After weeks of grueling catch-up sessions with Aizawa and the U.A. crew - plus Mineta's online tutoring gig - finals day finally hit.
Class 1-A piled into the main room, tension thick as hell. Whispers and nervous chatter buzzed everywhere - some kids grinned like they'd won the lottery, others shook like they were about to face a firing squad. For me, it felt like doomsday, especially with my gut still stabbing me every time I pushed too hard.
"You all ready?" Aizawa loomed at the podium, voice flat but eyes sharp as knives - like he'd wrap you up and smack you down if you blinked wrong.
The class shouted "Ready!" in unison, but I'd bet half were praying the test stuck to what we'd drilled. Mineta, the least confident brainiac, sat next to me, pale as a ghost, hands trembling like he'd seen a poltergeist.
"You're this freaked now, so how're you gonna handle practicals?" I muttered.
"I don't wanna do that damn practicals!" he whined, clutching his head. "Heard it's all monsters - how do we even pass?"
"Then try. Fail, and you're out. Simple," I shrugged.
He glared like he wanted to deck me, but I didn't give a shit. This test was my chance to see if Mineta's tutoring paid off - and if me and Himiko could hack it in this world.
Aizawa tapped the desk, voice dropping low. "Today's split in two. Morning: three-hour written theory. Afternoon: combat practical. This isn't a game, so give it everything."
The room went dead quiet, save for Kaminari's faint "We're screwed…" somewhere in the back.
Me and Himiko had been yanked early before everything started for 15 mins - as she had not a full U.A student yet, and i'm also on "special watch" too.
They hauled us to some secret corner of the school for a private test. Nezu waited there, his white-rat grin screaming, "You two ready to start?"
"Onodera-kun, Toga-chan," he chirped, polite but loaded. "You'll take your theory here. Your questions are a bit… special. Do your best."
That's when I realized all our prep was fucked.
"Son of a bitch…"
Nezu handed us the test gear, and I flipped open the paper, instantly knowing this wasn't some walk in the park.
One bolded question stared back: "In a world where the ends justify the means, is it acceptable for a hero to commit unethical or illegal acts if they lead to a greater good? Discuss with specific examples."
No multiple choice, no A-B-C-D bullshit - just a single, sprawling, vague-as-hell essay prompt that made me wanna chuck the pen and quit. The room felt suffocating, just the clock ticking and our sighs. Himiko sat ten meters off, tapping her pen, golden eyes flickering with frustration - same vibe as me.
"Ryuu-chan, this is hard as fuck," she hissed, voice dripping annoyance.
"Yeah, no shit," I muttered, eyes glued to the page. "Just write. I'm going full random bullshit mode."
I took a deep breath, wrestling my scrambled thoughts into line. This wasn't just about knowledge - it dug into your morals, your core, how you saw this messed-up world.
Me screwing with the original plot - dragging Himiko to my side, offing Stain - felt like it'd all get cracked open depending on my answer. Not thrilled, but I had to churn out something. I scribbled a quick stance:
"In some cases, unethical or illegal acts are necessary for a greater good. For instance, if a hero kills a dangerous threat or sacrifices one innocent to save thousands, it's justifiable by maximizing benefit. But crossing moral lines costs honor and trust - you can't minimize accountability with excuses about outcomes. For me, if there's no other way, I'd do it, but own the fallout…"
The more I thought, the smoother it flowed - pen racing, head buzzing from sleep debt and stress. Himiko lagged, chewing her pen, face scrunched like she was wrestling her soul. I peeked - her page was a novel, probably some anti-hero take, all "ends justify anything."
Three hours dragged like three damn years before it ended.
Nezu collected our papers, scanning them with a faint smile. "Well done. No right or wrong here - just a window into who you are." Me and Himiko swapped a look, silent, both knowing that "window" wasn't simple.
...
1-A's practicals went first. We waited nearly an hour in a cramped break room near the training grounds, air thick enough to choke on. I sat still, tapping the table, clock-watching, while Himiko twirled her dagger, golden eyes restless. The class's yells and crashes faded into an eerie hush. I just hoped shit stayed on script - I hadn't messed with their test, so we had no edge.
After an eternity, our turn hit. A teacher led us into an artificial forest deep in U.A.'s grounds - combat central. Towering trees, dense leaves blocking light, faint glows speckling the wet dirt. The air reeked of soil, rot, and mist - clinging like a warning. Shitty terrain for a fight - roots everywhere, slick ground, half-blind visibility. I glanced at Himiko; she frowned, gripping her knife, feeling the same death-trap vibe.
But the real chill? Aizawa. He stood in a small clearing, scarf floating like a primed snake, eyes icy and blank - like we were dumb prey in his web. I swallowed hard, sweat beading.
"Rules are simple," he said, voice low and chilling. "Ten minutes to subdue me or escape this zone. I catch you, or time's up with nothing done, you both fail."
I shot Himiko a look. She grinned, wicked and wild, spinning her knife like she was itching for blood. "What's the plan, Ryu-kun?"
"Run," I said, flat and cold, brain spinning. "I'll stall so you can bolt. He can only erase one Quirk at a time. If one of us gets out, we don't both tank. Or you mess with him with me - your call."
She nodded, no questions, eyes gleaming like I'd cut her leash. I knew she got it - no time for chatter.
The whistle blew. I charged Aizawa like an arrow, Quirk firing up, changed my arms turning to tungsten. But he was faster - his red eyes flared, and my power vanished, sucked dry. His scarf whipped out, lightning-quick, aiming for my legs.
I dodged, rolling aside, mud splattering my face, but he didn't let up. The scarf lashed again, slicing the air, forcing me back - my foot slipped on a root, nearly eating dirt.
Himiko hung back, melting into the trees, stalking like a predator. Then, she burst out, not as herself. She morphed into me - a second "Ryuga," identical down to the torn shirt.
Aizawa paused for a sec, his eyes narrowing like analyzing something...
"Perfect - two of me could throw him off..."
Nope. He pivoted to her, not even triggering his Quirk yet. She swung her knife, a bayonet flashing in her other hand, but he dodged like a ghost, using the slick ground to slide back, then yanked himself airborne with his scarf on a branch - untouchable.
I rushed in, throwing a bare-fisted punch, but he spun mid-air, scarf snapping back, slamming my shoulder. I hit the ground hard, mud stinking up my nose, head reeling.
Seven minutes in, I was fading - sweat soaking me, breaths ragged, old wound screaming in my gut, teeth clenched. Himiko panted but danced like a feral cat, dodging, watching, covering me as she saw I was off. Aizawa? A damn machine - his scarf like appeared everywhere, boxing us in. Subduing him was a pipe dream, and escaping was worse. He gave us no air.
At minute eight, I went all-in, charging to clear Himiko's path. Aizawa read it - scarf snagged my leg, yanking me down. My face ate wet grass, dirt clogging my mouth, gagging me. He moved to lock me, eyes blazing red like it was over.
Then Himiko yelled, "Ryu-kun, I've got this!"
She barreled at him, still as "Ryuga," forcing his focus. His eyes flashed again - her Quirk died mid-step. The fake "Ryuga" melted, clothes dissolving into sludge, splattering down. Back to herself, stark naked, she kept charging - only to get flung aside.
The air froze. Aizawa blinked, stunned, like he hadn't seen that coming.
I locked up, brain short-circuiting. But instinct screamed like this is the last shot. While he faltered, I grit my teeth, turned nearby rocks to fine sand, hands shaking, then forced it into caustic lime powder - blinding, burning shit. With a yell, I hurled it at his face. He grunted, clutching his eyes, dropping to a knee, scarf limp.
"Now, Himiko!" I roared, staggering to her.
She snatched my jacket from nearby, wrapping it loose, blushing but grinning. "Ryu-kun, hurry!"
I circled Aizawa as he reeled, locking his arms in a chokehold - fast, brutal. He thrashed weakly; I held him tight, gasping like I'd collapse in order for Himiko to put the handcuffs on him in time. The whistle blew at ten minutes sharp, shattering the tension.
"Time's up," Aizawa rasped, eyes shut tight from the lime. "All of you are passed."
I let go, crashing to the ground, chest heaving like it'd burst. Wet dirt soaked my back, cold as hell, but I was too wrecked to care. Himiko knelt beside me, jacket slipping, hair matted with sweat, golden eyes blazing. The forest went still - just rustling leaves and our labored breaths.
Aizawa stood, brushing off, shooting us a hard-to-read look, wincing from the sting.
"Good teamwork," he said, low and grudging, grabbing eye drops. "But next time, skip these dirty tricks. They won't always save all of you. And you near blinded me, Ryuga..."
I nodded vaguely, too fried to reply, head spinning from the fight. Himiko giggled, flopping onto the grass with me. "Darling, we did it!"
"Yeah," I panted, clutching my gut, fighting the pain. "But I swear I'm never fighting him again."
She laughed louder, grabbing my hand, squeezing it soft. I looked at her, then at Aizawa limping off, thinking we'd dodged a bullet by the skin of our teeth.