After a long and boring week full of exams—exams that I passed without much trouble, I'm sure of it—came the practical part: a fight between students and teachers... nerfed, but strong nonetheless. Despite the changes that have been occurring due to my continued existence in this world, I highly doubt they would change that mechanic or the participating groups.
Watching the whole class, confident and sure they would be facing robots as we headed to one of UA's fake cities, was quite funny. Their reaction to reality will be unique.
(As Thanos said... "Reality is often disappointing.")
I adjusted the gloves of my suit a bit to optimize the Air Force. At first, I saw them as useless since I had the general concept under my understanding and control, but in the end, I decided to request them from the support course.
(It was a good choice; my precision is even better than before.)
Distractedly, I gave my suit a general look, thinking about the improvements I've had in mind lately.
I've been doing an evaluation of my "Anti-Potato Face Survival Plan," and I think I'm in a position to modify it a bit.
I've remained faithful to what I remember from what I saw... years ago. It's hard to count the time when you have another life. Maybe it's not necessary to stay on the sidelines as I had decided at the beginning. My power over One For All is at a really high point, and I have time to improve it even more.
I think if I'm smart, I could intervene in the Battle of Kamino and defeat All For One right there. I don't know how many repercussions that could have for what I remember of the original work, but it would be a thousand times easier to move forward knowing that the King of Evil is out of the game.
They're just ideas, but in the moment, they could make a big difference, and that's what's important.
(Shigaraki will definitely act differently for the camp attack. I wouldn't be surprised to see more villains there or something worse.)
I have a countermeasure for that. I don't know how effective it will be, but I lose nothing by trying.
"Everyone, get off the bus. We've arrived at the exam area."
Aizawa's tired voice made me look at the fake city that was now in front of us.
The outlines of the teachers can already be seen. The test remains the same. That's a relief.
"Excited, Midoriya?" Todoroki questioned me, having stood beside me as I got off the bus.
"Of course. These types of exams are excellent for seeing how much I've improved. I haven't had an opportunity of this caliber since the Sports Festival." Todoroki had become a good friend once I got past his apathetic exterior. "Aren't you?"
"It's going to be a confrontation against robots. Where's the challenge in that?" he questioned normally and with some boredom. "Passing this exam won't be a difficult test to achieve."
"Heh, don't be so confident, Todoroki. The flow of information isn't always correct." With a smirk, I clapped him on the shoulder to get in front of everyone.
All the teachers were lined up in a single row, looking at us as if the exam had already begun.
"I suppose you already know what this year's exam will be about?" Aizawa asked.
"Of course! It'll be a battle against robots!" And Mina replied, to the delight of the teachers present... and mine too, I won't deny it.
"Yes, about that..." From Aizawa's bandages, Principal Nezu emerged, and it's... really curious to see his form. I wonder how evolved his genome is to be able to mix in that way without causing an exaggerated mutation. "This year, we've decided to change the practical exam! And instead of facing robots, you will face...!" The dramatic pause is unnecessary. If the rest haven't connected the dots by now, then they desperately need an IQ test. "Your teachers!"
From the impact on the faces of several, I can say that common sense is clearly lacking.
"First! Todoroki and Yaoyorozu will team up against...!" Nezu left it hanging in the air. "Against me." Aizawa's not-so-friendly smile was a bad omen for the mentioned team.
"The second group, composed of...!" The rest doesn't matter to me. I just have to wait for All Might to make his grand, dramatic entrance.
A battle against the current Symbol of Peace, perfect for measuring my current power.
"And the last group, composed of Bakugo and Midoriya, will fight against...!"
"Against me!" All Might exclaimed, making his expected but no less incredible entrance.
"All Might!" Bakugo exclaimed in a rare display of open surprise.
"The one and only," I replied lightly. "Ready to take on the world, partner?" Trying to be optimistic and friendly, I offered my fist to Bakugo, only to be completely ignored.
"Don't think I'll be your partner!"
Eh... I expected that.....
...
After an interesting explanation about how each teacher was limited by half due to Mei Hatsume's cuffs—a very original invention that, if made more practical, could catch many villains—we were on the bus.
Just All Might, Bakugo, and me.
Do you want to make the trip even more awkward?
"Hey, Bakugo..." I began exaggeratedly loudly to capture the attention of the two individuals on board. "Did I ever tell you about the time I heard Kirishima shouting about how manly you were in the showers? While he was alone, literally alone."
Heh, their faces of discomfort and embarrassment are golden.
"Don't leave him hanging. You should clear things up with him. We don't want an incident, right?"
It's so fun to be the cause of awkward silences.
"...Does anyone play cards?" All Might asked with clear embarrassment. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if he just uses his Quirk to take us to the testing area.
"Oh, I play, but only if we're betting a kidney or more. Anything less isn't enough to maintain my expensive lifestyle."
I love doing these things....
...
"You may begin." The robotic voice gave us the go-ahead to start the exam.
And so we did. All Might is at the other end of this fake city, but with his speed, it will only be a matter of seconds before he reaches us.
The ideal would be to team up with Bakugo, cross the finish line, and end this, but my objectives don't align with his, and for once, I'm grateful for that.
"Listen, Deku, don't think I'm going to listen to some stupid plan of yours because..." Bakugo began to ramble seriously, as if he were the leader of this operation.
Too bad that's not the case.
"Perfect! Take care, Bakugo! I'll see you around!" Without letting him finish speaking, I disappeared in a green flash.
My objective is All Might, and the test has a short duration of fifteen minutes. I can't fight as I wish with so little time.
Right now, I have total control over 40% of One For All, and All Might is only at half his power, which in turn is already weakened from having passed One For All on to me.
Practically, I'll never have a better moment for an even battle than this. I must use all the tricks in my arsenal to learn as much as possible.
(Now, I just have to find All Might.)
As I jumped between buildings, it was strange not to see him. Normally, I would have felt the gust of wind his movements generate... but there's nothing.
Is he at the exit? Waiting for one of us to go there so he can take them out? Or maybe...
"SHIT!!" Bakugo's loud scream, accompanied by the collapse of a small building, was enough for me to know where All Might was.
(He went for Bakugo first. He knew I would take this course of action and anticipated it... Clever.)
Doing a flip in the air, I changed my course towards the start of the test. The explosions were visible in the distance, along with the smoke and dust.
(Time for a dramatic entrance. One For All! Full Cowling 35%!)
The sudden increase in speed was enough for me to reach the battlefield in an instant, witnessing the clear difference in power between the opponents.
With a single movement of his right arm, All Might extinguished the explosion launched by Bakugo, and without losing his own momentum, he hit him with his left. Sending him crashing into a fake bus stop.
I guess it's time to make my entrance.
Slightly bending my legs and charging the full 40% of One For All, I leaped towards All Might, preparing my right arm to deliver a direct punch to his face. He noticed my approach and prepared to respond with his own move.
His right arm shot out towards mine, and the inevitable happened.
Our fists collided in an impressive display of pure power, sending everything around us flying. The smile of astonishment, disbelief, and pride on All Might's face made the adrenaline in my body race with greater ferocity.
This power... even without being half of its total, is mind-blowing.
(I can't wait to have full control.)
Moving to the side, All Might ended our measurement of strength, getting into position for another blow directed at me.
"Impressive power, young hero! Let's see how long you can maintain it!" Is he really getting into character?
"I'll say the same to you, Symbol of Peace!" With a jump, I tried to kick his face, only for his arm to catch my leg. He started to spin in place, ending by sending me towards a government building.
Not wanting to crash into said structure, I shot two Blackwhips from my hands. Both attached to the ground as if they were hooks, allowing me to decelerate.
Simulating a zipline, I waited until the Whips were at a high point of tension to pull on them strongly, starting to head like a bullet towards the Symbol of Peace.
Said Symbol prepared for my arrival, placing his right arm further back than his left and bending slightly.
(Time to take inspiration from Gran Torino.)
A Blackwhip shot out from my left arm, passing between All Might's legs and allowing me to slide on the ground without any problem, completely ignoring the attack directed at me.
"Tick-tock, motherfucker!"
A kick to his shin, followed by a right hook to his head, was what my rival received.
He started to roll on the ground thanks to the force used in those attacks and his unstable posture from my previous hits.
(And I haven't even hit your wound, All Might.) I want to beat him without resorting to such a vile trick. If it were All For One, I would hit him tirelessly on his weak points. But this is All Might, and I don't want to intentionally weaken him.
"This fight is insane!"
"HAHAHAHA! I agree! It's been a while since I've had such an entertaining fight!" All Might exclaimed, recovering from my blows and with a challenging look I had never seen before.
"Now it's my turn to attack!" Without a second glance, he moved at a blinding speed.
And for a moment, I was back to being the same idiot I was at the U.S.J.
With All Might moving so fast I couldn't see him, feeling frustrated by my pathetic level compared to the big leagues.
A solid punch to my abdomen brought me back to the real world, followed by the inevitable lack of air and hunching over in pain.
(Only the Nomu had hit me with such magnitude, and I had forgotten how much it hurt.)
Grabbing my face, All Might started dragging me along one of the few buildings that hadn't yet collapsed.
(This habit of playing with power levels I can't handle has become a custom... damn it, Full Cowling 45%!)
The wave of power was accompanied by a much-needed rush of adrenaline at that moment. Using my free arm, I shot a Blackwhip towards his neck, wrapping it around and starting to choke him.
At first, All Might wasn't affected by my move, but as the seconds passed and the pressure I was exerting increased, he had to stop to remove the Whip, although he still didn't let me go. So I was forced to punch him in the face with my free hand.
And still, he didn't let go.
(In fact, he's squeezing me tighter and tighter... This is a tug-of-war. Whoever loses concentration first will have the victory.)
Fortunately for both of us, Bakugo made an appearance with his explosions and attacked All Might.
His explosions were... smaller and more concentrated, causing damage in key points.
This caused the battle of wills to be won by me, managing to move to kick All Might in the back with a casual but excellent coordination with Bakugo.
His explosion and my kick made a small bus the recipient of the Symbol of Peace's fall... who weighs 250kg.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, DEKU?! THIS IS MY DAMN FIGHT!" he questioned me with anger, confronting me as if we hadn't been fighting together less than a second ago.
"I'm doing my part in this exam, because I don't know if you noticed, but..." pointing to all the destruction caused in the area along with the injuries on our bodies. "A hero wouldn't cause all this destruction. At this rate, we're going to fail, Bakugo. So I'll give you an ultimatum."
I deliberately made One For All show itself in its full glory on my body to accentuate my threat.
"Cooperate with me and help me defeat All Might, or go face him alone and lose in the attempt. I don't give a shit what you have to say. I want to have a good fight against the Symbol of Peace, and you're... getting in the way. So tell me, what will you do?"
The answer is clear to me. He doesn't plan on cooperating, and neither do I.
By the way, where's All Might? He should have recovered by now.
"Don't be surprised when this exam is over, Deku," he directed a few last words to me, starting to propel himself with his explosions. "BECAUSE I'VE GOT THIS FIGHT WON!"
Those words, as quickly as they came... died. All Might appeared in a single leap and hit Bakugo to the ground as if he were a ball.
Sending him into unconsciousness automatically... I hope he's still alive.
"Young Midoriya! Selling out your partner like that is not right!" he pointed at me accusatorially, as if I were the culprit for everything.
"Says the man who just knocked out my partner with a single blow." At that, he had the decency to look ashamed. "All Might, you... you want to face me. This isn't just an exam. You want to measure my progress, and you're as or more excited than I am about it," I finished my deduction with a challenging smile on my face. A smile that was returned by All Might, who clearly shares my thoughts.
"You're correct, Young Midoriya. I expected no less... now, are you ready to perish, hero?"
One For All flows wildly through my body. I can feel its excitement. The excitement of facing its previous wielder.
I thought I wouldn't have better battles than those at the Sports Festival... I was clearly mistaken.
This is... exciting!
"As ready as you are to retire, old man!"
Moving at a terrifying speed, All Might positioned himself in front of me, with his fist directed at my face.
But I can see it! And react in time!
I'm smaller than All Might, but much more agile and faster. I must take advantage of that.
Moving my body to the left, I managed to dodge the punch sent at me, attacking with one of my own towards his face. My left hand, on the other hand, shot a Blackwhip towards his feet, trying to make him lose his balance and failing in the attempt.
My right fist was caught without any problem, forcing me to send a kick to get out of the predicament I got myself into. My kick managed to connect with his face this time, and without losing momentum, I shot an Air Force at his chest, managing to make him retreat slightly but without being disconcerted in the slightest.
With a single leap back, I managed to put distance between us. Maintaining One For All at such high numbers is exhausting when the enemy has a power on par or superior.
"DELAWARE SMASH!" Sending his fist in my direction, All Might caused a frankly terrifying air pressure.
Shooting the Blackwhips, I made them hold on to everything that was still standing, forming a large net to keep me steady.
(How incredible! If I tried what he did with 50%, I wouldn't cause as much area damage!)
Once the strong gust of wind ended, I used the Whips again as a zipline and launched myself directly at him.
"Stop destroying things, All Might!"
A solid kick to his chin sent him directly into the sky, where I caught him with my Blackwhips to force him to descend sharply to the ground.
(And I learned that from Andrew's Spider-Man. He's not Electro, but the concept works.)
Without giving him a chance to recover, I sent punches from left to right. These punches were effective at the beginning. All Might was on the ground and disoriented.
But he placed his feet on my solar plexus and gave me the most painful kick I've received to date, sending me towards what was until recently a bus stop.
"Those Whips of yours are a problem!"
In revenge, All Might probably imitated my Air Forces, only his shots were a thousand times more powerful than mine.
"I took your concept and adapted it for my use!"
One of those shots managed to hit me in the back as I tried to take cover.
(It's a miracle my spine isn't broken.)
I was a bit tired and, above all, sore. The adrenaline wasn't completely masking the pain.
(I need a plan, something with which I can take an absolute advantage.)
All Might was also fatigued, and if I continued to abuse One For All in that way, there would be a premature retirement.
Ideas came and went in my head, each one more dangerous than the last, but they all had their merit.
If only...
"Howitzer Impact!"
The whirlwind of fire that Bakugo caused for All Might was impressive. Every day, that attack becomes more powerful.
(When did Bakugo manage to attack without us seeing him?)
Again, I had to cover myself from the shockwave and everything it brings with it.
(Did it knock him out?... No, All Might is exhausted, but not enough to fall with an attack like that.)
From one moment to the next, the curtain of smoke and dust disappeared.
The cause? All Might.
With just a movement of his hand, he caused a current of air... how terrifyingly incredible.
But I have a plan.
(Thanks, Bakugo. Your distraction was a success.)
Said boy was unconscious, on the foot of a tired but standing All Might.
"Now you will say, 'It's over, hero. You have no escape'!" I shouted to buy time, hoping my strategy would be executed.
"IT'S OVER, HERO. YOU HAVE NO ESCAPE!" All Might responded imposingly as he kicked Bakugo towards where I was.
(I see why Joseph enjoyed doing that so much.)
Without raising my hands from the ground, I smiled at All Might.
"I'm sorry, villain! But I win!"
From the ground, ten Blackwhips sprouted, one for each of my fingers.
It was a simple strategy, based entirely on Ibara's vines and her way of using them.
But it worked, and now I have All Might trapped by the Blackwhips. That's all I need to win.
(This is going to hurt tomorrow... One For All! Full Cowling 50%!)
With the strength I had left and without letting the Blackwhips disappear, I positioned myself in front of All Might, giving him the best kick I had to give.
"ST. LOUIS SMASH!"
The hit landed squarely, and the crater that followed was immense.
All Might was left in the center of the crater, without losing his transformation but with my fist inches from his face.
I was exhausted, sore, and with a persistent back pain that will definitely be unbearable the next day.
"Surrender... or... I'll hit you until my arm breaks..." I threatened him between breaths due to my lack of air. I'm on the verge of unconsciousness.
"...Heh... I surrender. Congratulations, heroes... you passed the test..."
All Might's words, accompanied by the horn announcing our success, were all I needed to give in to exhaustion and pain.
"Not bad... for his successor... right... All Might?"
Falling to the side, I allowed my eyes to close.
I won.
That thought was gratifying.
...
Author's Note:
Hey.
What did you think of the chapter?
So, the battle against All Might in the practical exam took up a whole chapter.
The truth is that the one before this was quite short, and that, combined with the battle against Mirio (which in the end I didn't like), made me decide to write a whole chapter just on this battle.
I was surprised to see that five days had passed since the last update of this story. I thought it had been three days at most, but not that long.
The next chapter should arrive soon if I don't get distracted writing my other fics (which is what is most likely to happen).
And just to finish, I'm going to say that this is chapter 30 of this story.
In 30 chapters, I've managed to cover almost three seasons if my memory of the anime doesn't fail me, so you can do the math on how many chapters it will take to cover everything that's left.
I'm proud and grateful for how much this fic has grown. I really hope to see the moment it reaches its end and see how much it has advanced by then.
Anyway, take care.
See you.