Kirishima’s attacks were nothing short of catastrophic.
His fists struck with the force of battleship cannons, capable of punching through several dozen centimeters of solid steel, and his kicks carried over three times that raw power.
Yet that did not mean he could pulverize enormous blocks of cement weighing multiple tons and still reach the person hiding behind them.
In reality, while Kirishima’s blows relentlessly shattered the slow, weighty waves of cement, Cementoss himself remained completely unscathed.
"Hah, this is going to be tough. If I can’t go upward, I’m forced to break straight ahead..."
As he continued demolishing the relentless tide of concrete, Kirishima pondered the situation.
It appeared that Sato was facing a similar predicament—only on a different scale.
Though he hadn’t been given a detailed explanation of his Quirk, it was clear that a war of attrition like this wouldn’t yield results.
If the same pattern persisted, someone would inevitably tire first or, at best, the situation would grind to a stalemate.
Lost in his thoughts, Kirishima noticed that Sato was already nearing his limit.
"I'm so sleepy... I'm getting drowsy..."
"Hmm."
Fixing his gaze on the suddenly depleted Sato, Kirishima mused for a moment before saying, "Sato, you can land safely even if you fall from a height, right?"
"Huh? What? Oh, landing? Yeah, I think so."
"Really? Then we're set."
With a grin at Sato’s response, Kirishima began channeling the raw power of his Quirk throughout his body.
His mastery over his ability allowed him to compartmentalize its functions, fine-tuning the distribution of energy at will.
Under normal circumstances, he maintained roughly 40% for reinforcing his skin, bones, and muscles, 40% for sheer physical strength, and 20% for his sensory perception.
Though altering the composition of his muscles and bones naturally bolstered his strength, this rough estimate captured the idea.
In the present moment, however, he needed neither the extensive sensitivity nor to worry about the impact; the real threat lay in the relentless mass of cement.
Adjusting his energy allocation, he focused on maximizing his athletic prowess.
He dialed back his Hardening to just enough to protect himself, channeling more of his sensory energy into enhancing his bodily prowess.
In an instant, with nearly double his usual reserves at his disposal, his speed and strength surged explosively.
Without hesitating, he unleashed his most powerful strike straight ahead.
His front leg dug about a hand’s length into the ground to anchor himself against the immense force.
Meanwhile, his back knee bent upward to waist height.
As his right arm swung downward, the previously folded knee shot forward in a flawless extension.
The moment his all-metal boot tore through the thin layer of air and collided with the immense mass of cement, a veritable storm was unleashed.
A shockwave of force erupted, shattering the cement and thrusting forward with unstoppable momentum.
Cementoss scrambled, summoning every shred of composure he had left to erect a barrier in front of him.
It was as if an entire mountain of concrete had risen, yet Kirishima’s assault advanced like the mythical pickaxe of a determined laborer, demolishing everything in its path.
Finally, when the last barrier had been breached, Cementoss braced himself for the anticipated impact by covering his face with his arms—but only a soft, teasing breeze met him.
In that fleeting moment, as his senses slowly returned, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air.
"Aaaaah! Kirishimaaa! I said I could land—I never said you could throw me!"
"Hmm. Isn’t that essentially the same thing?"
Sato was hurtling above Cementoss’s head.
Startled by the sudden shift when Kirishima grabbed him by the neck, assuring him not to worry before flinging him toward the exit, Sato thrashed wildly in panic.
Yet, as befits an elite student admitted to U.A., he quickly regained his posture and braced for a controlled landing.
In the end, he managed to reach the exit without any further interference.
Cementoss watched, dumbfounded, alternating his gaze between Sato and Kirishima.
With a thumbs-up and a mischievous smile, Kirishima teased, "You told me I shouldn’t go up—you didn’t say anything about you!"
"No, but I never expected you’d actually throw him..."
"Hahaha. If Sato can land and I can toss him, why not take advantage? I wasn’t about to risk getting buried in cement myself, so I made sure to pin the teacher down first with one powerful blow."
"Hah. Impressive. Anyway, you both followed the rules, so you pass."
Cementoss relayed their successful completion of the mission over the radio clipped to his ear.
They were the fastest pair to finish the exam.
Meanwhile, Midoriya and Bakugo were having their own struggles.
Even when restrained by gear that weighed down half his body, All Might was still, undoubtedly, All Might.
The difference between someone dropping from ten to five and another from ten thousand to five thousand was astronomical.
The latter faced a much steeper absolute loss—and yet, even post-reduction, his power exceeded the former’s by a staggering 4,995 points.
To Midoriya and Bakugo, facing All Might felt like being a wandering nomad caught in a ferocious typhoon, with no safe haven in sight.
"Aaah! Kacchan, let’s just run!"
"Shut up! If you want to run, then run yourself, Deku! Gah!"
Their heated argument, which had persisted since the exam began, showed no signs of abating.
In the end, with [Full Cowl] activated, Midoriya managed to slip away just as Bakugo took a heavy blow to the stomach and coughed up bile.
He gritted his teeth.
He hadn’t wanted to face All Might in battle.
Yet he also couldn’t bear to watch Bakugo be overpowered so helplessly.
Their relationship during childhood had been less than ideal, and as they grew older, Midoriya had harbored feelings of inferiority.
And now...
"You’re really wasting your potential. You know you can grow so much more—but it isn’t just about power."
"All Might, I think you’ve got it wrong."
Bakugo smirked as he eyed All Might, who was raising his fist for a final blow.
"Deku may be clueless, slow, and not exactly strong, but he would never abandon a comrade."
He let go of the tension in his legs that had been keeping him upright.
As his body tilted forward and began to fall, Midoriya, who had silently rushed over, caught him.
Positioning himself to maximize the distance from All Might, Midoriya glanced at Bakugo, who was still clenching his right hand, and reflected that despite Bakugo’s notorious temper and ceaseless talk of victory, he would always be a teammate.
"Got it, Kacchan. I was wrong."
"Took you long enough, idiot."
The two exchanged a few terse words that, even if they made little sense, conveyed a mutual understanding.
Even as Bakugo spoke, he kept his left hand clenching and unclenching, trying to absorb as much sweat as possible into the gauntlet on his arm.
With a glare that suggested he might devour someone whole, he said, "I’m only going to say this once, idiot. We couldn’t even escape Kirishima, so how on earth do you think we can run from All Might? In the end, there’s no way to avoid the fight."
"Yeah. Sorry. Honestly, I didn’t want to fight All Might either."
"We don’t have time for your sentimental confessions—save them until after the exam. What matters is that we can’t avoid the fight, so we have to decide on a plan. That damn giant has been going on about it forever."
"Frankly, I don’t think we’re in a position to win this fight, but we still need to do something."
"We already learned that a half-hearted effort won’t move him an inch. Our only chance is to hit him with our maximum attack at point-blank range."
With that, Bakugo detached the gauntlet from his left arm and handed it to Midoriya.
Midoriya received it with a determined expression and slotted it on.
Their eyes met for a moment before Bakugo broke away into a side alley.
Midoriya continued running a bit further until he found a hiding spot.
Soon enough, All Might appeared, pursuing the pair.
Holding his breath, Bakugo waited for All Might to pass. At last, the moment he’d been anticipating arrived.
When the towering, muscular figure came into view, Bakugo bellowed and charged forward.
"What are you staring at?!"
All Might turned his head.
Simultaneously, a fist shot out in an attempt to intercept Bakugo.
Having anticipated this from the start, Bakugo altered his trajectory midair with a pre-triggered explosion from his hand, barely evading the incoming blow as he shouted, "Deku!"
In that split second, Midoriya emerged from his cover behind All Might’s back.
"I’m sorry, All Might!"
The explosive surge, charged to its maximum and directed with the help of the gauntlet, blasted forward with unerring precision.
All Might glanced over his shoulder and murmured, "I see."
Taking advantage of the brief moment when the expansive explosion obscured them, Midoriya and Bakugo sprinted toward the exit.
Midoriya, rubbing his stiff shoulder in quiet admiration, marveled that Bakugo—even without enhancements—could deploy a technique that left his own shoulder aching under [Full Cowl].
Trained by Kirishima since childhood, Bakugo’s physique was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Pushed backward by the blast, All Might scanned the direction the duo had taken—now with no tail in sight—and remarked, "Ouch... That got me. A compromise between escape and combat. Not bad for an impromptu move. I even managed to reduce collateral damage by utilizing a trajectory I had already demolished. It was worth pointing out during the first training."
Rising through the smoke and dust, he reflected, “They were both smart kids at heart. I expected them to fall apart the moment they met, but when faced with an enemy too powerful to handle alone, even reluctant partners can combine forces. It may not be a bond as deep as that of blood brothers, but at the very least they can become allies when necessary.”
Almost as if on cue, Kirishima’s face flashed through All Might’s mind.
He now understood why the two worked together so seamlessly.
No doubt, they had clashed with Kirishima two-on-one more times than once.
And they must have learned a valuable lesson:
If you can’t win alone, then regardless of personal differences, you have to fight as one.
They might not be as close as brothers, but they knew when the situation demanded it, unity was essential.
"Though they’re still raw, it seems the Kirishima kid held back more than expected. I'm not in prime shape either, but..."
"Alright then, time for this teacher to step up!"
Even as they sprinted with their hearts pounding, Midoriya and Bakugo remained ever vigilant.
After all, how could someone who had reigned unchallenged as number one for decades be brought down so easily?
That very attack had failed to faze Kirishima.
"Deku, All Might is bound to come after us again."
"Yeah, for sure."
"If he returns, you sprint for the exit while I hold him off."
"Yeah. Huh? What did you say?"
"Did you get a drill shoved in your ear or something? I said run while I keep him busy!"
"Eh? What are you blabbering about all of a sudden?"
"Damn it—I hate admitting it, but there’s no way we can beat All Might right now. This exam counts escape as a pass, which means you’re better suited to run, given your explosive burst speed. Besides, my explosions are far more effective at disrupting his senses."
"Hmm..."
Midoriya murmured softly, acknowledging that not a single word Bakugo had uttered was wrong.
He turned to Bakugo, when suddenly, All Might’s booming voice came from behind them.
"All right. Let’s do that."
"Do what? What are you planning?"
Startled by All Might’s abrupt interjection, the two jerked apart in opposite directions.
"Deku!"
"Yeah!"
Without hesitation, Bakugo unleashed an explosion from his palm to block All Might’s approach.
Entrusting the move to Bakugo, Midoriya detonated the full force of his leg power and charged forward.
Just as if following a meticulously rehearsed plan, their actions meshed together flawlessly—efficient, like interlocking gears.
If only their opponent had been someone else...
"Hmph! I used to think Midoriya and Bakugo couldn’t possibly get along, but watching them now, their coordination is razor-sharp!"
At the sound of All Might’s voice, Midoriya instinctively glanced behind him.
There, Bakugo was already subdued, pinned under All Might’s imposing foot.
Gritting his teeth, Bakugo came to a stark realization.
'Overwhelming speed! Pure, unadulterated power—simple, unyielding strength in durability and force! This is the true mark of a number one hero.'
He stamped his foot lightly, only to find himself inadvertently blocking Midoriya’s path.
"It’s over, Midoriya."
"Shut up!"
As the pressure on his back suddenly dissipated, Bakugo immediately triggered another explosion from his palm.
Exhausted to the point of barely holding himself together, he still managed to force his body into motion as long as his palms could generate blasts.
Emerging behind All Might, Bakugo's explosive surge shattered the ground beneath.
As both Midoriya and All Might teetered on the unstable footing, Bakugo suddenly grabbed Midoriya by the nape of his neck.
"I don't like it any more than you do, but given our current gap in power, this is the only way—die!"
"Die?!"
With a ferocious burst, Bakugo hurled Midoriya forward, watching with a pounding heart as he soared through the air.
At that moment, All Might, still suspended in mid-air, had at least one or two seconds before landing.
That should be enough time for Midoriya to somehow reach the exit, or so he thought.
But he had greatly underestimated the veteran hero.
All Might launched a punch into the air, using the air pressure’s rebound to catapult himself toward Midoriya.
Midoriya crashed into a massive, unyielding hip and was sent bouncing across the ground, rolling several times.
Ever the tactician, Bakugo anticipated even this and thrust his palm toward All Might, who still hovered in the air.
"The gauntlet is meant for discharging maximum firepower without risk. I was the idiot—I never expected to beat you without taking any risks."
Then, a massive explosion swept through the space, sealing their fate.
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