Chapter 39: Ultimate Moves Incoming
"I don't know if I mentioned this already, but just to be safe, here I go again: Your main focus this summer is obtaining Provisional Hero Licenses. And while it is true that everything that happened may have upset that a bit, there's still time for us to get it done," Aizawa-sensei said.
Everyone sitting in class was trying their hardest not to look, but it was pretty clear that the "everything that happened," included the reason there was now an empty desk in this room.
Specifically, Kodai's desk.
"Do not take this lightly," the Underground Hero wanted his class. "A Hero License means that you're responsible for human lives. You can imagine that the exam to receive one will be very difficult. Only fifty percent of students meet the requirements to pass each year."
Shinso gulped. "Is it that hard to get a Provisional License?"
Aizawa-sensei nodded. "So, in order to prepare, today you'll concentrate on creating something new: Two Ultimate Moves. And in order to help you… you'll be with these three."
As soon as Eraserhead said that, the door on the side of the room slid open, revealing Midnight, Ectoplasm, and Cementoss. While everyone else was either gawking at the idea of creating Ultimate Moves or the teachers who would be helping them, Ochako had only two things on her mind: First, were those three just standing behind the door this whole time, waiting for their cue?
And second, and probably more important, would she also have to make some Ultimate Moves? She was still busy dealing with her extra Quirks and using them in sync, how would she have time to also make Ultimate Moves? Unless… she could kill two birds with one stone…
Now that the brown-haired girl thought about it, this could work to her advantage. Aizawa-sensei didn't say how these Ultimate Moves needed to be made, he just said that they needed to make two. So, if she managed to make one using Blackwhip or Smokescreen or whatever, then not only would she meet the criteria, but she would also get a better handle on her extra Quirks!
Snapping out of her thoughts, Ochako looked back up to see that the teachers were now talking. Best for her to listen and understand the entirety of the criteria, just to be safe…
"Now, when we say "Ultimate," we mean a move that will ensure you win against your opponent," the skull-masked Hero explained to the classroom.
"Additionally, it would be an action so unique to your identity, that no other person could hope to copy it," Cemetoss said. "Simply put, you must learn to lean into your strengths."
"Your moves represent who you are. These days, most, if not all, Pro Heroes have an Ultimate Move, and those who don't think they need one are fools," Midnight finished off.
"This may sound abstract, but we'll explain more as the day goes on," Eraserhead said, standing up from his desk. "For now, change into your costumes and meet in Gym Gamma."
Alright, so, I need to figure out how to incorporate my Quirks into these Ultimate Moves, all while making them unique to myself, Ochako thought. Well, considering that these Quirks belonged to people who died ages ago, I'm sure that I've got the "unique" part already taken care of…
"Gym Gamma… also known as "The Training Dining Land," or TDL, for short," Aizawa-sensie said, as he walked through the massive empty room, full of concrete on every surface.
While the place looked somewhat impressive, that was undercut by its name. Training Dining Land? Seriously? I know I couldn't have been the only one who thought that the USJ also happened to stand for "Universal Studios Japan," but this one is just ridiculous…
Cementoss, meanwhile, seemed unfazed by the students' reactions, as he erected a few concrete walls. "This facility was my idea. We can prepare unique terrains and obstacles for each student. Here, you will learn to "serve up justice," where the name comes from."
"Oh, that's… pretty cool…" Kaminari whispered.
Oof. Ochako was pretty sure that even someone as emotionally stunted as Katsuki would be able to tell that Kaminari wasn't putting his all into that one. In all honesty, she couldn't really blame him, as the name was just… so goddamn ridiculous, and the reasoning even more so.
Iida, however, didn't seem bothered by the name, as he raised his hand. "Please allow me a question! What is the advantage of having Ultimate Moves for our Provisional Exam?"
"The job of a Hero is to save people from all sorts of dangers: Crime, accidents, and natural or manmade disasters. Of course, the Licensing Exam analyzes how well you deal with such things. It won't just be fighting," Eraserhead explained. "Your ability to gather information and make quick decisions will be judged. In addition to how well you communicate, cooperate, and lead others. Every year, a new test is used to evaluate these qualities. "
"One more thing is especially important: If you want to be a Pro Hero, you must be able to prevail in battle," Midnight added, pointing towards the students. "If you're prepared, you won't have to worry, and those of you with an Ultimate Move will have stronger results."
"Your circumstances should not dictate the results of your future battles," Cementoss said, smiling. "Learn to be consistent, and you will be a great asset on the front lines."
"Your Ultimate Move doesn't necessarily have to be an attack. A temporary speed boost like Iida's is valuable enough that it falls into the category of excellence we are looking for."
Ectoplasm's statement caused the bespectacled teen to shake with excitement, while Sato, who was next to Iida, was more calm and collected. "So, it's basically our secret weapon. Something that will give us the edge so we can win no matter who or what we're facing."
Aizawa-sensei nodded at that assessment. "The training camp was interrupted, but the practice you did get was part of the process you needed to create these defining abilities. Now, you'll be working hard to develop powerful moves of your own for the next ten days. This is how you'll spend the remainder of your summer vacation. Prepare for some intensive training."
Alright, it was now official: Ochako was kinda intimidated by this. It probably didn't help that Cemetoss was creating a bunch of mountains of concrete in front of them, while Ectoplasm was creating an army of clones. Were they doing that for the overall coolness factor?
"In addition, you should think about how to improve your costumes, especially now that you have a better understanding of your Quirks," Aizawa-sensei said, as he narrowed his gaze at the class. "I expect each of you to go Plus Ultra. Do you have it in you?"
"""YES, SIR!"""
Todoroki was both freezing himself and setting himself alight at the same time, Sero was shooting out tape like crazy, Shoji was creating multiple organs from the same arm, Kirishima was punching holes into walls, Sato was stuffing his face with sweets, Iida was running across the building, and even Tsu was training herself invisible! And as for Ochako, well…
…she had no idea where to begin.
So far, the majority of her moves were either a mix of All Might's and a dash of Zero Gravity, but that wasn't gonna cut it. She needed to figure out new ways to incorporate her other Quirks into the mix, and have them do more than just their basic functions. But where to begin…?
Danger Sense was a passive power, so that was immediately out. Maybe she could try and control the flow of Smokescreen, so rather than it being a full blast that blinds everyone, she could control its density? Now that Ochako thought about it, would she be able to use Zero Gravity on the smoke? Doubtful, but worth a try. And then there was Blackwhip…
She had managed to get that Quirk under control, but she had only ever used it to grab things and pull herself towards other things, not much else. There had to be more to it than just being a weirder-looking Sero shtick, right? Especially since One For All had supposedly made it stronger. But the question was… what exactly would she do with it?
Maybe I should start by summoning it, Ochako thought to herself. A few seconds of mental concentration later, and she could see the black tentacles coming out of her arm. No longer were they exploding out as uncontrollable vines, but their exit was now small, controllable. They were wriggling around a bit, sure, but with a small mental command, they stayed still.
Now, the real question: What to make them do. The most obvious answer would be to make them do the opposite of what she usually had them do, but what would that be, exactly? Everyone else had been expanding their arsenal in a variety of different ways, and Ochako was just stuck looking at them. Yaomomo was creating multiple items at the same time, Ojiro was working on his tail strength, and Tokoyami turned Dark Shadow into some sort of… armor…?
Wait a minute. Ochako did a double-take at what she saw. Tokoyami was with Midnight, and even from that distance, she could hear Tokoyami saying something about how his strength increased. Now that she thought about it, Blackwhip kinda was like Dark Shadow…
Both of the Quirks seemingly had minds of their own, Dark Shadow literally, and Blackwhip freaking out whenever Ochako's emotions were volatile. The two of them were designed to come out of their users' bodies, either from Tokoyami's stomach or from Ochako's arms, and they both had an overall vibe of darkness, which was even expressed in their names.
If Tokoyami was able to have Dark Shadow wrap around his body, then maybe it wouldn't hurt to have Blackwhip try the same thing with me. Looking down at her arms, she sent the command for Blackwhip to do just that. The dark tentacles slowly began to wrap around her arms, and while it was somewhat unsettling, it didn't hurt. In fact, it oddly felt… warm.
The tendrils wrapped around her arms, before slowing down and moving on to her shoulders, then her upper body, her waist, and legs, eventually covering the surface of her entire body. Ochako could feel Blackwhip slightly straining itself to cover everything, but the brown-haired girl figured that with a little training and exercise, the Quirk would get used to this.
Feeling it around her body, Ochako felt a bit… lighter? Springier? She wasn't sure, but it felt like her entire body was now covered in a bouncy sponge. Maybe using Blackwhip like this would make her faster? Or maybe she would be able to better absorb the impact of blows?
"Well, there's only one way to find out…" she muttered to herself.
Today was quite the tiresome day.
The whole "coming up with Ultimate Moves" thing would be a sitch for most Hero Course students, but for Hitoshi, it was a pain in the ass. What exactly would he be able to do for an Ultimate Move? Anything involving his Quirk usually involved misdirection or communication.
Sure, he heard Ectoplasm say that these Ultimate Moves didn't need to be combat-based, but they still needed to be unique to each person. Would his support item's mimicry qualify?
Ehh, questions for later. He had already spent the day trying to come up with something. Right now, he had more important things to do, as he gulped, upon arriving at his destination.
Hitoshi Shinso stared at the massive metal doors of the Development Studio.
He had trained under Eraserhead. He had trained under Ms. Joke. He had trained under freaking All Might. And yet, despite all that, he still lost to Megethos. Kodai had beaten him twice now. Once in their one-on-one fight, and the second time when she knocked him out.
Hitoshi watched the live fight at Kamino. He was how Kodai took down Mount Lady. She had been holding back her entire time at UA. The only reason Bakugou passed the Battle Trial was because she was trying to balance both maintaining her cover and trying to beat the everliving snot out of him, and failed. But if she really wanted to, she could have killed him, easily.
Hell, she almost did kill someone back at I-Island. If it wasn't for Hitoshi intervening, Kodai would have sunk her knife into one of Wolfram's downed goons. She wasn't just some quiet girl. Kodai was a Villain, who, at best, had an intense bloodlust, and at worst, was a full-blown psychopath who managed to hide the fact due to her boyfriend's order to infiltrate UA.
Actually, maybe he might have gone too far in calling her a psychopath. It was clear she cared about Uraraka as a friend, and for those she deemed as "comrades," it was just that her priorities were seriously mixed up. Maybe she was just a battle junkie that did everything Midoriya told her because of whatever weird-ass relationship those two were in.
Regardless of the fact, she was a menace. One that he couldn't use his Brainwashing on. If he was to ever fight her again, it would have to be head-on. And even with all the extra combat training he had gotten, Hitoshi knew there was no way he could beat a monster like her.
So, he decided to level the playing field. Placing his hand on the door, he –
BOOOOOM!
"You know, you shouldn't mix everything you find together in the lab like that," a familiar voice said. Given the context clues, Hitoshi could safely say that it was Power Loader.
"Hehehe, failure is the mother of convection, Power Loader-san! Thomas Edison said something like that once. Even if something I make doesn't work like I envisioned, that doesn't mean it's a waste of time!" Hatsume. Hitoshi could recognize her voice from anywhere.
"You almost blew up the entire lab! Will you please open your ears and listen to me for once?!"
Hatsume, meanwhile, wasn't paying attention to Power Loader, as the pink-haired girl looked down at the person she was currently on top of. "Hey… when did you get here?"
"...Please get off me," Hitoshi groaned.
"Oh, sorry about that!" Hatsume quickly stood up. "And for the sudden explosion. It's been a while, huh? You're from Class 1-A, right? Uhh… yeah, I forgot your name."
"Hitoshi Shinso," he said, standing up. "We worked together in the second round?"
"NEVER HEARD OF YOU! Now, I'm busy developing new babies, so byyye!"
Yeah, I really should have expected that. Regardless, the purple-haired teen wouldn't quit. "Wait a second, please! I wanted to ask about improving some elements of my costume –"
Hatsume immediately shot back at him like a rocket. "YOU CAN COUNT ME IN!"
"Hatsume!" Power Loader pried the pink-haired girl off of Hithsio. "I heard from Eraserhead that you're here to upgrade your costume for those new moves, yes? Come on in."
The purple-haired teen walked into the lab, and he had to admit, the place looked pretty cool. Sure, it wasn't anywhere near as sci-fi as I-Island, but it still reminded him of a spy thriller…
"I have a license to make costumes, so I'm allowed to do some mild tinkering with those that were made out of house. For small changes, I can simply report the alterations to the design company; they'll do the paperwork for me," Power Loader explained. "But for major changes, we'll have to fill out an application, and ask the design professionals to make the adjustments for us. After that's completed, the government will make sure certain standards are met. When approved, they'll be sent back here. There's usually a three-day turnaround."
"Well, I was wondering if there was a way to have my capture tape integrated into my suit arms, rather than just keeping it wrapped around my face. Is that change possible?"
"Hmm, let's see…" Power Loader said, as he booted up his desktop. "Aside from your capture scarf, you mainly fight using a collapsible staff and a knife behind your back. I think I can do what you're asking for pretty fast. Now, I – What the heck?! Hatsume, knock that off!"
"Wow, he has a real swimmer's physique," the pink-haired girl murmured to herself, as she kept feeling Hitoshi's upper body, much to the shock of the purple-haired teenager.
"What are you doing…?"
"I'm trying to see if you could fit –"
"Stop doing that, and go stand in the corner for five minutes," Hitoshi said. Obeying his commands, Hatsume did as she was told, letting go of him, and walking away.
"Huh. Impressive Quirk usage. Still, I'm sorry about that, I've been trying to get her to look past her own devices, to no avail," Power Loader said. "But you know, if you're really aspiring to be a Hero, you'll cherish your relationship with her. You'll need her once you've been made Pros. Look at the corner. You see that pile of junk? Those are all of the support items she's made."
Hitoshi looked over to that pile next to where Hatsume was now standing, and let out a low whistle. He had to admit, it was pretty impressive. From the amount of them he could see, he figured that a lot of those were made while school wasn't in session, which meant that this girl was seriously dedicated to her craft. "She made all of these in such a short time?"
"Yeah. I've seen many Support Course students over my career, but I swear, she's something special. That girl is not afraid of failure. She's constantly thinking of new ideas and trying them out. Innovators are those who don't feel chained down by existing concepts…"
"Huh." That actually gave Hitoshi a lot to think about. He knew that he based his costume off of Eraserhead, but he never considered it something that was chaining him down. But then again, Uraraka was All Might's direct student, but she had her own unique style. Sure, it may have been due to the fact she had multiple Quirks, but she was still more than just "Smash 2.0".
Releasing his hold on the girl, he called out, "Hey, Hatsume."
"Yeah?!" She didn't even seem fazed by the brainwashing.
"What do you think… would be a support item that could fit me as my own person?"
Ten days had come and gone.
Class 1-A had spent the majority of those days working on their Ultimate Moves and getting improvements on their costumes. Of course there were a few days with some variation in between them. All Might had shown up for a couple of days between his investigation to give out some advice, and they even trained alongside Class 1-B for a couple of hours one day.
About two days before time was up, Thirteen and Aizawa-sensei also set up a rescue exercise in an "abandoned mall," where a few small teams would be going in and rescuing the robot civilians while under the clock. It normally would have gone without a hitch, but there was a water leak at one of the lower floors, and Katsuki somehow managed to sprain his ankle.
Needless to say, Ochako ended up having to carry Bakugou out, and Todoroki managed to jury-rig an explosion at the ceiling to prevent everyone from drowning inside. Honestly, compared to all of the shit Class A had been through, that was just a blip on the radar.
But the end of their training had arrived, and now, after spending an hour on the bus, Class A had arrived at the Dagoba National Arena, where the Provisional Licensing Exam was being held. Stepping off the bus, the students couldn't help but notice how many people were here.
"Uhh," Koda spoke up. "I'm getting kinda nervous."
Ojiro agreed on that end. "I wonder what they're gonna make us do…"
"If you can pass this test and get your Provisional Licenses, then you novice eggs will have hatched into chicks, and you'll be semi-Pros. I expect your best," Aizawa-sensei said.
"Let's call out the usual, guys!" Kirishima whooped. "Let's go Plus –"
"ULTRAAA!"
Ochako, along with a few others, yelped in surprise at hearing a complete stranger shouting out their school motto. Turning around, the brown-haired girl recognized the distinct hat the guy was wearing; a cap with a massive "S" on the top. This guy is from Shiketsu High…
"You know, it's pretty rude to barge into people's huddles like that, Inasa."
"What?! Pardon me! I AM… SO… VERY… EXTREMELY… SORRY!" the tall loud guy shouted, bowing down so hard and so fast, that his head ended hitting the concrete.
A fellow classmate, a girl, simply stared at the boy's head. "Whoa, blood."
"Who the hell is this guy?!" Kaminari whisper-yelled.
The ninth wielder of One For All could hear Jiro and Katsuki whispering something about "Shiketsu," while Ochako herself simply took a better look at the hat-wearing students. Maybe she could figure out some of their Quirks. It would definitely give them an advantage…
Ochako looked behind the tall guy, to look at the other students in Shiketsu uniforms. A girl with wavy blond hair, some guy that looked like a discount Shinso, a massive furry dude, a guy who was wearing a black mask over his face, and a… familiar-looking blonde girl with glasses…
"Melissa?!"
"Ochako! It's good to see you again!"
"What are you doing here?"
"Well, as the top Support Course student at Shiketsu, I came along to make sure that everyone's support gear is in tip-top shape, and to cheer on my friends in the Hero Course!"
"That's great!" Ochako said, smiling at the bespectacled blonde. "So, how are…"
Shouta rolled his eyes at the interaction between Uraraka and Shield.
While it was nice to see their friendship from I-Island still alive, his eyes were focused on the bigger fish. Said fish was currently bleeding from the head, and screaming like a banshee.
"I WANTED TO SAY IT, JUST ONCE! I REALLY LOVE UA HIGH SCHOOL! I AM EXTREMELY HONORED TO COMPETE AGAINST SUCH INCREDIBLE STUDENTS! I'M SO –"
"Let's go," the purple-haired kid cut off his shouting companion.
"Inasa Yoarashi…"
"Do you know that guy, Aizawa-sensei?" Hagakure asked.
Oh, he didn't know he was talking out loud, but whatever. "Indeed. He's strong. He's the same year as you all, and received the top score for Recommendations. But for some unknown reason, he turned down his acceptance to UA, and went to Shikestu."
"Hold on, am I the only one confused here?" Sero asked. "He said he loves our school, but… he turned down his chance to enroll when he was offered? What a weirdo."
"Maybe. But he's the real deal. Keep an eye on –"
Shouta Aizawa froze when he turned his head. Walking up towards his class was another school. He recognized the uniforms as those from his wife's old place, Ketsubutsu Academy. But one of the faces in the crowd immediately made his blood freeze over.
Messy brown hair, big eyes, and a face that was all too familiar. That was the same face Mikumo Akatani wore. That was the same face Izuku Midoriya wore. All For One…
That monster waltzed into UA like he was a student. He knew about Eri and had Shigaraki taunt Shouta with that information. He turned Kodai from a promising Hero into a Villain. Shouta wasn't about to let that fucker wear another mask and parade around at another school –
"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA! SHOUTA, CHILL, CHILL!"
The black-haired man snapped out of his thoughts, as he turned to see Emi holding him back, and stopping him from reaching for his knife. "Huh? Emi, what are you –? He –"
"That's not Midoriya, trust me, I already checked," she whispered, before turning to the group of students. "Okay, kids! Uhh, go talk to UA while I hammer out some things with Eraserhead!"
"It really is Class A! And there's Uravity!"
"Wow, it's so amazing I've seen them on TV before!"
"Hey, that's Momo "Uhh… That's Called Murder" Yaoyorozu!"
As the Ketsubutsu kids surrounded his students, Shouta looked back at his green-haired wife. "Uhh… What are you doing here? I thought you were staying back at UA with Eri."
"That was the original plan, yeah," Emi admitted. "Unfortunately, I got a call early in the morning from Ketsubutsu, saying that their teacher had an emergency, and I was the only one who could fill in. I already cleared it over with Nedzu, he's having Recovery Girl watch over Eri."
"Alright, but… why you? You're no longer affiliated with Ketsubutsu."
"True, but those kids were actually the class I was teaching last year, before Eri came into our lives, so they already knew who I was," Emi explained. "The blue guy is Makabe, your mini-me is Toteki, the blonde is Nakagame, and the one you were about to knife is Shindo."
"Shindo…?" he repeated. "So… that's not Midoroiya…"
"No. I can understand that the two of them look similar, but I swear that he's just my ex-student," Emi said. "Now, please put the knife away before I have to arrest you for attempted murder."
Shouta sighed. The exams hadn't even started, and he already wanted to go home.
Ochako had never seen such a massive gathering of costumed individuals like this before in her life. Sure, she had been in crowds before, but those were all civilians, not prospective Heroes. So, she felt a little intimidated by the amount of costumes that were around her.
Thankfully, it wasn't too overwhelming. Sure, her costume was mostly utilitarian in order to One For All properly, so it wasn't as impressive as some of the costumes she was seeing now. Like, there was one guy wearing a full-on cape and cowl, a bunch of them in masks and armor, and she was pretty sure that she saw one guy in a massive flower onesie.
But then, on the other side of the spectrum, there were those who didn't seem like they were even trying. One guy looked like he had a lava cake for a hat, another was just wearing a jacket, and a third had a bandage over his mouth. Like, Ochako understood that some Quirks had different needs, but there was no way that taping your mouth could be the practical option.
Katsuki meanwhile, was looking around for a different reason. "Look at his crowd…"
Kirishima agreed with that statement. "Yeah, there's so many of them…"
Oh, I get it, Ochako realized. They're trying to figure out how many people are in this room, and then calculate how many will pass in proportion to that number. They're probably also trying to see if anyone here might pose an overall threat to the class, but that's gonna be harder.
While she may have been criticizing their costumes, Ochako knew not to just brush them off. These people had trained just as hard as her and her friends, and underestimating them was a surefire way to fail the Licensing Exam. Now that she thought about it, though, Ochako was wondering if any of these people were catching glances at her and her class.
The noise in the auditorium died down as everyone heard the feedback of a mic turn on, with everyone's attention now focused on the tired-looking guy patting the microphone.
"Ugh… Okay, then. Let's do this exam thing," the guy with the messy blond hair said. "I'm from the new Hero Public Safety Commission, the name's Mera. Now, before you all try to crucify me, I'd just like to let you know that I wasn't responsible for any of the bad faith scandals that the League leaked into the internet. Plus, the World Heroes Association has now stepped in and is overseeing the HPSC until we can get our act together so… please don't boo at me."
Ochako silently cringed at that. She had heard from some of her classmates about what exactly was inside those files, and they didn't paint a pretty picture. But it also did make sense to her that not all of the HPSC's old guard were expunged, as they still needed some of them to keep Japan's Hero Society running, at least until some of the newer blood got some more experience.
"That being said… I've been swamped lately and I haven't gotten any rest… Thanks to that little bastard All For One, all of the top executives of the Commission were removed, and I had to be made the transitional President… We're too short-staffed and I'm so tired… Anyways, with that confession done, let's begin with the orientation on the first part of your test…"
"Yeesh, somebody needs a nap," Ashido whispered.
"So, about the content of this license thing… Basically, about 1,540 examinees compete in a free-for-all exercise, or whatever we're calling it this year…"
"Seriously?" Sero whispered. "That's not a lot of info."
"See… we've got a lot of Pros around… but with what happened in Hosu, between Stain and the League, followed by All Might's retirement, many people have expressed doubts about Heroes in society. But… when you think about it… God, I could use a coffee…"
"Where was I? Oh, right. Now that we think about it… with everything that's happened, Heroes need to be better than ever before… You're all here to receive your Provisional Licenses, but those of you who don't have what it takes… frankly just won't cut it. Which is why… only the first hundred students who fulfill the requirements will pass today," Mera said.
Jiro's jaw dropped at that. "I thought they said about half of us would be passing…"
"I think that means only around fifteen percent of us will pass…" Kaminari said.
"Oh, man, I am way more nervous now!" Hagakure squealed.
"Well, the world can be pretty crappy… I suppose I should say something about luck… But instead, I'll just tell you the basic rules: The examinee will put three of these targets on their body; they can go anywhere you want, as long as it's an exposed area, so no soles of the feet or armpits. Each of you will also have six of these balls. The targets are programmed to light up whenever they've been touched by the balls. If all three targets light up, you're out."
Huh. That sort of reminded Ochako of the Entrance Exam, but instead of taking down the most robots you could, the rules were to make sure you weren't one of the people getting eliminated.
"Oh, and the person who lights up your third target will take credit for your defeat. You get through this round by taking down two people. Got it? Good."
Iida grumbled, "We didn't even get to ask any of our questions…"
"What else…? Oh, umm, I guess we'll start passing out the targets and balls. Maybe you'll have a few minutes to get situated after we open."
Todoroki blinked at hearing that. "Open?"
RUMBLE…
Sunlight hit everyone's eyes, as the roof above their heads slid open, like two massive elevator doors. The walls around them began to fall away, as if the entire room was just an origami box, revealing that everyone was now in the middle of… some kind of arena, full of areas.
A mountain range, an industrial complex, a rainforest, a highway, and several cities: All of these locations were within the round walls of the arena, all of them placed around the modern-day Colosseum seemingly at random, but all of them united by the dirt beneath the examinees.
"I'm sure each of you have terrains that you like or want to avoid," Mera drawled. "Use your Quirks well, and do your best… Or not. Whatever. And yes, I know this makes for a great reveal… But for what? So much sleep loss from this… Hopefully, some of these kids are fast and we can get this over with… Until then, I'm gonna rest my eyes…"
"Camie" walked alongside Melissa and the rest of the Shiketsu students.
Those she was looking at in particular were the loud guy with the winds, the nasty-eyed creep copying Mindblank's hairdo, and the giant mop guy. Anyone else would be a bonus.
Maybe I should nab some of those Ketsubutsu kids while I'm at it, she thought to herself. Nah, don't wanna risk the mission. Getting three Quirks is better than losing all of them…
Author's Note: It's pretty clear that what happened in Kamino has still affected everyone, especially those who were there (looking at you, Uraraka, Bakugou, and Aizawa).
Anyways, that's enough of that. Let's move on to the comments, shall we?
BlazinAce: Yeah, I guess anyone would be pretty shook after waking up from a nearly decade-long coma. I might write a scene where she breaks down, but for now, Inko is indeed getting through each day knowing that her baby is alive and well.
DevilJoker: You'll get half your wish, if I recall correctly…
Joesgood: Keep reading and you'll find out!
FushiSnail: Bakugou mellowed out over the years, resulting in him having more of a calm demeanor now. Plus, he's been pretty determined to become a Hero (for different reasons than in canon), so it would make sense for him to train more than just his Quirk.
CosmoOSX: How excellent! A new consistent commentator! I took a look at yοur works, and I think I read the beginning of your Pluto series, but I can't recall. But anyways, I'm glad you liked what I'm making. While I'm not sure that you'll be reading this chapter for the response, I'm just gonna assume you read everything else already, just so I can talk about everything in full. The dynamic of Ochako, Hitoshi, and Yui has shattered, but I hope it was fun for you while it lasted, and One For All, as you can see, has been evolving faster than normal. Bakugou has been indeed trying to make up for his treatment of Izuku as a kid, and while it wasn't as bad as in canon, Yui is very protective of her boyfriend, with a helping dose of psychopathy on the side helping her in her quest to make Bakugou suffer. You were also right on your hunch that All For One was actually Izuku, and as for why Yui hates Bakugou, I figured that he bullied Izuku for his newfound Quirk when that came in, making a large part of Izuku's memories about him quite negative. Well, good night, and I'll see you when you reach this part of the story!
mellowistheYellow: You're close, but in actuality, Lady Nagant was using a mix of Rifle, Air Walk, and Landmine (stolen from Curious) at the USJ. She would apply the Quirk when making her bullets, and then detonate them after they were fired.
And now, it's back to the regular old shilling…
This is no surprise by now, but I've made a Twitter account to post my art, so if anyone is interested in checking it out, /ErnaloreProf is the link.
If you want more content, visit my Discord, the link is /3PFYSt8Dqz. You can chat with others, post memes, fanfic recommendations and prompts, role play, fan art, and we even have a writer's corner now! I'll also drop by with announcements and chat with you all every now and then! Also, if you want to add me as a friend, my username is Ernalore#8663! Just please make sure to follow the rules.
Thanks for reading, and once again, see you next time!
- Ernalore
