For a split second, Momo Yaoyorozu considered seizing the opening to sprint toward the finish line while the others were distracted. However, she found herself rooted to the spot, her expression conflicted as she watched the three-way standoff reach a fever pitch.
"Interesting," Wu Xuan chuckled, spreading his arms as his gaze swept over Shoto Todoroki and Inasa Yoarashi. "Compared to some boring marathon, fighting you guys is clearly more my style. How about it? Let's settle this right here and decide who takes first place by force?"
The three other special admission candidates reacted with starkly different expressions.
Momo frowned, a flash of disappointment—and even a hint of an inferiority complex—flickering in her beautiful eyes. She knew Wu Xuan wasn't addressing her. She lacked the raw combat power to even participate in a clash of this magnitude.
Inasa, however, looked ecstatic. He was clearly vibrating with excitement at Wu Xuan's proposal, though he still had enough restraint to shout toward Present Mic, asking if he had the proctor's permission to engage.
Todoroki merely scowled. He considered the proposal for five seconds before saying coldly, "Boring."
With that, ice shards erupted from the soles of his feet. He carved an exaggerated trail of frost across the ground, propelling himself forward like a jet toward the finish line.
"A guy with absolutely no joy in life," Wu Xuan shrugged.
In an instant, [The World] manifested behind him. Wu Xuan stomped his foot with bone-shattering force, launching himself toward the ceiling.
"We'll save our duel for next time!"
Mid-air, Wu Xuan twisted his body. [The World] planted both feet against the ceiling and used the surface as a springboard. At a velocity that eclipsed Todoroki's and following the shortest possible trajectory, he tore through the air toward the end of the course.
"WOW! NOW THAT'S PASSION! I CAN'T FALL BEHIND!"
Inasa's body suddenly erupted with gale-force wind pressure. Mimicking Todoroki's propulsion method, he charged forward like a rampaging motorcycle.
"They're all... incredible," Momo whispered. She was dead last. While her Quirk, [Creation], could theoretically produce anything, complex or massive objects required significant time and caloric energy. If she tried to build a vehicle now, the race would be over before she turned the ignition.
In desperation, she settled for a pair of high-speed roller skates. While significantly faster than running, she was still left in the dust by the three monsters ahead of her.
The chase was on.
Todoroki and Inasa began using their respective "Logia-style" Quirks to propel themselves through the air to shorten the distance. However, their mastery wasn't yet perfect; jumping from the ground into a mid-air trajectory made it much easier to lose balance.
"I botched that annoying written test, so I'd better make up for it here," Wu Xuan muttered, a wicked smile spreading across his face as he saw the two closing in from below.
[The World] suddenly veered toward the approaching pair.
"GET DOWN!" Wu Xuan roared.
[The World] swung its right leg in a horizontal arc, unleashing a devastating whip kick intended to swat both of them out of the sky.
"Hmph!"
"TAKE THIS, WU XUAN!"
Todoroki and Inasa reacted simultaneously, launching defensive counters. A dual wall of jagged ice and swirling gales rose to meet the Stand—an elemental display that looked far more imposing than a simple punch or kick.
"MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA!!!!!!"
Faced with the combined might of the two "elementalists," Wu Xuan screamed with frantic intensity. [The World]'s leg struck out with lightning speed, moving so fast it became a golden blur nearly invisible to the naked eye.
Such exaggerated physical prowess made the teachers in the monitoring room turn their eyes toward All Might once again. This was pure, unadulterated strength, devoid of the elemental bonuses utilized by the likes of Endeavor.
Principal Nezu fell silent, a single, lingering thought echoing in his mind: What if Wu Xuan were the one to inherit One For All?
A spectacular scene unfolded in the sky above the training ground. A bronze-skinned titan in golden armor was systematically deconstructing walls of wind and ice with its bare feet. Behind his Stand, Wu Xuan let out an excited, almost feral laugh.
On the ground, Momo pushed her roller skates to their limit, refusing to slack off. She was intimidated by their power—by Wu Xuan's power—but she saw her opening. While those three were busy tearing each other apart, this was her only chance to close the gap. Her pride as a top student wouldn't allow her to simply give up.
BOOM!
The mid-air deadlock lasted only a few seconds. Under the relentless, high-speed onslaught of [The World], the barriers of wind and ice finally shattered.
As the towering figure of the golden Stand loomed large in their vision, both Todoroki and Inasa wore expressions of pure disbelief.
"WRYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!"
With Wu Xuan's final, ferocious shout, [The World] delivered a final whip kick that sent both boys spiraling through the air. They crashed heavily into the flood zone pool below with a massive spray of water.