(A/N: Raiden had been away from the U.A for almost all the semester, so he now went back just to the last weeks)
Raiden let out a breath as his transformation faded, He shifted back to his human form. And walked close to Mirio and sat beside him, stretching his sore arms.
Over the past few months, Raiden had changed quite a bit. His gray hair had grown longer, now reaching just below his ears, with the purple tips brushing against his shoulders.
His jawline had become a little more defined, and the boyish roundness of his face was slowly fading. He had also grown taller—not dramatically, but enough that the difference from the start of the year was noticeable.
Mirio chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Hahaha, not as much as you'd think! I'm stronger yes, but not thaaat much. Lately, we've been practicing special moves, but I couldn't find the right moment to use them properly. They're a bit too dangerous for a spar."
Raiden's curiosity was immediately piqued. "Too dangerous, huh?" he mused, making a mental note to ask more about it later.
As the two of them stood up and stepped out of the arena, other students eagerly took their place, eager to test their skills.
Raiden and Tamaki watched more focused than the rest, quickly realizing just how much their classmates had improved.
Nejire, for example, was like a battle maiden.
She could now form a refined armor of energy around her body, all of it swirling in intricate spirals.
But that wasn't all—she had developed new techniques, shaping her energy into weapons like chakrams, which she hurled and even managed from the distance. Her blasts were faster and packed even more power than before.
Hana, the shy small girl, had also taken a huge leap forward—literally. Her leap in power was one of the highest in the class if the people considered where she started. She now could sustain a close combat fight but the more noticeable change was in her petals. Before, she could only summon a handful; now, she could generate at least 100, moving them independently like a razor-sharp storm circling her.
She now was extremely dangerous.
Taro had refined his control over his webs. They were stronger, more flexible, and he maneuvered through them with incredible agility. He could now produce an absurd amount with ease, weaving intricate traps and attacking in ways that seemed second nature to him.
Rei had developed a new and terrifying skill. He could create mini-earthquakes beneath his feet, sending shockwaves through the ground that kicked up chunks of dirt or split the terrain with small rifts.
Raiden was sure that if Rei landed a close-range hit with that level of power, it would be game over for most opponents.
And then there was Yuyu. Her electric arrows were no longer just fast—they were blazing. they now leave scorchs in the ground, they were also bigger, stronger, and charged with an even deadlier voltage.
But what stood out the most was how she used them. She no longer just fired them from a distance; now, she wielded them as spears in close combat while simultaneously throwing them with pinpoint accuracy.
Finally, there were the Naoka brothers. They had made remarkable progress as well. Before, they could only transform their arms into weapons, but now, they could shift their entire limbs.
On top of that, they had developed the ability to reinforce the rest of their bodies into a metal-like state, drastically increasing both their strength and durability.
Even Class 1-B had shown impressive growth. Among them, Chopper stood out the most. He had reached a level that placed him among the top fighters in Class 1-A, making it difficult to determine who truly held the upper hand.
Over the past two and a half months, everyone had pushed their limits, refining their abilities and honing their skills. Some had progressed more than others, but the overall strength and motivation of the group had never been higher.
Raiden crossed his arms, observing his classmates. 'Everyone's growing stronger, he thought. This second semester how much we will grow?.' thought the boy.
After a day of intense sparring and a lively welcoming party, it was time to return to what remained of the semester before the short winter break.
The only thing standing between the students and their well-earned rest was the final exams. Surprisingly, the written portion wasn't too difficult.
Subjects like math, history, and the rest of the standard curriculum were fairly straightforward.
Since U.A. Academy didn't place as much emphasis on traditional academics, most students found these tests manageable.
The real challenge came with the hero procedure exam. Some of the questions were unexpectedly tough, especially for Raiden and Tamaki. Over the past few months, they had witnessed their mentors—and even themselves—use methods far more pragmatic and, at times, ruthless than the structured protocols described in U.A.'s textbooks.
The stark contrast made certain questions frustrating, forcing them to reconcile the idealized hero work taught in school with the harsh reality they had experienced firsthand. Still, despite the lingering discomfort, they both passed with flying colors.
The final test was the practical exam—the one everyone had been anticipating. The teachers decided that students would work in pairs, matching them based on their overall combat strength. This way, each duo would be evenly balanced, ensuring that no one completely outshined their partner.
It was the perfect setup for the instructors to fairly assess individual abilities.
To reach the testing grounds, the students boarded one of U.A.'s buses.
Their destination was the academy's largest training facility—an enormous structure designed for combat practice across multiple environments. Inside, it contained a variety of landscapes: a sprawling cityscape filled with towering buildings, dense forests, rugged mountain terrain, and even a vast lake with a yacht floating in its center.
Once inside the control room, which offered a clear view of each environment, the students gathered in silence, taking in the sheer scale of the facility.
Then, Suddenly, their teacher, Snipe, stepped forward and finally spoke.
"Today's final exam is simple," Snipe began, with a calm voice.
"Your task is to fight against a pro hero and arrest them, so you will be fighting against of one of the U.A teachers" Snipe's words made the kids look at each other, it was obvious, they knew how strong the teachers were.
"However, if for some reason the fight proves impossible for you, your alternative is to run and escape through one of the designated exit points at the far end of the designed area. This is a test we conduct every year. Failing to capture the hero won't mean automatic failure—you'll be graded on your overall reaction and decision-making in the given situation." Snipe continued.
As Snipe finished his explanation, Taro hesitantly raised his hand. "Sir, but... I don't think we had much chances against a pro hero from the U.A. Doesn't that make this test basically just about running away?"
Snipe let out a thoughtful hum before answering. "That would be true under normal circumstances. However, to level the playing field, the pro heroes will be carrying extra weight. At a minimum, they'll be wearing the equivalent of their own body weight to slow their movements. Those with quirks that significantly enhance their physical strength or speed will be carrying even more."
To demonstrate, he lifted his arm, revealing several thick metal bracelets wrapped around his wrist. "For example, I'm carrying an additional 344 kilograms of metal. This weight will slow me down considerably. So yes, if you play your cards right, you can arrest me."
A murmur of disbelief rippled through the students. While some of them were more of capable of lifting 300 kilograms or more in sheer weight with ease, but it was an entirely different challenge to wear it as part of their gear and move efficiently in combat.
One thing was lifting the weight in a deadweight and another different matter moving around with it.
Without further elaboration, Snipe waved his hand, and the large monitors in the control room screen flickered to life.
Names began to rapidly shuffle on the screen, spinning like a lottery draw. The students watched in silence until the first matchup was revealed.
Mewtwo & Nejire-Chan vs. Eraser Head.
The moment their names appeared, Raiden and Nejire exchanged a knowing glance and smiled, they had never paired up in a team before, always in the opposite sides of the equation.
Aizawa was a perfect matchup—one that would push them to their limits, capable of making their Quirks useless, leaving them without any means of fighting more than close combat.
Without hesitation, they stood and made their way toward the training field where he would be waiting.
Their battlefield was the cityscape—an environment that heavily favored Eraser Head's stealth-based combat style. Before stepping in, Raiden wasted no time and shifted into his combat form—Mewtwo.
He had no intention of being caught off guard while still confined to his human shape and being beaten up before even tryng to fight back.
Both of them moved cautiously.
They knew Aizawa was already out there, waiting, analyzing, and fully aware of their most likely points of entry. He had the advantage of preparation.
However, there was one thing he couldn't use to his advantage: flight.
Without a word, Raiden and Nejire took to the air.
Both of them soared high toward the ceiling, scanning the simulated city below for a strategic position to begin their operation.
Their eyes moved quickly across the urban landscape, searching for a location that would give them an advantage.
"There, look!" Raiden called out, pointing toward a park situated along the path to the exit.
"If we head straight there, we'll force Eraser Head to reveal himself. The park is directly on our route to victory, and it's also an open space—nothing important to break, so we can fight without holding back," he explained telepathically.
Nejire hummed in thought. "Ne, ne, are you sure? It sounds like a plan, but I think the teacher might expect that," she responded, tilting her head slightly.
Raiden smirked. "Exactly. That's why I'll go first. Even he can't disable all of my abilities at once. If he's lying in wait, he'll try to restrain me somehow. But I have more than one way to escape. Besides, we need to play to our strengths—our quirks are built for combat, not stealth, I think that part of the test too, how well we fare against a teacher."
Nejire still looked uncertain, her expression shifting slightly. "Mmm... okay, I'll follow along, but I have a bad feeling about this," she muttered, crossing her arms.
Her words sent a small wave of unease through Raiden. In his experience, when Nejire had a bad feeling, things tended to go sideways.
He was aware of the flaws in his plan, but right now, more than anything, he wanted to see how he would fare against a teacher known as one of the most ruthless.
Well... one of the most ruthless as far as the students commented.
Honestly, he never quite believed that title belonged to Aizawa. and after the internship much less. If anyone deserved that reputation, it was Kaina. She was relentless—absolutely merciless when dealing with villains.
'I wonder what she's doing now…' he thought absently.
Raiden couldn't shake the villain's words about his mentor. He claimed she was in a difficult situation, dangerously close to crossing over to the other side.
It gnawed at him but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. He would visit her later. Right now, his focus had to be here, otherwise, Erased Head was going to wipe his ass.
Without hesitation, Raiden shot forward, flying at full speed toward the park—or rather, past it.
He wasn't aiming to stop there; his real goal was to push forward and force their teacher to react.
As he moved, he activated one of his key abilities: Laser Focus.
Every movement became more precise, He was ready for any of the posible ambush of Eraser Head.
And it came the moment he passed the park.
End of the chapter.
Thank you for the power stones and the support, here is today chapter, enjoy the reading.