The test battle between Midoriya Izuku and Kenranzaki had ended, with explosions and black smoke closing the scene. This was a hallmark of the Support Department.
Even though "Kenran No. 1" had been blown to pieces by Midoriya, Kenranzaki didn't hold it against him. Losing fairly in a test battle wasn't shameful, and only by failing could she see where the flaws were.
As Kenranzaki took out a notebook to record the weaknesses of her robot from the battle with Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya finally finished throwing up… That one "Spiral Breakthrough" left him feeling like he was going to ascend to the heavens.
"Midoriya-chan, how are you feeling?"
Hatsume Mei crouched down next to the exhausted and almost passed-out Midoriya Izuku, giving him a few pokes while others gathered around.
"Make a note of this: never spin all at once again!"
Struggling to his feet, Midoriya realized through this test battle with Kenranzaki that his mechanical armor still had some flaws—just pulling off one special move nearly made him pass out.
He'd originally wanted to make the leg armor spin like a drill on its own, but with current technology limitations, the final product was just a spiral attack that spun him along with it.
Takeyama Urei helped steady Midoriya, who was still a bit wobbly, and covered her mouth to laugh.
"That move of yours is as rough on you as it is on your target. You knock out the enemy, but you end up flat on the ground too."
"But it was awesome! That big robot got smashed to pieces in one hit!" Ochako said excitedly. The sight of Midoriya turning into a drill and smashing "Kenran No. 1" was really cool.
"...I'll need to make some upgrades next time," Midoriya thought. Maybe he shouldn't try that again—he almost spit out his lunch.
...
After cleaning up the robot's wreckage, the support department's event continued as usual. Though this seemed like a big incident, for the support students, explosions and black smoke just added to the vibe.
After seeing the battle between Midoriya Izuku and Kenranzaki's inventions, the visiting Class A students were free to explore. They scattered to different areas, each looking for something that caught their interest.
By the way, Mineta Minoru only had an eye out for anything that satisfied his, uh, "interests," and Class President Iida was right behind him to keep him from embarrassing the class.
Todoroki Shoto and Bakugo Katsuki, after checking out Midoriya's new equipment, wandered around the event area thoughtfully, as if looking for equipment that might suit them.
Midoriya handed his mechanical armor to Hatsume Mei for display, then planned to test some other gear, when Togata Mirio approached him.
"Thanks a lot, Midoriya!"
The playful, blue-haired Hado Nejire squinted with a grin and thanked Midoriya. If he hadn't drawn some fire away, Kenranzaki would've definitely gone after her today.
"It was no big deal..."
Midoriya scratched the back of his head. He'd planned to test his gear anyway, and fighting "Kenraniant No. 1" helped him spot some things to improve.
"By the way, Mirio-senpai, were you interested in my gear?!"
Midoriya remembered Mirio mentioning something about wanting to see his new inventions.
"Yeah, I was. And I just saw it in action—it's an impressive piece of work!"
Mirio, with his own motives in mind, couldn't exactly admit he'd come just for that, but he'd been watching Midoriya's performance in the armor. It was creative and practical.
"I've got more inventions too, Mirio-senpai. Want to check them out?"
"Oh, you've got more?!" Mirio perked up with interest. This underclassman had some really interesting gadgets.
"Let's head over to that open space. It's a good spot for testing."
Midoriya pointed to an empty area on the side of the venue and started walking there, with Mirio, Nejire, and Togata following along.
"Isn't that Midoriya? What's he up to?"
A Support Department student noticed Midoriya Izuku heading toward an open area of the venue, followed by three third-year seniors. Curiously, he looked closer.
Then he saw Midoriya reach into his tool bag, pulling out a black sphere marked with a large skull symbol. The student's eyes widened in shock, and he bolted, leaving his equipment behind as he frantically ran outside, shouting:
"Level-One Alert! Level-One Alert!"
Hearing this, the other first-year Support students froze for a second, then dropped everything and sprinted outside like their lives depended on it.
"Have all the first-years lost their minds?"
A third-year senior, nearly run over by the crowd, had no idea why all the first-years were suddenly acting like this.
"Huh? What's going on?"
The sudden stampede of first-year Support students caught the attention of the U.A. Big Three, who looked over only to find nothing unusual in the venue. So why were the first-years all running for their lives?
*Cough, cough…*
Holding the black bomb in his hand, Midoriya Izuku coughed, pretending he didn't know what was happening. This bomb did look very similar to the one he'd used during the entrance exam…
The deep-seated fear left in the first-year Support students' minds meant they kept a close watch on Midoriya's every move. Anytime he did something suspicious, the first student who noticed it would alert the whole class to escape together. This was what they called a "Level-One Alert."
Ignoring the panicked behavior of the Support Department first-years, everyone else continued with what they were doing. Midoriya, meanwhile, acted innocent and turned to Togata Mirio.
"Um, Mirio-senpai, could you help me with a target test?"
"It might be a bit risky because this new gadget is designed to capture dangerous opponents, like the 'Hero Killer.'"
This was Midoriya Izuku's latest invention. Since his defeat against Stain, the Hero Killer, he'd been thinking hard about how to capture such powerful foes. Physical restraints were tough, so this was his solution…
"No problem; leave it to me!"
Although he had no idea what Midoriya's gadget was, Togata Mirio was fearless. His "Quirk" allowed him to phase through objects, making him very confident in his defense. Even the troublesome "Hero Killer" had fallen to him in just three punches.
"Please go all out, as if facing a real enemy. No holding back."
Midoriya stressed this because he'd only use this weapon on top-tier foes like the Hero Killer. Only Togata Mirio could test it properly.
"Don't worry, I'm pretty strong!"
"Then, Mirio-senpai, please be careful. This bomb isn't dangerous, but its capture effect is top-notch!"
Midoriya reminded Mirio several times, as he appreciated Mirio's friendly help with the test, and wanted to give a proper warning.
"Bring it on!"
"Here I come!"
Togata Mirio patted his chest with confidence, so Midoriya didn't hold back. After moving to a safe distance, and under the curious gaze of Hado Nejire and Tamaki Amajiki, Midoriya made his move.
He threw the bomb directly at Togata Mirio, aiming right at the spot where he was standing.
*What effect will this new gadget have?*
Wondering that, Togata Mirio immediately activated his "Phasing" ability, remembering Midoriya's instructions to treat this as a real threat. His first priority was to avoid any contact with the device.
The black bomb with a skull painted on it hit the ground, exploding instantly and releasing a dark yellow mist, but it only covered an area of about three square meters.
"What's that?"
Togata Mirio emerged from the ground. The moment he used his "Permeation" Quirk, he fell right through, leaving his clothes behind in the yellow mist.
"So even for someone like Senpai Mirio with a 'Permeation' Quirk, the bomb's effects don't work?"
Midoriya Izuku thought it over. This time, he had created a concentrated "Herring Bomb" that limited its range to only three square meters, but its potency was frighteningly strong.
According to Midoriya's plan, an opponent on the level of "Hero Killer" would likely hold their breath as soon as they realized it was a smoke-like attack. But this enhanced bomb would be effective even then. The concentrated "Herring Bomb" smell would stick to clothing, meaning contact alone would make someone fall victim to it. And the dizzying, suffocating smell was made even stronger.
At this point, some first-year Support Course students, who had left earlier, returned to the scene. They figured the earlier alarm was a false report by another student, so they went back to their tasks.
"Mirio's clothes are still in there…"
Hado Nejire looked at Togata Mirio, who was still half-buried in the ground. Because of his "Permeation" Quirk, his clothes couldn't stay on, and the thick yellow mist obscured everything around him.
"Then I'll just blow this mist away!"
"Wait!!"
Before Midoriya Izuku could stop her, Nejire had already acted. The gust from her "Hado" power blasted forward, scattering the yellow mist instantly…
And suddenly, everyone felt an overwhelming smell that seemed straight out of hell. Their brains went into protection mode, and everyone dropped to the floor…
"It's… so… concentrated… blowing it… spreads it…"
Midoriya Izuku fell too, succumbing to his own dangerous creation.
"Damn it… everyone…"
Togata Mirio, clenching his fist in regret, also couldn't hold out… and collapsed face down on the floor, defeated.
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