Chapter 65 : The Exam Against the Symbol

We stood before the giant gate leading to our exam area, a replica of a partially destroyed urban district, a sight that unpleasantly reminded me of the aftermath of All Might's future battle in Kamino. The air between me and Bakugo was so tense it nearly crackled. He wasn't looking at me. He just stared straight ahead, into the artificial city, as if he could see his opponent through sheer force of will. The muscles in his shoulders were taut, and a thin wisp of smoke curled from his clenched palms.

"Remember the plan, you damn strategist," he growled, his voice low and full of menace. "You make me look like an idiot, even for a second, and this plan is off. I'll blast you, then him."

I turned to him, my expression calm. "Just focus on your moment, Bakugo. I'll give it to you. Make sure you don't waste it."

He just grunted in response. It was the best level of cooperation I could hope for from him.

Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure washed over us. It wasn't a gust of wind, but a shift in the air itself. At the end of the street, a giant figure landed with a THOOM that made the ground tremble. All Might. He wasn't wearing his bright Silver or Bronze Age costumes. He wore his darker Golden Age suit, with a heavy shadow covering half his face, making him look more like a god of vengeance than a smiling hero. He hadn't come here to teach gently. He had come to deliver a harsh lesson.

"I AM YOUR OPPONENT!" he roared, his voice echoing between the ruined buildings. "You have thirty minutes. Either one of you makes it past the gate behind me, or you manage to cuff me with these." He held up a pair of special handcuffs. "Consider me a very, very powerful villain. Think, heroes. And don't think you can win by holding back."

A deafening bell rang, signaling the start of the exam.

"Remember, bait," was all Bakugo said before he exploded.

He truly was the embodiment of the word 'explode'. Using controlled blasts from his palms, he launched himself forward like a missile, heading straight for All Might. This was the first part of our plan: create an incredibly large distraction and never stop attacking. Let All Might focus completely on the most obvious and destructive threat.

I, on the other hand, played my part. I immediately ran in the opposite direction, slipping into a half-destroyed building. I positioned myself near a broken window, hiding behind a concrete pillar, and began to observe. From my point of view, I was a coward. I was running from the fight. I was letting my partner face the monster alone. And that was exactly what I wanted All Might to see.

The battle between Bakugo and All Might was a spectacle of incredible power. Bakugo, for all his rage, was a combat genius. He didn't just fire explosions randomly. He used smaller blasts to maneuver in the air with bewildering speed, constantly changing his angle of attack, trying to get past All Might's defenses. He was like an angry, murderous bee, stinging from every direction.

But All Might… he was on another level. He didn't need to dodge. Often, he just stood there, letting Bakugo's smaller explosions hit him without so much as flinching. He would catch Bakugo's wrist in the middle of a swing, or bat away his strongest attacks with the back of his hand. He moved with a speed my eyes could barely follow, appearing behind Bakugo, then in front of him, always one step ahead.

In the observation room, the students of Class 1-A held their breath. "Incredible," Midoriya whispered, his eyes frantically analyzing every move. "All Might isn't even breaking a sweat. He's completely dominating Bakugo-kun. But… where's Tatsumi-kun?"

"He's hiding," Momo answered quietly, her eyes narrowed in concentration. "This isn't like him. He's the champion. Why is he acting like a coward? This must be... part of a plan."

In All Might's own mind, confusion was beginning to set in. 'Young Bakugo is exactly as I expected,' he thought, easily dodging another attack. 'Limitless power and aggression. Easy to read.' His thoughts turned to me. 'But Young Tatsumi… this is strange. He's the boy who defeated Young Todoroki with clever strategy. He's the boy who won the entire festival. But here, he's just hiding like a frightened rat. Is he truly that afraid of me? Or is this a much deeper trick than I anticipated? I can't ignore him.' My plan was working. I had planted the seed of doubt.

Now, it was time for phase two. I had to make him believe I was a weak and desperate target. I took a deep breath, then ran out of my hiding spot, straight for the escape gate at the end of the street. It was a run deliberately made to look clumsy and panicked.

"I'M MAKING A BREAK FOR IT!" I yelled, a piece of terrible acting.

Of course, All Might saw it. "NOT SO FAST, YOUNG TATSUMI!"

With a single leap, he crossed a hundred meters and landed directly in front of me, blocking my path. His presence was so overwhelming it made the air around me feel thick. "I must admit I'm impressed you made it this far by hiding," he said, his smile absent. "But playtime is over."

He raised his fist. I knew he would hold back. But a "light punch" from All Might could still turn bone to dust. This was the moment. The culmination of my gamble.

As his fist shot toward me, I focused my entire will. I didn't ask. I commanded. 'Shield! Full body! Withstand this!'

With an unbearable roar of pain, the Incursio armor exploded out of my body in a full manifestation. Helmet, chest plate, gauntlets, leg guards—all of it formed in one agonizing split second just before All Might's fist landed.

BOOM!

I felt the impact like a meteor strike. The armor on my chest cracked instantly. I was thrown backward like a bullet, slamming through the wall of a half-destroyed building. The wall crumbled around me. I felt my ribs break even under the armor, and darkness danced at the edges of my vision. With the last of my consciousness, I forcibly retracted Incursio, a process nearly as painful as summoning it.

I lay in the middle of the rubble, my gym uniform torn, my body battered. I coughed, and a trickle of blood escaped my mouth. Perfect. I looked like a broken, rookie hero on the verge of defeat.

All Might landed near me, his expression one of shock. He was surprised by the sudden appearance of my strange armor, and even more surprised by how "badly" I had been injured by his restrained punch. A hero's dilemma immediately appeared on his face. He had a severely injured student who needed attention, and another student who was still rampaging out there.

"NOW, TATSUMI!" I heard Bakugo's roar from across the field. He had seen his chance.

I watched All Might hesitate. He looked at me, then toward Bakugo, who was now beginning to spin in the air, preparing his Howitzer Impact. He couldn't be in two places at once. And his instincts as the Symbol of Peace, as a protector, made him make the choice we had predicted. He turned, intending to run toward me to shield me from the impact of Bakugo's blast. His back was now facing Bakugo.

That was the opening we needed.

As All Might took his first step toward me, I launched the final part of our plan. It was the greatest betrayal of a hero's instinct. I didn't lie still. With the last of my strength, I summoned back the Incursio leg guards. With one powerful kick against the rubble beneath me, I launched myself—not toward safety, but backward, away from All Might and straight toward the now-unguarded escape gate.

I saw the moment of enlightenment in All Might's eyes as he realized what had happened. He was never the target. He had been tricked. Tricked into protecting a bait that was actually the key to escape. He had been defeated not by power, but by his own psychology.

"YOU RASCAL!" he yelled, a mixture of anger, frustration, and a strange hint of admiration in his voice.

But it was too late.

As I slid past the gate line, I heard a deafening explosion behind me as Bakugo's Howitzer Impact finally went off. I didn't know if it hit All Might or not. I didn't care. I just lay on the ground outside the gate, my body screaming in pain, but a bitter, victorious smile played on my lips.

A buzzer sounded. "TEAM TATSUMI AND BAKUGO... PASS!"

Our insane, nonsensical plan had worked. We had defeated All Might. And as my consciousness began to fade into darkness, I could only think of one thing: I couldn't wait to see the look on Bakugo's face when he realized that not only had I used him to win, but I was also technically the one who crossed the finish line. He was going to be so mad.