"Damn it! That hurts!!"
After landing, Bakugo rubbed his head. The turtle shield counter from Tamaki Amajiki had struck his head. Though it wasn't too powerful, Bakugo could already feel a big bump forming.
"You useless piece of trash!"
"Hah? I should've just left you hanging up there."
As Monoma Neito fell to the ground, Bakugo, before hitting the ground himself, used his explosion to break free from the octopus tentacles wrapping around Monoma. Although he couldn't defeat Tamaki Amajiki, at least he had managed to save his teammate.
Looking down at the two younger students on the ground, Tamaki Amajiki remained silent, standing atop a rock pillar like a tengu. His cold, emotionless expression made it hard for anyone to approach. Though Tamaki seemed full of confidence and composure, inside, he was actually thinking:
[There's a camera broadcasting this to all the first-year students... What should I do, I'm so nervous!!]
"Wow, this really shows why Tamaki is one of the 'Big Three' at U.A.!"
Bakugo, filled with fighting spirit, was not discouraged by Tamaki's strength. Instead, it stirred his blood even more. He didn't mind acting like a hot-blooded fool like Kirishima—sometimes it was fine to be reckless.
"Are you not planning to run away...?"
Tamaki Amajiki spoke for the first time. He wasn't a bad person, and if Bakugo and Monoma left the battle zone, they would still pass the test. They had already proven their strength and strategy. Tamaki thought he could let them pass if he held back a bit.
"What are you talking about? My goal is a perfect score!!"
Bakugo, his hands constantly releasing explosions, wore a passionate smile as he charged toward Tamaki, determined to face him head-on.
"..."
Tamaki Amajiki was briefly speechless as Bakugo flew at him, his explosive attack coming straight at him. But it was still too easy to dodge. Tamaki quickly seized Bakugo's opening, dodged the attack, and grabbed Bakugo's right hand that was sending a blast toward him. With a flick of his wrist, Tamaki threw Bakugo through the air.
"It's not over!!"
In mid-air, Bakugo triggered another explosion, halting his backward momentum, and charged at Tamaki once more. Seeing that this attack wasn't going to be as easily dodged, Tamaki spread his wings and soared into the sky. His right hand morphed into octopus tentacles again, whipping toward Bakugo. Bakugo didn't have time to adjust his position, and the tentacle struck his back like a whip, sending him crashing to the ground.
"It's not over! Not over!!"
Just after hitting the ground, Bakugo used his explosions again to propel himself toward Tamaki, clearly determined to settle things with this upperclassman.
--------------------
"Seems like this junior is a bit stubborn, huh? Tamaki could've easily used his tentacles to bind him mid-air, but he's been holding back."
In the waiting room, the scene of Bakugo's battle with Tamaki was being broadcast. Togata Mirio began analyzing the situation. As one of the "Big Three," he understood his teammate's strength well.
"It's a bit too hard to let Bakugo back down from the fight... He's got too much pride and a stubborn temper. Even if All Might was standing in front of him, I doubt he'd back down."
"Actually, the purpose of this practical exam is to teach you how to analyze and adapt to situations," Togata Mirio explained about the three options for passing, as given by Aizawa-sensei.
"The best outcome is to defeat the enemy, after all, that's what being a hero is all about, so a perfect score is 100."
"running away can also be a strategy when facing strong enemy. If you manage to escape successfully, that counts as passing, with 60 points."
"The final situation is if you need to protect civilians and encounter a strong enemy that you can't fight off. One person goes to alert other heroes, while the other holds off the enemy to buy time until reinforcements arrive. This also counts as passing, with 60 points."
The final exam at U.A. High School naturally has its purpose. This practical test is meant to teach students how to analyze the situation and come up with the most reasonable strategy when facing an enemy.
The scene shifts to the rocky battlefield, where Bakugo continues attacking Tamaki Amajiki relentlessly, but each attack is repelled. Both are fighting in mid-air, while Monoma Neito can only watch, having already exceeded the 5-minute limit for his "Copy" Quirk.
Given the situation, Monoma Neito made a wise choice. He ran out of the battlefield, thinking it would be better to score his 30 points by leaving than to stay. If Bakugo lost and got caught later, at least he'd have the chance to mock him.
Tamaki Amajiki only glanced at Monoma Neito's actions before continuing to focus on the tough junior blocking his path.
"Are you going to keep fighting...?"
"Of course! A hero doesn't run away!!"
Bakugo clenched his fists and charged at Tamaki again, and their battle continued.
By the end of the 30-minute exam, Bakugo was standing, battered and bruised, while Tamaki only had some sweat on his face. Compared to Bakugo's miserable condition, Tamaki, as a senior, had only exhausted a lot of stamina.
"The time's up... you passed the exam..."
After exchanging a nod with the proctor, Brad King, Tamaki Amajiki prepared to leave, but Bakugo called out to him loudly.
"You were holding back, right?!"
"...."
Tamaki paused for a moment but didn't answer. He just continued walking away, leaving Bakugo looking defeated.
During those 30 minutes, Bakugo had tried every way to attack Tamaki, but Tamaki, using his superb combat skills and powerful Quirk, had blocked every attack without making unnecessary moves.
"The Big Three of U.A., huh..."
In this practical exam, Bakugo realized how much distance there was between him and the strongest people in the school. However, this didn't diminish his confidence. Instead, it gave him a clearer goal to strive for.
Monoma Neito ran out of the battle zone for 30 points, Bakugo lasted until the end of the time for 30 points, and Bakugo's team earned 60 points, passing the final exam.
As time went on, the other teams also successfully completed their exams. Takeyama Urei and Kendou Itsuka, a strong team, defeated the third-year seniors easily, earning a perfect score of 100.
Ochako and Tsunotori Poni, with one having great mobility and the other able to lighten her body's load, formed a high-speed escape team. They simply outran the third-year senior, escaping the battlefield and passing the exam with 60 points.
Some teams were happy, while others were disappointed. Among those who passed, Midoriya learned that two unlucky students, Kaminari Denki and Seto Mina, had barely passed the written exam, only to face off against the strong third-year seniors. Both teams were wiped out.
As other teams continued, the final battle of the practical exam began to take center stage.
"Let's go!"
"Got it!"
Midoriya Izuku and Shinso Hitoshi's team, in the combat area "Ruins," are up against Togata Mirio, one of the "U.A. Big Three," also known as the hero who is the successor to All Might.
---
---
You can read 10 Chapters ahead on my
pat reon.com/GMadman