Just as Masata was getting into character—ready to bask in everyone's awe and fear—
"Screeeee!"
A sharp whistle suddenly echoed throughout the examination grounds.
Immediately after, Murayama Ryo's voice came through the speakers.
"Attention, everyone. All HUC personnel deployed in the examination area have now been safely rescued."
"Even though this may seem a little abrupt, I hereby announce—"
"The provisional license examination is officially over!!!"
"Huh?! It's over already?!"
Masata's momentum instantly collapsed.
He had just gotten into the role!
His performance wasn't even halfway done yet!
Didn't anyone care about his feelings?!
Meanwhile, the exhausted examinees who had just been crushed by Masata's presence let out long sighs of relief.
To them, Murayama's announcement sounded like divine music.
Some weaker students even dropped to the ground, panting heavily.
The intense battles had completely drained them.
Following Murayama's instructions, everyone helped move the injured candidates to safe areas.
After that, they headed to the locker rooms to change out of their combat gear.
Once verification was complete, the results would be announced on the spot.
"Man… that ended so suddenly."
Walking toward the locker room with his classmates, Masata looked a little disappointed.
"What are you talking about?! When you showed up, you scared us half to death!"
Kirishima complained and smacked Masata's shoulder.
"How did you even become an examiner?"
"Oh, that?"
"Didn't they call me from the lounge earlier? It happened then."
After being hit, Masata quickly recovered and answered casually.
"Then what about your result?"
Kaminari leaned over.
"Did you get evaluated separately, like during the finals?"
"I passed directly."
"You can think of it as an automatic pass."
"NANI?!"
Everyone was hit by reality at once.
They had heard of recommended students before.
But now Masata could even skip the exam and still get a temporary license?!
After changing quickly, everyone except those seriously injured gathered in front of the large screen at the venue entrance.
They waited nervously for the results.
However, most faces didn't look very good.
Class A already knew there was a gap between them and Masata.
But they hadn't expected him to dominate them without even using his quirk.
In the locker room, they had also seen the restraint gear he wore.
That discovery shattered their remaining sense of balance.
Other schools were even more shaken.
Especially Shindō Ryō.
Before the exam, he had wanted to challenge Masata.
Now, he walked silently with his head lowered, completely discouraged.
Most elite students from other schools, including Shijie High, were the same.
This experience could become either a turning point—or a shadow.
If they overcame it, they would grow stronger.
If they couldn't, this might be their limit.
Masata felt that anyone who couldn't endure this setback probably shouldn't become a hero anyway.
The stage was limited.
Those who couldn't handle it should step aside.
Cruel?
Maybe.
But it was reality.
Being a hero was like rowing upstream—stop moving, and you fall behind.
"I wonder how it'll turn out…"
After waiting for a long time, the screen was still dark.
Everyone grew anxious.
Some tried to stay optimistic.
"At least we did our best."
"Whatever the judges think, it's out of our hands."
Others were pessimistic.
"It's over… I got knocked out the moment the villains entered."
"I didn't even remember what happened after that…"
"No chance for me this time."
Finally, Murayama Ryo walked onto the stage.
"Everyone worked very hard today."
"Next, I'll announce the results."
"But first, I need to explain the scoring system."
"This exam used a dual-evaluation system from both the Hero Public Safety Committee and HUC staff."
"In other words, the focus was on making fewer mistakes and taking more correct actions during emergencies."
Everyone nodded.
It was a fair and scientific system.
With a wave of his hand, the big screen lit up.
Names appeared one by one.
"The list is arranged alphabetically."
"Please check for yourselves."
"I'm coming!"
"Where's my name?!"
Masata scanned the screen.
He quickly found familiar names, including Yaoyorozu and Chacha.
His own name wasn't there—probably listed separately.
"Why isn't my name there?!"
Bakugo shouted angrily after searching for a long time.
"It must be because you're too violent!"
Mineta said smugly.
He had helped carry stretchers during the rescue and passed easily.
"Bakugo actually failed?! He's one of the strongest in our class!"
Mineta's voice wasn't quiet.
Soon, everyone in Class A noticed.
Bakugo was instantly surrounded.
"Exactly! Because he's so strong, he acts recklessly!"
"And that dominance caused his downfall!"
Kaminari was still talking when someone covered his mouth.
Did he have a death wish?!
Didn't he know Bakugo's temper?!
Bakugo's face was now so dark it looked like he might kill someone.
"Next, you'll receive your detailed score sheets."
"These contain your point deductions and evaluations."
Staff members in black uniforms handed out reports.
Every detail was clearly recorded.
This allowed everyone to understand their weaknesses and improve.
For those who failed, the committee also offered a second chance.
After three months of special training, they could retake the individual exam.
Passing would still earn them a temporary license.
This news finally eased Bakugo's mood.
If he had truly been forced to wait months without another chance, he might have exploded on the spot.
"It feels like the second round was just for show."
"They made it so mysterious, but most people passed anyway."
Masata shook his head.
Government agencies really loved complicated procedures.
By the time everyone left the venue, evening had fallen.
The provisional license examination was officially over.
And Class A had taken another step closer to becoming true heroes.