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…
"Hurry up, I can already hear that guy yelling that annoying catchphrase of his!"
"Haaah… haah…hah…. I can't run as fast as you, freak of nature!"
"How can you say that? Come on, Coocooma, go Plus Ultra!"
—Wheeze…—
"Tsk. You're more like Minus Ultra."
Currently, both Suzaku and Monoma were sprinting with everything they had toward the exit, having long abandoned their plan to defeat All Might to pass the exam.
Monoma still had Erasure in his arsenal, so for now they were safe from a direct confrontation with the nuke with legs, but it wouldn't last much longer—and without Aizawa around to recharge it, fighting All Might would only end with them flattened on the ground.
So, their only hope was reaching the exit before Erasure ran out.
However, judging from their current pace, it didn't look like they were going to make it in time… and Suzaku noticed it.
"Alright, change of plans."
Suddenly, Suzaku slowed down to match Monoma's pace. While the blonde was too busy catching his breath, Suzaku tackled him and hoisted him up—slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes—then immediately sped up again.
"Oi, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"We need to reach the exit in two minutes, and we're not making it at that sloth speed of yours."
"Get me down you piece of—"
"Stop complaining or I'll drag you through the ground."
"..."
"Alright, now hold on tight to whatever you can. I'm accelerating."
A smirk formed behind Suzaku's helmet. His legs began shifting—imperceptible from outside the suit, but with very visible results.
-Swoosh!-
Just like during the race training from a few weeks ago, he suddenly burst forward like a bullet, the ground cracking beneath each step.
Seeing that, Monoma was caught somewhere between awe and nausea.
'W-what kind of freak is this guy to move like that with a Quirk like his?'
Unaware of Monoma's internal commentary and surging motion sickness, Suzaku grinned as the exit came into view—closer with every step he took.
Just a little more, and they'd be safe.
Better yet, they still had about a minute and a half of Erasure left!
There was no way that All Might was stopping them no—
"STOP!"
Monoma's sudden shout made Suzaku skid to a halt, startled.
And good thing he did, because—
—BOOOOOM!—
Right the next second, and just a few meters ahead of him, a damn bus slammed into the building to his side like a missile, causing a huge explosion of rubble and dust.
"The hell?!"
Coughing and on edge, Suzaku and Monoma scanned the area in panic, searching for All Might.
Where was he? He had just thrown a damn bus at them, so he should be near, right?
Sadly, no matter how they looked, he was nowhere to be found. Their surroundings were completely clear.
The guy had just thrown a bus at them and then dipped… Truly the number one camper of all Japan.
"What if that thing had hit me…?" Suzaku muttered with a nervous laugh, eyeing the crumpled bus—now looking like a giant accordion—with a wry smile.
Still, they didn't have the time to rest and admire the thing that almost squished them; they had an exam to pass.
So, without another glance, Suzaku adjusted Monoma on his shoulder and resumed his run.
He was passing by the bus when—
"HAHAHA! NOW, YOUNG HEROES, HOW WILL YOU HANDLE—THIS?!"
The loud, theatrical voice of All Might echoed from some unknown direction.
-BOOOM!-
The moment those words dropped, a loud explosion rocked the lower floor of one of the buildings near the final stretch.
"No way." Monoma blurted, an eye twitching in disbelief.
"Yes way, apparently," Suzaku answered with an equally baffled tone, before turning on his heel and running in the opposite direction.
Seconds later—
The whole building began to collapse upon them.
Fortunately, thanks to his speed, Suzaku was easily able to escape the epicenter of the disaster and reached a safe distance with Monoma still over his shoulder.
Unfortunately, once he looked back at where they had been just now, he noticed what had just happened.
"He… blocked our path to the exit," Suzaku said, laughing not to cry.
The exit… was now no longer in sight. The street that led to it was now filled with tons upon tons of debris from the fallen building, like a giant wall blocking their path for good.
Monoma gulped, glancing around uncertainly. "What now?"
Suzaku was silent for a bit before he shrugged. "I could try and climb that mountain of debris, but with you over my shoulder, it's going to take me a while."
"Then let me down, I can climb it too!"
"Hmm. Maybe you could, but it'd take even longer than if I just carry you."
"You—!"
Monoma was about to go off on Suzaku when the redhead's head suddenly snapped upward.
"Oh shit—!"
Letting out a panicked cry, Suzaku kicked off the ground and jumped with all his strength.
The next second, a car came crashing down from above, slamming into the concrete and exploding into shrapnel.
-Booom!-
And, as expected, All Might's fake ass villain speech came right after.
"Your path is gone, heroes. You'd better start running now!"
Suzaku and Monoma exchanged a look, unsure what he meant by that—
"God damnit!"
Until, not even ten seconds later, the redhead and the blonde saw another motherfucking car flying their way.
-BOOM!-
With another desperate leap, Suzaku barely got them out of harm's way.
Unfortunately, that was just the beginning.
Soon enough, hell broke loose.
Cars dropped on them like meteors, one after another, and to top it off, not a single shadow from All Might during the entire chaos.
The guy was hitting and running like a damn expert.
Suzaku could do nothing but run with everything he had, dodging the incoming giant projectiles every few seconds while trying to find a way to the exit across the warzone that used to be a city.
And he continued doing as such, even if soon the objects started varying from cars, to huge chunks of debris, other buses, broken signs, etc.
It seemed that whatever the number one prick seemed to come across, he threw at them.
Thanks to that, Suzaku had no choice but to run in almost endless circles the entire time—something he was painfully aware All Might had intended.
Unfortunately, it wasn't like he had much of a choice. It was either run around chaotically… or get squashed.
And he definitely preferred staying unsquashed.
Sadly, this only helped All Might fulfill his primary objective.
Suddenly, just as Suzaku exited alley number twenty of their random zig-zagging path, Monoma's voice dropped.
"Oi, Suzaku…"
"What?"
"Erasure's gone."
Suzaku skidded to a halt.
"Well... we're kinda fucked."
"That's right!" came the now-familiar booming voice from above.
-Boom!-
Like a missile, All Might landed in front of them—finally showing himself.
He sported that annoying, proud smile of always, and his glowing blue eyes locked on them menacingly.
"Now, it's time to put an end to this cat-and-mouse game."
"Yeah, I guess so," Suzaku muttered in a helpless tone, finally putting Monoma down. The blonde patted off his clothes and stared nervously at the titan in front of them.
All Might took a step forward and opened his arms dramatically.
"Now… who will be the first one?"
"You sure are acting cocky now that your Quirk is back, huh?" Suzaku sneered, before glancing at Monoma. His tone shifted—almost sounding like he'd already given up. "Since without the Quirk you're practically useless, at least try to reach the exit while I hold him off."
Monoma gritted his teeth. "Yeah? And for how long? Five seconds?"
Suzaku shrugged. "Are you crazy? At best, four. So run as fast as you can."
"…"
Monoma stayed silent. This guy… still cracking jokes, even when they were about to be stomped into the pavement.
Deep inside, though, he knew Suzaku was right. He couldn't do anything here.
The best shot they had was for him to run toward the exit while Suzaku bought as much time as he could—however many seconds that might be.
"Young heroes… do you think that little of me?"
Unfortunately, All Might wasn't going to let them off that easy.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Suzaku—his fist already mid-swing.
Monoma's eyes widened.
"Watch ou—!"
—BOOOM!—
His voice was cut short by a thunderous shockwave that nearly burst his eardrums.
'What happened, is Suzaku down?!'
Despite the explosion that had shaken all his senses, Monoma tried his best to focus back on the fight, expecting to see an already unconscious Suzaku on the floor.
But when the dust cleared and he finally regained focus, Monoma saw something unbelievable.
"…?!"
All Might's fist... had been caught.
Even All Might looked shocked, his eyes widening in surprise.
Suzaku let out a dry, mocking laugh from behind his helmet.
"I think my arm's broken."
He had used his shapeshifting to imitate the Thing's rocky skin, like he had once done with Stain—recreating that rough, stone-like crust along his arm to stop All Might's punch.
And he succeeded—only because he had counted on All Might holding back enough not to kill them, which he had been right about.
Though, the held-back punch still had managed to turn his arm to dust.
The gap was disheartening.
But there was no time for despair.
"What the hell are you doing, Coocooma?! Run away already!"
Snapped out of his daze by that shout, Monoma clicked his tongue and bolted toward the exit.
All Might, meanwhile, sneered to himself upon seeing Suzaku bravely sacrifice himself for the team.
'Very well. I'll play along for a bit.'
Suzaku catching his punch—even held back—had earned him that much.
Not many could do something like that.
So, with a grin, All Might opened his arms again.
"Well then, young Suzaku, if you're really set on trying to hold me off… give it your best."
"Yeah, yeah, spare me the theatrics. I'm not in the mood for them with a broken arm," Suzaku scoffed, gritting his teeth as he used his one working arm to remove his helmet and toss it aside.
All Might sweatdropped. The redhead had an unnerving tolerance for pain.
Without another word, Suzaku pulled out his staff and frowned.
His legs shifted into full Mirko-mode, and his upper body—except for his face—began taking on the Thing's stone skin again.
From the outside, he looked almost the same. But inside the suit, he was a whole different beast than he had been seconds ago.
Though, whether that was going to be enough… was still to be seen.
And so—he moved.
—Bang!—
Suzaku's foot slammed into the ground, cracking it apart and launching him like a bullet toward All Might.
Using his only arm, he spun mid-air, channeling all his momentum into a brutal swing of his staff. The force behind it was no less than what he had used against that giant-scaled guy during his internship—maybe even more.
How could the number one hero fare against it? Suzaku was dying to know.
As such, and accelerating mid-air, Suzaku swung the staff.
—BAM!!!—
In the blink of an eye, it connected.
And yet, All Might caught the strike in his palm as if it were nothing more than an annoying breeze.
Suzaku didn't falter.
Without missing a beat, he used the caught staff as leverage, vaulting into the air.
Then, twisting his body to build speed, he came down hard—knee aimed squarely at All Might's head.
"Futile."
All Might barely moved, simply tilting forward and slamming his head into Suzaku's knee.
The result was one-sided.
Had Suzaku not twisted at the last second to shift his momentum, his knee would've turned to powder on impact. He managed to avoid that, barely—but the raw force still launched him like a ragdoll.
—Crash!—
He crashed into a nearby building, shattering a window and making a mess of the office inside.
A few seconds passed before he emerged again—blood trailing down from his forehead.
"Is this because I enjoyed hitting you earlier?"
"It's because I'm the villain here, young Suzaku… and also, yes. Your actions were infuriating."
"Can I win if I say I'm sorry?"
"No."
"Well, I wasn't going to mean it anyway."
With their mini-banter done, Suzaku cracked his neck and dropped his staff—not because he didn't need it, but because he didn't want it to break. Honestly, it was already a miracle it hadn't shattered after that last strike.
So for now, he had only his fist and legs.
"Very well…" he muttered, getting into position.
Even if he'd barely landed a few hits, he could tell All Might's patience was running out. The guy was already itching to chase after Monoma.
Which meant this next shot might be his last chance.
So, deciding to bet his all into this one last attack, he began digging into his memories.
The Thing's form gave him durability, sure—but now he needed strength. More than what he had by default—which was already pushing it.
He needed power like Mirko's, but for his upper body. Someone whose strength came from a biologically enhanced body, not from a magical Quirk handout like the bastard standing in front of him.
'Curse me and my lack of interest in pro heroes…' Suzaku mentally kicked himself.
He knew of some heroes with enhancing Quirks—but nothing detailed about how they worked.
And judging by how he recalled most of them looking normal, it was unlikely their strength came from mutant-style bodies, which was what he needed.
So what the hell could he do?
His eyes flicked down to his legs.
'If only I could apply the strength of these legs to my arms… or can I?'
A quiet idea surfaced.
He could shapeshift into others—yes—but he also had minor control over his own biology, beyond just copying people.
He remembered that at the beginning of the semester, he had shaped his vocal cords to yell louder at Tetsutetsu, not copying anyone. That had been something he'd learned over the years, after first awakening his impostor powers.
He never questioned it before, but for what he was looking to accomplish right now, it might just be what he needed.
And during his alien transformation, his shapeshifting had become full-body morphing, turning his body into anything he wanted.
He hadn't forgotten that feeling… even if right now, in this more limited state, he didn't feel nearly as flexible.
Still… he remembered how it worked.
Not copying. Not transforming. Molding.
'But… can I even do that right now?'
Thinking about it was one thing. Bringing it to the field, mid-fight, in just a few seconds?
That was another story.
Especially when it involved tampering with his own limbs. One wrong move, and he might end up with a bone poking out of his bicep.
—Sigh—
Suzaku let out an annoyed breath.
'If only I knew more about biology, this wouldn't be so damn hard…' He scratched his hair with frustration.
But it was too late for regrets.
If he wanted even a chance at pulling off this final move, he had to risk it. He had to work with the little anatomy knowledge he'd picked up from Itsuka during their study sessions.
So, closing his eyes, he began to try.
The objective was strength.
He needed his muscles to become harder, stronger, more powerful—without losing flexibility. And if possible, without making it too obvious. His suit could hide some swelling, but there had to be a limit to how much pressure it could handle.
So Suzaku focused.
Beneath the fabric, his arms warped like liquid. Then they bulged, swelling like balloons—only to compress into a tight mesh of dense flesh. Then again, they grew. Then compressed. Again and again.
The process continued repeating, Suzaku's forehead filling with sweat with each iteration, demanding his full focus not to mess it up.
He had to hurry, All Might was somehow still giving him the time.
Maybe it was because of that pressure, or maybe it was because what he was attempting had never been that hard in the first place, but somehow, each time he did it, he felt it—his strength was growing.
Of course, not unlimitedly like in his alien transformation. He could feel himself reaching the limit of his body with each morphing his body went through.
Until, eventually, he reached it.
His body's full potential.
"Huuuh..."
Once it was over, Suzaku clenched his only functioning fist as he let out a satisfied yet exhausted breath. His remaining arm now looked slightly bigger, but not alarmingly so.
Still, the strength he now felt in it was wildly disproportionate to that change.
He felt immensely stronger.
Four, maybe five times stronger.
His legs remained the same; Mirko's buff was too great. He preferred to leave them as it is, and concentrate his strength above.
But… would all this be enough?
He glanced at All Might.
'Yeah, I doubt it,' he thought wryly.
"Are you coming, young Suzaku?" All Might asked, noticing the shift in his posture and confidence.
Despite it, however, his stance remained relaxed, not even bothering to raise his guard, keeping his arms crossed instead.
Suzaku grinned.
"Yeah."
He dropped into a stance, legs primed like pistons. His entire body tensed—muscles drawn tight and humming with power.
His breath caught.
And then—
—BANG!—
He launched forward.
The world blurred, stretched, and distorted from the sheer speed. Air tearing before his dazzling speed.
When he was finally within reach, Suzaku pulled his fist back, every fiber in his arm vibrating with stored energy.
All Might squinted at the sight, capable of dodging, but choosing not to.
Each millisecond that passed between the two felt like an eternity. Every centimeter Suzaku advanced, the tension grew stronger.
Until, finally... they reached their breaking point.
Putting all the momentum and strength into that single point... Suzaku swung.
—BAM!!!—
The sound of the blow echoed through the entire battlefield, making birds take off.
The punch had hit All Might square in the face, snapping his head back.
The shockwave also cleared the nearby debris in an instant from the sheer energy released.
Suzaku stared, breath caught… then let out a wry laugh as All Might's head slowly turned back, pushing against his own fist.
...There was barely a scratch.
"Man, your Quirk makes zero sense—uck!"
—Bam!—
His words were cut off as All Might's fist slammed into his gut.
Suzaku's eyes bulged. From just that hit, the world began spinning.
Then, he hit the ground hard, coughing violently as the air was completely blasted out of his lungs.
His transformation unraveled beneath the suit, no longer able to maintain after receiving such a clean hit.
While Suzaku writhed in pain, All Might calmly wiped a streak of blood from the corner of his mouth, looking down at him in surprise.
'This level of strength and speed… they're abnormal.'
From what he knew, Suzaku's Quirk amounted to little more than giving him self-repairing and moldeable glasses. So, how had he managed to produce that level of power?
That blow had been strong enough to rival that of many professional heroes with strength-enhancing Quirks, and really good ones at that. So, how in the world could Suzaku have been able to achieve such a feat?
He recalled that Suzaku had a body stronger than normal—which was also the reason he had been kidnapped years ago.
But was that truly enough to reach such a level of strength and speed?
He stared at the redhead intently for a few more seconds before shaking his head.
He'd discuss it with Nezu later. For now, he had to catch Monoma before the boy reached the exit.
However, just as he was about to leap—
—Tap!—
Something light hit his back.
"...?"
He turned his head in confusion, wondering if Suzaku had thrown a pebble at him or something.
But when he glanced over at the floor, he saw something strange.
A small metallic sphere.
'What is—?'
—BOOM!—
—Tssssssss!—
It exploded before he could finish the thought, releasing a flood of smoke. In mere seconds, the entire area was engulfed in a thick, swirling haze.
'A smoke bomb?'
All Might quickly looked toward where Suzaku had been. The smoke blurred his vision, but he was close enough—he could still vaguely see the ground there.
He was gone.
"Where—?"
All Might turned in every direction. The red coloring of Suzaku's hair should've been easy to spot, even through the smoke.
So how the heck had he—
"...!"
A jolt ran through him as he sensed movement—right behind him.
He spun.
And there was Suzaku, handcuffs in hand, lunging forward—barely a few centimeters from snapping them around his wrist and passing the exam.
'Shit!'
In a flash, All Might moved, using all the power he could muster for once in the exam.
The air around him cracked as he exerted overwhelming speed and force.
Making it—just in time.
—Whack!—
He caught Suzaku's wrist and slapped the handcuffs away, sending them flying.
A stunned silence followed.
Then, Suzaku exhaled slowly and smiled wryly. "Come on, man. Can't you take it easy? This level of exigence for a practically Quirkless pair is pretty unfair."
All Might smiled back, just as wry. "Sorry, young Suzaku. No can do."
Though… he had to admit, even he was starting to feel a little bad.
But then he remembered how this redhead had been gleefully smacking him around earlier.
Yeah, maybe he deserved it a little.
With Suzaku finally captured and nowhere else to go, All Might let out a long sigh of relief, glancing down at the weights on his wrists.
'That was close… If these weights had been even a little heavier, or if I'd been even a little more exhausted, he would've cuffed me… How the hell did he sneak up on me?'
All Might eyed Suzaku with something between suspicion and surprise.
This kid… something was up with him.
As the number one hero reconsidered his assessment, the smoke began to disperse, letting the sunlight bathe the field once more.
He shook his head, finally deciding he had given Monoma enough of a head start.
"You tried well, young Suzaku. But this is as far as you go."
He pulled his fist back, ready to knock the redhead out cold.
But just as he did, Suzaku smirked, confidence flashing in his gaze, even if he was currently beaten up pretty badly.
"Are you sure about that?"
All Might squinted. "What do you mean?"
"You think Monoma went for the exit… but is that really true?"
"What are you…?"
"The only reason you've got the advantage is because we lost Erasure… But if Monoma gets it back, you'll be the one at our mercy."
All Might hesitated, narrowing his eyes.
"I hid Aizawa-kun. Even if young Monoma did go looking, I doubt he'd find him in time."
"Really?" Suzaku raised an eyebrow. "Because that other Quirk he copied before the exam sure comes in handy for that."
All Might's eyes widened. "What?!"
"You didn't think we came in here with just one Quirk copied, did you?" Suzaku sneered. Then his eyes shifted past All Might's shoulder, and his grin widened, letting out a cry filled with the smugness of someone who had already won.
"Now, Monoma, do it!"
All Might spun around, eyes wide.
And saw… absolutely nothing.
A beat of silence passed until he turned back slowly, deadpan on his face.
"You—"
When he finally turned back, though, he saw something that startled him.
Suzaku was now holding a handful of the same smoke bombs he'd used earlier.
As All Might processed the sight, the redhead stuck out his tongue and shrugged, letting all the bombs drop to the floor. "My bad, man. Must've been seeing things."
"You—!"
—BOOOM!—
Before All Might could move, the grenades exploded.
Smoke swallowed the entire area, thick and choking. The blast forced him to drop Suzaku.
By the time he waved the haze away with a single sweep of his hand, the redhead was gone.
All Might looked around, utterly speechless.
Where could he—
—HOOOONK!—
[Team Suzaku Suzuki and Neito Monoma have passed.]
The announcement rang from his phone, stopping his search for the redhead.
All Might blinked.
Then blinked again.
And finally, he let out a baffled, almost admiring laugh.
He'd been played.
As he chuckled, however, a sudden fit of coughing overtook him—like that of a dying man.
-Cough, cough!-
By the time he recovered, he wiped a fresh trail of blood from his mouth with his forearm.
'Good thing… I was reaching the limit of my transformation anyway.'
Just then, the sound of glass shattering nearby startled him.
Looking up, he saw the unmistakable redhead leaping through a window in a building not too far away, grinning more smugly than usual.
As Suzaku landed triumphantly on the pavement, he raised his remaining arm high…
…and flipped him off.
"Yeah, suck it!"
All Might let out one last wry smile.
The kid sure didn't have the decorum of a winner.
…
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-To be Continued…-
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(A/N: How was the battle? I personally liked how I wrote it, but I'm having some doubts about how organic that power up Suzaku pulled up his ass felt. I'm trying to expand more on the uses of his shapeshifting abilities, but I might have poured too much over just a single fight with All Might, and just for a simple exam.
Idk, eitherway, I hope you liked the chapter. See you in the next one.)
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