The penultimate exam was Deku and Bakugo vs All Might. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed impossible for them to pass.
However, everyone chose to stay optimistic for one reason—everyone in Class 1-A knew that All Might had a time limit on how long he could use his Quirk.
"They're naive..." Principal Nezu said. "They still underestimate All Might far too much."
Standing in front of the monitors, Allen glanced sideways at Nezu before focusing his attention back on the screen. "I guess it all depends on whether All Might gives them an opening—and whether they can take advantage of it."
Deku and Bakugo stood in front of the entrance to their testing area: Ground B.
"Kacchan!"
"Shut up!"
Deku looked frustrated. No matter how much he tried to devise a strategy with Bakugo, the latter refused to listen.
"This exam is about evaluating your opponent and deciding whether to fight or escape! That's why I think we should avoid fighting at all costs!"
Bakugo glared at him with killing intent. "If you keep talking, I'll kill you!"
Deku was no longer the cowardly, crying boy Allen once knew. Partly due to Allen's influence and his improvement with One For All, he had gained courage.
"Why are you so stubborn?!" Deku shouted, grabbing Bakugo by the collar.
"Don't touch me!" Bakugo punched him in the face.
From the monitoring room, everyone was shocked. They all knew Bakugo was someone who always picked fights—irritating, with a terrible attitude, aggressive for no reason. But even so, they didn't think he was stupid. At the very least, after the constant beatings from Allen, he had learned his limits and become less unbearable.
However, none of that seemed to apply when it came to Deku. He clearly had some personal issue with him.
"Brats, stop fighting!" Mirko's voice came through the speakers, interrupting them. "I've got good news—this time, there won't be a disadvantage for you. Instead, it'll be for All Might."
On another monitor, everyone saw All Might standing atop a building in his hero suit. He was also putting on metal bracers and anklets. They immediately recognized them—they were similar to the ones Kirishima and Tetsutetsu had used.
In the original timeline, the All Might seen in the early stages of the story—up until he lost his powers—was a weakened version. However, that was due to an injury that Allen had already healed.
With the only restriction being a limited usage time for his power, All Might was now just as strong as he had been in his prime.
That was why the special bracers and anklets he wore weighed about one ton each.
Even so, he had no intention of using his full strength.
And yet, it still seemed impossible for Bakugo and Deku to pass.
Back to the pair.
Bakugo remained silent, but his eyes burned with the desire to fight.
"Perfect!"
Deku clenched his fists. He knew Mirko-sensei's words had strengthened Bakugo's resolve to defeat All Might—but that was something he couldn't accept.
"Are you serious?! Do you even realize who we're up against?!" Deku shouted.
"Shut up! If you're just going to get in the way, stay behind!" Bakugo yelled.
Everyone could see it—this was the worst possible team. Not only were they not working together, but they were about to fight each other.
"Do you really have time to be distracted?"
All Might's deep voice reached their ears.
Before they could react, he flexed his arm and threw a punch, creating a massive air shockwave. It tore through the entire street—cars were sent flying, the concrete ground shattered, and buildings were damaged.
All of that—from a single punch thrown into the air!
Deku and Bakugo, who had been blown away, got back on their feet. A bit bruised, a bit dirty—but still standing.
"All Might..." Deku turned pale. 'I knew he was strong. I knew I was still years away from using One For All at that level... but this is overwhelming!'
"Damn..." Bakugo gasped, struggling to catch his breath.
"We have to run!" Deku shouted—but that only made Bakugo boil with rage.
"Shut up! Stun Grenade!"
Bakugo used his gauntlets to trigger a flash explosion so bright that even Allen had to cover his eyes. When he could see again, Bakugo was already about to strike All Might.
"All Might, it'd be an insult if you didn't take this seriously!"
"I see..." All Might said as he vanished.
Before Bakugo could react, All Might grabbed him by the face. However, to his surprise, Bakugo didn't give up and instead detonated a series of point-blank explosions.
"Ouch," All Might said before punching Bakugo and sending him crashing into a building.
"Kacchan!" Deku, knowing he had no choice, charged at All Might. But he was slower—All Might caught his arm effortlessly.
"Die!" Bakugo shouted as he flew toward them—but All Might used Deku exactly the way Allen would, slamming him into Bakugo.
Both of them crashed into the ground, forming a crater from the impact.
"Idiot," Mirko said with a shrug. "Unlike you, I don't consider a bad attitude a weakness—as long as you know how to control and direct it... But I didn't think the explosive brat would let it cloud his judgment!"
Allen smiled. "Envy, admiration, contempt, resentment, pride, ego... there's a whole mix of emotions between them preventing them from working together. But the main culprit is Bakugo. Somehow, he just can't accept that Deku is stronger than him. It's ridiculous..."
"You don't have to be so harsh..." Thirteen said, scratching her cheek—at some point, she had taken off her helmet.
Allen shrugged. "But I'm right. Honestly, if he's going to envy anyone, it should be me—not Deku."
Everyone fell silent.
Because it was true—Bakugo's resentment toward Deku was even greater than what he felt toward Allen… and that was saying something, considering Deku always tried to get along with him, while Allen constantly humiliated him.
....
Wade – It's because you've got a sexy ass, that's why Bakugo doesn't hate you as much.
Albedo – Pervert… but I agree.
Aphrodite – It's a perfect masculine ass. Luis and I have like a thousand screenshots of it saved.
MJ – We didn't need to know that, Aphrodite… by the way, mind sharing?
Aphrodite – Of course, but I'll need something in return hehe~
MJ – I see… well, I have several exclusive items if you're interested. For example, one of his favorite shirts, a comb he used before he started styling his hair with magic—so it's pretty unique, heh.
Albedo – How dare you trade Allen-sama's relics?! By the way, how much do you want for the shirt?
Gwen – ...
Wednesday – ...
Natasha – ...
Albedo – I'm doing this for Allen-sama's sake! I'm protecting his belongings from falling into the hands of degenerates!
Emma F – I'll pay ten times whatever that demon slut offers~
Albedo – Huh?! You bitch, how dare you fight me over my treasures?!
"..." Allen decided not to comment on what he had just heard.
....
Deku ran with Bakugo over his shoulder, leaving All Might behind. Of course, All Might let them go—if only to give them a chance.
Allen, seeing this, shook his head. Despite his words, All Might couldn't help but have a soft heart when it came to students.
Once they reached an alley, Bakugo punched Deku to make him let go, and they started arguing again. The teachers had already lost hope—facing All Might was absurd enough. Fighting each other made it practically impossible.
However, something unexpected happened.
Deku confessed that he admired Bakugo because he never gave up—even against Allen… even against All Might.
Despite his pride and dislike for Deku, Bakugo decided to cooperate—just this once.
....
All Might jogged through the streets searching for them. However, Allen knew the man could find them easily—but chose not to.
"All Might!"
Bakugo emerged from an alley to attack—but All Might struck him, sending him flying. However, this was part of the plan.
"...?" All Might sensed a presence behind him—it was Deku. He was wearing one of Bakugo's gauntlets, which could store his Quirk.
"I'm sorry, All Might..." Deku said as he pulled the pin—and a massive explosion engulfed All Might.
"Now, Kacchan!"
"Don't give me orders!"
Both Deku and Bakugo ran. They didn't escape—but they weren't naive enough to think they could defeat All Might, even if he was holding back.
It was a strategy that everyone applauded.
For a brief moment, Class 1-A erupted in cheers.
But All Might appeared beside them.
He punched Deku in the face—and struck Bakugo in the stomach.
Deku endured the punch and tried to strike back, but his fist was caught once again. Bakugo had it worse—All Might planted his foot on his back.
It was raw, overwhelming strength.
Just when everyone thought it was over, Bakugo detonated the ground. In the smoke, he threw Deku toward the exit while staying behind to face All Might.
As a result, he was struck by All Might—of course, only lightly compared to the punch that had destroyed an entire street. All Might had to be using barely 1% of his power.
"Go, Deku!" Bakugo shouted as he attacked with an explosion that even damaged his own arms.
"Kacchan..."
"It's frustrating, but even if I push my Quirk to the point of destroying my own body, we still can't win!" Bakugo gave it everything—there was no denying that.
In the end, All Might grabbed him and slammed him into the ground.
"Young Bakugo, I'm sorry—but as a teacher, I can't allow you to destroy your own body."
"All Might!"
"Young Midoriya?!"
Just when everyone thought it was over, Deku appeared—using 100% of One For All—and delivered a punch that knocked All Might down.
Taking that chance, Deku grabbed Bakugo and ran.
All Might tried to chase them—but dropped to one knee as if exhausted. That gave them the opening they needed, and they managed to escape.
– Bakugo and Midoriya passed! –
"You're too soft," Allen said with a mocking smile.
....
"Not bad..." Mirko said. Then her smile widened as a red glint appeared in her eyes. "Now it's time for the main course."
The focus of attention shifted from the screens to Allen and Mirko.
The two stared at each other in silence.
"Don't forget about me..." Kaina said, smiling as well.
"Allen..." Toru said worriedly, grabbing his arm.
"Will you be okay?" Momo asked.
Allen looked at both girls. Not just them—the rest of Class 1-A was watching him in silence.
"Don't worry." Allen smiled and patted both of their heads before walking toward the exit. "I'll be fine."
....
(Five minutes later)
Allen's testing area was also Ground Beta.
Allen landed at Entrance A and waited for instructions.
– "Allen Walker, due to the special circumstances surrounding you, there will be three disadvantages in your case..." Nemuri's voice came through a speaker.
– Active Disadvantage: You may only use one "template."
– Active Disadvantage: You cannot leave the area to pass the test.
– Active Disadvantage: "Reinforcements."
Allen showed little reaction as the disadvantages were announced.
Instead, he closed his eyes and focused. Since he could only use one template, he chose Superman. After all, he had to take advantage of the fact that it had reached maximum quality.
The feeling was different from before—more natural. As natural as breathing. He no longer felt like he was transforming, no longer felt like he was becoming Superman… as if he had always been him.
"Will it be like this with all templates once they reach iridescent grade?"
[Theoretically, yes. But some templates are more compatible than others. For example, I doubt you'd ever feel like the Joker—even if you brought that template to maximum quality.]
Allen made a disgusted face. "I don't even want to imagine something like that."
Without opening his eyes, Allen touched his chest, and his clothes began to change into his black-and-red suit—strangely elegant for a superhero outfit. When the red cape appeared and settled behind him, he opened his eyes.
Everyone in the monitoring room held their breath.
Both Allen's presence and temperament had changed, giving off an air of maturity—and a strangely charming aura.
When Allen smiled, several girls blushed. Nemuri was more shameless and outright clasped her hands with her heart in her eyes.
....
Tony – Tsk, I prefer the version of Allen that's a bastard. At least that way it's not so obvious how ridiculously handsome he is… it annoys me.
Emma F – Male jealousy is so ugly~
Gwen – Allen looks really good… I'm worried. I hope that stupid cliché doesn't happen where women fall for him just by looking at him.
Felicia – I doubt it. No matter how handsome and charming he is, with that personality he'd hardly be some nauseating Prince Charming...
Mirajane – I wouldn't say that. In our world, he already has a huge fan club—even though everyone knows how… complicated he can be.
Amanda – Say it like it is, Mira—he's a son of a bitch hahaha
"Why so many insults? You know I can read and hear you, right?"
Allen didn't usually interact much with his Chat while he was doing other things, but this time he was forced to because of the disrespect. Of course, he didn't take it badly—he knew it was true.
....
Allen walked through the streets of Ground Beta, searching for Mirko and Kaina. It's worth mentioning that this place was as large as a district in Tokyo.
Unlike the previous tests, escaping wasn't an option, so neither woman was forced to present themselves in front of Allen.
"I'm nervous..." Ochako said.
"Relax, it's Allen—we know who we're talking about," Itsuka chuckled.
Momo crossed her arms thoughtfully. "Yes, but on the other side we have Tsutsumi-sensei and Mirko-sensei… one is the strongest heroine, and the other would easily be in the top heroes if she were a professional."
"Allen is definitely going to pass this test!" Toru said confidently.
....
Several minutes passed after the test began before Allen stopped walking. He stood in the middle of a street and closed his eyes again, focusing his attention on his hearing.
If this were a city full of people, locating someone just by sound—without them speaking—would be impossible.
But in this empty place, locating both women by their heartbeats was incredibly easy.
Everyone in the monitoring room waited patiently, knowing everything would explode soon.
For a moment, the only movement around Allen was his cape gently swaying in the wind.
This continued for a few seconds—until he opened his eyes with a surprised expression.
Allen heard heartbeats.
Many of them.
In every building.
Kaina smiled from the top of a building as she aimed her rifle from several kilometers away. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger.
The shot resembled a supersonic missile, piercing through two buildings.
However, that wasn't a problem for Allen, who swatted it aside, altering its trajectory.
"I see… " You created special devices that simulate heartbeats," Allen said, knowing Kaina could read lips.
"That's right," Kaina replied with a smile, knowing Allen could hear her perfectly despite the distance.
Was Allen's weakness women? No.
Allen's real weakness was his women—those who knew everything about him.
And these two women knew him very well.
They knew Allen liked using the Superman template—more than liked, it was the one he used the most. So they prepared this test knowing that once he had the first disadvantage, he would choose that template.
"Very clever. But what will you do now?" Allen said before flying toward Kaina. He could close the distance in a second if he wanted.
Kaina didn't worry.
That only made Allen more alert.
Before he could reach her, a shadow descended from the sky.
Looking up, Allen saw Mirko falling at incredible speed.
"Luna Fall!"
Allen raised his arm and blocked the kick.
The impact was so powerful that windows shattered across every nearby building.
Before Allen could recover, a shot came from the front, striking his chest and sending him flying through several buildings before stopping inside one.
Allen felt his arm slightly numb.
'I see… the reason they didn't attack earlier was that Kaina took Rumi into the sky so she could strike me with the velocity of a meteor's descent.'
Allen stood up, pushing aside desks and debris.
In the monitoring room, everyone was stunned.
Even knowing that two of the strongest women in Japan were present, no one had expected Allen to be at a disadvantage.
Not out of disrespect toward Mirko or Kaina—but because Allen had built an image of power as overwhelming as All Might in his prime.
"It's not over..." Nemuri said with a smile. She herself had helped design the plan to "defeat" Allen.
At that moment, four beacons installed across Ground Beta opened, and several rockets launched into the sky.
Allen, who had just exited the building, saw this.
When the rockets reached high altitude, they exploded, releasing what looked like metallic dust that spread through the air.
The dust seemed harmless—but Allen felt something strange.
He was unable to absorb sunlight.
"What is this?"
Rebecca – I see… that dust must interfere with solar radiation. Some kind of filter, maybe.
It wasn't that Allen would lose his powers—but without the sun, his regeneration and stamina recovery would slow down.
Another shot came from Kaina.
This time, Allen caught the "bullet" with his hand and threw it back at her—but Mirko appeared and deflected it.
Both women were smiling.
Allen smiled too—and flew toward them.
Kaina prepared another shot, this time wrapping a special bullet in her hair before firing. Just before hitting Allen, it exploded, blinding him momentarily.
When Allen could see again, both women had disappeared.
Allen immediately used his X-ray vision.
"Huh?"
He widened his eyes slightly, realizing he couldn't see through the buildings—they had been coated with lead.
[Host, you should be careful who you sleep beside. If a cloud ever betrays you, you'll suffer.]
"That won't happen—I'm charming," Allen laughed.
But that smile quickly vanished.
The atmosphere around him compressed.
From the sky, All Might appeared—fist clenched, with no weight restrictions and no holding back.
"DETROIT SMASH!"
Allen clenched his fist and struck back, meeting All Might's punch head-on.
This was the "Reinforcements" disadvantage.
Their fists collided with such force that a momentary vacuum formed between them.
The shockwave tore through multiple buildings, and the sound carried all the way to Mustafu City.
Many people looked up at the sky, thinking it was thunder—but seeing clear skies, they were left confused.
====
A/N: After this, Allen will have to be compensated by Nemuri, Kaina, and Mirko 🍷🗿