They were watching from a sleek, high-tech yacht anchored just off the island's coast. One row of monitors displayed live feeds from every student on the island, tracking their movements in real time. Another row focused on group interactions, analyzing how different students were working together—or clashing.
At the moment, all eyes were on one screen.
The three students were locked in close-quarters combat, moving with speed and precision that was almost hard to follow.
"This is impressive," said Ectoplasm, eyes fixed on the screen. "Two against one, and he's still holding his own without breaking a sweat."
"Well, that's the result of the experience he gained while he was gone," Director Nezu replied, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"But if you look closely, it's David who's giving him the most trouble. His teleportation Quirk keeps him from getting hit, but even with that advantage, Raiden is matching him. He's adapting on the fly—countering every move."
Eraser Head, standing nearby with arms crossed, nodded slightly. "That's not all, Director. You've probably noticed too—Raiden's not going all out. He's learning as he fights, treating this like training. Physically, he's struggling a bit, sure. But he's holding back. He could've ended this a few moves ago."
Snipe chuckled under his breath. "He's not holding back just for the fun of it, though. That's not his style. Remember the Sports Festival? The way he took on Nejire and Tamaki? That so-called Hyper Beam of his? Pure destruction, and he didn't hesitate to use it. Right now, the real issue is that he hasn't found a clean opening. But give him time—once he locks into the rhythm, things'll shift."
As if on cue, the screen flared with movement.
The three figures darted across the sandy terrain, locked in a dazzling flurry of punches, kicks, and dodges.
Even Mewtwo's tail was part of the action, whipping through the air with calculated strikes.
Their speed and agility exceeded elite gymnasts—each movement was deliberate and each counter was perfectly timed.
The sand beneath them exploded with each step, yet none of them had landed a solid hit. Every attack was either dodged or blocked at the last second.
Then it happened.
Snipe's sharp eyes caught it first across the screen—like a hawk spotting prey from the sky.
A brief lapse in Taro's defense, barely a fraction of a second.
And Raiden noticed it too.
With a swift elbow strike, he slipped past Taro's raised arms and drove the blow straight into his chest. Taro gasped, air knocked out of his lungs, and his body was launched backward.
Raiden didn't hesitate.
In one fluid motion, he unleashed a barrage of energy projectiles—shimmering, yellow stars that lit up the air as they flew.
It was Swift attack.
At least thirty of them rained toward Taro's position with unrelenting speed.
Back on the yacht, Snipe leaned forward slightly, eyes still on the screen.
"Told you," he said calmly.
The barrage of glowing yellow stars slammed into Taro, launching him across the beach with brutal force. Each time he hit the ground, he left deep craters in the sand, his body bouncing and rolling uncontrollably.
The stars that hadn't struck him directly kept pursuing, homing in with precision. Just a few more hits, and he'd be out of commission—maybe for the rest of the match.
But before that could happen, David appeared in a flash beside him.
With one quick touch to Taro's shoulder, he teleported them both away just in time. A heartbeat later, the remaining stars from Mewtwo's Swift attack collided with the sand where Taro had been, erupting into a sharp series of blasts that kicked up a thick cloud of dust.
When the smoke cleared, Mewtwo scanned the battlefield.
He spotted them—David and Taro—now positioned on the far side of the clearing, opposite where he stood.
Taro was upright, still in the fight. His uniform was scorched in places, and there were some minor burns and bruises, but nothing critical. He was shaken, maybe, but still capable of continuing.
Raiden didn't hesitate. Raising one arm, he hurled a Shadow Ball—directly at the duo.
It was a decoy. While they prepared to dodge and counter, Raiden shot into the sky.
From above, he launched a second wave of attacks, using Confusion to fire bursts of telekinetic energy. Each shot zigzagged toward them, aiming to catch either target off-guard.
But David was already moving.
He blinked in and out of sight, teleporting in rapid bursts, dodging every attack with uncanny timing. The Confusion strikes passed through where he had been just milliseconds earlier.
Mewtwo narrowed his eyes.
This is becoming a problem.
With raw power alone, I should've ended this already. But I can't land a hit. He's not just fast—his reaction speed is insane. I'm faster than him physically, but he vanishes just before I make contact, and if activated Disable on him, Taro covers him up, even at his own risk.
Then, a thought struck him. A simple idea, but it might work.
Maybe if I try this...
He burst forward, a blur of motion as he charged the two students again. This time, he formed another Shadow Ball—twice the size of the last one—and hurled it straight at David. The dark sphere crackled with unstable energy as it tore through the air.
As the shadow ball flew, Mewtwo activated disable on Taro, deleting his Quirk for a moment.
David braced himself. His hands snapped lightly, creating shockwaves around him—a countermeasure to avoid having his Quirk erased. But just as David prepared to teleport away once more, something strange happened.
His hands froze.
He turned his head slightly, eyes widening in confusion. Both hands glowed faintly, locked in place as if held by invisible restraints. He couldn't move them.
And then it was too late.
The Shadow Ball struck him square in the chest.
The resulting explosion was massive, a shockwave pulsing outward as smoke and energy burst across the clearing. David's body was launched like a ragdoll, flung deep into the nearby forest, crashing through branches before disappearing into the trees.
Blood trickled from David's mouth as he lay among the shattered branches.
Thanks to his enhanced physical durability, the impact with the trees hadn't caused any serious trauma—he'd crashed through them without breaking bones. But his chest was a different story.
The Shadow Ball had struck him dead center, searing through his jacket and leaving a large, blackened burn. The force of the blast had driven all the air from his lungs, leaving him gasping and stunned.
He struggled to recover, to pull himself together—but it wasn't fast enough.
Before he could get back on his feet, a shadow loomed above him. Mewtwo descended silently and, with a swift and brutal tail strike, knocked him unconscious.
Across the battlefield, Taro cursed under his breath.
He was alone now—just him against Raiden.
"Oh, shit… it's all or nothing now," he muttered, his voice tense. An idea flashed through his mind—probably a useless one, but it was all he had.
"Hey! Raiden!" he shouted.
"How about this? Let's fight with just physical skills. No psychic powers, no Quirks. I know I'd lose if you use your abilities, but if it's just martial arts—just strength and skill—what do you say?"
It was a reckless and stupid gamble. Raiden's team tecnically already had two victories in the pocket.
They only needed three more and could sit back, waiting for the final stage of the test. Taro knew he was an easy target. But this... this was his only shot. If he had even a sliver of a chance against Raiden, it would be in a battle without powers—at least, that's what he hoped.
Surprisingly, the answer didn't come from above—but from behind.
"That sounds interesting," Mewtwo said casually. "David's already out, so I used Life Dew on him. He should get another shot once he wakes up. As for your offer... I accept. Just one thing—can I still use telekinesis to fly?"
"No," Taro said instantly. "Just your transformation, I won't use my Quirk either."
Mewtwo nodded, still hovering about two meters above the ground.
Without hesitation, he deactivated his powers. Gravity took over, and he dropped lightly to the sand, landing with the grace of someone who'd done it a thousand times.
Truthfully, there was no reason for Raiden to agree. Maybe it was overconfidence.
He had no doubt he'd win anyway. Taro had never defeated him in a one-on-one before, and now, with David out and Taro slightly winded, the outcome felt obvious. Still, part of him was curious. He had never fought any of his classmates without using his full abilities. This would be a good chance to see just how much their Quirks really influenced the outcome of a battle.
Raiden didn't wait.
He charged at Taro with lightning speed. Taro responded in kind, rushing forward to meet him. The two collided mid-air, their legs striking in a synchronized high kick that sent a gust of wind rippling through the sand. Both were physically enhanced, and the sheer force of the clash created a shockwave.
Using the recoil, Raiden spun mid-air and followed up with a tail strike. Taro managed to raise an elbow to block, but Raiden's tail carried more weight, more muscle, more momentum. The impact sent Taro spinning toward the ground.
But he wasn't out yet.
Used to agile, acrobatic movements from training with his own Quirk, Taro twisted with the spin, converting it into a mid-air roll.
He used the momentum to his advantage, launching himself back toward Raiden with a counterattack—a spinning kick aimed right at his opponent's head.
Raiden's lips curled into a faint smile as the kick approached. Instead of dodging, he raised his elbow and met the kick head-on. The force sent both fighters flying in opposite directions, dragged by the impact. But it was Taro who took the brunt of it.
Raiden's elbow had slammed into his knee during the clash. Pain shot through Taro's leg, making him stumble when he landed. It wasn't enough to knock him out—but it hurt. A lot.
Taro hit the ground hard, gasping, struggling to rise. He looked up at Raiden—calm, composed, standing a few meters away without a scratch. Taro's leg, on the other hand, was barely holding up. He clenched his teeth in frustration.
Damn it, he thought. I've been training too. I've worked hard, I've done the best I could, yet isn't enough.
Yes, Raiden had used his tail—but that didn't count as a Quirk. It was just another limb, part of his body. Even so, Taro was clearly being overwhelmed.
He couldn't just blame the difference on powers. This was pure hand-to-hand combat now. And in their first exchange, Taro had noticed something important—they were close in strength. Raiden was slightly stronger, sure, but not by much. The gap wasn't impossible.
The real difference was in skill.
Taro bit his lip until it bled. He didn't want to lose—not like this. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to stand, ignoring the pain in his leg. Then, with everything he had, he charged Raiden again.
One more time.
This time, Taro changed his approach. He shifted his weight onto his good leg and settled into a boxing stance. His injured knee throbbed with every movement, but he had no other choice. He had to rely on what still worked. Mewtwo adjusted effortlessly, swaying from side to side, dodging each jab and hook with calm precision.
Taro was tempted—again and again—to activate his Quirk. It pulsed at the edge of his thoughts like a siren call. But he knew the moment he gave in, it was over. If he broke the rules, Mewtwo could too. And then it would end in seconds. He couldn't afford that. Not yet.
The fight quickly became one-sided. Mewtwo blocked, slipped, and countered with surgical accuracy. Each time Taro landed a step, Raiden had already moved. Every punch Taro threw was answered with one that hit harder and faster. Blows landed on his ribs, his jaw, his gut. His breathing grew heavier, more labored. The pain in his knee made it impossible to pivot or dodge properly, and his balance worsened with every hit.
Raiden wasn't getting faster—Taro was just slowing down. His energy was draining, his limbs becoming heavier with each passing moment. And then, without warning, Mewtwo crouched low and unleashed a brutal uppercut. The hit connected cleanly, lifting Taro off the ground. For a split second, his body floated in the air before collapsing back to earth. He was out cold before he even hit the dirt.
Raiden walked over without hesitation.
His expression neutral, he knelt beside his classmate and activated Life Dew. A soft glow spread through his hand and onto Taro's chest, knitting together the worst of the damage. When Taro's eyelids began to twitch, showing signs of life, Raiden stood up and looked toward the forest.
He activated his telekinesis again and lifted into the air, heading toward the trees where Wendingo was waiting. Just before disappearing into the canopy, he glanced at his watch, surprised it had survived the fight without a scratch.
"I need a suit made from whatever this thing's made of," he muttered to himself with a dry smirk, then vanished between the trees.
End of the chapter.