"Ladies and gentlemen… we got him," Monoma exclaimed.The thought floated up in Monoma's head as he lay half-crumpled in the rubble, rain drumming on broken concrete like the world was trying to clap him off-stage.His body screamed at him to stop moving forever.He didn't listen.He couldn't.
At least not yet.
His fingers twitched just enough to reach the last Quirk he'd been saving like a secret weapon: Twin Impact. The first hit had already been planted earlier. All he needed now was the second.
Monoma forced his breathing steady. Not calm—just presentable. Like he could still pretend this was all part of the plan and not a desperate crawl toward the finish line.Then he triggered it.
The second impact snapped into place somewhere in the Typhoon Zone—an invisible punchline arriving late, right when it mattered most.
All Might's head jerked.
"Agh—!" he barked, eyes widening in surprise.
It didn't hurt him. Not really. This was still All Might. You didn't "hurt" All Might; you could only annoy him, and even that took effort.
But it did one thing their previous attempts at damage never could.
It made him hesitate for a split second.A fraction of a second. A tiny pause—like the Symbol of Peace had been forced to acknowledge that yes, something did just happen to him, he was completely caught off guard.And that microscopic gap was all Shiozaki needed.She stumbled the last step forward, rain-soaked hair clinging in dark strands, her hero outfit streaked with dirt and water like proof the fight had actually happened. Her lungs sounded like they were trying to file a complaint with God. Her fingers reached—desperate, trembling—And grazed the exit.Click.
She touched it.
All Might shifted, too late to stop it, and the moment shut like a trap.
Shiozaki sagged on the spot. Her knees hit the ground as if the last remaining thread in her body had finally been cut. She pressed her hands together, trembling, eyelashes heavy with rain, eyes glossy with exhaustion and something that looked dangerously close to relief."Thank you, Lord…" she whispered, voice shaking. "For guiding us pitiful sheep…"Her breath hitched."Monoma-kun… we did it…"All Might's silhouette loomed in the rain for a heartbeat longer, then the exam's invisible rules finally did what Monoma couldn't: they stopped the fight from becoming a funeral for them.Vlad-sensei was already there, catching Shiozaki by the shoulder before she could tip forward completely, steady hands and a steady voice."Good work, Shiozaki," Vlad said, pride threaded through the attempt at neutrality. Like he was trying not to show it and failing on purpose.
Monoma wouldn't get the chance to answer. He couldn't even get the chance to pretend like he wasn't dying.Then someone grabbed Monoma, and the world turned into a blur of wet sleeves, rough concrete, and the humiliating reality of being carried like a battered trophy.Back in the monitor room, Class 1-B stared at the screen in stunned silence.Not the kind of silence where everyone was sad.The kind where everyone had just watched something that should not have worked… work anyway, and their brains hadn't caught up enough to decide how to react.Tokage's jaw hung open first.
"...Wait—seriously?! They pulled that off?!"
Kamakiri leaned forward, eyes wide, looking like he wanted to argue with reality itself. "He made All Might hesitate for a second. That's crazy."
Yanagi's voice floated out, calm and soft as always, like she was filing a report in real time. "That timing… was the difference."
Tokage blinked, then turned her head a fraction. "Yeah, thank you for the observation, ghost professor."
Pony blinked hard, the words coming out with that dramatic American-flavored emphasis she always had when she got worked up. "Geez... That was close! Way too close!"
Tetsutetsu slammed both hands on the table like the match had just ended in overtime. "HAHAHA! I KNEW IT! Monoma doesn't go down like that!"
Kendo—visibly trying to be responsible—smacked his arm. Not hard, but with enough authority to remind him that the room still had walls. "Calm down, Tetsutetsu-kun. You're going to shake the whole monitor stand.""I'M SHAKING BECAUSE I'M PROUD!" Tetsutetsu shot back, completely unhelped. "THEY WON AGAINST ALL MIGHT!"
Shoda leaned back with a satisfied grin, proud and also enjoying the fact that his Quirk had just been the deciding factor. "So that's why he wanted Twin Impact."
Kuroiro's voice drifted in from the corner, dry as ever. "That plan was… morally questionable."
"Morals aside," Kodai said quietly, "it worked."
For a beat, everyone just looked around like they were checking if they were allowed to believe it.
Then Tsuburaba spoke up, voice wavering like he was afraid he'd jinx it. "So… does that mean… we all passed?"
There was a half-second of silence.
And then the room erupted.
Cheering. Shouting. Chairs scraping. Someone yelling "LET'S GO!" loud enough that Vlad-sensei probably felt it from across the campus.
Almost immediately, the celebration turned into a stampede.
Everyone headed for the nurse's office.Elsewhere, in a bright conference room with a long U-shaped table, the teachers sat in a post-exam haze that came after watching students stress themselves into the ground.
Principal Nezu perched neatly in his chair, looking far too pleased for someone who had undoubtedly caused this.
He tilted his head toward All Might. "So, what are your thoughts?"
All Might, now out of his hero form and back in his yellow office suit, looked exhausted in the way only the Symbol of Peace could be. He rubbed the back of his neck, then glanced around at the others before settling his gaze back on Nezu.
"Umu… about Young Monoma and Young Shiozaki," he began, voice warm but serious. "The method they used was underhanded, yes."All Might continued. "But they were resourceful. They understood the gap between themselves and their opponent were to large… and they planned accordingly."He paused, then nodded once—with clear approval.
"And unlike some students who had underestimated their opponent, they showed teamwork. Multiple layers of it and adjustments made on the fly. Even I was surprised."
Nezu's smile widened by a millimeter.
"Your verdict, All Might?"
"They pass," All Might said simply, and his grin returned—bright and honest, like the rain and the weight restrictions had been a fair game after all.
The room nodded as if that was the only answer that made sense.
Nezu clasped his hands. "Then that means everyone in Class 1-B has passed. Excellent. We should begin preparations for what comes next."
As the teachers filed out, Vlad leaned back, a grin finally escaping. He didn't even try to hide it.Back in the nurse's office, Recovery Girl clicked her computer off and spun her chair toward the two beds.
Monoma and Shiozaki lay there in matching blue gowns, hair damp, their bodies wrecked, and faces wearing the blank expression of a person who'd been rinsed out and hung up to dry."Hm," Recovery Girl hummed. "Good news. All Might didn't go too hard on you two. It's mostly exhaustion."
She waved a hand like this was routine.
"With my Quirk, you'll be fine," she continued. "You might feel sore tomorrow, but knowing you kids, you'll walk it off like it's nothing."
Then she stood up and left, already done with the drama.Outside the window, the sun was starting to dip, staining the sky with a late-evening color. Somewhere far off, a crow cawed once, sharp and lonely, like it signaling the end of the day.Shiozaki sat up slowly, as if her body had to request permission first. She slid the curtain aside and stepped toward Monoma's bed, still shaky, still damp around the edges, but composed in that way she always was—like dignity had been stitched into her bones."Monoma-kun…" she said softly.Up close, the rain had left her lashes clumped slightly, her cheeks flushed from heat and exertion. The hospital gown didn't help—too thin, too plain, and hanging on her in a way that made her look like she was dying.Her hands clasped together, trembling like she was delivering a confession."We… we passed the Lord's trial," she whispered. "He'll surely forgive us for the wretched act we committed… even if it was sinful."Monoma pushed himself upright with a careful inhale, then let out a breath, trying to be casual."I wouldn't call it wretched," he said, like he was negotiating the definition. "And you're the one who escaped him. I just… contributed my usual nuisance value."Shiozaki blinked at him.Then her brows knit, the warmth in her eyes sharpening into something stubbornly sincere."No, it wasn't all me," she said, voice firmer now, cheeks faintly pink. "We did it together. Your plan worked flawlessly. And without you holding him back… I would never have reached salvation."The words came out with too much feeling, like she'd been holding them in and they finally slipped free.Monoma's smile twitched, softer at the edges than he probably intended."Yeah," he said quietly. "Good work."Shiozaki's shoulders rose with a small, unsteady breath—relief trying to escape through her ribs.And before she could overthink it, before she could let doctrine or decorum reel her back in, she stepped forward and hugged him.It was sudden. Tight. Warm.Monoma's thoughts went blank in a way that was honestly impressive. His arms hovered for a beat—caught between this is fine and this is dangerous—before he carefully settled them around her shoulders.He patted her back once, awkwardly precise, like he was afraid that doing it wrong would make the situation worse.Then, as if her body remembered personal space a second too late, she stiffened and eased back—just enough to look up at him.Her cheeks were faintly pink.Monoma's expression stayed calm.His heartbeat did not.Shiozaki's shoulders rose with a small, unsteady breath—relief trying to escape through her ribs.And then, as if her Quirk had its own opinion about emotions, a few vines shifted under the gown's neckline.One curled up along her shoulder with gentle intent, like it meant to tug the fabric higher.Instead, it caught at the wrong angle.The thin blue gown slipped just a little.Just enough to show the smooth line of her collarbone and the faint, soft curve where modesty stopped being a concept and started being a problem.Shiozaki froze.She jerked the neckline up with both hands, panicked and precise, like it was a life-or-death situation.
Then she tried to fix it properly with both hands at once, which somehow made the fabric shift again in the opposite direction, briefly outlining the shape of her breasts through the thin gown.Monoma's eyes snapped away so fast his neck complained.He picked a point on the wall and stared so hard, hoping to defuse the situation.Shiozaki's breath caught.When she looked up, her face was already red, and the glare she sent him was so offended you'd think he'd personally designed the gown.Monoma didn't move his head. "I didn't do anything," he said quickly, still staring at the wall like it was an emergency exit sign. "Before you accuse me of… whatever that expression is. It wasn't my fault."Her blush deepened, righteous and mortified at the same time. "I… I didn't accuse you of anything," she snapped, which was exactly what someone accusing him sounded like.Her vines rustled faintly around her shoulders, like they wanted to defend her honor as well.Monoma's voice went tight. "Great. We agree then. Nobody is accusing anybody. Fantastic. So please stop glaring at me then like I'm some kind of serpent that invaded your garden."Shiozaki pressed a hand to her chest, still flustered, eyes flicking away for half a second as if heaven might be watching through the ceiling tiles. "Forgive me," she whispered, horrified. "My body is being… rebellious.""Join the club," Monoma muttered, while looking down, then immediately regretted it.Shiozaki's glare sharpened for one dangerous heartbeat.Monoma coughed. "I meant about the situation."The silence after that was heavy, and then Shiozaki's shoulders loosened just a little, as if her dignity had finally found a place to sit down again.Her gaze returned to him—still warm, still stubborn.And then the curtain near the entrance rattled.A chorus of voices exploded at once."MONOMA!!"
"SHIOZAKI-SAN!!"
"YOU GUYS WERE CRAZY!"
"WE THOUGHT YOU DIED!"Kendo shoved through first, eyes sharp and worried, immediately doing a headcount with her gaze like she was checking for missing limbs. Tetsutetsu followed right behind her, practically vibrating. Tokage slipped in like she owned the place, grin already preloaded. Several others crowded the doorway, voices overlapping until the room felt too small.
Shiozaki snapped back to her usual posture so fast it was almost supernatural—chin up, hands folded, saint mode reactivated. Monoma, still sitting up, stared forward with the expression of someone who definitely wasn't doing anything suspicious two seconds ago.
Kendo narrowed her eyes.
Monoma lifted a hand, calm as ever. "Yeah, we're alive."
Tetsutetsu slammed a fist into his palm. "ALIVE AND LEGENDARY!"
Shiozaki, still pink around the ears, whispered, "…Praise be."Re-enacting Monoma, Tsuburaba threw both arms up."Ladies and gentlemen..."Kendo's head snapped over, eyes sharp. "Don't you dare finish that sentence."Tsuburaba's grin widened anyway. "…We got him."Honenuki laughed, the kind that started quietly and immediately became the loudest in the room."Absolute cinema," he declared, like he was reviewing a masterpiece with zero shame.Kendo pinched the bridge of her nose, but the corner of her mouth still betrayed her. "I hate all of you," she said, clearly not meaning it.The room filled with laughter, loud enough to make it feel like the walls were in on the joke.From the back, Kuroiro folded his arms and leaned into the darkest angle he could find, voice dropping like he was trying to sound mysterious."Yare yare daze…"For half a second, it almost worked.Then someone cracked—one snort, then another—and the whole class lost it all over again, laughing even harder at how seriously Kuroiro committed to the bit.Monoma, despite the pain, the exhaustion, and the fact that his life had turned into an anime, couldn't help thinking—This was going to be a long year.