Chapter 42
[Play KH3 OST The Nightmare -cutscene- (Unused)]
Somewhere, deep within a remote mountain forest, there was an altercation between many heartless and something else. Whatever was attacking the creatures clearly knew how to deal with them and had many different tricks on how to destroy each one. Some of them were caught ablaze then burnt to nothing, others frozen then broken apart, others electrified until they burst from too much surging inside, many were sliced and cut up like mincemeat. Some sections of the mountain forest were also caught up in the destruction, but since it was so far from any civilization, only one person could see what was happening. That person was Kurogiri, and he was holding a black coat over one of his arms.
"Very impressive." The void man commented on the fighting that he was witnessing, seeing the Heartless get easily decimated by the one who owned this black coat. They had a Keyblade in their hand and when the coat was off, they practically reeked of darkness so much that it was visibly coming off of them. Thanks to both of those factors, the hundreds of Heartless that used to swarm this area had all flocked to this specific section on instinct and were being dealt with by the dark Keyblade wielder.
After almost all of the creatures were killed off from the Keyblade, the wielder of said blade had unsummoned it and then destroyed the rest of them with a multitude of fireballs going in every direction, covering all around the area. The person landed and then spotted Kurogiri observing the spectacle, before walking over to the Villain, and holding their hand out. "My coat."
"Of course." Kurogiri complied as he handed over the black coat to the Figure and let them put it back on, masking their darkness before following the void man through a portal made by him.
[Play KH3 OST Drop of Poison -cutscene-]
The two then appeared inside the bar, where Tomura Shigaraki was sitting and watching the two come through the portal. "You're back already?"
"I dealt with them, just like I was asked." The Figure told him.
"While the area we requested him to clear out was large in scale, our anonymous ally simply needed to remove the black coat." Kurogiri explained. "After that, all of the Heartless were disposed of as quickly as they had flocked over to us."
"Most of them." The Figure corrected. "I left a few there to go retake all those hearts I set free."
"...I assume that you mean to use that area as a potential training ground then?" The void man hypothesized.
"You assume correct." The Figure confirmed.
"There's one thing I just don't get." Tomura spoke up. "If these Heartless are as massive of a force as you said, then why are there barely any inside the cities and heavily populated areas?"
"Before I was requested to join this group by your master, I made certain that there were barely any Heartless around in this world." The Figure replied. "Almost five months ago, when I first arrived, a few Heartless followed me and then dispersed around the world. They spread for the first few days until I quickly destroyed all but a few. After that, I isolated them to areas that I thought remote and allowed them to spread that way."
"Then what about the ones at U.S.J. and Hosu?" Shigaraki pointed out.
"The U.S.J. Heartless, I was unfamiliar with this world at the time and I did not know about the offsite facility when I let the Heartless loose in that forest area." The Figure answered. "The Heartless that appeared at Hosu, I summoned from one of my other isolated areas, having them travel through dark corridors to get to the city."
"How have you managed to keep them isolated in these remote areas?" Kurogiri questioned.
"The abundance of wildlife keeps the Heartless occupied and once they start being reported in any nearby cities, I go to the area and clear out almost all of them, letting the wildlife come back for the Heartless to butcher again." The Figure stated. "It works as both training and as a method of managing them."
"And you've been doing this every so often ever since you've arrived here?" The void man realized.
[Silence]
The Figure nodded, then spoke up once more. "Now that I've answered your question, I have a question of my own. Why did you ask me to deal with the Heartless in that area? That place has nothing there."
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Villain]
"You are mistaken." Kurogiri responded. "While that area may seem remote, Tomura Shigaraki's master actually has something there that he would rather leave hidden from the Heroes for now. The abundance of those creatures would prompt many Heroes to enter that area and attempt to contain them, running the risk of said thing being discovered."
The Figure was slightly intrigued, but before they could ask anything, Tomura spoke up. "Before you ask what's there, it's none of your business."
The Figure turned to Shigaraki. "I don't recall asking for your opinion."
"And I don't recall you being the one in charge here." The League Leader spat back.
Kurogiri then stepped in before this could go any further. "I suggest that both of you stop this from escalating any further."
After a small moment of silence, The Figure conceded. "Fine." They said before walking back to their usual spot in the bar, leaving the other two to go about their business.
[Silence]
Elsewhere, at U.A. High, Professor Aizawa was addressing his class. "Alright, that's it for class today. There's only one week left before your final exams begin. I'm sure you're all studying constantly, right?" Each classmate had different reactions to that as Aizawa continued to speak. "Don't forget to keep training. The written exam is only one element. There's also the practical portion to worry about." He then went out the door. "Good luck."
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST I'll Become a Hero]
As he left, both Denki and Mina exclaimed "I've barely even taken notes this semester!" As Ashido just laughed at her misfortune, Kaminari continued to talk. "With the Sports Festival and the Internships I barely had time to read the textbook!" Denki was ranked 21th in the class for his midterms, and Mina was ranked 20th.
Fumikage, who was ranked 15th agreed with that statement, saying "It's true that we haven't had very much free time lately."
Rikido who ranked 13th in the midterm said "We barely learned anything when we took our midterm, so they didn't seem all that hard, but I'm kind of worried about these. We've been through a lot and they probably won't pull their punches when it comes to testing us." Koji, who had ranked 12th in the midterm had nodded in agreement.
"As someone ranked in the top ten, I'm not that concerned." Minoru boasted, as he was ranked 10th in the class.
"What?! You were 10th in the midterms!?" Both Ashido and Kaminari realized.
"Oh man, and here I thought you were one of us!" Mina complained.
"Don't you know weirdo little creeps like you are only likable if their kind of stupid?!" Denki stated. "Who's going to love you now?!"
"Everyone. Trust me." Mineta replied.
[Silence]
"Ashido, Kaminari. We've still got time to study." Izuku, who ranked 4th in the midterms assured the two. "Then we'll all get to go to the training camp together. Right?"
"Yes!" Tenya, who ranked 2nd agreed. "As class rep, I have high hopes that we'll make U.A. proud!"
"It's pretty hard to fail if you just pay attention in class, isn't it?" Shoto, who was ranked 5th pointed out.
"Why do you got to cut me down like that?" Denki lamented.
Momo, who ranked 1st in class and overall spoke up next. "Hey, don't worry about it you two. I can catch you up to speed on the important topics, if you want."
"You're the best Yaomomo!" Mina and Kaminari praised her.
The star student then looked down, slightly ashamed as she said "I'm afraid I won't be of any help when it comes to the practical though."
Sora, who was 7th in the midterms, and Todoroki noticed that, The Keyblade wielder was about to say something, but Kyouka, who ranked 8th in the midterms spoke up first. "I've been studying, but could you help me out too?" She asked. "I'm having some trouble understanding quadratic functions."
Yaoyorozu looked up, slightly surprised. "Really?"
Hanta, who ranked 18th came up to her as well. "Tutor me. Please. Classical japanese is killing me."
Before Momo could answer, Mashirao, who had ranked 9th in the midterms also came to her. "Is there room for one more? I'm afraid I'm falling behind a little."
Then after those three had spoken to her, Sora chimed in. "Is it okay if I join this study group? I'm still not entirely sure about my skills outside of the Hero class, and while Izuku is a smart guy, he kind of...over explains things. He did pull me ahead before the midterms but I don't think I can handle his teaching method again without getting my brain fried."
"Pretty please?" All four of them asked her in unison.
Yaoyorozu instantly got out of her bad mood from the near overwhelming amount of people asking her for help. "Ah...this is wonderful." She then jumped out of her seat as she exclaimed "Yes! Let's do it!"
"All right!" All four of them cheered.
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST U.A. Session]
Momo then immediately began planning the event. "Ok then. We can hold a study session at my residence over the weekend."
"Seriously?!" Ashido replied. "I can't wait to see your fancy digs!"
Yaoyorozu then excitedly continued to plan the event out loud. "Oh. I must call mother and have her prepare the great hall for us to set up. It'll be the perfect spot. What kind of tea does everyone like? I'll have her make sure we're stocked." While most of them were surprised by how far she was going with this, she continued to speak. "In my family, we always drink Harrod's or Wedgewood, so if you have any other preference, let me know. When we're finished, you'll all be model students! I'll make it my personal duty to push you forward!"
While the other five students were realizing just how much she was willing to do, Sora, who was hoping to get a reaction like this from her, replied. "Thanks, and I don't have any preference with my tea."
"Are you sure?" Momo asked.
"Yes. I'm fine with whatever you want to serve me." Sora assured her.
[Silence]
Meanwhile, Ejiro, who ranked 16th commented "Sounds like I should be studying with her."
Katsuki, who ranked 3rd replied to Kirishima. "You think I don't know enough? Maybe I should beat the lessons into your skull."
"Heh. I'm counting on it." The red head said.
"Everyone's panicking right now, but it won't do them any good to cramp this late in the game." Yuga stated, even though he ranked 19th in the class.
Mezo, who ranked 11th then said "Shouldn't you be more concerned? You didn't do very well in the midterms."
Aoyama turned his head. "Are you talking about moi? I did just fine thank you."
After the morning classes were dealt with, the class went to lunch and most of the class sat together. "I'm kind of scared about the practical." Midoriya commented. "I have no idea what it's gonna be."
"Hard to believe they'd give us anything too crazy." Iida surmised.
"The written exam will all be stiff from class so I should be able to at least do those." Izuku said before he took a bit of his food.
Ochako, who ranked 14th in the midterms was a bit concerned. "Do you really think it's going to be that simple?"
"It's driving me nuts." Midoriya said. "I just want to know what they'll have us doing."
Toru, who ranked 17th in the class replied with "It's a comprehensive test of everything we learned this year."
Tsuyu, who ranked 6th in midterms commented. "Yep, and that's about all we could get Mr. Aizawa to tell us."
"Ok, so it'll cover combat training and rescue training." Uraraka pointed out. "Oh, and basic training."
Sora decided not to comment on this subject and simply eat his food. "We can't just study. We need to stay in great physical shape." Izuku noted before he got hit in the head by someone, which made Sora stop eating to see who just did that to his friend.
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Among Kosei]
"Oh 'sorry.' Your head is so big that it's hard to miss." A certain student of Class 1-B said.
"Neito Monoma." Sora recognized him immediately.
"That really hurt." Midoriya remarked but Neito did not care.
"I heard you guys had stumbled across the Hero Killer." Monoma spoke over the green haired boy. "Just like in the Sports Festival, Class 1-A isn't happy unless they're the center of attention. But you do realize you're not in the spotlight because everyone thinks you're good Heroes, right? It's just that you keep getting into so much trouble." Everyone stopped eating when they heard the stuff coming out of his mouth. "Here's fruit for thought. Someday the rest of us might get caught up in your mess. And then we'll all become unwilling victims as well. What kind of horrible Villains will you bring down upon us?"
Before this could continue, 1-B's class rep chopped the back of his neck and let him fall whale she caught his lunch. "That's not funny Monoma." She reprimanded. "You heard what happened to Iida. Chill out."
"Thank you Itsuka." Sora said. "I was about to deal with him myself if he kept talking like that about the class."
"I apologize for him. I'm pretty sure there's a hole where his heart should be." Kendo spoke to the class. "So I was listening and I know you're all worried about what's going to be on the big final practical. I heard it's gonna be combat against robots, like the entrance exam."
Sora chose not to speak, but the rest of the classmates were audibly surprised with this information. "What, really? How do you know that?" Izuku asked.
"One of my friends who's a few grades up filled me in." Itsuka explained. "I know, cheating, but oh well."
"No, I don't think so." Midoriya disagreed with that last part of her statement before beginning to mutter about how it wasn't cheating.
"What kind of idiot are you Kendo?" Neito asked while he was still held by her. "You just gave away our whole strategic advantage. This was our chance to finally pull ahead of the class full of idiots!"
She chopped his neck again to knock him out before dragging him away with his lunch. "They're not the idiots."
"Geez." Sora commented. "I cut him some slack during the Sports Festival, but now he's rude just because." After that, the class just went back to having their lunch.
[Silence]
Afternoon classes seemed to breeze by, and once they were over, Mina and Denki celebrated. "All right!"
"This'll be super easy if it's just robots!" Kaminari remarked.
"Such awesome news." Ashido cheered.
"Why do you sound so happy?" Shoji asked the two. "You both have a hard time controlling your quirks."
"Yeah, but I can let loose with robots!" Denki pointed out.
"And melting them will be a cinch for me!" Mina added.
"Now you just need Yaoyorozu to help you study and you'll be all set for finals." Sero stated.
"We'll definitely be able to go to the training camp now!" Both last place students exclaimed.
Then someone else spoke up. "It shouldn't matter if it's robots or actual people. Why are you morons so excited?" Bakugo berated them.
"Hey! Who are you calling a moron!?" Kaminari protested, while Ashido glared at the boy berating them.
"SHUT UP!" Katsuki yelled out. "YOU NEED TO LEARN HOW TO CONTROL YOUR QUIRK! YOU GOT IT!?"
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Threat Incoming]
The explosive boy then turned to Izuku. "Hey! Deku. I don't know what's going on with your power, but I saw the way you're using it now and I want you to know. It's seriously pissing me off." Everyone knew that he was talking about how Midoriya started to move like him during their Hero Training now. "I won't have another half assed win like the Festival. We'll be getting individual scores in the upcoming finals. New rankings. So we'll all know exactly where we're standing! I'll show you how much better I am!" He then looked at Sora. "And Toy Sword, I'll kill you too."
Sora, who at this point was silent, replied to the threat. "Try not to kill yourself before that."
With that, Bakugo left, slamming the door behind him. "It's been a while since I've seen him that worked up." Ejiro said.
"Think it's impatience? Or hatred?" Tokoyami wondered.
Sora looked downward and thought to himself about the upcoming finals. He knew what was coming, but even with him testing and making sure that it was safe, he was still unsure if Katsuki and the other classmates could handle it, even with the handicaps that Nezu said he was going to give them.
[Silence]
Once school was over and the weekend had begun, Mina, Denki, Ojiro, Jiro, Hanta, and Sora, who were all in nice looking casual clothes, had all gathered at the address given to them by Momo. They were outside a gate that had Yaoyorozu printed on the side, and expanded many acres on both sides of where they were standing. "Wow…" Kaminari said dumbfoundedly. "I knew her family had cash...but I didn't know she was THIS rich."
Everyone except Sora were seriously taken aback from just how ridiculously rich her family was if they owned so much property. The Keyblade wielder was a little surprised, but since he knows a beast who owns a giant castle, a scientist who also owns a mansion with an underground computer room in Twilight Town, and giant castle with an underground maze and a huge computer room in Radiant Garden, and a king that he works with who owns a castle and town, he wasn't too surprised to see a high school girl's family owning a large chunk of land.
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Symbol Of Peace]
Kyouka rang the buzzer and was surprised to get an immediate response. "I've been waiting for you everyone. Please come in." Momo excitedly said as the front gates began to open. The six of them entered the gates and after some walking, they eventually got to the mansion, where they were greeted by their rich classmate and escorted to the great hall. Everyone including Sora were marveling at everything they saw inside the mansion. While the Keyblade Wielder has been inside a mansion before, this one was actually well kept and not full of destroyed furniture, like the Twilight Town one was the last time he went in there.
The six of them sat together at the end of the table they were escorted to and while Yaoyorozu left for a brief moment, Mashirao said "I could not feel any more out of place right now."
"Yeah, me too." Hanta agreed.
Then Momo came back, with refreshments and a few sweets. "Is something wrong?" She asked, noticing the slight awkwardness of most of the students.
"I think it's their first time in a mansion." Sora pointed out.
"First time?" Yaoyorozu repeated.
"Wait a minute." Jiro noticed what Sora said. "You said 'their', as in everyone but you. Have you been in a mansion before?"
"Yeah, but compared to the one I went in before, this is a castle." Sora commented.
"And how would you know the difference?" Mina questioned. Sora scratched the back of his head, looking a little unsure if he should answer that, which made the acid girl ask him. "Have you seriously been inside an actual castle before?"
"Uuuh...Maybe?" Sora replied.
The other five students just looked dumbfounded at the fact that Sora had been inside both a mansion and a castle, while Momo was surprised and a bit proud to have her family's mansion be compared to a castle by someone who has been to both.
After some tea, Yaoyorozu began tutoring each and every one of them in the best and most positive way she could. Ashido and Denki had a lot of trouble at first but thanks to Momo's positive reinforcement, they were able to endure the frustration. Ojiro seemed to be able to catch on pretty quickly and when he had some trouble Yaoyorozu was able to easily help him. Sero and Kyouka had some trouble at first, especially with the subjects that they respectively requested their rich and smart classmate to emphasize helping them on, but eventually they were able to manage.
Sora did well compared to the others, but that was mainly due to the fact that he had always gotten assistance from Izuku when he struggled on something at his place. However, he did much better here, thanks to two things. First off, Momo does not have Midoriya's motor mouth, so she doesn't over explain things. Secondly, it wasn't too difficult to figure out most of the basic subject on his own and the few advanced ones he needed help on could be tutored by Yaoyorozu flawlessly.
[Silence]
After the weekend was over and after two full days of written tests beforehand, it was now the end of the written test for the third day. "Alright, put your pencils down." Aizawa instructed. "The last person in each row, bring the answer sheets to me."
Spra got up and began collecting the sheets, but not before saying "Thanks for the tutoring, Momo. It really helped me out." As he began collecting the rest of the sheets in his row, a few other students got out of their seats as well.
"Thanks so much for all your help!" Mina exclaimed to Yaoyorozu, surprising her.
"I didn't leave anything black at least!" Kaminari stated to her, feeling proud.
While that moment was a neat little highlight, what was coming tomorrow, Sora was not too excited for.
[Play KH3 Re Mind OST Destati ~ Organization XIII -cutscene-]
One day later, elsewhere, in yet another forest area, the Figure, with their coat taken off, was fighting against a small hoard of Heartless, destroying the creatures with both the Keyblade in their hand and the dark powered magic techniques that were summoned from the weapon. During this time, the Figure seemed to be in deep thought about something, as if they were reminiscing about doing this before.
Images of an old man, standing above them and others came to their mind. Images of them watching as a magnificent weapon was in the process of being made through a war with 20 people, but being unable to view it's completion. Images of them fading away into darkness, thanks to a boy with a Keyblade. Images of that boy and his allies. Each memory the Figure saw only further strengthened them as they became even more powerful with each attack and kill. Every memory that resurfaced in their head only reminded them of what made them who they are today and why they're doing what they're doing.
After a short while, the fighting finally ceased as the Figure killed off all but a few Heartless in the area, leaving the rest to make sure that this area became repopulated with the creatures for the Figure's next massacre of them. They unsummoned their blade and destroyed the rest with magic before grabbing their coat, but as they were putting it on, a purple portal opened nearby them and a familiar Villain came through it. "What is it?" They asked the man.
"Tomura Shigaraki has requested our presence at the hideout." Kurogiri stated.
"For what reason?" The Figure questioned.
"We were contacted by Giran, and he is on his way there with a few potential recruits." The void man explains. "Your presence is required."
"Was it our 'leader' that requested me, or was it really his master?" The Figure asked the Villain.
"...It was a suggestion by his mentor, but the choice was left to him, and he chose to request you." Kurogiri answered. "If that is all, then please come with me."
The Figure looked at the void man under their hood, seeming slightly amused by what was just said, but then decided to comply and follow him through the portal and back to the bar.
[Silence]
Over at U.A. High, The students of class 1-A were in their Hero costumes and on the bus, heading to their destination. A nearby building that was home to the Monetary room that Sora had regularly visited for a while. While most of the class was stocked to start the practical exam, the Keyblade wielder was less than enthusiastic about it. A few of the other students noticed this but they just guessed that he was just nervous about the exams, even though to them there was nothing to be nervous about, since it was just robots.
Once the class arrived, two things were immediately apparent. First off, it wasn't just Aizawa who was there. Moogle, All Might, and the rest of the teachers except for Vlad King were there as well, however the second apparent thing soon corrected the first as Vlad King came out of a second bus that had arrived shortly after 1-A's bus, with Class 1-B in tow.
Aizawa then spoke up as the two classes had arrived. "Now then, let's begin the last test. Remember, it's possible to fail this Final. If you want to go to camp, then don't make any stupid mistakes."
"Uh...why are all the teachers here?" Jiro wondered out loud.
"Yeah, and what's Class 1-B doing here?" Ejiro asked. "I thought the classes took the practicals separately."
"I expect many of you have gathered information and believe you have some idea of what you'll be faced with today." Aizawa stated.
"WE'RE FIGHTING THOSE BIG OL' METAL ROBOTS!" Denki passionately answered.
"Fireworks, smores, here we come camp!" Mina cheered.
"I heard about it from an upperclassman, so I assume that's true." Itsukua spoke out.
Some shuffling and a muffled voice came from Aizawa's scarf and then out of it popped none other than principal Nezu himself. "Actually, this year's tests will be completely different for various reasons!" The mouse exclaimed.
"Principal Nezu!?" A few students from both classes said in unison.
"You're changing things?" Momo spoke up.
Nezu climbed down Aizawa and began giving his reason why. "The tests now have a new focus. There will be Hero Work of course, but also teamwork and combat between combatants that are much more capable than even an army of our robots!" He pointed at the students. "So what does that mean for you? You students will be working together in pairs and your opponents will be these people!" A virtual screen appeared in front of the students and on the screen showed 19 different people, all wearing a set of matching black coats that covered all of their bodies, a few people had their faces covered, but many were shown. "They are a former villain organization that was disbanded a few years ago thanks to powerful vigilantes, which is why you never saw them on the news! Isn't that fabulous?"
[Play Boku no Hero Academia OST Go Seize It]
Everyone except for Sora were shocked at what they just heard. "We're...fighting against a group of Villains?!" Ochako repeated.
"Additionally your partners and your opponents have already been chosen." Aizawa stepped in. "They were determined at my and Vlad King's discretion, based on various factors, including fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships. Like so...Yaoyorozu and Todoroki are a team, against this person." The screen zoomed in on the man with pink hair and a scythe. "Then we have Midoriya paired with Bakugo." The two boys looked at eachother, completely shocked at that pairing. "And Their opponent is..."
All Might took over and announced "That powerful man with blue hair!" The screen then showed a man fitting that description, but also having an X shaped scar on his face and he was wielding what looked to be a very heavy spiked claymore with just one hand. "You're going to have to work together boys...if you want to win."
[Silence]
"And now. Let's announce the teams and the opponents they'll be fighting in order!" Nezu spoke up once again.
[Play KH3 OST No Surrender]
Match 1: Ejiro Kirishima and Rikido Sato vs Lexaeus
Match 2: Fumikage Tokoyami and Tsuyu Asui vs Terra Xehanort (Named Terra [Possessed])
Match 3: Tenya Iida and Mashirao Ojiro vs Young Xehanort (Named Xehanort)
Match 4: Shoto Todoroki and Momo Yaoyorozu vs Marluxia
Match 5: Ochako Uraraka and Yuga Aoyama vs Zexion
Match 6: Mina Ashido and Denki Kaminari vs Luxord
Match 7: Kyouka Jiro and Koji Koda vs Demyx
Match 8: Mezo Shoji and Toru Hagakure vs Xigbar
Match 9: Minoru Mineta and Hanta Sero vs Larxene
Match 10: Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo vs Saix
Match 11: Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu and Kosei Tsuburaba vs Xemnas
Match 12: Setsuna Togate and Yui Kodai vs Vexen
Match 13: Neito Monoma and Itsuka Kendo vs Luxord
Match 14: Yosetsu Awase and Manga Fukidaishi vs Xaldin
Match 15: Juzo Honenuki and Nirengeki Shoda vs Lexaeus
Match 16: Ibara Shiozaki and Jurota Shishida vs Axel
Match 17: Shihai Kuroiri and Reiko Yanagi vs Ansem
Match 18: Kinoko Komori and Kojiro Bondo vs Vanitas
Match 19: Pony Tsunatori and Sen Kaibara vs Dark Riku (Named Riku [Possessed])
Match 20: Togaru Kamakiri and Hiryu Rin vs Roxas
Match 21: Sora vs Xion
Nezu then explained the rules. "To complete the exam, you'll have 30 minutes! In order to win your objective is to put these handcuffs on your opponent! Or you can win if one of you manages to escape from the combat stage!"
"So we've either got to capture the bad guy or run away." Kaminari summarized. "It's basically like the combat training."
"Yeah, but is it really okay to just jet?" Ashido questioned.
"Also, one of the students doesn't have a partner! How is that fair at all!?" Tetsutetsu pointed out.
"To answer the first question, it is fine to flee." Nezu said.
Present Mic then took the center of attention. "It's gonna be much different than that combat training you all went through earlier! After all, you're up against people WAAAY better than you! And you don't even know what they can do!"
"This time, your exam will be almost exactly like a real battle." Thirteen explained. "While these people won't kill you, they certainly won't pull their punches against you."
Snipe then went next. "Assuming you come across your enemy, if you think you can win against them, then fight. However..."
"In instances where you're outmatched, it would be smarter to run away and find help." Aizawa finished. "Todoroki, Iida, Midoriya, Sora, I'm sure the four of you understand."
"And to answer the second question as to why Sora is doing his test alone, it was actually he who assisted in testing this little project and guaranteeing it's safety for the rest of you!" Nezu explained, making every single student stare at the Keyblade wielder. "His opponent however, we postponed having him face until the day of the practicals, but since he successfully managed to win against the other 18 opponents by himself, it stands to reason that he can do it one more time."
"Before anyone asks how he survived fighting 18 villains, we would pull him out of the fight if things got too dangerous during testing!" All Might explained. "And each Villain has been weakened enough so that if you fight, you could maybe stand a chance!"
"You think we need a handicap to win against them?" Katsuki growled. "Well think again."
All Might laughed at that comment and then said "This'll be fun."
[Silence]
The students were led inside the building and into the monetary room. There Moogle explained how the fighting would work. Two students would step on the platform in the room and it would take them inside the Datascape that was constructed for this test. The two would then be transported to a simulated version of one of the school Grounds, be it Beta, Gamma, Omega, wherever. The Organization Member would then be generated in a random place in the area at the same time. Then the test starts.
"Let's begin. The teams will take the practical exam in the order you were called." Aizawa stated. "Sato, Kirishima, you're up."
"Yes sir!" Both of them said together.
"Those waiting their turn to fight can either watch the exams or try to strategize together as a team. It's your choice." Aizawa recommended to everyone.
Ejiro and Rikido went to the platform and Moogle sent them inside the datascape. Most of the students left the room to strategize, but some of them stayed to watch for their own reasons. And just like that, the practical exams were now underway.
I think it goes without saying that this is the most ambitious change that I have made in the My Hero Academia story. Yes, the project that Nezu requested Sora's help with, the project that Sora was not too fond of doing but accepted nonetheless, the replacement for the students vs teachers, is Data Battles. Not only is it Data Battles, but it's both Class 1-A and Class 1-B VS both the Old and the New Organization 13, excluding Master Xehanort, because he would only be able to be explained as having a quirk that literally breaks reality to his will, and that is just stupidly OP, so no thanks Old Man. That means that there will be 21 consecutive fights for the next set of chapters. Expect this to get the same treatment as the Sports Festival Tournament fights. 2 minimum, four maximum per chapter. The next few chapters are definitely going to be fun for me to write. Another thing that should be mentioned is what was mentioned with the villains, specifically how the Heartless haven't just spread all over the world and taken over. The Figure stopped them from spreading at the beginning, and then took the stragglers and let them loose in remote areas that had plenty of wild life to keep the Heartless occupied, then if the area got a little too infested, the Figure would go there and kill off most of them and start the cycle over due to the Keyblade freeing the captive hearts and letting them reform into the animals that lived there, only to let them get turned into Heartless again. It's a pretty solid method of both management and training to keep the Figure stronger than Sora, especially since the Heartless can spread fast if left unchecked for a while. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, hope you guy are hyped for this ark and until I decide to upload again. ;)