The class filed out of the bus one by one, already dressed in their hero costumes, forming an organized line in front of the teachers. The air felt different. Heavier. More electric.
Practical exam day had finally arrived.
"Finally!" Dash said, practically vibrating on the spot. "I can almost smell the sweet scent of marshmallows roasting over the campfire!"
Ryo glanced sideways at the blonde; he'd been like this ever since he passed the written exam thanks to him.
"I can't wait for the training camp!" Dash continued, giving Ryo's shoulder a quick pat. "What about you, aren't you excited?"
"Sort of," Ryo replied in a completely monotone voice.
But his feet were tapping rapidly on the ground, the tip of his shoe going back and forth nonstop, like a restless rabbit.
Dash smiled.
"You're terrible at hiding your feelings," he thought.
Ryo shifted his attention to the group of teachers ahead. There were a lot of people there. More than usual. His gaze ended up landing on Anan, who noticed and responded with a small wave of her gloved hand.
He returned it with a discreet nod.
Then Aizawa stepped forward.
"Alright, attention class."
His tone alone was enough for the entire class to instantly straighten up.
"The practical exam will now begin," he said. "And yes, it is possible to fail this exam. If you want to go to the training camp so badly, then don't mess up."
Their gazes grew even more focused.
"We know that!" Kirishima responded from beside Ryo, clenching his fist. "We'll give it our all!"
"There are way too many teachers here…" Jiro commented quietly, looking around.
Aizawa continued:
"Does anyone here have even a vague idea of how this exam will work?"
"Of course!" Kaminari answered quickly, striking a Jojo pose. "A battle against robots, just like the entrance exam!"
"Fireworks! Curry! Truth or Dare!" Mina shouted, raising her arm excitedly.
Before Aizawa could respond, something moved within his scarf.
"Not even close~!"
The class froze.
Nezu emerged calmly from inside Aizawa's scarf.
"Due to various recent circumstances," continued the principal with his overly serene smile, "I demanded a complete overhaul of the exam."
"Huh?!" Dash's eyes widened. "What's the principal doing here?!"
"A… revision of the exam?" Ryo murmured, attentive.
Nezu adjusted his tiny suit jacket.
"You see, fighting robots isn't practical at all. They're predictable, easy to handle, and frankly… offer no real-world experience."
He began climbing down from Aizawa, still staring at the students.
"The world isn't made of enemies that follow clear patterns. Danger doesn't announce itself. It doesn't wait. And it certainly doesn't come with highlighted weak points."
A heavy silence fell over the class.
"If you want to be heroes," Nezu concluded, "then this exam needs to reflect what truly awaits you out there."
Nezu finally descended from Aizawa's shoulder with a little help from Anan, straightening his jacket before continuing.
"From now on, we will focus on battles against flesh-and-blood opponents," he said with a mischievous smile. "Our goal is for your training to simulate the practical experience as closely as possible to reality."
Some students swallowed hard.
"That is why students like you…" Nezu extended a tiny paw to the side, as if presenting a prize. "…will face those who teach you here!"
The impact on the class was immediate.
"What?!" several voices exploded at once.
Uraraka slowly turned her head to Kirishima, her eyes wide.
"Hey, hey, hey!" He raised his arms defensively. "Don't look at me! I didn't know anything about that! That just slipped out by accident!"
Nezu continued, unfazed.
"Your pairings have already been decided."
The tension ratcheted up another notch.
"First match," he began. "Todoroki and Yaoyorozu versus…"
Aizawa took a step forward.
"Me."
The two students tensed up instantly.
"Second pairing," Nezu proceeded. "Midoriya and Bakugo versus…"
A massive shadow fell from above.
The impact echoed across the grounds as All Might landed in front of the class, kicking up dust.
"I! WILL BE HONORED TO BE YOUR OPPONENT!" he announced, fist on his hip.
Midoriya gaped.
"A-All Might?!"
Bakugo ground his teeth, his eyes tense as he stared at All Might.
The entire class murmured in shock, seeing that Midoriya and Bakugo were facing the Symbol of Peace right away.
"And the third pairing, it is a bit special…" Nezu said, not giving the confusion time to settle. "Takeda will be with Dash, and they will face…"
Midnight stepped forward, smiling provocatively.
"Me~♡"
"Me as well!" All Might said, raising a fist to his chest. "However, since the two of you are a special case…"
The atmosphere seemed to grow heavier.
"You will face not just the two of us," continued All Might, "but also two special guests!"
From among the teachers, two figures emerged.
"Hey there, champ."
"What's up, kid."
Dash froze.
"…Dad?! UNCLE FROZONE?!"
Mr. Incredible crossed his arms, serious, while Frozone just raised his hand in a cheerful wave.
"I got here the day before yesterday," Frozone said, smiling. "Sorry for not giving a heads-up, kid."
Dash felt his stomach sink.
"Since the two of you constitute a non-standard case," Nezu explained, "we ended up needing to call for external support. Fortunately, All Might recommended people of absolute trustworthiness."
"I was lucky some old friends were in the area!" All Might said with a booming laugh.
Dash swallowed hard, looking at the four opponents before him.
"Professor Midnight… All Might… my dad… and Uncle Frozone…" he murmured. "This is crazy on an extreme level…"
He turned his head to Ryo, expecting to see at least some surprise.
But Ryo was motionless, his gaze fixed on All Might.
There was no shock, nor fear. Just a silent tension between the two…
All Might felt a shiver run down his spine as he noticed the threatening look Ryo was giving him, the two large, white helmet eyes kept staring at him from under the hood.
"Why this young man look so mad?"
A drop of sweat trickled down his forehead as he held Ryo's gaze, feeling that sharp, almost predatory presence, as if waiting for its prey to move before attacking.
Something was wrong there.
And he knew it.
All Might straightened up, taking a deep breath.
"Young Takeda and Dash… you will have to work together if you wish to emerge victorious from this." He raised his fist, which seemed to glow with heroic will. "I want you to come at us with everything you've got."
Dash swallowed hard and nodded, feeling his stomach churn, while Ryo just kept his gaze steady and replied with a firm but monotone—
"Ok."
Aizawa took a step forward, his tired eyes now fixed on the class.
"Normally, all teams would begin their matches at the same time." His firm voice cut through the class's murmur. "But, due to Takeda and Dash's special case… Midoriya and Bakugo, Jiro and Sero… will have to wait a bit. The rest will begin as normal now. I wish you all good luck. And remember… don't fail. If you do..."
The class swallowed hard. Silence hung for a few seconds before the unanimous reply came:
"Understood!"
Dash took a step forward, trying to take a deep breath, feeling his heart race, but also feeling a strange confidence and a sense that having Ryo by his side today might just be the best thing that has ever happened in this exam.
----------------------------------------
After a few minutes on the bus, Ryo and Dash finally arrived at the stage where they would take the test.
The impact was immediate as soon as they stepped off.
Before them stood a near-perfect replica of the Gamma Field—the familiar, oppressive maze, full of shadows, blind spots, and routes that seemed to repeat endlessly.
Dash's jaw hit the floor.
"Aw, hell no…" he dragged a hand down his face. "Outta all the places… they had to pick this damn maze again?!"
Midnight smiled at the corner of her mouth, clearly pleased with the reaction.
"The exam is designed to be difficult, sweetie." She took a few steps forward, her heels clicking. "And based on your recent lessons… this stage was chosen specifically to counter your Quirk."
Dash swallowed hard.
Mr. Incredible and Frozone observed the scene carefully, visibly impressed. The massive industrial complex stretched as far as the eye could see.
Frozone let out a long whistle.
"Daaamn…" he shook his head slowly. "I already thought this school was crazy big, but this? Nah, nah… these folks are swimmin' in money, my brother."
Bob crossed his arms, analyzing the place.
"Maybe." He furrowed his brow. "Or just very creative with public funding."
All Might cleared his throat loudly, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Very well." He took a step forward. "This is where we will battle."
Ryo and Dash immediately snapped to focus.
"The rules are simple." All Might continued. "The time limit is thirty minutes."
Midnight then produced a pair of gleaming metal handcuffs and held them up, giving them a slight shake.
"Your win condition is to either cuff us with these~" she said with a mischievous smile.
"Or," All Might finished, "you escape the stage before time runs out."
Ryo tilted his head slightly.
"Sounds simple."
"Yeah…" Dash agreed, still eyeing the maze suspiciously. "Real simple…"
Bob let out a short laugh.
"Don't be fooled, boys." He pointed at their group. "Your opponents here ain't just anybody."
"Yeah, listen to the big man," Frozone added, raising a finger. "We on a whole 'nother level up here, a'ight? A whole 'nother level."
Midnight took a few more steps, her voice dropping lower and more serious.
"This test is designed to simulate real combat as closely as possible." She slowly licked her lips. "So do yourselves a favor… treat us like the bad guys~"
All Might raised his hands in agreement.
"Your decisions will also be evaluated. Strategy, cooperation, priorities… it all counts."
He then took a deep breath.
"And due to certain circumstances…" he said, pulling something from behind his uniform, "we four will be wearing special weights, produced by a very special person from the Support Department."
All Might began distributing the weights.
First to Midnight. Then to Bob. And then to Frozone.
Frozone held out his hands to take a weight from All Might.
"This lil' thing?" He chuckled. "Feels light as a feather, man, you playin'—"
All Might deliberately let the weight drop into his hands.
"WOAH—!" Frozone nearly hit the floor, his eyes widening as he strained to hold the weight. "GADDAMN?!" He lifted the weight with difficulty. "What in the world is this made of, vibranium?!"
Bob was already fastening his weights to his wrists and ankles, laughing.
"They're plenty light, Lucius," he said, teasing. "Just like you said."
"Light my ass…" Frozone grumbled. "This thing's gonna wreck my knees, man."
Soon after, everyone was inside the Gamma Field, each team positioned at their starting point.
Ryo and Dash were atop a tall industrial building, surrounded by rusty chimneys and suspended walkways that vanished into the low-hanging fog of the complex. The wind blew strongly up there, carrying the metallic scent of the place.
Ryo observed the scene calmly, his green eyes analyzing the area.
Dash, on the other hand, paced back and forth, visibly nervous.
"Dude… I don't know if we can pass this exam." He stopped, sighing deeply. "This is too much. Look at the level of what we're facing compared to the others…"
The blond boy's shoulders slumped.
"Goodbye, training camp…"
"Hey." Ryo spoke, without taking his eyes off the maze. "Stop that."
Dash looked at him.
"How can I stop?" he retorted. "We're going up against four pro-heroes! Two of them are my dad and my uncle, who are top-ranked in the country where I grew up, Professor Midnight… and even All Might! The Symbol of Peace! The number one in Japan!"
Ryo finally turned to face him.
"And?"
Dash raised an eyebrow.
"And what?!"
"And when does that have anything to do with us?" Ryo replied, straightforward.
Dash fell silent.
"Yeah, they have titles." Ryo continued. "Yeah, they're strong. But this is an exam. They're testing a lot more than just brute strength. Strategy, emotional control, decision-making… if you get nervous now, you'll only sink our score."
Ryo walked over to his friend and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"That's why I want you to have more confidence in yourself," he said seriously. "We are going to pass."
Dash opened his mouth to argue… but closed it moments later.
"…Okay." He took a deep breath. "You're right."
He rubbed his face, still tense.
"But what about All Might?" he asked. "I'm pretty sure we can't outrun him. I think he's as fast as me… or maybe even faster."
Ryo gave a small smile behind his helmet.
"Don't worry about that."
He turned his back to Dash and walked to the edge of the building, looking down at the maze below, his expression shifting to a colder, more focused one.
"I'll handle All Might…"
Before Dash could respond, the speakers scattered throughout the Gamma Field echoed, Recovery Girl's voice ringing clear across the entire complex:
"Attention. Is everyone in position?"
A brief pause.
"The final practical exam for the first-year hero course students will now begin."
The silence grew heavy.
"Ready…"
Dash's heart raced.
Ryo clenched his fists.
"Go!"
----------------------------------------
In the makeshift medical post—a large white tent set up near the testing field—Midoriya, Bakugo, Sero, and Jiro watched the numerous screens scattered across the central panel. Each monitor showed a different confrontation where their classmates were being pushed back, retreating, or improvising against their teachers.
But, inevitably, everyone's gaze converged on a single screen.
The one displaying Ryo and Dash's exam.
On the feed, the two were already in motion inside the Gamma Field, with Dash sprinting across the ground and Ryo flying through the industrial sky with his explosions, his shadow stretching across the metallic walls.
"This is insane…" Sero commented, crossing his arms. "Like, while most of us are taking the exam the normal way, Takeda and Dash just had the difficulty cranked up right in their faces."
"Insane is an understatement." Jiro corrected, her arms resting on the table. "This crossed into absurdity a long time ago. They're fighting four pro-heroes at once."
Sero gave a nervous half-smile.
"Yeah… But at least it answers one thing."
He pointed with his chin toward the screen.
"Who the strongest in the class are. I mean, look at that… they were literally thrown into nightmare mode."
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Bakugo exploded, whirling around suddenly. "Those two aren't stronger than anyone! Not until I decide to blast their asses into the dirt with my own hands!"
He stomped out, roughly shoving the tent flap aside, but not before bumping his shoulder into Midoriya.
"Move it, Nerd."
"S-sorry!" Midoriya replied automatically, even though he hadn't done anything.
Recovery Girl, seated before the main panel, sighed in irritation.
"That boy truly has no manners."
"S-sorry about him, ma'am," Midoriya said quickly. "Kacchan's probably just a bit nervous…"
Before he could finish the sentence, a powerful vibration shook the tent.
The screens flickered. Equipment rattled. A muffled sound of an explosion echoed in the distance.
"What was that?!" Sero asked, eyes wide.
"Another villain attack?!" Jiro brought a hand to her earphone.
"No…" Recovery Girl answered, her voice suddenly serious.
She leaned forward, her eyes fixed on the screen of Ryo and Dash's exam.
Then… her eyes widened.
"That can't be…"
Midoriya noticed the change in her expression and rushed to the side of the panel.
"What's happening?!"
He followed the nurse's gaze—and froze.
On the screen, Ryo was standing, steady as a post driven into the ground. A dense, violent green aura enveloped his entire body, green electric sparks crackling through the air around him.
But that wasn't what made the hearts of those watching race.
It was All Might, who was kneeling in front of him.
Breathing heavily. One knee planted on the ground. His head slightly lowered.
"A-All Might…" Midoriya murmured, his voice failing.
In the image, Ryo tilted his head slightly, as if genuinely confused.
"What's wrong?" his voice came through his helmet's speakers. "Drop a coin or something?"
He took a few steps forward, the green aura pulsing stronger with each movement, and stopped in front of All Might, looking down at him.
Ryo's gaze was cold. Pressuring. Menacing.
"Get up. I'm not done with you yet."