
"Understood," a voice responded over the communication line. All of a sudden, an explosion occurred in the arena, getting everyone's attentions. Rebecca widened her eyes to see Gang Orca there alongside several grunts fitted with weapons on their arms.
'It's just like what happened in Camino…!' she realized with a grimace. To make matters worse, the villains for the test had appeared near the first aid site, and not many examinees were there amongst the civilians. This was a critical moment for the hero hopefuls. Could they protect the people long enough for help to arrive?
X
"It sounds as if trouble is brewing on the outskirts…" Homura noted aloud, being with Momo and Kyoka.
"Go ahead and help protect the first aid site, Kogetsu," the Creation Quirk user advised, "You're better suited for combat as opposed to us," she pointed out seriously. Her classmate nodded, hurrying off without a moment of hesitation.
"Rebecca's probably over there…" Kyoka mentioned with a slight grimace.
"She'll be fine, Jiro," Momo assured, "In the meantime, we need to do our part and get the rest of the citizens to safety," she insisted.
"Right!" the Earphone Jack Quirk user agreed, quickly prodding her cable-like earlobes in search for more of the civilians. In the meantime, Rebecca saw Gang Orca and his minions making their charge.
"Fall back, everyone!" Yo called out as he hurried forward.
"Shindo!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user exclaimed.
"Get the people as far away from here as you can!" he advised loudly, placing his hands onto the ground ahead to make it vibrate and quake, tripping up many of the grunts heading towards the first aid site, "I won't let them come close!" he declared… right before Gang Orca came up in front of him.
"Weak," he said, unleashing a powerful sonic blast onto the Vibrate Quirk user before he could react.
"Shindo, no!" Rebecca cried out, seeing him topple over onto his back in a low groan. Now it seemed as if nothing could stop the Killer Whale Hero from getting to the citizens, who were still in the middle of being evacuated from the first aid site. But at that moment, he turned to blast apart a rush of ice being sent his way.
The Cat Leaper Quirk user looked over and smiled with relief to see Shoto there, who grimaced upon seeing his attack be stopped. However, it distracted Gang Orca long enough for Homura to rush in, wielding a pair of blades in her hands. She slashed at her foe, forcing him to fall back. He was prepared to hit her with a sonic blast like he did to Yo before, but she anticipated it, creating a blade at her feet to propel herself back up like a spring, avoiding the attack. She flipped over and landed on her feet, taking on a ready stance.
"Bluegarden!" Mashirao's voice yelled, getting the Cat Leaper Quirk user's attention as she spotted him, Mina, Fumikage and Weisz hurrying over.
"Guys!" she exclaimed with a relieved smile.
"You're helping evacuate, right?" the Acid Quirk user inquired as she went over to pick up a child.
"Let's get everyone as far away as we can!" Weisz insisted, lifting up a couple of people in his arms as he donned his Arsenal armor.
"Right!" Rebecca agreed. She glanced back to see that Yo was being defended by Homura. She knew that protecting the citizens was a priority, so she hurried off with her classmates.
'With Shoto and Homura on the job, there's no way Gang Orca'll get close to the people!' she affirmed inwardly. The Soul Blade Quirk user held her dual weapons as she stood in front of the downed Yo, glaring out at the Killer Whale Hero.
"So… the successor to Valkyrie and the son of Endeavor…" he noted aloud, "A hero known to be the most valiant fighter…" he continued before turning his attention toward Shoto, "and the new number one hero," he finished. The Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user narrowed his eyes with contempt.
'That's right…' Homura realized, 'With All Might's retirement, Endeavor is now considered Japan's number one hero…' she concluded through her thoughts.
"We need to stay focused, Shoto!" she called out to her classmate, "Keeping Orca and his lackeys from getting to those people needs to be our top priority!" she affirmed on.
"Right," the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user agreed, igniting his left arm with fire.
"Hmph," their foe huffed, raising his right hand to signal to his minions to make their charge. They were immediately met by Homura, who slashed at them quickly.
"Leopard Claw Frenzy!" she exclaimed in the process. Gang Orca growled, knowing that her speed would be a problem. He wanted to immobilize her as soon as possible. But as he stepped toward her, a wall of fire erupted at his feet, forcing him back. He looked over at Shoto, whose fire spread all along the left side of his body.
"I won't let you near her," he vowed firmly. The Soul Blade Quirk user was making fast work of the Killer Whale Hero's many minions. Some were lucky to be conscious after meeting her blows. As she found a moment of reprieve, she looked back to see her classmate firing off waves of ice onto their foe, only for him to blast them away with his hypersonic waves.
'I would imagine that Orca is more in tune with defending against ranged attacks as he relies on that sonic blast to paralyze an opponent…' she noted inwardly, narrowing her eyes, 'So the best method of attack…' she continued through her thoughts as she charged down the hill toward her foe, 'is to close in while he's distracted!' she decided. More of the Orcinus Quirk user's minions tried to stop her, firing off blasts of cement from their weapons. She swiftly evaded them, slashing their armaments apart as she closed in.
Seeing her coming, Shoto grinned. Keeping their foe occupied with his ice would allow his classmate to land a critical blow. If the villains' leader was taken down or at least hindered, then the rest of his minions would soon follow. But then, the air started to swell.
"I'M GONNA BLOW YOU EVILDOERS AWAY!" Inasa roared, unleashing a powerful blast of air from above, crashing into his targets below as they were sent flying. Homura also found herself caught up in the blast, unable to get closer to Gang Orca. He took of her in that moment, whipping around to face her. Widening her eyes, the Soul Blade Quirk user quickly leapt away before she could end up struck by a hypersonic wave. She clenched her teeth in frustration, knowing that her chance to subdue the Killer Whale Hero had been lost.
"Hey, it's that Shiketsu guy!" Rebecca called out upon noticing from afar, "Looks like Shoto and Homura are gonna have an even easier time with someone like him helping out!" she affirmed.
"Yeah, for sure!" Mina agreed. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Shoto and Inasa were at odds with each other, mainly for reasons that took place prior to the exam's start.
When he approached the Whirlwind Quirk user earlier to ask why he had been glaring at him during their reprieve, the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user learned that he hated him because of his relation to Endeavor. Even though he had said there was a small change in Shoto's character, he could still see his father's look in his eyes. And that distrust was going to turn against them.
"Why don't you go help the first aid station?!" the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user suggested loudly, "Your Quirk seems better suited for that!" he pointed out. An angered scoff left Inasa's lips. Homura could tell there was quite a tension between the two.
Shoto then ignited his left arm with flames, firing off a stream of fire, while Inasa unleashed a rush of wind. Both of their attacks were heading towards Gang Orca, but suddenly were brushed away. The Soul Blade Quirk user gasped, having to brace herself from the rush of wind while also evading the flames.
"What do you think you're doing?!" the Shiketsu student roared in question, "The heat makes the wind rise up!" he pointed out angrily.
"He blocked by ice earlier, so that's why I'm switching to my fire," Shoto responded, "If anything, your wind blew my attack away," he noted.
"Shoto…" Homura uttered upon overhearing. The two boys arguing led to the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user getting struck by one of the minions' cement guns, with the substance hardening over his right side. More blasts were fired towards him, which he blocked with a wall of ice.
"I can't believe you would start arguing in the middle of a battle…" Gang Orca muttered, shaking his head. He then turned his attention toward the Soul Blade Quirk user. "Though I suppose it gives me the opportunity to take care of you first," he noted, lunging toward her. She grimaced, quickly leaping away. The last thing she wanted was to be on the receiving end of his hypersonic attack after seeing what it did to Yo.
"Shoto!" she called out, getting her classmate's attention, "Keep him busy!" she insisted, charging towards the Killer Whale Hero's minions, "I'm going to keep the others back!" she declared. Unfortunately, it was hard for the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user to focus when Inasa was continuing to argue with him, saying that he and Endeavor were the same. All this time, he thought that if he just kept his hatred toward his father bottled away, it would help him. But then he remembered the genuine care he showed during the Sports Festival, after he and Homura had battled.
"You and your father are the only two I'll never acknowledge as true heroes!" Inasa fiercely declared, swinging his left arm down, "Now move!" he roared commandingly. Gritting his teeth, Shoto fired off another stream of flames. Once again, the attacks clashed against each other before they could reach Gang Orca, veering off. "Again?! Are you kidding me?!" the Whirlwind Quirk user yelled, only to see that not only was his wind crashing onto Homura, forcing her to stop, but Shoto's flames were heading towards Yo, who was still immobile. He would've been incinerated… had it not been for Izuku lunging in to grab him by his vest to yank him out of the way.
"Midoriya…!" the Soul Blade Quirk user gasped out.
"Damn it…" he growled, whipping his head towards Shoto and Inasa, "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!" he questioned angrily.
X
"There, I think that's everyone," Rebecca affirmed as the citizens had been evacuated to another section of the arena, where treatments were getting back underway.
"Should some of us head back to make sure those minnows didn't get through?" Weisz inquired as he approached alongside Fumikage.
"Yeah, good call," the Cat Leaper Quirk user agreed with a nod, hurrying off alongside the two boys, leaving the others behind, "Don't worry!" she called out to the citizens, "We're just gonna give our friends some backup!" she declared with a wink. Some of the acting civilians grinned at her reassurance. Clearly, she was showing aptitude in terms of keeping everyone calm.
"So worst case scenario, if Shoto, Homura and that loud wind guy can't stop Orca, what's our plan?" Weisz asked of his classmates.
"We hold the line as long as we can, of course," Fumikage responded, "Still… I can't imagine either of those three failing in this instance," he admitted.
"Yeah, me either," Rebecca concurred, "But we still have to do our jobs just in case!" she decided, pulling out one of her pulse guns from her right holster. They arrived on the scene… just in time to see the diverting attacks of fire and wind. And the flames were about to reached the downed Yo. "Shindo!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user cried out. Luckily, her boyfriend arrived on the scene, pulling the downed Vibrate Quirk user out of the way.
"Damn it…" he growled, whipping his head towards Shoto and Inasa, "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!" he questioned angrily.
"Izu!" his girlfriend exclaimed, seeing him come down safely with Yo in his grasp, setting him gently onto the ground.
"He alright?!" Weisz immediately asked.
"Doesn't seem like the fire grazed him, so that's good…" the One For All inheritor quickly confirmed in response.
"Still, for something like that to almost happen…" Fumikage muttered out, quite shocked. Back on the battlefield, Shoto and Inasa were shell-shocked. They almost inadvertently killed someone in the crossfire because of their clashing attacks. Their current states left them distracted, not noticing that Gang Orca was heading up to Homura before she could react.
"Got you," he remarked, unleashing a powerful hypersonic wave onto her body.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she shrieked with agony.
"HOMURA!" Shoto screamed, seeing her fall onto her knees.
"Ah, crap…!" Inasa gasped, ready to go over and help her, only to wind up getting struck by a blast of cement, which quickly hardened over his body. That allowed for the Killer Whale Hero to strike him with another hypersonic blast, causing him to fall to the ground.
"Oh crap…" Weisz grumbled out.
"We gotta go help them!" Rebecca insisted, only to have her arm be grabbed by her boyfriend's left hand, "Izu?!" she yelped in surprise.
"We need to hold the line, remember?" he advised, looking over to the minions of Gang Orca as they were beginning to make their own charge. Shoto tried to take control of the situation, but found himself in the Killer Whale Hero's grasp.
"You reap what you sow…" he remarked, releasing another hypersonic wave onto him, paralyzing him as well.
"Sho…to…!" Homura gasped out. She clenched her teeth together angrily, making red lines of energy appear along her arms. All of a sudden, she had several swords of light appear around her, all in different shapes. "ORCA!" she roared out, getting the Killer Whale Hero's attention as he dropped Shoto. He widened his eyes to see the array of blades being sent his way. He managed to blow away the first few with his hypersonic waves, followed by hurrying away to evade the others as they struck the ground.
'Even when paralyzed, she can still launch her blades without needing to move,' he noted inwardly, 'Ether-type Quirks are frightening indeed…' he added through his thoughts as he blasted away another barrage of his foe's blades.
"Homura…" Shoto uttered out, lying on his stomach like Inasa. The two of them had royally screwed up. So much so that the Soul Blade Quirk user was the only one managing to fight back properly. They needed to make up for their mistakes here and now.
"Keep them all back!" Izuku insisted, lunging out to strike one of the minions with his iron-soled right foot. He was joined by Fumikage and Weisz, who knocked aside their foes with relative ease, also evading their cement blasts in the process. Rebecca rushed in, quickly firing off shots that squarely struck her targets in their heads, making them fall to the ground. She grimaced as she looked over to the battlefield where the paralyzed trio fighting Gang Orca was.
'If there was a way we could fight Orca without worrying about getting paralyzed, we'd be good…' she affirmed through her thoughts, 'but I think the goal should really be to just hold him off,' she declared inwardly as she shot down another of the Killer Whale Hero's minions.
"Gotcha'!" one yelled as he came up behind her with his cement gun at the ready. She whipped around and gasped, realizing she would be unable to get away in time. All of a sudden though, a card streaked in and pierced into the ground in front of the minion. It burst into a rush of air, blowing him back.
"What the…?" Rebecca uttered in confusion.
"Well, looks like Inasa just went ahead and screwed himself over…" a familiar voice remarked, causing the Cat Leaper Quirk user to look over in surprise to find Lyra there, shuffling cards in her hands while being alongside Callum, Nasseh, and Milani.
"At least he's kept Orca occupied," the white-haired young man noted with a small grin.
"Lyra," Callum said in an instructive tone.
"Yeah, yeah…" the heterochromatic girl responded repeatedly as she finished shuffling cards, pulling the top one out into her left hand, "Here's hoping for an ace!" she yelled, flinging the card out towards Gang Orca's minions. Rebecca caught a glance of it as it passed by, seeing that it was a ten of hearts. It pierced into the ground right at the feet of a few minions, bursting into a spray of flames. "Hm," Lyra huffed proudly.
Lyra Dekki! Quirk: Gambler Rush!
With a deck of fifty-two cards in hand, Lyra can throw them out to unleash devastating attacks! The type and impact of the attacks depends on what cards she tosses. Hearts are fire, diamonds are earth, spades are air, and clovers are water!
The impacts of the attacks are dependent upon the card's number as well. A two is the weakest output, while the ace is the strongest! On top of all this, the attacks don't work is Lyra herself sneaks a peek at her cards! Her Quirk's a serious gamble for sure!
"I'm going to help deal with Orca," Callum decided, "Nasseh, Milani," he continued to his classmates, "you two deal with the others as well," he advised of them.
"But of course," his white-haired classmate responded as golden lines of energy appeared along his body, "Although, I doubt I'll need Milani's help…" he admitted, widening his eyes onto some of the minions of the Killer Whale Hero. All of a sudden, they stopped in front of Fumikage and Weisz, who blinked in surprise.
"BWAK!" one of them squawked, while the others started stumbling about as if they were chickens.
"What the…?" the Machina Maker Quirk user uttered, completely befuddled.
"Oh-ho, I'm sorry for surprising you…" Nasseh apologized, getting his attention as he and Fumikage saw him approach, "My Quirk works rather instantaneously on the weaker minds…" he pointed out.
Nasseh Saimin! Quirk: Eye of Horus!
He can place hypnotic suggestions onto targets and make them all act a certain way thanks to an electromagnetic frequency he releases! The effects last for at least ten minutes, but he can make them do whatever he wants in that timeframe!
It's a scary power in the right hands!
"How maddening…" Fumikage uttered out, while Weisz narrowed his eyes underneath his armored suit.
"Dammit, they're just playing with us like we're toys!" one minion exclaimed in fright.
"Let's go back and help Orca out!" another advised. All of a sudden, they saw some glass mirrors fly right by their faces. They didn't even have time to react as a pair of fists suddenly shot out from them, striking them squarely as they were knocked down.
"Guys?!" one of their colleagues yelped, seeing the glass mirrors shatter against the ground, spreading about the group. One of them noticed what appeared to be an eye in one of the shards, which he noticed blinked. All of a sudden, a fist shot out and struck him squarely in the crotch, making him let out a pained squawk before he fell over.
"Well, you all certainly are a shame for sidekicks…" Milani's voice noted as her body emerged from one of the larger shards on the ground, "I'm not even in my element, and I'm kicking all your asses…" she mentioned.
Milani Lucra! Quirk: Mirror Trick!
She can disappear into and attack from any solid reflective surface, like mirrors or windows! While this Quirk isn't as useful outside, it's terrifying when you end up caught in her reflecting tricks...
"Now who else would like to play in my Mirror World?" she offered.
"Amazing…" Izuku uttered out after taking down another minion.
"They're second-years, so we shouldn't be all that surprised…" his girlfriend chimed in as she came over, firing off pulse shots onto other approaching soldiers, "Still, it's good to have their help," she affirmed, earning a nod from her boyfriend in agreement. Meanwhile, Gang Orca was closing in on the paralyzed Homura, who grimaced. She knew that she was already reaching the limits of her Quirk for the time being, so if the Killer Whale Hero was able to take her down, she wasn't sure if the others could hold him off long enough for the examination to be completed. He closed in… and a rush of wind swept by him as Callum flew in, carrying the Soul Blade Quirk user away.
"Ah!" she gasped in surprise.
"Don't worry, I've got you," he affirmed as green lines of energy were spread along his face and arms.
Callum Steelford! Quirk: Carburetor!
He can alter his body into mist, using it to fly around and fog up any immediate area! On top of that, he can shape mist into any form he desires, including solid projectiles! Crazy!
As Callum set Homura down, he raised his right hand into a tiger seal. He then swiped his arm to the right. All of a sudden, several projectiles of mist rained down towards Gang Orca. He immediately blasted them away with another hypersonic wave.
"Hmm…" the Carburetor Quirk user hummed, narrowing his eyes in thought.
"Steelford…!" Inasa grunted out, getting his attention. He saw that wind was weakly swirling around his junior's paralyzed body. He huffed, standing up and crossing his arms.
"This mess is your doing, Yoarashi," he pointed out.
"I know, and I'm sorry!" the Whirlwind Quirk user vehemently apologized, "But please, allow me to make up for my mistakes!" he pleadingly insisted.
"How will you do that?" Callum asked, closing his eyes, "With your body paralyzed, your wind is much weaker than before," he noted.
"I won't do it alone!" Inasa declared, causing him to perk up with curiosity. He looked over to Shoto, who ignited the left side of his body with flames.
"Shoto…" Homura uttered out in concern. Meanwhile, Callum nodded his head.
"Show me that resolve of yours, Yoarashi," he requested of his junior.
"Yes, sir!" he responded. Together with Shoto, the Whirlwind Quirk user combined his wind with the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user's flames to create a torrent of fire, trapping Gang Orca before he could do anything else. Everyone watched on in amazement as they continued to fight on against the Killer Whale Hero's minions.
He himself wasn't too bothered by the fiery tornado, even though it drew upon his key weakness of dryness. He was impressed with how both Shoto and Inasa were willing to work together despite their earlier arguing. It wouldn't be enough to make up for their actions before, but it was a clear sign that they still had potential.
"A cyclone prison of wind and fire is very impressive!" Gang Orca admitted, pulling out a bottle of water and opening it up, pouring it all over his head to keep himself moist, "But what would you do if that wasn't enough?!" he inquired of his foes.
"No way…!" Homura gasped out. They watched in shock as they saw the fiery tornado be blown apart by another hypersonic wave unleashed by the Orcinus Quirk user.
"So what will you do now, heroes?!" he inquired loudly. Shoto and Inasa grimaced. They had nothing left after that. Callum took a deep breath through his nose.
"You did well, Yoarashi," he affirmed, stepping forward, "I'll handle the rest from here," he declared as he launched forward in a burst of mist. Gang Orca saw him coming, prepared to counterattack. However…
"Get away from them!" Izuku roared as he lunged in with a powerful roundhouse quick from his left leg, cracking the bracer on the Killer Whale Hero's right arm.
"Midoriya…!" he exclaimed. At that moment, Callum closed in.
"Skymech Ninjutsu…" he began, causing the One For All inheritor to perk up in surprise as his eyes slightly widened, "Mist God Punch!" he roared, landing a fierce uppercut to his target's stomach.
"Ergh…!" Gang Orca grunted out. He was taking quite a beating, even though he was restrained. He chuckled, causing his foes to grimace.
"That won't be enough to stop me!" he proclaimed, ready to unleash another hypersonic wave onto the two boys.
"Izu, get out of there!" Rebecca cried out upon noticing. Unfortunately, it seemed like it'd be too late for her boyfriend and Callum to escape from the Killer Whale Hero. But all of a sudden, both of them felt themselves get pulled away by a gravitational force. They tumbled along the ground, coming to a stop beside another figure. The Orcinus Quirk user looked over in surprise to find that it was Shiki, who lowered his right hand as he glared at his foe.
"Sorry I'm late…" he apologized.
"Shiki…" Izuku uttered out, while Callum's eyes were widened.
"So now it's the grandson of the famous Demon King Hero, Ziggy…" Gang Orca noted, taking on a ready stance, "You'll be defeated like all the rest!" he declared, lunging out at the Satan Gravity Quirk user.
"I don't think so," he responded. All of a sudden, the Killer Whale Hero felt himself falling onto his hands and knees as gravity increased around him significantly. Everyone watching widened their eyes. "If I figured out how to use this sooner, I could've saved my friends back then and kept them from crying ever again," Shiki noted aloud as his lines of energy expanded along his entire body. His foe gasped.
The Satan Gravity Quirk user's hair became white, both his arms were darkened with purple markings, and a pair of black horns with the same markings appeared out of his head. His clothing also changed into a sleeveless, high-collared tunic and his bandage was gone, revealing a small scar. Everyone in the area was fixated on his new appearance, quite stunned.
"Is that… his Overdrive…?" Rebecca wondered aloud.
'So strong…!' Gang Orca noted inwardly as he barely managed to lift his head up, 'No wonder he's Ziggy's grandson!' he mentioned to himself. At that moment, a loud horn went off, causing everyone to perk up in surprise.
"Uh… the last of the civilians have been evacuated to safety…" Mera told the examinees over the loudspeakers, "That concludes the exam…" he confirmed. In that moment, Shiki transformed back to normal as he fell onto his hands and knees, breathing tiredly.
"Shiki!" Izuku exclaimed as he got up and jogged over, "Are you okay?!" he immediately asked.
"Yeah…" the Satan Gravity Quirk user responded with a nod, "I finally got my Overdrive after all…" he pointed out, chuckling a little. The One For All inheritor grinned. In the meantime, Callum got onto his feet, narrowing his eyes onto Shiki.
'So he's the one with the same Quirk as Shura…' he noted to himself. Homura helped get Inasa back onto his feet, bowing to him before going over to pick up Shoto. The two boys glanced at each other regretfully. The situation could've been much better handled by them. But now, the exam was over. And all that was left was to see the results.
ENDING
Insert "Backlight" by Ado
Opens with Class 1-A's girls hanging out in the common room of their Heights Alliance building. Rebecca finds herself totally bored until she realizes something, running off. She returns a moment later with her Switch in hand, along with four controllers. She, Homura, Tsuyu and Ochaco are the first ones to start playing, though the Soul Blade Quirk user is initially holding her controller upside down.
They play a racing game to start things off, with the scene changing to show chibi forms of the girls driving in their karts. Homura slips on a banana peel and spins out, while Tsuyu gets hit by a green shell. Ochaco and Rebecca are neck-and-neck as they approach the finish line, and the Zero Gravity Quirk user wins by a hair.
After a brief celebration, the girls switch to a dancing game, where Mina, Toru, Kyoka and Momo compete. We again shift to a fantasy where the girls are dressed like dancers on a stage. Everyone's surprised by how good of a dancer the Acid Quirk user is, cheering her on excitedly. As the games continue, the boys enter the common area to find them playing.
Next up is a multiplayer first-person shooter that Rebecca, Weisz, Izuku, and Shoto start playing. We see that in the fantasy sequence, the Cat Leaper Quirk user has the best shot amongst her peers, even beating out Weisz. Afterwards, Hanta brings down four more controllers so that more people can play.
And so, it comes down to a fighter game, in which Izuku, Katsuki, Eijiro, Tenya, Homura, Momo, Shoto and Shiki play. Not knowing the controls, Tenya's character can only move like a robot before getting knocked off by Katsuki. Eijiro withstands Homura's blows until she's tired out, landing a finishing punch. Momo is hesitant to battle against Shiki, so she just falls off the edge of the stage as everyone looks to her in confusion in reality.
Katsuki's character bests Shiki, while Izuku manages to defeat Eijiro. The two face off against each other, exchanging blows before ultimately, Izuku wins. The class cheers excitedly, while Katsuki scoffs, though isn't as annoyed over losing.
The rest of the day continues with Denki and Hanta playing a golfing game, Minoru and Tsuyu facing off in a MOBA to everyone's surprise, Mezo and Koji enjoying a relaxing simulation game, and Yuga trying to sing in a karaoke game, only to make everyone flinch from the sound of his falsetto. As Shota and All Might wander in to check on the class, they smile to see Rebecca and Kyoka playing together as a team in a two-person fighter. They imagine themselves in their hero costumes, fighting against a villain as they charge in…
END ENDING
And that's the end of the Provisional License Exam! I wanted to make this arc short, because it's pretty straightforward, and I wanted to get into the meatier stuff in the next couple of chapters. We'll be learning about what some characters have doing since the Camino incident, and how the world will be shaping up leading to our 100th chapter.
But that's about it! Next week, we'll see the exam results! Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!