The moment the announcement ended—
"Die!!"
Katsuki Bakugo roared. Explosions burst from his hands like engines, and the powerful recoil launched him into the air. He shot toward Etsuha like a fighter jet.
At the same time, Shoto Todoroki moved. With a sharp motion, a massive glacier surged into existence around him. Layers of ice stacked rapidly in the air, surging forward in an attempt to swallow Etsuha whole.
"What kind of quirks are those?! Are they seriously trying to kill him?!"
Some of the examinees—those whose abilities weren't suited for direct combat—shouted in shock. It all felt excessive.
But in the very next moment, Etsuha raised his hand.
Several needle-like ice spikes shot forward. First, they forced Bakugo off course midair, then they streaked straight toward Todoroki!
Shoo!
Bakugo blasted through the incoming hail of ice spikes, but not without cost—his body was cut in several places.
Todoroki, expression solemn, turned half his body into ice and raised his hand to counterattack—
Clang!
Etsuha deflected the strike effortlessly.
At the same time, a unique, overwhelming frost energy erupted from his hand. A visible wave of cold spread outward, forming a circular ripple that expanded rapidly in all directions.
"It's… freezing!"
The instant the ripple reached him, Todoroki's entire body reacted. Goosebumps shot up across his skin. Even with his ice-based quirk, the cold felt suffocating—far beyond anything he could control.
As for the others behind him, the effect was even worse.
The moment the icy wave touched them, frost spread across their bodies. Limbs stiffened instantly. Nearly half of the participants were frozen in place, completely immobilized.
"What… is this?!"
Tenya Iida didn't even have time to react. The moment the cold reached him, his calves froze solid. When he tried to activate the engines in his legs, he discovered the exhaust ports had already been clogged with ice.
"Impossible…" Iida's eyes trembled. "Is he really the same age as us?"
Looking around, the battlefield had completely changed.
Most of the participants had lost their ability to fight in an instant. Dozens collapsed or froze where they stood.
Those who remained standing were all severely weakened.
"What kind of combat power is this?!"
Even the students who had chosen not to participate were stunned.
Over fifty elite candidates… reduced by more than half in a single move?
It felt unreal.
Boom!
Etsuha descended from the sky, landing hard enough to leave a small crater in the ground.
The freezing wave had merely been a casual technique—a way to spread cold energy outward. It was enough to eliminate weaker opponents instantly, but the stronger ones—like Bakugo and Todoroki—had managed to avoid being fully frozen.
"Most of the useless clutter has been cleared," Etsuha said calmly, his voice carrying like that of a final boss. "You're next."
"Seriously… is this guy really our age?"
A blond boy trembled slightly. Just moments ago, he had barely managed to counter the freezing wave with a desperate electric discharge. Otherwise, he would already be frozen like the others.
Bakugo and Todoroki landed nearby. Unlike Etsuha, both of them were already injured—the earlier clash had left visible damage.
"We can't beat him alone," Todoroki said coldly. "We need everyone working together."
The red side of his hair began to heat up as he tried to melt the surrounding ice.
But excessive heat risked harming others, and rapid temperature shifts could cause serious damage. Only Todoroki's unique body could withstand both extremes.
Even so, raising the temperature would take time.
"Stop talking and start melting the ice!" Bakugo snapped. "Free the extras first—especially the guy with engines!"
"Huh? Me?" Iida pointed at himself in surprise.
A burst of flame from Todoroki melted the ice around his legs. Instantly, his engines roared back to life.
"I can discharge electricity—I'll restrain him!" the blond boy shouted.
"I'll support from the side!" Iida added.
"I've got strength—I'll handle close combat!"
"My navel can fire lasers!"
"My grapes can stick to him!"
"My body's hardened—I'll charge in!"
Voices rang out one after another as the remaining fighters coordinated, each declaring their role and quirk.
An examinee with a crow-like head stepped forward alongside a red-haired boy. The two charged toward Etsuha together.
"A combination like Fumikage Tokoyami and Eijiro Kirishima… strong combat synergy," Etsuha observed calmly, his gaze shifting across the battlefield.
At the same time, he noticed movement from another direction.
Denki Kaminari and Iida were already moving into position.
"Shadow—attack!"
"Understood!"
A dark shadow surged forward like a living entity, striking through the air with ghostlike speed.
At the same moment, Iida activated his engines at full power and charged from the side—
A perfectly coordinated pincer attack.