A few minutes earlier—
"I didn't expect them to perform this well."
In the spectator stands, Aizawa stared at the disaster zone with faint surprise.
Under Yaoyorozu's command, the rescue operation was proceeding with remarkable efficiency. Even students from other schools willingly followed her instructions. For a time, the entire group functioned like a massive machine, steadily transporting victims to safe areas.
"What's so special about it?" Ms. JOKE asked lazily, crossing her legs. "Aside from that girl, the others are just decent, right?"
"To be fair, they're only first-years," Aizawa replied calmly. "For them to handle real rescue work like this… it's beyond my expectations."
It was rare for him to offer such open praise.
Although the difference between first- and second-year students was only one year, that year was enough for dramatic growth. Compared to his expectations, Class A hadn't made any major mistakes. That alone was worth acknowledging.
"By the way," Ms. JOKE added thoughtfully, "where's Igarashi Masata? I haven't seen him for a while."
Aizawa froze.
Only then did he realize something was wrong.
Because Masata's performance in the first round had been outstanding, Aizawa had assumed he would pass easily and hadn't paid much attention to him afterward. Instead, he had focused on the rest of the class.
But now…
No matter how carefully he scanned the field, he couldn't find Masata anywhere.
"What is that kid doing now…?"
Aizawa rubbed his temples.
At that moment—
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion echoed across the arena.
Smoke and dust filled the air as a massive hole appeared in the outer wall. Dozens of figures in special combat uniforms marched in, followed by two individuals wearing completely different outfits.
"Killer Whale?!" Aizawa exclaimed.
His expression darkened.
He hadn't expected the provisional license exam to escalate to this level.
"Villains have launched an attack!" Murayama Ryo's voice rang out. "All temporary heroes on-site, suppress the villains while continuing rescue operations!"
To the candidates, those words sounded like a nightmare.
They had thought the exam would end smoothly.
Instead, the real difficulty had just begun.
"Isn't this too hard?!"
"Are they serious?!"
"Who's that masked guy next to Killer Whale?"
Amid the panic, the students noticed another figure standing beside Gang Orca.
That man was wrapped in a black cloak, wearing a strange headpiece that covered most of his face, leaving only his eyes and nose exposed. His outfit looked completely out of place among the "villains."
Naturally, no one recognized him as Masata.
They assumed he was another professional hero acting as an examiner.
"Why does he look so familiar…?"
Aizawa and Yaoyorozu murmured at the same time.
Even though Masata was well disguised, years of familiarity made certain details hard to hide.
"Probably not," Aizawa muttered. "If it is him, then the Hero Committee is being ridiculous."
He decided to keep watching.
But Yaoyorozu grew more and more certain.
She stared at the masked man with sharp, thoughtful eyes.
Masata felt her gaze and grew uneasy.
He scratched the back of his head subconsciously.
"I'm dressed like this… no way she recognized me, right?" he thought.
Unfortunately, that tiny habitual movement gave him away.
Whenever Masata felt embarrassed, he always scratched his head.
Yaoyorozu noticed immediately.
His sudden disappearance earlier, the similar build, and now this gesture—everything matched.
She had confirmed his identity.
But she didn't say anything.
If Masata was here in this role, it must have been arranged by the authorities. Her job was simply to perform well.
Meanwhile, Masata stepped forward.
Lowering his voice, he lifted his cloak slightly, clasped his hands behind his back, and spoke with deliberate authority.
"So… can you stop me, heroes?"
He infused his voice with a faint aura.
Instantly, the candidates felt their hearts tighten.
"This guy is dangerous!"
That thought spread through the crowd.
Everyone instinctively assumed a combat stance.
For a moment, Masata completely stole the spotlight from Gang Orca.
Following Masata's lead, Gang Orca and the supporting "villains" charged forward.
With so many subordinates, he couldn't just let Masata rush in alone.
A boss had to act like a boss.
Since their entrance point was near the first-aid station, the candidates couldn't ignore them.
"Evacuate the civilians!" Shindō Ryō shouted first. "Keep as much distance from the villains as possible!"
Facing two powerful opponents, a frontal clash was obviously unwise.
"I'll use vibrations to slow them down!"
Without hesitation, Shindō rushed forward and slammed his hands onto the ground.
He prepared to unleash another earthquake.
"Don't come any closer—!"
Before he could finish—
His Quirk stopped.
The vibration didn't spread at all.
"What…?"
He froze.
At some point, Masata had already appeared in front of him.
"I always felt like your Quirk doesn't really match me," Masata said calmly.
His massive fist shot forward.
BAM!
It smashed into Shindō's abdomen.
Shindō's body bent like a twisted shrimp as he was sent flying backward.
"At this level," Masata continued coldly, "you dared to charge in alone?"
"I really overestimated you, hero."