AN: Hey. Look who's back. There is an explanation for why this took so long.
I… I don't know how to say this but I'll say it anyway. On September 28th, I noticed one of my cats, a calico named Gwen, was lying on an ottoman oddly, but I didn't think anything about it. A few hours later when I was getting ready to feed the dogs, I noticed that she hadn't moved at all. So I went to check on her and… she was stiff. She… passed away. I… I had her since 2008, and now… I can take some solace in that she didn't disappear like the others did, but it still hurts… And what's worse, the next day her brother, Ben, suddenly was unable to get up. He couldn't stand on his own anymore. And… we had to put him down.
…
…
I just can't…
I… took time off from writing to recover from the shock. Only just got back into it, but then one of our dogs, Bocelli, he's always had a problem with seizures, and on December 3 they really got bad. By the afternoon, he began having a seizer every hour, sometimes less. He even had them when he was asleep. We realized that now he… was probably too far gone. We had to put him down the next day.
…
…
I'm… not sure when I'll fully get back into writing, but I will eventually. Sorry, everyone. I hope you're all enjoying the new year.
Final Exam Team 1: Villain Capture
Ground Gamma
In one of U.A.'s many battle centers, a group of students consisting of Tsubasa, Shoji, Kirishima, Monoma, and Rin, were making their way to the start area after being briefed on the exam's rules.
The scenario was that a notorious villain had recently escaped custody and was on the run. The students will be acting as high-profile heroes (top ten or top twenty, whichever helps them visualize it) and have tracked the villain to a large factory area. Police have the area surrounded, making it almost impossible for the villain to escape. To pass, the students must capture the villain within the 30-minute timeframe, by which point the villain will have found a way to escape.
"Who do you think will be the villain here?" Tsubasa asked her teammates as they made their way through a set path in the forest of pipes and corridors.
"No clue. It could be anyone," Shoji replied.
"I know one thing. I can't wait to get started!" Kirishima smashed his fists together.
Monoma lightly grumbled something about 'being forced to work with the arrogant 1-A' before Rin tapped his shoulder. "Dude, drop it, at least until the exams are over, okay?"
"…Fine," Monoma grumbled. "But once this is over, it's back to proving 1-B is superior to 1-A!"
Rin facepalmed.
"…I'm starting to worry about him," Shoji muttered to his three classmates.
"Yeah, something's clearly wrong with him mentally," Tsubasa nodded.
"Come on guys, relax," Kirishima smiled. "Let's focus on the exam. Who cares if we don't know who we're facing? I say we give it our all!"
Rin nodded with a smile. "Yeah! We'll pass this exam no problem!"
"In that case, I welcome the challenge young heroes!" A boastful voice echoed.
The students froze before shakily looking up. Standing on top of a thin pipe, cape billowing in the wind as a faceless mask looked down at them.
"I'm looking forward to toying with you!" Zero declared before he leaped off somewhere.
"…We have to catch ZERO?!" Tsubasa exclaimed.
"I stand corrected. We're gonna fail." Rin muttered.
Final Exam Team 3: Natural Disaster
USJ
Mineta, Liana, Setsuna, Jurota, and Tetsutetsu walked into the USJ for their exam. The scenario was that a volcano had erupted, burying a nearby coastal town in ash. The students have to dig and rescue any survivors while also being on the lookout for any criminals or villains who will take advantage of the situation.
"Haven't been here for a while," Tetsutetsu muttered as his team walked down the steps from the USJ's entrance.
"Yeah," Setsuna nodded. "And they sure changed things since last time."
To help with the exam, most of the USJ was retrofitted to look like a coastal town that had been buried in volcanic ash. The ocean portion came from the Shipwreck Zone, and the former Conflagration and Downpour Zones had disappeared, their large lots replaced by buildings with collapsed roofs and covered in feet of gray dust. The shore had mock docks and half-sunken boats placed around.
"It's like a documentary I saw once," Setsuna said.
"I still don't get why we need to look out for villains in something like this," Tetsutetsu said. "I mean, what does a villain gain by digging through a buried town?"
"Plenty, since there will be plenty of valuables buried in the ash, easy to take with everyone either gone or buried in the ash," Liana said. "Villains are known to take advantage of such situations."
"Not just villains, unfortunately," Jurota said. "It's well documented that even civilians go to disaster sites and collect whatever they can to sell online to collectors."
"You're kidding!" Tetsutetsu exclaimed.
"He isn't," Setsuna shook her head. "I once went through an auction site to find any dinosaur bones and saw that, somehow, someone was selling things right from when villains invaded the USJ."
Mineta stared at the Lizard Tail Splitter in disbelief. "How the hell did they pull that off?"
"That is something my legal team has been investigating," Thirteen huffed, waiting for the students at the bottom of the stairway. "I take it you're ready for your exam?"
The students all nodded.
"Good. Oh, before you begin you'll need these," Thirteen presented a box to the students.
"Gas masks and ski goggles?" Tetsutetsu questioned.
"It's to protect you from the dust we used to simulate volcanic ash," Thirteen answered.
"Why? Isn't it just ash?" Mineta asked.
"Volcanic ash isn't like the ash from a campfire, Mineta," Thirteen lightly glared at the small student. "It's rock and volcanic glass and extremely hazardous! If you breathe it in it'll damage your respiratory system, and if you breathe in too much you'll drown because of the ash gunking up your lungs. Not to mention it can damage your eyes and even potentially blind you."
Mineta stared at Thirteen in horror.
"For safety reasons, we're not using actual volcanic ash, just a similar substitute. It won't cause any lasting harm, but it's still best for you to wear these. Once you're ready, we'll get started."
Final Exam Team 4: Crime Scene Investigation
Ground Beta, South Section
Snipe led Kaminari, Mina, Kuroiro, Hyde, and Pony to the site where their final exam will take place, a high-rise building near the entrance to the testing ground.
The scenario was that a member of the National Diet had fallen out of a building with the police suspecting foul play. The students were called in to help with the investigation. The crime scene itself looks very convincing, from the police barricade tapes cording off certain areas to the cars and even a body on the pavement. Only there were cardboard cutouts of the police officers and the body, while convincing, was obviously a fake.
"At least there isn't any blood," Kaminari said in relief.
"Ugh… The body sure looks real," Hyde muttered, queasy at seeing the 'corpse'.
"It's a SynDaver," Snipe answered. "It may look real, but it's 100% fake. Perfect for this type of test."
"And how, prey tell, are we supposed to do this test?" Kuroiro asked.
Snipe pulled out a folder. "Normally this kind of thing can take days or even weeks to solve, but ya'll only have 30 minutes. So for the sake of fairness, this crime is a rather simple one to solve. The police already did most of the legwork, you kids just have to put the pieces together." He handed the folder to Kuroiro. "Good luck," with a tip of his hat, Snipe walked away to properly gauge them for the exam.
"Oh boy…" Kaminari could already feel his head hurt as Kuroiro looked over the files Snipe gave him
Final Exam Team 5: Infiltration of a Villain Lair
Practical Exam Arena 1
"There's the lair," Iida whispered. He, Bakugo, Honenuki, Sero, and Kamakiri were observing a large home in the urban center as part of their exam. The scenario was that the hideout of a high-profile villain and his gang had been located. Problem was that it was in the middle of a residential area. As such, the students will have to enter the hideout and capture the villain without attracting attention or causing collateral damage to the surrounding area in 30 minutes, by which point the villain will become aware of their presence and escape.
"We can see that, Four Eyes!" Kamakiri said.
"Keep your voice down, dude!" Sero hissed.
"It is rather unfortunate that we were only given the location of the villain's lair," Iida muttered. Once they were inside they would be on their own.
"So how do we get in?" Honenuki asked.
"I just say we blast our way in!" Bakugo grinned.
"I'm in!" Kamakiri grinned.
"Are you two nuts?" Sero asked. "The rules said that we have to get into the lair without any of the villains noticing!"
"Not to mention that, since we're in an urban setting full of homes, we need to keep property damage to a minimum," Honenuki added. "We can't go in guns blazing."
Bakugo grumbled but conceded.
"I don't see you guys having any better ideas!" Kamakiri yelled.
"What if we sneak in through the vents?" Sero suggested. "Like in those spy movies?"
"Okay, One: This isn't a movie," Honenuki quickly said. "Two: We're all too big. And three: Even if we could fit, it would make too much noise."
"We only have 30 minutes to sneak in," Iida reminded them. "We must find a way in soon before time runs out," Iida looked over the hideout one more time. There weren't any guards as far as he could see, but that did not mean there wasn't someone watching the main entrance. Iida then noticed that a window adjacent to a thin alleyway was open. 'That might work!'
Final Exam Team 6: Bomb Retrieval and Disarming
Practical Exam Location 2
"Looking for a bomb in a big, ol' building. This is just like the battle trials at the beginning of the year," Ochako noted.
"Yeah, only instead of a five-story building," Milia looked toward the entrance of the large structure their exam was to take place in. "It's that."
The scenario for their final exam was that a group of terrorists had created a bomb capable of wiping out a city block and hidden it in a government building they'd taken over. The students' task was to locate the bomb and disarm it before it could detonate while dealing with any terrorists guarding it.
"Somehow I get the feeling it won't be as easy," Awase muttered, with Tsuburaba nodding in agreement.
Aoyama did a couple of flashy poses, admiring his own reflection in a small mirror he brought.
"Ochako, Ectoplasm-sensei gave you the map of this building, didn't he? Does it show where the bomb could be?" Milia asked.
Ochako looked over the map. "Too many to count. We don't even know how big the bomb is, either, so it could be anywhere."
"And that's not counting the terrorists we'll be dealing with," Tsuburaba added. "I guess our only real option is to split up."
"Oh, sure. Just let the terrorists pick us off one by one. We'll pass for sure like that," Awase deadpanned.
The buzzer rang, indicating the start of the test.
"We'll figure it out as we go, I guess," Ochako muttered as the five of them ran into the building.
Up above, Best Jeanist, the Number 7 Hero, and some of his sidekicks watched as the students ran into the building. "I know this is supposed to be a test, but let us clothe these students in darkness, shall we?"
Final Exam Team 7: Cargo Protection
Ground Omega
Momo, Celica, Ibara, Reiko, and Tsuyu all looked over several vehicles: a semi-trailer truck and a couple of jeeps.
The scenario they were given was that highly valuable cargo was being transported by truck through the countryside. Their task is the keep the cargo safe until it reaches its destination (the exam area's exit).
The inside of the trailer was filled with cardboard boxes with a cartoony Nezu saying 'precious cargo~ handle with care'.
"Kero? What do you suppose is in those boxes?" Tsuyu asked.
"I am unsure, though I highly doubt it is as valuable as they are making it to be," Reiko replied.
"Does anyone know how to drive?" Celica asked as she approached the driver's side of a jeep. She gasped as a small robot with Nezu's ears popped up and took the wheel.
"Sorry, fleshing. We'll be the ones doing the driving," the robot said as several more piped up at the driver seats of the vehicles.
"Oh, that's okay," Celica smiled as she made her way to the passenger seat.
The buzzer rang soon after, meaning that the test has officially begun.
The various vehicles, driven by the Nezu-approved robots, drove off. Momo and Reiko were in the trailer truck while Ibara, Celica, and Tsuyu were in one of the jeeps, Tsuyu's jeep taking the lead while Ibara and Celica's jeeps were right behind the truck.
As they grew comfortable, Reiko turned to Momo. "Yaoyorozu-san, I have a quandary."
"Quander away," Momo offered.
"Are you, perchance, a devil?"
Momo was slightly caught off guard by Reiko's question before recalling that she was Izuku's newest client. "I am. Izuku and I are in the same peerage."
"Then you know what Izuku's social status is, correct?"
Momo raised a brow at Reiko using Izuku's name before answering. "He's dating several of us."
"Izuku has a harem?" Reiko said in surprise.
"Are you interested in joining?" Momo teasingly asked.
"…I would be lying if I denied it. There is just… something about Izuku," Reiko hummed in thought. "But is maintaining such a relationship not difficult?"
"It can be," Momo nodded. "But honestly, it's worth the effort. Even if I wasn't also dating Kyoka, I…" Momo paused when she heard the distinct sound of chopper blades above them.
"That sound," Reiko moved to look into the nearest rearview mirror and saw a helicopter hovering right behind the convoy.
Momo quickly activated her earpiece. "Everyone, we have company!"
No sooner had she said that than a stream of fire shot out of the helicopter's opened door, setting the road in front of the vehicles on fire, forcing them to stop.
The chopper hovered in the air behind them as the students got out of the vehicles, ready for a fight as three figures jumped out of the chopper.
Momo's eyes widened in shock, recognizing who their opponents were right away. "Akane?! Tobio?!"
Sure enough, Tobio in his combat attire, the black dog Jin, and Suzaku, wearing a white and red battle kimono with black stockings and red lace-up boots, were their opponents for the exam. "Hello, Momo," Suzaku waved with a smile.
"You know the Miko Hero, Kouen, and her fiancé?" Reiko asked Momo.
"She's my cousin- Wait, she's a hero?" Momo asked.
"Wait a minute…" Tsuyu turned to give Momo a look. "You didn't know that your cousin is Kouen, the Number 10 Hero?"
"She's number 10?!" Momo exclaimed.
"You didn't know?!" Ibara yelled.
"I DIDN'T KNOW!" Momo yelled back.
"You really need to pay better attention to the hero rankings, Momo," Suzaku quipped.
Momo lowered her head in shame, unable to understand how she missed such a detail. Celica patted her back. "There, there."
Final Exam Team 8: Armed Robbery
Ground Beta, North Section
Fukidashi, Kaibara, Todoroki, Tokoyami, and Komori waited at the mock police station in the battle center for their exam to begin.
The scenario was that the students were called in to deal with a group of villains robbing a bank. The goal is to either capture the villains or delay them until backup arrives, all without causing too much collateral damage.
The group was quiet for the most part as they waited, with only Fukidashi and Kaibara striking up a conversation as they waited. Soon, though, the buzzer sounded, singling the start of their final exam.
Not even two seconds later…
*Boom!*
"Holy shiitake!" Komori exclaimed. The students quickly ran to the source of the explosion, which was easy given the column of smoke rising in the air. It wasn't long before they got to where the bank was, the building partly on fire as several faux villains stood outside it, each carrying a bag of money.
"…You gotta be kidding me," Todoroki muttered to herself. She recognized who the faux villains were.
"Hey there, Shoko!" Burnin', one of Endeavor's sidekicks, casually greeted her.
"Took you long enough, Shoko," Endeavor greeted.
"Of course, I have to fight my dear old dad…" Todoroki muttered to herself.
hr /
Final Exam Team 2: Hostage Situation
Ground Alpha
Mirko, grinning like a maniac, twisted her body before charging at the students, specifically the two her instincts said were the strongest.
Izuku and Itsuka summoned their Sacred Gears on instinct to black Mirko's ax-kicks, the force of which knocked them back while Toru, Kyoka, and Yui were blown back by the shockwave.
"Holy crap!" Toru exclaimed as she was flown through the air before landing.
Izuku and Itsuka managed to keep their balance as they stared at Mirko, who stood in place with a pleased look on her face. "I knew she was strong, but she's a lot stronger than I was expecting," Izuku muttered.
"…Never underestimate a bunny girl," Yui muttered as she got up.
"Oh, haha," Mirko gave a fake laugh. She then smirked when she saw the Sacred Gears. "So those are the gear things Ryuko told me about, huh? First time I'm seeing this sort of thing up close," she said before liking her lips. "I can't wait to see what they can do!"
'She knows about Sacred Gears?' Izuku thought. 'Guess I shouldn't be that surprised, given she's friends with Ryukyu. Speaking of, where is she?' Izuku's eyes briefly looked away from Mirko and into the sky, not seeing any sign of the Dragoon Hero.
"Keep your eyes on the enemy, kid!"
Izuku gawked, Mirko suddenly right next to him, ready to deliver one of her signature ax-kicks. Izuku managed to duck, but Mirko's kick managed to shave off a bit of his hair. Izuku tried to deliver a punch in response, but the Rabbit Hero had hoped away before it could reach.
Still grinning, Mirko delivered another ax-kick to counter Itsuka's large fist, even though it was enhanced by Itsuka's Turbo Cestus. Mirko jumped back as Itsuka quickly stood by Izuku's side. "You okay?" The redhead asked.
"Yeah," Izuku nodded. "Even with those weights on her, they're not slowing her down much."
'I hate to admit it but the redhead's packing some power,' Mirko tried to hide her wince at the pain in her foot. 'Makes me wonder what else she could do.' Tensing her legs, Mirko prepared to sprint at them when her ears twitched. Looking up, she jumped back as a car, twice the size it should've been, landed where she was.
"She forgot that we're here," Yui said, shrinking another car before she tossed it at Mirko, it growing back to twice its original size before it landed.
Mirko simply kicked the car away in annoyance. "Yeah, I did kinda forget about the rest of you," she admitted. Of the students, only Izuku and Itsuka were really true fighters. Yui and Kyoka could defend themselves easily, but Toru couldn't. 'Wait, where are the other two?'
"Guys, time to move!" Toru's voice called from one of the alleyways.
Mirko would've hopped to Toru, following the invisible girl's voice, had her enhanced hearing not alerted her to a faint clicking sound coming from behind her. Turning, the Rabbit Hero just had enough time to see Kyoka fire off a blast of sound waves. Mirko screamed in pain from the sound, covering her sensitive ears as best she could even though they felt like they were exploding. Mustering all her stenches, Mirko jumped into the air, out of the attack's path.
"Damn, that hurt…" Once the ringing in Mirko's ears finally stopped, the Rabbit Hero landed near where she jumped, only to see that the students were gone, having ran when she was in the air. Mirko just grinned in anticipation. "I love it when they run!"
A couple of blocks away, the students hid in an alleyway away from the street, catching their breath.
"Good thinking, Kyoka," Itsuka said.
Izuku nodded. "Yeah, that bought us a little time."
The Earphone Jack user smiled. "Thanks, but I don't think Mirko will let us do that again."
"No kidding…" Toru panted. "Gosh, I gotta work out more."
"I'm surprised that Mirko just attacked us like that," Yui said.
"Yeah, that is kinda weird, isn't it?" Toru asked. "If this was a hostage situation, why complicate it by attacking like that?"
"That's a good point," Izuku hummed in thought. Discounting Mirko's well-known love for fighting, it didn't make any tactical sense to attack the heroes when you already have a hostage. Unless… "Mirko is just keeping us busy while Ryukyu is guarding the hostage! She may even be getting ready to take the hostage somewhere we can't find them!" Izuku realized.
"…And Ryukyu can fly, so she could have moved the hostage anywhere by now," Itsuka realized.
"You got any ideas yet, Izuku?" Kyoka asked.
"Actually, I may have one," Toru raised her arm. "Mirko's focused on Izi and Itsuka right now. So, why not have them and Yui keep Mirko busy? That way, me and Kyoka can find Ryukyu and the hostage since we have the best chance of finding them."
"That's…" Kyoka paused as she stared at Toru. "That's actually a good idea."
"Yeah, it kinda is."
The teens flinched as they looked up, Mirko looking down at them from the ledge of the building before she hopped down, landing a few feet away from them. "Gotta say, I underestimated the invisible girl. I just thought you were just some ditzy exhibitionist…"
"Hey!" If they could see her, they would know that Toru frowned at Mirko's remark. "I finally got a new costume, you know!"
"But…" Mirko liked her lips, tensing her legs. "I think it's time for the fun to start!" Leaping high into the air, Mirko spun around in a somersault and then extended her leg, falling straight down toward them. "Luna Fall!"
"Move!" Kyoka yelled, the teens scattering just as Mirko hit the ground, cratering it.
"Toru, Kyoka, get out of here!" Izuku yelled.
"We'll hold her off!" Itsuka took another look at Mirko's battle-craving face. "…I think."
"Be careful, guys!" Toru called out as she and Kyoka ran. Mirko was about to run after them when a wall suddenly sprang up.
"What the-?"
Mirko looked to the side. Yui, standing against a wall of the alleyway, her hand on the ground, used her Quirk to create a barrier between the two fleeing and Mirko. "Get through us first," Yui said.
Mirko smiled in response. "My pleasure!" The rabbit woman hopped and delivered a heavy ax-kick that cratered the alleyway wall as Yui barely dodged under it.
Yui quickly ran to regroup with Izuku and Itsuka as Mirko turned to grin at them. "We can't stay in this alley. We don't have enough room to dodge her attacks," Izuku said. "We need to get back to the street."
"Yeah," Itsuka nodded, the three teens running down the alley away from Mirko who gave pursuit.
"You aren't getting away that easy! LUNA RING!" Mirko started doing a series of cartwheels, gaining speed and cutting through the ground like a demented buzzsaw as the teens made it out of the alley.
'Dragon Veil 10%!' "St. Louis Dragon Smash!" Izuku responded by delivering a roundhouse kick to block Mirko's attack, sending the Rabbit Hero back.
Mirko landed feet-first against a wall and, still smiling, jumped back toward them. "That's more like it! LUNA ARC!"
Itsuka stepped up, her Sacred Gear active and glowing as she readied a punch, meeting Mirko's ax-kick head-on.
Once Mirko was forced back, Itsuka yelled, "Yui!"
"Right." Yui nodded, reaching into her pouch and pulling out some bolts, pieces of metal, debris, and other objects she had gathered during their journey, and threw some of them into the air. Enlarging her hands, Itsuka then swatted the objects toward Mirko as Yui put her fingertips together. "Release."
The items suddenly grew to triple their original size.
"LUNA LANDING!" Coming in with a double dropkick to the largest of the thrown objects (a flatbed truck), Mirko sent it toppling over, which caused the other objects to scatter around her. "Hmph! Is that all you got?"
'The news wasn't kidding about Mirko's love of a good fight,' Izuku sweat-dropped. 'I'm not sure if I should use my Balance Breaker against her. It might be overkill… or it could rile her up more. I just hope Kyoka and Toru are doing okay.'
Several blocks away, Toru and Kyoka moved through the shadows, the Earphone Jack user leading as she used her Quirk to locate their target.
"How close are we to Ryukyu and the hostage?" Toru asked. There was a bit of nervousness in her voice. Understandable, as they could still hear the fight between Mirko and the rest of their team, even from their current distance.
"They're close," Kyoka's hearing picked up the sounds of both Ryukyu and the hostage. "Quick, hide!"
The two quickly hid behind a car as Ryukyu flew overhead, a person with a burlap sack over their head in her claws. Landing on a small office building, Ryukyu transformed into her human form, with the exception of her tail as it wrapped around the hostage. Ryukyu briefly looked out toward where the fight was before she disappeared from Kyoka and Toru's sight.
"Well, we found her," Kyoka muttered.
Toru made her suit invisible. "I'll scout it out. You find a way to get there without being seen."
"Right," Kyoka nodded as she ran down the alley away from the building as Toru snuck to it. Getting into the building was simple enough as the front door was open. As quietly as she could, Toru snuck through the empty office building looking for the hostage.
'Hiding out in an office building in an empty city? Feels like an apocalyptic movie,' Toru thought to herself as she made her way up to the second floor after checking the first.
"That battle maniac…"
Toru nearly gasped, placing her hands over her mouth to keep quiet. Slowly, Toru approached an open door and peeked inside.
Ryukyu stood in the center of the room, looking out the window, her tail fully out as it wrapped around a tired-up person with a burlap sack over their head. "She should've been back by now. But of course, Mirko got lost in her battle mania again," Ryukyu sighed.
Toru slowly stepped away from the door and activated the communicator she and the others were given for the test. "Kyoka, you there?" She whispered.
"{I'm here. Did you find the hostage?}"
"Yeah. They're on the second floor, room 208."
"I know you're there, Invisible Girl," Ryukyu suddenly called out.
"Eep!" Toru scurried away from the door.
"You're not bad, but I don't rely solely on my sight," Ryukyu stepped out, sniffing the air. "Nice shampoo, by the way."
'Crapbaskets!'
Itsuka was fighting evenly with Mirko, Itsuka's punches countering Mirko's kicks. Izuku had taken a moment to step back and catch his breath while Yui went off somewhere. Still, while they were fighting, Izuku saw that Itsuka began to share Mirko's grin, nearly identical in fact. "Guess Kendo's starting to enjoy this," he muttered.
Izuku didn't know how right he was. Now that it was just her who was facing Mirko, Itsuka began to really enjoy the fight. So much so she began to realize something. She loved it. The thrill of battle, the pounding of her heart, the taste of her own blood. SHE LOVED IT!
"Now this is what I'm talking about!" Mirko practically sang as she swung another kick, only for Itsuka to block it with a punch. "You're good, kid!"
"You too!" Itsuka smirked, her eyes giving off a pink glow. "This is amazing!"
'They forgot that this was a test, didn't they?' Izuku sweat-dropped.
"Izuku."
Izuku looked up to Yui as she handed him a shrunken-down tanker truck.
"Throw this."
Izuku nodded. "Right," he took hold of the shrunken tanker and readied Dragon Veil. "Kendo, get out of the way!"
"Huh?" Itsuka blinked, only seeing Izuku throw something as Yui put her fingers together.
"Release."
The tanker truck grew back to its original size, heading straight for them.
"Just when things were getting fun…" Itsuka muttered as she jumped back to Izuku and Yui.
"Spoilsports," Mirko growled, ready to kick the truck aside, but then her instincts told her that was a very bad idea. Having always trusted them, Mirko simply jumped over the truck before it hit the ground…
*BOOM!*
As it exploded into flames once it hit the ground, setting fire to the nearby buildings.
As the flames spread, Itsuka, Mirko, and Izuku slowly turned to Yui in shock. "…I thought it was a water truck. Or was at least empty," Yui admitted, a small blush on her emotionless face.
"…Who's the idiot who put a tanker truck full of gas here for a test?" Mirko asked.
"Achoo!"
"You okay, Eraser?"
"What the hell was that?" Kyoka glanced toward where the explosion came from, seeing a billow of thick black smoke rising into the air. "Izuku and the others better be okay."
Kyoka turned her attention back to the office building Ryukyu had taken the hostage into. She managed to get to the back entrance, but now she could hear Toru running from Ryukyu. "Toru, you okay?"
"{For now! I managed to lose Ryukyu, but it won't be long before she picks up my scent again, and she still has the hostage in her tail!}"
"Damn it," Kyoka cursed. If Ryukyu didn't have the hostage with her, she could use her Quirk to disorientate her. At this rate, though, their best option might be to escape the area to get help. "Meet up at the front entrance!"
"{Roger. Uh-oh, she's here! Gotta go!}"
"Toru? Toru!" Kyoka cursed again as she ran to the front of the office building. Before she could reach it she heard the sound of its front door opening with Toru running outside, followed soon by Ryukyu bursting down the doors.
"Guys! I know you're still dealing with Mirko, but we could use some help here if you can spare it!" Kyoka hissed into her communicator.
"{We'll be there as soon as we can. Try and stall.}" Izuku answered.
"'Stall' he says," Kyoka muttered as she peaked around the corner. Ryukyu, in her dragon form, stood over the street, the hostage in her claws as she looked around, looking for where Toru had gone.
'Well, guess I should try.'
"Hey, scaly!"
Ryukyu glanced at Kyoka as she stepped out into the street. "Another little hero. What is it you want?"
"I came to hear what your demands are," Kyoka replied. "Your partner attacking us earlier wasn't a smart move, though, especially since we don't even know what you want."
"No argument here. And we only just took her," Ryukyu rebutted, holding up the hostage, who squared a little in Ryukyu's grasp.
"Yet you had to have taken them for a reason, right?" Kyoka asked. "So what is it that you want? Money? A ticket out of the country?"
"Hmph! You think I'll tell without my idiot partner here?" Ryukyu spat.
'Kinda, yeah,' Kyoka thought.
"Hey! Who are you calling an idiot!?"
"Huh?" Ryukyu and Kyoka both turned, seeing Mirko was nearby, fighting Itsuka.
"When did-?"
"Dragon Smash!"
Ryukyu was cut off by Izuku delivering a punch to her snout, chasing her to let go of the hostage. The hostage let out a muffled scream before Toru, her costume visible again, ran up and caught the hostage. "I got her!"
"Good. Get out of the way!" Yui called out.
Toru carried the hostage away, with Izuku and Kyoka following, as Yui placed her hands on the ground. A large hole suddenly formed beneath Ryukyu, who gave a frightened, and surprisingly girly and cute, shriek as the hole closed around her.
"Nice, Yui!" Toru cheered, only to back up a little as the asphalt and pavement began to crack as Ryukyu began to break free.
"That won't hold long," Yui said.
"At least we got the hostage, though something tells me that alone isn't enough to let us pass," Kyoka muttered as she undid the bindings on the hostage.
"Are you okay, miss?" Izuku asked as he removed the burlap sack… and revealed a familiar face.
"Yep!" Nejire smiled.
"Senpai!?"
"Hiya, Izuku! Been a while, huh? Were you surprised? It sounded like you were surprised. You want to know why I'm here? Hey, I kinda like this position we're in," the third-year student leaned against Izuku, to his embarrassment. "Hey, since you guys saved me, does that mean I should reward you all with a kiss?"
"This isn't the time to- Wait, does that include me and Kyoka?" Toru asked.
"Guys, focus!" Kyoka snapped right as Ryukyu managed to break free.
"Right!" Izuku gently pushed Nejire away. "Toru, you keep Senpai safe and head for the exit! Kodai, do you have the capture cuffs on you?"
"Hm," Yui nodded.
"Okay, you and I deal with Ryukyu. Kyoka, you'll help Itsuka deal with Mirko."
"Right!"
"Hm!"
"Gotcha!" Toru took Nejire's hand. "This way, senpai!"
"Kay!" Nejire beamed as they ran into an alley, asking Toru questions all the while.
Mirko's enhanced hearing informed her that the invisible girl was taking Ryuko's intern away. As much as she wanted to keep fighting the karate girl, she needed to do what the rat told her. "Sorry, kid, but we're gonna have to cut this short!" The Rabbit Hero pushed Itsuka back with a kick and attempted to hop to a nearby rooftop.
"No, you don't!" Kyoka connected her jacks to her leg amplifiers. "Heartbeat Fuzz!"
The sonic attack caused Mirko to scream curses not worth repeating as she covered her ears. "NOT THIS SHIT AGAIN!" The Rabbit Hero was about to jump upward to escape like she did before, but Itsuka slugged her before she could.
"We're not finished, yet!" Itsuka smirked.
Mirko returned the smirk. "Okay, fine. I'll take you out first, kid!"
Kyoka looked worriedly at Itsuka as she and Mirko started fighting again. 'Okay, something is up with her.'
"Kyoka!"
The Earphone Jack user turned just in time to catch one pair of capture cuffs thrown by Yui.
"Thanks!" Kyoka smiled as she ran to Mirko.
Yui returned Kyoka's smile before looking over to Izuku's fight with Ryukyu. Already in Dragon Force, Izuku flew swiftly around Ryukyu, delivering punches and kicks while the Dragoon Hero tried to catch him.
Yui reached into her pouch and pulled out the bolts, pieces of metal, and debris she had gathered during the exam and threw some of them at Ryukyu. Placing her hands together, Yui utters, "Release," making the items grow thrice in size.
"This is getting annoying!" Ryukyu spread her wings and gave a few flaps, the force of her wings pushing most of the enlarged objects. Yui simply smirked as she looked up… at the enlarged capture cuffs she threw also.
Izuku grabbed the enlarged capture cuff and quickly aimed it at Ryukyu's arm.
Itsuka and Mirko began to tire each other out, panting as they stood ready. "You… giving up, kid?" Mirko taunted.
"Not even close," Itsuka smirked, her eyes a bright pink now. She then noticed Kyoka a few feet behind Mirko, capture cuffs in hand. "But…" Itsuka licked her lips. "We're gonna have to stop at some point."
"True. So, one last round?" Mirko tensed her legs.
Itsuka simply smiled and took a few steps to the side. "Maybe next time."
"Huh? What does- DAMNIT, NOT AGAIN!" Mirko covered her sensitive ears as Kyoka fired another sonic blast at her. This time, Itsuka ran toward the Rabbit Hero and enlarged one of her hands, grabbing hold of Mirko before she could hop away.
Kyoka quickly ran to Mirko and aimed her capture cuff at Mirko's arm.
The cuffs were slapped onto the two pro's wrists at the same time. Mirko and Ryukyu paused to stare at the cuffs, processing what had just happened as the buzzer went off from the gate, indicating the students had won.
[Team Midoriya, Hagakure, Kendo, Jiro, and Kodai have passed the exam!]
"Finally," Kyoka groaned. "That felt way, way longer than 30 minutes."
"Did we have to end it so soon?" Itsuka complained as she let Mirko go. "I was really getting into it!"
"Unfortunately," Mirko nodded in agreement. She then noticed that Itsuka's eyes were different. "Huh? Hey, kid, your eyes weren't always pink, were they?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Yeah, I noticed that also," Kyoka spoke up. "Are you sure you're okay, Itsuka?"
"Never felt better," Itsuka replied. "But I'm still worked up, so… Oh~!" Her hot pink eyes landed on Izuku as Toru and Nejire made their way back to them.
"We only just got to the gate when the buzzer sounded!" Toru said.
"Well, at least that means we would've still passed," Izuku sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.
"Hm," Yui nodded as Ryukyu, in human form, approached.
"Congratulations on passing," the Dragoon Hero said. "Are you okay, Nejire? I wasn't too rough, was I?"
"Nope! I kind of liked it though," Nejire admitted. "So should I give that reward to you guys now or- Oh! There's Kendo! Hey, Kendo!" Nejire waved as Itsuka approached.
Izuku smiled, but then he noticed Itsuka's new eye color. "Uh, Kendo, is something wromph-!" Without warning, Itsuka jumped on him and slammed her lips into his.
Everyone present watched in a mix of surprise and intrigue as Itsuka aggressively kissed Izuku.
'Is she high or something?!' Izuku thought as Itsuka continued to kiss him, though he didn't try and fight it.
"Woah! Itsuka, what are you doing?!" Kyoka demanded as she pulled the redhead away from Izuku.
Itsuka's pink eyes landed on Kyoka. "What does it look like?"
"Not what I meant!" Kyoka shouted. "Why are you suddenly sucking face with Izuku when you're not eve-mmph!" Kyoka was cut off when Itsuka suddenly started kissing her, her Earphone Jacks shooting straight up as her face turned red.
Izuku stared wide-eyed as Itsuka kissed Kyoka without warning. "Kendo, WHAT is going on?!" He demanded.
Itsuka broke away and looked at him dreamily. "I'm still worked up from fighting Mirko and need a way to vent."
"By kissing us?!" Izuku and Kyoka questioned.
"…Can I get in on this?" Yui asked.
"Don't encourage this!" Izuku and Kyoka yelled.
"I'm in!" Tour cheered.
"Same!" Nejire nodded.
"Huh?!"
Ryukyu and Mirko could only stare at the scene before them as the teens all began kissing each other (mostly Izuku), their silence only broken when Mirko snorted. "I like those girls. They know what they want."
Yui took a break to look at Ryukyu and Mirko. "You're free to join."
"WHAT?!" The two pros exclaimed, blushing.
"Are you not interested?" Yui asked.
Ryukyu's blush seemed to grow. "…I suppose a couple wouldn't hurt."
"HAH!?" Mirko could hardly believe her eyes as Ryukyu walked up and joined the kissing frenzy. Her own rational mind said not to do this, but her rabbit instincts began to override it, telling her to take this chance. "Fuck it!" Mirko hopped into the kissing frenzy also.
Nearby, Mizu watched with an amused grin. "The rizz is strong with this one," she laughed.
"I can't believe I did that," Itsuka, her eyes now normal, muttered as she sat down on a bench outside the battleground, face buried in her hands and her back hunched forward. "I can't believe I did that."
"You did," Yui, the only one not embarrassed by what happened aside from Mizu, smiled dreamily.
"I can't believe I did that."
"I can't believe we did it, either," Ryukyu muttered, her face burning from remembering the passionate kisses she gave Izuku.
"Uh-huh," Mirko nodded, cursing her instincts.
"So, why did you act like that, Kendo?" Toru asked.
"…I'm not sure," Itsuka admitted. "All I know was that I got… really worked up while fighting Mirko, and when I saw Midoriya… things just happened."
"It might have something to do with your heritage," Mizu offered.
"…Her heritage?" Mirko questioned.
"She's a descendent of the Asmodeus Clan of devils," Mizu explained. "Asmodeus is the demon of lust, and the clan's trait, Starsend Moment, can affect the senses from what I heard. It's possible that during your fight that might have awakened her clan trait, and caused her to act out on her emotions."
"…Seriously?" Itsuka muttered.
"It's just a theory. We'll have to do some training so this doesn't happen again," Mizu shrugged. "Anyway, how about we head back and see how everyone else is doing?"
"…In a minute," Ryukyu wrapped her arms around Izuku's left arm. "Me and Rumi need to have a… talk with Izuku first."
"…Yeah," Mirko wrapped her arms around Izuku's right arm. "We do."
"Are you joining his harem?" Nejire asked. "Can I join?!"
"Audible gulp," Izuku gulped, both dreading and looking forward to what'll happen next.
AN: I'm just gonna say… I did not enjoy working on this chapter. Not just because of the stuff I mentioned above, but it was such a pain to figure out how ALL OF IT WOULD WORK! Especially the ending. I had rewritten how the exam would end so many times…
Not only that, but just the other day I got a comment from EsquireBot (CopyKnight), saying that Hero Academia DxD was stolen by a content farm on YouTube. I checked it out and yep, a guy called Chronos Recom made three "What if? Anime" videos using a text-to-speech of the first few chapters of the fic! I already reported the videos, but this happened months ago! He was at least nice enough to leave a link to the fic in the comments, but still!
I'm going to give a warning to everyone else to about it. The guy has an article that can explain it better than me. Just look for "I'm Declaring War Against "What If" Videos: Project Copy-Knight" on EchoEkhi's Blog.
Oh, and a piece of advice to anyone who gets a message from EsquireBot (CopyKnight). When you do your copyright claim to YouTube, be sure to include the link to your fic. It'll save you headaches, trust me.
And with that out of the way, I'm going to say that I'm not sure when the next chapter will be ready. Sorry in advance.
Until then, stay safe, stay healthy, and don't be racist! Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!