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Chapter 55: Post Battle Report and the Special Test
🕑 Added 2025-10-29 04:24:02 +0000 UTC
"That was insane!"
Kaminari's voice cut through the tense silence left by the battle's final screen.
"I mean, totally insane! Did you see Bakugo flying? I thought he was going to go right through the ceiling!"
"And Uraraka!" Mina shouted, jumping in her seat. "Right at the last second! Like in a movie! And Shield...!"
"She broke her arm," Jiro said quietly, crossing her arms. "She shattered her arm to win. I don't know if that's cool or terrifying."
"So manly!" Kirishima slammed his hardened fist into his palm. "He stopped Bakugo! That was...! Ugh! So much guts!"
"But still," Momo interjected, thoughtful. "self inflicted damage is a dangerous strategy. Depending on a move that disables you... it's not sustainable long term. What if there was another villain?"
"But there wasn't, Momo!" Mina said. "It worked! They won!"
"Dude, Bakugo is scary," Sero said, shaking his head. "But the way Shield handled him... she was guiding him the whole time."
"Poor Melissa! Did you see her arm?" Mina winced, returning to the topic. "It was... bent. That must have hurt so much! But she still smiled! What a pro!"
"She's a Shield," Izuku said quietly, almost to himself. He was standing with the other instructors, watching the class analyze the fight.
All Might, in his muscle form, approached him. His enormous figure cast a shadow over everyone.
"Young Midoriya!" His voice was a contained thunder, but there was a palpable concern beneath the pride. "She used her power with purpose! It wasn't just brute force, it was a tactical decision!"
"It was," Izuku nodded, his gaze fixed on the screen now showing the replay of the impact. "She knew it would break. She could have used a lesser blow. She chose the fastest, safest option for her partner, at the cost of her own body."
"The drawback...!" All Might clenched his fist. "That arm... we'll have to work a lot on that. A whole lot! She can't keep doing this!"
"I know. But she chose the right moment. It was a calculated sacrifice. That's... impressive."
"Impressive and terrifying," Yu muttered, walking over with her arms crossed. "You two and your sacrifices. You're going to give Recovery Girl more gray hairs."
"Oh, don't be a spoilsport, Yu," Nemuri said, leaning on Izuku's shoulder. "It was dramatic. It was effective. And most importantly, Bakugo's ego just took a building sized hit. It will be very interesting to see how he processes this. The class dynamic just got a lot more... entertaining."
"I'm not sure 'entertaining' is the word I'd use," Yu said. "I've seen pros retire after a humiliation like that. He's just a kid."
"He's a kid who needs to learn he's not the center of the universe," Nemuri replied. "This was the best lesson he could have possibly received. And he got it from someone he clearly underestimated."
As they spoke, the observation room door burst open.
The silence was instant. All the students' conversations stopped.
Katsuki Bakugo walked in.
He was covered in concrete dust from head to toe. His hero costume was torn at the shoulder and knee. His mask was broken. He walked with a stiffness that screamed contained fury.
Behind him, Tenya Iida, already changed, was practically jogging to keep up with him, making frantic gestures.
"Bakugo kun! I must reiterate my formal apologies for not being able to secure the objective! My performance was unacceptable and my inability to adapt to the enemy's strategy cost us the victory!"
Bakugo didn't turn his head. He didn't slow down.
"Your aggression, while powerful, required support I could not provide! I underestimated the enemy team's coordination and failed to properly defend the bomb while you were engaged!"
Bakugo kept walking.
"Bakugo kun! As your teammate, I take full responsibility for this failure and...!"
Bakugo stopped.
He stopped right in the center of the room. He didn't look at Iida. His red eyes slowly scanned the students. They landed on Kirishima, who stopped smiling. They landed on Kaminari, who swallowed and looked away.
Then, his gaze met Izuku's.
Bakugo gritted his teeth, an audible sound of enamel grinding.
Then, without saying a single word to anyone, he turned on his heel and headed for the exit on the other side of the room. He opened the door, left, and slammed it shut hard enough to make the monitors vibrate.
An uncomfortable silence settled over the room for several seconds.
"Well..." Kaminari said very quietly to Jiro. "Someone's in a bad mood."
"Shut up," she hissed.
"SILENCE, YOUNG HEROES!"
All Might's voice instantly erased the tension. He regained his imposing presence, his billboard smile shining under the lights. He moved to the front of the room.
"EXCELLENT COMBAT! YOU HAVE SHOWN PASSION, POWER, AND, IN MANY CASES, A STRATEGIC MIND! WE WILL REVIEW EVERY MATCH!"
The students sat up straighter.
"LET'S BEGIN WITH TEAM B! YOUNG TODOROKI! YOUNG SHOJI!"
Todoroki, who had been watching everything silently from a corner, looked up. Shoji nodded.
"OVERWHELMING POWER! A QUICK AND DECISIVE VICTORY!" All Might shouted. "BUT!"
His voice dropped a tone. "Young Todoroki. What was your teammate's status at the end of the exercise?"
Todoroki looked at Shoji. "He was functional."
Shoji sighed audibly. "You froze my left foot to the floor, Todoroki san. If the enemy team had decided to attack me, I would have been an easy target."
"It didn't matter," Todoroki said coldly. "I froze the whole building. They couldn't move. You didn't need to move. We won."
"AH! BUT THEREIN LIES THE DILEMMA!" All Might interjected. "What if the bomb was temperature sensitive? What if there were civilian hostages? Your power is magnificent, Young Todoroki, but a hero must protect! Not just destroy! Always remember that control and consideration for the environment are just as important as strength!"
Todoroki looked away, his expression unreadable.
"NEXT! TEAM G! YOU SHOWED US THE IMPORTANCE OF STRATEGY!"
All Might pointed to Jiro. "Young Jiro! Explain your approach!"
Jiro shrugged slightly. "Simple. Kaminari is loud and a big distraction. He made Kirishima focus on him. While they were busy, I slipped around the flank, used my jacks to locate Momo behind her barricade, and incapacitated her with a targeted sonic pulse. Then I tied her up."
"Hey! My distraction plan worked!" Kaminari complained.
"EXCELLENT USE OF STEALTH AND DISTRACTION!" All Might roared.
"AND YOUNG KODA!" All Might looked at the tall, shy student. "Pigeons! Brilliant! How did you think of that?"
Koda blushed bright red and started whispering something.
Asui, next to him, spoke up. "Koda chan says he heard the villain team arguing on the floor above, so he called his friends to create a distraction at the windows. Kero."
"WONDERFUL! USING UNEXPECTED RESOURCES! THAT IS HERO THINKING!"
"AND FINALLY, TEAM A!" All Might's smile widened even more, and the pride in his voice was so strong you could almost touch it. "YOUNG URARAKA! AND YOUNG SHIELD!"
Ochaco blushed. "Well, it was mostly Melissa! I just... caught Iida kun at the end!"
"NONSENSE!" All Might shouted. "You remained calm under pressure! You trusted your partner! And together you demonstrated courage, strategy, and the heart of true heroes! You executed a flawless plan where trust in your partner was the key! A CALCULATED SACRIFICE!"
He cast a proud glance toward the door where Melissa had been taken.
"THE HEROIC SPIRIT IS...!"
"Enough celebrating."
Shota Aizawa's dry, tired, and completely bored voice cut through the air.
All of All Might's energy vanished. Aizawa sat up slowly from his yellow sleeping bag in the corner. He stood, stepping out of the bag, which fell to the floor.
His tired but sharp gaze swept over the students, and they all tensed.
"All Might is here for inspiration," Aizawa said, his tone monotone. "I'm here for reality. The exercise has revealed several things. Listen."
"One: most of you rely too much on the brute force of your Quirks." His gaze stopped briefly on Todoroki. "You think because you have a powerful Quirk, you can solve everything with brute force. Todoroki, you froze your own teammate. Inefficient."
Todoroki narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
"Bakugo," Aizawa continued, glancing at the door he had exited, "lost sight of the objective the moment combat began. His fight wasn't tactical, it was personal. A weakness villains will exploit until you die from it."
A chill ran through the room.
"Two: teamwork needs drastic improvement. Iida," he said, looking at the student. "You tried to follow the manual. Your partner went off the manual. What do you do?"
"I... I wasn't sure, sir. My duty was to protect the bomb."
"Your duty was to win. To adapt. You failed. Team G. Kaminari, you almost electrocuted Jiro. That's unacceptable. Fighting as individuals doesn't work in the field. Stop trying to have your 'star moment' and start working together."
Kaminari lowered his head. "Yes, sir."
Aizawa then turned to the instructors' table. "Midoriya."
Izuku looked at him.
"Your analysis. Short and to the point. All Might gives us the public relations version. Give me yours."
Izuku stepped forward. The students looked at him, some with curiosity, others with apprehension.
"Alright," Izuku said, his voice calm and clear. "Bakugo was predictable. His aggression focused on Melissa, ignoring the objective. It was a personal fight, not a mission. Iida was too rigid, he defended the bomb but not the area, allowing Uraraka to flank him."
"Todoroki was powerful but careless. He won through brute force, but left his partner vulnerable and caused massive, unnecessary structural damage. A risk."
"Jiro and Kaminari's team worked, but it was chaotic. Jiro used cunning for a precision attack, but Kaminari needs to learn to control his discharge. He came close to hitting his partner."
"Koda's team was creative. They used the environment in an unexpected way. Very well done."
"Asui and Sero's team was fast and efficient. They neutralized Mineta's terrain trap and secured the objective cleanly."
"And Uraraka and Shield's team," Izuku paused. "They demonstrated tactical intelligence, bravery, and correct prioritization. Melissa used her power to execute the plan, not just as a weapon. It was a controlled sacrifice to secure the victory. The best performance of the day, despite the cost."
Aizawa nodded slowly, processing the summary. There was no emotion on Izuku's face, only facts.
"Good. We agree," Aizawa said. Then, his gaze landed on two specific students standing together.
"Shiozaki. Tokoyami."
Both of them stood straighter, surprised to be called by name. The entire room's attention focused on them.
"What's wrong?" Mina whispered. "Did they do something wrong?"
"Shut up," Jiro hissed again.
There was a long, tense pause. Aizawa just looked at them. Tokoyami remained stoic, but the shadowy form of Dark Shadow was visibly stirring under his cape, its red eyes glowing in the gloom. Ibara had a serene expression, but her hands were clenched at her sides.
"Due to Shiozaki's unprecedented score on the entrance exam," Aizawa said finally, his tone completely neutral, "and Team H's efficient performance, the Principal has authorized a... supplemental evaluation."
A murmur of confusion spread through the room.
"Supplemental evaluation?" Kaminari repeated. "Is that good or bad?"
"Is it an extra test?" Sero said. "What a rip off!"
"I don't think it's a punishment," Momo murmured. "Unprecedented score... efficient performance... This sounds like an accelerated aptitude test."
"A test of what?" Kirishima said.
"Quiet," Jiro said a third time, louder.
Aizawa's gaze fixed on Team H. "Tomorrow. 0800 hours. Training Field Delta."
"The forest simulation?" Izuku murmured to the other instructors.
"You will have one final exercise before this week's introductory classes end," Aizawa continued.
He paused again, letting the tension build. You could hear the students breathing.
"Your opponent..."
Aizawa seemed to savor the moment.
"...will be the pro hero, Kamui Woods."
The shock was total. A stunned, absolute silence fell over the room. No one moved.
Then the room exploded.
"KAMUI WOODS?!"
"THE PRO HERO?!"
"THEY'RE GOING TO FIGHT A REAL PRO?!"
"THAT'S...!"
"Silence!" Aizawa yelled, and the room went quiet again, though the buzz of shock remained.
Next to Izuku, Yu turned pale.
"Kamui?!" Yu hissed, grabbing Izuku's arm. "Are you joking, Shota? You're throwing those kids against Kamui Woods?!"
"It's an interesting test," Nemuri said, her smile widening. "The forest simulation... Kamui... Very fitting."
"'Fitting'!" Yu repeated, incredulous. "It's a death sentence! Kamui is the king of that environment! And Tokoyami...! His Quirk is darkness! A dense forest will block the sunlight! It'll make Dark Shadow too powerful, too wild to control!"
"Or will it?" Izuku said quietly.
The other instructors looked at him.
"You're testing two things at once, aren't you?" Izuku asked, not taking his eyes off his students.
Aizawa looked at him. "Explain."
"You're testing Ibara," Izuku said. "Wood against wood. Her Quirk against Kamui's. Seeing if she can match a pro's control and versatility in her own element. A test of skill."
"And Tokoyami?" Nemuri asked.
"It's a test of control," Izuku said. "Like Yu said, the forest will be dark. Dark Shadow will be incredibly strong. Kamui Woods isn't a villain. He won't try to kill Tokoyami. He'll try to contain him. The test isn't whether Tokoyami can beat Kamui. It's whether Tokoyami can control himself when his power is at its peak, while his partner is under extreme pressure."
Aizawa didn't smile, but his eyes showed a flash of approval. "Not bad, Midoriya."
"I still think it's crazy!" Yu insisted. "They're first years! They've barely been here a week!"
"BUT THEY HAVE THE SPIRIT!" All Might boomed, having recovered from Aizawa's shock. "IT WILL BE A GLORIOUS TEST OF THEIR POTENTIAL!"
"Shut up, All Might," Aizawa said. "You're done. Class, you're dismissed. Go change. Team H," he added, as the students began to move, talking in excited whispers.
Ibara and Tokoyami stayed still.
"Prepare yourselves. Don't hold back," Aizawa said. "Because he won't."
He turned and got back into his sleeping bag.
As the other students filed out, Izuku watched his two students.
Tokoyami was staring at the floor, his body tense. Dark Shadow had retreated completely, as if sensing the weight of the task ahead.
Ibara had her eyes closed, her hands clasped in front of her, as if she were praying.
"This is..." Tokoyami began, his voice barely a murmur. "A formidable challenge. Kamui Woods. In a forest. Fate mocks us."
Ibara opened her eyes. Her gaze was serene, almost calm, but there was a green fire in their depths that Izuku hadn't seen before.
"It is not mockery, Tokoyami san," she said, her voice soft but firm. "It is a trial. Heaven is watching us. We are being tested against the forces of this world."
She raised her gaze, and her eyes met Izuku's from across the room.
"And we will not falter," she said.
Izuku felt a smile forming on his face.
The real test had just begun.
