Chapter 72: Final Exam Arc (6)
~Third POV~
[UA High School, Practical Exam Area – Center Plaza, Monitor Room, Japan]
Meanwhile, with the others watching their classmates within the Monitor Room Ren spoke proudly, wiping a tear from his face, "Uraraka's judgment was great! Sniff… I have taught her well."
Momo laughed, with Ida and Asui chuckling at their Class Rep reaction. Ida soon spoke stoically, congratulating Ochaco's achievement, "I can't believe she thought to use her opponent's power to get in close! Genius!"
However, Asui tilted her head as she muttered out loud in a blunt tone, "Ribbit. I don't know. It looked to me like Ochaco just lost focus and let go for a second."
Ida looked at Asui as he blinked genuinely surprised, "Oh, really?"
Ren soon nodded his head, agreeing as he tilted his head, wondering in a curious tone, "Uh-huh. From the looks of things, the two of them were talking. I wonder what Aoyama said that shocked her so much."
Everyone nodded as Momo chimed in a curious tone, shrugging her shoulders, "Who knows? It's too bad we can't hear their conversations."
Everyone nodded their heads Ren soon spoke up, seeing a screen pop up with an unsure expression on his face, asking out loud neutrally, "Right after Ochaco's match, it was… which team is taking the field next? Ah! Right, it was Ashido and Kaminari are paired up for the next battle."
Hearing this, everyone's attention was now on the monitor screen showing Mina and Denki, with Momo muttering in a curious tone, "They're going to have to fight against Principal Nezu…."
Ida nodded his head as he pondered out loud about such a match and stoically said, "The principal of our school. We rarely get to see someone like him in action. We'll have to watch this round carefully."
They all nodded as they soon focused their attention on Mina and Denki's match. Ren, on the other hand, had a sly smile on his face as he thought in a confident tone, 'Seems like everything is happening just as the manga predicted so far. Then it was a good thing I advised Denki that support item for him to use in this situation.'
/////
~Denki K. POV~
[UA High School, Practical Exam Area – Ground Gamma, Monitor Room, Japan]
We arrived at our destination for our part of the exam. Ground Gamma, the same place where we had to face off against our Class Rep blocking our paths trying to save All Might for practice.
But soon, the announcer speakers buzzed as it began to announce our round, "Team Ashido and Kaminari. Practical Exam. Ready, go!"
Hearing that, we quickly booked it away from the area where we were. Ground Gamma consists of an industrial site compiled by many factories that form a labyrinth. The labyrinth contains tons of heavy machinery, including cranes and pipelines.
Moving along quickly as I took out my support item from the Class Rep, I heard Mina speak in a confident tone, "Okay, so, what do you wanna do? Take the Class Rep suggestion or wing it?"
Listening to her words, I spoke in a neutral tone as we ran, trying to find the gate, "Ah, let's just run. If what the Class Rep said is true, we book it for sure."
Even if he does find us, he's tiny. I can take care of him with my electricity. But he has something we lack, as I hate to admit that the Class Rep pointed out…
He is smarter than us. By a large margin, when Recovery Girl mentioned how average our grades were, that was the main reason why we were teamed up.
We both had to study hard for the exam. And adding the fact we were paired because of our poor Quirk control doesn't make it any better.
I guess we were just lucky. That time studying and training for the practical bore some fruit, especially for me in Momo's estate.
I always had to make sure not to harm someone with my Quirk. My [Electrification] allows me to store and discharge electricity allowing me to cover it over my body. While I can also discharge this energy over a distance, I have little to no control over it.
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
Hearing the banging sounds our eyes got alarmed immediately. From what the class rep said if he was the one he would play with us using the area to his advantage.
The banging sounds must be from the principal using pipes to his advantage, using the wreckage to block us. And it didn't take us long to notice the debris following after us as we paled at the sight before us…
*BAM*
*THUD*
Fortunately, we had a head start on running when we had the chance when the buzzers flared. But it didn't leave us enough time as the principal would likely cut off our escape routes soon.
It's now or never! The chance to see our female class members in the summer camp bikini uniform is at stake!
Gripping the support item, looking to be some kind of fan, Mina asked in a desperate tone, eyeing my metal fan, "Hey Kaminari, isn't that the support gear you practiced with the Class Rep?"
Yup. For the past week, the Class Rep helped me get better control of my Quirk. He is one of the very few people I don't have to be very worried about using my Quirk without getting hurt because of me.
In that week he taught me to control things using my electricity. He said I wouldn't master it in a day but in constant contact with him to help me start grasping better control. And this was one of them.
This might seem to be a Chinese folding fan for others. But when I add a bit of juice of electricity like so…
*Zzzzz*
*Klang*
Mina's eyes widened as the support gear transformed into a mylar disk for me to stand on top of as I placed my foot on it, sticking tight. The new disc is six interlocking hexagonal discs composed of a lightweight yet very durable metal alloy.
Managing to get decent control over this support gear, I can at least fly using it, fueling my Quirk as an energy source and safe for anyone with me. I turned as I held out my hand, and Mina smirked, seeing my solution, "Come with me if you want to live."
Mina chuckled, taking my hand, flying our way to victory at the wrong genre of my phrase, in this case, in a cheerful tone, "Eh, wrong movie, but it will do."
Like that, we managed to take to the air, eyeing the principal. He seemed a bit surprised, but he probably had something in mind, but not anymore.
*Swooosh*
High school bikini babes, here I come! We soon managed to enter the gates with Mina using her Quirk to melt the debris in our way when we finally passed through the gates, hearing the music to my ears, "Team Ashido and Kaminari have passed the final exam!"
Having won we both jumped up in a cheerful state yelling out loud, "Summertime fun here we come!!"
/////
~Kinoko K. POV~
[UA High School, Practical Exam Area – Ground Omega, Monitor Room, Japan]
We arrived at our destination for our part of the exam. This is one we haven't been to yet from our time in UA. This is Ground Omega.
Ground Omega is an extensive wooded area where there are some rocky hills. The entire area is surrounded by a great wall and has a single entrance with the letter omega above it. The place is used to carry out practices and school training of various kinds.
Next to the Ground Omega, there is a building that serves as an observation post. The teachers monitor from the rooftop how the practices are developing inside. But soon, the announcer speakers buzzed as they began to announce our round, "Team Jiro and Komori. Practical Exam. Ready, go!"
Having heard that, we quickly put up our headphones that the Class Rep made just for this round against Present Mic. Putting them on, we quickly headed to where the gate was at the top of the mountain – huh?
"COME ONNNNN!!!!"
We both flinched hearing Present Mic's voice being heard. But strangely enough, that was it just someone yelling at us with these headphones on.
We kept moving forward as Jiro tapped the earpiece of the headphones, allowing us to communicate with each other in a confident tone, "Oh man, we made the right call having the class rep create these. At least I won't have to worry about having my eardrums bleeding."
Curtly nodding my head, agreeing, I began to focus on my Qurik in the palm of my hand. I responded in a positive tone, preparing our next step, "Yup! Our Class Rep is amazing! Especially when he helped us with using our Quirks in different ways. I didn't know I could use my Quirk like this."
Jiro nodded, giving me a thumbs up with a cheeky grin, placing her trust in me in a reassuring tone, "Yeah. With Present Mic, I'm a bad match-up against his Quirk, but yours, though? You have a better chance than me. I'll be trusting you Kinoko-san."
Nodding my head I began to recall the brief training Ren gave to each of us how to use our Quirks in different ways. And my time spent with my internship with Kamui Woods taught me how to use my Quirk as well.
[Mushroom] allows me to generate and spread fungus spores from my body. Once these spores contact a solid surface, they will quickly grow into full-grown mushrooms.
The spores can grow from any surface, be it the area, the user's own body, or even other people's bodies. The spores spread easier in an area with high humidity.
However, I know my weakness using my Quirk. Since spores indiscriminately target people's bodies, I can accidentally affect allies, so I had to sterilize them beforehand.
It's possible to combat the mushrooms with ethanol or some other fungicide. Fire is effective too, as it burns the spores in the air. The mushrooms will naturally die after two or three hours.
But from what Ren mentioned, the spores I produce from my body are something I can control if the practices he told me are true. From my body, I can produce the spores but never have I considered controlling them.
He referred to it as a form of [Fungus Manipulation]. He explained it as the user can create, shape, and manipulate fungi including yeasts and molds, as well as the mushrooms. They can cause fungi to grow, move/attack or even rise from the soil and "walk", mutate fungi by rearranging DNA structure, etc.
They may have the potential to treat fungi as an extended mind and "communicate" with it, or even receive signals from fungal networks that provide useful information about the user's environment.
So, he wanted to test out my limits of what my Quirk can do. And because my body produces the spores released from my body shroom…
*Poof*
Soon, spores began to appear, taking a cloudy shape around my hand. Ren mentioned that since my body produces the spores from my body it's technically part of my body being produced if I willed it or intently make it in mind.
[Mushroom] emits spores from my body and acknowledges my movement when released then, I can adjust it to how I like it. For now, I can only control small parts of it, but even the smallest control means a big improvement for me.
"COME ON ALREADY, LADIESSSS…!!!!"
I flinched again. The sound while not as big as before is annoying but we soon reach the peak with Present Mic guarding the gate in a cheeky tone, "Well, well it seems you – Ack!"
*POOF*
*BANG*
I didn't hear what he said, but I immediately shot him a thick, concentrated shot of spores from my hand. It caught him by surprise, but I think I'll call that yellow bolt of spores… [Shroom Bullet].
But that's for later as we approached the gagging Present Mic. We soon caught him using the handcuffs as his throat was filled with mushrooms. Hmm… that might be a handy move to consider.
*Clang*
Jiro cuffing Present Mic, we soon heard the buzzers flare to life announcing our victory, "Team Jiro and Komori have passed the final exam!"
Yay! We did it!
I high-fived my partner as we managed to make it out of the practical exam shroom!