Chapter 14: Return to the USJ
"Finally, Class Rep, are you free?" After half the class had been assigned tasks, Momo Yaoyorozu turned to him, looking a bit troubled. "Because your Quirk has healing abilities, the Secretary has specifically requested that you go and assist Recovery Girl and follow her instructions."
What does that have to do with having a medical-type Quirk? Anyone could do that job. Could Nakiri be deliberately assigning me a position to make my life difficult...? Although Yoshikage Kira had his suspicions, he simply nodded. "I understand. I'll go find Recovery Girl."
"Very well, then. Let's begin class." Shota Aizawa walked to the podium and scanned the room. "I'm glad that some of you have stepped up to help. However, if you're only doing it for that 'get out of jail free card' and still don't pay attention in class, I guarantee you'll waste that precious opportunity within two days."
Hearing Aizawa's grim words, everyone immediately sat up straighter. You couldn't afford to slack off in Mr. Aizawa's class.
The afternoon was, as usual, dedicated to practical combat training.
"Hello, everyone! Today's rescue training will be taught by myself and Mr. Aizawa!" Thirteen, still clad in their bulky spacesuit, greeted the pleasantly surprised students. "Although we had that incident last time, a class is a class, so let's begin our rescue training with focus and determination! One more thing: due to feeling slightly unwell, Yoshikage Kira will not be participating in today's training."
The students of Class 1-A were now standing in the Unforeseen Simulation Joint. Although many of the facilities had been destroyed during the last battle with the villains, thanks to the tireless efforts of Cementoss and Rex-Sensei, most of the damage had been repaired, and the facility was operational again.
"Some of the finer details might not have been addressed, but... this is rescue training! Let's just treat the damage as part of an accidental disaster backdrop. It'll add a touch of realism!"
Standing in front of the Mountain Zone, Thirteen spun around on their tiptoes. Immediately, a loose rock dislodged from above and bounced off their helmet.
"..."
"Thirteen-sensei, are you really okay? You were so badly injured before..." Midoriya asked, concerned.
"It was just some damage to my back! I'm completely fine!" Thirteen turned around, showing off their brand-new spacesuit. "And thanks to the incident, I got a free, brand-new hero costume from the support company! Besides, compared to me, Aizawa-kun's injuries were much worse."
Aizawa, with his arm still in a cast and bandages wrapped around his face, looked much more like a patient than the energetic Thirteen.
Izuku Midoriya asked hesitantly, "Is All Might-sensei not coming today? I thought I saw him earlier..."
Without turning his head, Aizawa began to scale the cliff, using the protruding rock edges as footholds. With just a few leaps, he was halfway up. "Don't worry about him. You're here for training, aren't you? Then let's begin."
"First step! Before you can perform a rescue, you must have good physical conditioning!" Thirteen gestured with a large hand toward the rock wall in front of them. "Now, I want you all to use your own unique methods to climb to the top!"
Hanta Sero smiled, showing off his elbows. "Thirteen-sensei, is there a prize for first place this time? I'm pretty confident in my Quirk, you know." His Quirk allowed him to shoot tape from his elbows, making it perfect for this kind of mobility exercise.
"You wish, Tape-Face! First place is obviously mine!" Bakugo let off a small explosion in his palm, a villainous grin spreading across his face.
"Midoriya-kun, I'm actually pretty confident too," Uraraka said with a smile, showing off the pads on her fingertips.
"Alright then, heroes, go!"
With Thirteen's command, everyone sprang into action, beginning their ascent of the rock wall.
"See you at the top!" Hanta Sero was the first to make a move. Tape shot from his elbow, successfully wrapping around a rocky outcrop. In the next instant, his entire body was pulled upwards.
"Like hell you'll be first!" Bakugo set off a series of explosions in his palms, using the recoil to blast himself into the air. He kicked off a protruding rock to gain more height, immediately catching up to Sero.
Shoto Todoroki said nothing. With a single stomp, ice spread from his feet, forming into a rapidly growing pillar that lifted him upwards like an elevator. He reached the top of the cliff with ease.
The rest of the students watched the flashy displays from these few, sighed, and began to climb the old-fashioned way. The cliff wasn't that high—only about twenty meters—so it wouldn't take them too long.
Uraraka floated beside Midoriya, her fingers pressed together. "Good luck, Midoriya-kun! I'm heading up!" she said with a smile.
Seeing Midoriya nod, she released the breath she was holding, and her body instantly drifted upwards like a balloon.
Finally, when a panting Yuga Aoyama pulled himself over the edge, everyone else was already assembled and watching him.
"Ah, someone as brilliant as myself must, of course, make the final entrance!" Aoyama struck a pose, flicked his hair, and put on an expression of someone completely captivated by their own beauty, offering a desperate explanation.
"Yeah, yeah, we know..." Mina Ashido waved a dismissive hand.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Thirteen led them to a chasm on the other side of the plateau and began to explain the exercise.
"The training scenario is as follows: three climbers have accidentally fallen into a ravine. One has suffered a severe head injury and is unconscious. The other two have broken legs, are unable to move, and are calling for help."
Eijiro Kirishima and Denki Kaminari peered over the edge into the chasm, startled by the dark, bottomless-looking abyss. "Whoa, that's deep! And those two only broke their legs!?"
"Kirishima-kun, Kaminari-kun, what are you looking at? This is a time-sensitive situation!" Tenya Iida, clad in his heavy hero costume, rushed over and shouted down into the ravine, "Are you alright down there!? I will definitely rescue you!"
Kirishima gave Iida a look one might reserve for an idiot. "You're a little too into this. There's nobody down there..."
Meanwhile, Uraraka and Midoriya were discussing the scenario excitedly. "Midoriya-kun, this feels so real! I can't wait to get started!"
"Y-Yeah! Me too!" Midoriya responded flusteredly, looking down at his own hands.
Kacchan was right before. Right now, I'm just someone with a powerful Quirk that I can't even use. If I want to live up to All Might's expectations, I have to master this power, and fast!
Just as Midoriya had psyched himself up, Thirteen announced in a leisurely tone, "Everyone, after a random drawing, this rescue's injured victims will be... Ochaco Uraraka, Izuku Midoriya, and Tenya Iida!"
Instantly, the excited smiles on their faces froze solid.
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