At U.A. High, the class ended once the school bell rang. Since the workplace training have officially ended, Class 1-A students must prepare their minds and their bodies for the final exams that is only one week away.
"All right, that's it for class today. There's only one week left before your final exams begin." Aizawa reminded. "I'm sure you're all studying constantly, right? Don't forget to keep training. The written exam is only one element. There's also the practical portion to worry about. Good luck."
With that, Aizawa exited the classroom by closing the door.
But what Aizawa failed to notice is that most of the Class 1-A students started overacting about getting ready for the end of the term.
"I've barely even taken notes this semester!" Mina and Kaminari confessed.
Due to the midterm grades results, both Mina and Kaminari scored the lowest grades in the class. The goofy Mina received twenty-third place while the frantic Kaminari received last place.
"And with the sports festival and internship, I didn't have time to read the textbook." Kaminari grumbled.
"It's true that we haven't had very much free time lately." Tokoyami agreed as he received eighteenth place in the midterms.
"We'd barely learned anything when we took our midterms so they didn't seem all that hard." Sato noted to Koda, who nodded in agreement. "But I'm kinda worried about these. We've been through a lot, and they probably won't pull any punches when it comes to testing us."
Sato received sixteenth place and Koda received fifteenth place in the midterms.
"Dammit. I've studied so hard for this midterm and I'm not even close to be ranked in the top ten." Mineta complained as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Mineta received thirteenth place in the midterms.
"Not to worry, guys. We've still got time to study for the final exam." Luna said as she placed her hands on her hips.
"That way, we'll all get to go to the training camp together, right?" Izuku added with an encouraging smile
"Yes! As class rep, I have high hopes that we'll make UA proud." Iida agreed.
Izuku received fourth place and Luna received eighth place while Iida received second place in the midterms.
"It's pretty hard to fail if you just pay attention in class, isn't it?" Shoto remarked coldly.
Shoto received fifth place in the midterms.
"Why you gotta cut me down like that?" Kaminari yelled with a discouraged face.
"Kinda harsh, don't you think?" Aisha questioned as she turned to Shoto.
"What? He ain't lying." Diana said with a shrug.
"Studying is important when it comes to education." Selene said.
Aisha received seventh place and Selene received sixth place while Diana received ninth place in the midterms.
"Hey, don't worry about it, you two. I can catch you up to speed on the important topics if you want." Yaoyorozu offered.
Due to the midterm grades results, Yaoyorozu scored the highest grades in the class. She received first place overall.
"You're the best, Yaomomo!" Kaminari and Mina smiled thankfully.
"I'm afraid I won't be any help when it comes to the practical portion, though." Yaoyorozu added with an unconfident expression.
"I've been studying, but could you help me out too?" Jiro asked as she walked up to Yaoyorozu. "I'm having some trouble understanding with quadratic functions."
Jiro received eleventh place in the midterms.
"Really?" Yaoyorozu asked.
"Tutor me, please. Classical Japanese is killing me." Sero added, standing in front of Yaoyorozu.
Sero received twenty-first place in the midterms.
"Is there room for one more. I'm afraid I'm falling behind a little." Ojiro requested as he walked up to Yaoyorozu.
Ojiro received twelfth place in the midterms.
"Pretty please?" Jiro, Sero, and Ojiro begged.
Hearing her classmate's tutoring proposals made Yaoyorozu gasp with excitement.
"Wonderful! Yes, let's do it!" Yaoyorozu said as she jumped out of her seat.
"All right!" Ojiro, Sero, and Jiro cheered.
"Okay, then. We can hold a study session at my residence over the weekend." Yaoyorozu announced.
"Seriously? I can't wait to see your fancy digs!" Mina said as she stepped towards Yaoyorozu with an excited smile.
"Oh, I must call mother and have her prepare the great hall for us to set up; it will be the perfect spot." Yaoyorozu said with an enthusiastic smile. She turned to her classmates. "What kind of tea does everyone like? I'll have her make sure we're stocked. In my family, we always drink Harrods or Wedgwood, so if you have any other preference, let me know. When we're finished, you'll all be model students! I'll make it my personal duty to push you forward!"
Ojiro, Sero, Jiro, Kaminari, and Mina smiled to the pridefully bouncy Yaoyorozu.
"About that tea…I'm not so sure about the hairy one." Kaminari said.
"No, it's from Harrods." Yaoyorozu corrected.
Kirishima overheard the whole group conservation as he stood next to Katsuki. Kirishima received nineteenth place while Katsuki received the third highest grade in the class.
"Sounds like I should be studying with her." Kirishima commented.
"You think I don't know enough?! Maybe I should beat the lessons into your skull!" Katsuki declared angrily.
"I'm counting on it." Kirishima said sarcastically.
"Everyone's panicking right now, but it won't do them any good to cram this late in the game." Aoyama stated with a scoff.
"Shouldn't you be more concerned? You didn't do very well in the midterms." Shoji pointed out.
Aoyama received twenty-second place while Shoji received fourteenth place in the midterms.
"Are you talking about moi? I did just fine, thank you." Aoyama said with an irritated face.
And as for the other three classmates, Tsuyu received tenth place, Uraraka received seventeenth place, and Hagakure received twentieth place in the midterms.
In the cafeteria, Luna and her friends sat at their usual table near the window. Luna and Selene sat next to each other while Aisha and Diana sat at the opposite side as they began discussing about the practical exam.
"I don't know about you three, but I'm actually feeling anxious about the practical exam for the first time." Diana said.
"Same." Selene agreed. "It's hard to believe what kind of crazy stuff they might throw at us. But at least, the written exam will involve everything Mr. Aizawa taught us this year. So, we should be alright."
"That's right. The written test will cover the basic, rescue, and combat training." Aisha listed.
"And I believe we can pull it off." Luna said with a positive smile. "As long as we study those training lessons. Trust me, we got this in the bag."
After lunchtime was over, Izuku, Iida, Uraraka, Hagakure, Tsuyu, and Shoto had shared the news about the practical portion of the exam they've learned from a Class 1-B student named Neito Monoma with their Class 1-A classmates.
"All right!" Mina and Kaminari cheered with delight.
"This'll be super easy if it's just robots." Kaminari said happily.
"Such awesome news." Mina smiled.
"Why do you sound so happy? You both have a hard time controlling your Quirks." Shoji reminded.
"Yeah, but I can let loose with robots!" Kaminari praised.
"And melting them'll be a cinch for me!" Mina added.
"Now you just need Yaoyorozu to help you study and you'll be all set for finals." Sero stated.
"We'll definitely be able get to go to the training camp now!" Mina and Kaminari said in unison.
The memory of what her mother said about Divine Trinity flashed through Luna's mind, reminding her that she might one day have to fight against her grandmother and her aunts if Tarot Chariot failed to do so. To prepare herself for that moment, Luna continued training her Quirk through and through.
"It shouldn't matter if it's robots or actual people." Katsuki stated in annoyance. His irritated voice interrupted Mina and Kaminari's cheering. "Why are you morons so excited?"
"Hey, who are you calling a moron?!" Kaminari asked boldly.
"Shut up! You need to learn how to control your Quirk! You got it?!" Katsuki snapped, shutting Mina and Kaminari down and making them back off. He then turned to Izuku. "Hey, Deku. I don't know what's going on with your power, but I saw the way you're using it now, and I want you to know…" His eyes narrowed intimidatingly. "It's seriously pissing me off."
"Uh oh." Uraraka said with a worried face as she walked up next to Mina. "He must mean how Deku was flying around like him the other day."
"Oh, yeah, totally." Mina agreed.
"I won't have another half-assed win like at the festival." Katsuki continued. "We'll be getting individual scores in the upcoming finals. New rankings." He lifted his left arm forward and pointed his finger at the tense-looking Izuku. "So, we'll all know exactly where we're standing! I'll show you how much better I am." He looked at Shoto over his shoulder. "And Todoroki? I'll kill you too."
Shoto only stared at Katsuki with a blank expression.
Then, Katsuki turned his head to Luna.
"And Luna. After seeing your power, I'll admit you have made progress, but that doesn't mean you have surpassed me." Katsuki said, pointing his finger at Luna, who stared at him with a calm expression. "Just like Deku and Todoroki, I'll show you how better I am. Count on it."
With that, Katsuki stormed out of the classroom.
The entire Class 1-A students looked somewhat stunned at Katsuki's declaration. Even Luna and Izuku stared silently at each other.
"It's been a while since I've seen him that worked up." Kirishima stated.
"Think it's impatience or hatred?" Tokoyami asked.
"Both if you ask me." Diana answered as she crossed her arms over her chest.
The next day, Class 1-A students spend their final week of June studying before the finals.
Kaminari, Mina, Ojiro, Jiro, and Sero studied with Yaoyorozu at her luxurious estate.
Izuku, Uraraka, and Iida studied in their own way while Katsuki aggressively tutored Kirishima by literally beating the lessons into his head in a restaurant.
Luna, Aisha, Diana, and Selene sat at the round table while studying and eating their desserts at the same time in their favorite cafe.
After a whole week of studying, Class 1-A students started their written exam for three straight days. On the third day, the written exam was officially over.
"All right, put your pencils down." Aizawa spoke. "The last person in each row, bring the answer sheets to me."
"Thanks for all your help!" Mina said to Yaoyorozu with a happy smile.
"I didn't leave anything blank at least." Kaminari smiled at Yaoyorozu.
After three-day completion of written exam, the practical exam was set to begin.
Meanwhile, Class 1-A students arrived at the training area for the practical exam in their hero costumes. In front of the students are the pro hero staff: Ectoplasm, Power Loader, Cementoss, Snipe, Present Mic, Aizawa, Thirteen, and Midnight.
"Now then. Let's begin the last test." Aizawa announced. "Remember, it's possible to fail this final. If you wanna go to camp, then don't make any stupid mistakes."
"Uh, why are all the teachers here?" Jiro questioned.
"I expect many of you have gathered information and believe you have some idea of what you'll be faced with today." Aizawa explained.
"We're fighting those big old metal robots!" Kaminari beamed.
"Fireworks! S'mores! Here we come, camp!" Mina cheered.
Suddenly, Principal Nezu popped out of Aizawa's scarf.
"Actually, this year's tests will be completely different for various reasons." Nezu said.
"Principal Nezu!" Jiro, Ojiro and Sero said in surprise.
"You're changing things?" Yaoyorozu said in shock.
"The tests now have a new focus." Nezu explained as he climbed out of Aizawa's scarf and landed on the ground between Aizawa and Midnight. "There will be hero work, of course. But also, teamwork and combat between actual people." He pointed his finger at the Class 1-A students. "So, what does that mean for you? You students will be working together in pairs and your opponents will be one of our esteemed UA teachers! Isn't that fabulous?"
Nezu's announcement instantly shocked the Class 1-A students with unnerving silence.
"We're…fighting the teachers?" Uraraka asked with a shocking expression.
"Damn, seriously?" Diana said in utter surprise.
"Additionally, your partners and opponents have already been chosen. They were determined at my discretion based on various factors, including fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships." Aizawa explained. He turned to Shoto and Yaoyorozu. "First, Yaoyorozu and Todoroki are a team." He lifted his scarf with a smile. "Against me."
Aizawa turned to Aisha, Selene, and Diana.
"Next, Hoshi will pair up with Rozu and Asaka." Aizawa announced. "She insists on challenging you three for this exam, so your opponent is Tarot Chariot."
A technological playing card enlarged out of nowhere and Tarot Chariot walked out of the spade symbol. She winked at Selene, Diana, and Aisha with a playful smirk, making three U.A. students exchange surprised faces. They can't believe that they are going to fight against their best friend's mother.
"Then we have Midoriya paired with Bakugo and Yagi." Aizawa announced.
Izuku, Luna, and Katsuki widened their eyes in surprise as they exchanged same shocking expressions on their faces.
"And their opponent is…" Aizawa said.
All Might suddenly came out of nowhere and landed in front of the three gasped students.
"I am here to fight!" All Might declared.
"We're up against All Might?!" Izuku, Luna, and Katsuki cried out in absolute shock.
"You're going to have to work together if you want to win." All Might informed.
Katsuki growled at Izuku, who looked at him with an uneasy face.
We are so screwed. Luna deadpanned.
Tarot Chariot and All Might traded sideway glances. They recalled a faculty meeting that happened a few days ago, discussing about changing the final exams. Due to the connection between the Hero Killer Stain and the League of Villains, Nezu and the pro heroes believes that they should be taking every precaution for the students. But they mostly remembered Aizawa deliberating on the topic of Class 1-A team pairings. He paired Shoto and Yaoyorozu together due to their over reliance on their Quirks, which he volunteered to fight against them, so he will erase their Quirks and take advantage of their weaknesses. Tarot Chariot volunteered to fight against Selene, Aisha, and Diana because she wants to witness their improvements in action, which was something Aizawa accepted without question. Aizawa then went on to pair Izuku and Katsuki together because of their negative relationship, instead of their ability or class work. He decided to have them fight against All Might since he's aware that the number one hero got a soft spot for Izuku. He also added Luna as the peacemaker between the boys because he sensed that All Might also have a soft spot for her, ensuring him that that the trio will learn something from him.
You're paying close attention, huh, Aizawa? All Might and Tarot Chariot thought collectively.
"And now, let's announce the teams and the teachers they'll be fighting in order." Nezu announced.
First Matchup: Cementoss vs Sugarman & Red Riot
Second Matchup: Ectoplasm vs Froppy & Tsukuyomi
Third Matchup: Powerloader vs Tenya & Tailman
Fourth Matchup: EraserHead vs Creati & Shoto
Fifth Matchup: Thirteen vs Can't Stop Twinkling & Uravity
Sixth Matchup: Nezu vs Pinky & Chargebolt
Seventh Matchup: Present Mic vs Anima & Earphone Jack
Eighth Matchup: Snipe vs Invisible Girl & Tentacole
Ninth Matchup: Midnight vs Grape Juice & Cellophane
Tenth Matchup: Tarot Chariot versus Diana, Aisha, and Selene
Final Matchup: All Might vs Deku & Kachaan
"To complete the exam, you'll have 30 minutes. In order to win, your objective is to put these handcuffs on your teacher." Nezu explained, holding a pair of handcuffs in his hand. "Or you can win if one of you manages to escape from the combat stage."
"So, we've either got to capture the teacher or run away. It's basically like the combat training." Kaminari said.
"Yeah, but is it really okay to just jet?" Mina asked as she raised her hand.
"Yep." Nezu answered with a thumb-up.
"It's gonna be much different than that combat training y'all went through earlier." Present Mic said. "After all, you're up against people way better than you."
"Better? Really? Wait, aren't you just the announcer?" Jiro asked.
"Hey, watch your mouth, girl! Have some respect!" Present Mic yelled in an upsetting tone.
"This time, your exam will be very similar to a real battle. As strange as it is, please think of us as villains." Thirteen informed.
"Assuming you come across your enemy. If you think you can win against them, then fight." Snipe added. "However…"
"In instances where you're outmatched, it would be smarter to run away and find help." Aizawa concluded. His eyes moved to Shoto, Iida, and Izuku. "Todoroki, Iida, Midoriya. I'm sure the three of you understand."
Shoto remained unresponsive.
"I won't make that mistake again. I will pass this test and prove that I'm a hero." Iida told himself.
"So, we fight to win or run to win." Izuku said with determination.
"That's right! It's a test of your decision-making skills. But with these rules, you're probably thinking your only real choice is to flee. That's why the support course made these super-clever accessories for us." All Might explained.
All Might took out an ultra-compressed weight ring in his hand.
"Behold! Ultra compressed weights!" Present Mic announced.
All the pro hero staff, including All Might himself, are already wearing the ultra-compressed weights around their arms and legs.
"These babies will add about half our body weight to our physiques." All Might continued. "It's not much, but they will eat up our stamina and make it harder for us to move around." He grunted after he put on the weight ring around his arms. "Oh, shoot…These are heavier than I thought." He turned back to the students. "We had a contest to come up with these designs, and young Hatsume ended up winning it."
"Wow, good for Hatsume." Izuku said in surprise.
"You think we need a handicap to win against you? Well think again." Katsuki said.
All Might laughed before looking at Katsuki with a dangerous look.
"This'll be fun." All Might said.
"Let's begin." Aizawa said. "The teams will take the practical exam in the order you were called. We have a stage prepared for you. Sato, Kirishima. You're up."
"Yes, sir!" Kirishima and Sato obeyed.
The pro heroes began walking inside the building.
"Those waiting their turn to fight can either watch the exams or try to strategize together as a team. It's your choice. That's all." Aizawa concluded.
Aizawa turned and followed the pro heroes inside.
"Ojiro, I'd like to discuss how we might be able to coordinate the use of our Quirks." Iida asked Ojiro.
"Great." Ojiro agreed.
"Tokoyami, let's go come up with a plan." Tsuyu suggested.
"Agreed." Tokoyami said as he and Tsuyu started walking into the building.
"We've got to figure out a way to destroy Ms. Midnight's costume!" Mineta said as he and Sero started walking inside as well.
"You are such a little scumbag." Sero said in a disappointing tone.
In the monitoring room, Izuku and Luna watched the exam preparation on the screen with Recovery Girl.
"Well, looks like I have my work cut out for me today." Recovery Girl said.
"I still can't believe we're going against your dad. Feeling nervous?" Izuku asked Luna.
"I was at first, but I knew I will have to face him eventually." Luna replied.
"And what about your friends? Your mom is their opponent." Izuku pointed out.
Luna recalled Selene preparing effective strategies with Diana and Aisha, who were trying to calm their frantic emotions at the same time.
"Let's just say they have a lot of planning to do." Luna answered with a sweatdrop.
"Oh, Deku, Luna."
Izuku and Luna turned around to see Uraraka entering the room.
"You two are watching, too? Hi." Uraraka greeted.
"Yeah, it's not like we get many chances to watch students in combat with teachers, right?" Izuku replied. "And besides, I don't think Kacchan wants to talk strategy with us."
Luna recalled Izuku was about to speak with Katsuki, who started walking away from them with zero interest in their strategic plans.
"I can see that. And, uh, my partner is a little preoccupied with himself." Uraraka said with a sweatdrop.
Uraraka comically presented an amusing scene of Aoyama posing stylishly in a mirror.
"You don't say." Izuku whimpered nervously.
Luna sweatdropped without a response.
"That's why I thought I'd try and get inspiration from everyone else's battles." Uraraka said, looking at the monitoring screen.
"That's smart." Luna agreed. "That's kinda what we're doing."
Luna and Izuku looked back at the screen, knowing that they both have to pass the practical exam no matter what it takes.
Kirishima and Sato arrived at Ground Beta for their practical exam. They are prepared to face off with Cementoss.
"Team Sato and Kirishima. Practical exam. Ready? Go!" The speaker announced.
Sato and Kirishima began rushing through the middle of the main street.
Then suddenly, a large cement wall rose from the ground and blocked the U.A. students' path from a great distance. Kirishima and Sato quickly jumped back from the cement wall. From a great distance, Cementoss was crouching on the ground.
Kirishima hardened his arms and Sato swallowed small quantities of sugar that he took out from his pouch on his utility belt. They rushed over towards Cementoss for a direct frontal assault.
Cementoss pressed his hands on the ground and created a number of cement walls to block the U.A. students' path. Kirishima and Sato cooperatively punched one cement wall into pieces. With their enhanced strength, they rapidly destroyed more cement walls in fast speed. But Cementoss continued building more cement walls with his Quirk.
Back in the monitoring room, Uraraka looked happy while Luna and Izuku looked concerned.
"Come on, you guys! You've totally got him!" Uraraka cheered.
"They're not gonna win it like this." Luna informed.
Uraraka looked at Luna with confusion.
"Luna's right." Izuku agreed. "Their Quirks are amazing, but there's a limit to how long they can use them. They won't last forever. I don't think Mr. Cementoss has that kind of limit, though. The more time that passes by, the more of a disadvantage they're at."
"That's not good." Uraraka said with a worry face.
"It's no coincidence they were matched up. Mr. Aizawa's pinning students against teachers they'll have a hard time against." Izuku stated.
"And if we want to pass, we all have to identify and overcome our weaknesses." Luna added.
"Exactly right." Recovery Girl assured. "So, before it's time for your own final, you should think carefully about your compatibility with the teacher you're fighting."
I knew it. Luna and Izuku thought in unison.
Kirishima and Sato's direct frontal assault began to wane. They kept striking every cement wall that Cementoss continues to build with his Quirk. No matter how many walls they break, it's never-ending for them. To make the situation worse, Sato was beginning to look utterly drowsy and exhausted due to the sugar wearing off and Kirishima's hardening started to fade after he pierced more cement walls.
With the time limit of Hardening and Sugar Rush have finished, Cementoss produced more cement walls surrounding the U.A. students and instantly trapped them inside a cement pit.
Once Kirishima and Sato are ultimately knocked out, the buzzer blared.
"Sato and Kirishima have been knocked out! Exam over!" The speaker announced.
In the preparation room, Selene, Aisha, and Diana looked completely surprised to hear Sato and Kirishima's ultimate defeat against Cementoss.
Seriously?! No way! Diana said in shock. Kirishima...
Back in the monitoring room, Recovery Girl stood from her seat and started walking out of the room.
"It's only the first match and I'm already needed." Recovery Girl said.
"No way…It was that one sided?" Uraraka said in shock.
"Their Quirks were too ineffective against his." Izuku said.
"Not to mention, their Quirks aren't suitable for long-term battles." Luna added. Doesn't take me two seconds to know the difficulty of this exam. And on top of that, I have to go against the number one hero aka my dad with Bakugo and Midoriya.
Tokoyami and Tsuyu arrived at the center of the stage inside a huge building for their practical exam. They are prepared to face off with Ectoplasm.
"Team Asui and Tokoyami. Practical exam. Ready? Go!" The speaker announced.
On right cue, Ectoplasm immediately spawned his clones in front of the U.A. students. Tokoyami and Tsuyu stood in their defensive positions just as multiple Ectoplasm clones emerged from behind and surrounded the U.A. students.
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