Chapter 46 - Finals

(A/N) I'd like to thank Agent Toxic and Woodpecker for their time as my editors.

This message goes to all platforms:

As of now, my editor position is open. If anyone is interested, I would be happy to accept them. I would prefer they'd do it through my Quotev account since it's the only site that has the co-author/editor option and the manuscript can be formatted more easily to other platforms from there.

The editing wouldn't have to be done after the chapter is published to save the already long wait time, but someone who can find inconsistencies in Names (Something I sometimes have but have no time to fix right now), any grammar problems they detect, boringly written passages, etc.

Also, I was thinking of finding someone to create an official fanart for the cover of the story. I may be particular about the quality since it is the cover (I have loved all the fanart on discord don't worry).

Please let me know if you or anyone you know may be interested. You can send an example of your art through the discord or something like that. The final project would have to be (I'm not an artist so forgive the misuse of terms) Inked or whatever. Styles could range a lot. I'm okay with colored, realistic, manga style, black, and white (with maybe a little color around the hair or eyes), etc.

The artist will be given due credit for their work.

For those who require reverse psychology, I don't want you to take interest in this.

***

Written exams were finished. A week of study and three days of intense testing and it was over.

The entire class seemed to have done well in the written exam, showing that the study groups had succeeded. Even Kaminari and Ashido were able to answer without leaving questions blank. They had all overcome the first hurdle.

Sigh of relief...

Now it was time for the practical

***

(Practical Exam Area: Center Plaza...)

"Now then," he spoke with an unusually awake voice, "Let's begin the last test. Remember it's possible to fail this final. If you want to go to camp, do not make stupid mistakes."

Jiro glanced past their homeroom teacher at the familiar group of people standing behind him, "Uh, why are all the teachers here?"

"I expect many of you have gathered information and believe you have some idea in what you'll be faced with today," Aizawa drawled, giving them all a look that had several students have a sinking feeling in their stomachs.

Completely missing the hidden message, Kaminari made a rock star pose, "We're fighting those big old metal robots!"

Ashido, who was just as oblivious, also cheered, "Fireworks! Smores! Here we come!"

Aizawa's scarf suddenly came alive as a small voice sounded from its folds, "Actually, this year's tests..." Nezu popped into view, waving a paw cheerfully, "Will be completely different for various reasons!!"

"Principal Nezu!"

Haru facepalmed, "Aw man! They hit us with a misinformation ploy!"

Kaminari and Ashido turned to stone on hearing their dream test was no more.

Nezu used Aizawa's scarf to lower himself to the ground, "The tests have a new focus. There will be hero work, of course," he spread his paws wide, "But also teamwork and combat between actual people," he pointed a finger at the students, "So what does that mean for you? You, students, will be working together in pairs and your opponents will be one of our esteemed UA teachers. Isn't that fabulous?"

The entire class was petrified.

"Were.. fighting... the teachers?" Uraraka squeaked.

"Additionally, your partners and your opponents have already been chosen," Aizawa stated, "They were determined at my discretion based on various factors including fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships."

Nezu raised a paw, "And now, let's announce the teams and the teachers they'll be fighting in order.

Cementoss VS Haruko Bakugo and Eijiro Kirishima

Ectoplasm VS Tsuyu Asui and Fumikage Tokoyami

Power Loader VS Teyna Iida and Mashirao Ojiro

Erasure Head VS Shoto Todoroki and Momo Yaoyorozu

Nezu VS Denki Kaminari and Mina Ashido

Present Mic VS Kyoka Jiro and Koji Koda

Snipe VS Mezo Shoji and Toru Hagakure

Midnight VS Hanta Sero and Minoru Mineta

All Might VS Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo

"Oh~ That kind of interpersonal relationship," Haru mused on seeing the final matchup.

"To complete the exam, you have thirty minutes," Nezu held up a pair of specially design handcuffs, "In order to win, you need to put these handcuffs on your teacher," he lowered his arm, noting the doubtful looks on many of the student's faces, "Or you can win if one of you escape from the combat stage."

"So, we either capture the teacher or run away," Kaminari rephrased to himself, "It's basically like the combat training."

"Yeah, but is it really okay to just jet?" Ashido asked, raising her hand for attention.

"It's going to be much harder than that combat training you all we through earlier!" Present Mic vibed, "After all, you are up against people waaaaaaaaaaaay~ better than you!"

Jiro looked slightly uncertain, "Better?"

Next to her, Haru nodded, "Better," he hesitated, "Well... some of them."

"But isn't he just the announcer?" Jiro asked, motioned at Present Mic.

"HEY! WATCH YOUR MOUTH, KIDS! HAVE SOME RESPECT!"

Everyone winced and Aizawa was forced to use his Erasure to silence the overly loud pro's minor tantrum.

"Ahem," Thirteen, who was unaffected thanks to her suit, spoke up, "This time, your exam will be very similar to a real battle. As strange as it is, please think of us as villains."

"Assuming you come across your enemy," Snipe interjected, "If you think you can win against them, fine. However..."

Erasure Head picked up where Snipe left off, "In instances where you're outmatched, it would be smarter to run away to find help," the homeroom teacher glanced at four students in particular, "Todoroki, Iida, Midoriya, Haruko, I'm sure the four of you understand."

Haru placed his hands behind his head and yawned, tapping the toe of his tabi against the ground, "I've got several new tricks up my sleeves so just sit back and watch the show!"

"You seem really confident," Todoroki commented.

Haru flashed a closed-eyed smile, "A chance for an all-out fight like this comes once in a blue moon."

"Blue moons must be common for you then," Todoroki answered seriously, causing most of Class 1A to snicker.

"His sense of humor has gotten better," Sero grinned, earning a playful glare from Haru.

Izuku had a dead serious look on his face, "So it's fight-to-win or run-to-win."

"That's right!" All Might declared dramatically, "It's a test of your decision-making skills!" he shook a finger at them all, "But with these rules, most of you are probably thinking your only choice is to flee!" he held up something he had hanging on the back of his belt, "That's why the Support Course made these super clever accessories for us!"

The number one hero held up a bracelet cuff that was studded with what appeared to be small metal weights.

"Behold!" Present Mic advertised loudly, "Compressed weights!"

Haru gave the giant man an evil smile, "Half your body weight, so about 280 pounds. Right, All Might?"

All Might cleared his throat uncomfortably, changing the subject, "We had a contest to come up with these designs, and Young Hatsume ended up winning it!"

"Wow! Good for Hatsume!" Izuku chimed in a daze upon remembering the peppy and rather eccentric girl.

Katsuki sent a solemn stare at the teachers, "You think we need a handicap to win against you? Well, think again."

Hari placed a restraining hand on his brother's shoulder, "Katsuki, they lived much longer than we have. If they need handicaps to fight us they should know."

Several of the teachers popped a vein at the reference at their age.

Kaminari, Sero, and Kirishima all leaned back. 'Buuuuuuuuuuuuurn!'

Nezu held back a snigger. 'Seems his nerves are showing. He's tearing into everyone today.'

Haru blinked, not realizing his last sentence was taken badly by some of the staff, namely Midnight, Present Mic, Power Loader, and on a lesser scale, Erasure Head. Ectoplasm, Snipe, and Cementoss secretly found it hilarious, knowing the teen's trait of unintentionally belittling people. It somewhat made sense considering his constant influence of fifteen years (Katsuki) entire personality seemed to revolve around that trait.

Nezu, of course, found it all very entertaining.

"Let's begin," Aizawa cut the instruction short, "The teams will take the practical exam in the order you were called. We have a stage prepared for you. Haruko, Kirishima, you're up."

"Yes, sir!"

"Those waiting to fight can either watch the exams or try to strategize together as a team," Aizawa told the rest of the class, "It's your choice. That's all."

***

(Monitor Room...)

"Well," Recovery Girl sat in her observation seat as she surveyed the many screens displaying the test grounds, "Looks like I've got my work cut out for me today. I hope my ȧssistant will come out of his test with enough juice to help me a little."

Izuku stood behind her, gazing at each screen in search of the testers.

"Oh, Deku!" Uraraka exclaimed as she entered the room and noticed him, "You're watching too? Hi!"

Izuku nodded, "Yeah, it's not like we get many chances to watch students in combat with teachers. I especially didn't want to miss Haru-chan's fight."

Recovery Girl nodded from where she sat, "Ah yes, his skills have made quite the improvement since he first came here. Ever since that seal broke after the events of the USJ and the sports festival, he's been able to make use of his power like never before. It was understood he was his own kind of genius, but he exceeded our expectations with his growth."

Uraraka bounced on her heels, "Can't wait to see!" she looked at Izuku, "By the way, Deku. Did you get the chance to strategize with your partner?" she scratched her head, thinking of Aoyama posing in his reflection in a large window, "Mine was... is... a little preoccupied with himself."

Izuku sweatdropped, "No kidding... Yeah, Kacchan didn't want to talk strategy with me either."

Uraraka's expression became blank, "Yeah, I can see that. I thought I'd get inspiration from everyone else's battles."

"Smart," Izuku complimented her.

A small alarm signaled the first test beginning and the two turned their full attention to the screen.

***

[Practical exam #1. Ready? Go!] a robotic voice announced.

Haru and Kirishima hurried down the street at an even pace.

"So, what do you think?" Kirishima looked at his teammate, "We'll definitely get a higher score at capture instead of running, you agree? Cementoss is slow, so we can easily get close"

Haru raised his head slightly, his eyes glinting from under his sugegasa, "That's more likely not the case, but I agree it would be better to capture him if we can. We'll test his strength first and get some intel on him. Be careful of his Quirk."

Kirishima grinned determinedly, "I'll draw his attention. I'll leave the information gathering to you, Class Rep!"

"Get back!" Haru warned a second before a wall of cement rose directly in front of them.

Kirishima slid to a stop while Haru semi-shifted into paper and fluttered back a few steps.

"Directly ahead. Three hundred meters!" Haru called out, weaving hand signs, "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

He launched himself upward, landing on the top of the stone wall, and blew out a barrage of mini fireballs towards their teacher.

"Red Riot! Go!"

Kirishima nodded, hardening his body, "Got it!"

Haru jumped from behind the barrier, hurling a series of paper blades, kunai, and shuriken at hiss target.

The concrete merely formed endless numbers of walls, shielding the hero from the incoming attacks. Even explosive kunai were making little headway against an endlessly rising barricade.

Haru's body suddenly sank into the ground as his body transforming into a swarm of paper Kikaichu, scattering in all directions.

Kirishima ran into the fray, yelling as he began smashing his fists through the barriers Cementoss began throwing up to impede his progress.

The pro hero looked stern as he remained in place, calmly keeping the manly teen in check.

"Trying to distract me with an obvious target and trying stealth won't help you. Remember, we teachers are the villains in this scenario. We have no qualms to damaging civic property."

As he spoke the surface to a nearby building came alive as the cement that constructed the building poured out to restrain Haru from where he was crouching

Haru jumped away, his body defying gravity as he pushed himself off the building side like it were normal ground.

He twirled, releasing a scattering of origami cranes that divebombed from the sky, peppering the defensive Cementoss with a multitude of explosions. All the while, his eyes flickered back and forth, seeking a pattern in his opponent's fighting style.

His boots slammed onto the surface of another building and he watched for an opening.

Meanwhile, Kirishima was still smashing through the multiple walls in his way, unable to find an end to them. He stopped a moment to catch his breath but lost his balance when the entire ground shifted under his feet.

"Haru!" he called out, trying to keep himself from falling as he attempted to find better footing, "A little help!"

Haru snapped his attention to his teammate and instantly jumped off the building as it too tried to grab him. He let himself fall, weaving a series of hand signs.

"Fire Style: Ember!"

He landed in a crouch, slamming his palms to the ground. The surface of the road in front of him cracked and glowed as a surge of fire chakra surged through it, spreading outward at an alarming rate.

Cementoss maneuvered the cement he was kneeling on and retreated from the smoldering heat that was creeping dangerously toward him. In his distracted state, he turned his primary focus on keeping himself from getting burned and paused his attempt to capture Kirishima.

Haru ran to his partner, performing a rotating movement with his hands as he creating an origami naginata. With a heave, he gripped the buŧŧ end of the pole weapon and swung it over his head in a wide circle.

Several cement walls crumbled under the force of the swings, revealing the trail of blue energy flowing through the blade.

"Kirishima! Fall back for now! I'll cover you!"

Kirishima shook his head, activating his Quirk again, "A true man doesn't run away! I'm fighting with you!"

Haru grabbed the other boy's arm and yanked him to the side as another cement wall shot up where he was standing only a moment before, "This is a strategic withdrawal. A true man would come up with a proper plan to end the fight as efficiently as possible. Now, go!"

Kirishima hesitated before reluctantly beating a hasty retreat.

Cementoss noted the intended action and moved to intercept him with more cement barriers, "You think I'll simply let you escape? Think again."

The road rippled and warped as several pieces of asphalt rose to engulf the retreating students.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets!"

Haru inhaled deeply, pursing his lips before blasting several small bursts of compressed air from his mouth.

The sounds of ricocheting bullets echoed throughout the street as the wind smashed through the multiple layers of the cement walls thrown at them.

Cementoss looked solemn. 'Quite an impressive move. Capable of piercing through the majority of the average villain's defenses. However...'

A rumbling filled the air before four concrete pillars shot up from the ground, curling down to smash into the seemingly exposed boy.

"Shikigami Dance!"

Haru straightened up, spreading his palms outward as he rotated in place, creating a vortex of chakra hardened paper blades.

The defensive measure only lasted a second, but it was long enough. By the time the stone pillars broke through, Haru was already in the air, unfurling a pair of large wings.

"Paper Shower!"

A storm of paper blades rained down, forcing Cementoss to defend.

By the time the hero removed the wall blocking his vision, he found he had lost all sight of both students.

"They may have escaped for now, but they'll be back before long," the hero closed his eyes, his hands glowing, "But just to be sure..."

***

Back in the observation room, Uraraka looked a little confused, "Wait, why are they running away? They totally had him a moment there!"

"They can't win without a new strategy," Izuku stated.

"Huh?" Uraraka looked at him, "Why?"

"Their Quirks are amazing, but they both have limits. They won't last forever. I don't think Mr. Cementoss has that kind of limit. Maybe in a battle of attrition, Haru-chan can hold out, but in a timed battle like this, it's too risky. The longer they fight, the greater the disadvantage. I see why they paired together. While Haru-chan is a jack of all trades, his strongest attacks are mostly long to mid-range and can be very damaging to his surroundings. Additionally, he has rarely worked alongside close combat partners and prefers a one-on-one fight to avoid the risk of friendly fire. This exam grades us on teamwork so they'll both have to team up to beat their opponent. Cementoss is a distance fighter with lots of experience. He is capable of manipulating cement-like materials within quite a sizable range. In this cityscape, he has an advantage, both offensively and defensively."

Uraraka became worried all of the sudden, "That's not good."

Izuku stared hard at the figures on the screen, "It's no coincidence they were matched up. Mr. Aizawa's pitting students against teachers they'll have a hard time against. To pass, we'll have to recognize our weaknesses and overcome them."

"Exactly right," Recovery Girl confirmed, keeping her eyes on the battle, "So, before it's time for your own final, you should think carefully about your compatibility with the teacher you're fighting."

***

Haru and Kirishima had taken refuge in a distant alleyway, kneeling behind several garbage cans.

"Why did you have us run away? We could have beat him!' Kirishima questioned his classmate.

Haru quickly used his sensory to pinpoint Cementoss's whereabouts before answering, "We need a proper plan to pass this exam. Neither of us can afford to just charge in recklessly. It would be best if you made your way to the exit while I occupy his attention."

Kirishima gave Haru a slightly hurt look, "C'mon, Class Rep. I know you can do better than that! We don't want to pass, we want to excel. If we chose the easiest way out, then what does that make us? We're all trying to be heroes so you don't have to baby us all the time," he played the family card, "What would Bakubro think?"

Haru opened his mouth and shut it again, realizing the other redhead was right, "Fine," he leaned back with a sigh, "But we need to think of something quickly. We're running low on time."

Kirishima gave Haru a shark-toothed grin, "Alright! How about you create a diversion?"

Haru deadpanned, "What do you want me to do? Dress a drag and do the hula?" he held up a hand for the other boy to stop before he could answer, "That was a rhetorical question. Do not answer that."

"Then let's start with how much time we have left," Kirishima suggested.

"Good idea," Haru held up his palm, "Ninja Art: Armageddon Countdown Clock."

A circular shape took form on his hand, revealing an unusual-looking clock.

"Wow! That's so cool!" Kirishima awed.

Haru closed his hand standing up, "We have twenty minutes. I'll explain the plan as we head back. We may need to improvise some parts but this should help us. Hold still," he formed a few hand seals, and placed a couple of fingers to Kirishima's temple, "Transmission Seal."

A miniature sealing formula appeared on Kirishima's skin and Haru did the same for himself.

Kirishima touched the spot, unable to see what it was, "What's this do?"

He jumped as Haru's voice sounded in his ear, [It's a technique that will transmit our voices to each other like regular comms do. Follow me, I'll explain the plan along the way.]

***

***

Cementoss had moved to a large plaza within sight of the exit, placing him in the perfect spot to either intercept the students in an attempt to escape while also placing himself in an open area with plenty of source material for him to manipulate.

A whistle of the air made him raise a barrier to protect himself an instant before a barrage of paper senbon embedded themselves into the stony surface of his wall.

"A frontal attack?" the pro looked up to see both Haru and Kirishima charging him head-on, "How futile."

The ground trembled as half of the plaza sank into the ground and dozens of stone pillars shot upward

Haru dashed in first, weaving through the many pillars and dodging them as they slammed down on him.

"Paper Shuriken!"

He performed a sleight of hand, balancing a ninja star on his fingers.

'Wind Style: Vacuum Blade!'

He kneaded chakra in his mouth while rotating the shuriken on his fingers. He exhaled, coating the weapon in wind chakra before hurling it in Cementoss's direction. The practicably invisible chakra expanded into a paper-thin disc as it spun, increasing in speed.

Sensing a major threat from the seemingly minor attack, Cementoss decides to dodge. Using his Quirk to boost his movement, he jumped backward, his body kept low to the ground.

His intuition proved to be correct as the shuriken sliced cleanly through a nearby pillar.

Regaining his balance, Cementoss looked up to see Haru having already thrown another shuriken with two more on his hands, ready to use.

The hero, moving more nimbly than his blocky frame would suggest, rolled and maneuvered himself in evasive action, skillfully avoiding them all.

The hero was breathing had become a little more audible, revealing the side effects of the weights were beginning to wear him down, but it did not mean he was finished by a few moments of forced mobility.

"You're mine!" Kirishima's yelled as he rushed from behind a pillar, swinging a punch to Cementoss's head.

Cementoss countered with a heavy fist to the stomach but was surprised to see Kirishima's body scatter into paper.

"A decoy!"

The real Kirishima appeared in the hero's blind spot, attacking while Cementoss was distracted, or so he thought.

"Got you," Cementoss quickly placed a hand on the ground, creating a pillar of stone that crashed into Kirishima's ċhėst and sending him flying.

"Kirishima!" Haru watched his classmates fly past him and crash into a building at the far end of the plaza. Quickly, his hands moved in a blur, finally slamming into a tiger sign, "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!"

Pulling arms close to his sides, Haru took a deep breath before spewing a stream of fire at their teacher.

A massive wall of concrete shot up in response and the inferno smashed into it with a roar of destructive power.

Haru chakra flared as the already unbearable heat intensified and the flames became more focused, shattering the edges of the wall and gouging out its surface.

Cementoss frowned as he noted the intense heat and pressure blasting at his wall. 'Since when was this boy able to create such a high level of heat? If this keeps up he may destroy my barrier even as I repair it. I should act quickly.'

***

Izuku gasped, his face full of disbelief as the camera zoomed in on the plaza, "No way! That level of heat!" his eyes widened at glowing liquid dripping from Cementoss's wall, "Is that magma?"

Uraraka's eyes widened as she saw the liquid, "Magma? Wait, isn't that dangerous?"

"Nothing to worry about, dears," Recovery Girl reassured them, glancing over the gauges that were measuring the heat levels and vitals of the contestants before leaning back in her seat, "The Dragon Flame Bomb is a B rank technique among fire users of the Uzumaki Clan. It turns a normal flame breath into a highly pressurized flame blast that can obliterate any target of choice. Normally using something this dangerous would be frowned upon but against the defense of a hero like Cementoss, it is a perfect counter. Cement is a surprisingly combustible substance in the face of fire, being known to explode in high heat. What you're seeing is the result of the small fragment caused by this effect is being melted by the combined heat and pressure, creating what we call magma. It's only tiny trickles though, so it's nothing we need to worry about."

***

Cementoss grunted as several small explosions within his defense made his wall begin to crumble

"I've still got some tricks up my sleeve," the glow on the hero's hands intensified as the ground around him shifted.

Haru felt his chakra straining from maintaining such a powerful Jutsu for so long. He was also lacking air as he was unable to breathe inward while blowing the flames from his mouth.

He cut off the Jutsu, gasping for air as he took in the blackened surface of Cementoss's wall and the glowing trails of rapidly cooling lava.

The sunken half of the plaza suddenly heaved, briefly throwing him off balance as he saw the several points of the ground crumble. A screeching of twisting metal grating on his ears as massive pipes were pushed through the surface.

"This plaza is placed over a network of water pipes and sewage systems," Cementoss announced, causing Haru's eyes to widen, "Let's see how well you can deal with it, hero"

Haru looked around for an escape but found himself practically encased by a multitude of cement walls and pillars cutting off his escape.

A crack made him snap his gaze towards one of the nearby pipes being bent in his direction.

There was a final screech as the pipe was twisted out of shape and burst at the seams, sending highly pressurized water in a wide spray that encompassed nearly a fourth of the plaza.

Having no time to use a Jutsu, Haru formed his hands into the dog sign thrusting out a hand, his palm held out horizontally, "Wind Style: Zephyr Shield!"

A wave of wind flow from his arm, creating a wide should of air that extended from his hand. As his palm struck the oncoming attack the water burst upon contact, spreading outward and away from his body in a dome shape as the water pressure strived to push him away.

Haru gritted his teeth, feeling the wind slashing through his hair and robe as it pushed against the flood.

[Haru!] Haru's raised his hand at the familiar voice in his ear and saw Kirishima running up behind through the cement cage, [Throw me at the pipe!]

In an instant of understanding, Haru used his free hand to form hand signs, "Shikigami Dance: Fueguchi One!"

Turning his body, he formed the tail-like weapon in his hand, launching it in Kirishima's direction. It wrapped around the other boy's body turning him into an improvised wrecking ball.

With a sharp tug, Haru swung his classmate over his head while Kirishima hardened his body.

There was a deafening crash as the Kirishima's hardened body circled over Haru's head, destroying the encasing pillars and smash down on the metal piping, driving it into the ground.

The badly dented pipe continued to regurgitate water but was now doing in a downward direction, turning the surrounding earth and crumbled concrete to turn into mud.

Haru ran forward, blowing out a breath of icy wind over the pipe and mud to momentarily freeze it. Stemming the worst of the water damage until it could be dealt with.

***

A/N: Canon fact. While shinobi cannot use Kekkei Genkai without being born with it. Combining different natures like wind and water can replicate a much weaker version of elemental natures like ice.

***

"That was too close," Haru let out a sigh of relief, "Thanks, Kiri."

Kirishima gave him a lopsided grin, "No problem, man," he grunted, "Damn it! I may be at my limit here."

Haru hooked an arm under his teammate's shoulder, "No you're not," he jumped back into the air, "We've got eight minutes. Do or die time."

They landed a distance away, momentarily out of harm's way.

"Do or die, eh?" Kirishima pushed himself to his feet, a broad grin on his face as he placed his trust in his classmate.

Haru kept his eyes on Cementoss, who was staring back at them, "Cementoss is powerful, but as you first said, his stationary way of fighting is also his weakness. We have to force him to move or let himself get caught. We need something as wide scale as his Quirk."

Kirishima frowned, "Where do we get that?"

Haru reached into his robe, pulling outs a pair of small scrolls, "This should do it."

"But, I'm not going to be much help to you like this," Kirishima admitted and clenched his hand, "But I'll push my limits and do my best!"

Haru smiled at the other redhead's infectious attitude, "I can help with that too," he placed a hand to Kirishima's back, "Heal!"

A small circular sealing formula appeared around his hand as a clear white light emanated from his palm, giving off a warm glow.

Kirishima's eyes grew wider than saucers, "Wha? How?" he tested his body, "My bruises are healed and my stamina!" he tested his arm and realized his Quirk was activating no problem, "I'm at full power! Oh yeah! Back in business!"

"Five minutes," Haru called out as he knelt, placing the scrolls on either side of him, "I leave the capturing to you. I'll make sure you can get close."

Kirishima hardened his hands taking off in an all-out run, "Got you covered!"

Haru wove a series of hand signs, "Summoning: Paper Snowstorm!"

The scrolls released a cloud of smoke as they unfurled and shot into the air, twisting in a double helix.

Haru body flickered into the air, using his Kekkei Genkai to take control of the tsunami of paper summoned around him. Raising his arms, he formed the white storm into a wave.

"Shikigami Dance!"

He flung his arms forward, sending the wave forward in a dense blizzard.

Cementoss raised several walls in response but noticed they were quickly being covered by a number of explosive tags.

"Katsu!"

A series of explosions shook the plaza before it was engulfed by a whirling storm of paper confetti.

Cementoss remained calm, carefully looking around the whirling mass that clouded his vision. Would send out the occasional wave of concrete, but the pattern they would be destroyed was too random to predict which direction the boys were in.

He opted for defense and raised a spherical barricade around himself to wait out the remaining time.

But his opponents had different plans.

A loud bang was heard from inside the sphere as fists smashed into it.

Cementoss suddenly saw a glow within the dark of the sphere.

"Fire Style: Ember!"

The once safe refuge quickly became a danger and Cementoss's focus flickered momentarily. Not even he was immune to fire.

The outer shell of the sphere cracked and shattered, exposing the hero to the storm outside.

"COMBO MOVE!"

Cementoss's eyes widened as he saw both boys appear out of the surrounding white from opposite directions.

Kirishima had hardened his body to the max, his fist clenched for a devastating gut punch, "RED!"

Haru swung up his leg, bringing it down for a concussive axe kick to the head, "DAWN"

Both attacks landed precisely at the same time, "CRUSH!"

The force of the attack caused Cementoss's feet to sink into the ground.

The storm dissipated, revealing both redheads breathing heavily from the adrenaline and the effort.

On the other side of the camera's the spectators were gaping in disbelief.

Cementoss had Kirishima's fist caught in his hand while his arm was raised to guard against Haru's kick.

[The time is up. Team Bakugo and Kirishima pass the practical exam.]

"Well done," Cementoss gave them a fond smile, releasing them from his guard.

Kirishima grinned as he held up his other hand, revealing the cuffs linking him and Cementoss together, "You're tough, Sensei! So manly!"

Cementoss modestly waved it off, pressing the buŧŧon that would release them, "No, no, I just trained my skills over the years and made sure to make up for my weaknesses. If I didn't decide to learn close combat all those years ago, I would have been beaten by you two without question."

Haru sank down on one knee, activating his Mystical Palm to soothe his bruised ankle, "Thank you for not holding back on us, Sensei. It showed us what we were doing wrong."

The hero raised a finger, running an improvised review on the spot, "And what was that?"

"I need to increase my stamina and get a better understanding of my limits," Kirishima stated, flexing his arm experimentally, "I also need to work on my strategy. I can't depend on others to bail me out."

Cementoss nodded in agreement, "Hmm! Very good. Your Quirk is very strong, young man, but you need to let it grow to bring out its full potential. You also have a steadfast spirit and a courageous heart. I'm sure you will succeed."

"Thank you, sir!"

"As for me, I need to improve my fighting style," Haru admitted, "I learned a lot of new things these past months, but not how to use them to their best potential. I need to learn how to use my Quirk alongside other people and limit its negative effect on my surrounding.

"Teamwork is never easy, especially for us Heroes when we could be paired up with just about anyone," Cementoss said, "You possess quite a unique power, but you need to keep in mind that we are here to help people feel safe. With your keen intellect and fighting spirit, I know you will discover your balance."

"Thank you for your advice, Sensei."