Uraraka hesitated.
Then…
She reached out.
"If you can help with my nausea, I don't see why I should decline." She took his hand. "After all, I'd be able to get more points if I could stave off the cost of overusing my powers."
Aoyama shook her hand with a grin. "It's great to have you as part of my team."
!!!
"What is this…?"
A wave of euphoria washed over her.
Fatigue vanished. Her thoughts cleared. Her heartbeat steadied.
Aoyama smiled.
"A small gift to solidify our alliance."
AND START!!!
A voice boomed from the surrounding speakers.
Aoyama knew what this meant.
"QUICK—JUMP ON!"
He dropped low, activating his skates.
The sharp-witted examinees came to the same conclusion and made a beeline for the gates, while those caught off guard froze for half a second before reality set in—
The test had begun.
Uraraka panicked—then leapt onto his back.
"Hold on tight!"
The drills roared—
And they launched forward.
"What's the matter?! There's no countdown in a real battle! RUN! RUN! RUN!!!"
"Eeek!!"
"I see a one-pointer! Prepare to hit it!"
He sped through the streets, already ahead of most.
Reaching back, he grabbed a smoke flare—
Pulled the pin—
And tossed it.
Red dust exploded behind them, disrupting anyone chasing.
Cough! Cough! Cough!
Most of the wannabe heroes broke into violent coughing fits, not expecting him to cover his rear like that.
He didn't fear having points deducted. As long as the flares were used as non-lethal deterrents—cover or camouflage—
It would just be seen as increasing their chances.
"Sorry—that's our villain point," he taunted.
Clone light split behind him, forming two figures that pushed him and Uraraka forward with extra momentum—
Before popping and dissolving back into him.
"Hey—that's cheating!"
"The instructor said not to harm each other!"
"Why is someone trying to be a hero using tactics like that?!"
The crowd shouted through the smoke.
"Tch."
"I knew that guy was fishy."
Katsumi Bakugo clenched her jaw. "The way he looked around during the introduction—he was sizing us up."
Izumi Midoriya could only watch as the others complained.
Her mind fixated on Aoyama's drill skates.
Why didn't I think of bringing external support like that?
Huff. Huff.
I could've made something similar with my old roller skates and some rewiring—
No.
She shook her head.
Don't think like that. No shortcuts.
If it's something you can do with your own hands and hard work…
Then I'll just work harder.
She jogged forward, already breathless—
Yet still overtaking others ahead of her.
"Go beyond… PLUS ULTRA!!!"
—
Ahead of the crowd
—
TTTTTTT!!!
A one-pointer revved, its wheeled lower half locking onto the two figures speeding toward it.
—It prepared to attack—
Aoyama twisted his waist as the machine raised its shield-like arms.
Uraraka reached out—tapping its exoskeleton as they passed.
"I've got it!"
She pulled her arm back.
The robot turned, confused—
Then began to lift.
Higher—
Twelve meters—
"Release!"
CRASH!!
Its body slammed headfirst into the asphalt.
"That was awesome," Aoyama cheered, not slowing.
"Thanks! But it's not half as cool as those clones you used to push us," she replied.
"You mean these?"
He extended his arm toward the sidewalk, silver energy spilling out.
It condensed into a clone as they approached.
The clone grabbed his arm—guiding the turn without losing speed—
Then shifted behind them, supporting Uraraka.
"How do your clones work?" she asked. "Do you give them orders, or are they independent?"
"It's weird—they're all me, sharing one hive mind," Aoyama replied through the clone behind her.
"Also—two robots… no, three—up ahead."
Two blocked the street—
And behind them stood a larger one.
A two-pointer.
"Hmm… tricky."
"GET OUT OF THE WAY—!!!"
A cheetah-patterned boy dashed forward.
"No… I don't think I will."
Silver energy poured out—
Clones formed along both sides.
They reached into their bags—
Click.
Toss.
Red smoke flooded the street.
His strength dropped—but he kept moving.
"IN FRONT OF US!"
He veered sharply.
Uraraka struck the incoming robot—it lifted as she forced it upward.
"Higher—!"
"Release!!!"
BOOM!
Two robots crashed through the smoke—
One hers.
The other crushed by a student with a magnetic quirk.
"Huff… huff…"
Aoyama aimed for the two-pointer—but his strength hadn't recovered.
One point…
Through a distant clone, he saw the twins securing a kill—
Setting up a crude flamethrower using nitroglycerin and air freshener.
He refocused.
A blur of yellow flashed past.
The cheetah boy grinned.
"Next time, use stronger clones!!!"
Two of Aoyama's clones still clung to him.
The district erupted into chaos—
Dreams, ambition, desperation—
All colliding.
"Where do you think you're going~?"
Aoyama fired a rope from his bag.
The cheetah dodged instinctively.
The rope—coated in blue mana—wrapped around a lamppost.
"Uraraka—get ready to hit the two-pointer!!!"
He yanked himself forward—
Swinging from pole to pole—
Faster—
Faster—
On the final pull, they launched into the air.
Tap.
Uraraka's fingers brushed the robot.
"Target detected… must destroy!"
The two-pointer roared—
Metal stingers launching toward them—
Swishhh—!!