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Chapter 221 - Chapter 221: Practical Exam (End)

[Third Person's PoV] 

"Just what the hell are those two even doing?!" Melissa exclaimed, facepalming as she pointed at the monitor. The screen displayed Mineta and Sero awkwardly flailing about as they attempted to engage in combat with Midnight.

Both boys were wrapped from nose to toe in Sero's tape, resembling a bizarre fusion between stealthy ninjas and poorly constructed mummies. It was hard to tell whether they were trying to fight her or themselves.

Tony glanced at the screen and then turned to Melissa. "You know, it just hit me… Midnight is probably called Midnight because that's when people are usually asleep—and her quirk puts people to sleep. I never actually considered that before"

Melissa raised an eyebrow and slowly turned her head toward him. "What else did you think it was supposed to mean?"

"Don't act like that was an obvious thing to figure out!" Tony said, slightly defensive.

"To be fair," Toru added, raising her hand, "I honestly never thought about why she was named Midnight either."

"Same here," Kirishima chimed in, lifting his hand as well.

A few other students nodded or raised their hands in agreement, proving that Tony wasn't entirely alone in his confusion.

Melissa let out a sigh, rolling her eyes. "Come on, Tony. You're supposed to be the smart one. How'd that fly over your head?"

"I am science smart," Tony argued, placing a hand on his chest. "This was more of a riddle, a poetic quirk pun! And it's because I'm smart, I finally came to the realization. It just took me a moment, that's all—"

Before he could finish, Uraraka and Aoyama walked into the room. They hadn't sustained any physical injuries in their match against Thirteen, so they didn't require medical attention.

"What are you all talking about?" Uraraka asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Tony just figured out why Midnight-sensei is called Midnight," Momo explained, sounding mildly amused. "It's because people usually sleep at midnight, and her quirk puts people to sleep."

Uraraka tapped her finger against her lips thoughtfully. "Huh… I never thought about that either. I guess I just accepted her name without questioning it."

Tony immediately pointed at Uraraka and shot Melissa a smug look that clearly said, See? I'm not the only one!

Melissa gave him a deadpan stare and muttered under her breath, "I swear, you're impossible sometimes." Then, deciding it wasn't worth arguing over, she turned her attention back to the screens displaying the other students' battles.

One match in particular caught her eye. "Wow… it looks like Asui's really kicking it up a notch."

On the monitor, Asui was using her powerful legs to launch herself around the battlefield, bouncing off Ectoplasm's clones with effortless precision. She ricocheted through the air like a hyperactive game of Plinko, creating openings for Tokoyami, who followed closely behind before they worked together to overpower Ectoplasm. 

Tony watched for a moment and then said out of nowhere, "She should totally intern with Mirko. Honestly, I think it'd be a perfect fit for her."

"Agreed," Midoriya said immediately, his eyes lighting up as he placed a thoughtful hand beneath his chin. "Their fighting styles are actually really similar if you think about it. Both rely heavily on leg strength and explosive mobility. Sure, Asui has the aquatic element, but she could really benefit from learning close-combat techniques from a high-mobility pro like Mirko—"

"Aaaaand I'm zoning him out," Tony announced, pulling out his phone and swiping through the screen as the familiar Angry Birds theme began to play loudly.

Everyone turned to look at him, some with confusion, others with mild amusement. But no one said anything—at this point, they were used to his antics.

"Aren't you even a little curious how the rest of the class is doing?" Momo asked cautiously, though her tone suggested she already knew what the answer would be.

Without even glancing up from his phone, Tony replied, "Not really. I already know all of them are going to pass. The only ones I was a little worried about were Denki and Mina since they were up against Nezu—but they pulled through in the end, so I'm not too concerned anymore."

He continued tapping away on his screen while the others resumed watching the remainder of the training exercises, each silently wondering what kind of ridiculous commentary Tony might throw out next.

Just like Tony predicted, the rest of the students managed to defeat their pro hero opponents without too much delay or worry, all within the allotted ten-minute timeframe.

Sero kept Midnight thoroughly distracted, skillfully maneuvering and using his tape to keep her off-balance, while Mineta—true to form—ran out of the arena, crying tears of betrayal and injustice. "Why does he get to enjoy being punished?! I could've handled it… maybe!" he wailed, dramatically clutching his chest as if it were a heartbreak of epic proportions.

Next up were Jiro and Koda versus Present Mic. As Tony had expected, they managed to overcome him with the same but brilliant strategy—bugs. While Koda summoned a relentless swarm of insects, Jiro stood her ground, plugging her jacks into the ground to send shockwaves through the terrain. What surprised everyone was how much more resilient Jiro had become, managing to contend with Present Mic's powerful voice more effectively than expected. Her training clearly paid off.

Tony, still watching intently, suddenly perked up and said, "You know what I just realized?"

Melissa groaned, slapping her forehead. "Oh my god, not again!" Her exasperation earned a round of laughter from the others who had been present earlier.

Tony grinned. "Present Mic is probably called Present Mic because he's so loud it's like he always has a Mic present in front him" 

"Ooooooohhh!!" the room chorused in sudden understanding.

"I always thought the 'present' meant like... gift or something," Mina admitted, her eyes wide as the new meaning clicked in her brain.

Melissa let out a small sigh and shrugged. "Alright, I'll give you that one. I didn't even think of it that way. That one actually got me."

"Do another! Do another!" Toru clapped excitedly, bouncing in place. Soon, students were shouting out hero names like it was some kind of party game.

"Do Eraserhead next!" Denki shouted, practically waving his hand in the air like he was trying to get picked in class.

Tony chuckled, playing along. "Eraserhead is pretty straightforward. He erases people's quirks, and the power comes from his eyes. Now, where are his eyes located?"

"HIS HEAD!!!" the majority of the class yelled out, voices full of glee as the pun hit them.

Before anyone could shout another name, Recovery Girl's voice boomed through the intercom. "Ojiro and Iida's team has passed the test just in time! With that, all students have officially completed their practical exams! The ten-minute timer is up—your exams are over!"

"Finally!!" the students cheered in unison, some collapsing in relief, others throwing their fists in the air. Never before had Recovery Girl's voice sounded so beautiful to their ears.

Just as the cheering died down, Kirishima stood up and raised his hand dramatically. "Wait! Everyone stop—I just realized something!"

The group turned toward him in curiosity, but Tony spoke up before he could say another word.

"Let me guess," Tony said, lowering his phone and looking up. "You just figured out that All Might is called All Might because all of his powers are physical. His strength, speed, durability—it's all just raw might. So technically, he's not just 'almighty' in the traditional sense… he's literally just. all. might."

Silence.

A long, heavy, awkward silence.

So silent, in fact, that one could hear the sound effects of Tony's Angry Birds game in the background—the squeals of pigs and the thwack of birds slamming into wooden towers.

Kirishima blinked. "...I was just going to say that we all actually managed to pass the exam. Like, no one failed. Isn't that kind of amazing?"

"Oh, that?" Tony said casually, returning to his phone. "Yeah, of course you did. I mean, with me as your Class President, it's basically my job to make sure everyone succeeds. If any of you had failed and made me look bad, I swear I would've hunted you down and beaten you senseless for being so stupid"

"..." 

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