After driving for nearly an hour, the bus unknowingly entered a stretch of deep mountains and ancient forest. It continued along a winding road for some time before finally coming to a stop on a platform with a wide, open view.
As the engine shut off, everyone got off the bus one after another and looked around.
They were currently halfway up a mountain. Looking down, all they could see was a vast sea of lush green forest. The weather was clear and pleasant, instantly giving everyone a refreshed feeling.
"Are we resting here?"
Masata stretched exaggeratedly and leaned against the railing. "Sitting on the bus for so long is exhausting."
"It seems like it," Yaoyorozu said curiously. "But… why don't I see anyone from Class 1-B? If it's a break, shouldn't both classes be here?"
Just as she finished speaking—
"Target locked with blinking eyes!"
"Cute Meow Bazooka!"
"Wild—Wild!"
"Pussycats!"
Suddenly, from a black vehicle parked on the same platform, two women dressed in flashy, idol-like costumes leaped out. They struck exaggerated poses while shouting strange slogans.
The students who had been chatting leisurely froze on the spot.
So embarrassing…
Aside from Mineta anxiously searching for a restroom, Midoriya was inexplicably fired up, eyes shining with excitement. Everyone else silently complained inwardly while glancing at Aizawa-sensei, who had stepped forward with a deadpan expression.
"Yo, Eraser. Long time no see."
The two women clearly recognized him and greeted him enthusiastically.
Aizawa sighed and turned to the students.
"They're the ones responsible for your training this time—professional heroes, the PussyCats."
"That's right!"
Midoriya was practically vibrating with excitement. "They're a four-person hero team famous for mountain rescue operations! They've been active in the industry for many years!"
Hero teams like this had existed for a long time, but conflicts in direction and income distribution often caused them to disband. That such a team had lasted this long was, in itself, a miracle.
"I think I remember them," Masata said thoughtfully. "Didn't a newspaper once publish news about one of the female heroes getting married? I'm pretty sure she was part of this group."
Before he could finish—
A massive cat paw suddenly filled his vision.
Masata instinctively turned his head—only to have his face slammed straight into the rocky cliff by the paw.
"Mmmph—!"
Seeing Masata struggling helplessly, the North American Shorthair hero frowned, then casually scratched his neck a few times before finally letting him go.
"My mom will always be eighteen years old!"
Masata finally regained his breath, panting heavily. For a moment, he'd genuinely thought he was going to black out.
"This entire area belongs to us," another member of the team—the Mandalay Cat—said as she stepped forward. She walked to the edge of the railing and pointed toward a distant mountain far away, barely visible to the naked eye.
"That's where you'll be staying."
Looking in the direction she indicated—dozens of kilometers away—the students of Class 1-A suddenly felt a bad premonition rise in their hearts.
"…Should we get back on the bus?"
Yaoyorozu smiled stiffly and quietly edged toward the vehicle.
The others followed without a word—even Mineta, red-faced and still desperate for the restroom, ran on his short legs. No one wanted to walk through a forest this massive.
"Tch. Looks like resistance has developed," Aizawa muttered, scratching his head. "But it's a shame—the training has already started."
Just as Yaoyorozu was only a few steps away from the bus door—
The North American Shorthair hero suddenly flashed in front of her and slammed her hands onto the ground.
BOOM!!!
The earth instantly turned into something like quicksand. Before anyone could react, the ground surged like a wave, flinging everyone into the air and swallowing them whole before dumping them down below.
"This is private land, so feel free to use your Quirks!"
From above, the Mandalay Cat looked down with a cheerful smile.
"From now on, you have three hours to reach the accommodation site. Also, a reminder—this forest is called the Beast Forest!"
She glanced at the time.
"It's 9:30 a.m. now, so you should arrive around noon at the earliest, right?"
Just then, someone who shouldn't have been standing there appeared beside her.
"…Hm?"
The Mandalay Cat blinked in surprise.
"Igarashi," Aizawa said flatly, looking at Masata, who was somehow still standing on the platform. "You're participating in this training too. Don't try to slack off."
"When did you escape?!"
The North American Shorthair stared at Masata in disbelief. She had clearly seen him standing at the back earlier. By all logic, he should have been swept away by the earth wave.
"That kind of meaningless trick is a waste of time," Masata replied lazily. "Besides, as the only student who escaped, shouldn't I get a reward?"
Aizawa showed no mercy, so Masata sighed.
"As for how I got out—simple. I can fly."
With that, he turned around and jumped straight off the cliff.
CRACK!
He landed below, shattering the ground in a spiderweb of cracks.
The two PussyCats stared blankly.
"…Wow," one of them muttered. "That's a monster."
Just as they were about to rush to the railing to check on him, Masata's voice echoed up from below.
"Hey—there are monsters down here!"
Before the students arrived, the PussyCats had planted a large number of earthen beasts throughout the forest to slow their progress.
Behind a tree—
Right behind Mineta, who had finally relaxed and was about to relieve himself.
"BEHIND YOU!!!"
Hearing his classmates' desperate screams, Mineta turned around—and froze in terror.