Chapter 20 - Entrance exam 2

Nezu's beady eyes gleamed with amusement as he turned the monitor toward the group of Pro Heroes.

"Oh? You think young Soren is the only one standing out?" he chuckled, tapping the screen.

"Take a look at this."

The display shifted, revealing Izumi Midoriya—but this was no ordinary showcase of strength.

She danced amidst the flames, her emerald eyes blazing with untamed determination. The inferno around her wasn't a threat—it was her weapon.

She wasn't just withstanding the flames.

She was commanding them.

Lady Nagant's eyes narrowed as she observed the battlefield.

"She's bending the fire to her will... almost like she's breathing with it."

Midnight's smile curled. "Oh my~ I do love a girl with talent~."

Izumi moved like a comet, spinning midair as she shaped the flames into controlled bursts. The enemy robots surged toward her, their metallic limbs whirring as they attempted to strike.

With a flick of her wrist, the fire coiled around her arm, forming a spiraling gauntlet of heat.

A massive two-pointer lunged—too slow.

Izumi thrust her hand forward, sending an explosive burst of fire right into the machine's chest. The heat burned through its core, melting steel like wax. The bot convulsed before collapsing into a heap of smoldering metal.

But she didn't stop.

A trio of three-pointers locked onto her position, their cannons glowing as they prepared to fire.

Izumi grinned. "Tch. You guys need to be faster than that!"

Instead of dodging, she did something unexpected—she blasted flames beneath her feet, creating a fire-thruster that launched her skyward in a blazing arc.

"She's using the fire to propel herself?" Aizawa muttered, eyes narrowing.

"That's incredibly reckless—"

BOOM!

Izumi spun midair, gathering flames between her palms before hurling them downward in a controlled blast. The fire didn't just strike the ground—it created a shockwave, engulfing the robots in an inferno.

Within seconds, their armor melted, circuits fried, and the entire area was consumed in a fiery explosion.

Izumi landed gracefully, brushing soot from her cheek, her smug grin unfazed.

"That was fun~," she mused, stretching her arms.

Present Mic whistled. "WHOA! That's some serious firepower right there!"

Midnight fanned herself playfully. "Such control~. And confidence! Oh, she'll grow into quite the woman~."

Nezu simply sipped his tea, smiling knowingly.

"Impressive, isn't she?"

The teachers' attention shifted to another battlefield, where chaos reigned supreme. This wasn't just a test—it was a warzone, and Katsumi Bakugo was its reigning queen of destruction.

BOOM!

A hulking five-pointer lunged at her, its massive frame casting a shadow over her. But Katsumi didn't flinch.

"OUTTA MY WAY, SCRAP METAL!" she roared, her voice cutting through the air like a whip. Her palms ignited with a deafening explosion, the force of it sending the bot flying backward. Its metallic body crumpled like paper as it collided with another oncoming machine, both reduced to smoldering wreckage.

But Katsumi wasn't even close to done.

She crouched low, her crimson eyes blazing with unbridled fury. With a guttural growl, she launched herself forward, her explosions propelling her like a human missile. The ground beneath her feet cracked and splintered as she zigzagged through the battlefield, her movements a blur of speed and precision.

A squad of three-pointers opened fire, their bullets tearing through the air in a desperate attempt to pin her down.

Katsumi's lips curled into a feral grin.

"You think that's fast?!" she barked, her voice dripping with disdain.

"Lemme show ya what real speed looks like!"

She flipped midair, her body twisting with the grace of a predator. Explosions erupted from her palms and feet, propelling her in unpredictable arcs. Bullets whizzed past her, missing by inches as she danced through the air like a living firework.

Then—BOOM!

A controlled blast launched her like a cannonball straight toward the nearest gunner bot. She grabbed its head mid-flight, her fingers digging into its metal frame with a vice-like grip.

"EAT THIS, YOU PIECE OF JUNK!" she snarled, shoving her palm into its core.

KA-BOOOOOM!

The bot erupted in a fiery explosion, shrapnel scattering in every direction. Katsumi landed effortlessly on the rubble, her boots crunching against the debris. She straightened up, her smirk as sharp as the flames still flickering in her palms.

"Tch. Pathetic," she spat, brushing a strand of ash-streaked hair from her face.

"You damn extras couldn't keep up even if I gave you a head start."

Her crimson eyes scanned the battlefield, already locking onto her next target. The other students were struggling, their movements hesitant and unsure. But Katsumi? She was a force of nature, unstoppable and unrelenting.

"C'mon, is that all you got?!" she shouted, her voice echoing across the arena.

"I didn't come here to babysit a bunch of losers!"

With another explosive burst, she rocketed toward her next victim, the battlefield trembling beneath her fury.

Not far from Katsumi's explosive rampage, Itsuka Kendo.

A towering robot, easily the size of a small story building, loomed over her. Its massive head turned to her locking in.

Itsuka didn't flinch.

She cracked her knuckles, a confident smirk spreading across her face.

"Alright, big guy," she said, her voice calm but laced with determination.

"Let's see who's stronger."

Her fists began to inflate, growing to the size of wrecking balls, the sheer mass of them distorting the air around her. The robot's massive hand reaching out trying to swat her away.

Itsuka sidestepped with surprising agility, her movements fluid despite her enlarged fists. The ground where she'd stood moments before trembling violently, but she was already in motion.

"My turn," she said, her tone steady but brimming with intensity.

She lunged forward, her colossal fist swinging in a devastating arc. The air itself seemed to shatter as her punch connected with the robot's torso.

BOOOOM!

The impact sent a shockwave rippling outward, the force of it knocking nearby debris into the air. The robot's chest caved in like paper, its internal circuitry sparking and fizzling as it staggered backward.

But Itsuka wasn't done.

With a powerful spin, she brought her other fist down like a meteor, the sheer weight of it crushing the robot's head into the ground. The earth shook violently, cracks spiderwebbing out from the point of impact as the machine's frame crumpled under her strength.

Itsuka exhaled, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face as her fists returned to their normal size. She glanced at the smoldering wreckage, her smirk widening.

"Heh. Too easy," she said, her voice carrying a quiet confidence.

She turned her gaze to the rest of the battlefield, her eyes narrowing as she spotted another group of robots advancing. Her fists clenched, ready for the next round.

"Alright," she muttered, cracking her knuckles again.

"Who's next?"

On another side of the battlefield, Himiko Toga stood amidst the chaos, her golden eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. She shuddered in euphoria, her body trembling as she licked the last drop of Soren's Viltrumite-enhanced blood from her lips.

"Ehehe~! Soren-kun, your blood is soooo sweet~!" she cooed, her voice a singsong melody that contrasted sharply with the destruction around her.

Her veins pulsed with newfound power, a surge of strength coursing through her like electricity. Her body twitched, her movements becoming unnaturally fluid, almost predatory.

Then—she vanished.

The nearest robot barely had time to register her presence before she reappeared on top of it, her small hands gripping its metallic head with an iron grip.

"Bye-bye~!" she giggled, her voice dripping with mock sweetness.

With a sickening crack, she twisted the bot's head clean off, the metal crumpling like tin foil in her grasp. The machine spasmed violently before collapsing into a heap of sparking wires and shattered steel.

Himiko hopped off the wreckage, licking her fingers with a dreamy sigh.

"Aww~. That was fun~! I can feel Soren-kun's strength in my veins~!"

More robots lumbered toward her, their mechanical arms swinging wildly as they tried to subdue her. But they were too slow—far too slow.

In a blur of motion, Himiko disappeared, her movements so fast they shattered the sound barrier. She reappeared behind one of the bots, her golden eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Boo~," she whispered, her voice a playful taunt.

Before the bot could react, she delivered a single, devastating kick to its back. The force of the blow sent it careening into another robot, the two machines collapsing in a tangled heap of twisted metal.

Himiko giggled, her laughter echoing across the battlefield as she stretched her arms above her head.

"Ehehe~! This is the best! I feel soooo strong~!"

Another bot lunged at her, its massive arms reaching out to grab her. Himiko ducked under its grasp with ease, her movements almost dance-like as she twirled around it.

"Too slow~!" she sang, her voice teasing as she delivered a swift punch to its torso. The impact sent the bot flying backward, its chest caved in from the sheer force of her strike.

She landed lightly on her feet, her golden eyes scanning the battlefield with a manic gleam.

"C'mon, is that all you've got? I wanna play some more~!"

The remaining bots advanced, their mechanical arms swinging in a desperate attempt to subdue her. But Himiko was already moving, a blur of motion as she darted between them, her laughter ringing out like a haunting melody.

With every strike, every twist, every leap, she reveled in the power coursing through her veins—a power that was as intoxicating as it was terrifying.

"Ehehe~! Soren-kun's blood really is the best~!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with glee as she dismantled another bot with a single, fluid motion.

The battlefield was her playground, and she was its most dangerous player.

Meanwhile, Camie Utsushimi was playing an entirely different game—one that didn't involve brute force or explosive theatrics. While the others wreaked havoc, she strolled through the battlefield like it was a runway, her movements smooth and unhurried.

The robots lumbered around her, their mechanical arms swinging wildly as they tried to subdue her. But there was one problem: they couldn't even see her.

"Like, oooh~! Y'all are suuuper dumb, huh~?" she giggled, her voice light and teasing as she watched the machines flail at empty air.

Her Glamour Quirk had cloaked her in a perfect illusion, rendering her invisible to their sensors. To the robots, the battlefield was empty—just another patch of debris and destruction.

Camie twirled past a massive bot, her fingers trailing along its cold metal surface as if she were admiring a piece of art.

"Poor tin cans~. Like a certain wrestler said, "you can't see me~." she cooed, her tone dripping with mock sympathy.

Her sharp eyes caught a small panel on the side of the bot's leg.

"Ooooh~! A shutdown switch? How convenient~."

With a playful hum, she bent down, her movements graceful and deliberate. Her slender fingers pressed the hidden button, and the robot instantly powered down, its glowing eyes flickering out as it slumped to the ground.

Camie straightened up, brushing a strand of hair from her face as she winked at the deactivated machine.

"Night-night, big guy~."

She continued her leisurely stroll, deactivating bot after bot with effortless precision. Each time, she'd hum a little tune or blow a kiss to the machine before sending it into a permanent slumber.

One particularly large bot swung its arm in her direction, but Camie sidestepped it with a dancer's grace, her illusion keeping her completely hidden.

"Like, whoopsie~! Almost got me there," she teased, her voice sing-song as she pressed the shutdown switch on its back.

"Better luck next time~."

The bot froze mid-motion, its systems powering down with a faint whir. Camie patted its arm affectionately before moving on to her next target.

As she worked her way through the battlefield, she couldn't resist putting on a little show. She twirled, posed, and even pretended to curtsy to the deactivated bots, her laughter ringing out like a melody amidst the chaos.

Finally, she blew a playful kiss toward the sky, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Hehe~! Hope y'all are enjoying the show~!" she called out, as if addressing the watching Pro Heroes.

The robots continued to flail aimlessly, their mechanical arms swinging at nothing as Camie danced through their ranks, untouched and unstoppable.