As soon as Katsuki Bakugo started running, the others didn't even think twice before scattering as well. That's right—in the eyes of the other examinees, Bakugo was simply fleeing the scene.
But Bakugo didn't consider himself to be running away. He had already earned enough points, so this wasn't a retreat!
Yang Xiao had also secured enough points and was currently making his exit. He wasn't foolish enough to confront a giant robotic enemy—that kind of challenge was beyond his capabilities, so he simply left.
While running, Bakugo spotted Yang Xiao, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes—it was a look that said, "We won't be seeing each other again."
Of course, they wouldn't see those who got eliminated. In Bakugo's view, most of the candidates at Exam Arena A wouldn't make the cut, mainly because he was too strong and had snatched away many of their points.
Yang Xiao paid no attention to Bakugo's gaze and continued running as if Bakugo were nothing but air.
Seeing Yang Xiao's indifferent expression, Bakugo sneered inwardly. Has he become numb? Knowing he's about to be eliminated, this piece of trash still acts so arrogantly.
But the other's attitude had nothing to do with him. Bakugo was just a little annoyed. Still, he'd never have to see this guy again in the future.
Thinking this, Bakugo quickened his pace and was the first to rush out of the arena, thereby finalizing his score.
Candidates streamed out of the arena one after another, and Yang Xiao was no exception. By the time almost everyone had left Exam Arena A, the assessment was over.
"Principal, the assessment at Exam Arena A has concluded."
In a dimly lit monitoring room at U.A. High School, the space was filled with people. Everyone present was either a teacher or a senior administrator at U.A.
At that moment, these teachers were observing the situation in each examination room, able to get a general sense of the proceedings through the surveillance screens.
"In this practical exam, the students are not informed of the number or locations of the enemies. With limited time and a vast arena, they must excel under these constraints. They need to quickly assess the situation, remain mobile and adaptable to any circumstance, maintain calm judgment no matter what happens, and possess straightforward, unadulterated combat prowess."
The principal, Nezu, was not human but an animal with a unique personality—a rare exception.
He resembled some kind of rodent, though his exact species was unknown.
Nezu's childlike voice rang out again: "The fundamental abilities required to protect the peace of our cities, quantified into points—it seems we've reaped quite a harvest this year, haven't we?"
"Principal, the assessment for Exam Arena A has ended. Would you like to review the results first?" a feminine voice asked. Everyone present turned to look at the speaker.
Midnight was a teacher at U.A. High School, blessed with flawless looks and figure. She preferred wearing tight-fitting outfits and used a whip as her weapon, reminiscent of certain BDSM aesthetics.
"Let's take a look at the results from Arena A," Nezu nodded. Since Arena A had concluded, it meant some would be eliminated while others would advance—a matter of great concern to him.
"Display the screen—"
The image suddenly appeared on the large screen, clearly visible to all the teachers.
"First place is a boy named Katsuki Bakugo. His score is 77 villain points and 0 rescue points. It's no exaggeration to say that this score puts him in first place for this exam!" one teacher exclaimed in surprise.
The other teachers also wore thoughtful expressions. It was clear that this student had outstanding results, though a rescue score of 0 seemed somewhat selfish. Still, with 77 villain points, no one could really criticize.
"The gap between second place and first is quite large, but they should still pass."
"The second one is... Yang Xiao?" a teacher asked, sounding puzzled.
"Mr. Snipe, do you know the second-place candidate?" Midnight glanced at the teacher beside him. This teacher looked rather intimidating, wearing a mask that gave him the appearance of a sinister ghost.
This teacher was known as Snipe and was also a faculty member at U.A. High School. Other details were not disclosed.
"I don't know him, but I'm curious. We all saw Bakugo's performance, but where is the combat footage of this young man named Yang Xiao?" Snipe expressed his doubt.
It was only then that all the teachers realized a problem. They had been focused on the candidates' strengths. Basically, the arena was covered with cameras, allowing them to clearly observe everyone's battles and any sudden dangers.
Bakugo's fights were straightforward, and the cameras could analyze and monitor him from all angles without blind spots. But what about Yang Xiao? It seemed that from the moment he entered Exam Arena A, he had virtually disappeared—there was no footage of him at all.
"Pull up all the footage from Exam Arena A immediately. Let's see how Yang Xiao earned his points," Midnight said promptly.
The footage from the earlier exam in Arena A instantly appeared before everyone. The screens began to switch, clearly displaying almost every candidate's actions.
But what was puzzling was that the footage of Yang Xiao seemed to be missing—there was no video showing his face.
"No footage?" Present Mic exclaimed in surprise. "How is that possible? Is there a problem with the surveillance system?"
"Wait a minute!" Just as everyone was growing confused, Shota Aizawa stepped forward, pointed at a dark screen, and said, "Open all the shots from this screen."
Shota Aizawa was not only a teacher at U.A. High but also a professional hero. He was considered outstanding among pros, but because he disliked trouble, he lived a very low-key life despite his abilities. Many people outside U.A. didn't even know what his Quirk was or how strong he truly was.
Following Aizawa's instructions, the system automatically opened the pitch-black screen. Dozens of screens appeared—except for the first one, which remained dark, Yang Xiao appeared in every other screen.
"Good eyes, Mr. Aizawa!" Present Mic laughed and pointed at the screen. "Let's see what this kid is up to. He's actually using this kind of trick!"
Without Present Mic saying another word, the screens began to play automatically. The first screen remained pitch-black with nothing visible, but starting from the second screen, Yang Xiao's figure appeared before all the teachers.
In the footage, Yang Xiao's head, hands, and feet were glowing. Whenever he was attacked by a robotic enemy, his chest and back would also light up.
But that wasn't the main point. What surprised all the teachers was that Yang Xiao always took down his targets with a single strike—no matter what type of robotic enemy it was, he would defeat them with one punch or one kick, without the slightest delay.