I got a new mouse recently, the only one had a tendency of double clicking and it was annoying as hell.

I also got a new Maushold plushie :)

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5

Izuku moved some rubble off his body and coughed. Ouch- that Shindo had one intense quirk. It had to be hard to fight in an urban area, especially with a power like that.

Izuku looked around- he couldn't call out to his classmates, just in case the kids of Ketsubetsu and Shiketsu heard him. No one was around.

"We got split up..." Izuku frowned, standing up. His mind began to race, looking for an answer. Class 1-A found themselves at a disadvantage. Many of these students possessed superior battle analysis skills, teamwork, and an entire extra year of training. They were up against the best from all over...

And weirdly, Izuku felt a sense of excitement.

Then, that terrible headache returned. Izuku clutched his head in pain. Ow... it felt like a migraine had struck like a bomb and receded like a storm. What was that?

Izuku brushed himself off. He'd have to lay low for now, lest he attract attention. He was about to turn around when he noticed something odd. There was something shiny sticking out of the ground.

"What...is that?" Izuku asked, walking over to it. Upon closer inspection, he was shocked to see it was an enlarged screw. He looked it over a few times, and frowned.

"Must be the quirk of one of the students here. It looks pretty..." Izuku spun around, and saw them. He must have missed it when he came in.

On the ground lay the bodies of students, each with one or two screws embedded in their bodies, and remarkably, all targets were hit. It surpassed the required number needed to pass.

Izuku observed two things. Despite these gruesome wounds, no blood oozed from them. The second was that, while alive, all of them were stuck. Izuku hurried over to one of them, who was attempting to remove the screw.

"C-come on..." He grunted, failing to twist it. Izuku knelt down, and gulped. "What are you doing?"

"I don't know you, but...I can tell you need help." Izuku said, trying to unscrew the bolt. It was actually pretty easy. "What happened?"

"...I'll only tell you this cuz you did this for me." The kid frowned. "My class was planning an ambush on your class, but that Ketsubetsu boy ruined our plan. In the midst of our separation..." The boy grunted as Izuku removed the screw. "We were attacked...by some kid from Shiketsu."

"Shiketsu..." Izuku frowned, looking down at his wound. There was none to speak of- odd, considering the pain he was in. Izuku held the giant screw in his hand.

If I had to guess, he thought, this screw passes through any organic matter. Otherwise, those kids would be dead.

Izuku threw the screw away, as the boy stood up. The boy began flexing his muscles, and raised an eyebrow.

"Weird...it's back."

"What is?" Izuku asked.

"My quirk...I can inflate my muscles when I flex, see?" The boy demonstrated, as his muscles grew. "I couldn't use my quirk when that screw was embedded into my body."

Another layer of danger. No wonder he couldn't remove that screw- his quirk was erased.

"Strange." Izuku shivered.

｢abnormal, even｣

Izuku and the boy turned to see a boy from Shiketsu, standing atop a pile of rubble. When did he get there? Izuku recognized him- it was the 'Izuku Shiketsu'. He looked pleased with himself.

"G-gah!" The boy yelled, backing away before running off. The Shiketsu boy watched him run off, and sighed.

｢he left his friends｣ The boy pointed out. ｢he's no hero if you ask me｣

Izuku noted his strange speaking tone. It sounded...condescending, yet unique. I mean, did anyone else in this story have those text brackets?

The boy smiled at Izuku. ｢izuku midoriya...i watched you at the sports festival｣ He began. ｢you fought well, even if it was fruitless. your body seems like it can only handle a small percent of your power｣

Izuku frowned. "Are you the one who did this?" He asked.

｢its not my fault｣ The boy insisted. ｢but...we must do what we must to pass...correct?｣

The boy held up his hands, revealing two wide metal gauntlets. ｢these are just for show｣ He said, before generating two wide screws in his hands. Izuku frowned, before striking a pose.

"Who the hell are you?" Izuku asked.

｢you can call me misogi kumagawa｣ The boy grinned- that's when Izuku got that horrible headache again. The boy's kind face looked insincere and dangerous, like he was concealing a darkness inside of him.

He jumped down from his position, and landed on the ground. Kumagawa pointed his screws at Midoryia, and sneered.

｢now...come at me｣

Midoriya would have usually done things on his own, but he didn't want to rush into an opponent he didn't know much about. He, however, was going to make sure that the rest of the students were safe around this one.

That inner darkness felt terrifying and was enough to give him that headache over and over again.

But he couldn't run away or fight, he had to stand his ground…

One for All, Full Cowling! Izuku thought, as One for All surged through his body. Shoot Style!

Izuku leaped to his feet, extending one leg in the air. Manchester-! Izuku swung his leg down hard, but Kumagawa blocked it by raising his screw. SMASH! The ground beneath Kumagawa cracked from the weight of the attack, and threw Kumagawa off balance. Kumagawa's eyes widened a little bit, but he didn't waste any time getting a screw out and driving it into the wall nearest to him. He knew that the fight would be over if he could get one of those screws into his body.

His screws are really handy; they can eliminate Quirks, resist 5% of my strength, and help him move around with ease. Izuku thought. And he can make a whole lot of them! The kids of Shiketsu High are completely insane...

Kumagawa grinned as he began to throw more screws at Izuku. He jumped back. I want to use Blackwhip, but if I play that card early, he might get more aggressive with his attacks!

Kumagawa kept on throwing the screws, seemingly missing each shot, but using his unlucky misses to refine his tactics. ｢he seems to have a physical limit beyond which he cannot push himself. so I'll just have to wait for him to become tired of trying｣

Izuku kept avoiding his attackers' strikes. Jump after jump, he became further perplexed by Kumagawa's peculiarities. He could have hit all of the other students, but he didn't. He should have passed! Izuku dove for cover as a bigger screw swung toward him.

｢that won't work｣ Kumagawa said, as he placed his hand on the ground. ｢ ultimate move: leg eating forest｣

Izuku's headache was hitting him harder than before, and the earth rumbled for an instant. The screws... They weren't for show only! He yelled and then saw a number of walls and surfaces erupt with large spikes that looked like they were about to drill into Izuku's body.

Izuku winced. Guess I have no choice...

Izuku spread his arms, and shot out Blackwhip. He latched onto a random cliff, and pulled himself away as fast as he could. Kumagawa watched with great interest.

｢intriguing｣ As more and more of the nails began to quickly emerge from the ground, Kumagawa began to hop from nail to nail while maintaining his bombardment. This allowed him to keep the pressure on the enemy.

Izuku quickly pulled himself up, and took a few deep breaths. "I need to ask what kind of training Star and Stripe is putting these kids through..." Izuku said, as he started to run. I need to find somewhere to hide, and fast!

｢come now, where's the fun in running?｣ Kumagawa appeared slightly above Izuku and rapidly reared back, like a pitcher about to throw a game-winning strike.

Izuku felt that headache strike again. He knew Kumagawa was about to counter attack, and with a STRONG one too. Izuku spun around, and quickly deployed Blackwhip to catch the screw. Kumagawa was shocked, but shook his head.

Izuku reeled the screw back to him, and tossed it up in the air. Full Cowling! Improvised move! Izuku quickly kicked the screw back at Kumagawa. Los Angeles SMASH!

Kumagawa's eyes widened even further, and he rapidly held out his hands as if to try to catch the screw or even counter it directly. His thoughts were racing at a hundred miles per hour. Izuku recoiled in shock as he witnessed Kumagawa's hand being pierced by the screw. The young boy's face showed no sign of reaction to the excruciating pain.

｢nice kick｣ Kumagawa gave a hearty clap, despite the screw that was still stuck in his hand.

"You- Your hand!" Izuku just looked at Kumagawa as he seemed to glance at the screw with little to no reaction. It was like the screw wasn't even there...!

｢minor setback｣ Kumagawa said. ｢gimme a few minutes｣

Izuku retreated a few paces before continuing. What the heck is this guy doing in the hero course? I don't even think he's huma- Suddenly, a ball slammed into one of Izuku's targets, and he jerked back in surprise. He looked up just in time to see another Shiketsu student performing an acrobatic flip over him.

｢nice timing｣ Kumagawa exclaimed as he looked at the tall, well-dressed girl who had just come into view. Izuku stood there a little surprised that his 'headache' hadn't gone off when one of his targets was suddenly hit.

"Hiya, boys! Why don't you leave some for me?" Camie smiled softly, winked at Izuku, and turned on her heel.

Izuku looked down at his target and frowned. "Were you just a distraction for her to get in a free hit?"

｢nope｣ Kumagawa laughed. ｢she wouldn't even look my way even if i tried｣

"Guilty~" Camie poked fun at her opponent while rapidly getting into a battle stance. She and Kumagawa were both keeping their eyes on Izuku in the hopes of knocking him out as quickly as they could.

Izuku looked around at his surroundings. I still don't exactly know how to really fight with Blackwhip right now, but I know how to use it to maneuver around. I need to get away from this situation!

Izuku didn't have much time to react before he could see that Camie was throwing more and more attacks at him, but his head wasn't giving him that feeling...why? Wasn't that meant to mean something? It helped him avoid getting hit, so why couldn't he feel this girl?

Her quirk must erase her presence or something. Izuku rationalized. Pretty useful for a challenge like this. So, if that's the case...I need to see the extent of her power.

Izuku shot out Blackwhip and started lashing it against the ground. The attack stirred up dust and debris, temporarily blinding the Shiketsu duo. To escape the cloud of dust, Kumagawa fired more screws into the dust as they both scanned their surroundings.

Dodging the attacks, Izuku evaded the incoming assault from Camie. He could discern her movements within the dust—she moved like a snake slithering in the grass, swiftly closing in on her target. Anticipate where she's coming from, and act accordingly! Izuku thought as he utilized Blackwhip to snatch a screw embedded in a nearby wall.

The headache returned. Izuku swiftly evaded a palm blow from Camie, pulling himself backward. Using Blackwhip, he began swinging from screw to screw, eventually climbing to the top of one of the more prominent rock formations.

Kumagawa watched him with interest. ｢he used my screw to latch onto a structure! insane｣ Kumagawa watched Izuku zip away as he clapped again.

｢i'm impressed｣ He called out. ｢when i watched your sports festival footage, i thought you'd be an easy target...guess i lost on that｣

Izuku raised an eyebrow. "You...lost?"

｢correct! i made a gamble on assuming your quirk control was absolutely pitiful, but i've lost! you're a lot more competent than maybe half the students here｣ Kumagawa said, holding up several additional screws as his grin grew larger.

｢which means i have to bring about my next gamble, because i'm afraid you're not leaving this fight with any of your targets intact｣

Izuku frowned. "Kumagawa, right? Why did you attack all of those guys and not tap any of their targets?"

｢i was testing them｣ Kumagawa admitted. ｢to see if they were just elites, or actual heroes. more elites this time, i'm afraid...｣

"Elites? What does that have to do with anything?!" Izuku yelled, and Kumagawa, adjusting the screw that was still embedded in his palm, hopped up to one of the other towers nearby.

｢surely you've seen it by now? one thousand four hundred and fifty students and not one of them seems to prove that they're heroes｣

"I mean, we don't know that just yet." Izuku countered. "Are you just applying your morals to their codes?"

｢my moral code? it's the law of the wild, the law that dictates everything! what makes someone a hero, surely you've seen it? or perhaps you've already lost that game before you even started?｣ Kumagawa seemed to be tugging at Izuku's most dangerous strings, almost trying to provoke him into attacking.

Izuku stood his ground. "A hero makes others happy and helps those in need. I get that you don't want help to be limited, but you might be targeting kids chasing their dreams, just like you."

｢oh trust me, the elites i dealt with are only in this for status or something worse. they're the ones that fall by the wayside whilst heroes such as all might and endeavor stand above them...and yet even they might be considered losers in this game｣ Kumagawa manifested a few screws before starting to spin them around in his grip.

Izuku frowned. I dunno why, but I feel like I'm fighting against Stain! The innumerable sharp weapons, the unsettling ambiance, the criticism of hero culture...

｢and you know else was a loser in this game? stain! grandstanding about everything that makes a hero, thinking his own morals are superior? but you know, he didn't really get it right, he never got it right. he was weak. he was simply a puppet for something else...but not me｣ Kumagawa grinned as he suddenly launched forward, screws almost in orbit around him.

Izuku avoided the attacks, but just narrowly. How did he know I was thinking about Stain!? Izuku shook the thought out of his mind. Izuku swung around the area, looking for a good place to hide. Kumagawa merely kept on behind Midoriya in an effort to land a solid blow on him. His chances of success improved with each blow he landed. Kumagawa threw a wild flurry of screws, not even caring where they scattered. Izuku narrowly dodged them, and grit his teeth. The second I get hit by one of them, I lose my quirk- especially dangerous now, considering I'm so high up!

Izuku was getting close to a state of panic as he continued to swing. However, he quickly realized that, much like an animal that had been cornered, it only took the smallest of moves to change everything, and it only took the least of additions to make the chances even worse against him.

Izuku swiftly whirled around and unleashed a blackwhip. He then smashed into the ground to produce a massive cloud of dust and leave Kumagawa blinded. Finally, he dove into a huge crevice in the ground and hid.

Hopefully, this will work... Izuku thought to himself. As he did so, he took a quick survey of his surroundings. There were some kids in the hole who had been knocked out, and their targets were all lit up. It's safe to assume that "someone" has already attacked these kids. And scattered about were...a lot and lot of cards.

What's with all these cards down here? Izuku thought, looking at the ground.

As Izuku looked at the cards...suddenly he could feel a hand gripping onto his shoulder. He wasn't sure what it was but he also felt a sudden sensation of fear run across him.

This was a trap...!

Izuku backhanded whoever it was behind him, as they cried out in pain. He spun around, and gasped. "O-oh, my God! Uraraka-!"

"What the HECK, Midoriya?!" Ochako cursed, looking rightfully pissed. "Why'd you have to go and smack me like that!?"

"I'm really sorry!" Izuku began to bow his head deeply, but as he did, he started to realize something. He had seen Ochako at the beginning of the test, but he also knew that she had been separated from the others. Given Shindo's brutal attack, she wouldn't be anywhere near here now.

"Hold on a sec..."

He looked back up to see Ochako looking at him all weird. "Hey, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like I just killed somebody?"

"Uraraka..." Izuku said. "If that's really you, tell me...what's the last thing you unlocked?"

Ochako looked at Izuku and felt her eyes start to get a little wider. "Why do you want to know that? Come on, you can't really believe I'm not me, can you?"

"Tell me. Right now." Izuku said. "I know it might be crazy, but with these Shiketsu kids...I'm not taking any chances."

Ochako blinked. "Uhh...I unlocked...a door?" Ochako shrugged.

Wrong answer. Izuku thought, as he deployed Blackwhip to restrain 'Ochako'. "Not even close."

"Gghhh-! Oh, that's so rough!" "Ochako" grinned as she started to move around in his grip, her cheeks turning red as she tried to get away. At the same time, she was probably having a little too much fun with this as the Blackwhip tendrils gripped her.

"I don't know who you are, but...don't say that with her voice! That's just wrong." Izuku said while blushing profusely.

"I don't think your worries should be with me, Deku~" The faux Ochako teased. "Take a look around~!"

"Wh-?" Izuku suddenly saw a lot of eyes start to open. It looked like they were no longer alone down here; the rest of the "survivors" were starting to wake up. They stood back up, and probably would've left...but they had cards stuck in their heads. Izuku looked at them with a confused look.

"What is th-" Izuku looked back to the faux Ochako, but to his shock, she had vanished. He withdrew Blackwhip and looked around. "W-what the heck is going on!?" As each student started to look around, his or her eyes seemed to fix on Izuku. Their eyes seemed to glow in the dark, and they looked like they were ready to attack.

Another crazy quirk! Izuku thought, as the controlled heroes began to fire their quirks at him. Izuku avoided laser beams, water blasts and 'corn flakes', and he cursed the user.

The user probably left them here as a distraction for someone! Don't tell me they're in leagues with-!

"Jeez, that was easy..." Saki sighed, as she walked through the messed up battlefield. "Thought there'd be more of a challenge or something. I kinda wanted to take out one of those UA brats, but...whatever."

She looked back to the battlefield, and smirked underneath her mask. "Let's hope Kumagawa can pass with flying colors- I sure know everyone else isn't."

Izuku tried to move as quickly as he could while the other users kept throwing attacks, but it was only a matter of time before either his targets were hit or he was hit by something else...

And Kumagawa was about to strike like a viper like an animal in the bushes. Kumagawa stabbed his assailants into the wall and then drove a screw into Izuku's body with lifeless eyes. ｢there we go...｣ Kumagawa grinned, as Izuku began to feel his body go limp.

M-my quirk's gone...and not only that, I just feel...empty inside... Izuku thought, as Kumagawa let go of the screw.

｢well...i guess you're a loser like the rest of them. just like me｣ Kumagawa sighed, disappointed.

｢just like you to simply be a puppet in someone else's game. i even saw it with your quirk, you're not even using it properly...or maybe you can't? either way, i'm gonna have to say that you put up at least a decent struggle...｣

Izuku struggled to say something, but he found himself lost for words. Any of the words he did want to say were...just missing from his mind.

His screws...they not only erase powers, but they also erase anything else...I'm literally useless like this! Izuku thought.

｢can't even muster up some kind of response? maybe erasing everything about being a hero from you really does make you useless. shame really, i'm almost upset that i have to put you down...｣ Kumagawa sighed before getting ready to drive the screws in.

｢i'm not even going to tap your targets. i'm just going to leave you down here. maybe the rest of your class will pass, without you by their side- and their lives will go on. and you'll be left in the dust｣ Kumagawa said. ｢i expected more from you, honestly...from what i've heard you're usually more...active｣

Izuku just started trying to move anything, but it was like his mind was stuck inside a shell. He was ready to give up, but just as his eyes were getting blurry, it seemed like luck was on his side.

Kumagawa was suddenly on the ground next to him. Someone had stepped in and slammed his own fist into the screw-wielding student. The figure had blonde hair and, for someone who was supposed to be from one of the other academies, a very normal outfit.

"You OK? I saw what was going on and decided to help," The figure said as he put out his hand.

Izuku blinked, as he stared up at the boy. "Y-yeah. Thanks..."

The boy grimaced as he pulled the screw out of Izuku's body. "Don't mention it..." His attention turned to Kumagawa, who was clutching his cheek in pain.

｢the hell, zenkichi｣

"These kids at least deserve a chance to prove themselves." Zenkichi scolded the kid. "Medaka would be on your case about this, but she's busy helping Mogana..."

｢hm｣ Kumagawa said, standing back up.

"You better scram right now, or I swear- I won't hesitate to eliminate someone from my school." Zenkichi thought that sounded cool.

Scram? Izuku thought.

｢Scram? Really? You think that's gonna sound cool?｣

"Look, I don't care, I'll gladly throw all I got at you to make sure you don't go off acting on your own." Zenkichi said. "Medaka already got on your case a ton of times before because of how many students you've gone too hard on!"

｢...you're not going to let up on this one in particular, are you?｣ Kumagawa inquired. Zenkichi firmly held his ground.

"No."

Kumagawa gave a half hearted shrug and laughed. ｢oh well｣ He said. ｢if one of my dearest friends is telling me i'm going too far, then okay｣

"So, that's that. Just know that Medaka will find out, so you'd better have a good reason." Zenikichi just looked at Izuku with a frown on his face. "And you? Don't try to kill yourself out there."

Izuku blinked. "U-uh, yeah. You too, I guess..." Izuku was very, very lost.

｢well｣ Kumagawa sighed. ｢back to the real challenge- hitting those targets｣

"Oh, you can LITERALLY pin down your targets. Get the hell out of here." Zenkichi said with an exasperated sigh. Kumagawa walked off into the tunnels, probably to attack and terrorize more kids. Zenkichi was quick to rush out to help others, but he would be keeping an eye on Kumagawa to see if he would try to pull anything…

Izuku stood there for a few more seconds, and looked around. "W-well, I only escaped with one target hit, I guess." Izuku said, rubbing his shoulder. He then looked up towards the crack in the ceiling, and used Blackwhip to pull himself back up.

Wonder what happened to that one girl... Izuku thought. Was she the faux Ochako?

Earlier, the city zone had been a war zone. Sure, Inasa's vortex move knocked out over a hundred students in one go, but that wasn't everyone in the city zone. That wasn't even really one neighborhood. Of course, in the chaos caused by Shindo's earthquake, the city zone seemed like a good place to go for a trio of U.A. students.

"Ok, so," Kirishima said to his comrades, "we got myself as the shield and you two for range."

"Well…sorta range," Kaminari corrected, "Haven't used this in a real fight yet." The electrokinetic student held up a new piece of support gear. Just like how others had been working to cover some of the limitations of their Quirks, so had he. After all, indiscriminate electrocution was no small hindrance.

"Plus, I got my Acid Veil!" Mina chimed in, "Two-pronged defense!"

"Alright, so we have a plan! Sorta!" Kirishima pumped his fist in the air. But oddly, the U.A. trio's words were some of the only sounds that echoed between the buildings. Even as the trio made their way deeper into the city, the only sounds of battle were far off, echoing from other zones. It almost gave off the impression that the city was abandoned. That eerie feeling wasn't lost on any of the trio though.

As they walked, they kept their eyes on the buildings, thinking maybe the other students had taken the battles inside or were setting up an ambush.

"This is starting to get super creepy, isn't it?" Mina asked.

"Like entire classes just…vanished, yeah," Kaminari agreed, eyes scanning the windows for any signs of life.

"Maybe there's a guy with an invisibility Quirk," the tank of the group shrugged, before his eyes widened in surprise. He smirked and tossed the ball he was given in his hands.

"Nevermind, I just found one!" Kirishima smirked.

Indeed, there was a student just standing in the middle of the fabricated road with their back turned to the trio. Calling them a bit odd in appearance might have been an understatement in a world of Quirks, but the description was accurate. Their hero costume seemed to be a full suit of dark gray, angular plate armor with only their head exposed, which seemed to be less by choice and more by necessity. Their head was actually that of a dark brown haired horse.

"Yo, horse knight!" Kirishima called out, "Turn around! If you're just gonna stand there, I'd rather tag you out face to face! More manly that way!"

The "knight" didn't respond, only twitching a bit really.

"Um…Kirishima?" Mina asked. She started to hear something that put her on edge.

"Hang on," Kirishima said, turning back to the knight, "Look, if this is an ambush-!"

"Uh, KIRISHIMA!" Kaminari yelled, looking down an alleyway, readying his gauntlet.

"What?!" Kirishima looked back and then he saw it. Other students were shuffling towards them from the right. The horse student turned around, revealing his face just as the lead students shuffled into the light. Their skin had turned pale and their faces had turned into pure nightmare fuel. Their eyes and mouths had turned into, seemingly, just dark and empty holes.

"HOLY CRAP WHAT THE HELL KIND OF QUIRK IS THIS?!" Kirishima yelled, immediately hardening up.

"The Quirk of nightmares, U.A!" a voice called out. The trio looked up to see a figure on the roof of a building looking down on them. His hero costume consisted of a black, double-breasted coat with a high collar and thick gray cuffs, which extended past his knees. A system of wires and nozzles was fastened around his waist, ankles and down his arms. He wore a translucent, purple-tinted mask over his mouth and the look was completed gloves, pointed dress shoes, and pinstriped pants visible above them.

"This is…you have a Zombie Quirk?!" Kaminari yelled, "That's kinda messed up don't you think?!"

"It's a quick way to pacify enemies that aren't worth my time," the student smirked, "Now, if memory serves…you three could be an asset to my forces."

"Dude, this isn't a war game!" Mina called out.

"Maybe not for you. But for me…"

"FUJIMI!" another voice called out from an adjacent rooftop.

"Of course," Fujimi shook his head, "I should have known you were too stubborn for your own good Shiketsu!"

The trio turned to the other rooftop and saw another Shiketsu student adjusting his hat. The rest of his hero costume was made up of a mostly black, red trimmed overcoat with a collar covering his entire neck, only stopping just below his mouth. Two red-rimmed flaps are folded over the top of that large collar. The sleeves of his coat reach down to his elbows, cut off by two large red cuffs which are strapped onto the upper part of the sleeves. On his right arm, he wore an extra, smaller white armband with a black stripe through the middle. He sported a black apron on top of his coat that reached down past his knees, with red strings threaded twice through that go around his neck. He also wore a very weird set of gloves that only covered his thumb, index and middle fingers. Finishing the look was a pair of simple black boots.

"To throw others into the grinder as your pawns, have you no shame?! What are they teaching you to where you consider this an effective strategy?!" the Shiketsu kid yelled.

"Figures you would think like that. Villains aren't going to fight with honor, so why should I? Lives are saved only when a Pro is fast and effective, the very definition of my power!" Fumiji held his arms open wide in a grand gesture.

Isamu Academy High School: Romero Fujimi! Quirk: Zombie Virus! He can release a pink gas from his body that turns anyone who inhales it into a zombie, complete with undead resilience and strength! The virus can also spread through the infected's bite, creating more zombies in a vicious cycle! The good news is that the effects aren't permanent, lasting only about 15 minutes!

"While that's true, one should also ensure not come across as a brutish thug or a manipulator like you!" the Shiketsu kid countered.

"...is it just me, or does it feel like we stepped into someone else's fight halfway through?" Mina asked.

"It's like two Bakugous having a grudge match," Kaminari sighed. The Shiketsu kid jumped from the roof, falling a bit before a giant hand caught him and carried him down to the pavement. In the process, however, it seemed that his arm, just a little bit past the elbow, had melted away. The Shiketsu kid hopped off the hand before it raced forward and exploded into a scattershot of flesh.

The U.A trio raced for cover as some of those flesh projectiles also targeted them. Thankfully, they were able to stop the globs from touching, ducking inside the nearest building and watching the results. Several of the zombified students were hit by the flesh globs and, in a disgusting manner, they were covered by it and compressed. Pale, fleshy globs fell to the floor with scraps of hair, mouths, and eyes peeking out from among the amorphous form.

"Ohhhh what the hell? Why did we have to get the nightmare fuel guys?!" Kaminari asked.

The Shiketsu student stepped on one of the globs, as if he had won some great victory as his arm reformed.

"And you claim my methods are over the top?" Romero scoffed, "Look at what you do!"

"I can undo this as easily as I snap my fingers. I won't because I know what will happen if I do as long as they are under your foul influence!" Seiji countered.

"Your defense's gonna break sometime, Shiketsu!" Romero reared his arms back and, almost in sync, his zombies jerked back as well. It was like he was pulling the strings on puppets.

"Re-Animator's...Dead...RISING!" Romero yelled, sending his horde of zombies at Seiji. The Shiketsu student watched as the zombies' eyes all turned red and they rushed at him with renewed fury. He used one of his flesh constructs to pull himself out of horde's reach, but they still rushed after him.

Seiji calmly sent his 'flesh' flying forward, and melded itself into a massive hand. It blocked off the horde of zombies, before quickly slamming them flat into the ground.

"Ultimate Move: Smash Burger." Seiji said, as the hand slammed the zombies into a flat, disgusting paste.

Kaminari almost vomited when he saw that move in action. Kirishima nearly fainted. And Mina just had her mouth open in shock and horror.

"Shiketsu kids are...scary." Mina muttered.

"The Shiketsu kid's scary?!" Kaminari shouted, "I mean he is, but there's a dude out there who is one bad day away from making Resident Evil a reality!"

"...you've played Resident Evil?" Kirishima asked, shaken out of his shock.

"Not the point right now! How the hell are we supposed to beat a guy who can turn people into...those," Kaminari pointed to the clumps on the ground, "and a guy who can cause a zombie apocalypse?"

"...easy." Mina said. "We let them fight, and pick from the scraps."

"Huh?"

"These guys have two amazing quirks, and we're pretty basic. I know we have range and everything, but...it's not enough. Inhale HIS gas and we get turned into zombies. Get tapped by his fingers and we get...meatballed." Mina said. "So? We get onto a roof, and let them fight."

"And if they find us before a winner's decided?" Kirishima asked.

"They're gonna be so totally focused on each other! Look at them!" Mina said. The two were throwing out everything they had- Seiji's meat constructs were smashing and crushing the zombies like bugs, and Romero's focus was concentrated on this one gross Shiketsu student.

"I mean...yeah, they are..." Kirishima thought about it, "Feels like we should still throw at least one punch."

"We'll throw it if need be." Mina countered.

"I kinda wanted to test out my new gear, though..." Kaminari whined.

"You'll get your chance, I'm sure of it!"

Outside, the battle between zombies and meatballs continued. More fleshy scattershot rained down on the zombie horde, squishing even more of the "undead" into clumps. As Seiji flew away, Romero chased him down as he jumped between rooftops.

"Let's bring him down a bit shall we?" Romero smirked, "Re-Animator's Dead Rising: Flashes of Life!"

Down in the horde, one of the students, who seemed to resembled a drill in both Quirk and costume, launched themselves up to pierce Seiji's flesh construct. The student's blade pierced the flesh and scattered it, taking the butcher of Shiketsu by surprise.

"I can control their quirks, too! Makes it useful in situations like this." Romero bragged.

"Seems like a rather villainous quirk- like something that would be locked away in Tartarus." Seiji frowned. "Disgusting use of others for your own gain!"

"I could very easily toss that back at you," Romero chuckled. He pulled his hands around as if he were controlling puppets and, from the horde, more students rose up to attack Seiji. One student, who's head was a literal spool of cable, threw out a heavy lasso of fiber cable to try and ensnare the butcher. One tried to use the hammer on their head to nail him, slam him to the ground towards the rest of the horde. Even a third fired off a stream of liquid cement. Seiji was undeterred though. He dodged the lasso, letting it wrap around the hammer-student instead. As for the liquid cement, he actually threw the other two zombies in the way, watching them get stuck in the stone.

Seiji jumped back onto a massive meat hand, and began to hover upwards. "I see how it is, zombie boy. You are clearly misguided…"

"Are you running, meatmouth? I've got you SUPER out numbered, so I can't blame you." Romero laughed.

"Furthest thing from it, actually." Seiji's hand dumped him atop a building, before shouting up into the sky. Seiji sent more pieces of meat towards the hand, allowing it to grow in size.

"Hey, he's distracted." Kaminari said. "Let's try to take him out when he takes the zombie dude out!"

"Perfect timing! We'll cover you! Kirishima!" Mina patted her friend on the shoulder. The chivalrous red-headed student hardened up and smirked, racing out to be Kaminari's shield.

"Here's your time to shine, Kaminari!" Kirishima smirked.

Seiji's giant meat hand started to slam into the ground, smooshing all the zombies in its wake. Romero groaned, but didn't stop. "Fine…I guess I have to do it, but…" Romero took off his mask. "Here goes nothing."

"What are you...?" Seiji turned, noticing Romero removing his mask. It was easy to figure out what the mask was for. Some people's Quirk's also effected them, a trait found mostly in Emitter types. Was he going to-?

Before he finished the thought, pain shot up his arm. Seiji's flesh hand had been bitten by Romero. The zombie-maker's face wasn't pale like the zombies he'd created, so maybe he was immune to his own Quirk? It was a half and half gamble, honestly.

Seiji coughed and dropped to his knees, feeling the infection spread. "I...will not...lose like this!" Seiji yelled, before smashing Romero into the ground. Multiple smaller hands quickly tore apart the meat, leaving Romero in pieces.

"U-ultimate move..." Seiji coughed. "Slaw Burger!"

Before he could actually carry out the move, two projectiles slammed into the ground, one in the middle of the horde and one right next to Seiji.

"H-huh?" Seiji muttered as the infection continued to spread.

"Hey! Meat-guy! Didn't wanna lose like that, right? How about like this?" Kaminari said before firing off a lightning bolt at the first projectile.

"W-what is that-?!" Seiji yelled, before Kaminari fired a beam of electricity. It traveled through Seiji's body, and into the two discs he had launched.

Not only was Seiji shocked, so was the rest of the horde! Seiji shouted out in pain as the shock struck him, the voltage quickly frying him into unconsciousness. The rest of the zombies followed suit. But with Seiji knocked out, his victims began to return to normal as well.

"Uh...we might wanna get our three and run," Mina suggested.

"Good plan!" Kaminari agreed.

"...but first, lemme tap his targets." Kaminari said, walking over.

"Isn't he all...zombied up? What if you get bitten?" Kirishima asked.

"I mean...he is unconscious," Kaminari tossed the ball in his hand as he went over to tap the targets.

Thankfully, all Seiji could do was twitch and drool. Poor guy.

"Well, we got one target..." Kaminari said. "So, what now?"

Kirishima grinned. "Well, those kids down there...I'm pretty sure they're all gonna start throwing at random since they're clumped so close together."

"So in other words," Mina said, moving over and tapping the targets on one of the zombies, "We tap the three we need and then bolt."

"Yeah, pretty much." Kirishima said. "Gonna take a lot of guts, but we can do this! COME ON! LET'S GET FIRED UP!"

"Yeah!" the other two U.A. students cheered as they quickly went around to get the three they needed. Kirishima managed to find the horse guy and tap his targets, knocking him out of the exam, then he climbed up the building and tagged out Romero. A few more satisfying buzzes later, all three of the students' targets flashed green to show that they passed. Mina hi-fived Kirishima and Kaminari when they got the message to return to the ante room to wait for the next part of the exam.

"HELL YEAH!" Mina yelled. "We didn't even have to lift a finger! Mostly."

"Alright! Now, let's get going!" Kaminari yelled and started running back to the Ante Room so they could figure out what they needed to do next…

"Hey, uh. Kaminari? That was like. Really cool what you did." Mina said. "How'd you figure out how to direct your lightning?"

"Uh, I totally looked at how lightning can be guided to metal objects and used that to my advantage." Kaminari said that he had not been...absolutely influenced by video games when he made the move.

"That sounds pretty cool, actually! That range is gonna really help you down the line." Kirishima said.

"Yes, I think it's a good way of doing things... Plus, it keeps me from going stupid whenever I try to attack." Kaminari chuckled.

"You know...I have to ask. Were you inspired by the...coin trick you did during our fight?" Mina asked, not realizing something was rising up behind her…

"Ehh well, ya know. I probably have more than one idea." Kaminari said, before he suddenly saw the person behind Mina standing up. He didn't think twice about firing a disc at the zombie, which landed behind it and fired a quick shot at it.

The beam of electricity arced shot through the zombie, electrocuting it and causing it to fall over. Kaminari breathed heavily, clearly confused. "Uh...we knocked out the zombie kid, right?" Kaminari asked.

"Y-yeah, we did. How come there's still some zombies around?" Kirisihima asked.

Mina looked around, and her eyes widened. "Oh...crap! I think the virus might still be active."

"W-what?! How?" Kirishima asked.

"Well, not EVERYONE was turned on the first go." Mina explained. "Plus, if some zombies split off and attacked some other students..."

"In that case, it's time to get moving!" Kaminari said as he began to feel his body wane a little. He was going to have to keep an eye on how many coins he had left.

"Just when I thought we were out of the hard part." Kirishima said, as they rushed through the city. None of them, however, noticed Seiji, rising up from the roof...

"Justice..." The zombified Seiji muttered.

In order to progress, the gang understood they would have to put up another fierce battle; if they were cornered again, it could be even more disastrous than the last one. Each of the students had their own 'defense mechanism'- Kirishima's hardened body, Kaminari's electrified body, and Mina's newly dubbed 'Acid Man'. So, if any zombie somehow got close...the students would be protected.

Hopefully.