At the same time the four students were heading toward the U.A. coffee shop, their laughter and bright smiles filled the air. They had ended the day at the top of the rankings, their first A-Rank victory behind them. But while their walk was lighthearted, the atmosphere elsewhere in the school was anything but.
Inside the teachers' lounge, the faculty gathered around a set of screens replaying the battle simulation. All except one looked tense.
Snipe.
He was sitting comfortably on a couch, arms crossed, watching his students stroll across the courtyard with visible pride. A low chuckle escaped him—then another—until it turned into a full laugh.
"Hey, this isn't funny," said Present Mic, trying to stifle his own surprise. "We underestimated those kids. That was supposed to be a tough fight, and they ended it like it was nothing! Not even an hour passed and they won!"
But Snipe kept laughing. "I told you! I told all of you this wasn't gonna be a challenge—but you didn't believe me!"
From the corner of the room, Aizawa lifted his eyes, looking exhausted but intrigued. He didn't interrupt, though; instead, he turned toward the director, who finally spoke.
"We did believe you when you said your students were strong," said Nezu calmly, his paws folded neatly on the table. "That's precisely why we sent them against eight fourth-year students. Those eight were far above average, some of the strongest in their class. But even with that, we miscalculated. We expected the fight to be balanced… fair, at least. It wasn't."
Aizawa nodded slightly. "I agree. Their potential is way past the curve. I'd even say they've reached the level of a pro hero already—and not just an average one. I'd rank them somewhere above seventy."
The other teachers watched the replay in silence for a moment. None disagreed.
Midnight broke the silence first. "Honestly? I don't see myself winning against them in any scenario. Even against the ones they fought, I'd have a hard time."
Ectoplasm adjusted his glasses and nodded. "Indeed. Their adaptability is terrifying. I can think of very few ways to counter them, and far too many ways they could counter me."
"I've fought them before," Aizawa added dryly, "and yes—each of them is a problem in their own way."
Snipe leaned back, a faint grin beneath his mask. "So what do we do now? Increase the level of their challenges?" His tone was relaxed; he already knew what Nezu would say.
The director clasped his paws together and smiled. "No. We calculated the overall difficulty at the start of the tournament. If we adjust it just for them, it would be unfair. Standing out shouldn't mean facing a different test. Instead, what we should do is focus on their non-combat skills in the fixed missions—ethics, critical thinking, decision-making under pressure. We already know they can fight. Now, let's see how they think."
Snipe chuckled again. "So, what kind of games fit those criteria? Let's give them the hardest ones you've got."
Nezu's eyes gleamed, his smile widening into something almost mischievous.
"I have an idea," he said, a soft laugh rumbling in his throat. "A very, very good idea."
Unaware of whatever plans the teachers were already scheming, the four students arrived at the U.A. coffee shop with bright, satisfied faces. And who could blame them? They'd just won their first A-Rank game — and one worth a lot of points. Happiness was practically written across their expressions.
But as soon as they ordered food and sat down, the mood shifted. Their smiles faded into quiet focus.
"So," Mirio began, lowering his voice, "we know now how the A-Rank games work, right?"
He was careful not to speak too loudly. There were students from other courses nearby, and none of them wanted to hand over information that might give the upper years an advantage.
"Ne, ne," Nejire leaned forward, tapping her chin thoughtfully, "we have to look for things that weren't there before, right? That's the trigger. Like… a mini-game hidden inside the big one!"
"I think so too," Mewtwo replied in his calm tone. "But the changes must be subtle. Think about it — an extra desk in the classroom was small enough to go unnoticed. If we hadn't been sitting there, it would've looked like nothing but a mistake."
"In that case," Mirio said, grinning, "we should check the places we know best — spots we've already spent time in. That way we'll notice any difference faster."
"I think…" Tamaki hesitated, his voice quiet, "I think I know one place that's changed a bit since the tournament started."
All eyes turned toward him instantly, which made him shrink a little in his seat.
"W-well," he stammered, rubbing the back of his neck, "I like to go to the library sometimes… it's quiet there. A few days ago, I noticed something odd. The philosophy section — the sign above it changed. The letters have a golden border now. It didn't before. I don't know if that counts…"
The more he spoke, the more he wilted, hiding half his face behind his hands. But on the opposite side of the table, Nejire, Mirio, and Raiden were leaning forward with shining eyes, practically bouncing with excitement.
"Ne! Go, go, go!" Nejire said, already standing. "If we find two A-Rank games in one day, that would be awesome!"
Before Tamaki could even protest, Mirio and Raiden grabbed him — one by each arm — and started dragging him toward the door.
"H-hey, wait—!" Tamaki tried to resist, but it was pointless. The two were unstoppable when they had an idea. Nejire floated ahead of them, laughing all the way.
The scene was so ridiculous that several students in the hallway stopped to watch.
"Eh? What's going on?" someone whispered.
"Are they… bullying him?" another muttered, confused.
And yes — from the outside, it absolutely looked like that.
When they finally reached the library, Tamaki pointed silently toward the section he'd mentioned. Sure enough, the golden border around the "Philosophy" sign was there. Subtle — barely noticeable — but there. Nothing flashy. Nothing that screamed "hidden game."
"Just this?" Mirio asked, scratching his head. "It doesn't look like much."
"Exactly," Raiden said, narrowing his eyes. "That's what makes it suspicious."
He raised one hand, focusing his telekinesis without transforming. His control wasn't nearly as powerful in human form, but it was more than enough for something this close.
Unlike the classroom desk, this time he felt something. A faint pulse, mechanical — almost magnetic — hidden behind the shelf's frame.
"There's something here," he said at last, his voice quiet but certain. "A mechanism."
Raiden followed the structure of the mechanism, and it guided him to a single book.
Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals — Immanuel Kant.
"The book… is empty," exclaimed Mewtwo to the rest.
In that moment, he used his telekinesis to grab it, and as soon as the book touched Raiden's hand, the golden border around the word Philosophy of the book shell faded into nothing.
When Raiden opened the book, what he found inside wasn't paper, but a thin screen. On it, a single glowing letter appeared — A.
Immediately, their watches beeped in unison.
A-Rank Game Found:The Impossible Choices
Reach the main building of the USJ. There, your mission will begin.
Countdown: 5:59
The timer started at once. They had to move — quickly.
The four of them immediately activated their Quirks and rushed toward the place indicated by their watches.
They had to hurry; this time the timer was shorter.
Mewtwo flew at maximum speed, carrying Mirio with telekinesis, while Tamaki and Nejire followed close behind, their auras glowing with energy.
Two tests in a single day — maybe they should have waited, maybe they should have rested. But the excitement didn't let them.
When they arrived, there were still four minutes left on the timer.
At that moment, just as they landed in front of the massive building, their watches beeped again. A new message appeared:
+2:00 minutes
Congratulations! You arrived at the destination in time.
Second Stage: Four people are trapped inside the collapsed building.
Find and rescue them before the timer ends. Hurry — time is gold.
New limit: 6:20
Seeing the time, the four of them immediately put their guards on and took their positions.
Mewtwo used his telekinesis just like he did in the previous game — sitting down, his eyes closed, focusing completely on expanding his psychic reach through the ruins. He began from below, the first floor, or what was left of it, searching for any sign of movement or a shape that even remotely resembled a human.
After a few seconds of deep concentration, he finally found something — four figures.
To his interpretation, they were robotic, not real people, but still shaped like humans.
All four were trapped, pinned under heavy debris with barely any space to move. One of the figures seemed to be holding an entire ceiling beam above the others, its body twisted and broken — but still supporting them.
"Found them. We have to hurry — all of them are in trouble," exclaimed Mewtwo mentally, transmitting the message directly to the others and guiding them to the exact location.
They moved through the wreckage carefully, maneuvering between fallen walls and collapsed corridors. The only one who could move freely was Mirio, who phased through the rubble and was the first to reach the trapped figures.
When the others arrived, less than a minute later, their watches beeped again — another notification appeared.
You have arrived at the rescue site.
However, there is a problem. Four people are in critical condition.
All of them will die unless they receive medical attention within five minutes.
You only have the equipment necessary to save two.
Rescue will arrive in ten minutes — too late for everyone.
In this hypothetical case, you don't have the means to save everyone.
Who will you save?
Fortunately, you have information about each of the victims:
1. A pro hero — your coworker. She was trapped in the collapse, but used her own body to stop the ceiling from falling on the others.
2. A civilian who happened to be inside the building when it fell. He has a family of four and is their only provider.
3. An innocent child, recently accepted into a hero school, who dreams of becoming a great hero and saving lives.
4. An ex-villain — not a cruel one. He was caught stealing food for his family after three months without a job. But when the building began to collapse, he joined forces with the pro hero to help save others.
At that moment, the four of them — Mirio, Raiden, Tamaki, and Nejire — looked at each other, eyes wide open.
And as their watches started counting down again, the sound of each passing second seemed to echo louder, heavier.
4:58
4:57
4:56