Tsuyu stared silently across the battlefield.
She didn't move.
She didn't blink.
Every identical Ectoplasm clone rushing Tokoyami was reflected within her wide amphibian eyes as she analyzed each of them.
Unlike a normal person's vision, Tsuyu's senses had inherited many of the remarkable traits of a frog.
Frogs were evolutionarily designed to notice movement.
Their brains instinctively prioritized motion over still objects, making them exceptional hunters capable of detecting even the slightest twitch from insects several meters away. Remaining perfectly still was often enough to escape a frog's notice, but the moment something moved...
It stood out immediately.
Her eyesight was equally specialized for darkness.
The rod cells within her eyes were incredibly sensitive, allowing her to distinguish shapes, colors, and motion where most humans would see only pitch black. Even the faint moonlight filtering through broken windows was enough for her vision to remain crystal clear.
Tracking speed was another advantage.
A rapidly moving opponent was often easier for Tsuyu to follow than for an ordinary person.
Her Quirk hadn't simply given her a frog's appearance.
It had inherited generations of biological perfection.
She could even see underwater through the protective nictitating membrane that covered her eyes, though thankfully that wasn't necessary today.
There were limitations, of course.
She remained fundamentally human.
She couldn't ignore completely stationary objects the way an actual frog occasionally could.
Her eyes retained normal human flexibility instead of requiring her to turn her whole head.
Her biology was a careful balance between amphibian adaptations and humanity.
Still...
Against almost anyone else...
This vision bordered on unfair.
Against Ectoplasm...
It wasn't enough.
"..."
She watched.
One clone vaulted over a wrecked vehicle.
Another swept rubble aside.
Three engaged Dark Shadow.
Several circled.
None hesitated.
None betrayed themselves.
None behaved differently.
He's thought of everything...
Tsuyu realized.
He's making every clone move.
Movement was her greatest strength.
So he'd removed any meaningful difference between them.
Every clone fought.
Every clone reacted.
Every clone coordinated perfectly.
No subtle tells.
No hesitation.
No clone lingering safely behind the others.
Nothing.
Ectoplasm wasn't trying to fool her with one convincing fake.
He was making every clone equally convincing.
The realization settled heavily in her chest.
Time continued slipping away.
Should she simply abandon the fight?
She could still make a break for the exit.
The win condition only required one student to escape.
Tokoyami could buy enough time.
It was practical.
Logical.
Safe.
...
No.
She couldn't leave him behind to fight dozens of clones alone.
Then perhaps she should assist Tokoyami directly?
If they overwhelmed enough clones, perhaps the real one would eventually reveal himself.
But that also carried risks.
If she guessed incorrectly...
Everything they'd accomplished would disappear.
For perhaps the first time during the examination...
A hint of panic crept into Tsuyu's usually level voice.
"Tokoyami!"
Her call echoed across the ruined street.
"I can't find the real one!"
Across the battlefield, Tokoyami was still surrounded.
Dark Shadow rampaged through clone after clone, great black claws reducing them to smoke before more immediately took their place.
He didn't even look toward her.
"I understand."
His response came instantly.
Then...
He made a gamble.
A desperate one.
Unlike before, Tokoyami stepped away from Dark Shadow entirely.
The massive shadow creature continued its assault independently only a few meters away while Tokoyami himself sprinted through the battlefield.
Straight toward an Ectoplasm clone.
Tsuyu blinked.
He's separated...
Dark Shadow possessed enough autonomy to continue fighting briefly without direct physical contact.
Risky.
Very risky.
But Tokoyami wasn't charging randomly.
Unlike Tsuyu, he wasn't relying on enhanced senses.
He was relying on psychology.
A commander protects himself.
No matter how experienced.
No matter how disciplined.
The real Ectoplasm would naturally avoid receiving unnecessary injuries.
Destroying clones was acceptable.
Losing consciousness wasn't.
Even Pro Heroes had limits.
Tokoyami wasn't trying to identify certainty.
He was forcing Ectoplasm to react.
Two seconds.
That was all Tsuyu had.
Her mind accelerated.
Three clones.
Only three.
One suddenly turned and fled.
Most people would instinctively assume—
That's the original!
Tsuyu dismissed the idea immediately.
No.
Sensei is too experienced.
Running away now would be exactly what she expected him to do.
Which meant...
It was bait.
Another clone immediately advanced to intercept her directly.
Too obvious.
Too willing.
Another bait.
That left—
The third clone.
It ignored her completely.
Instead, it calmly moved toward Tokoyami.
Not urgently.
Not cautiously.
Simply...
Purposefully.
Tsuyu's pupils narrowed.
There.
She exploded forward.
The pavement cracked beneath her leap.
The chosen clone finally turned.
Too late.
At the last instant—
She suddenly pivoted.
Her powerful frog-like legs whipped into a wide spinning kick.
The clone reacted with incredible speed.
Its forearms crossed instinctively.
Block.
Impact thundered through the street.
The clone slid backward—
Only a fraction.
Just enough.
One second.
That tiny pause.
That single moment of lost balance.
Was everything Tsuyu needed.
Her tongue shot forward.
It wrapped securely around the clone's torso.
Sticky mucus adhered instantly.
She pulled.
The clone stumbled toward her.
"...Got you."
The words escaped almost involuntarily.
Not triumph.
Relief.
Pure relief.
The clone stopped struggling.
Smoke did not appear.
Instead...
A calm sigh escaped him.
"Well..."
The familiar mature voice echoed through the street.
"That was an excellent deduction."
Throughout the battlefield, every remaining clone ceased moving simultaneously.
Dark Shadow lowered its claws.
Silence settled.
Ectoplasm smiled gently.
"Admittedly, you required Tokoyami's assistance to disrupt my formation."
He adjusted his glasses.
"But that is strategy."
"And strategy is inseparable from teamwork."
He looked toward Tokoyami, who was breathing heavily after his charge.
"You correctly concluded that the fleeing clone was intended to manipulate your expectations."
His gaze shifted to the clone that had confronted her openly.
"And you likewise recognized that the clone approaching you directly existed only to reinforce that deception."
Finally, he looked back at Tsuyu herself.
"The clone you chose..."
"I intended for it to appear as though you defeated it through a surprise attack after it engaged Tokoyami."
A small chuckle escaped him.
"You prevented even that."
"I cannot honestly say I would have reached a better conclusion had our positions been reversed."
Tsuyu slowly released her tongue.
The tension she'd been carrying finally left her shoulders.
Ectoplasm reached into one of his pouches before producing the restraint cuffs.
"Had this been a real incident, I would now be restrained with Quirk-suppression cuffs."
He nodded approvingly.
"Therefore..."
His voice carried clearly throughout the training ground.
"I declare that Fumikage Tokoyami and Tsuyu Asui have successfully completed their practical examination."
Overhead, Aizawa's voice sounded through the arena speakers moments later.
"Fumikage Tokoyami and Tsuyu Asui..."
"...Pass."
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[Auther: I do have ideas for every student's exam...but that'd make this story over 600 chapters so I'll just summarize.]