Hello again, everyone. Well, I'm happy to say that you're all in for what I can only hope you consider to be a treat this week, because as I've come to find I usually do when dealing with these widespread events in the MHA manga, I had a lot of fun writing my own turn of events around this one. For the sake of pacing and not simply transcribing to you the entirety of the events as they're portrayed in the manga, there are certain sequences of events I decided not to showcase here in order to focus on Nikolay's experience. I figure those of you who have read the manga or watched the anime are already more than familiar with what originally happens during this part anyway.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this new chapter. I'd like to give another thankful shout-out to my two beta readers, Mizu and Jonny for their constant support and assistance in helping make this story the best it can be.

For those of you who have been dropping by my account in order to see the chapter covers with their corresponding chapters that I've been uploading every Saturday, I feel I should inform you all that I'm only going to be uploading them as each cover is completed, and as I've just reached the most recently completed one, and am currently having a holiday-based piece of artwork made for uploading hopefully soon, that means the wait for new chapter covers to marvel or simply peruse through will be considerable, perhaps by a few weeks.

My Hero Academia is the property of Kouhei Horikoshi and Shonen Jump. I only own my original characters, the original events surrounding them, and the alterations in established events that occur from their existence.

A/N: [[]] indicates that characters are contextually speaking Russian.

Chapter 56

Elimination Round

(Отборочный Раунд)

August 18th

After a great deal of precise planning and communication over the last two days, the time had finally arrived. Tomura Shigaraki and Kurogiri waited in brooding silence in the dark confines of their temporary hideaway, the very same one they had extracted Vukodlak to, to be precise.

Finally, keeping a close eye on the nearby clock upon the wall, and keeping in constant mind the precise time he and their soon-to-be visitor and their related associate had agreed upon, Kurogiri proceeded to open up a large enough warp gate for a full-grown adult to step through. Soon enough, that was exactly what they were met with, as a familiar sharp-dressed, smoking middle-aged man with short grey hair, sunglasses and a wide grin with a gap in his teeth stepped through, closely accompanied by a younger adult man with a half-shaved head of especially shiny, wavy and cream-colored hair in a sleeveless dark blue turtleneck and camouflaged cargo pants and cheap sneakers. The most standout feature of this unfamiliar young face, though, was a pair of empty slits running along the length of his forearms.

"I apologize for having forced you to put your resources to such effort on such short notice, Giran-san." Kurogiri immediately apologized to the sharp-dressed man the League of Villains had always simply referred to as 'The Broker' the moment the warp gate had closed behind him and his new associate.

However, the League of Villains' titular broker himself only smiled the way he always did when conducting business; a never-ending circumstance for one who had such extensive connections in the Japanese underworld. "Hey, no need to apologize at all, Kurogiri-san! I'm glad you decided to finally reach out to me after so much time. After what happened between your masked friend, All Might and that lumbering Russian Tunguska friend of his, I was actually starting to worry you all had disbanded. After all, you've already been proving to be some of my most valued customers."

"Not disbanded; simply scattered to lessen our chances of being found by those Heroes. Now, is this the one you had promised to find us?" Tomura asked as blunt and coldly as ever, locking eyes with the unfamiliar young man at Giran's side, who was likewise looking the white-haired Villain back, with a look in his icy blue eyes that clearly showed a lack of genuine impression.

"Indeed it is. Care to introduce yourself, my friend?" Giran invited the young man to step forward and hopefully ease the initial tension he'd come to expect when bringing new faces before the League's official leader.

Without a trace of fear, the young stranger stepped forward, looking both Villains before him in the eye. Finally, he gave only the slightest of bows in greeting. "Kakusushi Ai, at your service. So are you the one I'm meant to conceal from the rest of the world? I certainly hope so, because if you're aiming for me to do something about your misty friend over there, then I'm afraid you'll have to find someone else with a more varied Quirk."

Despite his straightforwardness, there was a similar cockiness lining his tone that, as usual, really got under Tomura's skin, not helped by the somewhat desperate circumstances the League now found itself in. However, he still knew he couldn't allow his distaste and temper to foul this up, as he continued to stare Kakusushi Ai down. "No, not me. You're here to assist our newest member in preparation for our latest mission, and those to come. Come on out."

Tomura called back to a darkened corner of the warehouse, and soon Giran and Ai were being approached by a single pair of rhythmic but clearly driven footsteps. Slowly emerging from the thickness of the shadows, though, stood on two legs, a single decently built man dressed entirely in black, clearly of foreign descent by his aged face (with only the slightest Asian trace around his grey eyes, now devoid of any scars around them), with short black hair with a few touches of grey, a slight stubble lining his rigid jaw, and who only stood about six inches taller than Tomura himself. One of the more eye-catching features, though, was that his clearly strong-looking hands were topped with claws cast in metal.

Anyone who had only seen this grizzled face one time through the news wouldn't have been able to recognize this man as he stood now, but for someone like Giran, whose entire business was built on the value of underworld information, he was immediately able to recognize the man standing before him, even without his distinctive eye scars or blinded eyes now. The grin on his face seemed to somehow become even further amused. "Well now, this is most interesting. It's a pleasure to finally meet you face-to-face, Vukodlak-san. Can't say I've ever had the acquaintance of a foreign Villain before today. Shigaraki-san, how the hell did you manage to not only remove his scars and regrow his leg, but somehow even manage to get him out of a place like Tartarus without the whole country finding out?"

Tomura had once again started looking Vukodlak over in a sideways glance, while the man himself didn't take his eyes off the two new faces before them, as though he were focusing fully on everything around him at once. "The loss of Sensei has forced us to rethink our methods. The League of Villains isn't currently in a state where we can afford to draw the Heroes' attention on ourselves, so we've taken to exercising greater caution in securing our newest member."

With that concise explanation, Giran looked to be visibly satisfied, as he gave Ai a hearty slap on the back. "Well, that's good enough for me. It took me quite some time to find you, Kakusushi-san, so go ahead and do your thing. Let's just hope it's as worth it as I've heard."

However, the young man at his side simply shot a disapproving glare at the grinning middle-aged man. "It's not that cut-and-dry. I can change my face to whatever I want when I need to, but I didn't build my reputation just by being all willy-nilly with what I give the people who seek me out. As a businessman, I would think you'd appreciate that. So then, Vukodlak-san, exactly what are you looking for? Just give me a simple rundown of the features, and I'll take over from there."

Ai looked to fall into a state of trance; his eyes rolling into the back of his head in focus, while Vukodlak clutched tight onto the sleeves of his shirt and clenched the toes on both his feet in nostalgic thought. "Fully black hair, just down to my shoulders, grey eyes, thinner with a less squared jaw, slightly smaller ears and just that much thinner of a nose. Around twenty years old as far as age goes."

Ai took in a series of increasingly deeper breaths; his entire body starting to tremble as he groaned with what sounded like growing effort. Within a minute, however, an ever-growing transparent film began to expend from the thin opening along his left forearm, and once enough to completely enshroud a full-grown human head had come out, his eyes suddenly returned to normal, and he nonchalantly tore the film free from his arm, holding it out to Vukodlak. "Just wrap this around your head as though you were donning a ski mask, and see for yourself."

Vukodlak wasted no time with questions, instead simply doing as instructed, while Ai quickly withdrew a handheld mirror from the pocket of his own shirt. Once Vukodlak had wrapped the whole shroud around his head, he could feel the material adhering to his skin. Within seconds, it no longer felt as though he were wearing anything over his face. It felt as though he was wearing the very same skin and nothing had changed.

Upon opening his eyes, Vukodlak was met with a perfectly flexible and all-natural face of much more youthful vigor upon his broad shoulders. No signs of age, damage or grey. To anyone else, he looked like just about any other young man barely in his twenties, albeit with an exceptionally sculpted body that could only have been obtained by his years of experience. To his own eyes, however, he was looking upon a very familiar once-distant face. "Would I be correct in assuming this change is permanent?"

"No, not at all. You can just feel for the edge of it below the nape of your neck and remove it and put it back on at will. Just make sure you don't lose track of it. I don't work with the same people twice." Ai explained while Vukodlak kept looking his new and familiar face over from every angle with a satisfied smirk, and Kurogiri and Tomura both waited in respective patience and impatience.

"Well, I must say that's a relief. As happy as I am to see my younger self again, I was honestly starting to get used to seeing how I looked these days." The moment Vukodlak mentioned this fact, however, both Tomura and Kurogiri visibly shifted in notice.

"Vukodlak-san, are you sure it's really wise to be wearing your own face as a disguise, regardless if it's younger or not? If you are to ultimately go after Tunguska for us, then surely he would recognize you in an instant with the history you have." Kurogiri noted, while Vukodlak already proceeded to take the young face off his head, to which it instantly returned to the transparent nondescript film within his hand.

"Oh, please, Kurogiri-san, I'm not that reckless, no matter how much of a soft spot I may have for poetics; and admittedly, tearing Tunguska and Kolya's hearts out while wearing the face of that bastard's old sidekick sounds like perfect poetic payback to me. No, I just wanted to see if our young friend here's Quirk was as good as your associate said it was. So is it really as simple as you made it sound?"

At first, Ai and Giran both looked genuinely annoyed at the insinuation of Vukodlak's words. However, Kurogiri was quick to intervene. "Further apologies, Giran-san, Kakusushi-san. We have no doubts in the validity of either your information or your Quirk. Do please try to understand that Vukodlak-san is still quite new to the Japanese Villain underground as of right now. A verbal vote of confidence can only carry so much weight until one sees it with their own eyes."

Thankfully, this seemed to get Ai to lower his shoulders some as he just gave a tired sigh. "Whatever. As long as you're willing to pay me for the effort of making two masks, then we won't have a problem here. As for you, Russkie-san, if you really have to know, it primarily works by my having all the primary details of any face in mind, putting it all together into a singular picture in my head, and straining it out through these openings as if I were working one of those really old-timey printing wheels in my head, like they had way back in the earliest days of printed type."

As Ai explained this, Vukodlak looked to be at full attention, as though he were dedicating every single detail to memory. Ai was quick to notice this once he was finished, and the sight of it couldn't help but draw out an especially wry chuckle. "Quite the inquisitive type, aren't you? Whatever, it's not like knowing how my Quirk works does you any kind of good. Now come on, hurry up and tell me the real type of face you're looking for so we can get this over with."

'Not yet, anyway.' As Vukodlak thought this to himself, he silently gave a single motion with the fingers of his right hand hanging at his side, just outside of Ai's field of view, but well within Kurogiri's, who immediately proceeded to act on the sight of it as had been discussed well before this meeting.

Within seconds, a pair of small warp gates opened from behind both Vukodlak and Ai's heads. Just as quickly did the Russian Villain and his two allies hear the voice of All For One emanate from within their heads. 'Finally.'

Before either Giran or Ai could react, a pair of hands suddenly emerged from both gates, clutching tight onto Ai and Vukodlak's heads. Just as the young man began to cry out in confusion to what was happening, he suddenly felt an agonizing draining sensation within every fiber of his being, while Vukodlak could feel the exact opposite coursing through his body at the same time.

Within seconds, with an instantaneous effect like the flipping of a switch, not only did the openings on Ai's arms suddenly disappear like they had never been there to begin with, but so too did his youthful appearance, now being replaced by a man closer to Giran's age, with wispy black hair and a sunken, pallid face with exhausted eyes and several missing teeth, now resembling a vagrant more than anything else.

At the exact same time, Vukodlak could suddenly feel a jolt erupt throughout his body, as the very same thin openings just as quickly planted themselves into the lengths of his forearms under his sleeves. As soon as this still-quite-painful surge began to dissipate, and the hands removed themselves from the two mens' heads, Vukodlak could already feel these new additions to his body. It honestly felt as though they had been there his entire life, even if the pain in his head was still too much to just ignore.

As this entire occurrence happened, Giran could only look on with shock, while Tomura and Kurogiri watched in silent contemplation. It had taken a good long while for Tomura to be able to swallow and process the knowledge Kurogiri, the doctor, and ultimately All For One himself had shared with him: that Vukodlak had the immeasurably rare trait of being able to possess a number of Quirks simultaneously without having to be turned into a Nomu.

In his own way, the wrinkle-faced field leader of the League of Villains was on a precipitous standing with this information. As All For One's chosen student and heir apparent to his power for years, and especially having known only him to possess such an ability, on top of the ability to bestow Quirks to others at will, he had silently driven himself to believe he would be the only one to have such a boon. To know their newest face possessed this gift instead didn't sit right with him, not at all.

However, by now he had realized he was in no position to further question All For One's methods and decision, especially as he continued to make it clear that everything that was happening was ultimately all for Tomura himself. He would still be the one to stand atop the ruins of Hero society as the world knew it, and until that day came, he would simply have to accept the circumstances of gaining himself the strongest followers.

Vukodlak was curled up into a trembling pained ball on the floor, barely managing to stay on the flats of his feet while clutching his head tight to deal with the pain of this newly added Quirk rooting its way into the very essence of his being. At the same time, the now decrepit-looking Kakusushi Ai was in the fetal position on his side on the floor, broken out into a frigid sweat as he kept feeling himself all over, almost looking more like an addict suffering the worst kind of withdrawal while struggling to formulate words. "I… I-I don't… w-what… what happened?! What did you bastards do to me?! Why can't I… w-why can't I… WHY CAN'T I FEEL MY QUIRK ANYMORE?!"

As his panic and confusion melded into an almost animalistic fever pitch, Ai suddenly felt a hand clasp onto his head in a full grip that sent a devastating tearing spike of pain through every last centimeter of his body, as though he were coming apart from the inside out.

"What point would there be in explaining it to you?" Tomura asked coldly as he kept his hold on the broken man beneath him, watching with those monstrous, bloodshot red eyes, as Kakusushi Ai's entire body began to crack all over from the palm of his hand, like a figure made of clay finally coming apart after centuries of age.

The now-Quirkless man before them all didn't even let out the faintest whimper of confusion, before his body ultimately crumbled piece by piece into a pile of dust, with Tomura Shigaraki's now empty hand hovering just where his head had once been. It was as though he'd efficiently been erased from existence itself, all while Vukodlak slowly struggled back up to his feet, and Giran could only keep watching with a noticeably nervous twitch on his still-maintained smile.

As the ringing in Vukodlak's head slowly but surely began to fade, he could already feel this new disguising Quirk taking root inside. This plan that had only lasted but a few moments had taken a great deal of preparation on both sides to make happen. From the moment Vukodlak had managed to finally regenerate his long-lost leg, it had been decided that such a measure as this would need to be taken if he was to move around for the League that much easier, and only someone like Giran would have the connections to find someone with the right Quirk and the right amount of secrecy so that people wouldn't ask questions if they were to suddenly disappear. Kurogiri had personally vouched for the man in that regard.

Once the meeting had been set, it had also been decided that from the moment it would start, with the time he had been given, All For One would maintain a telepathic link with all three of his fellow Villains, and Vukodlak, Kurogiri and Tomura would all similarly project from their minds, everything they learned from their now-deceased visitor about how his Quirk worked, and it would ultimately be up to them then to make the call if this Quirk would be worth taking and bestowing, and if All For One felt Kurogiri's gates open once again within his straitjacket sleeves, that would tell him what their decision had ultimately been.

"I… well, hardly be it for me to ask questions of my clients that ultimately don't concern me, but I suppose I could be willing to make an exception this one time. What exactly was that for? He could have proven to be a very valuable associate for future work." Giran finally asked once the initial shock had worn off, not only of having watched his associate get disintegrated, but mainly of having watched him just get his Quirk stolen.

Vukodlak could still feel the heavy pounding in the back of his skull, but he still somehow managed to find the wherewithal to actually answer him: "It was his own fault, really. In my years working to kill Heroes, I've had to work with more than my fair share of unsavory little vermin… and as such, I've learned to peg the good ones from the bad ones. An insistence and eagerness to try and jack up their prices for their services is one of the biggest telltale signs of a bad one. It just proves they're more than willing to flip on you the moment someone comes along who can offer even more money for answers. Getting rid of him was for the best. Besides, you heard him just as well as we did: he never would have worked with any of us beyond this point."

To theirs and Kurogiri's simultaneous surprise, Tomura actually found himself feeling a sense of agreement, as he locked eyes with Giran himself. "He's right. If you don't want to lose your associates, you should make sure they're the kind of people you can trust to keep their mouths shut and not go popping off at the wrong times to the wrong people. You're the middle-man, they should at least know well enough to wait until the job is done and they're long gone from us before they start asking about money. The fact you've come through for us on several occasions and haven't gone running your mouth yourself is the only reason you're not joining him right now."

The chilling seriousness in Tomura's tone really seemed to hit the point home for Giran, as he soon managed to stop just barely trembling, and got his confident grin back to normal. At the same time, Vukodlak was similarly smiling, even with the pain still visible in his eyes. "That all being said, though, you bringing him here was ultimately for the best. If we're going to be able to pull off whatever you've got in mind for us, Shigaraki-san, then we can never have too many people with the capabilities of infiltrating the harder spots around this country. I'm sure all the others will be grateful for the extra helping hand I can now offer. Though if this Quirk could actually make up other Quirks to go with the faces, I'm sure he would've even gone and shared that, too."

Without another word needing to be said, and not wanting to waste much more valuable time, Kurogiri approached Giran with a single briefcase in hand he presented to the man. Giran wordlessly opened up, only to be greeted by a full pristine set of 10,000 yen bills, numbering to, by his instinctive eye for detail, ten million yen. With a sigh of relief, he hurriedly locked the briefcase back up and took it with a grateful bow. "Thank you once more, gentlemen, for your patronage. I'm sure it goes without saying, but if ever you need my assistance again, you know how to reach me."

Of course, he was also especially grateful for the fact that, with this much cash on hand, and with Ai now being dead, he didn't have to split his profits anymore. Of course, after what he'd just witnessed as a result of the aforementioned man's impatient greed, there was no way in hell he was about to say so out loud. Thus, with no further ado, Kurogiri proceeded to reopen the warp gate for Giran to step through before closing back up, now leaving himself, Tomura and the currently pale-faced Vukodlak alone once more.

Despite his lightheadedness, the Russian Villain somehow still managed to keep standing up straight as he turned to address his two fellows: "I'm sorry for having forced you all to stay silent while I had to take that time putting this Super Regeneration Quirk to the test. Shigaraki-san, if you know exactly what it is you want me to do to prove myself, all you need to do is say the word."

Tomura could definitely appreciate the man's willingness to act, even despite how clear it was that adding yet another Quirk to his possession had taken a toll on his energy as it was. "Your spirit is commendable, but as we are right now, even with the Quirks that Sensei has given you to help us, we're still not ready to go to open war with the Heroes and their society yet. However, we do now have the capabilities for you and the others to help us obtain the information on our enemies that Sensei was hoping you'd be able to find for us. We'll have that Broker find someone who can help us find the information so you and Toga can launch a multi-pronged infiltration maneuver on those brats and their teachers."

After having just killed a man in such cold blood without warning, Vukodlak couldn't help but find it fascinating how Tomura could still speak in that ice-cold quiet way, and yet still manage to radiate such enthusiasm at the same time. "You sound quite confident and sure of exactly what it is you're looking for already."

As Kurogiri read the room and proceeded to open another gate to take them back to their hideout, Tomura had a smile forming underneath the hand on his face. "I am, thanks in no small part to the doctor stating exactly what he's hoping we can obtain for him that can help us be better prepared for when the time finally comes to kick the Heroes right in the teeth where it hurts. The second of this year's Provisional Hero License Exams is coming soon, as well, so we thankfully won't have to wait for long. It's simply a matter of figuring out where Midoriya, Bezpalov and the rest of those brats will be taking it."

Takoba National Stadium, September 1st

Despite the overlying air of nervousness and anticipation that continued to hang over the heads of the entirety of Class 1-A in the wake of their approaching Provisional Hero License exam, right now all they could feel was a great deal of confusion after what they had just learned about the frighteningly enthusiastic young man they had just encountered from what was essentially their rival Hero school in prestige and reputation, Shiketsu High: Inasa Yoarashi.

"He says that he loves Yuuei and stuff, and yet he actually rejected his admission offer? I don't get it." "Yeah, he's weird." Hanta and Mina stated bluntly, and they couldn't have been preaching more to the choir if they'd tried. Such a juxtaposition from his outward attitude was something Nikolay especially couldn't wrap his head around. Of course, that wasn't the only thing about this Inasa character that was prominently on his mind, just the same as it was for Aizawa.

"You all may think he's weird, but that doesn't make him any less powerful. Make no mistake that Yoarashi Inasa is the real deal. You'd all best take note of him." Indeed, the more Nikolay and his classmates thought of the fact that he had apparently scored the highest out of every single one of the entrance exam participants, the more that made it apparent that he had the potential to even be stronger than Shoto; a thought that made Nikolay instinctively shudder. 'Please don't let this exam consist of another fighting tournament. Please.'

"Eraser?! Eraserhead, is that you?!" The sudden intrusion of an unfamiliar adult woman's voice actually managed to make Aizawa visibly flinch, which was enough of a shocking sight to have all of Class 1-A turn in curious unison to see a single woman around their teacher's age approach eagerly with a bright smile stretching from ear to ear. She had long mint green hair with an orange bandanna atop her head, dark green eyes, a black sleeveless buttoned shirt, a black and white belt lined with yellow smiley faces atop a pair of orange and green-striped shorts, tall black boots, and a long pair of orange and yellow-striped wrist guards that ended in thick white cuffs, and yellow gloves with rings on every finger. "I saw you on TV and at the Sports Festival, but it's been so long since we last got to see each other face-to-face!"

By this point, the fact that Izuku seemed to recognize this mysterious new woman instantly was hardly a surprise to any more of the class. What was really surprising was the way she somehow managed to get under Aizawa's skin in a matter of seconds, judging by the especially dark and visibly bothered grimace on his tired face.

Just as Izuku was instinctively about to open his mouth and start going down every detail of just who their unexpected visitor was, the woman in question suddenly began wagging her finger toward their teacher as though she were beckoning him forward: "LET'S GET MARRIED!"

All at once, Aizawa's painfully blunt and un-amused "No thanks" was drowned out by the piercing squeal of love-struck joy that Mina instinctively let out at the very sound of this woman's proposal to their curmudgeon of a teacher. The sudden tonal whiplash of all of this was the only thing keeping Nikolay from falling into a red-faced stuttering fluster at the sudden mental association of potential love and Mina together… at least for the first few seconds. From there his mind was once again awhirl alongside his suddenly racing heart, thinking all the way back to that very same conversation back at the dorms two weeks ago and all the questions that had been plaguing his mind and heart since then.

While that internal cluster was going on, Aizawa's refusal had done nothing more than get a roaring (nearly spewing) laugh from this green-haired woman making an energetic scene in front of his whole class. "'No thanks?' Good one, Eraser!"

"As always, you've got an un-amusing sense of humor, Joke." Aizawa grumbled underneath his wrappings, thankfully not nearly as blindsided by her sudden marriage proposal as his students all visibly were, with Ochako looking nearly as red in the face as Nikolay was, and Mina watching on with sparkles in her black-gold eyes, as though she were watching a literal fairy tale romance unfold.

However, the moment a single gap in their personal conversation presented itself, Izuku couldn't contain his own excitement anymore: "I can't believe it! The Smile Hero, Ms. Joke! Her Quirk is called 'Roaring Laughter!' By forcing the people around her to laugh, she impairs their cognitive and motor skills! Her Villain suppression techniques are insane!"

As Izuku proceeded with his latest episode of fanboy rambling, Nikolay had thankfully managed to ride out the majority of his earlier fluster enough to actually listen, and upon learning of this woman and her Quirk, he actually felt a reactive quip of his own just as quickly come to mind: "Well, in that case, Tokoyami-san, Iida-san, Todoroki-san and Bakugo might as well be invincible. Can't laugh if they don't have a sense of humor."

Thankfully it wasn't Ms. Joke making Mina, Kyouka, Hanta and Eijirou chuckle in response to the Russian boy's words, while the pink young girl began teasingly prodding her finger against Nikolay's cheek with that cheeky smirk. "Sounds like you might wanna hold onto that little withdrawn part of yourself for just one day longer, too, Kolya-kun."

Of course, everything between the students was going right over the two teachers' heads, as Ms. Joke was clearly getting a real laugh out of continuously prodding and poking at Aizawa's demeanor, if for no other reason than to see just how much he could keep it up. "You know, Eraser, if we did get married, we could start a family filled with unbearable laughter and joy."

"That doesn't sound joyful to me." Once again, Aizawa's barely grumbled retort was drowned out by another instinctive outcry of happiness and excitement from the veritable ball of pink sunshine among 1-A; Mina's face nearly turning as red as a rose. Thankfully, this time, her insistent prodding at Nikolay's face in that loving, teasing way that only she could do, was enough to keep him distracted from falling apart into another heavily blushing mess again.

"You guys seem pretty close-kero." Tsuyu noted the moment there was some silence, and Ms. Joke's smile only seemed to brighten that much further as she finally acknowledged the presence of Aizawa's students.

"Believe it or not, our Hero Agency offices actually used to be pretty close to each other! We'd help each other out, coming to each other's rescues all the time. Truly, ours is a relationship built on mutual love." "Untrue." This time, it was enough to make the sole Russian student of 1-A once again turn cherry red, this time unable to keep from mentally noting the distinct similarity between himself and Mina's history, to that of (apparently) Aizawa and Ms. Joke.

The moment Ms. Joke finished this quick sham of an explanation, Aizawa suddenly noted a small number of students in other matching grey uniforms standing a good distance away, having clearly been watching this exchange themselves. "Oh, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised your school's here with you, too," he noted, and without even missing a beat, she turned back to address their eavesdroppers.

"See? I told you all it would be fun to pull Eraser's leg! Come on over, everyone! It's Yuuei! Come and have a look!" At her command, the surprisingly small number of students hurried over, and unlike the off-putting air given by the students from Shiketsu High, these ones gave off a much more casual and excited atmosphere, especially by the fact that two of the ones in the lead were looking at the 1-A students as a whole, absolutely star struck.

As he'd taken to doing when it came to meeting new faces these days, Nikolay was quick to try and dedicate as much as he could to memory of what these new Hero students before him and his friends looked like. From the right to the left, there was a student who looked more like a light blue-colored humanoid robot with similarly colored eyes; a young man with somewhat spiky black hair and charcoal-colored eyes, who actually kind of resembled Bakugo if he smiled way more; a grinning sharp-toothed girl with platinum blonde spiky hair tied into two twin tails with light blue eyes; and lastly another tired-looking young man with long straight black hair who honestly looked like dead ringer for a teenage version of Aizawa, if only one or two pounds heavier in the face.

It was hard for any of the Yuuei students to tell what the robotic-looking student was thinking, just as it was for the long-haired boy on the other end. The black-haired Bakugo lookalike and the girl, however, had their excitement worn all over their faces, as their smiles could practically light up the air around them once they finally came to a stop to take in their soon-to-be fellow examinees. "Wow! It's them! It's really them!" "This is so incredible! All people I've seen on TV! It's like meeting legit celebrities!"

Needless to say, to be venerated by these fellow teenagers like they were already Pros was more than a bit awkward for a good number of 1-A, especially Nikolay and Izuku. With the arrival of these new students, however, a sharp glimmer crossed Ms. Joke's eye as she looked Aizawa's students over with intent. "Ketsubutsu Academy, Second Year Class 2! These are my kids!"

Without any warning or hesitation, the black-haired grinning Ketsubutsu student at the forefront suddenly rushed in, grabbing the hands of every single Yuuei student he could find and giving them one of the briefest yet strongest handshakes any of them had ever received, giving not a single one a chance to even respond or introduce themselves before he proceeded to do just that: "My name is Shindo Yo! It must have been rough for all of you with all the trouble at Yuuei this year, huh? But in that same way, you've all been able to strengthen your resolve as a class and start to work yourselves that much harder towards becoming Heroes, huh?! Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous! Personally, I believe that all Heroes need to have that kind of fortitude in spirit!"

While this Shindo Yo had gotten through more than half the class with his enthusiastically strong handshakes, Nikolay was currently checking to make sure he hadn't accidentally tweaked his wrist with that considerable grip of his, while Mina and Denki alike couldn't help but chuckle in genuine approving amusement at his eagerness and positive, straightforward attitude.

At the same time as this, Yo's piercing gaze had suddenly fallen upon the squinting and apathetic returning glare of Bakugo among them. However, that did nothing to dissuade Yo from actually stepping forward with that greeting hand at the ready. "And among such an admirable crowd of young future Heroes, the one at the center of the Kamino Incident himself, Bakugo Katsuki! You have an exceptionally strong spirit, yourself! It's our privilege to stand beside you all today. We will all do our very best, I can just feel it."

The moment Yo's extended hand came within reach; however, Bakugo's narrowed eyes suddenly opened wide with hostility as he swiftly smacked the black-haired boy's hand away. "Screw off with all of that, shithead! The words coming out of your mouth don't match up with that look on your face!"

While the smile on Yo's face remained unflinching, if one had looked closely enough in that solitary moment, they would have noticed a slight shift in the eagerness in Yo's eyes; only the most subtle of changes in demeanor.

Of course, nobody else in 1-A noticed this, as instead what had instantly followed was Eijirou once again stepping in between Bakugo and Yo, taking on the role of his constant supervisor and apologist once again. "Hey man, don't be rude when the guy is just wishing you luck! I'm sorry about his impoliteness, dude."

Just as quickly as it had come, the momentary seriousness in Yo's eyes had once again lit right back up as he literally waved off Bakugo's hostile attitude towards him. "Oh, please, don't worry yourself about it! It's all right, really! If anything, it's just proof of how strong his spirit really is!"

As Shindo returned to his fellow classmates, Nikolay could only watch Eijirou try to calm Bakugo back down with a worrisome sigh. "Why did I ever think the fact Bakugo isn't constantly trying to blow me up or scream at me anymore was a sign of his attitude improving as a whole?"

Right beside him, Mina was likewise puffing her cheeks out in disapproval. "I know, right? He really doesn't know how lucky he is to have someone like Kiri watching his back. He's gonna get his butt kicked if he doesn't lighten up soon."

The moment Nikolay began to turn back to speak with Mina or any of the others further, he quickly found himself nearly being lunged at by the bright-eyed twin-tail-wearing girl who had just been behind Yo seconds before; her sharp-toothed grin as bright as could be as she was eagerly rummaging through her uniform's pockets. "You two; you're Bezpalov and Ashido of 1-A, aren't you?! Could I have your autographs?!"

She already had a tiny notebook fished out of the pocket of her skirt and nearly shoved into the flabbergasted Nikolay's face, before just as quickly bringing it right up to Mina's. This new girl's energy was almost enough to rival her own. That wasn't about to stop her from obliging, of course, as soon Mina was once again all smiles as she began searching herself for a pen. "There's no reason to say no, Kolya-kun."

"Well, of course not, but I'm just surprised. We didn't even make it to the Top Three of the Sports Festival." As Nikolay explained this, Mina was already excitedly scribbling down her signature on the smiling blonde girl's notebook with a pink pen, only to immediately hand it back to Nikolay so he could do the same.

The poor boy was too nervous from being put on the spot to look their apparent fan in the eye as he tried to write down his name with some kind of personal flair like Mina clearly had. All the while, the sharp-toothed girl was practically bouncing where she stood. "Not like that matters! The Sports Festival, helping catch that scary Hero-hunting Villain; you two are so cool, just like the rest of your class! Oh, I'm Nakagame Tatami, by the way! I can't wait to see how you all do in the exam with us!"

Nikolay couldn't help but feel a blush come on when he saw how the Tatami girl's face just lit up with joy the moment he handed her notebook back with his and Mina's autographs. At the same time, Mina was smiling just as brightly at the thought that another Hero student their age, if not even a year older, was actually a fan of theirs.

Without even missing a beat, after giving an enthusiastic bow of gratitude of course, Tatami immediately began rushing for Shoto, asking him for an autograph as well; only for the red-white-haired boy to completely shrug her presence off like only he could. She couldn't keep pestering him for long, either, as her long black-haired classmate dutifully came up behind her and began dragging her away from the 1-A students, despite hers and Minoru's mutual protests.

"Hey, kids, go inside to the changing rooms and get into your costumes! Afterwards, follow the directions to the information hall! Don't be late!" "That goes for you lot, too! Get a move on!" Ms. Joke and Aizawa simultaneously called out to their respective classes, and with not a moment to lose, the Yuuei and Ketsubutsu students hurriedly made their way into the stadium, leaving the teachers alone.

As the Ketsubutsu kids parted ways from them, and they themselves hustled with the rest of their class, Mina couldn't help but give Nikolay another cheeky grin, seeing the faint shade of pink still visible on his fair cheeks. "Hey, we're famous now! You might wanna get used to the idea of the girl fans piling up on you from now on, Kolya-kun! We all know how they love to crowd around for the delicate cute ones!"

She was already giggling in amusement when she could see her Russian bestie's face turn deep red again, while Eijirou and Denki were both giving her mutual looks of "just give the guy a break!"

Of course, once her own laughter died down, Mina's mind was finally starting to rewind back to the whole interaction between Aizawa and Ms. Joke. As much as the idea of the two teachers having been long-time partners and potential love interests with a future of marriage ahead of them made her heart absolutely sing with joy and support (much like the potential romances of all the people around her did for pretty much all her life), Mina now likewise couldn't help but note the near identical history between the two, and herself and Nikolay. All at once did the memories of her discussion with the rest of the girls about her and the young Russian beside her come rushing right back, and so did all of the confusion and self-doubt that had been repeatedly coming back with it.

Once more did Mina now find herself silently asking the same questions over and over again, and the fact she had spent the last several days just focusing on her training and nothing else, had made the impact of these memories hit that much harder. Was she really going to be able to focus on the exam like this? There was no way she could bring it up with the rest of the girls in the middle of this, so she knew that she could only hope so; especially when she noticed how thinking back on Tatami fangirling over Nikolay was now making her cheeks turn hot and her heart start pounding, just like when she saw that Shiketsu High girl winking at him just minutes before.

Down at the entrance to the stadium, Ms. Joke, despite her laid back laughing demeanor, hadn't been ignorant to one specific detail she'd noticed from the entirety of 1-A: despite the numerous periods of momentary fluster from a handful of Aizawa's students, there wasn't a real single trace of defensiveness or apprehension from any of them (Bakugo's hostility notwithstanding). Considering just what today was, that was the very last thing she had been expecting from these kids in particular. "Could it be…you actually haven't told them yet, Eraser?"

However, when she looked back to get her answer, she was instead met with the sight of Aizawa coldly walking away towards another entrance to the stadium, doubtless in preparation for what was about to unfold.

Once he had stepped back out into the hallway from the changing room, Nikolay felt awash in a sense of nostalgia, seeing all his classmates in their Hero costumes anywhere that wasn't the Gamma Gym. Spotting Izuku among the crowd, he hurriedly made his way over; his previous nervousness now replaced with that much-needed enthusiasm. "So I guess this will finally be our chance to really give the new upgraded suits a field test. Are you nervous, Midoriya-san?"

Izuku was clearly glad to see Nikolay's spirits were back up, before his inquisitive eye fell to the supports within the gauntlets for his own costume. "Even with the practice we've had with them during training, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. I suppose any smart Hero is always at least a little nervous going into action, no matter how much experience they have. How about you, Kolya-san?"

Considering the mechanics of his improved outfit that he still didn't fully know how to accurately describe, Nikolay let out a heavy sigh. "Same. I would've asked Hatsume-san or Power Loader-sensei to simplify the description of exactly what they changed, but I still think it would've come across like an essay for a college-level engineering course. I guess all I can really do is just hope it actually works like I think it does."

Before the two boys could say anything further, however, they were soon joined by a mutually excited Mina and Eijirou. "Man, it feels like it's been ages since you had the bandolier and those huge tuning forks on you, Kolya-san. Does it feel any different with the new suit?" Eijirou asked with a grin big enough to meet the corners of the Oni-like mask on his face.

Slipping one of the smaller tuning forks from the bandolier now adorning the chest of his outfit, Nikolay looked especially focused now. "Not really. I can't speak for these smaller ones, since they're pretty much like any tuning fork you'd find in a store. The bigger ones, though? I'm just glad Yaoyorozu-san made them from a much tougher material, otherwise I'd worry about breaking them on first use, in case firing my kinetics from my costume somehow comes out stronger than if it were from my body like before."

"And how are you feeling about showing off those special moves of yours once we get out there, Kolya-kun, Midori-kun? You two have really been breaking a sweat all throughout training like the rest of us, after all." Mina asked with a knowing smile, while Nikolay and Izuku both really had to think about how they themselves personally felt.

"Well, I still can't really say I've come up with a specific special move while developing my Shoot Style, Ashido-san. I think I'm starting to really understand that it's the kind of thing that'll only come to you when the chance presents itself; it's not exactly something you can force. I mean, you didn't come up with the basis for yours until Ectoplasm-sensei taught you to increase your Quirk's attack distance, right?"

As Izuku brought up her own evident inspiration for her special move, Mina was smiling quite contentedly to herself. At the same time, following where his freckled friend was coming from, Nikolay was starting to slightly smile to himself as well. "That's right, and it was through her and Todoroki-san's examples that I was ultimately able to come up with one of my special moves as well. The other one I'm still not one-hundred-percent on, but I'm hoping I can somehow find a way to incorporate the tuning forks with it."

Of course, the moment Nikolay started bringing up the concept of the students inspiring each other, he soon found himself nearly getting yanked off his feet, as Mina swung an eager arm over his shoulders, pulling him into what seemed like a cross between a one-armed hug and a headlock. "Exactly, and then once Kolya-kun figured out his special move from us, then I got the inspiration for how to better aim my special move from him! It's just like you said, Midori-kun: our special moves come to us from all over when the time is right! I just know we're gonna nail this exam; every one of us!"

Eijirou couldn't help but bang his now-hardened fists together in an enthusiastic show of agreement with her enthusiasm, as it was visibly starting to encourage more and more of their classmates along the way. "Hell yes we will! With all the practice I've been putting in, and all the advice Ectoplasm-sensei and Tunguska-sensei have been giving me, I can just feel the beginning of a real special move in me! This is all our chance to finally step up and really show the world we've arrived!"

Nikolay was immensely glad for the positive attitudes of all his friends around him, bending his head to pop a stiff joint in his neck after Mina had yanked him over as eagerly as she did. "You won't hear any doubts about that from me. With all the training we've been going through, I would certainly hope we've developed that much. It would just help if we already knew what the exam's actually going to be."

The moment he said that, the whole of Class 1-A had finally stepped through the double doors, leading into a massive conference hall that felt like it stretched forward for a whole kilometer, and the entire floor was packed from end to end by countless students from just as many Hero schools of literally all shapes and sizes. Just the fact that these were all examinees they were going to be participating either alongside or (he could only hope not) against, had Nikolay's previous confidence starting to considerably waver. He could see similar nervousness starting to flash across Izuku, Ochako and Mina's faces as well. Even Eijirou's previous bravado had given to shock at just how many people were here.

There was only a small podium on an elevated stage at the far end of the hall, with only a single sunken-faced man in a business suit with a head of thick pale blonde hair sitting at it, with a massive screen hanging just over and behind his head. Once the atmospheric chatter of all the examinees began to die down enough, this one man suddenly turned on the microphone before him.

"Er… well, then, let us begin this whole Provisional License thing. All right. Uh… my name is Mera, and I am from the Hero Public Safety Commission. My favorite form of sleep of NREM sleep. Good to meet you all. My work has been so busy I've hardly been able to sleep… there's just not enough manpower… ! I want to sleep!"

With each word this man spoke, the chronic fatigue in his voice became far more apparent, to the point that by the end of it, nearly the entire room of examinees felt certain he was about to pass out on them right here. Of course, such wasn't meant to be, as even with the dark bags under his clearly exhausted eyes (almost identical to Aizawa's, if any of the 1-A students had been close enough to really look), he just as quickly lifted his head back up to address the thousands of youths before him. "Well, with that all being said, let me explain this to you all, so please pay attention. As of right now, there are exactly 1,540 of you here taking this exam today. We'll start by carrying out an exercise to whittle down your numbers."

The wave of discouragement and intensity that washed over the entire room hit with an almost physical force as every 1-A student felt themselves become rife with apprehension. So they were already looking at the threat of elimination before the exam had even started. Nikolay, Izuku and Eijirou's hands were already instinctively clenching into determined fists as the man called Mera proceeded with his explanation: "In today's day and age, we are said to be living in a Hero-saturated society. Ever since the capture of the Villains, Stain and Vukodlak, alongside the retirement of All Might, there are many who question the current state of affairs with Heroes."

Among the onlooking students from all across, there were indeed a considerable many who couldn't help but think to themselves of the respective philosophies spread online in the wake of the two aforementioned Villains' arrest. After having lived the entirety of their lives having never questioned the way society was shaped, to have it all called into question was a most perplexing issue. How many of them could say with full confidence that they had not even a single selfish reason deep inside for wanting to become Heroes; and did that officially exempt them from the distinction of being considered a true Hero? These were the kind of questions none had the answer to, and they could only wonder and hope that passing this exam would somehow be able to prove their worthiness of the title.

"As an individual, no matter what the motive, to put your life on the line to save others, but 'don't seek anything…' That is the merciless expectation of today's society. In any case, be it for compensation or out of pure Heroism, many Heroes have endeavored and dedicated themselves to rescuing others and suppressing Villains. From the beginning of an incident to its resolution, that window of time is becoming increasingly small and tight. All of you who receive a Provisional License will be plunged into these rapids. For those who cannot keep up with that speed, I'll say it clearly: it is relentless. Therefore, what is being tested right now is all your speed! The first 100 examinees who achieve the required conditions will pass."

As the entire hall erupted with outcries of disbelief from nearly all of the examinees at just what a small number of them were looking to be getting their Provisional Licenses, Nikolay and the small handful of his classmates around him couldn't help but wonder out loud to themselves and each other just what an elimination test of speed with this many people could look like. "Maybe it's gonna be something like a foot race to see who can get checkpoints or save as many people as possible before crossing the finish line?" Rikido earnestly suggested with an awkward shrug, at a loss for any other ideas. It wasn't like the rest of the class honestly had anything better.

Easily seeing the apprehension among the youthful throng, Mera proceeded to pull out two objects, effectively silencing the entire hall. Looking closely, they could all clearly see what looked to be an ordinary softball in one hand, and a detachable plastic target with a lock in the other. "I can understand all of your confusion and frustration at such a slim margin being given the opportunity, but keep in mind that quite a lot has happened recently. Consider this as nothing more than the hand you've all been dealt as aspiring future Heroes. So with that being said, I'll explain the conditions for victory for you all. Your chances for victory, and therefore the chance to obtain your Provisional Licenses, lie within these two objects.

"Every examinee will be given three targets. You can place them wherever you would like on your bodies so long as they're visible, so places like the bottoms of your feet and under your armpits are not allowed. You'll each get six balls to carry. If a ball hits the target, the target will light up. If all three of your targets get hit, you'll lose. An individual who lands the fateful third hit will be considered to have been the one to earn the takedown. Those of you who have at least two takedowns will pass. Those are the rules. Once the expansion for the testing grounds is complete, you will all be handed your respective balls and targets to apply to yourselves. We'll officially start one minute after you have all spread out. I believe you all should have no problem finding a terrain that works for you. Make the most of what you have and do your best, everyone."

With that, Mera and the two similarly dressed government guards beside him took their leave; leaving all of the examinees with the gravity of exactly what this first exam of theirs was going to entail. To Nikolay and all of his classmates, there was no denying just how similar this was in essence to the entrance exam, but considering they were going up against fellow people like them, and with such a tight limit of balls for them to use made it clear just how much stricter this was going to be. Nikolay could feel that familiar scalp-tingling sense of anxiety start creeping out from the pit of his stomach as his nervous eyes began shifting to all the unfamiliar students all around him. To be pitted against so many people with so many Quirks he didn't know was leaving him in the beginnings of a frigid sweat once again. This time, not even Eijirou, Denki, Tooru or Mina could pull themselves out of their own respective nervousness enough to try and ease the nerves of their friends.

GRRRRRRRRN!

Suddenly, a heavy metallic groaning began to echo all across the hall, and with everyone's confusion going through the roof, they could only stare on in stunned disbelief as the walls and ceiling of the hall suddenly disconnected and fell to the ground around them, revealing that where they had all been filled in of their first exam wasn't a part of the stadium at all, but rather one giant elaborate container.

No, what stood tall and glorious around them now was a multitude of different landscapes for them to clearly work with, ranging from a contained towering cityscape, a hilly desert area, a towering snowy mountain peak, a water area complete with a massive waterfall, a small forest, a small suburban neighborhood, and even an industrial yard. Taking it all in, Nikolay's anxiety was now balanced out by a deeply rooted sense of understanding. 'So… this is where it's all going to be decided. Come on, take it all in and think of something, you know you can. If we put our heads together, surely we can be able to come out of this okay.'

As the countless other students around them were already starting to receive their respective balls and targets, Nikolay could see that his understanding was likewise being mirrored by the growing looks of eagerness on his friends' faces, especially Mina's, of course, as she was already pumping her fists in anticipation. "Ooh, this is so exciting! Can you guys even think of a better way we can get to know all the other Heroes we'll get to work with once we get our licenses?! On top of that, we finally get to prove ourselves and show our special moves in action?! It's like the Sports Festival all over again, yet somehow even cooler!"

Meanwhile, up in the bleachers overlooking the entire stadium, Aizawa was watching his own students down below like a hawk, with Ms. Joke sitting loyally beside him, while a few other scattered Hero school teachers were watching from all around.

"Hey, Eraser, you know your fly's down, right?" The chortling laughter barely hidden behind her mouth did nothing to break Aizawa's concentration, while Ms. Joke could only watch her old associate with a knowing grin. He may not have been one to make laugh easily, but one way or another, she had a gut feeling she'd be able to get it out of him one day.

However, seeing just how focused he was on his students below, she likewise couldn't help but look, and finally mention the one most interesting note out of this lot. "I have to say, I'm surprised you not only haven't expelled any of your kids so far this year, Eraser; but you even went the extra mile and kept the one hanger on, too. I would've thought you, of all people, would've wanted to get rid of any extra weight the instant you had the chance. I can't say I've heard of someone maintaining an odd-numbered class roster before. You must really like your class this year, huh?"

"Not particularly." Even the sheer bluntness with which he apathetically answered her couldn't help but make the green-haired teacher break out into wheezing laughter. He could be as blunt as he wanted, but she knew how his head worked better than most; much to his silent yet burning chagrin.

As each student was handed their respective balls and targets, they began to scatter more and more across the numerous terrains surrounding them. Miraculously, 1-A was actually managing to show some restraint as they began to apply their targets to themselves, with Nikolay specifically choosing to plant one on his chest, one on his upper back, and one on his left upper arm, just under his shoulder. Looking ahead, he could see that Izuku was looking even more focused than usual; a notable sight to be sure. "What are you thinking, Midoriya-san?"

Izuku quickly turned back to address his classmates; the look in his eyes clearly showing his own thoughts and strategies were going a million miles a second as he addressed them: "If this whole first exam is just about the first to pass, then there's no point in us trying to compete against each other. The best way to win is for us as a class, who all know each other's Quirks inside and out, to team up together. So with that being said, let's try not to scatter too far apart. We should try to move as one large group as much as possible."

The green-haired boy's explanation managed to both make perfect sense, and also serve as a great deal of relief for Nikolay and many of the others. If they were to move as a group and keep their eyes open and watch each other's backs, they could actually have a really good shot at passing this.

Too bad Bakugo, Denki and Eijirou clearly weren't of the same mind, as the three boys immediately broke from the rest of the class, despite Izuku and their collected attempts to call them back. The explosive hothead even went so far as to shout back to them: "THIS ISN'T A DAMN FIELD TRIP! SEE YOU ALL LATER, DUMBASSES!"

"I'm out too. If we're in a large group, I can't use my Quirk to its fullest potential. Good luck to you all." Shoto announced just as quickly before taking off into a steady jog from the rest of his class, leaving the rest of 1-A to watch the four boys depart helplessly.

Looking back to the direction Bakugo, Denki and Eijirou had left; Nikolay could feel that cold sense of worry begin building in his chest for his blonde and red-haired friends. In fact, his feet were already beginning to put themselves in front of the other without his realizing it, like he was about to start following after them, before being stopped by Mina planting a soft yet firm hand on his shoulder. "Kolya-kun, don't."

"I can't help it, though; we all know Kaminari-san's Quirk can short him out if he uses it too much, and Eijirou-san's Quirk doesn't cover a large area like Bakugo or Todoroki-san's can. If they get caught in an ambush, there's only so much they're going to be able to do for themselves." As Nikolay protested upon looking back, he quickly silenced himself when he saw the similarly worried look on hers and many others' faces.

"I know… Kaminari-kun and Kiri may be bullheaded sometimes, but Kiri's not stupid. He wouldn't go after Bakugo, knowing what they'd be going up against; if he didn't think he could be able to handle himself, let alone all three of them. Right now, we need to focus on where we are right now. For now, let's just stick with Midori-kun and see how this whole thing starts, okay? We gotta stick together."

It was clear that, aside from Izuku, everyone else was pretty much in universal agreement, and soon enough even Nikolay couldn't deny that simply sticking it out together like this was their best course of action for now, no matter how worried he still was for their four departed classmates. "Alright… alright. So, what's the plan, Midoriya-san?"

Without another second to waste, Izuku began to break into a determined sprint, spurring the rest of his classmates to quickly follow suit, just at the moment a loud klaxon alarm began echoing across the stadium, signaling the final seconds before the beginning of their first exam. Nikolay could already feel his hands reflexively reaching for the small leather bag tied to his waist wherein the provided softballs were in wait; which everyone else was likewise wearing.

"I still don't think it's a good idea for any of us to go off by ourselves, but—"Why is that?" Izuku began to explain while everyone was scanning their surroundings for the first sign of an attack, only to be interrupted by Minoru, who was clearly already on the verge of paranoid panic.

"Well, think about it! Everybody from these other schools knows all about us already, including our Quirks!" As Izuku explained this, now even Nikolay couldn't resist voicing his initial answer to that thought: "How is that possible though? How can all these other schools know everything about us, and we don't know anything about them?"

Even while running, though, Momo was just as quick to answer the young Slav, looking as contemplative as ever: "It's not that hard to believe, actually. When you think about it, Yuuei has always been considered the Number One Hero school in all of Japan. With so many other Hero schools yearning to make themselves known and gain the same kind of prestige, it only makes sense for their students to want to study up on the competition as much as possible for when the chance of a confrontation arrives. The fact that Yuuei pretty much showcases the Quirks of its students at the Sports Festival every year ultimately gives all the other Hero schools a huge advantage, while leaving us at a massive disadvantage, on top of that."

All at once did the severity of their situation really become that much clearer to all the 1-A students upon their vice president's reminder. There was definitely an unspoken rivalry between Yuuei and the rest of Japan's Hero education infrastructure, certainly not helped by the cockiness on display from the likes of Bakugo during the Sports Festival; as well as the numerous news reports so far this year of all the experiences against Villains the students had dealt with already. These other Heroics students' eagerness to knock Yuuei down a peg and prove themselves as well as their schools was suddenly all too understandable.

As she and Aizawa watched the numerous students down below scatter like insects in preparation for the coming battle, the smile, for once, began to slip from Ms. Joke's face, as she knew exactly what was about to commence, just as much as he did. "It's the same thing every year with this Provisional License Exam. If there's one thing to call a custom, it's the fact that every year, it always starts the same way: with the 'Yuuei Crushing'!"

Despite the gravity and unfortunate truth behind this statement, it did nothing to deter Aizawa from watching his students closely as they moved as one cohesive unit upon the testing ground. "The Yuuei Crushing. There's no particular reason I didn't tell them about it. In the end, what they have to do doesn't change. They just have to overcome what stands in their way. Being a Hero means being able to get yourself out of a pinch. Once you become a Pro, it's a given that your Quirk has been exposed to the world. I'm sorry to say, but we're looking a bit farther ahead than everyone else."

"STAAART!"

The instant this deafening electronic voice echoed across the stadium as Nikolay and the rest of 1-A followed Izuku through the canyon/hills area, a flash of movement out the corner of their eyes quickly drew all their attention to their left.

What they were met with was the heart-stopping sight of over a dozen different examinees leaping out from behind the numerous peaks and rocks, all focusing upon their collected group like a pack of wild predators converging upon a flock of helpless sheep…and with none other than Yo Shindo from earlier leading the charge; his charcoal eyes honing in on the ever-alert Izuku in the lead.

"'A Quirk that is destructive even to its own user.' Well… IF A STAKE STICKS OUT, I'LL JUST HAMMER IT DOWN!" With that, he and the rest of the students alongside him proceeded to unleash an overwhelming barrage of softballs for the gathering of 1-A students caught in all their sights.

However, what followed was the last thing any of their attackers had brought themselves to expect, as instead of letting themselves be consumed with the shock and overwhelm of their odds and being the one unanimous target of everyone else, a handful of the Yuuei students below instead proceeded to throw themselves forward into the fray, meeting their attack head-on with no hesitation.

With blinding speed, Izuku had thrown himself into a front flip, driving the heel of his foot in a devastating arc of a kick, knocking several softballs off course and ricocheting harmlessly away from himself and his classmates.

At the same time, Ochako had kicked herself up into a weightless ascent, meeting every one of the softballs coming for her with her open hands, rendering them all weightless and floating harmlessly, only for her to swiftly kick them all away from herself.

Minoru had hurriedly drawn out a lengthened stem with multiple balls of his hair out from behind his back, swinging it like a melee weapon for the softballs coming his way, only for them to get caught on his hair, and thus rendering them all harmless and his to use at will.

Fumikage had quickly leapt into action, drawing out Dark Shadow on command to swat all the incoming softballs out of his way.

Mina quickly threw a wide-reaching flow of acid as she swung her left arm across her field of vision, melting half the softballs coming her way, only to make just as quick work out of the rest, as she just as quickly threw her right fist forward without missing a beat, sending a far reaching squirt of more acid from an opening in her fist, melting the rest before they could even get close, and thus rendering more than half the attacking examinees deprived of just that many more softballs to attack with.

And at the same time as every one of his acting classmates, Nikolay quickly took an affirming leap forward to complete the protecting wall the others had inadvertently formed for the rest of their class, and quickly brought his open hands down together into a horizontally flat clap, opening his fingers apart from each other at the last second before contact, while focusing all the energy collected into his hands at the same time: "Shock Absorption: THUNDEROUS CLAP!"

BWOOOM!

With an overwhelming bass burst echoing through the surrounding area, Nikolay unleashed an air-shaking horizontal shockwave from his clapping hands, sending what softballs were left unaffected by the actions of the rest of his classmates, flying right back at their attackers with blinding speed. It was far too fast for many of them to dodge or defend themselves, as a total of four examinees ended up getting hit on just one of their respective targets as a result of their collective barrage getting shot right back at them by 1-A's sole foreign student acting on the counter-offensive alongside his friends' defensive actions.

Once the initial shock of the exam's sudden start and the opening attack being deflected wore off, Nikolay could feel his anxiety and fear quickly being supplanted by an overwhelming feeling of focus and hope, having seen so many of his friends and classmates show such bravery right off the bat. The fact that his primary special move, Thunderous Clap, had actually worked was certainly not a boon to be ignored, either.

At the same time, seeing that their unanimously quick thinking had managed to buy them just those few seconds more to take in their situation and act, Izuku was right back in it, looking back to his classmates, fully alert and driven to see them all through this battle royale of an exam: "EVERYONE, BRACE YOURSELVES!"

Watching the immediate detonation of the powder keg that was to be this first exam, and watching the multitude of examinees converge on the gathering of 1-A students in the canyons, Ms. Joke couldn't hide the bemused smirk on her face. "This 'first 100 examinees to pass' system is really going to spur on the more assault-oriented types. There's more to it than that, however, isn't there?"

Just the same, Aizawa was likewise watching his students step forward and defend their entire group side-by-side with a discerning eye, especially when, once the initial attack itself had been deflected, the entire group was now beginning to form a back-to-back circle, keeping an observant eye on all sides around them. Not a bad start for a counter-strategy; even he had to admit that. However, the most vital thing was to see what they were going to do next, now that the battle was officially begun. "Unity, cooperation, information gathering. It looks like those factors will be the key to success in this exam. The first to pass system just might get some examinees carried away, causing them to lose their cool, only to have the tables turned on them."

The moment they all realized the initial barrage had been deflected, without Izuku or anyone else even having to say anything, all the gathered 1-A students instinctively got themselves shoulder-to-shoulder, standing at the ready for the next move their attacking fellow examinees would think to send their way. With eyes on all directions, their defensive capabilities had improved a hundredfold, they all knew this deep down.

Despite this and their element of surprise having been wasted, however, Yo Shindo looked completely unperturbed, even if the few examinees alongside him that had gotten hit on one of their targets thanks to Nikolay's shockwave-producing clap were starting to visibly back down.

"So most of the projectiles just got sent right back like that, huh?" Yo could hear his robotic-looking schoolmate ask in observation from atop a nearby rock spire. If he knew this compatriot of his; one Shikkui Makabe; half as well as he did, he was confident he was already cooking up a counter-strategy to get through Yuuei's new defensive formation.

"These Yuuei kids won't be taken out that easily," Yo noted with a bemused smirk, while Shikkui grabbed four of his softballs from his bag and began rolling them about between his hands.

"Even if that may be so, I still see an opening." The moment he made note of this, he could already feel his Quirk having taken effect on the softballs in his hands, for now they had been rendered even harder than concrete to the touch.

"You take it from here, Toteki-san!" Without a wasted moment, Shikkui swiftly tossed them all to his other Ketsubutsu classmate standing to Yo's right; the tired-looking young man with the long black hair; one Itejiro Toteki; who expertly caught them and began flexing his arms with his newly added four projectiles to work with; all while never taking his eyes off the alert Yuuei bunch.

"Yeah, I'll take it from here." 'My Boomerang Quirk ought to make this go quick. Crescent Moon Trajectory should be just about right, too.' "This may be a bit of a reckless misstep on my part, but I'll be grateful if it's overlooked if I'm able to take out some of our opponents in the process."

The moment he had his eyes set on the exact spot, and his arms poised in the perfect throwing posture, Itejiro suddenly swung all four softballs with incredible speed and precise movement of his shoulders and wrists, driving them all directly into the ground, and drilling their way forward unobstructed, which Izuku and his fellow classmates at the frontline were all visibly quick to notice, to their mutual shock and momentary panic. After all, what could one possibly do to defend themselves from a projectile attack when they had no idea which direction it would come from?

Having been fortunate enough to glimpse the last second before Itejiro had thrown the no-longer softballs into the ground for himself and his class, Nikolay was already getting prepared to drive the strongest shockwave attack he could on such short notice into the ground, but with how sturdy the ground itself was, even he couldn't begin to guess how effective that would actually be. Besides, he also was aware that, with as many hostile examinees as there still were here, the moment he'd break from 1-A's collective defensive formation, they would all just attack again, and he wouldn't be able to help deflect his share. Already the Yuuei students had found themselves in a Catch-22 situation.

Until Kyouka suddenly came rushing in, her earphone jacks plugging into the small amplifiers now attached to her fingerless gloves; triangular eyes laser-focused on the direction she'd glimpsed the incoming softballs being thrown into. "Everyone get down! I'll take care of this!"

The moment she sent the strongest pulse she could muster down her jacks and into the hand amplifiers, and at the very same moment the rest of her classmates did as she said and got down to the ground, Kyouka proceeded to slam them both straight into the ground at the moment of release. "Earphone Jack: HEARTBEAT DISTORTION!"

BOOOM!

With a level of concussive power that outright equaled Nikolay's strongest shockwave slam attack, Kyouka sent a pulse powerful enough to shatter nearly two dozen feet of the solid ground spreading out ahead of her in an expanding cone shape; effectively breaking the ground apart, and revealing Itejiro's still-approaching weapons, which were now bouncing to and fro from out of their exposed cover, only to continue speeding right towards a panicked Minoru amid the confusion.

From where he was still getting up from off the ground, Nikolay was quick to notice the incoming threat flying right towards their grape-haired classmate, but just as he was about to launch himself forward from his current crouch to try and blast them away, Mina was fortunately just close and alert enough to also realize what was happening, and exactly how to counteract it.

The pink young Hero quickly proceeded to swing her right arm back, up and over her head in a massive chopping motion, just as a quickly growing and thickening coat of acid began to completely engulf her arm within seconds. "Viscosity, Solubility, Max! ACID VEIL!"

At the last possible moment before Minoru would get pounded into oblivion by these hardened softballs, Mina swung her arm down, releasing all the built-up thick acid from around her arm, sending it splashing and collecting together to form an actual standing barrier that all four softballs flew right into, only to harmlessly melt away within seconds, before the wall of especially gooey, thick acid finished splashing down to the ground altogether.

Minoru's sheer panic was quick to change into emboldened relief the moment he realized just by how much Mina had not only saved him, but essentially their entire class. "I-I can't believe it! We're saved! All thanks to your awesome new technique, Ashido!"

However, Mina couldn't allow her momentary pride in successfully pulling off the surprise third special move she'd been working on to go to her head, as her exceptional alertness in the moment allowed her to spot a pair of softballs suddenly materializing from out of thin air behind Nikolay's back just as he was finally getting back to his feet, momentarily unaware.

Without a word of warning, while Nikolay had his head and shoulders down, Mina suddenly rushed over in a sprint, throwing herself into a roll, using the unwitting Russian boy's back as a makeshift ramp to help her roll end with her back on her feet; building up another thick coat of acid on her right arm again all the while, before swinging her right arm across her field of vision in a sweeping arc, releasing this latest buildup into another thickened protective sheet that melted the softballs where they hovered.

Thankfully, her momentary rush into action had helped bring Nikolay's alertness back to its fullest as well, as the moment she finished rolling over him in order to save his hide, he likewise glimpsed another incoming set of softballs from one of the higher ridges ahead coming right for the target on Mina's upper back. At the very same moment she had just saved him, he likewise brought his left hand up with gunslinger speed and fired into the softballs dead center, sending them flying at even greater velocity right back for the few scattered examinees in the direction he was facing; forcing them to scurry for cover to avoid getting hit.

Having been able to guess what Mina had just done to help him after what he'd seen her do to save Minoru, Nikolay instinctively commented: "I don't remember you mentioning that the last time we talked special moves. Looked like that acid sleeve trick you did back at I-Island."

Mina was keeping both her hands coated in a prepared coating of runnier acid; watching the other examinees out in the open with those especially focused eyes and a confident smirk on her face, just waiting for one of them to try something next. "Like I said before, I'd been really focusing on just what I felt when I did that: the desire to protect people, and applied it here. By making my acid more gooey and attaching it to walls, it can really come in handy as a defensive technique. I mean, I've been working on a move for offense, and one for Villain capture; why not have one meant to protect others, right?"

Unfortunately, neither of them could keep this impromptu conversation up, as the assaulting examinees were relentless in their onslaught of trying to rain softballs down on the 1-A congregation. With the sheer speed and volume with which they were coming, everyone was having to act fast and thoroughly together to keep from getting hammered down, with Izuku continuously utilizing the reflexes and speed of his Shoot Style to deflect every ball that came near him or those nearest him; and Mina and Nikolay keeping their backs to each other, either melting down every ball in sight that came anywhere near her, or using a combination of his regular hand blasts or any of the directional variations of his Thunderous Clap to send the softballs flying right back for the kids that threw them.

With one especially well-aimed and timely Thunderous Clap, Nikolay sent a whole trio of softballs flying for one examinee in a black-and-white striped trench coat, who instantly brought his hands together to form a fluctuation in the air between his palms, causing the incoming softballs to fly in between and disappear into thin air, like a void. At the same time, a female examinee right next to him dressed like a pastel-colored graffiti artist barely managed to flip herself into a mid-air roll fast enough to avoid one softball, but by sheer luck did another two manage to hit two of the targets on her body afterward. The moment she was back on the ground and realized what had happened, she hurriedly scrambled out of sight, forcing the examinee beside her to hurry after her; effectively removing two of the group's attackers from the equation.

Nikolay, Mina and Izuku were far from the only ones managing to keep their attacking examinees on their toes, as within the chaos, Fumikage had kept himself on the move to avoid getting hit, while also making sure to keep his eyes open not only for any examinees that were poorly protected by their peers, but also for any stray softballs on the ground he could use as extra ammunition if needed. With Dark Shadow currently bonded around his body like a sentient suit of armor (his own personal special move he had ultimately developed), he knew he would have a great advantage in mobility, defense, reach and strength if need be.

And luckily enough, that need was quick to arise, as his discerning eye was quick to spot the blonde-haired Ketsubutsu girl from before, Tatami Nakagame, standing perfectly exposed atop one of the nearby ridges, with none of her fellow classmates close by to protect her. "An opening has presented itself! BLACK ANKH! PIERCING CLAW OF THE DUSK!"

With a softball at the ready in Dark Shadow's hand, Fumikage sent its extending arm right for Tatami with incredible speed; the kind that nobody without exceptional reflexes would have any hope of dodging. Anyone who knew Tatami Nakagame would be able to testify that she was not one of those people with such an exceptional trait…

"Whoa, dangerous!"

… because her Telescopic Quirk made it so she didn't have to be. The moment she had seen Fumikage's incoming attack, Tatami immediately retracted her entire upper body, head and all, into her lower half like a turtle retracting its head into its shell. Once Dark Shadow retracted its claws, she nervously poked her head right back out, letting out a shaky sigh of relief. "Wow… they really are strong!"

All this time, Yo was still watching with that observant but amused smirk on his face. "This is not the same class we saw at the Sports Festival. To think they've all come so far in just that short amount of time already." Indeed, back then, what Yo had personally seen from Class 1-A was a band of young Heroes who were still trying to come into their own with their Quirks and using them to defend and attack. There was still an undeniable air of panic and desperation in their actions back then.

Not anymore, though. Now, all he was seeing from them was a much more focused and well-rounded, and most importantly cohesive sense of teamwork and understanding, not only in their own Quirks, but in each others', and how to work with them.

As this continuous bout of attack and deflection between the majority of 1-A and their attackers continued, an electronic hum suddenly echoed throughout the stadium, as the ever-observant Mera suddenly announced from the multitude of loudspeakers all around: "It would appear we're at something of a stalemate right now. As of this moment, still zero examinees have passed thus far. I'll be sure to keep you all informed as things develop, though."

However, while Mera himself sounded notably disappointed that progress hadn't been made yet; the news that nobody had gotten eliminated only served to embolden a handful of the Yuuei students to keep up their defense/offense strategy. For Nikolay and Mina, amid the fray, they were simply encouraged by the fact that none of their wayward classmates had gotten eliminated so far. As much as the young Slav still wished he had been there to at least watch Eijirou's back, he knew that the way things now stood, the best he could do was keep wishing him, Bakugo, Denki and Shoto luck.

However, one student who wasn't exactly sharing in that instinctive enthusiasm, of all people, was actually Izuku. It was heartening to know that so far the class was holding their own, but he was still able to see that, much as Mera had said, they were currently in nothing more than a stalemate. Then again, given how this whole exam was structured, for things to start out this way was ultimately to be expected.

'These targets on our bodies are essentially our weak points, and everyone is doing what they can to protect them while fighting. The way things are, even with Kolya-san managing to hit a couple targets on a few examinees through sheer luck, our chances of landing a lucky hit are extremely low. Even if the other examinees already know our Quirks, this is still ultimately the 'wait and see' stage of the battle; the stage where we ourselves need to wait and see just what Quirks our opponents have, and their subsequent weaknesses. Still, even with that being said, the battle will doubtless pick up from here.'

Even if Izuku was thinking this solely to himself, he had no idea just how right he was; for as the entirety of the Yuuei group was still somehow managing to hold their own, fighting tooth and nail to keep from getting hit by a single softball; Yo was still silently observing every one of their Quirks and reflexes on display, smiling to himself as he began to crack his knuckles. "Well then… looks like it's about time I finally stepped in."

From up in the bleachers, watching the ongoing stalemate carry on in the wake of Aizawa's affirming words, Ms. Joke actually found her brow furrowed as she momentarily took her eyes off the action to answer her old compatriot: "That's some especially big talk coming from someone like you, Eraser. We both know there are so many kids aiming to become Heroes these days, it's pretty much like trying to count the stars in the sky.

"The strength of that resolve cares not for fame, nor for namelessness. To assume the role of the leading part and look down on everyone else… if anything, that's how you end up getting the tables turned on you."

"Everyone get away! Those Yuuei kids have a solid defense! I'LL SPLIT IT!"

The moment Yo's declaration echoed down to all the other examinees, including the whole Yuuei group, they all instinctively looked up the hill to find the black-haired boy suddenly crouching down, planting his hands flat to the surface. From up in the air, Ochako could swear she could spy a vibrating pulse begin to emanate across the ground from his hands in a manner nearly identical to Nikolay's.

"Maximum Power! WAY OF THE QUAKING EARTH!"

What happened next only lasted a matter of seconds, but obliterated the perception of time for every single one of the Yuuei students in Yo Shindo's path, as what emanated from his hands was an earthquake with a strength enough to rival that of an atomic bomb detonating under the earth; completely annihilating and reshaping the entire landscape of the canyon section of the stadium, sparing absolutely none of the Yuuei students caught in its path.

With not even a moment to process what Yo had done, and what was happening to the very ground beneath their feet, every single 1-A student was sent flying helplessly this way and that as the ground bucked them up into the air, cracked asunder and practically exploded from within a hundred times over. Not even Ochako was able to keep from getting caught in the devastation even from up in the air.

As for Nikolay, he couldn't even hope to tell which way was up or down, let alone where any of his friends were, as his body was being helplessly tossed this way and that as the earth continued to quake beneath, above and all around him. He could swear there were a few spare moments amid the devastation where he'd even ended up losing consciousness from the whiplash his head was going through as Yo's apparent Quirk reshaped the earth itself to his whim.

Nikolay had no idea just how much time had passed by the time his vision had finally started to clear and the ringing in his head had stopped threatening to rupture his ear drums. He could only imagine it had only been a matter of seconds, as when he'd finally lifted his head up from the ground, the earthquake had finally stopped, but there was still a great deal of dust in the air still in the process of settling.

Of course, he couldn't focus on that for long, as it just as quickly became apparent to him that he couldn't see even a solitary hair of any of his classmates anywhere. As a matter of fact, he looked to be currently in the middle of a newly opened mouth of this whole canyon area, with a few ledges a good distance above his head. Taking in the scope of just how effectively this whole section of the stadium had been destroyed and reshaped through the power of Yo's Quirk alone, Nikolay actually couldn't help but mutter out loud to himself: "Incredible. That Shindo kid's Quirk is like mine, multiplied by a hundred. To think that's the kind of difference one year's worth of training can make."

However, that one solitary moment of distraction would ultimately cost Nikolay, as once his field of vision had turned just enough to his left, the young Russian soon found himself being met by a devastatingly hard impact slamming straight into the target plastered on his left arm, lighting it up and officially putting him one-third closer to defeat.

His fight-or-flight reflexes were already reigniting to a fever pitch once he looked in the direction he'd just been hit, only to find himself being gazed down upon by a couple of the other examinees, including the robotic young man from Ketsubutsu, Shikkui, and another young man who looked to be dressed like a circus strongman, with bracelets resembling old-school weights.

"We've got him alone now! With your Object Hardening and my Weight Quirk combined, even his kinetics Quirk can't hope to knock our softballs off course!" With that single cocky remark from the latter examinee, he and Shikkui were already in the process of exchanging their softballs to put their respective Quirks to use, and just as quickly tossing them at the momentarily stunned Nikolay below.

His frightened eyes could already see the hardened softballs coming right for him. If he didn't do something or flee soon, this would be it for him, and he knew it. But no matter how much he was mentally trying to will himself to run, his feet just wouldn't move.

However, in that split second, a thought had just occurred to him: 'Shindo's earthquake move… the kinetics I would've absorbed from being in it would be tremendous! I can already feel it rippling through my muscles, and I can't even begin to imagine what the absorb/release devices sewn into my costume must be holding in. If there's a time to find out if they work anything like I think they do, this is it!'

Clenching his fists and all of his muscles as taut as they would go, Nikolay focused all of his will on releasing his contained kinetic energy out from his entire body at once, imagining to himself as though there were a multitude of fists or other weapons coming right for him from all around, with impact only a millisecond away.

BWOOOOM!

The bass burst that echoed out from that small portion of the canyon nearly shook the foundation of that one area, as a wave of pure pulsating power tore through air and rock alike in every direction from where Nikolay stood; sending the hardened and immensely weighted softballs flying wildly off course, and sending Shikkui and his momentary accomplice tumbling back hard from the sheer physical power of it.

Nikolay hesitantly opened his eyes once his whole body had stopped trembling from the exertion, and upon realizing his last two targets still weren't lit up, he felt awash with relief that he was still in the game; a relief that only lasted a handful of seconds, before his alertness came rushing right back, and while his two attackers were still picking themselves up, the young Russian immediately broke into a boosted sprint through the winding cracks and passages that were now lining and filling the entirety of the canyon area, thanks to Yo and his Quirk.

As the young foreign boy ran like his life depended on it, he was never aware of the fact that Yo was momentarily watching his last-moment self-saving act against one of his classmates with that same bemused smirk. "Well, well; looks like Yuuei's sole import student has a few fancy tricks up his sleeve, too. Even for how quick he is to run, though; it's impressive that his Quirk is pretty much like mine, except he doesn't need to have his hands flush to a solid surface to use it like I do. He has a natural advantage, even if he doesn't know it."

Nikolay's head was rushing with panic and focus hand-in-hand as he was feverishly scanning his surroundings with every step, looking for the first possible sign of his classmates anywhere. At the same time, he couldn't help but think back to what he'd overheard from the two other examinees mere moments ago.

'Of course, it really is just like Midoriya-san and Yaoyorozu-san said: these other schools have been studying us and our Quirks for who-knows how long! Those two were able to figure that fast-flying objects with increased weight would be more durable against my deflecting blasts! Surely there's got to be even more of them who've already decided which of us they want to go after based on our Quirks in relation to theirs! If any of us try to actually fight on our own, we're finished! Clearly the only reason I'm even still here despite being on my own right now is dumb luck!

'Wherever the others might be, I gotta find them! We need to regroup and work together if we're gonna win this! There's no doubt Midoriya-san's thinking the same thing right now, wherever he is! God, I just hope he and the others are still okay and I can find them fast! As for Eijirou-san, Kaminari-san, Todoroki-san and Bakugo? I can only hope for the best! If all those examinees were bold enough to come after us when we were in such a big group, I can't even imagine what they must be looking at on their own!'

At that moment, that familiar electronic chime suddenly filled the air in the stadium again; only instead of the lethargic and barely conscious sound of Mera's voice the examinees had been starting to grow accustomed to, they were instead met with a nearly deafening echo of genuine shock from the man: "Attention: 120 examinees have just been eliminated! One person has taken down 120 people to pass!"

This news hit Nikolay like a brass knuckle punch to the gut, but he couldn't afford to let himself slow down, especially if the two examinees who had ambushed him were actually giving chase. He wasn't about to look back to find out. All he could think in that moment was this: 'So, now it's officially begun! For one person to have taken out that many… it couldn't be that kid Aizawa-sensei was telling us about…could it? No, it doesn't matter right now! Just please don't let any of those 120 have been anyone from class! Please!'

In a matter of seconds after the earthquake had run its course and the class had gotten scattered to the winds, Fumikage, Kyouka and Kouji were all fortunate enough to find each other, but not fortunate enough to actually formulate a plan together, as they quickly found themselves being pursued by a quartet of other examinees, forcing them to go on the evasive.

The obliterated terrain served no obstacle for Fumikage with the aided jumping strength of his Black Abyss, even if he had to throw or carry his two classmates along with him to keep them from falling behind. However, the confusion and desperation of their situation kept them from being able to attack their pursuers in kind.

It only became too clear just what those four other examinees had been aiming for, when the Yuuei trio soon found themselves funneled into a sunken area of the canyon that led out into a complete dead end; no other convenient openings for them to escape through, and the ridges overhead this time were too high for Fumikage to simply have Dark Shadow leap them over. They didn't have the time he would need to charge up such a jump this time, especially as their four pursuers now stood victorious on the ledge behind them.

"See? I told you they would go running right into it!" With that declaration of premature victory ringing loud and clear, Fumikage did the only thing he could think of in that moment, and quickly pulled Kyouka and Kouji in tight, before Dark Shadow proceeded to grow and engulf all three of them, effectively turning itself into a living shield for the three trapped students.

"Don't waste your softballs! There's nowhere for them to go, remember? And Tokoyami's Quirk can only last so long in the light, just like at the Sports Festival! All we have to do is wait, and then we'll bombard them!" Even from within Dark Shadow's mass, Fumikage, Kyouka and Kouji could hear this chatter among their four attackers crystal clear. What made it worse was that they all knew they were right.

The frustrated grimace on Fumikage's face made it all too clear. "We don't have much time. I can only maintain Black Abyss like this for a few more seconds at most. Once that happens, I won't even be able to use it to protect my own targets. We need to do something fast!"

Thinking over just exactly who it was that had been chasing them, Kyouka similarly furrowed her brow with recognition. "One of those kids out there's the one who could absorb and send softballs out through some kind of invisible void. He's probably just waiting for us to get exposed before nailing us from anywhere. Kouda-san, do you think you can try talking to the insects or birds out there to distract them?"

Unfortunately, she and Fumikage could both see the panicked look in Kouji's eyes underneath the orange mask on his face. "I've already been trying, but one of those kids has some kind of crazy whistle Quirk, or something! They've been letting out this pitch since the start like a dog whistle! No animals out there would be able to hear me!"

Kyouka's eyes fell to the floor with dread at this news. She'd really been banking on Kouji being able to earn them a miracle win just like back at the final exams. "Dammit… those kids really did their homework on how to fight us… but that just means we gotta improvise. If we can't distract them, maybe we can still stun them, even just for a second."

With that, her now-intense eyes darted to the attentive crow-headed boy beside her. "Tokoyami-san, if you can use that Piercing Claw move of yours to throw me straight up, I could be able to use my other special move to stun the lot of them. That could buy us a chance to pelt them with our own softballs and get them off our backs. On the count of three."

Fumikage thankfully looked to be in full agreement with this plan, as Kyouka could already feel Dark Shadow's hand grab onto the collar of her leather jacket. She gripped both of her earphone jacks in hand, preparing a massive pulse to send their way once this plan went into action. "Three…"

Suddenly, the entirety of Dark Shadow hanging over their heads began to flitter and dissipate with cries and whimpers of declining strength, to all three of their confusion. However, once Fumikage looked through one of the openings in his Quirk's mass, it became all too clear what was happening: one of the examinees out there in a costume that looked to be entirely reflective, was somehow redirecting the very sunrays shining in through the stadium roof with the motion of her hands, focusing all of them into one central point: Dark Shadow itself. She was essentially turning Dark Shadow into the ant under the magnifying glass.

"There's no time left! Forgive me, Jirou-san!" With that, Fumikage hurriedly had Dark Shadow toss the unprepared Kyouka straight up into the air above, sending the purple-haired girl spinning and disoriented before she finally reached the peak of her flight, allowing her to finally get some idea of where everyone was, only to find all four of the examinees below had their eyes focused on her alone. "Oh, crap!"

"Ha, I told you they'd get desperate! Knock her out of the sky, but don't give the others a chance to intervene!" The Void Quirk examinee gloated as he already began focusing where to fire the softballs he had lying in wait from. Seeing the danger she was now in, even despite the suppressing efforts of the other examinee he had been worried by, Kouji desperately shut his eyes and began calling out with everything he had for the birds above to come and save Kyouka from the trap she was now caught in.

Knowing now what a precarious spot she was in, but not willing to just give up or panic yet, Kyouka still kept her grips on her earphone jacks, keeping the ends just millimeters apart from touching as she began to descend. She kept her eyes focused on the examinees below; simply counting down the micro-seconds before they would start to throw their softballs at her, and she would finally put her second special move's practice to the test.

Unfortunately, the reflexes for throwing from the Void user proved to be faster than she had expected, as just at the moment she began to finally send the pulse she'd been building down to her jacks, she suddenly felt a softball plow into the target she'd placed on her right calf, officially breaking her intense focus with momentary shock.

At that same moment, all the other examinees down below finally proceeded to throw all the softballs they could carry right for her and down to Fumikage and Kouji below.

BWOOOM!

At the last second before impact, the three Yuuei students and their attackers all heard a resonating blast of bass rip through the air, and before all their eyes, the olive-and-red-clad blur of Nikolay Bezpalov came shooting through the air like a shot, catching the freefalling Kyouka, and knocking themselves back a great distance away from the current battlefield, rendering all the incoming softballs headed her way useless.

Realizing the much-needed distraction this now provided them, Fumikage quickly used the last second of Dark Shadow's present strength to grab onto Kouji, and launch them both up and over the towering ledge above with a powerful jump; sending the two boys bounding and out of view of the four shocked examinees, who by now realized their easy win had just been taken away from them, to their frustration. "COME ON, WE CAN'T LET THEM ESCAPE!"

Hurriedly jumping and sprinting after the four escaped Yuuei students, having seen the direction they'd all ultimately gone, the four examinees were instead met with an empty plateau, with nary a sign of any of their targets to be seen. "What the hell?! There's no way they could have completely escaped that easy!"

"There's no point dwelling on it! Keep your eyes peeled! More examinees are bound to cross our paths soon. We can still salvage this!" As the Void-using examinee took command of the situation he and his allies now found themselves in, not one of them was ever aware of the fact that, right after having crested over the ledge out of their line of sight, Nikolay had thrown himself and Kyouka backwards and down into a nearby crevasse he'd spied that was fortunately just out of the examinees' line of sight when they had decided to pursue, with Fumikage and Kouji now currently hiding in the exact same spot with them.

It was hardly ideal, but it had at least bought them some much needed breathing room to figure out just what the hell to do next. Nikolay was still visibly smarting from the bruise that was already forming on his left arm from the heavy hit he'd taken to the target there before, but he and his three reunited allies were all thankfully alert enough to keep their voices down.

"A hideaway like this couldn't have come at a better time. Good eye, Bezpalov-san. I can already feel Dark Shadow's strength returning to me." Fumikage noted; his naturally angry-looking crow face betraying the clear relief in his serious tone.

At the same time, though, Kouji was still looking especially anxious, and Kyouka was glancing down to the illuminated target on the back of her right leg. "Dammit… I can't believe I actually fell for their trap like that. Oh well, it's still a relief to see you're still here too, Kolya-san. If you hadn't come flying in like that…"

She clearly didn't want to entertain the thought, as they all knew what no doubt would have happened if it hadn't been for Nikolay's blind intervention in their most desperate moment. Thankfully, even despite his own soreness, Nikolay could at least manage half a smile to mirror her own. "I'm glad you're all okay, too. I've been trying to find as many of our class as I could for the last couple of minutes, but I haven't had any luck. What about you guys?"

Unfortunately, he could tell from the regretful looks in their eyes just what the answer was going to be. Without another word on the matter, Fumikage lifted his gaze to the opening of the crevasse overhead. "We can't stay down here, but we can't just jump out recklessly, either. There's no way those other examinees won't be sticking around this general area. They may not know exactly where we are, but they know we have to be nearby."

"That's right, they've clearly decided on us as their targets, since their Quirks are best suited to be used against us specifically. They probably already have a number of strategies in mind the moment we show our faces." Kouji agreed, leaving all four of them looking equally perturbed and thoughtful.

"You're all right. If we're going to have any chance at getting out of here and regrouping with the others, we'll need to come up with a plan together." The moment Nikolay stated this fact, that electronic chime suddenly echoed through the stadium again, drawing all four of their attention, as well as those of their watchful opponents above.

"Well, this is more what I was looking for from you kids. The pace has really picked up now. As of right now, we have… 52… no, 53 individuals now who have passed! They're just coming one after another! With each having eliminated at least two others, that brings our current eliminated count to 230!"

All this announcement served to do was light a collective fire under the tails of every single participant all at once. Nikolay, Kyouka, Fumikage and Kouji could all start to feel their hearts start pounding at the bottom line, which Kouji was the first to finally acknowledge out loud: "Crap… we're already more than halfway to the end of this thing. We can't just worry about regrouping with the rest of the class anymore. We need to find some way we can each eliminate two people fast, or else we're finished."

Suddenly, that same electric chime echoed again: "Disregard my previous statement, now we have 54! We're just over halfway there! Pick up the pace and try to finish, everyone!"

This earned the slightest frustrated groan from Kyouka, while Nikolay was instinctively letting out a sigh, looking up at the blue sky above. "I guess we should just hope at least one of those that passed is one of ours."

"Kolya-san, we need to focus on us right now, in more ways than one, remember?" Kyouka reminded the young Slav with a harsh whisper, thankfully spurring him back to their unfortunate present.

However, before he could even ask for suggestions, Kouji's head suddenly perked up, his eyes wide with the spark of an idea as he hurriedly addressed Kyouka: "Jirou-san, are you able to project what you hear through your earphone jacks, or just your pulses?"

All of his classmates looked to Kouji confusedly, while Kyouka instinctively glanced towards one of her hanging jacks. "Yeah, I can project sounds through them. Why?"

This actually seemed to embolden the rocky-faced boy, as he hurriedly inched his way further up the crevasse so they were now all on the same level so he could better explain what he had in mind. "If you can hear sounds through walls when plugging your jacks in, maybe you can project sounds through walls the same way. If you could plug them into these crevasse walls, I could try speaking to the insects and underground animals from here, and you can project the sound of it into the walls where it can get through to them without that kid with the Whistle Quirk interfering."

To his silent relief, this idea actually seemed to inspire his three classmates just as much as it did for him, especially as Nikolay started anxiously looking down the length of their hiding spot forward and back. "It looks like this crevasse goes on for a while both ways. If you could tell the animals to dig through any obstructions down both ways, it could give us a means to circle around those examinees up there."

"That's all well and good, you guys, but it doesn't change the fact we need to start working on eliminating two examinees for each of us if we want to make this all worth it." Kyouka explained sternly, with her earphone jacks already coiled back in preparation to plug into the opposite walls at her sides.

However, this did nothing to dampen Nikolay and Kouji's spirits, as the Russian boy now had his eyes shifting from the large tuning forks still at his hips, to the visibly prepared Fumikage. "We just might have a way to include that into this plan, too. Tokoyami-san, is there a set distance you can travel apart from Dark Shadow where you can still communicate with it?"

Even as Mera had announced his sudden passing of the first exam, Shoto Todoroki silently observed the aftermath of his most recent utilization of his training to achieve victory. Within this small alley in the urban section of the stadium, a multitude of other examinees had tried to get the jump on him, but his reflexes had only grown that much sharper with time.

After all, from the moment he had caught glimpse of the first sign of movement once the exam had gone for a little while, his very first reaction was to not only activate both sides of his Quirk simultaneously, but more specifically to swing both his hands together at the same time of releasing both sides in an attack, instantly producing a massive rushing wall of impenetrable steam that filled the entirety of the street and all the alleys connected to it, completely blinding his opponents before they even had a chance to throw their softballs his way.

From there, it essentially became a turkey shoot, as Shoto made quick work of the whole bunch, unleashing his Fire and Ice simultaneously all around, breaking all of the other examinees' defenses and focus and sending them into a panicked run, or sticking them helplessly to where they stood. Either way, the result was the same, as the intense winds of both his attacks sent his supply of softballs, as well as their own, flying everywhere, nailing every single one of their targets, and thus earning him the win.

Despite this, though, his mind was clearly elsewhere, as once the steam cleared, all he could focus on was his own two hands. "Hmm… my Steam Wall move seems to move fast enough as is. Actually fighting with both my sides activated at once, however; I clearly need more practice there. My moves are still a bit sluggish."

Suddenly, a slight electronic beeping, followed by an automated voice, began emanating from the three now illuminated targets stuck to his body: "Examinees who have passed should proceed to the waiting room for further instructions."

With no other reason he could think of to stick around, and all the while simply thinking to himself with confidence that the rest of his classmates could handle themselves out here, Shoto proceeded nonchalantly as he was told.

Upon reaching the designated waiting room, Shoto was silently surprised to see as many examinees had already passed as there were here. His focus had been so thoroughly centered on his own situation, he'd completely ignored all the previous announcements beforehand. As he silently made his way in, he was quick to notice that there wasn't a single face from Class 1-A inside. In a way, he wasn't necessarily surprised, but it was at least a little worrying that no one else had managed to pass so far.

He wasn't about to let that get to him, though; he knew they all had their own individual strengths to tap into if things got desperate enough. For now, he knew all he could really do was wait. As he began scanning the room for somewhere to pass the time, his ears were quick to pick up an all-too familiar booming voice of excitement from practically all the way across from him: "SERIOUSLY?! I MYSELF AM A BIG FAN OF STAMP-MAN, TOO! HE'S A TRULY BURNING HOT HERO!"

Indeed, currently in the middle of talking/shouting at a clearly put-off examinee; dressed in a heavy-duty-looking burgundy-colored winter jacket, with the elbows and knees adorned with what looked like wind turbines, with more protruding from under the cape hanging off his back, and a massive gauntlet over his left hand, was none other than the apparent star pupil of Shiketsu High, Inasa Yoarashi.

Given what Aizawa had informed the class of in the beginning about his apparent abilities and strength, Shoto wasn't remotely surprised Inasa had managed to pass as well. Had he actually paid attention to the first of the announcements during the exam, he wouldn't have been remotely surprised if he had been the wunderkind of an examinee who had taken out 120 opponents on their own.

However, thinking about what his homeroom teacher had said about Inasa scoring highest at the entrance exams once again got Shoto's curiosity going. 'It's strange. If he was deemed good enough for the recommended version of the entrance exam, I should've met him even back then. So why can't I recall that?'

Before he could think on it any further, though, a momentary glance up towards Inasa made Shoto's body only momentarily give the tiniest flinch of surprise, for the boy in question had suddenly stopped with his enthusiastic shouting with his fellow examinees, and was now giving one of the coldest stares imaginable straight at Shoto himself. It lasted only for a couple seconds before Inasa had forced his attention back towards rambling to anyone else around him, but Shoto had unmistakably seen a look of pure hatred sent his way. There was no mistaking it, because he could easily tell it was the same kind of glare he always had sent his father's way over the years.

Why on earth he was suddenly finding himself on the receiving end of such a look, Shoto had not the faintest idea. It was definitely something he was finding himself increasingly curious to learn more about; preferably before this day would be through, and the students of all these different Hero schools would ultimately have to go their separate ways. Until then, however, he knew, still, that he could only wait for the first exam to come to an end, and all the while wish the rest of his class the best of luck like only he could.

"Dammit, where the hell could they have gone? That Russian Yuuei kid was plenty fast at the Sports Festival, but there's no way he could be fast enough to get far enough away we couldn't even see him in just those few seconds," the Whistle Quirk-using examinee muttered impatiently to his three allies as they kept carefully scanning their surroundings around this one clearing in the canyon setting. So far, no other examinees had come close enough to warrant them pursuing, and the constant updates about more examinees passing was really starting to get to them. If they didn't find their intended Yuuei targets soon, they were going to end up eating everyone elses' dust.

Just as the Light Manipulator examinee was about to tell her fellow examinee to not complain, she could suddenly start feeling the unmistakable sensation of the ground beginning to shift and rumble beneath her feet, just the same as her three allies could, as they all immediately got into a much more combat-ready stance. "You think it's that Shindo kid from Ketsubutsu again?"

The Void examinee suddenly lifted an open hand, signaling for his fellow examinees to stay quiet. As they all looked to their impromptu leader for confirmation, his eyes were focused specifically on an until-now unnoticeable crevasse sitting just beneath the lip of the ridge their fleeing targets had disappeared behind. Soon, the other three followed his gaze, and once they could make out the opening in the ground, their confusion quickly changed to expectant smiles, even as the seismic pulses rippling across the ground only continued on in a set rhythm.

Soon, the four examinees began to silently approach the crevasse, with the Whistle-user unable to help but gloat in a hushed whisper: "That Russkie kid must be trying to do the same thing with his Quirk like Shindo did to scatter his class. Too bad it's not nearly strong enough."

However, they all soon began to feel a similar rumbling rhythm start moving across the ground beneath their feet, except that this time it was coming from behind them, at the same rhythm as the rumbling that was still coming from the crevasse in front of them. The four visibly surprised examinees quickly turned back to notice a similar tiny crack in the earth behind their backs on the edge of the clearing. The now-two separate rumbling pulses were continuing at the same pace with each other, with one going off every time in the gaps of time between those of the other, leaving virtually no time where the ground beneath the examinees' feet wasn't at least vibrating with considerable strength.

And just as quickly did they start to feel yet a third different vibration start drifting across the ground now from their left, where there was now yet another crevasse; leaving three different seismic sources at the quartet's front, back and left sides all at once, and leaving them all now standing with their backs to each other in a makeshift defensive formation.

Upon closer examination, it quickly became apparent to the four that, instead of there being three completely separate crevasses that these seismic pulses were emanating from, they were all in fact now connected by only the thinnest opening. For all intents and purposes, this whole clearing was actually surrounded by one massive ring of an opening in the solid earth.

"Keep your wits up, guys. They're just trying to distract us." The Void-user warned his teammates, despite the confident smirks they were by now all wearing.

"Guess it was true what you said: desperation really does make an idiot out of everyone. They just gave themselves away instead." With the Whistle-user's words, they all proceeded to slowly creep their way towards the three sources of the vibrations rippling through the ground like those on water; every one of them already getting their Quirks and subsequent softballs prepared to unleash hell on their once-hidden targets.

However, with all four of their backs effectively turned to the one portion of the crevasse that didn't have those rumbling waves emanating from it, Fumikage suddenly proceeded to climb his way out of it, and with his eyes squarely focused on the Void-user straight ahead, he proceeded to reel his arms back, knowing he currently couldn't count on the assistance of Dark Shadow for this part. He had to pull this off himself.

Fortunately for him, his intended target had proven to be quite the cocky one, as he had clearly planted his targets all on his back; clearly having not expected anyone to be able to get behind him.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

With the three most concentrated solo-performed softball throws he'd ever done, Fumikage swiftly threw one after the other with sharpshooter-like precision, with every ball meeting each of the targets dead-on, soon leading to the electronic beep emanating from the Void-using examinee, with an electronic voice quickly announcing: "All targets stricken. Examinee is officially disqualified."

This sneak attack hit him and his three remaining compatriots completely blindsided, as they all turned to find the glaring crow-headed boy standing alone in the open, only for Fumikage to easily jump backwards and straight back down into the crevasse before they could act.

"That son of a bitch, he's not getting away this time," the Whistle-user declared angrily as the Void examinee let out an infuriated shout at the realization of his own defeat.

As the three once again had their attention now drawn to the one spot they had once believed to be harmless, Kouji suddenly emerged from the opening the first rumbling frequency had emanated from at the start. Behind his goggles, his eyes were solely fixed on the Whistle-user ahead, who had thankfully been distracted just enough to finally stop using his Quirk.

"Denizens of the underground, please mobilize yourselves and help us to defeat our enemy." The moment Kouji began whispering this plea for help into the ground below, a multitude of countless insects suddenly began to burrow up from the ground surrounding the Whistle-user's feet, rushing up his legs at the same moment his partners suddenly noticed what was happening.

"OH MY GOD, THAT'S NASTY! GET THEM OFF, YOU IDIOT," the one female examinee cried out in disgust, only for the targeted examinee to start writhing and panicking the moment he realized what was happening to him.

With that momentary distraction unfolding before his eyes, Kouji suddenly looked back into his hiding spot and gave a solitary nod of his head, only for Dark Shadow to suddenly pop up and lunge its extending arms for the female examinee, planting the softballs in each of its hands onto the targets on the backs of her shoulders.

The instant she suddenly felt the impact and turned back around on a swivel, ready to defend herself, Kouji immediately threw his own softball the moment she began to move, perfectly nailing the target planted on her right collarbone, instantly disqualifying her the moment she began to reel her arm back to throw in retaliation.

As her eyes went wide with disbelief at what had just happened, and Kouji and Dark Shadow quickly ducked back down out of sight, the time had finally come for the coup de grace now that the most universally dangerous of the four examinees and the one who could directly affect Fumikage had been disqualified.

As the Whistle-user and last remaining gladiator-looking examinee now found themselves on their own, Nikolay and Kyouka suddenly leaped out side-by-side from their own hiding spots at their left and rear sides respectively.

Just as the sound of their feet hitting the ground registered to their two remaining opponents, Kyouka clutched her jacks tight and sent the pulse she'd been building up down to them as she began to bring the metal ends together: "EARPHONE JACKS STRIKE!"

Judging her timing perfectly, Kyouka struck the two metal ends together at the moment her pulses fired out; resulting in a devastating air-shaking high-pitched burst of feedback that left both hers and Nikolay's targets shaking, almost writhing, where they stood as their heads rang mercilessly from the noise. The short-haired girl couldn't even try to hide the victorious grin on her face, knowing her special move for crowd control and suppression had actually worked so well, as she and Nikolay capitalized on this opportunity, and proceeded to throw their respective softballs at the two remaining boys; nailing each and every target and rendering them both disqualified before they could even think of fighting back.

With a universal sigh of relief all around, Nikolay and Kyouka were quickly joined by Kouji and Fumikage, all visibly pleased to know that, with the plan they had all managed to formulate together, they had all managed to get one elimination to their names, and were all four now halfway to passing.

While their four former assailants could only now look upon them with a mixture of disbelief and even some admiration, Nikolay quickly caught sight of Dark Shadow dutifully returning to Fumikage's side, with one of the Russian boy's large tuning forks clutched in its beak, before offering it back to him with a docile-sounding coo.

"I will admit I had my doubts in this plan; but you all had faith in our being able to do our parts to make this possible. For that, you each have my gratitude." Fumikage thanked with a sincere bow of his head while Nikolay slid both his larger weapons back into their sheaths, before joining Kyouka and Kouji in returning the grateful gesture.

The bulk of their impromptu plan had been to leave Nikolay in one opening with one of his large tuning forks, while leaving the other with Kouji and Dark Shadow, while Kyouka would plug her jacks into the wall of her hiding spot facing their four opponents, and Fumikage lay in wait on his own once they were distracted. From there, Nikolay proceeded to strike against his while it was wedged between the walls, timing it in conjunction with Kouji and Dark Shadow timing their respective strikes with each other, with Kyouka firing minor pulses of her own to add to the vibration frequency and disorient the four examinees as to where they were all coming from.

It was a risky plan to be sure, with any number of ways it could have gone wrong. They all knew, deep down, that they had ultimately lucked out with their four targets being confident enough in their own guaranteed success that they took their eyes off at least one corner of the clearing.

However, the remaining urgency of the ongoing exam reminded them that they had no time to waste if they wanted to have a chance to regroup with more of their classmates. As their four defeated fellow examinees finally took their leave with only the slightest expressions of congratulations, Nikolay had his eyes set on the horizon. "Okay, from here we stick together. If we do that, we should be able to help the rest of our classmates, no matter what they might be up against."

With that, he, Kyouka, Fumikage and Kouji rushed onward, ready to face the next challenge that awaited them.

Back up in the bleachers, Aizawa and Ms. Joke were still watching the gradual unfolding of the exam below in rapt attention. At least, this was the case for the former, as the latter was every now and then trying to get him to take his eyes off the action and indulge her annoying attempts at humor; the latest of which being an offer for, what he was personally certain, was some kind of trick chewing gum.

Even for as much as his abrasive demeanor always made Ms. Joke laugh, after having it go on for this long, she couldn't help but glance his way curiously. "You've never really been much for laughs, Eraser, but you're being an especially big sourpuss right now. What could possibly be getting under your skin this badly?"

Aizawa kept his arms crossed as his eyes dutifully scanned all across the stadium for any familiar signs of movement out in the open. "It's frustrating, not being able to tell if any of my students have passed or failed yet, and if so, how many on either side."

Even if he was refusing to meet her inquisitive gaze, the green-haired woman beside him could see right through his apathetic demeanor. After the number of years they'd worked together, she would have certainly hoped she'd come to read him that accurately. "Yeah, my Shindo-kun really went and messed things up as far as keeping an eye on the kids goes, hasn't he? What; are you telling me that you're actually worried about your students this time around? Is that actually possible for you, Eraser?"

At first, Aizawa said nothing, and Ms. Joke was just about ready to shrug it off as him once again giving her the cold shoulder for lack of any witty retort. However, even as his eyes continued to scan the battlefield, he soon spoke, not with annoyance, but a deep tone of understanding that only someone like him could convey: "In my time observing the students of Class 1-A, I've come to understand something."

This visibly perked his fellow teacher's interest, but he couldn't have registered that if he tried, as his focus was so dead-set on any sign of progress from his students amid the fray. "Those around them may not have noticed, but in Class 1-A, there are three individuals who are having a great effect on all the others, even if one of them is certainly going to have his ability to inspire his peers put to the test, especially with this current round. Those three, they're not the types to bring the class together, nor are they the types to draw attention to themselves. To make matters worse, while two of them may have something resembling a friendship between them, when taking all three personalities into account, they all three have a terrible relationship that keeps them from forming a cohesive three-way dynamic.

"However, somehow, before any of them even realized it, their own individual forms of zeal have already spread to the rest of their class. And curiously enough, no matter what the commotion is, you'll find that at least one of them is caught in the mix. Joke, I'm not worrying. I just have high expectations. Those three boys… in their own individual ways… their presence lifts the whole class up."

The wind was rushing through Mina's hair as she continued to slide on her feet this way and that for everything she was worth. What would have normally been such an exhilarating sensation for her was now instead a race for her life, as shortly after she had gotten separated from the rest of her class in the wake of Shindo's earthquake; she had been forced on the move non-stop. She couldn't even spare the moment to look back to make sure she was still being pursued, as she knew she needed to keep her eyes open so she didn't end up tripping over any cracks or rocks in her path.

Besides, she could still hear the sound of a few pairs of footsteps rapidly chasing after her.

The other examinees on her rear were especially persistent, since they were somehow managing to keep her in sight despite her considerable advantage in speed thanks to her acid slide. Every now and then when she found a good little rise for her to slide herself off of and gain a little air-time, Mina capitalized on those moments by launching herself into a mid-air spin and throwing another trusty Acid Veil behind her. More often than not it had been for nothing, but in the beginning her pursuers were actually taking those chances to try throwing their softballs her way.

After having gotten hit on the target on her right palm, she was going to make damn sure they didn't get so lucky again.

"Dammit, how is she so fast on terrain like this?!" "She's gotta be melting it down to make it easier, but that doesn't matter! Don't let her out of your sight!" "How long can she keep this up?!"

Mina could hear these several frustrated proclamations coming from behind her, but the last thing she was about to do was gloat or tease them. Not knowing exactly what their Quirks were, the last thing she wanted to do was piss them off into going all-out on her. Besides, even if they didn't know it themselves, she knew she was already reaching the end of the line.

Cresting just over the top of another jagged ridge, the examinees came to a screeching halt at the sight of their pink target expertly gliding, spinning, leaping and flipping over a massive opening in the canyon dotted with numerous rock spires, with Mina using every single one as either a stepping stone or a gripping point to keep herself moving until she finally reached the other side and continued to slide to freedom without even missing a beat before finally rounding a corner and disappearing from sight behind a pile of boulders.

"The hell with it, she can't lose us that easy!" With this declaration of intent, the handful of examinees actually proceeded to follow after Mina once they realized the opening was too big for them to simply go around, especially if they still wanted to catch up with her. Surprisingly, they were managing to keep themselves steady as they carefully hopped from one rock spire to the next, even despite Mina's sliding fluid still coating them.

Suddenly, the examinee in the back of the group found himself unable to move, and upon looking down, found both his feet adhered to the spire by two purple spheres. "What the hell?!"

"GRAPE RUUUUSH!"

Before any of the other examinees could react, they suddenly found themselves being rushed by a single purple blur ricocheting off a number of identical spheres plastered all along the rim of this canyon opening, effectively acting like a human pinball, all while they started getting pelted by more and more similar spheres flying from their speeding assailant.

Minoru was trying with all his might not to start losing consciousness from how fast he'd started flying the moment the signal to activate his group's ambush had been given. All he could hope to focus on was aiming his body just right so he would meet every one of the hairballs he'd planted beforehand, while never letting up on his hairball barrage to immobilize the whole lot.

'Oh, please don't let them get a bead on me! Please, please, please!' Considering the fact that, up until this moment, Minoru had already gotten hit on two of his three targets, this was naturally the only thing he could think to himself as he kept bouncing and throwing like his life depended on it.

"Don't just stand there, you idiots! We can still pelt that little gremlin!" One of the examinees in the forefront called back to her allies, and the moment they all honed their sights on Minoru's ricocheting form and reared their arms back to throw where he was headed, they all were suddenly blinded by an out-of-nowhere burst of light.

What none of them had expected, was that the moment it seemed that Minoru was in danger, Tooru had decided to emerge from her own hiding place and finally decided to put her own long-elusive special move to the test, with an enthusiastic and bubbly cry of: "INVISIBILITY: LIGHT REFRACTION! SAY CHEESE!"

Just like that, the invisible girl had made herself like a prism hitting light at just the right angle, as her whole body gave off a blinding burst of the sunlight refracting off of her and directly into the eyes of her group's opponents, keeping them from attacking while Minoru had finally finished immobilizing their feet.

The instant she had seen the burst of Tooru's light from behind her own hiding place, Mina knew that was her cue to finally put their big plan into motion, as she hurriedly slid out from behind the boulder she'd hidden behind; both her hands already clapped flat together with her arms extended before her: "ACID SHOT!"

Skidding to a stop right at the edge of the gorge, Mina proceeded to fire a far-reaching spray of acid from between her hands, easily melting its way through the bases of every rock spire in front of her, and ultimately causing them all to collapse into the gorge with all of the examinees stuck on top. Fortunately, her group had already had the forethought when planning this trap after reuniting, to have Minoru nearly completely encase them all in his hairballs in order to protect them all from the subsequent fall.

As the dust soon cleared, Mina, Tooru and Minoru all looked down, and the tiny boy let out a sigh of immense relief when they were met with the sight of the crumbled spires piled up at the bottom of the gorge, with the handful of examinees thankfully looking no worse for wear, and still unable to free themselves from within his veritable hair cocoon. What was better, they also could no longer attack or chase after them this way, either.

"Wow, this idea of yours was AWESOME, Mina-chan! I didn't think you'd actually find a way we could all put our special moves together and have it actually pay off!" Tooru cheered happily as she started jumping up and down in celebration, while Mina had a considerably proud grin on her face at the realization that her very first attempt at formulating a genuine plan had actually succeeded.

Seeing the light in her black-gold eyes alongside her smile in this moment, however, Tooru couldn't help but think mischievously to herself: 'For someone as impulsive as Mina-chan to come up with something elaborate like this is no coincidence… and I'll bet I know where the inspiration came from, to boot! Ooh, just wait till Kolya-kun hears just how much his growing up has been rubbing off on her! I can't wait!'

"What are we all still standing around here for? We couldn't ask for other examinees to be in a better spot than this! Let's just go down there, touch their targets and we're as good as passed already!" Minoru noted; his voice a clear split between impatience and anxiety, as his eyes were already nervously looking all around them for the first sign of more examinees approaching for the attack.

However, neither of his impromptu partners were of the same mind, as while he had his softballs at the ready, neither Mina nor Tooru were reflecting the same eagerness to win. In fact, Mina's eyes were clearly focusing on their surroundings, as though she were trying to keep an eye out for something. "These guys aren't gonna be able to go anywhere for a while. I don't wanna leave until we can regroup with the rest of the class. They could be in trouble right now for all we know."

"Yeah, it's like Midoriya-kun said: our class should try to stick and work together if we wanna win! I wouldn't feel good at all if one of our friends got disqualified and we could've helped them!" Tooru was in full agreement, and as she and Mina were already beginning to go on the move again, Minoru was visibly trembling with conflict as to what he should have done, continuously switching his gaze back and forth between the trapped examinees and the two girls practically threatening to leave him behind.

"AWWW, DAMMIT! This is just my luck, isn't it?! The one time I actually get to be the one guy alone with two sexy girls, and it's in a situation where we might as well fear for our lives!"

"HEY! WAIT UP!" Somehow, a distant voice managed to say the very next words that were about to come out of Minoru's mouth once he was about to follow, and this was enough to bring him, Tooru and Mina to a complete stop, before they all instinctively looked back, only to all be overwhelmed with relief.

Rushing their way from over some nearby hilltops were the unmistakable forms of Nikolay, Kyouka, Kouji and Fumikage, all running or leaping like they had the Devil on their heels the moment they had spotted their three classmates from afar. It took everything Tooru and Mina had not to practically rush in and meet any one of them in a lifting hug of relief once the two groups of 1-A students finally reunited to become a merry band of seven.

"Oh, man, Kolya-kun, I'm so glad to see you guys! I'd been trying to keep an eye open for some sign of you and the others since the quake!" Mina instantly told Nikolay once their groups converged, while Tooru was expressing similar relief at the welcome sight of Kyouka and Kouji, and Minoru was now crying with relief that a powerhouse like Fumikage was now here.

"So was I, Mina. Thank goodness your hair sticks out so much in every environment, and practically from any distance. When we heard that sound of rocks collapsing just now, we were worried someone had gotten the drop on you." Nikolay likewise hurriedly explained, missing the momentary embarrassed smirk on Mina's face at the mention of her hair, even if it had ultimately been his group's guiding beacon in the chaos of this exam.

At this, Tooru was once again smiling an unseen smile of excitement as she began eagerly motioning for their new arrivals to look into the gorge. "Oh, you guys aren't gonna believe this! Mina-chan actually cooked up a plan for us to get some more examinees off our backs, and somehow, some way, we actually pulled it off!"

"What examinees?" The instant Kyouka asked this upon looking into the gorge alongside the others; Tooru went dead silent, while Mina and Minoru both looked like they'd just been stricken with a lightning bolt of disbelief. Rushing over to see for themselves, the trio was stricken at the sight of…nobody.

There was now literally nobody. Where there had once been a handful of examinees practically cocooned in Minoru's hairballs atop some broken rocks, there were now only a handful of what looked like crudely made tunnels going deeper into the earth.

RMMMMMBLL!

Suddenly, the ground beneath all seven students' feet began to rumble more and more violently by the second, before they could start to feel the levelness give way to a steepening slant, and the ground finally gave way right out from under them, sending them all freefalling into the gorge without warning. Thankfully, Nikolay's timely reflexes of grabbing Kyouka and Mina, and timing the firing from his feet in order to try and slow their descent; alongside Fumikage using Black Abyss to grab Tooru, Minoru and Kouji, and then driving itself into the nearby gorge wall to likewise break their fall, ultimately saved them all from getting hurt.

The moment they had met the ground, they could soon hear the sound of something clawing its way up from the ground up above. Looking up, they now found themselves being stared down upon by the exact same handful of examinees they had previously thought they'd trapped down here, just in the process of removing some of the last of Minoru's hairballs from their bodies. Soon, they were joined by a much shorter examinee dressed in a coal miner costume, with the face and extended claws of a mole.

"Nice work, Mogura-kun. I just knew having you follow us from underground would pay off," a female examinee with short white-and-black hair and a skin-tight costume with a pattern resembling camera film boasted proudly to their newly arrived compatriot.

The Yuuei students could already see their newly freed assailants had their softballs at the ready, and they were effectively in a kill zone. In a last-second act of desperation, Kouji quickly turned his attention to the mole-like examinee above. If his Anispeak Quirk worked as extensively as he was hoping it did, he could potentially have the same effect on those with animal-like Quirks as it did with actual animals: "Mogura-san, hear my words, please. Don't let your teammates attack us, no matter what!"

Instead, all the rocky-headed boy was met with was condescending laughter from above, as another of the examinees removed the helmet from the Mole Quirk-user's head, revealing a pair of industrial-strength earmuffs on their ears. "You really think we didn't expect someone with a Quirk like yours to pull a fast one like that, Kouda-san? We've done our homework on you 1-A kids. You should've done the same for us!"

With that, it was like one common synapse fired between all seven of the trapped Yuuei students below, as they immediately proceeded to shoot off into different directions, just at the same moment their high-ground assailants finally let loose with their barrage of softballs. The deluge was precise and intense, as even with the speed and agility with which they kept moving to avoid getting hit, within the first handful of seconds, Kyouka and Tooru could both feel a single ball nail their second targets, and even as Fumikage was using Dark Shadow to deflect as many as he could from himself and any of his classmates that were nearest, he ultimately ended up feeling his first target end up getting hit amid the chaos as well.

As Nikolay kept trying to fire as many deflecting blasts from his hands and other portions of his body he felt were in danger as possible, and Mina kept throwing one veil of acid after another to protect herself and her teammates, the barrage simply was not letting up. However, even as they kept evading, they were soon able to notice that, through his own desperate run for his life, Minoru had actually managed to plant a multitude of his hairballs all around the walls of this canyon basin, effectively serving as a multi-option means of escape the moment an opening showed itself.

"Everyone, turn back!" Fumikage suddenly ordered to his teammates, making sure to keep his words just vague enough so the examinees above wouldn't know what to expect. With no other ideas of what to do otherwise, Nikolay, Mina, Minoru, Kouji and Kyouka did as he suggested and turned their backs to him while still managing to keep running and deflecting.

The moment they did, Fumikage suddenly withdrew Dark Shadow from around the area around him, and simply focused on binding it back to himself in its Black Abyss form, just in time for Tooru to unleash her Light Refraction once again the moment her cover was taken away. The resulting blinding flash forced the examinees above to withdraw from the edge of the basin to try and shield their eyes, especially that of their Mole-user.

"Alright, that's our chance! Let's get out of here, everyone!" Tooru exclaimed. Not needing to be told another word, the band of seven immediately proceeded to flee out of the basin with everything they had, with Nikolay grabbing Mina and Tooru mid-launch from the ground, Minoru plowing himself into the first of his planted hairballs, sending him ricocheting further and further up, and Fumikage using Dark Shadow to practically fling Kyouka and Kouji up and out before leaping up after them.

The moment they had made their way out, they were quick to scramble behind an especially large pile of boulders nearby. Except that when they did, Tooru was quick to say: "Wait, where's Mineta?"

The sound of the small boy still bouncing off of his hairballs outside quickly drew all their attention, looking back to the basin just in time to see Minoru finally bounce off the last hairball on the edge of the canyon, sending him darting through the air right for them, with Fumikage already prepping Dark Shadow to reach a hand up to catch him like the human baseball Minoru essentially was now.

Except that, just before he could; before every one of their shocked eyes, Minoru Mineta came to an instantaneous freeze in mid-air, as though he'd literally just been captured in a solitary moment in time, hanging weightlessly in a manner far different from Ochako's Zero Gravity, even though his eyes could still move, reflecting nothing but terror and confusion.

"HELL YEAH! Nice aim there, Satsuei-san! That Freeze Frame Quirk is a capturing godsend!" one of the opposing examinees declared with ecstatic fervor, while the black-and-white-haired girl from earlier had her eyes focused on Minoru ahead; her pupils looking just like camera shutters upon very close inspection.

"Would you guys just hurry up and eliminate him? This isn't the time for compliments!" The moment she reminded her partners of this, they all proceeded to throw what softballs of theirs were left en masse, all aiming right for Minoru. If the grape-haired boy had been able to move anything besides just his eyes, he would have been screaming like a banshee for mercy right now.

Except at the last possible moment, Nikolay suddenly popped out from behind one of the boulders in front of Minoru, and was already in the process of firing one of the smaller tuning forks from his bandolier out of his hand after another, using the added power behind each throw to have them deflect every ball that got especially close to hitting his classmate. Minoru's eyes were already visibly weeping with joyful gratitude for the save.

Except that just after he had ended up throw/firing the last of his tuning forks, Nikolay's body likewise suddenly went completely and helplessly still in mid-motion. At the exact same moment, Minoru's body suddenly began to fly forward at breakneck speed all over again, as though the several seconds of being frozen still had taken not a single ounce of his previous momentum. It was a miracle that Fumikage was able to re-summon Dark Shadow fast enough to catch the tiny boy in its beak before he completely overshot the rest of his classmates. At the same time, Tooru was quick to pull Nikolay's frozen body back down behind cover before the other team could start chucking their softballs his way next.

Even as they lay their Russian classmate down flat on the ground, it was like moving a sculpture, for not a single part of his body could move, and none of them were about to run the risk of breaking his bones if they tried to force motion out of either of his arms. Just like Minoru, all Nikolay could move was his eyes, and he could clearly see just how worried his classmates were. Worried… but also considerate of their circumstances.

"Damn. We're not going to be able to get far if we have to carry Kolya-san around with us, and we definitely can't just leave him here alone; they'd just gun for him the instant we did." Kyouka noted with a frustrated groan.

When Mina and Tooru both looked to Fumikage, he could already imagine what they were thinking, and thus had to give them a regretful shake of his head. "If it were darker, I could have Dark Shadow carry him easily. However in daylight like this, I need to use its power sparingly in order to stay as effective as possible."

As all three girls' and Kouji's eyes fell to the ground in desperate need for an idea, Minoru was surprisingly quick to perk his head up in realization. "Wait, we might actually be able to do something about this. When that Freeze Frame girl used her Quirk on Bezpalov, its effect on me deactivated instantly. Maybe that means she's only able to use it on one person or object at a time. We could be able to work with that."

Even if he hadn't deliberated yet, he could still see that some ideas were starting to form in his teammates' heads, as Mina and Kyouka both looked especially driven to work with this. "All right… thanks, Mineta, that's actually really helpful. If we can just find a way to get all those guys to go in different directions from each other, we can start disqualifying them one at a time. We gotta do something about those Freeze Frame and Mole-users first, or else any trap we can land them in won't last long enough."

Everyone else was quick to follow Mina's lead as they all soon huddled together to mutually brainstorm and figure out exactly who would go where.

On the other side of the canyon basin, the other examinees were keeping themselves behind cover as well, with many just waiting for the Yuuei kids from across to start trying to attack them with softballs the exact same way they just had.

"There's no other cover nearby for them to run to from behind those boulders where we wouldn't be able to at least glimpse them. They've gotta know they're trapped," an especially burly-looking examinee noted to his partners as they kept counting down the seconds for some kind of movement.

"That may be, but we still shouldn't risk just rushing them. They were still clever enough to get us with that trap on the rock spires; there's no way they aren't cooking up something at least a little similar back there." Satsuei warned the more anxious of her teammates, since she knew many of them well enough to know they weren't nearly as willfully patient as she was.

Before anyone could voice their disagreement, however, the burlier examinee suddenly shot up to his feet with an alarmed "LOOK!" With all eyes now following his pointing finger, they were all stunned by the sight of nearly all of the Yuuei students they had trapped, all sprinting, sliding or leaping away from their cover in numerous different directions.

"Alright, we all know which ones we've wanted to go for from the start. Mogura-kun, I didn't see any of them carrying that Bezpalov kid with them, so he must still be kept behind the rocks. They think we're just gonna ignore him thanks to their scattering. You know what to do." The moment Satsuei explained this, the near-sighted Mole boy gave a dutiful salute, and immediately began to burrow deeper and deeper into the solid ground with remarkable speed and strength, leaving the rest of his teammates to break away and pursue their respective Yuuei targets.

Within a matter of minutes, Mogura finally began clawing his way out of the ground where he had calculated was just behind the boulders the Yuuei students had just fled from. The instant he popped out his head, he was met not only with the sight of the still-frozen Nikolay lying flat on his back on the ground, but also the telltale light blue boots and gloves that signified the presence of 1-A's invisible girl, Tooru Hagakure.

From the looks of it, she hadn't heard Mogura's arrival; hardly surprising thanks to all the ambient noise of the fighting still going on all around the rest of the stadium. In fact, she looked to be keeping her eyes on the spot across the basin where his teammates had just departed.

She was doubtless trying to keep an eye out for some kind of ambush. It was a pity, then, that she was looking anywhere but the actual direction of the threat. This was all the mole boy could think to himself as he slowly began to withdraw the six softballs from his costume pockets, preparing to hit both his targets here hard and earn his pass.

However, just as he took the one step needed to get them both in the clearest eyesight necessary, Mogura suddenly stopped with momentary confusion. Based on what his teammates had told him about what they'd seen from Tooru earlier, she should have had targets all on her midsection.

So then why was he seeing no such thing where her torso should have been, based on the way her boots and gloves were laid out?

"LIGHT REFRACTION!"

In an instant, Mogura felt his eyes burning as a sudden flash of light burst right in his face from atop those very same boulders, forcing him into the fetal position as he couldn't see a thing anymore.

Ever since her teammates had split up after figuring out their grand plan, Tooru had taken the precaution of removing the sparse entirety of her costume and rearranging them to make it look as though she were a sitting duck with her back turned, when in actuality she'd been lying in wait hiding just on the other side. They had figured the examinees would doubtless send their underground burrower to go after Nikolay in his helpless state, so with her natural advantage in stealth, Tooru had ultimately volunteered to stand guard over Nikolay until the others could get rid of the Freeze Frame girl and restore him to normal.

Without another moment to lose while Mogura was blinded, Tooru hurriedly dug out the softballs from her nearby leather bag, and hurriedly planted them on all three of the targets on his body. With that electric beep declaring Mogura's disqualification, the invisible girl was bouncing and cheering ecstatically, knowing she'd not only taken away their opponents' biggest sneak attack element, but was now halfway to gaining her own pass as well.

The way things were right now, though, she couldn't risk leaving Nikolay unattended, and thus hurriedly got back into waiting position in case another examinee were to come this way unsuspectingly. Until then, she could only hope that the others would somehow pull through.

From the moment he had split from the others, Fumikage had made a beeline for the nearby border into a more forested section of the stadium. From the fact there were multiple bright flashes going off from behind him, wearing away at Dark Shadow's protection over the targets on his back and left shoulder, he knew that a few of the examinees from the canyon were still chasing after him.

'It can't be much farther, if what Kouji-san heard from the animals underground is accurate. I just hope he and Mineta-san have gotten everything set in place in time.' This was the only hope he had, as he continued sprinting and weaving his way through the numerous trees, soon able to make out the beginnings of a clearing in the woods dead ahead. This was it, the final stretch.

The instant he emerged from the coverage of the trees' foliage, Fumikage planted his feet down hard, using Dark Shadow's strength to help him leap higher and farther than he ever could on his own, effectively gliding over the small valley in the center of the clearing between a couple low rolling hills. As his pursuers emerged into the open, they were just barely able to catch sight of the crow boy continuing to flee into the shadows of the woods on the other side, only to visibly trip and fall just before he could leave their line of sight.

"Oh damn, what luck! Come on! I'll burn away that Quirk of his once we catch up, then we can finally pelt those targets!" The examinee with an especially bright glowing head effectively took charge as he and his two partners hurriedly sprinted after the fallen Fumikage in a straight beeline across the dip in the ground.

"Wait, then who ends up getting the elimination point out of all of u-!?" Just as the three-eyed examinee in the middle of their three-person team began to ask the most logical question, all three of them suddenly felt the ground give way beneath their feet, bringing them all down to their wastes in the dirt.

"What the hell? Mole tunnels?! Are you serious?!" The third needle-haired examinee rhetorically asked in frustration, while the literally light-headed leader was already trying to climb his way out.

"Never mind all that! We gotta hurry before Tokoyami tries to run again! Now hurry up and get out!" However, even as he said this, he suddenly came to realize that, no matter how much he tried to lift himself out of this trap hole, he wasn't getting out, and neither were any of his partners for that matter.

"What the hell's going on?! Why can't I get out of this? It's like my feet are being weighed down!" "It's not that you're being weighed down, stupid, it's that we're literally stuck in place!"

As the three now-trapped examinees made this realization, they were never aware of the fact that Kouji and Minoru were both lying low behind the rolling hills on their sides. Even for as last second as theirs and Fumikage's plan had been in its formation, by sheer luck and determination, they had actually managed to make it work.

When formulating their plan with the others back at the canyon, Kouji had informed them that during his formulation of the previous plan involving Kyouka and Nikolay minutes before, he had heard back from some of the underground animals of this particular spot, and how good it would serve as the place for an ambush.

After he and Minoru had split up from Fumikage in order to get the trap set, Kouji had seen fit to ask all the bugs, rabbits and other burrowing animals around to dig the ground in the center of the valley out from underneath so it would give under the pursuing examinees' weight. At the same time, Minoru even had the bright idea of providing some of his hairballs for the animals to stick to the large rocks underground to serve as a means of effectively trapping anyone caught so they wouldn't be able to escape.

With so many moving pieces having managed to land perfectly in place, it was finally time for them all to act. As Kouji, Fumikage and Minoru all grabbed their respective arsenals of softballs, the rocky-headed boy turned his attention to the sky. "Oh birds, please come down and provide us your help! Please keep those in the middle from being able to attack us!"

Within seconds, even as they continued struggling to pull themselves free, the three trapped rival examinees soon found themselves being beset upon by an out-of-nowhere and growing flock of multiple different birds, circling and swarming around them in order to keep them distracted from even being able to arm themselves, let alone actually throw back.

After several seconds of this, the three-eyed examinee was soon able to see that the aviary maelstrom was starting to thin out. Instinct was telling him, and soon his two allies, that wherever he had been before in order to bring this attack down on their heads, Kouji had no doubt fled.

Instead, they were met with the piercing and intent stare of Fumikage standing before them, with the hulking form of Dark Shadow growing more in size and outward fierceness behind him. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! BLIND HI-!

"BLACK ANKH: GLOOM OF THE BLACK ARM!"

In an instant, with a ferocious bellowing roar that sent all the birds around flying away in distress, Dark Shadow suddenly threw both its talon-bearing arms across the valley like shadowy rubber, planting both its hands straight into the three boys before it, flattening them to the ground and leaving them both visibly terrified, and physically stunned from the sudden all-encompassing blow and weight. For what it was worth, they were effectively out of the fight.

However, with what time for the exam was left, and considering the threat these three could doubtless present if simply left alone from here, the three Yuuei boys that now stepped back out into the open knew they couldn't afford to take chances.

As such, Fumikage, Kouji and Minoru hurriedly closed in on the semi-conscious trio in the middle, and quickly planted their respective softballs onto their respective targets, resulting in three electronic beeps signaling three disqualifications, and soon two brighter beeps, along with voices announcing Fumikage and Kouji's having effectively passed, while Minoru now found himself halfway to winning.

Of course, the moment Fumikage and Kouji mutually wished their shorter compatriot luck and reminded him to regroup with the others as soon as he could, Minoru's proud smile instantly died with a horrified reality check: "Wait, you bastards! Don't leave me here by myself!"

Unfortunately, rules were rules, as Minoru was quick to realize when the momentary snap of a twig from behind him, caused the grape-haired boy to look back with a face pale with fright, only to find another examinee; this one with what looked like a steel lower jaw; taking in the scene, and more specifically the fact that two of the three Yuuei boys before him had all their targets lit up and telling them to go to the waiting room.

As such, his cold eyes quickly zeroed in on Minoru, before he started bringing his hands up. "No hard feelings, of course, Mineta-san of Yuuei…but we've gotta pass the exam somehow."

With that, Minoru risked only a fraction of a second to look down and realize that not only was the dirt beneath his feet beginning to sift, but specifically the iron ore in the earth itself was melding and reshaping itself to this new kid's will, doubtless to try and immobilize him. That was all he needed to see to send himself into a screaming mad sprint for his life; forcing the steel-jawed boy to hurriedly give chase and try uprooting the iron ore every several feet to trap him, but to no avail.

The entire time, even as Fumikage and Kouji reluctantly left their still-in-the-game classmate to his own fate, they could still hear Minoru wailing as he ran, screaming why this always had to happen to him so loud that one could have heard it echo from every corner of the stadium. "Try not to worry about Mineta-san too much, Kouda-san. He may not be that physically strong, but he always manages to find his way through or around any obstacle that gets in his way in the end."

"We both know you can't run and slide away forever! Especially if you want any hope at passing!" Mina could hear the examinee that had decided to chase after her loud and clear as he bellowed this from just a few feet behind.

The especially burly examinee from the opposing group was lumbering after the pink young girl with everything he had, but while she had the distinct advantage over him in speed, he was proving to not be such a slouch either when it came to keeping her on her toes and preventing her from simply increasing her speed and giving him the slip.

For the last couple of minutes, Mina had been forced to twist, turn and wind her way through the treacherous canyon terrain in order to avoid the softballs her pursuer was throwing at her the entire way. She was continuously being forced to throw herself into another flip or mid-air spin, hoping to either get a lucky shot and hit the one target on his chest, or perhaps scare him into backing off with a quick toss of acid, or a lower-strength and range Acid Shot.

Unfortunately, he was proving especially persistent through that, as well, as every time she tried either approach, he revealed his Quirk: an ability to produce a multitude of rocks from out of his skin and forming one-arm shields out of them, effectively blocking every attempt at an attack or counter Mina could throw his way.

After a short while of this continuous pursuit and back-and-forth game of keeping each other on their toes, Mina took a desperate turn down into a nearby ravine, momentarily breaking free from the Rock Quirk examinee's line of sight. Unfortunately, he could easily follow the trail of sliding fluid she left behind, and the moment he turned the corner and descended a good few feet down below the general surface level, he ultimately came upon Mina, no longer fleeing…

… because she had ultimately slid her way into a dead end, with walls on all sides but behind her, where he now stood sentry. There was nowhere near enough room for her to try and maneuver around his bulky frame, and they both knew it. Perhaps the reason she was keeping her back turned to him for those first few seconds was because she didn't want him to see how scared she was. The thought of it got a wry chuckle out of him as he pulled two softballs from his leather bag, all while carefully producing two new rock shields from his forearms, just in case she was thinking of trying any surprises.

"I have to say, you seemed like kind of the bubbly ditzy type during the Sports Festival, but you've clearly done a lot of growing since then, Ashido-san. You're a little cleverer than I expected, and a lot more persistent. I respect that. No hard feelings when this is over, I hope."

"Not at all. We're all going for the same goal by being here, right? Why should Heroes have hard feelings towards each other?" The surprisingly casual and upbeat tone with which Mina answered him was unexpected, but admittedly encouraging. Just because they were on opposing sides in this exam didn't mean they had to be enemies.

"You gave me quite a cardio workout; I haven't gotten to go for a run and slide for that long and that intense for a while… but that doesn't mean I'm out yet!" As she declared these last defiant words, Mina suddenly threw her body into a twist, instantly flinging two coated hands full of thick and gooey acid right for the bulky boy behind her.

Unfortunately, he definitely saw this coming, as he already had both his forearms up, bringing the two stone shields together to form one big one. He knew he just needed to wait for the acid to hit, just let it do its work before recalling the rest of the rocks back into his arms, and hit Mina with a set of softballs and earn himself the pass. It was as easy and clear-cut a result as could be.

Until he felt the liquid hit and immediately followed through with recalling his rock shields, only for neither of them to do as he wanted. His eyes quickly widened with surprise as he started straining to recall his Quirk. Once he started to actually physically pull his arms away from each other, he then realized that his arms weren't moving either. It was as though the rock shields from both his forearms had been stuck together. When he instinctively tried to step away, he suddenly noticed then that his feet weren't moving, either, as though he'd been completely glued to this one spot. "What?! What the hell did you do?!"

"Oh, it's nothing that's gonna hurt you, don't worry about that. That's just my little Villain Capture move, Acid Entrapment. I used it to stick your shields together so you can't actually attack. Pretty cool, right? I also let out some of the same fluid on the ground on my way down here for when you'd show up, and you just stepped right into it without even knowing it."

The Rock Shield-user kept groaning and straining to try and break the hardened fluid binding his arms together and keeping him virtually immobilized. Watching this, Mina had a semi-satisfied smirk on her face. "Sorry, I don't usually do the whole tricking people thing. I like to be more straightforward and honest with how I take people on; but hey, that's just the name of this game, right?"

With that unorthodox apology, Mina suddenly threw herself into a backflip, planting her feet into the melted-in grips she'd burned into the wall beforehand when she initially had her back to him, and proceeded to boost herself off of that, flying gracefully over her opponent's head, only to quickly throw the first softball in her hand straight down once she was directly over him, sending the ball freefalling in the space between his bound arms and his head, upon which the ball bounced off the ground and ricocheted against the target on his chest.

From there, Mina landed in a perfect roll back onto her feet, and proceeded to throw the next two softballs back, hitting the two targets on his rear left side and the base of his neck, resulting in the electronic beep signifying his disqualification.

"Dammit…I take it back, you're definitely cleverer than I gave you credit for, Ashido-san. Well done." With a heavy sigh, his frustration gave way to a genuinely respectful smile, leaving Mina positively glowing with accomplishment as she hurried over and proceeded to help break away the hardened fluid so he could actually move again.

With another mutual wish of good luck from both, Mina proceeded to go sliding back out onto the surface level, emboldened by the fact she was now halfway to victory, and now ever more observant for any sign of her classmates nearby.

It didn't take long for Mina's eagle eye to find just that, though, as the echoing sound of a distinct cracking of stone drew her gaze, and she was soon met with the not-too distant sight of Kyouka currently engaged in a really tooth-and-nail standoff against the Freeze Frame girl, Satsuei.

The black-white-haired girl was really forcing Kyouka to keep moving, as she was proving to be quite the adept martial artist, just about on the same level as 1-A's purple-haired student in terms of sheer skill and maneuverability. Satsuei kept two softballs clutched in her hands, just aiming for the perfect moment to nail Kyouka on her one last non-illuminated target. However, the only reason she hadn't just gone and used her Quirk to freeze Kyouka in place from the start, was the fact that her opponent's reflexes and sense of self-preservation was at an all time high as well.

From the moment their fight had started, Kyouka had been sending one pulse down to her earphone jacks after another, plugging them into the ground between them time and time again, blasting the ground and sending multiple pieces of debris flying between them, forcing Satsuei to avert her eyes, and thus keep her from using her ace in the hole on Kyouka.

Mina had no idea how long the two girls had been maintaining this martial stalemate, but even from her she could see that Satsuei was slowly starting to gain the advantage, as even despite Kyouka's attempts to stun her, the Freeze Frame-user was relentless in her assault, and was slowly but steadily forcing Kyouka further and further back. It would only be a matter of time before she would get Kyouka to either trip on a rock or a crack in the ground, or even just over her own feet in her desperation, and from there it would essentially be over.

That's why, without a moment of hesitation, Mina threw herself into another breakneck slide, making a beeline right for Kyouka and Satsuei, aiming for just the perfect height ramp of broken earth nearby so she could gain an airborne advantage.

Mina went flying off that edge into a near pink blur of a front flip, getting ready to simply plow right into Satsuei and pin her down if need be. Kyouka was the closest between them in terms of being disqualified, and the pink young girl would be damned if she was going to let one of her dear friends lose.

Unfortunately, Satsuei had managed to hear Mina's sliding approach, and the moment she could hear the girl come flying off that natural ramp and into the air, she immediately put her own counter into action. With Kyouka just in the process of recovering from another desperate leap back, Satsuei suddenly threw the softball in her right hand straight at her. The moment Kyouka saw the ball coming right for her last target dead center, her whole body instinctively went slack, causing her to fall back down to the ground and let the ball simply hit her harmlessly on her shoulder, granting her a miracle of a save.

While Kyouka was momentarily distracted with this, Satsuei instead let her own body's momentum from her throw carry her all the way around, sending her into a full spin. The moment she had made the 180-degree turn that allowed her to see Mina descending through the air in her direction, both feet at the ready for a missile drop kick, she immediately focused her eyes on her and…

KLIK!

Just like that, with a single blink, Mina had been rendered completely motionless and helpless, hanging in mid-air with only her eyes still able to move, reflecting disbelief at what had just happened to her. Of course, that disbelief quickly turned to fear once she saw the expectant and eager grin on Satsuei's face as she got her softballs at the ready.

KR-KRAK!

The moment she began to take her first step towards Mina, however, Kyouka's jacks came shooting out from around both her sides, planting into the ground and producing a double-whammy of a pulse blast, once again forcing Satsuei a good couple steps back, only to then instinctively duck and roll to her right to avoid the desperate counterattack Kyouka threw her way with her own softballs in hand, just barely missing her targets.

"If you wanna get to Mina-chan, you're gonna have to go through me first." Despite how cool such an old-school line sounded in Kyouka's head, she was able to see this didn't intimidate Satsuei at all. In fact, the smile on her face pretty much said it all even before she opened her mouth: "My plan exactly."

The suddenness with which Nikolay suddenly started jerking and swinging while flat on the ground nearly made Tooru jump when she had taken that moment to check on him. Thankfully, that surprise was quick to wear off, as the invisible girl was now simply awash with relief. "Oh, thank God you're back to normal, Kolya-kun! How are you feeling?"

With the posture his body had been stuck in for so long, Nikolay was dealing with considerable soreness in his shoulders and calves, but he was still just as quick to get back on his feet and start checking his leather bag for the softballs. "I'll be okay as soon as I get running again. Luckily I could hear everything you guys were saying when coming up with that plan, so I understood Mineta-san's theory about that Quirk that froze us both. However, if I'm back to normal—"Then that must mean one of the others got hit with it just now!"

Nikolay could only nod in gratitude that Tooru was very quick on the uptake. "There's no telling the kind of situation the one who got frozen could be in. They'll need our help. I know you all scattered to thin out that other group's ranks. Which way do you think we should go, Hagakure-san?"

Tooru's voice was rife with anxious groans of uncertainty as she hurriedly got her boots and gloves back on, trying to decide, before ultimately pointing straight ahead, to what was essentially left of their boulder cover from where they stood. "That way! I know any pick's as good as another, but let's just check it out at least! We shouldn't have stayed in one spot this long anyway!"

Nikolay clearly couldn't have agreed more, for as soon as he motioned for the invisible girl to get onto his back and hang on tight (leaving him insanely grateful he had his back to Tooru so she couldn't see how red his face became, knowing he essentially had a clearly buxom naked girl on his back), he instantly launched into a blast-aided sprint, keeping an open eye alongside her for any sign of trouble involving any of their classmates.

However, within less than a minute, Nikolay suddenly felt Tooru rapidly patting one of her hands against his chest to try and get his attention. "Kolya-kun, up ahead to the right! It's Mineta!"

Following her direction, Nikolay found that, indeed, the solitary tiny form of Minoru was sprinting for dear life across the canyon plains, with only a single other examinee with a steel lower jaw in close pursuit, repeatedly motioning his arms and causing what looked to be pure iron ore to come tearing and sifting out of the ground right on the tiny boy's heels, rendering it like fabric to pursue him. They could easily hear Minoru's desperate screams even from this far.

Nikolay and Tooru both knew they couldn't just leave one of their own at the mercy of an opponent; even if it was a pervert like Minoru. And so, with the invisible girl finally climbing off his back, she and Nikolay hurriedly sprinted over in the hopes of intercepting them, since Minoru was insistently running in a straight line, throwing multiple hairballs back behind him to try and stop his pursuer's thrown softballs from hitting him.

"We gotta do something fast if we still wanna be able to help whoever got frozen, Kolya-kun!" Tooru reminded her Russian partner, as he started desperately racking his brain for a last-second plan.

"Alright… I may have an idea, Hagakure-san, depending what happens with those two up ahead. Just hear me out, please."

As Minoru kept running, all the while ignoring the simultaneous burning in his legs from running so much, and the agonizing bleeding pain of his scalp after having popped off so much of his hair in a single day, he didn't realize that the boy who had been chasing him had suddenly come to a stop, and was now instead starting to lift both his hands together.

He would very quickly come to realize this, as before his very eyes, the ground before him began to break apart, as a large collection of iron ore rose from under the ground, and began to coalesce together while Minoru dug his heels in, screeching to a halt just before he could plant his face into it. Before he could even try to turn back, the collected ore began to encircle the tiny boy until he now found himself completely trapped inside a three-quarters formed iron cone, with the examinee responsible for it standing victoriously in the doorway. "Oh… oh, Goddammit, are you for real? This is seriously it for me?"

Minoru's eyes were raining with tears, with his voice reflecting equal measures of despair and frustration, all while the steel-jawed boy before him reluctantly took the softballs from his bag in preparation. "Like I said, we gotta do what we can to win here. Again, no hard feelings, Mineta-san."

Minoru already shut his eyes tight, just waiting for the killing blow to come so he could hurry up and be disqualified, especially when the boy began to reel one arm back for the initial throw. However, when Minoru instinctively flinched when he heard that electric beep signifying a hit, it took him a split second to realize he hadn't even felt the impact yet. Then he heard the second beep.

Upon opening his eyes, a few things happened at once. Firstly, the steel-jawed boy's confident smile had now been replaced with total confusion, as he was looking back over his shoulder to try and confirm he'd just been hit on the two targets on his back.

Immediately after that, Minoru spotted an unmistakable floating pair of boots and gloves come sliding across the ground right under the opposing examinee's legs like a baseball player, only to immediately get back into a crouch and spring forward, tackling Minoru flat to the ground.

"Cover your ears, Mineta, and don't you DARE mention this to anyone!" The urgency in Tooru's voice barely even registered to Minoru, even if he did end up bringing his hands to his ears as she said. No, the only thing going through his mind at that moment; even as Tooru hurriedly brought her hands to her own ears in preparation; was the overwhelmingly wonderful realization that one of the three bustiest girls in Class 1-A was currently lying flat on top of him, and if he was right about what he was feeling at this very moment, she had landed in just the right way for him to essentially be getting her chest right in his face, even if he couldn't actually see it. 'Winning, losing, I couldn't care less about that right now! Right now, I could honestly die the happiest boy in the world!'

Just as the steel-jawed examinee finally recollected himself and was about to reel his throwing arm to take both Minoru and Tooru out of the exam, he heard a sudden burst of what sounded like bass echoing from just outside. Leaning back just enough so he could see where it had come from, he was met with the incredible sight in the sky, of Class 1-A's sole Russian student currently in the middle of a propelled forward rolling spin in mid-air, as though he were speeding himself up through timed kinetic blasts from his feet. What was more, he had his two larger tuning forks drawn and clutched in his hands.

For Nikolay, this was the ultimate moment of truth. He had put in so much practice to try and get the hang of this special move alongside his Thunderous Clap, but this was the first time he was going to attempt using his larger weapons with it. If he could pull this off, he could add to the potential uses for this move exponentially. Counting down the seconds before impact, and all the while channeling all the energy he could through his hands and into the forks themselves, Nikolay couldn't resist the urge to finally announce this move in the field once and for all: "RESONATING WHEEL!"

With that, Nikolay finally let his body unfold, and at the same time swung both his arms down in a chopping motion with all his strength, slamming both highly vibrating tuning forks flat against the iron cone the other examinee had made to entrap Minoru. The ringing frequency that resulted was on a scale none of the four present young Heroes had expected, as Tooru and Minoru both couldn't help but scream in shock at just how deafening the ringing was from inside. At the same time, even from the outside the sound and vibrations rippling through the air from the point of impact had been so immensely powerful, the steel-jawed boy found his head spinning and ringing all at once, unable to walk in a straight line or even see straight to save his life.

As Nikolay fell back to his feet, trying to ride out the incredible vibrations rippling back up and down his arms after having landed such a powerful strike, Tooru grit her teeth and knew this was her chance to finally capitalize on the chance her classmate had just bought her. Trying her best to mentally block out the remaining ringing, she hurriedly got off of Minoru, grabbed the last of her remaining softballs, and ran with everything she had in her towards the disoriented examinee outside, before finally ducking down and lunging forward, planting the ball square against the one remaining target on his stomach.

The sound of that following electric beep of his disqualification couldn't have been sweeter to the three Yuuei students, until they were soon graced with the sound of the voice echoing from Tooru's targets, officially announcing her having passed, and instructing her to go to the waiting room.

"Congratulations, Hagakure-san. You really came through for all of us. Spasibo." Nikolay was already beginning to bid farewell to his invisible classmate, while Minoru was finally stepping out of the iron cone, his ears still somewhat ringing, but his face still a deep red with the biggest grin on his face, as though he were in a daze.

Looking back to Nikolay while still feeling completely overjoyed at her own win, Tooru had half a mind to just straight up plant a single wet one on him, right on the mouth even. However, the fact that the rest of her classmates were still racing against the clock, as well as her own remembrance of the little inquisitive talk she and the girls had with Mina less than two weeks ago, thankfully helped the invisible girl keep control of her impulses, opting instead to just pull him into the tightest hug of gratitude she could.

"Aww, it's cause of your quick thinking that I even passed to begin with, so take your share of the credit too, Kolya-kun. Now you guys go out there and help the rest of our class! I know we can all still make it to the end! And don't you dare tell anyone what I just had to do to help you, Mineta, I swear!" With that, Tooru was off like a shot for the waiting room, leaving Nikolay and a still joyously flustered Minoru in her wake.

Before Nikolay could even think to ask, he was already hearing the diminutive purple-clad boy muttering to himself in that dreamy state: "Don't worry… I'm gonna take this to the grave as the happiest moment of my life."

He was still in such a semi-conscious state of pure satisfaction, he at first didn't even notice that he was now being carried under Nikolay's arm, as the young Russian couldn't hazard a guess when Minoru would snap out of it. "Don't get too lost in your head just yet, Mineta-san. The others still need our help, and we both still need to disqualify one more examinee each. Keep your eyes open for any sign of trouble."

Thankfully, this managed to stir Minoru back to attention, as he suddenly remembered: "Oh, actually, Tokoyami and Kouda both already passed. I originally ran into them after we all split from you and Hagakure." Nikolay didn't say anything to this, but what Minoru didn't see from where he was being carried, was a genuinely relieved smile at the news. That was one less concern now.

Neither of the boys needed to look very far for very long, however, as the moment Nikolay reached the top of the next ridge, he was met with the nearby sight of Kyouka in the middle of a fight for her life against the Freeze Frame girl from before, with Mina hanging completely frozen in the air nearby, visibly in the middle of delivering a kick.

From the speed and aggression that the latter girl was displaying, constantly forcing Kyouka to keep stepping back, it was clear from the distance that that she was only managing to defend herself by the skin of her teeth. From the looks of the numerous potholes blasted into the ground all around them, Nikolay and a thankfully much more aware Minoru could both tell Kyouka had been putting her earphone jacks to work to keep her last target from getting hit. Of course, with all the rocks now littering the place, and Kyouka being forced back, it was only a matter of time before she'd end up tripping over one, and it would all be over from there.

"Hang onto me, Mineta-san. We may need to go flying in there to intercept." Nikolay instructed, already breaking into a run as Minoru hurriedly climbed onto his back, shaking like a leaf.

Just as they were halfway to closing the distance, however, Nikolay suddenly felt his feet go through the ground from underneath, but not like he'd stepped onto dug out ground. It was as though the ground wasn't there at all. Once he was in the ground up to his waist, he came to just as quick a stop. However, the moment afterward, he could feel the constriction of the earth around him again. What was worse was that his belt had now been stuck underground, so he couldn't reach his softballs to counterattack whoever had done this.

"HA! I should've known one of you Yuuei kids would eventually come sniffing around here to help your classmates! Satsuei-san pretty much saw it coming from the start!" An unfamiliar male voice proclaimed from behind Nikolay and Minoru. Both boys turned back to find themselves being approached by a kid with short white hair with various shades of grey splotching it; dressed in an equally drab-colored robe that looked like it would have been more appropriate on a cult leader.

"I can't let you guys interrupt Satsuei-san right now. She trusted me to keep anyone else from interfering. Good thing, too; my Incorporeal Quirk is so frustratingly limited when dealing with people who are more agile and able to leap far; assuming they even have a chance of stepping into the spots I touch to use my Quirk on to begin with. It's pretty much all about trapping my targets or keeping myself from getting hit. When everybody's so alert all the time, they always suspect some kind of trap, so I never get to pull a trick like this off. Thank you both for humoring me. Now she can pass by disqualifying your two classmates, and I can pass by dealing with you two."

With that, he suddenly produced three softballs in each of his hands and proceeded to throw them all for everything he was worth, producing a desperate scream out of Minoru, who out of complete muscle reflex, hurriedly whipped out the stem lined with his hairballs from the beginning of the exam, and began swinging it wildly in every direction he could think of. This inadvertently caused all the hairballs to come flying off his makeshift weapon one after the other, and by some God-given miracle, actually manage to intercept every single softball thrown their way, breaking their momentum, and sending them to the ground harmlessly, much to their opponent's visible frustration.

Capitalizing on the few precious seconds Minoru had just bought them in his panic, Nikolay hurriedly leveled his hands against the ground and fired from them and his feet all at once, producing a focused vibration frequency powerful enough to pretty much explode the ground from around him, sending himself and Minoru flying up like a bottle rocket; the grape-haired boy clinging onto his Slavic classmate for dear life.

The moment Nikolay reached the peak of this particular launch, he immediately extended his arms to his sides, with one palm facing forward, and the other facing back. Simultaneously firing from both, the young Russian Hero threw himself into an insanely fast spin in mid-air, making a human spinning top out of himself, with Minoru barely managing to hang on.

"Get ready, Mineta-san! You know what to do!" Before Minoru could even argue against the sudden warning, Nikolay suddenly grabbed onto his cape, and immediately proceeded to throw the wailing small boy straight down toward the grey-haired boy down below.

"WHY IS IT ALWAYS MEEEEEEEE?!" Minoru screamed in both fear and frustration as, the moment he laid eyes on the examinee below, he proceeded to fight through the emotional and pained tears in his eyes, popping off even more of his hairballs, one after another, and throwing them repeatedly at him.

However, with the cockiest smirk, the grey-haired robe-wearing boy instead proceeded to put his hands on himself, and over the next couple of seconds, every single one of Minoru's hairballs flew right through his body like he wasn't even there, all sticking to the ground behind him harmlessly. Minoru himself was quick to follow, as his speeding body phased right through his, and proceeded to bounce right off his collected hairballs straight up into the air; his desperate scream echoing across the stadium.

"Such a shame they never take the time to actually think things through when desperate enough," the white-grey-haired boy muttered to himself in disappointment as he proceeded to deactivate his Quirk and restore his own corporeality. However, he was soon about to eat those words, as the moment he looked back up, he was met with the sight of Nikolay now freefalling to the ground in a mid-air roll of considerable speed, with what looked like two metal objects extended at his sides.

'RESONATING WHEEL!"

At the moment just before he was about to meet the ground, Nikolay once again unfurled his body and slammed his fully charged tuning forks straight into the ground, producing a powerful pair of directed shockwaves through the ground, breaking it apart in an expanding cone shape from where he stood, virtually identical to Yo Shindo's earthquake before. The speed of the approaching devastation was too much for the single opposing examinee to reactivate his Quirk, as he was quickly thrown like a ragdoll by the ground under his own feet, and came slamming down helplessly onto the uprooted section of ground right behind him.

However, instead of the hard and unforgiving ground he had already been expecting, he was instead met with a mercifully soft cushiony sensation; one that he was quick to realize he suddenly couldn't pull himself off of, no matter how much he tried. Without even thinking in the heat of the moment, he had ultimately ended up landing on the very same hairballs Minoru had tried to throw at him mere seconds before. He could already hear the beep of the one target on the back of his leg being hit. Somehow, in the midst of that boy's panicked hair throwing, he had actually tried mixing in a few of his softballs in the hopes of getting lucky…and he ultimately had.

That moment of shocked realization of the thoroughness of such a sudden plan was what kept the Incorporeal-user from actually acting on using his Quirk in time, as the very next moment when he brought his attention back to what was in front of his own eyes, he was already seeing the rapidly descending image of Minoru Mineta approaching him, throwing the rest of his softballs alongside his hair in pure desperation.

Desperation that ultimately paid off, as even among the subsequent pelting of hair, two of Minoru's softballs ultimately ended up hitting the two remaining targets on the single examinee's stomach and shoulder, leaving him lying morose as the beep signifying his disqualification sounded. Once Minoru inevitably bounced off of the hair he had just laid down on his target, and crashed back onto solid earth, his pain practically vanished once he heard the voice on his own targets announcing his pass. Even when Nikolay finally reunited with the tiny boy, he couldn't hide his own smile once he heard the sound himself.

Minoru was downright ecstatic as he began fiercely shaking Nikolay's hands. "This whole time, I thought I was pretty much a goner running on borrowed time, and you somehow helped turn it all around! Thank you; thank you; thank you! I don't even care if you had to use me like a human softball to make it happen! I not only won, but I even got to get a face full of Hagakure's boobs in the process! You helped make this the best day ever!"

However, Nikolay was really not feeling the same enthusiasm, as his gaze was already clearly looking back to make sure these last few seconds spent hadn't cost him the chance of helping Kyouka and Mina out of their own predicament. "Yes, the fact you didn't buckle but kept fighting even when you were scared is nothing to scoff at either, Mineta-san. Now hurry and get to the waiting room! I won't tell Hagakure-san you said anything either. Just keep your mouth shut about it from now on!" With that hasty farewell, Nikolay took off as fast as his legs could carry him, leaving the brightly smiling Minoru to practically march himself off the rest of the way, feeling like he was practically invincible right now.

"How much longer can you keep this up, Jirou-san? You're not getting that Heartbeat Distortion move of yours out if I have anything to say about it!" By this point, Satsuei's calm and collected, if not a touch cold, voice now had a much more fierce edge to it, clearly emboldened by the fact she was clearly pushing Kyouka to her limit. Even the purple-haired girl herself knew she was beginning to reach a point of real exhaustion having to keep moving for this long. Satsuei's speed was keeping her from even getting her earphone jacks into the amps on her gloves or boots.

She didn't even stop to wonder why Satsuei didn't bother using her Freeze Frame Quirk on her anymore. By this point she was fully convinced the black-white-haired girl was simply displaying an exercise in sadism by pushing her to her physical limit.

Before another thought could even cross her mind as she took another step back to avoid another flying kick, Kyouka suddenly felt her left heel hit against something protruding from the ground, and with her backwards momentum already making her go as fast as she was, she unintentionally sent herself tumbling backwards and onto the ground, hard. Her exhaustion now flared up into shock and fear at the opening she'd just made on herself, and what was about to happen because of it.

Towering over the now prone Kyouka, Satsuei had two hands' worth of softballs at the ready, prepared to finally put an end to this duel and earn her pass. Kyouka instinctively shut her eyes and grit her teeth, frustrated as hell at how careless she'd gotten, regardless how tired she'd become.

"RESONATING WHEEL – GROUND & POUND!"

The echoing accented sound of Nikolay's voice from above drew the eyes of all three girls present at once, only for Satsuei's coup de grace to be intercepted by the Russian boy rolling in at breakneck speed from above, this time meeting the ground with a devastating and perfectly timed kinetic blast/stomp from his feet the moment they hit the ground, producing an all-around shockwave powerful enough to send Satsuei and Kyouka both rolling across the ground away from him and each other.

Satsuei dug her heels and nails across the ground to stop herself from getting thrown back any further, but the moment she lifted her head in preparation to charge the boy stupid enough to get in between her and Kyouka; half-expecting him to likewise be recovering from his heavy landing; she was instead met with the sight of Nikolay already throwing a fastball right in her direction, too fast for her to dodge, and it was coming right for the target on her chest.

KLIK!

With a blink of her eyes out of sheer reflexive panic, Satsuei was relieved to see the softball was now frozen completely in place. However, instantly after did she suddenly realize just where exactly in this expansive little battlefield she'd just been blown back to, and therefore what she had just done without thinking.

The momentum with which Mina finally completely her long-delayed dropkick and slid herself across the ground, kicking Satsuei's feet out from under her was insane, almost enough to make the Freeze Frame-user do a complete back flip against her will before finally hitting the ground with nary a trace of the grace she had previously displayed.

This momentary stunned state of hers was instantly followed by a fired up Kyouka rushing in; her jacks finally plugged back into the amps on her hands, before she finally leapt forward and fired a major pulse from her ears, just as her palms met the dirt. "HEARTBEAT DISTORTION!"

The ground just about shattered from under Satsuei's back, the percussive force sending her flying and twirling up into the air with nary a chance to stop herself or regain her sense of aim, either for her softballs or her Quirk.

All the while, the newly reunited Yuuei trio were already well on the offensive, as all together they took aim and threw their softballs for her as she was helpless in the air, with Mina and Nikolay both managing to hit the first two, and Kyouka clearly being the one to gain the winning shot just before Satsuei met the ground again, as the three were quickly greeted by the sound of the same electric voice now sounding off from Kyouka's targets, telling her to go to the waiting room like all the others.

Just as Kyouka let out a shaken sigh of relief, letting her physical exhaustion finally come to her, she was suddenly swept up into an ecstatic and congratulatory hug from a laughing Mina. "YOU DID IT, KYOUKA-CHAN! I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!"

Once she'd finally thought to get the purple-haired girl back to her feet, Mina just as quickly turned her attention back to Nikolay, quickly throwing her arms back around him as well. "I saw you coming from over those hills, but I obviously couldn't tell Kyouka-chan that. Even if I could, I probably shouldn't have. Did you plan that entire thing out on your way here? Wait, are any of the others right behind you?"

With the adrenaline of the moment, Nikolay could only laugh, understanding all too well how Mina's focus could go from relief to worry for the rest of their class on a dime. However, the fact he could even laugh at all began to tell her everything. "Hagakure-san and I ran into Mineta-san being chased on our way here, but they both passed along the way, thanks to some last-second planning on all our parts. He also told me that Tokoyami-san and Kouda-san both passed earlier, too."

Mina's eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and her hands clenched into trembling fists before she suddenly rushed in and grabbed Nikolay by the shoulders, shaking him in barely restrained excitement. "Oh my God, Kolya-kun, that means it's now just down to us! There's no telling where Midori-kun, Urara-chan or Kiri are, so right now we just have to focus on our part! I already got one a few minutes ago…

"And I got my first alongside Kyouka-san shortly after we all got separated at the start!" The moment Nikolay mentioned this, he and Mina found themselves getting lightly ushered along by a smirking Kyouka.

"Exactly, you're both halfway to passing, and also two targets away from getting disqualified. Get a move on before more people show up looking for a pass. We can talk all about this or that plan after." Thankfully this wake-up call lit the spark back up in her two classmates, as with another mutual call of congratulations and promises to see each other in the waiting room by the end, Nikolay and Mina were once more racing off to the horizon, while Kyouka likewise ran on her own, smiling in accomplishment to herself and her friends.

As he and Mina continued to run like the wind, either looking for the first sign of another examinee they could try to get their last wins on, or another of their classmates in need of help, Nikolay finally remembered the last question he still hadn't answered the girl beside him: "What you asked earlier, about if I'd planned everything ahead of time? To an extent, about as far as my jumping in there between that girl and Kyouka-san. When I threw my softball at her afterward, for all I knew she would've willingly taken the hit just to rush me and get mine in return. I guess I was counting a lot on chance for most of it."

He pretty much saw Mina laughing in response before he'd even started speaking, while she had a grin of pure amusement on her face. "Didn't Tunguska-sensei and All Might always say real Heroes don't rely on chance?"

Now it was Nikolay's turn to laugh at himself. "Yeah, I guess I still need to work on that."

"Well, the important thing is that it worked, right? You've gotten a lot better at planning on the spot, no matter how you look at it, Kolya-kun." The fact that he just knew Mina meant every word of that statement had Nikolay practically glowing with a sense of genuine personal accomplishment.

BAAM!

Between steps, Nikolay was suddenly slammed from behind, like someone had just nailed him with a tiny cannonball, straight in the target on his back. Unfortunately, the initial shock of impact, instead of only lasting a couple seconds, only persisted, as the ball continued driving against him and planting the boy to the ground, weighing him down like nothing that small of a size should have physically been capable of.

"Kolya-kun?!" Mina instantly exclaimed the moment she saw him go down. Just as she began to turn on her heels and rush back to him, another softball came ripping through the air and slamming against the target on her lower back as well, leaving her completely stricken with shock, but still on her feet… until another examinee suddenly came flying and swooping down from above, plucking Mina right off the ground before she even realized what was happening.

As Nikolay could only lift his head up while his center mass was being increasingly weighed down, he quickly spotted what looked like a single boy in a WWII-era pilot-esque costume, with jet turbines for legs, visibly struggling with Mina in his grip several dozen feet in the air.

"You might wanna worry about yourself more than your little pink friend there, Bezpalov-san." Nikolay could immediately recognize the voice speaking down to him, as a shadow now loomed over his prone body. It was the same voice as the kid in the circus strongman costume with weight-like bracelets; the one who had claimed to have some kind of Weight Quirk. He'd finally found his little piece of Yuuei prey again.

Meanwhile…

At the same time as all of this, atop a bridge within the industrial area of the stadium, Denki was currently in the midst of a full-blown state of panic. "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! I KNEW I SHOULD'VE STUCK WITH MIDORIYA AND THE OTHERS! IT'S ALL BECAUSE YOU GUYS WERE RUNNING, YOU KNOW! I DIDN'T WANT YOU TWO TO BE BY YOURSELVES, YOU KNOW?!"

However, despite the complete lack of calm from the blonde sparkplug behind him, Bakugo wasn't reflecting anything similar. No, his red eyes were absolutely focused with deathly intent; his shoulders hunched up in aggression in wait for what stood before them. "If you want to, then make yourself useful and run, you dumb shit! I didn't ask you to come with!"

"ARE YOU KIDDING?! YOU THINK I CAN JUST RUN NOW?! I MEAN, JUST LOOK AT KIRISHIMA! LOOK AT WHAT THAT GUY DID TO HIM!" Just as Denki declared at the top of his lungs, standing alone before the two boys was the lavender-haired Shiketsu High boy from before; one Seiji Shishikura by name; still wearing his school beret, but now wearing a red eye mask around his cold beady eyes, and a black short-sleeved and high-collared trench coat.

But what was most distressing about this current opponent of theirs, was the fact that, resting in his extended left hand, was a grotesque inhuman blob of gelatinous flesh with a few tufts of familiar spiky red hair, a misshapen mouth of sharpened teeth, two misplaced beady eyes, a couple still wiggling fingers or toes all throughout, and even the edges of what looked like clock gears protruding from the mass.

Before Denki and Bakugo's eyes, in a matter of seconds after getting plowed into by a flying blob of similar meat while trying to keep up with them, Eijirou had been swiftly reduced to this pitiful lump of misshapen flesh without even being able to do anything to prevent it. He'd been rendered a harmless and helpless little mass that could only remind Denki of some horrific old body horror movies from Canada his relatives used to torment him with years ago. *

With a lock of his hair obscuring one of his eyes, Seiji could only use the one left to glare the coldest daggers down the bridge towards the two Yuuei boys that now stood in his wake. "We Shiketsu High students are required to wear our school caps during any and all activities. Why, you ask? It's because every action, every gesture we do reflects the rich tradition that adorns Shiketsu High's name."

Without a care to be shown, he suddenly turned his hand and let the Eijirou lump fall pathetically to the ground at his feet, where scattered all about were over a dozen other similar lumps of writhing flesh; all fellow examinees unfortunate enough to cross paths with the Shiketsu High student who now towered over them like their veritable lord and master.

"This is a demonstration. As individuals who have cultivated their sense of duty and dignity long before they even began Hero school, this is the difference in level between us and you lot of uncouth plebeians who aspire to become Heroes." However, even as these clearly impassioned words echoed all around, the mix of panic and natural ignorance simply left Denki deaf to what was actually trying to be said by his and Bakugo's current enemy. "What the hell is that guy even saying right now? He sounds like a total nutcase!"

At the same time, Bakugo couldn't hope to get rid of the bitter smirk on his face as he kept staring Seiji down. "Goddammit, I hate guys like this. His eyes are so tiny, he can't even see the level of skill in the enemies right in front of him."

"MY EYES ARE NOT ONLY ATTRACTIVE, BUT THEY ARE PLENTY LARGE!" The way Seiji roared this so unexpectedly made Denki momentarily flinch in preparation to be blindsided. Clearly Bakugo had just found a real nerve to touch on, to his inner anticipation.

To have his words be met with such brazen ignorance left Seiji hanging his head in regret and contemplation, his shoulders beginning to shake before tucking his hands behind his back. "Yuuei Academy… I have the utmost respect for you all. I felt great pride to be ranked alongside your school."

Suddenly, several melted-looking pieces of meat began to levitate from behind his back, only for Denki to look closer and realize they were the kid's own disembodied fingers; all currently starting to aim for him and Bakugo together. "However, seeing the likes of you Class 1-A folks has caused only my esteem for you all to fall…"

"OH NO, IT'S THAT NASTY SHIT AGAIN!" "SHUT THE HELL UP!" Bakugo instantly shut Denki's new outburst of panic down in an instant, as his excited sneer only seemed to keep growing, even despite the fact he was now confirmed to be the next target, standing right out in the open.

"Duty? Dignity? All I'm hearing is your bitchy little mouth running. Enough with the damn talk already! Come show us what you really mean, you wise-ass!" With his right hand now making an open 'bring-it-on' gesture, Seiji's eyes focused solely on him alone, before sending all of his floating fingers shooting right for him like a set of mind-controlled bullets.

"… ESPECIALLY YOU, BAKUGO, YOU INGRATE!"

'Focus the Explosion to one singular point. Focus it… and then…'

As Seiji's projectile assault quickly closed the distance between them, these were the only words passing through Bakugo's mind as he channeled the power of his explosion directly into the center of his palm, keeping it aimed directly at the Shiketsu boy before him while keeping a grip on his wrist to keep his aim steady.

BKOOOM!

At just the right moment, he finally pulled the mental trigger, and with a deafening burst of sound and fire, Bakugo proceeded to unleash a precise line of continuous smaller explosions from his palm, filling the distance between himself and Seiji with devastating power, completely engulfing the boy and his flying fingers in a second.

Even when faced with relentless assault, Katsuki Bakugo would never go down without giving his opponents a firsthand taste of just how powerful he could be, and if he'd just managed to save the skin of both himself and Denki in the process, then that was an insignificant little bonus as well, as far as he was concerned.

"Holy shit, man…" Denki muttered in shock once his ears finally stopped ringing, looking down the bridge as Seiji was sent flying back like he'd just gotten hit by a wrecking ball. With the sheer power behind such an attack, it was frankly a miracle that none of the examinees turned into flesh blobs had gotten annihilated in the crossfire.

Nevertheless, Bakugo still had a cocky smirk of pure confidence on his face, even once it became clear that his enemy was somehow still standing. "Yeah… a rapid fire variation for my new technique… I call it AP Shot: Auto Cannon! I had to reduce the power for use against an actual person, but whatever."

"Flashy new moves aside; I mean, damn, man! You really are hated by everyone for pretty much the same reasons, aren't you?!" Denki immediately disregarded his previous impression; thinking back to Seiji's words in comparison to those of their own schoolmates of other classes.

However, he couldn't dwell on this for long, as once the smoke finally cleared, he could just make out all the floating globs of flesh from Seiji's attack were all starting to gather back towards the visibly frustrated Shiketsu boy. "Oh, no, all that nasty shit's coming right back!? Is this guy indestructible or something?!"

All the while, as he recalled his organic projectiles back to himself, Seiji may have been looking calm for the most part, but his head was a whirl with contemplation for all those currently involved. 'I can't believe it. I, of all people, actually allowed myself to get taken in by this fool. Still, though; an impulsive, mentality and the tendency to resort to simple provocations. Those traits are solely due to Bakugo's prideful nature. In that case…'

With a powerful forward swing, both of Seiji's arms seemed to come apart like a melting wave, sending numerous flying blobs of flesh and his own fingers flying at full speed for his two opponents; all the while continuing to stare that hateful gaze upon Bakugo specifically. "I shall break you with my own hands, and force you to understand that behaving in a manner appropriate to one's affiliation…is the true definition of dignity!"

The fact he could be so outwardly aggressive and still be rambling on about such high-brow things only left Denki with a look of confused horror. "Just what the hell is wrong with this guy?!"

"Bastard won't shut the hell up, I know! I'll murder him!" Bakugo shouted in frustration, already charging in like the bull in the china shop, leaving Denki similarly frustrated and in his dust.

"Dude, get a grip! This is still an exam, remember?!" Once it was clear he might as well have been talking to a brick wall, however, the blonde sparkplug hurriedly reached to his waist, pulling out one of a few small objects from around his waist that actually resembled a small collection of coin rolls, slipping it into the device attached to his right forearm. "For crying out loud, what kind of battle have I gotten myself into?! Everything I say is futile with all these guys!

"So let's finish this up quick-like!" With that declaration, Denki swung his arm in a sweeping arc and suddenly fired several small disks from one of the slots built into his new tool, sending them flying right for Seiji…who simply proceeded to duck down and have them fly over and behind him harmlessly, leaving Denki's previous bravado nonexistent; especially once he felt the Shiketsu boy's eye on him. "Oh… uh… shit."

"I see… a flying projectile. That's an annoying obstruction. I suppose I'll round them all up first." The moment he made this decision, Seiji proceeded to start sending his floating pieces of himself straight for Denki, before Bakugo suddenly threw himself right in between them, unleashing another Auto-Cannon attack right in his face.

"DON'T YOU DARE IGNORE ME, BITCH!" However, in his blind rage, he failed to realize that Seiji now knew what to expect, and the moment he caught Bakugo's approach out the corner of his eye, he had immediately recalled his projectiles back, and had them all meld together to form an effective shield to absorb his attack.

"Who said I was?"

The moment Bakugo heard this retort, he suddenly felt something else: the sensation of something not-quite human suddenly clasping onto his shoulder from behind, sending an instinctive jolt throughout his entire body; for once leaving the explosive hothead wide-eyed with shock.

Even when he saw Bakugo's shock turn into that reliable rage, Seiji showed no sign of fear. He knew all too well that he'd already emerged the victor with that alone. After all, it was the perfect feint maneuver, having one of his flesh pieces circle around from under the bridge and hit Bakugo from behind while he protected himself from that last explosive attack. "Now then… I do believe you witnessed what became of Kirishima just a little earlier, but…if you touch that flesh, even a little, it's all over for you."

"BAKUGO!" To Denki's horror, the once tiny indescribable blob on Bakugo's shoulder quickly began to expand and consume Bakugo's entire body, even as he tried to fight his way out of it. It was like someone trying to struggle against quicksand. Every little move just made their consumption that much faster.

"SHIT! HEY… DUMBASS, GET OU-!"

Before Bakugo could even get the final word out, the deed had finally been done. What had once been one of the strongest students in Class 1-A, if not all of Yuuei Academy, had been left just as helpless a large, grotesque ball of processed meat as all the others, with Seiji Shishikura of Shiketsu High standing as the victor; looking down upon him like he were nothing more than an insect. "A pitiful sight indeed. Start over and try again next year."

"You've… gotta be kidding me." Denki muttered, his voice shaking like a leaf as he looked upon the lumps of meat that were his classmates; and with that, the realization that he was now well and truly on his own. As he hesitantly lifted his fearful gaze back up to Seiji, his mind was actually beginning to race with genuine observation. 'The overlap in similar Quirks is insane! This guy's Quirk is so similar to Tokage-san's. Man, if she were in our class right now, I'll bet she could probably take him. No, dammit, man, it's just you here now! Think!'

At the same time, Seiji was silently sizing Denki up with his gaze, easily able to see the blonde boy's trembling. "It's only natural for you to be scared by what you've just seen. After all, this is what's called a 'show of force.' In this exam, only an exceptional minority are permitted to pass, and yet… All Might has retired, and we've reached the turning point of this era. Under normal circumstances, would it not be more suitable to increase the amount of active Heroes as much as possible? Which is to say, the hidden implication of this exam is… weeding out the useless riffraff. The selection to pick out the cream of the crop, and take the occupation of 'Hero' to a higher dimension has already begun. That is what I have surmised."

Denki could just feel the malice radiating off of this kid in front of him, and worse yet, that all of it was now being directed toward him, while Seiji was once again tucking his hands behind his back, putting him right back on the nervous defensive. That still didn't stop the lavender-haired boy from continuing on with this sudden bout of rambling: "And I am in full support of this, which is why I shall continue to reject you all as I have been."

There was no telling where the courage came from that spurred Denki into actually answering such an out-of-nowhere speech, but he did, all the same: "So you're saying you're just gonna ignore the objective of the exam itself just for that? That's a bit strange, don't you think?"

Already he could start seeing Seiji's arms coming apart and floating out from behind his back again, leaving Denki to start grinding his teeth in nervous anticipation, even just barely trying to glance back behind himself to make sure he wasn't about to fall for the same trick Bakugo had. All the while, Seiji never took his eyes off him. "No, what's strange is that a coarse plebeian like yourself dares to stand in society with anything akin to pride in his eyes. Incidentally, even in the form your friends have taken, their sense of pain and the like will continue to function as they normally would. Releasing one of your electrical discharges would only end up harming them, Kaminari Denki."

Denki's face momentarily flinched, cursing the fact that this kid could already figure out what he was considering doing. Now that he'd just had his worst fear in this situation confirmed, Denki couldn't help but form an exasperated grin, chuckling to himself. "Man, you've been spouting a whole lot of slander these last few minutes. It's actually pretty effective, you know? I really wish you'd stop."

"It is effective simply because you know that what I speak is the truth! It would actually be quite felicitous to me if you were to reflect on that!" With that, Seiji officially put an end to the niceties, sending every one of his floating pieces straight for the boy before him.

However, despite the oncoming threat, when Denki finally lifted his head to meet his gaze again, there was now a sudden intensity in his yellow eyes. "I wasn't talking about me."

The fastball that Denki suddenly threw was far faster than Seiji had anticipated, flying right past his flesh pieces and right past his side. Just before he could proceed to gloat at the Yuuei boy's lack of precision, he was suddenly met with a deafening contained explosion right behind his back, knocking him off balance and stirring his sense of complete control for the first time. 'What?! An explosion?! How?! Bakugo should be all rolled up into meat right now!'

However, upon looking back to confirm, Seiji's eyes quickly fell upon a single smoking hand grenade now lying harmlessly on the ground. The moment he made this realization, at the same time, Denki was finally starting to rush in, knowing he'd just bought himself the few extra seconds he needed. "By wrapping explosive components, Bakugo can create simple grenades! I once asked whether those things were some kind of fashion accessory or something, and he told me all about it… after biting my head off with his shouting, of course!"

All at once did it finally become clear to Seiji how this momentary break in his perfect offense/defense had come to be: 'When they were talking before… HE MUST'VE HANDED IT TO KAMINARI THEN!'

"By the way, Mr. Know-It-All, you've just stumbled into a pretty interesting position, you know?!" Denki slid his visor over his eyes as he pointed this out, aiming a single sparking finger right in the unaware Seiji's direction, but not aiming for the boy himself… but rather the now-floating disk right behind him, one of the very same Denki had shot his way mere seconds before.

BZZZZT!

The resulting arc of electricity that shot out from both, with Seiji caught right in between, was unbelievable, sending the Shiketsu boy into spasms before he could even try to get out of the way. Once the electrocution had finally worn off, he was left barely able to still stand, with all tension in his body long gone, almost like he was in some kind of lucid state, despite the jolts still causing his muscles to twitch every now and then. 'I… can't believe it… he was aiming… for THIS?!'

Having finally gotten to see his new equipment work just the way he'd hoped it would when it had first been presented and explained to him by Mei Hatsume back in the Support Department, Denki now found himself compelled to explain himself to Seiji in kind: "The truth is that I can't really control the flow of my Electricity, which obviously makes team battles really difficult for me, especially in terms of potential friendly fire.

"In a way, you're right: my Quirk can be considered reckless, to myself and others, including my teammates. People don't usually consider guys with risky Quirks like that to be really cool Heroes. Hell, most of the time I couldn't even use mine to its fullest power without leaving myself a vegetable. How could I become a really cool Hero with a handicap like that? But I know I'm not the only one in my class who was having similar problems.

"Guys like Bakugo, Midoriya-san and Bezpalov-san, they all have similarly dangerous Quirks as well, and yet I've seen them constantly push to improve themselves through all kinds of challenges; both in terms of controlling the power they release in order to not hurt themselves, reducing the risk it carries to those around them, and even going so far as to getting their costumes and equipment improved to help make it happen.

"Those three guys, on top of so many of my classmates, have the potential to be truly cool Heroes, the same kind of Hero I've always wanted to be… and if having a piece of equipment like this made in order to better control my electrical flow and aim will help make that happen, then I'd be friggin' stupid not to!"

With just the thought of constant pushing in order to improve Quirks in general, a bolt of understanding finally registered to Denki, but he still tried to maintain the stoic posture he could only imagine he was beginning to exude, just as Seiji was starting to come back to his senses. 'I totally get it now, Bakugo. You were under enemy attack, and yet you still restrained yourself from using your bigger explosions, and kept hitting him with a technique that ultimately has a shorter range. At first I thought you were just trying to show off that you could still be as powerful as you were even with smaller explosions… when really, you were doing it to avoid hitting me and Kirishima in the process. That's it, isn't it?'

With his heart being fully convinced of this, Denki's eyes focused solely on Seiji; his previous nervousness all but completely extinguished, and instead he now spoke with a deep sense of serious understanding. "You talked a lot of shit about Bakugo before, and yeah, he may be a foul-mouthed, foul-tempered asshole a lot of the time, even to people that actually don't deserve it… but in the end, he's actually a lot more serious than most about this whole Hero thing, you know? That strategy of giving me grenades in order to get myself out of a sticky situation; that was actually pretty smart, wasn't it? And as for Kirishima… even though he knew how risky it would be, he still ran into danger, all for the sake of his friends. He's especially a good guy, even to the point of being kind of stupid, to be honest."

By this point, Seiji was no longer dazed or confused. Now, he was visibly shaking with pure anger; doubtless for having let his own guard down. Nevertheless, Denki's sense of conviction had never been higher: "You've only ever seen or heard bits and pieces about all of us, and yet you go around acting like you know it all. SO QUIT DISSING MY MATES, DAMMIT!"

It was like a fuse had finally gone off in his head, because for the first time, Seiji's cold and calculated demeanor had exploded into a rage that almost mirrored that of Bakugo himself: "I'M TELLING YOU TO KNOW YOUR PLACE, IDIOT!"

BKOOM! WHAAM!

However, Seiji's anger had blinded him to such a degree, that he'd all but lost his sense of peripheral vision, for the moment the last syllable left his mouth, he suddenly found himself getting plowed into his stomach by a simultaneous helping of Bakugo's explosions, and Eijirou's hardened fist, knocking him flying back off his feet, nearly making his eyes bug out, and blasting every ounce of wind right out of him.

As fist met gut, Eijirou had the biggest grin of similar understanding on his face, having still been able to see and hear everything that had happened, even in his previous lumpy state. "Depending on how much damage you take, those gross meat prisons of yours get canceled out, it looks like. No wonder you kept fighting from a long range. Thanks for the save, Kaminari!"

"TOOK YOUR DAMN TIME, DIDN'T YOU, HALF-WATT!" Bakugo similar roared as he kept igniting one explosion after another within his palm, just to make sure he made Seiji regret ever having taken him out with such a cheap trick.

However, even as Seiji fell to the ground completely unconscious, leaving the three Yuuei students once again standing tall, Bakugo's harsh criticism still managed to get through Eijirou's own enthusiasm, whipping his head to address the hothead: "Dude, Kaminari just went out of his way to get us back to normal, and you're yelling about him taking too long?! You're the worst, man; no wonder so many people keep dissing you!"

Just as Bakugo was about to start yelling right back at the redhead, both boys were swiftly cut off by the sheer panic once again in Denki's voice, as his focus was right past the two of them and further down the bridge. "Never mind all that, you guys! Look out!"

Following his petrified gaze, Bakugo and Eijirou now found they were far from alone anymore. Just like they themselves did, the moment Seiji had lost consciousness, all the other lumps of meat up and down the bridge had likewise returned to their normal selves. What was worse was that within seconds of riding out the confusion, soon all of their eyes fell upon the trio, and while Eijirou was likewise becoming just as rigid as Denki, Bakugo could only smile, licking his lips like a carnivore eyeing an entire herd of helpless prey.

"83 examinees have passed!"

After what had been a considerably slow start, Yokumiru Mera was now finding himself giving the announcements of the examinees passing more and more rapidly. It was certainly no surprise. Every announcement was serving to really light a fire under their collective tails to really start giving their all and proving themselves as worthy of the real exam that was to come. If they really wanted to become Pro Heroes, then they would surely fight for the opportunity; that's what this exam was ultimately all about.

Of course, mentality in this particular case was just as important as overall attitude, hence why Mera never made the mistake of actually naming which examinees passed. The last thing the examinees would need was to know that either their entire classes were winning, or that they had all lost and were the sole survivors. All they needed to know was that more and more people were stepping into the threshold of promise, and thus needed to work harder to earn their place in it.

Of course, that didn't stop him from taking note of something particularly interesting in the time that had passed since the beginning of this exam. "Well, just as I thought it would, the springtime of youth is really going strong now. Still, a rather interesting pattern has emerged. Even despite all the passes and disqualifications that have happened so far; Yuuei, which is usually proven to be consistently difficult to score against, has somehow managed to not lose a single student amidst all of it."

With the hidden cameras all over the entirety of the stadium, Mera could easily make out every single one of the Yuuei students still active on the grounds, and the situations they found themselves in. From the looks of things, with his most recent announcement; Izuku Midoriya, Ochako Uraraka and Hanta Sero had been the most recent examinees to pass; just after the near consecutive passes of Kyouka Jirou, Minoru Mineta and Tooru Hagakure; who themselves had passed barely a minute after the group of Momo Yaoyorozu, Tsuyu Asui and Mezo Shouji.

As for the ones still active on the field, it looked like Katsuki Bakugo, Eijirou Kirishima and Denki Kaminari were really having their hands full fending off a full-on assault wave from their recently recovered fellow examinees on the bridge in the urban section.

Tenya Iida and Yuga Aoyama were currently in the middle of trying to outpace a good number of pursuing fellows out on another edge of the canyon section.

Rikido Sato and Mashirao Ojiro were likewise finding themselves in the middle of a standoff with an especially ambitious bunch of examinees on the outskirts of the industrial section.

Lastly, there was also Nikolay Bezpalov and Mina Ashido, who looked to be having a real tough go of it after having gotten sneak attacked by two others that had apparently been lying in wait, or perhaps even following them the entire time since Yo Shindo had totaled half the canyon section.

Whether any one of these kids was going to be able to keep their classes' surprise winning streak going was anyone's guess; not that it ultimately mattered to Mera. No, what was most important now was getting the preparations put in place for the real exam. "Well, then, I think it's safe to say this exam will be concluded rather shortly; time for you all to get to your places and get ready."

"Hehehe, lively youths like these are all the more fun to start messing up." Numerous aged grumbles of similar sentiment quickly followed; all emanated from a massive gathering of small children and elderly folk, who had all been watching the proceedings of this exam with rapt attention and building excitement. Ultimately, the futures of the young Heroes that would be considered good enough for the real exam would be in their hands.

The moment he heard them all say this, another three distinct electric beeps suddenly drew Mera's attention. "Well, how about that? Bakugo, Kirishima and Kaminari have all just passed. *ahem* 86 examinees have passed! The remaining fourteen of you best put your all into it!"

"Man, there's still people fighting there, and there, and even over there, too!" "Would you shut the hell up, already? The rest of those people don't matter anymore!"

From the moment the three of them had officially passed the first exam, Denki was awash with relief, Bakugo was already visibly itching for whatever the next challenge was that he would get to take on, and Eijirou was already like a kid at a theme park, just pointing out everything that caught his eye with childlike excitement, completely ignoring Bakugo's repeated threats to be quiet.

As they finally caught sight of the door to the waiting room, where all the other examinees who had passed were waiting, Denki soon spotted three unmistakable figures nearby heading for the exact same place: Izuku, Ochako and Hanta; and his own excitement at his group winning simply emboldened him to call out: "Whoa, you guys actually managed to pass, too?! Congrats! Yatta!"

The moment his voice echoed out to them, Ochako and Hanta were instantly mirroring the exact same excitement: "Kaminari-san, you guys did it too! Awesome! Yatta!"

Within seconds, Ochako, Hanta, Denki and Eijirou were getting lost in a veritable back-and-forth of nonstop congratulatory "Yatta" cheers for each others' success, while Izuku could only watch the exchange with a relieved smile. Of course it was very encouraging to see more of their class had won as well, and after the insanely difficult go they had at earning their pass from this exam, it was hardly his place to deprive his friends and classmates of a chance to just relish in the emotion of the moment.

"Deku, you piece of shit… so, you actually managed to pass, too?" The sudden interruption of the seriousness in Bakugo's voice, of course, broke Izuku's momentary resolve, as he stuttered out his affirmation.

"K-Kacchan! Y-yeah… yeah, I did." Of course, it wasn't just the simple fact that his old friend was talking to him that had broken through the once steely resolve Izuku had.

No, it was the fact that, only now, had he finally realized just how long it really had been since the last time they had spoken to each other… since before the Kamino Incident, before All Might's retirement, in fact. They had never spoken since then, and that fact had Izuku feeling very uncomfortable and awkward, at a complete loss for words all over again. After all, they had both been die-hard All Might fans for as long as he could remember, and they had both witnessed the end of his time together. How on earth could he have ever expected them to just speak even remotely normally with each other again after that?

"Yeah, well, with that 'power' of yours, I guess it's to be expected." This passing comment nearly flew over Izuku's head entirely, as Bakugo was already storming right past him, never giving him the courtesy of eye contact. All the while, Izuku was in a momentary state of shock. Not only was Bakugo finally talking to him again, but this was the very first time he had ever actually acknowledged his strength. His awkward search for an answer combined with that deep-seeded sense of accomplishment left him a stuttering mess.

"That 'borrowed' power you mentioned way back then… have you managed to make it yours yet?" This time, Izuku couldn't even try stuttering a response, and not just because Bakugo didn't even bother sticking around to wait for one. Izuku had been sure that Bakugo would never even want to bring up that awkward confession he had made after the Battle Trials at the start of the year ever again.

Yet here he now was, actually bringing it back to the forefront of his own volition, and leaving Izuku with the painful realization that he couldn't possibly give an affirmative answer to that. Even for as far along as he had already come, he knew there was so much more mastery of One for All he needed to gain before he could even hope to say he had made it his own. He only couldn't say so, because if he had managed to succeed this much and still tell Bakugo it wasn't his own power, surely it would have driven that boy ballistic.

Inside the large shipping container-looking structure that served as the waiting room, Izuku and Bakugo's respective groups were quickly greeted by a visibly relieved gathering of their other classmates, all headed by Momo: "Thank goodness, you guys have all made it here in one piece! I was so worried!"

"Yaomomo! We're all right! We're all, all right! How were you guys so fast?!" Denki exclaimed cheerfully at the sight of so many familiar faces safe and sound, while Kyouka was smirking amusedly behind Momo and her group of Tsuyu and Mezo.

"I was personally expecting Bakugo to have ended up here long before the rest of us, but now it makes sense. They only took so long because of you, Kaminari-san." Denki's sunny cheer instantly turned indignant at her lighthearted jabbing, completely ignorant to everything else, while Mezo decided to answer for the similarly relieved Izuku, Ochako and Eijirou.

"Truth be told, our group only got here barely a couple minutes ago. Todoroki-san was the fast one, though that's hardly a surprise anymore. Mineta-san, Hagakure-san and Jirou-san were the last ones to get here before you guys."

At the mention of their names; and since Kyouka was still in the middle of a playful tiff with Denki while Tsuyu was explaining where they could all take off their targets and turn in their softballs; Minoru and Tooru were quick to step forward to tell their share of the story. "When we all got scattered, I thought we were gonna get picked off one by one, but Mina-chan actually found us; just like Kolya-kun found Tokoyami-kun, Kyouka-chan and Kouda-kun."

"Yeah, when our groups ran into each other, those two pretty much took the lead, and thanks to them and a lot of last-second planning from all of us, we were all able to pass!" As Minoru finished retelling the story (and thankfully could feel the threatening glare from the invisible girl beside him to keep certain details to himself), Izuku, Ochako and Eijirou all looked absolutely relieved to hear their pink and Slavic classmates had managed to get as many of their classmates to actually work together as it sounded like. In fact, they all couldn't help but feel even a significant touch of pride in their chests at how far along their mutual friends had both apparently come along with this knowledge.

"Wait, if Kolya-san and Mina-chan helped you all pass, then does that mean they passed with you guys? I don't see them." Ochako suddenly noticed as she looked all around the waiting room.

"Well, this was pretty stressful as far as exams go. Maybe they needed to use the bathroom or grab some juice." Eijirou naturally guessed, while Izuku couldn't hide the worried look in his eyes.

"I don't know. I don't see Iida-san, Aoyama-san, Sato-san or Ojiro-san, either." As he busily scanned the waiting room, Izuku and the others nearly jumped once they turned and saw Shoto had approached them with nary a sound, likewise scanning the room. "That makes fifteen of us from 1-A so far."

While his voice was as distant and analytical as ever, Momo was by now looking just as pensive. "The announcement said there were 86 students who passed… so that leaves fourteen slots to fill."

Even with how down-to-the-wire such numbers really were, it was still enough to leave Eijirou looking especially enthusiastic. "With only six of us left needing to pass, at least there's an 8-slot cushion they can work with!"

"I wonder if they're all going to be okay…" Momo muttered to herself, instinctively looking to the waiting room door for any sign of more of their classmates; with Izuku and Ochako soon following suit; all feeling the same unspoken concern taking root. Everyone in Class 1-A in this room had ultimately done everything they could out there, so now it was all up to the others."

"Merde! Just the two of us… we're really in the thick of it now, aren't we, Iida-san? We're really going to be lucky to make it out of this one alive." Amid all the nonstop chaos of what was clearly going to be the final minutes of the exam, this was all Yuga could think to say, as he and Tenya had to work in tandem with one another in order to avoid getting ganged upon by the numerous other examinees that were now in the heat of an all-out war with one another to try and get the final fourteen passes, with the two Yuuei boys caught in the crossfire of it all. The only reason they were both able to still be in it was thanks to Tenya's nonstop sprinting, pulling Yuga by his cape the entire way; the sparkling blonde boy every now and then boosting their mobility with a momentary blast of his Navel Laser, which thankfully also helped manage to scare away some of the examinees specifically chasing after them.

However, with the chaos around them only growing more and more intense, it was becoming apparent that they wouldn't be able to keep running for long, and the repeated uses of Yuga's laser was starting to take its physical toll on him. Nevertheless, Tenya wasn't about to let their circumstances dampen his spirits. "What are you saying, Aoyama-san?! Now's not the time to think about giving up! Let's continue to do our best!"

"That's not what I mean—WHOA!" The moment Yuga had started to argue, he nearly got strangled by the strength with which Tenya suddenly yanked on his cape, just pulling him away in time to avoid a cannonball blast of a softball throw. "DON'T GET CAUGHT BY A STRAY BULLET! WE NEED TO KEEP MOVING!"

As he continued to run, Tenya could only continue to hope the rest of their classmates he hadn't managed to find yet were holding out as best they could. After everyone had gotten scattered, he'd been lucky enough to get Momo, Tsuyu and Mezo together, and shortly after he'd only managed to find Yuga alone, trying to hide after already having gotten hit on two of his three targets. Since then, it had only been the two of them, simply trying to act as live bait for as many examinees as possible and giving the rest of their class a fighting chance.

This was what Tenya believed they were accomplishing with all his heart, while Yuga could only now look at their present circumstances and take them at face value. Even if they were helping out the rest of their class, they were ultimately the ones most at risk of being left behind if they kept drawing everyone else's attention to themselves like this.

The only reason now that he wasn't expressing such a defeatist sentiment anymore was because when they had first run into each other, they'd already ended up having such a conversation. Truth be told, even in the numerous minutes that had passed since then, Yuga had been unable to stop replaying that conversation over and over in his head:

"You're a strange one, Iida-san. You don't even know who's still left out there, do you? What are you going to do if everyone else passes and leaves you behind?"

"I found you, though, didn't I; Aoyama-san?"

"If everyone else goes on and passes ahead of me, I'll be happy with that!"

"I'm the president of Class 1-A! My responsibility is to guide everyone! As much as time and my own two legs permit me, I will do what I can to support the class. My brother would do the same thing if he were here. My actions follow my dreams. Be that as it may, I still want to be able to earn my Provisional Hero License, just as I know you do as well! That's why we're here in the first place! Let's continue finding the others and get our licenses together! For that, I'll need your help!"

The sudden electric pitch of the loudspeakers broke Yuga out of his reminiscence, as Mera's voice once again spoke out: "Attention, everyone! Erm, we seem to have a group of eight who have passed in a single go! That leaves only six slots left!"

Up in the stands, while Ms. Joke was positively jumping with excitement at the assumption that the aforementioned meant her whole class had managed to pass, Aizawa was now watching the stadium grounds with an almost deathly serious bigger eyed stare, clutching his sleeves tighter than ever, knowing this was the very definition of do-or-die his class was now in.

Inside the waiting room, the air among the 1-A students had taken a nosedive at the news. Eijirou's previous confidence had all but vanished, even despite the frozen smile on his face from mere seconds ago. Nobody dared to say it out loud at first, until Momo started clutching an especially anxious fist. "Six slots left… that means…"

"It might not be possible for all of us to pass." Kyouka finished, sounding very grave, herself.

"Only six left…" Yuga muttered to himself, still thinking back on those specific words Tenya had used before: his dream. Such simple words these days now carried so much weight and implication with them; the kind that Yuga couldn't help but reflect on in terms of himself. Tenya and the others all seemed to have their dreams laid out right in front of them, knowing exactly what it was they wanted to achieve.

For him, it wasn't that cut and dry by comparison. One question had always lingered in his mind for as long as he could remember: Why am I different from everyone else?

Some kind of answer or solution to the problem that spurred such a question had been the one thing Yuga had dreamt of obtaining more than anything. If becoming a Hero were to provide that solution, then it was to be his dream, as well. But after having seen the personal drives of so many of his classmates, it only served to make him feel so much more out of place by comparison, the very same thing that plagued him for all his life already.

The moment Tenya came to a quick stop in order to regain their bearings; the most unexpected inclination overcame Yuga. If there was any dream in all of this he truly wanted to achieve, then in this moment, there was only one way he could do so that made any sense to him now. In their own ways, they were all aiming for the same goal, to become Heroes, regardless of the inspirations for it. And what better way could there be for him to become a Hero, even if just for one other person, than this?

BWOOOSH!

Letting his body fall slack to the ground and extending his gut upwards as much as he could, Yuga proceeded to fire a blinding Navel Laser straight up into the air, illuminating the entirety of the stadium, and gaining the attention of every single one of the remaining examinees all around.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WAIT… SERIOUSLY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, AOYAMA-SAN?!" Tenya asked incredulously once he looked back to his prone classmate shooting his laser for everything he was worth.

"I'm standing out! EXTRAVAGANTLY! NO… THAT'S NOT RIGHT! If you're trying to protect me, Iida-san, we'll just both go down together. I stand out so much already. I've already lost two of my targets. Just one more and I'm out. I'm turning this over to you. By standing out like this, I can draw out people who decide to come after me. With your speed, you should be able to do it on your own, right?"

Tenya's mask hid the look of deeply shaken realization on his face as it dawned on him just what his classmate was risking by doing this. "WHAT ARE YOU SAYING ALL OF A SUDDEN?!"

"You've already heard everything I said loud and clear! My dream? I've thought about what that was for me for so long… but to be honest… whether you can call it a dream or not… the one thing I've always wanted… was to be equal with everyone else."

Seconds ago…

The sudden announcement from the speakers that another eight examinees had passed, leaving only six slots open, had Nikolay digging his fingers into the dirt in a futile attempt to try and get out from under this Quirk-weighted softball on his back. Every time he looked up, he could still see Mina struggling up in the air with the jet-legged examinee trying to pin a softball on her last target. She was in serious trouble, and here he was, completely and utterly stuck.

What made it worse was the incessant laughter of the strongman-looking examinee looming over him. "Man, you really gave me a run for my money through this exam, Bezpalov-san! When you gave me and that Ketsubutsu kid with that Object Hardening Quirk the slip, I thought that was it for me, especially when he ended up splitting from me to look for other targets. And yet, here you are, completely at my mercy! Too bad you didn't turn around so I could've hit that target on your chest before, otherwise this exam would be over for me at least by now. Once my friend up there takes care of Ashido, we're both as good as passed, and we'll have your sacrifices to thank for making it happen."

As he carried on with his taunting, he could start to feel that familiar rhythmic rumbling through the ground, and it was easy for him to figure that Nikolay was trying to use his Quirk, firing his hands against the ground to try and lift himself up and get the softball off of him. The sight of such a struggle only made him laugh that much harder. "You're wasting time and energy alike, you know. My Quirk lets me add as much weight as I want to anything I touch except myself and other people. It's limited, but it definitely has its uses. By all means, if you wanna keep struggling, go right ahead. I'll have to hit the target on your chest inevitably, and tiring yourself out will make that way less risky."

By this point, he could clearly see Nikolay's face was awash in a frigid and exhausted sweat, heaving for breath with all the previous tension in his body nowhere to be seen. Not wanting to take chances, the examinee carefully picked up both of his pant legs and dropped them, only for the Russian boy to show absolutely no resistance or reaction; they were completely slack. He repeated the same process with his arms and head, and got the exact same lack of a reaction.

The smile on his face alongside his rising heart rate couldn't have been happier as he finally deactivated his Quirk and picked the softball up from Nikolay's back, before unceremoniously rolling him on his back; the same softball at the ready to nail his final target. When their eyes met for just a moment, he was half expecting Nikolay to start begging for mercy.

BWOOOSH!

All of a sudden, a blinding blue light suddenly illuminated the entire stadium, catching the attention of both the Weight-user, and his turbine-legged partner still struggling against Mina's resistant fighting.

Upon seeing the illuminating beam shooting straight up into the air a good several meters away, he quickly returned his attention back to Nikolay below, just in time to see that he now had tucked his legs back and was just about to clap his hands together all at once.

BWOOOM!

The double dose of point-blank full-powered kinetic force that fired from Nikolay's boots and clapped hands combined sent the Weight-user flying like a nitrous-fueled bottle rocket, barely even able to muster the energy to scream even as he flew well above the roof of the stadium. The force of this desperate sneak attack had even been powerful enough to send Nikolay dragging along the ground and into it by nearly two feet.

The young Slav's mind was simply in too much of a rush of adrenaline to even think about everything that was going on around him at once. That beam distraction had just bought him his final chance, and it was time to capitalize. Without another word or wasted moment, Nikolay practically sprung back onto his feet; the adrenaline blocking out the painful aching of his back after having been weighed down so much for so long. With his eyes focusing on the near speck that was now his momentary adversary in this exam, Nikolay launched himself up with all the energy he could channel out through his hands and feet at once, with his goggles being the only reason he could still see through the intense wind friction as he flew up after him.

Even from this high up, the Weight-user's sense of awareness was able to spot Nikolay shooting right up toward him. Realizing this was his only chance at securing victory, even regardless of how the hell he was going to have any hope of landing without injuring himself, he instinctually grabbed the rest of his softballs, and proceeded to grant them the weight of the heaviest bowling balls each before throwing them all right down at Nikolay one after the other, more than confident at least one would have to hit him.

The moment he saw what his target above was doing, Nikolay's reflexes completely took over, as he quickly aimed his left hand facing behind his back and fired, sending his body into a right-turning corkscrew spin, barely managing to evade every one of the grouped together softballs in time. He could see the fear register in the rival examinee's eyes just the moment before impact was finally made.

BWOOOM!

Nikolay immediately met him with an open palm clasping onto his face and firing just the perfect amount of that pure vibration frequency straight into his head, causing him to black out from the gravity and vibrations together. The moment he could see the examinee's body go completely slack like a sack of potatoes, Nikolay quickly grabbed onto the collar of his costume and pulled him in, locking his arms around his frame and extending his legs forward, aiming the soles of his boots behind him.

He knew there was only one chance at pulling this off, and when he looked back over his shoulder to see where Mina and her opponent were in relation to them at this moment, this high up in the air, Nikolay knew it was time to act on it. As such, he finally fired another accelerating full blast from his feet, sending himself and his unconscious cargo flying toward the other two at full speed, currently on a straight course.

All the while, Mina had been fighting tooth and nail to keep the turbine-legged examinee who had plucked her off the ground from landing his softball on the one remaining target on the back of her left hand. Somehow, someway, she'd been managing it, but she knew there was only so much she could do in a situation like this, and eventually he was either going to get a lucky hit, or he was going to end up losing his grip on her, and she would go plummeting down to the unforgiving ground below.

However, the moment that illuminating beam that she knew could have only come from one person lit up the stadium and distracted him, Mina could hear the following boom of Nikolay's Quirk from down below nearby. Even once her captor started to fight with her again, Mina was somehow able to still keep a watchful eye on her Russian partner and his own opponent in the distance. However, once she saw that the two of them were flying in right for them, she knew it was time for her to do something drastic, if not downright insane, if they were both going to still somehow come out of this as winners.

While continuing to push his hands away, Mina concentrated on secreting as strong a flow of her quick-drying non-corrosive fluid from out of her boots as quickly as possible, and soon she could not only feel it shooting out, but within seconds she could also hear the roar of the other examinee's turbines clogging up and inevitably sputtering into complete silence, to his wide-eyed shock.

As soon as his momentum came to a dead stop, and he was too distracted in that moment before gravity would do its thing, Mina planted her palms and the soles of her boots against his torso and pushed with everything she had, finally freeing herself, and sentencing them both to the pull of gravity.

At that same moment, as they continued quickly gliding/freefalling in, Nikolay went wide-eyed with shock at what Mina had just done the moment she'd killed her opponent's mobility. There wasn't even any time for him to think, he simply reacted out of pure gut reflex: he proceeded to release his grip on his own opponent and go freefalling after her, while their two respective opponents went on to collide into each other hard.

Nikolay was continuously trying to balance acceleration and breaking his flying momentum in order to avoid just completely plowing into Mina, and thankfully his ability to judge his speed and trajectory in a spur-of-the-moment situation like this wasn't complete garbage, because even though he wasn't able to completely avoid flying right into her and sending them both rolling through the air, they were at least able to keep a respective grip on each other enough so that he could focus on regaining some control.

After a couple very tense moments, the two were finally able to gain a good hold on each other, to where Mina had her back to him, and Nikolay was finally able to control the speed of their descent again, heading right for the area where Yuga's laser was still firing from. Thankfully, this sight and relief wasn't distracting enough, as Mina quickly honed her sights on their two freefalling rival examinees just a few feet nearby.

Without missing a beat, she was already starting to build up an especially thick coating over her hands. "Hurry and get us over to them, Kolya-kun, we don't want anybody to get hurt!" Nikolay's response was instantaneous, as he nearly began to air-sprint after them, firing one balancing and elevating blast after another with every 'step' he took. All the while, Mina had her hands clapped together and aimed, and was soon firing a thick, nearly gelatinous flow of fluid right onto the two unconscious boys, quickly building up a quick-drying mass of her trapping acid, keeping the two stuck together even as they continued to fall towards the laser site.

"That's probably the thickest fluid for my Acid Entrapment I've made yet! Those two should be totally okay even after they hit the ground." Mina stated with considerable confidence. Meanwhile Nikolay was simply too relieved he'd managed to not only save Mina from freefalling, but that they had also managed to help save the two, to think of ruining the moment by asking how she possibly could have known that for certain.

However, now that the immediate threat had been taken care of, and Nikolay could just focus on getting them back down onto solid ground again, he did suddenly speak up with the first words that came to mind after seeing what she had just done when this high up. "I can't believe you just let go of that guy, knowing how high up you were, Mina! You scared the hell out of me when I saw you do that! What would you have done if I hadn't been here to catch you?"

Honestly, now that a lot of the adrenaline had worn off, even Mina couldn't hide the clearly embarrassed grimace on her face, knowing just what a stupid idea that had really been. "Well, if we've been having any kind of influence on each other at all, I'm sure I still would've come up with something; maybe just block off one of that kid's jet legs and just steer him around until I could find some place safe to jump off, I don't know."

However, even as she tried to speak to alleviate Nikolay's worries, Mina was quick to truly realize the kind of position they were currently in, with her pretty much being held safe and close in the Russian boy's arms. Like a 2x4 to the head, that damn conversation with the rest of the girls back at the dorm came replaying at full blast in Mina's head, and right now she could only pray he didn't see how red her pink face was starting to turn, or feel just how fast and hard her heart was starting to race, especially when complete impulse suddenly took over her words.

"If you want to know the whole truth, though, Kolya-kun… the real reason I let go was precisely because I know that as long as you're near, I can always count on you to catch me… no matter what happens; and I can only hope that you know I'll always be there to catch you or pick you back up in return, no matter what happens. I mean, we said it ourselves, remember? We're each others' Heroes and besties, and that's what Heroes do for people and besties do for each other, right?"

'Oh my God, what the hell am I saying?! That just came right out just like that!' Mina was practically screaming with disbelief in her head; completely unaware that virtually the same series of thoughts and memories were racing through Nikolay's just as well. 'Oh my God, does she even realize what the words she's saying sounds like right now?! Why did it have to be now of all times?!'

This sudden pouring out of what sounded like much more affectionate sentiment from Mina than he had ever expected to hear, coupled with those returning memories of his and Eijirou's talk, had Nikolay's heart hammering at his ribs, which he could only hope Mina wasn't able to somehow feel at her back, while also feeling grateful that she couldn't see how red his face was getting either.

However, a momentary glance back to the approaching ground suddenly revealed to the two rapidly approaching students, that not only was it Aoyama they were about to regroup with, but also Tenya, and that worst of all, they were in the process of being swarmed on all sides by a multitude of other examinees.

"Oh man, look at all of them! We can't just leave them like this!" Mina exclaimed, clearly worried sick about their two classmates. At that moment, then, a singular shared synapse sparked between them, as Mina looked back, and she and Nikolay's gazes met, clearly showing they were on the same page. "Kolya-kun, that mid-air spin move you did back when I was frozen—"Just what I was thinking too. Hang on tight, and get ready to do whatever you're thinking of doing once I start."

SLAAAM!

At the moment just when it seemed like Tenya and Yuga were well and truly done for, with the 1-A president still refusing to leave Yuga's side despite his insistence, a sudden massive object came smashing into the ground right in front of them, with enough force to not only shatter into numerous scattering pieces, but also produce a large enough shockwave and cloud of dust to blind a good portion of the surrounding examinees, and force the rest to back off considerably. Just as Tenya and Yuga were about to finally try and make their escape amid the confusion…

"RESONATING RAIN TRAP!"

The distant yet unmistakable sound of Nikolay and Mina's voices echoing together from up above drew all eyes to the sky, just in time for all the surrounding examinees to start finding themselves getting rained down upon by thick fluid that was already starting to build on them and dry just as quickly as it was landing on them.

Indeed, while Nikolay was holding Mina tight and secure, he had thrown himself into another accelerated mid-air roll within the few seconds they had left before landing, and as his speed picked up with her along for the ride, Mina had started to shoot out her entrapment fluid from her extended hands and feet, and with that added momentum, this resulted in the fluid spreading out even farther than normal, thus causing a good majority of the present examinees to start getting immobilized as the liquid just kept coming down on them.

All the while, realizing what was happening just in time, Tenya was just as quick to grab Yuga again and take off into another mad dash in order to avoid getting caught in it.

With that, after what genuinely felt like an eternity, Nikolay and Mina's feet finally met solid ground again with one final momentum-breaking burst from his feet to keep them from crashing. With that, he finally released his grip on her, and the two could finally let out the shaky breaths of anxious air they had unknowingly been holding in from the moment he had managed to catch her mid-freefall.

Unfortunately, just as they were finally able to catch their breath and finally be reunited with a mutually shocked Tenya and Yuga, a distant voice suddenly called out from within the still-trapped mass of examinees: "Come on, they still weren't able to stop all of us! We can still win this!"

Looking back, the four found themselves already being doggedly pursued by a lucky few other examinees that had somehow managed to avoid getting caught in Nikolay and Mina's impromptu trapping maneuver. The four were already starting to get themselves back on the defensive; their softballs at the ready—

"SWEET SPRINT!"

The moment the examinees made the first throw, the fierce roaring of Rikido Sato's voice suddenly began to emanate from just outside their general section of the stadium. As everyone around began looking in confusion as to where 1-A's sweets-based student was coming from, the boy himself had suddenly come rushing in at a speed that could almost have rivaled Tenya's regular dash; wielding a large slab of concrete like a shield that deflected all the softballs having been thrown his classmates' way.

Without even giving anyone a chance to react, Rikido proceeded to actually throw the large piece of debris at the examinees themselves, forcing them to scatter in order to avoid getting smashed. With their formation and aggressive focus gone, he immediately proceeded to continue sprinting after them, producing a huge gust of wind that followed right along with him, sending them and several of the trapped examinees flying in the process; with the hardened trapping fluid thankfully managing to break the immobilized ones' falls.

As Rikido quickly proceeded to capitalize on the advantage his sudden intrusion and Quirk-boosted speed gave him, and finally proceeded to start tossing his softballs against the targets of several of the examinees he'd managed to disorient; Nikolay, Mina, Tenya and Yuga quickly heard the sound of yet more footsteps now coming from behind them, instantly turning back to find several others examinees that had finally shown up on the scene after being drawn in by the latter's Navel Laser, and were already in the process of throwing while the four were still out in the open.

"NOT SO FAST! TORNADO TAIL DANCE!" Another all-too familiar voice suddenly called out from above, right before a blur of blonde came slamming back down to the ground and throwing itself into an inhumanly fast spin before a single feature could be made out, deflecting every single softball that came near it like bullets against steel.

However, none of the stunned Yuuei students left even needed to wonder the identity of their next miracle rescuer, as the familiar sound of Mashirao Ojiro's voice had stricken them free of all remaining apprehension and nervousness at their unfortunate odds. As the blonde, tailed boy continued to spin like a human tornado, he suddenly began to throw his own softballs out from amid the fray; exercising such incredible precision that he was not only able to hit their first couple targets each, but was still somehow even able to judge his aim and timing of each throw so as to even hit whichever targets were on their backs or sides when they instinctively reacted to the first hits.

Within seconds, even this newest threat had been taken care of, allowing Mashirao to finally come to a complete stop, catching his breath after exerting his own special move for that long at once.

"Two more have passed! Four left to go, everyone!"

Nikolay, Mina and Tenya were all the picture of pure relief at the return of their two longest missing classmates and saviors, while Yuga was still in the process of taking in the sheer scope of everything that had happened in the wake of his beacon of a laser. "Are you alright, Iida-san, Aoyama-san?"

As soon as Nikolay asked this, and Mina was excitedly thanking and congratulating Mashirao and Rikido for their respective rescues and subsequent passing, Tenya immediately got back to his normal rigid posture; about to answer before Yuga suddenly yanked himself free from his grip, looking all of his present classmates in the eye with genuine confusion. "All of you… what are you all doing here?"

Such a question seemed downright nonsensical in this situation from where Nikolay was standing, but all the same, Mina immediately answered the sparkling boy with a single joyous thumb up and ecstatic smile: "It's all because of your awesome Navel Laser, Aoyama-kun! Thanks to you, we were all able to regroup again!"

Remembering what Tenya had said about how badly everyone had been scattered at the beginning, to hear his pink classmate say that he alone had managed to help even a small portion of their class come back together left Yuga looking downright shocked; impossible to tell if this made him happy, sad, frustrated or anything at all. He had done what he did fully expecting to sacrifice his chances so that at least Tenya would win. And yet, instead he now still stood here with even this many of his classmates, and they were all pretty much thanking him.

While he was visibly processing this, Tenya finally took the chance to step forward, once more thanking Mashirao and a visibly exhausted Rikido, alongside Nikolay, for their intervention, and congratulating them for their victories. With that, he could finally return his attention to Nikolay and Mina themselves. "It's a great relief to see you're both still in the exam as of now, Bezpalov-san, Ashido-san. Aoyama-san and I have been spending all this time trying to find and regroup as much of our class as possible. I was able to find Yaoyorozu-san, Asui-san and Shouji-san, but nobody else other than them. With there now only being four slots left, I dread to wonder how many of us are still out here."

With this knowledge on his part now being out, however, he was pleasantly surprised when he was instead met with mutually grateful smiles on his two classmates' faces, especially as they proceeded to fill him and Yuga in on their helping secure similar wins for Fumikage, Kouji, Tooru, Minoru and Kyouka before having come here to try and help them.

"I see. You've both just managed to lift my spirits more than you may realize, and for that, you have my gratitude. You've both truly come a long way since the beginning of this year, and as your president and friend, I couldn't be prouder of you for that." As soon as Tenya made his feelings regarding the Russian boy and pink girl's mutual maturing known, he just as suddenly turned his attention back to Yuga.

"And as for you, Aoyama-san… what do you mean, you want to be equal with everybody else? Your standards must truly be skewed if you can't even see that you already are." This statement that first started off sounding especially angry, quickly took on a much more heartfelt and impassioned edge with every word Tenya spoke, and he, Nikolay and Mina could all clearly see just how much every one hit Yuga right in his heart, as though he were finally having his eyes opened for the first time regarding his own place in the world of Class 1-A.

"You are essentially like a shining beacon that can bring our entire class together even in the most desperate situations, Aoyama-san. Don't ever forget that all of this: our threshold to finally passing, and this one massive hurdle Class 1-A will effectively make towards achieving our licenses and being one step closer towards becoming Pro Heroes, is all thanks to you." It was once again impossible to tell just what kind of emotions were really going through Yuga's head as this sentiment from clearly all three of his remaining classmates echoed loud and clear, and his face was not the kind to express extreme emotions so easily.

Instead, sucking in a deep and shaky breath, the once resigned look in his eyes behind his winged visors began to sparkle nice and bright once more, as the urgency of the moment took the reins, and he proceeded to dig out the softballs from the bag tied to his waist. "Well then… shall we finally bring this to a proper conclusion, everyone?"

"Of course." "Way ahead of ya, Sparkles!" "Davaii sdelaem ato (Let's do this)."

With this universal declaration of unity and taking the final step forward, Nikolay, Mina, Tenya and Yuuga proceeded to hurry and place their respective softballs to the targets of the first immobilized examinees they could reach, with Nikolay and Mina obviously going for the still dazed duo now lying in the rubble of their shattered protective casing; and within seconds, the final electric alarm across the stadium rang out, with Mera's voice now proclaiming with exceptional energy: "100 people! That's all, folks! The first exam has been completed! Well then, it pains me to say this, but those of you who failed will have to vacate the premises now."

"I guess I really can't stop sparkling, after all." Yuga proclaimed; his previous flair and air of confidence returning as though it had never once left. After all the hell they had gone through over the course of this exam in order to win, all Mina could answer him with was a deeply amused and appreciative laugh, with Tenya still trying to maintain his authoritative posture, and Nikolay simply being too exhausted to say anything otherwise. Already, he felt like he could just collapse and sleep the rest of the day away. If the people running this whole exam were merciful, maybe he would've gotten a chance to at least try and sleep to regain his energy for a few minutes.

However, as they all began to make their way toward the waiting room, and the countless other examinees who had lost all morosely took their collective leave from across the stadium, all of Nikolay's thoughts; conscious and subconscious alike; of sleep or anything of the like quickly vanished when he felt a nearly electric jolt through his whole body, as the warm softness of Mina's hand suddenly took his own in a gentle but firm grip, ultimately interlocking their fingers together.

He didn't dare look to see if she was wearing another of those humorous grins on her face in order to tease him or not, nor did she dare look to try and gauge his reaction. She hadn't premeditated doing this in the event of their passing the exam. In the emotion of this tremendous moment, it just felt like the most natural thing to do that wouldn't have led to making a big scene in front of everyone.

And besides, even something as innocent as holding hands was still leaving them both looking especially flustered, even if neither of them could begin to think of the words to express anything of the sort to each other. How could Mina possibly have been able to explain to Nikolay how even taking his hand into her own had given her an electrical jolt of her own? No matter how they tried to look at it in order to either justify it to themselves, or guess what the other might have been feeling, their hearts were both still racing like mad.

Instead, they simply continued the rest of the way, having to swallow any potential words in order to avoid humiliating themselves or each other, while never once considering actually letting go until they'd finally gotten to the door.

"ALLLLL… RIIIIGGHHHTT! EVERYBODY'S HERE! EVERYONE'S SO AWESOME! EVERYONE FROM YUUEI PASSED THE FIRST ROUND! I'M SO HAPPY!"

Nearly half the class had exploded with such cacophonous cheer the moment the last of their classmates had finally stepped into the waiting room, officially confirming the end of the exam, and giving them the chance to let all that built up emotion out at last.

While Mina, Ochako and Tooru were all holding hands and practically leaping with joy, and Denki, Eijirou and Hanta were likewise cheering with their fists up high, Nikolay was finally taking the chance to get his energy back with some food and rest, while Izuku and Shoto were likewise observing their classmates beside him.

"Everyone's really pumped up again, huh? It's almost like they didn't just go through the same exam as we did." Shoto noted with his arms crossed, while Nikolay and Izuku both let out a wistful sigh.

"Well, it's hardly surprising, Todoroki-san. I don't know about you, but for us it was really stressful all around. There were several points where I wasn't sure if we were going to make it or not, and I have no doubt they thought the same at some point. The fact that despite all that, we still managed to win, of course they're going to celebrate," the young Russian admitted now that he could finally let that determined demeanor of his slip for a minute.

"When we got separated, I was also really worried we wouldn't be able to hold out unless we were all brought back together. The way I've heard it, Kolya-san; you, Ashido-san, Yaoyorozu-san and Iida-san were all pretty much of the same mind. You all really pulled through and helped bring the class over the finish line together." As Izuku noted this with a grateful smile, Nikolay couldn't help but look at him the same.

"Well, Yaoyorozu-san was clearly able to pull through on her own since we didn't run into her group, and Iida-san and Aoyama-san had already been doing their thing long before the rest of us showed up. The point is that nobody here deserves to go without any credit of their own, Midoriya-san. I mean, not only did you manage to bring Uraraka-san and Sero-san together while the rest of us were essentially still scattered to the winds; but you were the one who took the lead for all of us right from the start before we got scattered. If anything, I'd say your example was what really helped us work up the courage to step up when you weren't there. We should all really be thanking you for that."

Izuku's eyes fell to the floor as he chuckled shyly to himself, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, that's nice of you to say, but influence can only go so far. The fact is that you all found the courage in yourselves to take charge, even though it was a really scary situation we were all in. That's a real Heroic quality, and everybody in here proved they had that quality today; you, Ashido-san; Kacchan, Iida-san, everyone."

Nikolay and Izuku both couldn't help but chuckle with each other, knowing they could easily have this back-and-forth discussion of where credit should go forever if they wanted. All the while, Shoto was silently observing his two classmates with that same pensive gaze, figuring he didn't really have a place to say anything since he had earned his win entirely on his own.

With nothing more needing to be said, Nikolay and Izuku's gazes soon took to looking over the multitude of other examinees in the room besides their own classmates. "Wow… so everybody in here proved themselves to be good enough for the next exam, huh?" Nikolay finally uttered to himself, with Izuku letting out an equally impressed "Yeah."

To neither of their surprise, they were quick to find Inasa Yoarashi within the crowd, currently in the middle of shouting his disbelief that another of his Shiketsu classmates (the Seiji Shishikura that Eijirou had informed them of mere minutes before) had failed to another student in an identical beret that looked like a sentient pile of golden hair.

At one moment, Nikolay caught the faintest flinch out the corner of his eye when Izuku had spotted someone within the crowd. When he instinctively turned back to see what could have gotten his freckled friend's attention like that, Nikolay almost instantly found himself fidgeting in his seat as well. Within the crowd was that same girl from Shiketsu High with the bright brown hair and glossy lips from before, only now dressed in a skintight figure-revealing black leather cat suit with white cuffs and heeled boots.

He couldn't even begin to guess why she got such an extreme reaction out of Izuku, but remembering back to that flirtatious smile and wink she had given him at the beginning, and knowing she was still here, had Nikolay swallowing a quickly building dry lump in his throat. It wasn't anything like the reactions he'd found himself experiencing around Mina recently, but it was still a reaction nonetheless that he was far from used to. Thankfully she didn't seem to notice.

Averting his gaze elsewhere, Nikolay and Izuku were soon also able to note that Yo Shindo and the rest of his class from Ketsubutsu had also made it… all except for one, the robotic-looking boy that had tried going after Nikolay with the Weight-user after they'd all gotten separated. From the looks of it, while the rest of Yo's classmates seemed visibly disappointed they hadn't all made it, Yo looked to be… surprisingly indifferent to the fact.

Just as the two boys were about to get back up to get themselves rehydrated, only to start getting crowded by several of their classmates to express thanks for all their help and impromptu leadership; the whine of a loudspeaker once again rendered the whole waiting room silent, as soon all eyes were upon the flat screen upon the wall, which had suddenly turned on to reveal a video feed of the entire stadium layout, with Mera's voice announcing from the intercoms.

"Well, then, to the 100 of you that have passed, please take a look at the screen." The room was already starting to buzz with confused utterances from everyone as nothing seemed to happen at first. As he closely observed every different environment throughout the stadium, Nikolay could swear he spotted what looked like a small explosion suddenly emanate from one of the buildings in the urban section.

Then within seconds, the entire area start becoming engulfed in progressively larger explosions, annihilating everything around, with the resonating vibrations and muffled sounds of the destruction even starting to sound out through the thickened walls of the waiting room.

Within seconds, what had once been a gorgeously elaborate and massive collection of different environments had been reduced to rubble all around, leaving all 100 of the observing examinees completely speechless and confused. The moment the last of the controlled explosions had finished, the intercoms sprang back to life again: "This will be the next and last stage for your Provisional Hero License Exams, everyone! At this disaster site, we will be having you all conduct rescue maneuvers!"

The air within the entire room became a thousand tons heavier as the same realization hit every single one of the examinees hard and fast. Nikolay could once again feel that lump in his throat and that nervous trembling in his hands. Fighting and protecting your friends and allies was all well and good, nobody would ever deny that. However, at the end of the day, there was still one thing that separated Heroes from all other professions; the one thing that practically defined what it even meant to be called a real Hero, the one thing they had yet to get real hands-on legitimate experience with: saving civilian lives.

Tunguska had drilled it into his head for virtually his entire life, just as he and all the other teachers had done so for the rest of the class since the start of this year. Nikolay was far from the only one among his classmates that was feeling the gravity of what was now to be expected of them, and had he the wherewithal to look, he would have seen that many were already going through the same growth in resolve as he was deep in his gut.

This was all their chance to finally truly prove their real mettle as Heroes in the single most important way there ever was.

And there's your new chapter for the week, everyone. I had a ton of fun planning and writing this one out, and I can only hope you have just as much fun having read it. I hope I'll get to hear back from some of you, expressing what you think.

Have a great rest of your week in preparation for the holidays, and I will see you all with the last new chapter of My Hero Academia: Son of Justice for the year 2021 on Christmas Day, 12/25! Take care of yourselves, everyone!

* Yes, this is a reference to the legendary Canadian master of body horror, David Cronenberg.