Chapter 260: Kai Saito & Momo Yaoyorozu, practical exam (Part 1)

--Friday, July 3, 2172

“How will our exam be? Principal Nezu said it would be different from the others.”

As they passed through the entrance of the training field where their exam would take place, Momo spoke with a voice full of curiosity, clinging to Kai’s arm while looking around. The training field resembled an advanced metropolis, filled with towering buildings, massive highways, and even moving trains.

“Who knows? From what I know about Nezu, he’ll come up with something really twisted and designed to make us fail.” Kai replied in a calm tone, extending his Observation Haki to ‘sense’ the surroundings.

…

At the same time, in the observation room, the students watched as the teachers entered one by one, standing silently at the back, making them feel somewhat uneasy. At that moment, Nezu calmly walked into the room and approached the control table, where a microphone was placed. He began speaking in a cheerful voice.

“Kai-kun, Yaoyorozu-kun, as was previously mentioned, considering your skill levels, your exam will be a bit different from the rest. In the training field where you are currently located, there are 100 mannequins hidden in various places. Those mannequins are helpless civilians that you must rescue in under 30 minutes!

“Each rescued mannequin counts as 1 point, and to pass the exam, you need at least 60 points. But there’s something very important about these mannequins that you cannot overlook! Each mannequin is equipped with different pressure sensors that, if triggered, will mark them as ‘dead,’ and they will no longer count toward being rescued.

“Therefore, you must move quickly to find and rescue the mannequins under the relentless pursuit of All Might and Ectoplasm, who will attempt to activate the mannequins’ sensors! This exam will not only test your strength or speed; it will be a comprehensive evaluation of your adaptability and teamwork skills!”

Upon hearing the exam format, the students turned to look at the principal in disbelief. No matter how they looked at it, even though Kai was a monster and Momo wasn’t far behind, this exam seemed impossible to pass. After all, it would only take a couple of blows from All Might to shatter the city and the mannequins within it. Especially since he wasn’t holding back with compressed weights.

But ignoring their expressions, Principal Nezu raised one of his paws and commented in a cute voice filled with genuine excitement.

“No need for further explanation; it’s time for the exam to begin!”

[Kai Saito & Momo Yaoyorozu, practical exam… Ready, go!]

With Nezu’s order, the robotic voice announced calmly, and all the students glued their eyes to the screens, not wanting to miss a single second of how the pair would face such an irrational and unfair exam.

…

“Just as you said… Principal Nezu is really twisted…”

Releasing Kai’s arm, Momo commented in a calm voice while moving her right hand to her belt pouch. Kai nodded casually and stretched a little while speaking in a relaxed tone.

“To pass this, we’ll have to play a bit dirty, so I’ll be counting on you.”

“Leave it to me.” Momo nodded with a smile, then took out a small vial from her belt and downed it in one gulp.

“Hahaha, today you won’t save anyone, heroes! Texas Smash!!!”

At the same time, a powerful laugh echoed from the air, making Kai smile as he looked up to the sky, where he could see All Might preparing to throw a punch. As red armor emerged from Momo’s back and legs, fitting itself to her, the air trembled around Kai. Soon, the blue-eyed young man unleashed a brutal punch into the air at the same time as the Symbol of Peace.

The punches from the pair of human monsters caused two unstoppable air cannons to shoot forward, colliding mid-air. At the moment of impact, the air compressed at the center, creating a brutal shockwave that spread outward, sending debris flying, while a thick circular layer of vapor formed in the middle, blocking any visibility.

But in that instant, the expanding sphere of vapor was torn apart, revealing for a moment a white sphere sliced by four claws. Simultaneously, a ferocious feline roar vibrated through the air, and a giant panther surrounded by thick electric arcs collided with the Symbol of Peace like a spear, forcing him to ascend higher into the sky.

Meanwhile, in the observation room, the teachers widened their eyes in disbelief, realizing that the figures of the young pair could no longer be seen on the ground. As the screens switched rapidly, trying to focus on the duo, they soon managed to locate them and showed everyone present what they were doing.

Momo was flying close to the ground at an impressive speed, with the back of her armor open, releasing triangular drones several times faster than anyone had ever seen before. At that moment, Mina couldn’t hold back her curiosity and turned to look at Midnight, who was watching the screen with a small smile, and asked.

“Midnight… what did Yao-Momo take at the start?”

“According to Kai and Keiko, it’s a super-saturated nutritional solution that gives Momo everything she needs to use her Quirk to create more things than she normally could without harming her body. In short, it’s like fuel for her.” Nemuri replied calmly, then pointed at the screen displaying Momo and added.

“Just look, under normal circumstances, Momo couldn’t create so many drones in such a short time.”

Following Nemuri’s finger, Mina looked at the screen, where she could see Momo’s drones reaching the astonishing number of 30, moving at high speed to enter buildings. At that moment, Kaminari pointed at a screen that was switching images rapidly, barely managing to show blurred fragments of the swift Kai, and asked curiously.

“Where’s Saito going…?”

“To do nothing good, judging by the smile on his face…”

Nemuri commented, trying to hide the amusement and excitement that her beloved’s mischievous grin brought her. At that moment, Nezu, who was seated next to Recovery Girl, commented in a calm voice while bringing a freshly served cup of tea to his lips.

“He’s heading straight for Ectoplasm. Could it be that he wants to take him out of combat to focus on All Might…?”

“Sounds like something he’d do…”

Todoroki commented in a low voice while watching the screen, to which other students nodded. But Nemuri could only shake her head with a smile, as she knew her beloved perfectly and highly doubted he’d be that ‘straightforward.’

…

As he moved at high speed with massive shockwaves exploding in the sky, Kai soon reached a tall building, at which point he jumped, crashing through a broken window on the 10th floor. Inside the building, Ectoplasm, who was looking out the opposite window at the sky with surprise on his face, turned hastily while opening his mouth to release ectoplasm and create clones.

But even before the clones could fully form, they were sliced to pieces by the blue-eyed young man, who reached him in the blink of an eye, holding a sharp military knife. Without giving him even a moment to breathe, Ectoplasm saw the young man’s expression turn ruthless, and with the fluidity of a dance, he used his knife to stab him mercilessly.

Perhaps due to adrenaline, Ectoplasm couldn’t feel pain and could only watch as the young man’s blood-covered knife danced, stabbing his legs and shoulders multiple times. Immediately after, Ectoplasm was pushed against the wall by the young man’s forearm, pinning him by the neck. Kai held the bloodied knife right in front of the hero’s aorta in his neck and spoke in a deep, dark voice.

“If you move, I’ll kill you. If you move a clone, I’ll kill you. If you make a sound, I’ll kill you. If you understand, nod your head upward very slowly.”

Along with the young man’s words, Ectoplasm could feel a ‘bloodlust’ so terrifying that it felt like a physical pressure on his body. Combined with his immobilized limbs, it made him realize this was no joke. Especially with the empty, cold eyes staring at him. The kid was dead serious about killing him, and with his speed, no one might be able to rescue him in time if he didn’t comply.

Feeling his life genuinely in danger, Ectoplasm slowly nodded his head upward, hoping to buy enough time for the other heroes to save him. This was no longer an exam; they literally had a genuine assassin who had infiltrated their institution. For his part, Kai, seeing the hero nod, spoke while increasing the intimidating power of his Conqueror’s Haki.

“I can sense everything happening around me, so no matter what your clones do, I’ll know. And I don’t like ‘smartasses.’ If you understand, lower your head very slowly.”

Once again, Ectoplasm lowered his head slowly, feeling his life hanging by a thread, only to meet those murderous eyes staring straight into his. With a cold, emotionless voice, Kai ordered the hero, who looked at him with solemnity and fear hidden behind his mask.

“Now you’re going to use your clones to go to every location I tell you and carefully retrieve the mannequins from there. If even one of your clones deviates by just a meter from the location I give you or damages the mannequins, UA will have one less teacher.”

…

“…”

In the observation room, the students and teachers looked at each other in silence, at which point the clear sound of a facepalm echoed through the quiet room. Turning toward the sound, everyone present could see Nemuri slapping her forehead helplessly, just as the wicked laughter of the principal resounded everywhere.

“I estimated several possible scenarios, but this is definitely the most creative one, Kai-kun! I like your style, hahaha!”

“Principal, we must stop him! Ectoplasm is in danger!”

Cementoss quickly exclaimed with a serious expression, clearly remembering the first time he saw the blue-eyed young man during the entrance exams and the bad feeling he got. At that moment, the calm Aizawa commented in his typical tired tone.

“Though morally questionable, it’s all an act. Saito only hit key pressure points to temporarily immobilize Ectoplasm with the handle of his knife. The blood is fake, most likely something created by Yaoyorozu, and his goal is obvious: to use Ectoplasm’s clones to pass the exam quickly.”

Hearing Aizawa, the students and some teachers focused on Kai, who was giving precise instructions with a cold expression to Ectoplasm. At that moment, one of the screens zoomed in on one of Ectoplasm’s ‘wounds,’ where, indeed, there was nothing but a red smear with no real injury. The costume was in perfect condition.

“A rather unorthodox method, though quite effective, it seems…” Power Loader commented while watching Ectoplasm’s clones carry the mannequins toward the exit, where Momo’s drones could be seen extracting mannequins in groups.

“More like unheroic. That’s something a villain would do, not a hero.” Present Mic retorted with visible distaste, at which point the principal commented, genuinely amused.

“Not everyone can be perfect symbols of peace like All Might. This country also needs heroes willing to do what’s necessary without the glory and fame of a conventional hero, don’t you think, Aizawa?”

“Certainly. There are situations where, to save as many innocent civilians as possible, it’s necessary to play every card on the table, even if they seem less ‘heroic.’”

Hearing Aizawa, Present Mic fell silent while several students began to reflect deeply. But soon, everyone’s attention returned to the screens as the situation changed completely.

…

While tracking the movements of Ectoplasm’s 30 clones with his Haki and staring directly into the hero’s eyes, Kai suddenly looked up and smiled calmly. As Ectoplasm looked at the terrifying young man in front of him with confusion, Kai commented in a relaxed voice.

“Well, it seems All Might is getting serious… I guess you’re no longer useful.”

Hearing the young man, Ectoplasm widened his eyes in surprise and quickly tried to break free, but before he could, his mind went completely blank, and he soon fell unconscious. For his part, Kai took a pair of handcuffs he had been given before the exam started and restrained the hero, then stood up and looked into the distance at a dark figure falling from the sky at high speed.

“At least we managed to get a little over half, so Momo should be able to retrieve the rest while I entertain that frustrated actor, haha.”

As several buildings collapsed from the impact of the figure that fell from the sky, and the ground shook violently, Kai commented to himself with some amusement. He then kicked the ground and disappeared from the spot with a powerful gust of wind.

***

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