My Hero Academia – Under Pressure – Season 3 – Episode 15 – The Test Arrives
As promised by the teachers of UA High, the students had ample time to work on their Ultimate Moves as the Provisional License Exams drew closer. Not that they slacked off on other work, but the teachers knew this should be a focus.
Class 1-B put every effort they could into their attacks and techniques. When they didn't think they had enough, they got some upgrades. For some, however, they couldn't figure out how to take that "next step."
While Oshibu already had a few speed-based ultimate moves worked out, he felt he was still limited in certain ways. He could attack with blinding speed, but his power was lacking at points.
After one session, he relaxed against a wall, Eri soon joined him and asked the obvious question, "Why so down?"
"Gah," he said in annoyance as he lowered his shades to look at her. "Quirks are still bound by certain laws of physics and such. Force is equal to mass times acceleration. I can go as fast as I want, but my body can only provide so much oomph. I can't break a stone pillar, and while I can annoy someone like Brick Break or Landshark, I can't exactly damage them. So what happens if I fight a villain like them? It's humbling to find out my speed isn't enough."
"Ha ha, I had a similar issue with my Quirk if you recall the Sports Festival. I can adapt and learn all I want, but if my Quirk is nullified? I'm a helpless babe. So do what I did, work around it."
"I'm open to suggestions."
Eri paused and thought about the situation, "You'd only need to beef up your punches somehow as you never use kicks when you attack."
Oshibu nodded, "For my Quirk to work I need to have my feet on a solid surface. Not even one foot will do. I have been able to 'cheat' before, like my wall running at the Sports Festival, but that's as far as I can push it."
"Right. So, just augment your costume to allow for more powerful punches. Say…metal gauntlets? That way you're added more mass to your punches and a focused point to do damage with. Just make sure you ask for padding to not break your knuckles and fingers."
"I like it. I'll get The Tinker on it. Feel free to copy it for yourself. I'm sure you'd make good use of it."
"I'll see how it works on you first, then I just might."
With his confidence back, Oshibu blitzed out of sight. An hour later, he had a prototype version of metal gauntlets. They were simple enough to not obstruct his speed while he blitzed, but were thick enough to add to his punching power.
To test it, he brought up a stone pillar, blitzed around it to build up speed, and then slammed the metal glove into it. Sure enough, he did serious damage to the stone structure, and his hand was no worse for wear outside of some small dents in the metal.
"Nice," Oshibu said with glee, "A few tweaks and I'll be ready for the exam!"
The others went through their own paces to ensure they were ready for the upcoming exams, and outside of one of them, they all helped each other when asked.
That pleased the teachers, as they believed, though they didn't say it out loud, that it would be crucial for the students to work together to come out on top. It was true they didn't know what tests the Provisional Licensing Exam would have, but they knew it wouldn't be easy.
As the final practice day winded down, the majority of Class 1-B were satisfied with their status. Those that didn't were simply because they couldn't really test their new gear in the gym, even with its technologies, or certain things built for them weren't ready yet.
At the dorm, while many of the students went to their rooms to relax and unwind before the exam the next day, some stayed in the common room and mingled.
That included Eri, Hana, Anno and Ueno. Each of whom had very different thoughts on the exam that was to come.
"It's going to make my head hurt for sure," noted Ueno as his wobble started up.
"Doesn't your head always hurt with that vertigo you have?" wondered Anno in his regular non-powered for.
"It's something you learn to live with."
"Something I can't live with is the stress before something big," admitted Hana. "I stress like crazy before big tests like these."
Eri couldn't help but laugh at the irony, "You're always so calm and collected when working with Kuroda on things. Can't say I was expecting that reveal."
"It's different, Eri. Teaching, guiding, instructing, that's easy for me to do, especially with Kuroda helping out. But when it comes to tests or exams like the one we're about to do? It's nerve-racking and I hate it! I put through my mind all the scenarios of what could go right and what could go wrong, it's annoying, but I can't stop doing it!"
Anno made a sound of understanding, "It likely is even worse because we don't know what the exam will be like tomorrow."
"I talked with Ebirima the other day, and she said when her brother did the exam, it was broken into two parts," revealed Eri as she twirled a pen between her fingers. "That's a lot of variables to consider."
"And my stress continues…" lamented Hana.
"You're welcome at my pity party," put out Ueno.
"Thanks."
Their shark classmate cleared his throat to make them stop, "Let's focus on what we do know! That way we can at least take a small bite of the meal we'll have tomorrow."
"What do we know?"
"The other schools will be involved! Shiketsu, Ketsubutsu, and others. So they'll need to do a test that could not only handle our Quirks, but showcase them in a way that prove we're ready for our provisional licenses."
Ueno paused his wobble as he thought about it, then went back to it, "Plus, there's only so many licenses they'll give out. Otherwise there'd be way more of us on the streets alongside Pro-Heroes."
"Very astute, Ueno," praised Eri with a point of the pen. "Yes, we'll have to be careful. For more reasons than one."
"Ominous," said Hana bluntly.
"It's the truth, and because of something Anno said. The other schools will be there, and UA has a reputation as being the most praised school in Japan. They'll gun for us, try to secure themselves a spot in the next round or take us out if it means getting further."
Anno pounded his fists together, "Let them try. We'll show how good we are, and that we deserved to be in the true best school in Japan."
"That's the spirit. As for you, Hana. It's ok to stress, it can help you be ready. But remember, no matter what the test is, you got us by your side."
That indeed brought comfort to the second-in-command, "Thanks, Eri. I am feeling a bit calmer. Let's keep talking this out and discuss possible test types we'll be under! That way if we're right, we're already somewhat prepared!"
The others liked that plan and talked for the next hour about everything that could happen at the exam. While they knew it was pretty much guesswork, it helped them mentally for what might come next, and that was enough.
In the rooms of the others students, they prepared in their own ways, even if it meant simply hitting the sack early so that they could be fully rested. The Twins did this after they made sure their machine parts were in proper working order. Kanagita also did this as she was very nervous about the event to come.
Others like Doza, Oshibu, Ikaim, Sanda, Ebirima, Iha, and Fenella and a few others did light things to unwind and to take their minds off things.
For Kuroda, she had a sinking feeling in her stomach based on something she felt she may face in the day to come. But she put on her bravest face and whispered words of encouragement to herself because she knew Class 1-B needed their class rep in peak form the next day.
Chuya did something else entirely. She went into a meditation stance and rested there for some time. Her father had taught her this technique, but she didn't use it much because of the anger that lied within her before. She felt her drive would be enough to carry her through any obstacle.
But after the Sports Festival and the summer training camp, she knew that wasn't the case. She felt that in this case, being as calm and focused in her mind was just as important in her body. Chuya knew that Tonen, Kuroda or some of the others might ask for her help in the exam, and she felt she needed to be ready to act on that request whenever possible.
Azujima meanwhile sat nervously on his bed and looked at his feet. This exam would be the true test of the new items he had in his arsenal. Tonen seemed very happy with how much The Tinker was able to make him, but due to the proximity of the others in the gym, he couldn't test them out. His teacher swore they would work in the field, but Azujima was more worried about whether HE would work in the field. He didn't want to let down his class be being the one to not pass the exam, and his fear was getting to him.
Goya put any fears and doubts away and rested comfortable in his room. He had no worries about what may come, as he felt his powers would carry him to victory no matter what.
Finally, Tonen did what he loved to do before events like this. He drew. Specifically, he drew himself doing his "Air Cyclone" move that he used for the first time days prior. He knew that the move wouldn't be enough to make him fully proficient in the field, but it was a start. He used two pages to help nail the effect. Tonen in his gear and doing the attack pose on one side, and the focused barrel of air spinning from one page to another.
He couldn't help but laugh as he saw it come to life. He knew it was a cool looking thing, and he hoped it would help in the exam.
Soon enough, after a bit more drawing, he felt it was time to turn in, and let sleep take hold of him.
When the morning came, the sound of knocking at his door jarred Tonen from his slumber.
"Tonen, it's me," spoke the voice of Kuroda on the other side, "time to get up."
He looked at his clock and saw it was barely after 7am. The teachers said they wouldn't come get them until 8:30, so he was both confused…and groggy as he'd rather be in bed.
With a groan, went to the door and opened up. Not surprisingly, Kuroda was already fully dressed and ready to embrace the day.
"Good morning, big brother."
"It would be a good morning if I got to keep sleeping for another half-hour or so and not be suddenly woken up by my big sister."
"Come now, it's a big day, and I want to make sure everyone is in tip-top shape before we go meet the teachers."
"Even Goya?" put out Tonen with a small smirk.
"Eh, he can rot." Kuroda said bluntly with her own smirk. "But help me get the others up so we can get breakfast and then make sure we're all ready."
"Alright…give me a minute…"
He kindly shut the door and then proceeded to get dressed in his street clothes. They would get dressed into their hero garb once they were at the exam location and were about to take the test. Which was fine by them as some of their garbs were a little hard to put on, especially in the morning.
Once dressed, he and Kuroda woke most of the others up and got them to the common room so they could eat and talk.
The mood was light, and that's how Kuroda wanted it. She didn't want anyone panicking or worrying about what might happen with the exam. She just wanted them to know that they'd do great and they would be supported no matter what.
"We'll look out for each other," Kuroda said confidently. "And even if one of us fails, we won't say a word about it. Unless it's Goya, because he's a dick."
That got a laugh from the class and the mood got even lighter.
Tonen helped Kuroda, per her request, to keep everyone in good spirits. They could tell that some were still very antsy about the exam, so they helped out as best they could.
Eventually, and after a certain classmate entered the room without a word to the others, Angel Wings showed up, "Good morning, Class 1-B!"
"Good morning, Angel Wings," they said back.
"I made sure to use your class designation today because it's important for what's coming. You and Class 1-A won't be in the same exam, you'll take different ones, much like many of the classes from the other schools you'll mingle with today. Your outfits will be on the bus and given to you before the exam takes place. Any final questions before we go?"
Azujima nervously raised his hand, "Angel Wings?"
"Yes, Azujima?"
"What…happens if one of us fails the exams?"
While Tonen looked at his friend sadly, as he knew why he asked that, the others focused on Angel Wings, because they wanted to know that too.
Angel Wings sighed and put on a comforting face for them all, "It will depend on when you fail. If you make it to a certain point, you'll only need to take remedial classes to fulfill the qualifications to get your provisional licenses. If you fail early on, you'll need to take the test again at a future point in time."
A few members of the class, including Azujima, hung their heads at this, as fear gripped them. Angel Wings did a frantic motion with her hands to make it clear she didn't think that would happen.
"I'm sure you'll all be fine! And you all should think positive thoughts as you head into the exam. It does you no good to worry about things you can't predict. Ok?"
"Yes, Angel Wings," replied most of the class.
"Great, alright, off the bus!"
She motioned to the door, and they all departed one by one, with Goya bringing up the rear.
"Mr. Ramasu," Angel Wings call out softly as he went by her.
"Yes?" he said curtly.
"Did you read the letter sent to you by Principal Ayatsune last night?"
"…I did."
"So you understand what'll happen if you mess with your classmates during the exam?"
"…I do."
"Good," she replied, a rather venomous look on her face. "This is a big day for all of you, you'll need to work together to survive. That includes you. So don't make things more difficult than they have to be. Or else failing the exam will be the least of your worries. Off to the bus with you."
Goya held his tongue, but the teacher could tell he was fuming because he was once again being held down. She didn't care though, as it was his own fault he was getting such treatment.
Begrudgingly, he left for the bus, and she grew a wry smile as she followed.
With everyone on the bus and ready to go, they headed to the National Dagobah Arena. It was there that the exam would be held. None of them had been there before, so they had no insight into how everything would shape up for the exam.
Once they arrived, they quickly got off the bus and looked around. They weren't the first ones there, and they could see the uniforms of certain schools as they headed into the arena.
"Are we facing all of them?" Kanagita wondered aloud.
"It depends on the test," noted Doza, though he took looked worriedly at the bunches of students he saw.
"Do I have enough gum to handle that many people?" Ebirima asked herself.
Fenella put an arm around her friend supporting, "Remember, you're not alone, lass. You won't have to do it all yourself."
"That's right," chimed in Angel Wings as she got out in front of them. "Alright, stay close as we head in together. I'll make sure we're all checked in and then we'll go to the main area where we'll await word on the exam."
She motioned to follow her and they did just that.
But it wasn't too long before a very over the top, and condescending, voice rang out and said, "Tsuru, is that you?"
Standing not too far from their group was another batch of students, but in front of them was a red-headed man whose posture screamed that he felt he knew better than all of them combined.
"Oh no," Angel Wings muttered to herself before forcing a smile and saying, "Mikaha! Glad to see you and your students made it."
"Same to you!" he replied as he came over, grabbed her hands and shook them vigorously. Mikaha then looked at the students struggled to hide a mocking smile, "My word! Are you sure your students are ready for the exam? I think some of them are ready to keel over at slight breeze!"
"My students are fine, and I've taught them well. You do recall last year's exams, right? How many of my students passed compared to yours?"
Class 1-B snickered as they didn't need to know the answer due to how the rival teacher reacted. But Angel Wings kept a smile on her face.
Mikhaha straightened up and brought back his over-the-top expression, "This year will be different, you'll see that soon enough. Come along, class."
He departed, but not before the two classes stared one another down. In front of the class was a set of three girls, and they glared right at Tonen and Kuroda, who stood before 1-B. One of the girls made a menacing motion across her throat with a finger.
Tonen "replied" by pretending he was going to speak, then exhaling sharply to lightly release his Quirk. The air wave hit them, and Kuroda wagged a finger at the lot to show they aren't intimidated so easily. The trio of ladies scoffed before they led their class away.
"Jerks," Kuroda and Tonen said together.
Angel Wings sighed as she watched them leave, "I blame the teacher more than the students. But let that be a small taste of what you might face. Come on, let's see what awaits us inside."
She again motioned for them to follow, and they once again did so.
As they entered the arena, they were surprised at how business-like it appeared. There were desks with various people who checked in with various adults and Pro-Heroes like Angel Wings. There were charts and graphs showing off past exams in various metrics.
"I wonder if these are meant to intimidate us," asked Eri as she looked at one of the charts.
Ikaim scratched his head as he pondered it too, "Yeah, as if we weren't stressed enough! Now we have to think about how we compare to past classes and years!"
Kuroda grabbed their shoulders and wheeled them around to force them away, "That's why you keep your heads on straight. We don't worry about the past, we don't worry about the future, we worry about right now."
The two nodded in agreement and Class 1-B waited for Angel Wings to finish their registration so they could proceed.
Once done, she guided them to a large area where all the students gathered. They patiently waited for instructions, and eventually, a man in a suit led a similarly dressed group to a table at the front of the area.
They sat down, and the sharp-dressed man grabbed a microphone and tapped it, "Greetings students. You are here today to prove one thing, and one thing only, if you are ready for your provisional licenses. My name Iseshiba Gobei, and I'm part of one of the governing bodies that oversees all schools in Japan. While we have many great Pro-Heroes in our nation, we must always bring in new ones to battle new threats. However, that doesn't mean you're ready for such tasks. Hence our exam."
The various students murmured at this. He cleared his throat to show he was about to speak again.
"Your test today will be in two parts…"
"Just like my brothers'!" whispered Ebirima to some of the others.
"…the first part will be meant to see how you react to an overwhelming situation. Inspired by the recent UA Sports Festival, we decided that phase one will be a free-for-all knockout tournament."
That got an even bigger reaction from the students, as they hadn't suspected something so brutal.
Gobei ignored their reaction and overrode them, "Before you step onto the battlefield, you'll be given a special headband to wear. Once placed on your head, it won't release until we give it a signal. Nor will any of your Quirks be able to affect them. We've done extensive tests to ensure that. These headbands will monitor your brain waves, when they detect that you've been knocked out, it'll send a signal to us that you've been beaten and you'll be removed from the zone."
Many in Class 1-B looked at each other in worry, they knew what this kind of chaos could be like, and given certain things they were told, they knew how bad it could be for them.
"Some of you might think this is unfair due to how some of your Quirks are. But that's part of the point of this test. Not all the fights you do will be fair. Not all villains you face will have an ability that matches up perfectly to yours. You'll need to adapt and survive if you wish to make it through. As such, only the last 120 students standing will make it to the next round.
The uproar from this was booming. Even Class 1-B were shocked by this reveal. As that would mean that if all twenty of them made it, they'd be 1/6 of all that remained, and given that there were over a thousand students in the area with them, that would be a tall order indeed.
Annoyed a bit by the loudness of the room, Gobei stood up and just as loudly cleared his throat again, "Whether you like the test or not is immaterial. You won't like every fight you get into in the real world. Your licenses will be vital for your training. So if you feel you deserve them, give your all to earn them. You'll have thirty minutes to get ready and get to the battlefield. Once the round starts, it won't stop until we signal that only 120 students remain. You've been assigned changing rooms where your hero garbs lie. Get dressed, put on your headbands, and get ready for the test."
The mass of students quickly dispersed as they didn't want to waste a minute. Kuroda and Tonen gave the signal for them to do the same.
As promised, their hero outfits were waiting for them, and they all got suited up in a hurry. As they left, an attendant was there to distribute the headbands.
As Tonen put his on, he could feel it attach to his skin. He even felt a tiny jolt, no doubt from the circuitry that was inside it, "Could've warned us about the shock…"
Once prepared, they were guided to a specific part of the battlefield. To the guys and gals surprise, the room they had been in before had unfolded to expose a massive set piece where plenty of fights could take place without fear of the outside getting hurt at all.
Multiple terrains were present, and as they saw the other students file out into other areas, they noticed something. They were all glaring at them.
Some of them even heard whispers blaming the UA students for the tough exam.
"Putting blame on us just because we had a Sports Festival that was awesome, classy," balked Oshibu.
"A shark knows better than most when there's a feeding frenzy about to happen," warned Anno with rare nervousness, "I have a feeling we're chum in their eyes."
"Then let's show them that we won't go down easily," came a voice.
They turned to see Kuroda, CIW in hand and face full of determination, she had Hana and Eri next to her and they all went to Tonen.
"We don't have much time, so let's talk strategy," she began with both confidence and urgency. "They'll come right after us the moment we start. Should we all stay together and fight them off."
Eri shook her head, "That would be unwise. Some of our Quirks don't mesh together or require room to maneuver. It also could leave some of us vulnerable if we're not careful."
"If we split up though, they could potentially pick us off, and we all want to finish this together," stated Hana honestly.
"We can split up and still be ok if we do large enough groups. Ones that balance each other out. We can also put a certain duo on recon to help out all sides. Plus, thanks to Iha, we have a bit of an ace in the hole…"
He looked to Iha, who was nearby, tapped a part of his suit where something was concealed and gave her a thumbs up. She smirked and gave one back.
"We can't use that right off the bat," cautioned Kuroda, "so how should we handle things to start?"
"I say, we go big at first, and while they're recovering, we break off and see how they handle our smaller units."
Eri was intrigued by this, "What did you have in mind, Tonen?"
"Since you asked…"
He brought the class together and told them the plan. All was on board, save for Goya, who said nothing at the plan.
With everyone in the know, they waited for the exam to begin. They didn't have to wait long, as an intercom soon sounded and the voice of Iseshiba Gobei rang out once more.
"Students," he began, "your exam will start momentarily. Remember, only 120 of you will make it to the next round. Do not let your guard down until you hear us announce the test is over."
"What happens if there's someone who can make sounds like Projection?" wondered The Twins.
Wasuke shook his head with a displeased grunt to match, "Something we can't ignore. We'll just have to brace for whatever the other students may have!"
"…with that all said," Gobei continued, "the first part of the Provisional License Exam shall begin…now!"
A horn blared, and the mass of students moved to one another.
As Class 1-B predicted, many of the nearby students came to them first in an attempt to take them out.
"Get rid of UA!" shouted one as they prepared their Quirk.
"We'll show you who's the best!" cried out another as they also prepped for attack.
"Quake, now!" ordered Tonen with a motion.
Sanda touched the ground, and with a roar he raised it up. A massive dome of dirt appeared around the entirety of Class 1-B, and shielded them from the immediate attacks.
Hana pointed to Doza, "Your turn!"
"On it!" Doza replied.
He went to the dome and used his resonance frequency to shatter it. That would've confused most, as it was a great defensive strategy for the early goings.
However, Tonen knew the truth. Doza didn't dissolve it fully, he merely broke it into smaller pieces. Pieces that would be good projectiles…with a little air pressure behind them.
"Everyone down!" Tonen shouted to his classmates.
They all did so, and Tonen exhaled fiercely to launch a 360 blast of air that caught the shattered rocks and mounds of dirt and sent them flying in all directions toward the students that were nearby.
While some were able to get out of the way, others were pelted by them. Though small, they had mass and speed, and were able to hit with solid concussive force.
As such, many were knocked out. Class 1-B rose to their feet and prepared themselves. They made the first salvo, but more would be coming.
"The teachers kept telling us that teamwork would help us get through that exam. We didn't know if they were right. But after that first attack, and our counterattack, we knew we could survive this. Not because we had the best Quirks, the best training, or the best teachers. It's because we had the best people, and we were going to make sure we all made it through no matter what."
Kuroda pointed her sword toward their rivals and let out a battle cry, "Alright Class 1-B! Let's show them what we're all about!"
*credits
