Welcome back to A Hero's Creed! I know it's been a while, but I've been busy and this chapter did not want to be written, but I've finally pushed through! Now then, on to the reviews:

Gamelover41592: I hope this chapter surprises you, too!

LEGOBRICK13: Yes, we're getting into some more serious differences now. For one thing, the UA dorms do not exist here because there was no justification for them. Anywho, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

maxperseus130: Not... quite. Maybe almost, but not really.

Monkey D. Conan: You're certainly allowed to hate him; I just want to do the character justice. He's not like Umbridge from HP:OotP who is a character I love to hate. No, he's a character I feel like was not given real reason to be such a jerk and, as such, fell flat. I can't wait to see what you have to say about this chapter.

Monster King: Thank you.

Shadowwolf1997: That's just how these things go. I always did think all of 1-A passing the Canon test at the last second was a little to... contrived? I mean, Plot Armor much?

stevenpiskunov2: I don't intend to give him everything. I imagine his ultimate senses will be similar to Ezio's in Revelations, just with a dab of this and that. I always thought the symbol was a bird from the phrase "free as a bird" but there's never any reference to that; it is just my opinion.

Wizardwolf 1020: An interesting thought. He won't end up with the exact same mentality, but he has a lot of growing to do. I mean, Desmond had three lifetimes to ruminate on what the Assassins stood for while Izuku's still in his second year in a society that sees everything as black-and-white. We'll find out where his mentality goes together!

Now then, on to the chapter!

Chapter 50:

Measured

"So this truly is our second test?" Momo repeated as she overlooked their recovery area. It was a small, simple affair considering their limited time. Luckily, whatever injuries the 'victims' had had quickly been revealed to be illusions, most likely a form of Quirk. Each was a true injury, but more of the level of skinned knees and small cuts, nothing life-threatening. Whatever Quirk was at play had simply formed images of more grievous, or upgraded, wounds. "What a relief."

"Indeed," Iida nodded. "Had that not been the case, we could have fallen afoul of the Aggressive Use of Quirks laws."

"I don't thing that's the big issue, Tenya," Momo sighed. "For one thing, we already had blanket permission to use our Quirks for the exam and, if this had been a real attack, we would have had protection via the Self Defense Acts of '96. No, I'm just glad this is planned."

The pair studied the makeshift medical tent and the people within. The communicators Momo had made had spread the word of the ruse, so it was the UA students that were quickest on the uptake when it came to dispersing the illusions and treating the actual injuries beneath. The rest of the examinees had quickly followed once the truth was made known, groups forming and trading off as those who needed rest took short shifts as staff in the tent to catch their breaths.

"Do you know the rest of the situation?" Momo questioned. "Perhaps the states of the others?"

"If you mean Baku— ahem, King Explosion God and those who chased after him, we do not. I suppose we can assume he is currently facing whichever Hero was asked to lead this test."

"Do we know who that might be?"

"Eagle Eye was able to identify the man who attacked us even without seeing his Hero costume or Quirk. It is possible he would have the answer for you."

Momo nodded, one hand reaching up to tap the communicator in her ear. The rest of the connected communicators beeped twice.

"Eagle Eye, are you available? Come in, Eagle Eye."

There was silence for a moment before the device beeped again.

"This is Eagle Eye," Izuku panted on the other side. "What's up?"

"An enquiry. Tenya said you identified..." She paused, looking to Iida for a name.

["Length."]

["Length?"] she echoed. Iida nodded. "Tenya said you identified the Hero [Length] from his face alone. We were hoping you could extrapolate the identity of the Hero running this test from that information."

"Well, [Length] is one of five members of North Squad Go, a Hero team that mostly operates in Wakkanai in the north. If I had to guess, I'd speculate their leader is the one running this show considering his power and rank."

"And that would be…?"

"His Hero name is—"

"Fuckin' die already, Glowstick!" Bakugo roared, screaming past his opponent who barely shifted out of the way, using the tails of his Quirk's manifestation to redirect the blond into the dirt. The UA student, however, had more than enough training to avoid crashing. He turned it into a summersault and a flip, his feet carving lines into the ground. He panted, one hand on the earth as he hunched, almost looking like an animal.

"You've got a mouth to match your ego and power," the lead Villain commented. His tails snapped out behind him, defecting projectiles that the man appeared to not see. The power seemed familiar to Bakugo, but he couldn't place it.

If the goddamned Deku were here, he'd probably have some idea who this guy was, the nerd.

Even if he didn't have the Hero and Villain Encyclopedia memorized verbatim like the verdet, Bakugo was still one of the top students in not only Class 1-A but all of UA's first-years. His eyes narrowed, studying the man. Something didn't add up.

"So, what's the real reason you're here, Glowstick?"

The Villain raised an eyebrow as the kid that had been, until now, only speaking to insult him or yell his attack names decided to ask a question that seemed stupid on the surface.

"Did I not already tell you?" the man questioned. "I came here to put down the next generation of Heroes."

"Your power's tough and we've been through one test already, but there's no fuckin' way you possibly think you've brought near enough firepower for something like that," the kid snorted. "You've got, what? Maybe 100 plus you? 150? There's 1,600 trained Hero students here. Unless you're confident each of your extras are equal to 16 students —and maybe they are for the failed extras— that still doesn't count for those like me and Wind Bastard and Icy-Hot who are easily worth more. Hell, even the damn Deku could probably run through your bitches. So cut the bullshit, what's your real goal?"

The Villain inclined his head slightly.

"Perhaps you really are more than an angry dog." The man stretched his right hand out, a portion of his miasma siphoning off and condensing to form what looked like a mix between a sword and a whip. He lashed forward, Bakugo throwing himself out of the way and rolling into a kneeling position.

"Oh good," Bakugo grinned. "For a second there, I thought you weren't taking me seriously."

"Do you think this is me being serious?" the man replied. "I shouldn't need my full power for an arrogant brat like you."

"Who's the arrogant one here?" The blond shot forward with a pair of explosions, barely avoiding the lashed whip of miasma that came for his hair. The Villain was fast, however, the energy weapon bouncing back to cut a line in the student's side. Bakugo grit his teeth but did not change course. "Flash Bomb!"

He released an explosion that was more light and sound than force, the Villain raising one arm to shade his eyes. Taking the opportunity, Bakugo reached in with his other hand, his palm and fingers sinking into the red substance like Jell-O. It burned, but a little pain was nothing compared to the burns he regularly received from his own Quirk. He released another explosion.

"Die!"

The force of his follow-up blasted the Villain backward, the man staying on his feet despite the twin lines his shoes carved in the dirt. The fire had burned a hole in his shirt, new marks nearly in the shape of a hand now marring his chest.

"If you want to keep breathing, then you shouldn't underestimate me just because I'm a student."

"Heh!" the Villain chuckled. "Maybe you are actually worth some of my time. Second Form."

Bakugo bared his teeth in a bloodthirsty grin as the red miasma grew darker, nearly obscuring the man within. The ethereal coating took on more definition, distinctly-clawed fingers stretching out and a third tail rising over the Villain's head.

Everything clicked. Bakugo knew that image.

"Are you ready to fight, Hero student?" the man questioned, his voice distorted into something unnatural, as if three people were attempting to speak underwater.

"Of course… Yokai."

"Ah, so you've finally figured it out. A little slow on the draw; about 70 others already learned the nature of the test before you did, but that's still respectable out of the 500. Was it my Second Form that gave me away?"

"You're ranked in the Top 40, of course a Hero student like me would recognize the default form of your Quirk."

"I suppose Dark Chakra is pretty… distinctive," Yokai admitted. "But the question still stands. Why do you think a hothead like you deserves to pass this test when you have saved none of the victims yourself?"

"That's what the extras are for. Some pros save people, other pros make sure the Villains in the area don't get away to fuck up another day. There are those who deal with tragedy, and those who move to prevent it from happening again. Me? I'm gonna be the strongest, so I'll take out the strongest Villains myself while those below me take care of the petty shit. They can manage the details while I fix the future."

"Hmph," Yokai grunted. "So much for teamwork with you. How childish."

"Childish is thinking teams work," the student shot back. "Maybe they work for a time, but a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. A brick wall only stands until its grout is weathered away and the bricks fall apart. Me? I'm a goddamned diamond. Too hard to cut, too polished to look at, and more valuable than any other shiny piece of shit. The extras can play Hero all they want in my shadow because I'm gonna bring an era of peace to Japan so thorough that even All Might himself will only be a footnote in my rise to the top!"

"Power is not the only path to peace."

"Of course it is," Bakugo grunted, small explosions popping over his palms. "It's the only language Villains speak. It's the only law they follow: the law of the jungle. I'm gonna play by their damn rules and break their damn game so they know they have to play by mine. The strong determine what the weak may do, so I'm gonna take that fuckin' crown myself and tell all those damn would-be criminals to learn another language else they have to deal with me." Bakugo grinned, holding up one fist before himself as his eyes glinted with a light Yokai had seen flicker and die in too many would-be pros. "I'm gonna be the Hero my granddad said I could be with his dying breath, and a fuckin' glowstick like you isn't gonna to stand in my way!"

The Hero playing the villain tilted his head back. Bakugo could not see his face through the manifested Quirk around him, but there was a certain gleam in his eye.

"Maybe you have a point about violence," the man confessed. "That said, some weights in this world are too much for any one person to carry, no matter their Quirk and no matter their tragic backstory. If I have to —how did you say it?— play by your rules to teach you that, then that is what I will do."

He was there in an instant, Bakugo having no time to react before his face was planted into the dirt. He'd known Japan's 39th-ranked Hero was stronger than his rank gave him credit for —a consequence of working almost exclusively in Wakkanai, the northernmost city in Japan— but he couldn't even perceive the man's movements now. A kick to his injured side sent the student flying sideways, the blond crashing into the wall of the arena.

"Well?" Yokai demanded, spreading his arms mockingly. "I thought you were going to take the title of strongest so you could set the rules. Don't tell me this is all you've got."

The student coughed, his spit mixed with blood and a little bile, as he rose onto his hands and knees. His side burned as if someone were stabbing him with a red-hot poker —something about Yokai's Quirk being corrosive to others— but the explosive teen refused to stay down. Slowly, carefully so as not to needlessly aggravate what were surely a couple cracked ribs, Bakugo got to his feet.

"That fuckin' hurt, Glowstick," he smirked, using the wall to pull himself to his feet. His other hand whipped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "I guess I don't need to hold back to avoid killing you after all."

"I don't know if I appreciate the disrespect, boy," Yokai grunted, "but if this is the game you want to play, then show me what you have learned in that fancy school of yours."

Never one to refuse a challenge like that, Bakugo charged in.

Izuku absently pointed to three different piles of rubble as he continued to speak on the line with his classmates, the students around him moving at his gestures to 'rescue' the 'injured' within.

"That's the long and short of it," he finished, watching as Sasori Koya and Mure Subako worked together to lift a piece of rubble and pull the 'victims' to freedom. "If my estimations are right, Bakugo's going to get his ass kicked if he doesn't accept any help, and even then it'll depend on how sadistic Yokai feels about playing his part here."

"Honestly, let him," Ochako grunted from her end of the line. "He deserves it."

"At least you all passed your final," Toru muttered.

"Barely," Izuku grinned. "He was really close to failing and not happy about it, remember?"

"If we've had two members of North Squad Go, I suspect we may see the other three," Shoto commented. "I suppose you know their identities as well, Eagle Eye?"

"Their Hero names are Mesmer, CoolBlue, and Evergreen. Their Quirks are called Hypnotism, Liquid Nitrogen, and Sap, respectively."

"Seems pretty self-explanatory," Pony said. "Thanks, Izuku."

"We are acting as Heroes," Iida reminded her. Izuku could picture his hand chopping the air as it always did. "Please remember to use our monikers, Lone Star."

"Yes, Tenya. Sorry, Eagle Eye."

Izuku could hear the eye-roll in her voice. Iida did too, apparently, based on his sudden need to chastise the American for her tone. Izuku tuned out the ensuing banter, turning his attention to his surroundings as a dim red outline appeared at the edge of his vision. He raised his hand to his communicator.

"Hey, Shoto?" he said. "How fast can you head southwest?"

"I can be there in a couple minutes," the dual-haired student replied. "Why?"

"We've got CoolBlue incoming. We could use your fire and ice."

"I'll be there fast."

The verdet nodded and turned off the mic of his communicator.

"Alright, Izuku. What would Master do?" Izuku muttered to himself before raising his voice to the students nearby. "Everyone, a Villain is approaching! They are known to possess a freezing Quirk! Evacuate all civilians from the area quickly!"

No sooner had the verdet spoken than a mist settled over the ground. Izuku shifted, frost crackling as his movements shattered the thin layer of ice trying to form over his boots. The other students scurried to complete their missions, those more focused on battle placing themselves between the approaching figure and their comrades.

CoolBlue was a woman of nearly six feet, hair of many shades of blue pulled back into a braid to hide her usually-revealed curls. Her skin was like porcelain, smooth and unblemished in any way save for a single diagonal scar that ran over her right eye from the center of her forehead. Said eye was missing, the socket filled instead with a ball of ice containing a swirling mist of liquid nitrogen. Her remaining eye was a pale blue, its iris in the shape of a snowflake around its pupil. She was dressed in blue camouflage that tried but could do little to hide her figure, the mist undisturbed by each almost-dainty step she took.

Izuku extended his bo and fell into a ready stance, other students doing the same as they surrounded the pro Hero. Izuku studied them as well, estimating their chances based on what he knew of their Quirks. Frankly, he figured only he and Koya in the group had the training to possibly eke out a actual win even with the woman lacking her gear. Unlike Length, CoolBlue did not need any specific items to be dangerous. Luckily, Mure had recognized how disadvantageous her Quirk would be and retreated with the other students escorting the 'civilians'.

"We are honored by your presence, CoolBlue," Izuku began, the others allowing him to be their spokesperson since he'd been directing them with his Eagle Vision. "Tell me, on a scale of one to ten, how serious are you taking this fake role as a Villain?"

CoolBlue tilted her head, a hand coming up to tap her blue lips with a finger. She smiled before holding up seven fingers.

"Ah shit," the UA student sighed as CoolBlue took in a deep breath. She breathed liquid nitrogen into her hands before throwing the resulting balls to either side. "Move!" Izuku yelled, but he was a moment too late. The balls practically exploded upon contact with the earth, freezing a pair of examinees in ice too quickly for them to scream. Izuku dashed forward, swinging his bo down on the woman.

CoolBlue's smile didn't waver even as she puffed out a shillelagh, the weapon batting Izuku's to the side. He ducked, the sphere at the end of her club parting the air where his head had been. She breathed out another shillelagh for her offhand, Izuku leaping into a back handspring as her second weapon cratered the earth before her.

"Reinforcements with a Quirk that can counter her are on their way!" Izuku yelled to the remaining students. "We just need to delay her!"

"I'm on top of this!" Koya grinned, appearing behind the pro Hero and raining punches down with his four arms. She moved like paper in the wind, dodging each of the heteromorph's attacks before swinging both of her ice weapons into his stomach. Koya coughed and took a step back.

"Get back!" Izuku warned. Koya tried, but the pro was a pro for a reason. Her breath was white as steam, freezing the Seijin student's front. He could barely get out a tooth-chattering shiver before she shattered the ice with a kick, throwing him backwards with a strength unbecoming of her body type.

"Dust Devil!"

"Rage of Anubis!"

"Sodium Slash!"

Three other students threw attacks toward the woman, her expression not changing one iota as her lone eye darted to see the incoming attacks. From the left came an avatar of a demonic figure made of dirt and dust, its hand reaching for her. From the left, a dark manifestation of a jackal and a flying slash of salt. Breathing deeply, CoolBlue filled the surroundings with fog, the temperature plummeting as visibility dropped.

Well, dropped for everyone except Izuku. He was able to watch her outline jump, the attacks meeting each other below her. Guessing that the visual obstruction affected her own sight, Izuku palmed his rope-dart and threw it, wrapping the weapon around CoolBlue's leg. He imagined her eye widened —though he could not see it— and pulled, dragging her back to the earth. She landed on her back with a rather satisfying CRASH, that caused the fog to swirl in on itself.

"Stinger Shot!" Koya yelled, driving his scorpion tail down where the noise had come from. CoolBlue crossed her shillelagh, catching the heteromorph's tail exactly on the point so it wouldn't defect downward into her. She breathed, a chunk of ice encasing said stinger. Koya yelped and jumped backward, banging the ice on the ground in an attempt to break free.

"She's down!" the other students called, charging in.

"Wait, don't!" Izuku tried, but they weren't listening as they rushed forward. More frozen breath erupted from her outline in Izuku's vision, his three rash allies' outlines stopping cold as they were frozen in moments. "Morons!"

CoolBlue let the fog settle since it clearly didn't affect her main threat, the woman almost casually getting to her feet as she studied the green-robed student. Izuku swallowed carefully but maintained eye-contact through his visor.

The pro Hero tried to smile, failed, and raised her hands, using two fingers to push up the corners of her lips in a poor imitation. She tilted her head as her eyes closed, looking almost peaceful… if one did not count the four frozen students surrounding her.

Izuku supposed she was ranked 56th in Japan for a reason.

"Lake of Fire!"

Izuku ducked instinctively as Shoto ice-boarded over him, his hand blowing a wide, low-intensity fire over the surroundings. The flames burned away the liquid nitrogen fog and the chill as well as diminishing the ice coating the debilitated students. One of them, a large girl with a sword, even had the strength to shatter what remained around her, her arms instantly hugging her body as her teeth chattered. CoolBlue dropped her smile, breathing out enough chill for form a wall of ice that parted Shoto's Lake of Fire around her.

So focused was she on the new immediate threat that she could not properly react to the stinger that sunk into her arm. She flinched, turning to breathe another hunk of ice over the scorpion heteromorph, only for his tail to wrap around her waist and lift her into the air. Her mouth opened in a soundless imitation of a scream before she was, once again, slammed into the earth by a secret Assassin spy.

"Seems like she can't melt her own ice!" Koya called as a blast of fire melted the ice wall, Izuku and Shoto running through the now-vacated space. "I got her with a paralytic, but I don't know how long it'll take to kick in!"

"Glacial Surge," Shoto muttered, stomping on the ground. Ice raced toward the pro Hero only for the woman to roll back on her hands —abandoning her shillelagh— and push upward, twirling with a level of dexterity Izuku could only wish to have as she dodged the heterochromiac boy's ice. She breathed out a new, denser cloud of fog. Izuku watched as she created two new shillelagh.

"Koya, stay back," the verdet ordered. "Shoto, do you think you can still hear her with how quiet she is?"

"Even if she gets the drop on me, I have my fire."

"Then we're going in. Koya, be ready."

Izuku charged in, spinning his bo. CoolBlue blocked his first strike, her eyebrows rising slightly. Probably, she was wondering how Izuku knew where she was. Still, he didn't want to give her a moment to think, moving into a portion of one of his bo katas, forcing the pro to go on the defensive.

Izuku spun, pushing his acrobatic ability to the limit as he tried to match CoolBlue blow for blow. It was a dangerous game between the two of them, the flashes he got of her face in the fog expressionless save a small narrowing of her eye. Izuku could tell Koya's venom was starting to affect her, her motions becoming heavier and slower to respond. The boy twisted, swinging his electrified bo upward. As he expected, she jumped backward to avoid the sparking attack.

"Shoto!"

"Slippery Slope!"

Ice raced forward, covering the frosty ground in a layer of slick ice that surrounded Izuku. CoolBlue found no traction as she landed, her feet slipping out from under her. She tried to get her hands under her body, but the paralytic effects were already messing with her body's functionality. Shoto raised a flaming hand and dispersed the fog with heat once more.

"Our apologies, CoolBlue," Izuku said, leveling the sparking end of his weapon at her as it shifted into its sparkgun form. Shoto, Koya, and the other students surrounded her, the latter now ready and wary for any more tricks. "Please surrender."

The pro gave a silent sigh and forced herself onto her back, spreading her limbs outward in a sign of surrender. She huffed, words of fog forming over her for Izuku to read.

SOME OF YOU PASS.

"We won!" Koya grinned, smacking Izuku and Shoto on the shoulders with all four arms. "That's what I'm talking about!"

"CoolBlue, would you like us to take you to the medical tent?" Izuku asked.

"My venom should only last about five minutes before it starts wearing off," the heteromorph offered.

I WILL BE FINE, the pro huffed. PLEASE LEAN ME AGAINST THE RUBBLE FOR NOW.

Izuku nodded to her request, he and the swordswoman with the salt Quirk moving her so she sat against one of the collapsed walls that was mostly in one piece. CoolBlue tried to smile, but without the use of her arms, she couldn't push up the corners of her lips like she had before.

"Let's return to the tent," Shoto suggested. "I am sure we are needed elsewhere."

"Fuck!" Bakugo cursed, hitting the ground hard. He rolled onto his side, cradling one arm against his chest. His suit was mangled, his Grenade Gauntlets shattered, and he was pretty sure his arm had at least one minor fracture. Maybe two. Nothing serious —for now— but definitely painful and he wouldn't be able to use his strongest explosions with that hand unless he wanted to risk permanent damage. One of his eyes was swollen shut, dark bruising already forming in a contrast to his blond hair, and blood dripped from a split lip.

Yokai, on the other hand, didn't show any signs of battle damage other than the burn on his chest. The blond was certain he'd gotten in at least another few good hits, but whatever bruises or burns he'd managed to leave on the pro were hidden behind the man's Quirk and Yokai moved without showing any hints of pain or damage.

Bakugo grit his teeth as he tried to get up again through the screaming of his muscles. His arms and legs were shaking, his palms burned beyond any training he'd done previously between his own attacks and Yokai's corrosive Dark Chakra. The student struggled, lifting himself up with his good arm, only for Yokai to walk over, remove the Quirk miasma from one foot, and place said foot on Bakugo's back. The student screamed as the adult shoved him back into the dirt, pinning his injured arm between his body and the ground.

"You think you're hot shit," the pro Hero said, "but you're a somewhat-large fish in a medium-sized pond at best. I'll admit you're stronger than most Hero students your age, but any third-year and most second-years would be able to kick your ass. Maybe you will grow into someone big in time but charging me alone was a stupid move."

"I…" Bakugo growled, twisting his neck to glare up at the Hero with his unswollen eye, "don't… care. If I want to be the best, then I have to fight the best."

"If you can call this a fight." Bakugo didn't have a response to that, the teen only able to bear his teeth in an animalistic growl. Yokai tilted his head in an approximation of a bored sigh. "Listen, kid. Part of being a Hero is learning to size up your opponents. If you clearly can't beat someone and there aren't any civilians in the area to protect, then it's perfectly reasonable —expected even— to call for backup. As a time-stall, though, you were almost descent."

"Bastard," he grit out.

"I think the word you're looking for is vict—" Yokai didn't get to finish his sentence as a blast of air knocked him off his feet and into the arena wall. The dust from the explosion was caught in the wind, staying in the air.

"THERE'S NO NEED TO FEAR!" Inasa Yoarashi roared, stomping the dirt beside Bakugo's head as he struck a pose. "GALE FORCE IS HERE TO SAVE THE DAY!"

"I didn't need your help, Wind Bastard!"

"That's not what it looked like! Haha!"

"Don't you fuckin' laugh at me! Shouldn't you be dealing with the damn extras‽"

"They're already taken care of!" Inasa Yoarashi gestured to the destroyed area around them where all of Yokai's black-suited grunts were unconscious or restrained, a couple students receiving medical aide as Mira rubbed his chin, apparently taking mental notes about how well they did. In a moment, the dust cloud returned. "Good job holding the boss back!"

"I don't—!"

The wall exploded, Yokai stepping out of the new hole. One of his hands rose up, rubbing the side of his head.

"That kind of hurt. Impressive, but why didn't you assist the kid before?"

"We never had a good shot to help since you were both moving so quickly! We figured it would be better to take out the riffraff first before we could do this!"

All at once, the wind pulled the dust away, revealing that the other Hero students had surrounded Yokai with more arriving by the second including one other Shiketsu student that had been primarily assisting rescue on the way. Yokai turned his head, appraising the small army. He rubbed his chin before dropping to all fours, a fourth tail rising from his Quirk as the miasma began to take on a more solid form.

"Third—!"

"And the test is over," Mira announced through the speakers, even Yokai stumbling at the sudden end to the test. His Quirk dissipated, revealing that he had a prominent bruise on his right cheek where part of the baclava was torn, that his left sleeve had been burned away leaving his bicep red and raw, as that there was some blood residue from a split lip evident. Bakugo tried to take pride in the now-visible damage but he was in too much pain to really enjoy it. "All the injured have been rescued and treated and most of the Villains have been defeated. All students may go get changed and cleaned up as the judges crunch the numbers. Medics are available for those who need patched up. Please meet in the arena again in two hours. Thank you." The mic clicked but apparently did not turn off as his next words were still broadcast through the speakers, even if more quietly because of the distance of the mic from his lips. "I can't believe they denied my request to use HUC and made me participate. I need a damn nap."

"Well, you heard him!" Yokai yelled, standing. "Get gone, runts!"

"What a letdown," some of the students grumbled, shuffling off to find their classmates. Inasa reached down to offer a hand to Bakugo only for the blond to nearly bite it.

"I don't need your help!" the UA student growled even as his attempts to get up failed.

"You can't even stand," Inasa pointed out.

"Fuck off!"

Inasa frowned, retracting his hand. His expression morphed into a glare as he turned, muttering "It must have been like looking in a mirror. No wonder he changed."

Bakugo managed to roll onto his back, his broken arm now free of his body weight. His chest heaved as the adrenaline drained away, leaving all the pain undulled. He glared at the sky, silently cursing his weakness. His glare let up slightly as a shadow fell over him, his eyes widening.

"You're one tough brat, kid," Yokai commented. "Your attitude leaves a lot to be desired, but you've got potential. The way you're going now, you'll be the Endeavor of the next generation; maybe the most powerful but never number one unless the guy above you bites the big one."

"You here to insult me?"

"Only pride makes criticism insulting. What is it you called yourself? Ah yes, a diamond. Well, you're not even close."

"You—!"

"Right now, you're a seriously-lumpy piece of carbon and you're putting yourself under a lot of pressure. You can become a diamond, but it'll take work and polish. A lot of work and polish." Yokai knelt, getting face to upside-down face with the student. He pulled off the baclava to show minor heteromorphic fox features —like a small, snout-like nose and whiskers— and red hair. "Maybe you'll get your provisional license. Maybe you won't. Either way, I'm going to request you personally. I will direct that pressure you're under and chisel you into a gemstone Japan can be proud of. Or you can stay alone and settle for second."

Bakugo stared at him, unable to find words through the pain. Yokai stood.

"I don't need your answer right now. If you pass, it will be by the skin of your teeth. Pass or fail, I expect to see you in Wakkanai soon."

Yokai turned, a Dark Chakra tail emerging to wrap around Bakugo's waist and put him on his feet. The pro raised a lazy hand, the tail remaining as he walked away.

"I didn't need…" Bakugo wheezed, the inflation of his lungs hurting his cracked ribs. He shook his head and took a shaky step, vowing that he'd at least reach the medics on his own. He leaned against the wall once he reached it, his good hand fisting as he pounded the concrete once in frustration, a single, hidden tear rolling down his cheek. "…Fuck. I'm still too weak."

"Alright, let's get this over with," Mira yawned from a small stage that had been set up in a cleared area of the arena. A massive screen stood behind him, facing the 500 students that had passed the first test to participate in the second. "As you know, the first test was to see if you had what it took to distinguish yourself from your peers. You had to get your points by hook or by crook. The second part of the test was a high-stress simulation. Examiners watched you through live feed or from the stands, marking points or demerits for your actions and choices. All of these were tallied up and then electronically sorted by score. Of the 500 here, only the top half pass. Those who find themselves in the upper parts of the bottom half can still get a provisional license if you have a pro Hero willing to sponsor you in a work-study. For the rest of you, you will be given options for remedial classes over the next three months with you earning your own provisional licenses by passing. Or, you can choose to spend your time training for next exam in six months. For a list of your merits and demerits, ask your teachers. Now then, look for your name."

He raised a remote and clicked a button, the screen coming to life instantly. Izuku felt nervous sweat roll down his neck as he scanned the names.

'Yoarashi's at the top of the list,' he thought. 'He must have done something really impressive.'

"Izuku," Tsuyu said, tugging at his sleeve. The male verdet blinked, turning to see her out of his peripherals. "You're in the top 40, ribbit."

"I am?" Izuku's eyes went to where she pointed. There it was.

36: Izuku Midoriya. Points: 62 -Pass

"I… passed?" he breathed, the information not sinking in.

"You're at 78, Tsu," he heard Ochako say. "Congrats!"

"And you're at 53, Uraraka," Shoji commented. Soon, the UA students were all finding each other's names. Throughout the crowd, cheers of elation and cries of disappointment echoed through the stadium. Even in the midst of all this noise, a certain blond silently stared at the red line in the center of the screen. His face was bandaged, his left arm in a sling and gauze wrapping around his body under his UA uniform. Only one eye was visible with the other hidden under bandages, but it held none of the fire it had had earlier that day, only resignation.

250: Katsuki Bakugo. Points: 3 -Pass

"Everyone who made the second round did pass!" Pony cheered. "We need to celebrate!"

"I second that, girl!" Mina agreed, throwing her arms around Pony and Toru. "Let's go!"

"Plus ultra!" Kirishima offered with a sharp-toothed grin of own, others echoing his yell.

Rather than the list, Izuku scanned the crowd, looking for the reactions of his fellow spies. The tension drained from his shoulders as, in pairs, his secretive companions from both Seiai and Seijin offered their classmate congratulations. Oddly, it seemed Inasa and Nagamasa Mora —the student with a body covered in hair— were the only students from Shiketsu to pass. None of the Ketsubutsu students, Yuifum included, made the second round after their failed attack the first round, so Camie, Leono, and Yuifum all failed.

Still, there was a sense of pride in Izuku's voice as he whispered to himself.

"We did it," Izuku sighed as the Provisional Hero Licensing Exam came to an official close. "We actually did it."

End of chapter 50

What a chapter! With this, the PHLE Arc is done and we can get back into more Assassin-y things. Maybe a mission or two? Serious training? The possibilities are endless!

sWhat happens now that Izuku had his provisional license? Whom will he work-study with? How will this humiliating defeat to Yokai affect Bakugo? In that similar vein, what did you all think of the OCs who played the Villains? Will they be back in the future?

Now then, let's go check in with the rest of Japan in the next chapter, shall we?"

Read and Review!

-SwordOFTheGods