The moment the announcement was made, everyone—except Etsuha, who had already known the outcome—was stunned.
"What kind of rule is this?! Why are we losing points when we actually chose to fight?!"
"Shouldn't we be getting bonus points instead? What kind of nonsense is this deduction system?!"
"This is ridiculous… what is the school even thinking?!"
"Are they saying it's embarrassing that so many of us can't beat one student, so they're punishing us for it?!"
No one could make sense of it.
Meanwhile, those who had chosen to withdraw earlier suddenly felt relieved—and even lucky.
"Ha! I knew something was off about that boss fight. Good thing I didn't participate."
"Looks like we've got an advantage now—one-third more points than them!"
"Hahaha, this worked out perfectly!"
The crowd buzzed with excitement, their voices overlapping in chaotic discussion.
Ignoring the confusion, Present Mic continued his explanation:
"First of all, the fact that you chose to challenge the boss shows that you possess the spirit of a hero! However, challenging a powerful opponent is also an extremely risky decision. In real combat, such reckless actions can be fatal—one mistake could cost you your life!"
"The purpose of this penalty is to make you understand that acting without considering consequences is dangerous. This deduction exists to make you take responsibility for your own recklessness!"
"I see…" Tenya Iida's eyes widened as realization struck him. "So that's the reasoning behind it… As expected of U.A. To design such a test… Those selected under these conditions truly may possess the qualities of real heroes."
In an instant, he grasped the deeper intent behind the rules—and his respect for U.A grew even stronger.
"But what about those who didn't challenge? They won't be penalized, right?" someone asked unwillingly.
"Yes," Present Mic replied.
Then his tone turned cold.
"All candidates who chose not to challenge the boss—excluding those unable to fight due to injury—will have half of their points deducted!"
"…What?!"
The students who had felt relieved just moments ago were instantly dumbfounded.
"Why?! Why do we lose half our points just for making that choice?! That's insane!"
"Insane?" Present Mic's voice rose sharply. "You call it insane?"
"When I explained the rules earlier, I clearly stated that even if you don't fight the boss, he will continue to rampage and destroy everything in the area!"
"In other words—if no one steps up to stop him, the entire zone would be wiped out!"
"And even knowing that, you chose to run away?!"
His voice rang with sharp disappointment.
"Those who challenge the boss may be reckless—but at least they have the qualities of a hero! Meanwhile, those who turn a blind eye to danger right in front of them are even more unacceptable!"
Silence fell.
Then—
Realization hit.
So that was the purpose of the boss battle.
With just a few sentences, U.A's intentions became crystal clear, and its image in the students' minds rose to an entirely new level.
Still, some students resisted.
"This is just an exam! It's not a real disaster…"
"Someone who weighs pros and cons even in an exam—how can they be expected to act in a real crisis?" Present Mic shook his head. "Heroes don't hesitate when lives are on the line."
He continued:
"All students who were injured in the first round will also have one-third of their points deducted. This is the consequence of your performance. Learn from it, and do better next time."
"…Huh?!"
Even the injured students were stunned.
At this point, the only group with a chance of not losing points… was the group challenging the boss.
If they succeeded, they would gain a massive advantage—leading others by one-third to even half the total score.
Regret spread rapidly.
"Damn it… I didn't think U.A would go this far!"
"I'm so jealous of those challengers. Fifty people against one—this is basically free points!"
"This is so unfair! I thought the boss would be something worse than the Zero-Point Robot, not just another student!"
Standing atop the towering icicle, Etsuha watched as Present Mic finished speaking. He lifted the microphone once more.
"It seems everyone understands the deduction rules now," he said calmly. "In that case, there's nothing more to explain. Prepare yourselves for the second exam."
"I hope you can defeat me."
"…Is he serious?" Iida frowned.
There were over fifty challengers.
Wasn't this just a setup to hand out points?
But others thought differently.
Nearby, a blond boy stood tense, small bursts of flame flickering in his palms. His expression was unusually serious—like he was facing a formidable enemy.
Not far away, a red-and-white-haired boy radiated a chilling aura. The cold energy emanating from him was unmistakably powerful—far beyond the average student.
Yet despite their strength…
Both of them looked at Etsuha with intense focus.
"…Did they realize something?" Iida muttered.
For the first time, he felt that something about this situation was deeply off.
Then—
Present Mic's voice echoed across the field once more:
"It looks like everyone is ready!"
"Now… the second round of the exam—BEGIN!"