Chapter 256: Tetsutetsu’s First Test

"If you really encounter a villain, it would be great to take them down on the spot, but…"

Aizawa narrowed his eyes and continued, "In situations where there's an overwhelming difference in strength, the smartest choice is to escape immediately and call for backup."

As he spoke, he glanced at three students in the crowd and said, "Todoroki, Iida, Midoriya—you all should understand this better than anyone."

At these words, the three of them grew serious, instinctively recalling the moment they first encountered Stain.

"I… won't make the same mistake again!"

Iida, clad in his white armor, looked down at his hands and murmured, "I will pass this exam and prove that!"

"Winning through battle, or surviving by escaping…" Midoriya whispered as he glanced toward Aizawa.

"Exactly! Your decision-making will be tested in this 'Final Exam.' But this time, it feels like the only real option is escape, right? After all, your opponents are us!" All Might laughed heartily.

"So, the school asked the Support Course to create something for us!" As he spoke, he reached for something at his waist. Not only him, but the other teachers also took out similar metal devices, all resembling wristbands.

"Super Compressed Weights!!!" Present Mic tilted his head back and shouted dramatically.

"We will each wear equipment weighing half our body weight as a handicap for you all.

It may seem like a simple restriction, but it will limit our movements and significantly drain our stamina."

All Might crouched down, securing the device onto himself as he explained. However, the moment it clicked into place, his expression stiffened.

"Wait—this is heavier than I expected…"

"By the way, the final design was chosen through a competition, and Hatsume Mei's version won in the end!"

"Oh, so this means we might have a real chance to fight instead of just running away? Kinda underestimating us, aren't they?" Tetsutetsu frowned.

"Heh… hard to say." All Might grinned.

"Alright, the exam locations are prepared, and we'll conduct the practical exams in order, starting with the first group."

Aizawa looked at the first set of students and said, "Tetsutetsu, Kirishima—get ready."

"Yes!!"

At that moment, Tetsutetsu glanced at Kirishima and grumbled, "Why am I paired with you again? We were together for the first combat training too, remember?"

"Heh, not like I had a choice!" Kirishima shrugged.

The teachers ignored their complaints and began heading toward the central building. Only Aizawa spoke over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Those who aren't up yet should observe the exam from the sidelines or discuss strategy with their teammates.

The plan is in your hands."

As soon as the teachers left, Class 1-A's students began gathering into small groups.

"Kaminari." Todoroki approached him.

"Ah, we really need to come up with a solid plan. Our opponent is on a completely different level from the others. But can you wait a minute? I want to see how Tetsutetsu's match plays out first." Kaminari scratched his head sheepishly.

"Suit yourself. We're in the final round, so there's plenty of time." With that, Todoroki turned and walked away, heading off alone to grab an orange juice.

His father, the so-called "Number Two Hero" Endeavor, had 'created' and trained him from childhood solely to surpass All Might. That thought alone left him with mixed feelings.

"This guy is as brooding as ever," Kaminari muttered to himself. "Guess that's just the burden of a so-called genius."

"Kaminari!"

Kyoka approached, accompanied by the quiet Koda Koji. They both seemed to want his input.

"My opinion? Since you don't know what kind of battlefield you'll be in, there's no use overthinking it right now. But it's best to avoid direct combat and watch out for Present Mic's sound attacks," Kaminari advised.

Before Kyoka had her "Bat Armor," her speed made it almost impossible to dodge sonic attacks. But now, she could evade them and even counter with her own sound waves through the amplifier on her chest.

"As for Koda, your Quirk depends entirely on the environment. If it's a jungle-like setting, that's great. But if it's an urban area, you should separate from Kyoka and focus on staying hidden."

Kaminari knew that without animals to command, Koda's Quirk was practically useless. That worried him could Kyoka handle the exam on her own?

"I… I understand!" Koda lowered his head and spoke softly.

With that, Kaminari led Kyoka and Koda to the monitoring room, where they could watch Tetsutetsu's test.

"Hey, Midoriya! Uraraka! Huh? Midoriya, why are you here? Your opponent is Aizawa-sensei," Kaminari greeted Recovery Girl first, then turned to Midoriya, puzzled.

Did this green-haired protagonist seriously underestimate his own exam?

"Uh… I was going to discuss strategy with Kacchan, but…" Midoriya sighed in frustration.

"Right… For you, the real challenge isn't the teacher, it's your teammate. What a nightmare." Kaminari shook his head sympathetically.

By comparison, Todoroki, though cold, was at least rational. Communication wouldn't be an issue.

"Yeah." Uraraka nodded vigorously, clearly relating to Kaminari's words. She glanced at Aoyama, who was admiring himself in a mirror, and sighed.

"Honestly, my team has similar problems."

"Well, as for me, I've got plenty of time, so I came to check out Tetsutetsu's match first." Kaminari leaned back against the console.

"Tetsutetsu and Kirishima—practical exam, start!"

On the screen, the first test officially began.

Their battlefield was an urban setting. That might not be a huge advantage or disadvantage for Tetsutetsu and Kirishima, but for Cementoss—who could control concrete—it was a literal home-field advantage.

"In this test, we'll probably score higher if we capture our opponent rather than just running away," Kirishima noted as they sprinted down an empty street.

"More like, we have to capture him. How do you expect us to escape from Cementoss in an environment like this?" Tetsutetsu muttered, his face impassive.

BOOM!!

A massive concrete wall, at least five or six meters high, suddenly erupted from the ground in front of them, forcing them to stop.

But this also meant…

"Cementoss is right ahead!"

***

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