Time flew. It had been two months since school started, and it was now June.
The students took off their school uniform jackets and changed into cooler school uniforms to welcome the hottest season of the year.
After the bell rang, Mr. Aizawa slowly walked into the classroom and started today's class. "Well … the summer vacation is getting closer and closer, but there's no reason to let you rest comfortably for a month."
Kamimura saw that the teacher's words were a little strange. "No way …"
But the teacher continued, "During the summer vacation, we're going to have a forest cohabitation!"
The class cheered again. "I knew it!
Hooray —!! "
Camping with friends and playing with fireworks during the summer vacation were the most anticipated activities of high school students.
"Test of Courage!"
"Mixed bath!"
"Fireworks!"
"Mixed bath!"
"Curry … right."
"Shower!"
Mr. Aizawa tried to explain in the midst of the chaos. "In the natural environment, of course, the conditions for activities will also change."
"Hot spring!!"
"Eat, drink, and poop with everyone!
I'm looking forward to it! "
"But!!"
AsiaZe-sensei glared fiercely with his red eyes, and all the students in the class quieted down. Only then did he speak gently, "Those who didn't pass the final exam … will have to stay in school and receive hellish tutoring …"
Seishima bore the brunt of it and roared angrily, "Let's work hard together!!!"
Zoe, who was dozing off, was startled by his roar. She squinted her eyes and clapped her hands gently.
Let's work hard together …
Two weeks had passed since then, and now there was less than a week left before the final exam.
Zoe sat in her seat and turned a page of the exercise book. She covered her wide mouth with her other hand and continued to look at the wrong questions on the exercise book.
Seishima saw her like this and asked with concern, "What's wrong, Fengze?
You've been very listless recently. Didn't you sleep well? "
Zoe wiped her tears. "Yes, I haven't slept well recently. The whole night …"
Halfway through her words, she seemed to have recalled something horrifying. Her entire body shuddered and her face turned pale.
Seishima was shocked. "What's wrong?"
Zoe shrunk her shoulders uncomfortably. She looked around and hid her face behind her exercise book. "I, I hear someone talking in my ear every night …"
Seishima also felt uncomfortable. "Fengze, what are you talking about..."
Zoe swallowed a mouthful of saliva, shook her head anxiously, and continued to review for the exam.
At this moment, the sorrowful cries of Ashito And Kamimura could be heard from the back of the classroom.
Kamimura: "You're not studying at all!!"
Ashito: "Ahahahahaha!"
Kamimura: "Sports meet and workplace experience, there's no time to study at all!!!"
Ashito: "Ahahahahaha!"
The two of them were at the bottom of the last midterm exam. Kamimura was naturally distressed, and Ashito went into a state of self-indulgence.
Constant Darkness, who came in fourteenth place, agreed with Kamimura. "Indeed."
Sha Teng, who came in twelfth place, and Kouda, who came in eleventh place, said, "During the midterm exam, because we just enrolled, the scope of the exam was relatively small, so we didn't have to work too hard … There were a lot of activities, but the end of the semester is still very different from the midterm …"
Minoru, who had one hand on his cheek, said leisurely, "There's also the combat test. It's going to be hard on you …"
Ashito And Kamimura, who had unexpectedly come in ninth place, exploded.
"I thought you were the same kind of person as us!"
"I thought a guy like you must be an idiot to always play with us!
Other than that, who else would care about you?! "
Minoru said lightly, "Probably 'the whole world'."
Seeing this, Midaya couldn't help but interject, wanting to encourage Kamimura and Ashito. "Ashito -san, Kamimura -san!
That … let's do our best together! "
He, who came in fourth place, said, "Sure enough, it's better if we all go together!
Right? "
Tenya, who came in second place, agreed wholeheartedly. "Yes!"
Bombardment Scorch, who came in fifth place, said casually, "If we listen in class normally, we shouldn't fail."
Kamimura was deeply hurt by the consecutive attacks of the three straight-A students. He clutched his chest and said with difficulty, "Watch your words!"
Eight Million, who came in first place in class, volunteered himself. "If the two of you need guidance, I might be able to help."
"Eight Million — —!!"
Ashito And Kamimura was so excited that he even gave her a nickname.
However, Eight Million whispered dejectedly, "On the other hand, I don't have any confidence in actual combat …"
At this time, Tail White, Setsuke, and Earman, who were close to Eight Million, each asked her for help. The group also decided to find a day to tutor at Eight Million's house.
Seishima, who came in fifteenth place, saw this and couldn't help but nudge Takeshi, who came in third place. "Look at the difference between them."
Takeshi gritted his teeth. "I can teach you too!
I can even teach you to death!!! "
Seishima saw that his goal was achieved. "Oh!
Please! "
It was time to end class. Zoe ate a very sumptuous breakfast this morning, so she didn't go to the cafeteria and went to the library alone to study.
She was ranked tenth in class during the mid-term exam. She was neither good nor bad, so she wanted to work harder to pull her ranking up. At least, she wanted to be within the top five.
However, "Ah …"
Unable to bear the tiredness, Zoe yawned loudly in the library.
Every night after the Stein incident, no, to be more precise, every 24 hours of the day, Zoe's ears were buzzing non-stop.
The sounds of people talking around her, and even from afar, the sound of furniture being moved, the sound of water being watered, and so on constantly entered her ears, causing her to be unable to sleep well at night. Every day, she would come to school with a pair of thick panda eyes.
Zoe leaned back in her chair, leaned back, and covered her face with a book. She thought hopelessly, "It's so noisy, so noisy, so noisy."
At first, she was very scared, thinking that she had provoked something she shouldn't have. However, four days later, she found that other than her sleep quality getting worse and worse, she couldn't concentrate … there didn't seem to be any other strange phenomena.
Could it be that her personality was playing tricks on her?
After making a phone call to her brother, Zoe finally knew the answer: it was really her personality that caused this.
Her brother said that this was a normal phenomenon. Due to some kind of opportunity, her personality had begun to upgrade, and now it was just a transition period.
During the transition period, Zoe would be unable to control the amount of information she received through the wind, but as time passed, her body would adapt to the upgraded version of her personality, and this wouldn't happen again.
Zoe asked, "What's the opportunity?"
Her brother said, "It's very likely that it's the actual combat between you and the hero killer. I also had such a transition period. That was when I just started my career and encountered real villains. Just like you, I couldn't sleep at night. It was very hard."
"Brother, how long is your transition period?"
"If I remember correctly, a month?"
"…"
"It's okay. It's just like puberty. Once you get through it, you'll feel that it's not a big deal. And it's not a bad thing. Don't be so depressed."
"Okay."
"Come on!"
Zoe forced herself to cheer up. "Okay!"
After recalling, Zoe, who was lazing on the chair, moved her fingers, and then gave up the idea of covering her ears.
It was useless to cover her ears. The sound would still be transmitted to her brain.
She sighed hopelessly. It was so noisy. Why did it have to be during the exam period when she had to live such a life for a month?
Back in class, Zoe spent the next few classes in a daze. She forced herself not to fall asleep. After the teacher left the classroom, she didn't have the strength to immediately stand up and go home. She had to cover her face with a book first before she could move.
"Zoe, go home."
"Okay …"
"Zoe, hurry up. I have to go back and revise."
"Okay … Wait, let me close my eyes for a while …"
"Zoe, what's wrong with you recently?"
"Okay …?"
Seeing that Zoe didn't even have the basic ability to understand, Tenya sighed. "I have to deal with some things for the class monitor first. I'll come back later."
"Okay …"
Zoe closed her eyes and wanted to rest, but there was no quiet in the classroom except for class. In a daze, Zoe seemed to hear Ashito And Kamimura's voice, and then Takeshi's provocative tone.
But she also heard a lot of other sounds, such as the squeaking of bicycle brakes outside the campus, the chirping of cicadas in the trees, the claw machine music in the shopping street, and …
Her whole body trembled, and when she sat up, her book fell to the ground. She exclaimed, "Egg rolls are half price!!"
The whole class: "…"
Zoe: "…"
The whole class: "…"
Zoe looked around and saw that the whole class was facing Takeshi and Kazuhiro Midtani, who were surrounded in the middle. Takeshi was pointing at Midaya's nose with his mouth slightly open, as if he was interrupted by Zoe who suddenly woke up.
Uh …
She instinctively felt that she had ruined the originally serious atmosphere in the class. She wanted to remedy it but couldn't because she didn't know what they were talking about. She could only laugh and bend down to pick up her book. "Sorry, you can continue."
Takeshi, who was interrupted by her, looked at her and thought of something unpleasant. He clicked his tongue and pointed at Bombardment Scorch next to Midaya and Zoe behind him. "Boom!
Fengze!
You too!! "
He turned around and left the classroom, slamming the door hard to show how unhappy he was.
Zoe paused and looked at Bombardment Scorch, who was also called out at the same time, and found that he was also looking at her. When their eyes met, they confirmed each other's thoughts and nodded.
Both of them were surprised that Boisterous Tyrant remembered their names.
But then again, Stein was also there during the incident. Why don't I have the same thoughts about him as I do about Midaya?
Zoe thought for a long time but still couldn't figure it out. She fell asleep on the table and was finally carried home by Tenya.
She spent the next few days in a pile of books, doing test questions one after another. She didn't know how many times she had flipped through the textbooks for each subject, squeezing the contents of the textbooks into her head.
On the day of the exam, she released everything in her head and wrote on the exam paper. She felt like she had vomited on the table several times.
After the exam, Zoe's head was empty. She lay on the table and didn't want to stand up. Then she was dragged home by Tenya.
The final exam was divided into two parts, a written test and an actual combat test.
The written test was over, and tomorrow was the actual combat test.
From the seniors she knew and Tenya, she heard that the test tomorrow was likely to be an ordinary battle with robots. Zoe relaxed herself and put away the novel early. She washed up and went to bed, snoring loudly.
The next day.
The students changed into their combat suits and went to the parking lot to meet the teachers.
When everyone was present, Mr. Aizawa, who was the leader, said to the students, "Then let's start the actual combat test."
Hearing this, the students stood up straight. Zoe glanced at Tenya. This guy is already standing at attention.
"Of course, there are failures in this test. If you want to sleep in the forest, be careful not to make any ugly mistakes."
Hyōka Erlang noticed that the number of teachers present was a little abnormal. "There are so many teachers …"
Ye Yintou counted. "There are eight."
"As for you guys, I think you've already done your research in advance and vaguely know what to do."
Kamimura Electric and Sana Ashito raised their hands in excitement. "Fighting robots like the ones we saw when we first entered the school, right?"
"Fireworks!
Curry!
Test of Courage! "
Gen Jin, that unknown creature that looked like a rat, ran out from the layers of cloth around Aidezawa-sensei's neck and announced, "Unfortunately, due to various reasons, the content of the test will be changed from this time onwards!"
Zoe thought, Mr. Aizawa's expression didn't even change when that furry creature was running around his neck. Mr. Aizawa is really amazing!
Eight Million asked worriedly, "Change means …"
Genjin slowly climbed down from Asuzaku-sensei's shoulder. "That is … Considering the upcoming combat activities, we need to focus more on actual combat. Therefore, I would like to invite everyone to form groups of two or three and fight with one of the teachers here!"
Fight … with the teacher?
Zoe's eyes widened. She had imagined many different kinds of tests, such as one-on-one or group battles like the sports festival, but she had never thought that there would be such an arrangement.
If it was an ordinary subject, it would be the same as when you sat down for a chemistry test and found out that the person sitting next to you was your chemistry teacher.
The teachers were all professional heroes. Just the experience points alone could easily crush them. In addition, the teachers knew their personalities and weaknesses like the back of their hands. On the other hand, the students had very little information about the teachers' personalities. They didn't even know what the teachers' personalities were like!
AsiaZe-sensei continued, "In addition, we have already decided on the team composition and the teachers who will be fighting against each other. After considering everyone's habits, grades, and intimacy level, we have decided on our own to form a team based on everyone's situation.
We will announce it now. "
"First of all, Boom and Eight Million will be in a group against me."
"Then, Midaya and Takeshi will be in a group, and your opponent will be …"
Zoe couldn't help but facepalm. Wasn't this the worst combination in all aspects?
Why would the teacher put the two of them together? Could it be that their relationship was too bad?
Orumit, who hadn't been seen for a long time, came out and said to the two teenagers, "I … will be your opponent.
Let's work together and fight for victory, you two young men!! "
Zoe was stunned. What kind of development was this!?
"We've prepared a corresponding battlefield for each group. All 10 groups will start the test at the same time. As for the content of the test, your respective opponents will explain it to you. We'll transport you over on the school bus now. Don't waste time, hurry up and sit down."
The list of matches was as follows:
Asparagus Vulgaris, Seishima, and Fengze VS Concrete Division
Boom and Eight Million VS Kota Aizawa Sensei
Midaya and Takeshi VS Orumit
Ashito And Kamimura VS Principal
Aoyama And Li Ri VS 13
Kouda Kazuero VS Breuxent Mike
Frogblow and Constant Darkness VS Ethereal Ghost
Setsuke and Minoru VS Midnight
Ye Yin and Barrier VS Sharpshooter
Iida and Tail White VS Strength Loader
After the list came out, Zoe's mood changed and she ran to Ruijiro Seishima and Asparagus Vulgaris. "Hey!
I didn't expect us to be in the same group! "
She slapped her cheeks and said to them with her red cheeks, "LET'S!
WIN
THIS.”
Asparagus Vulgaris raised his fists and roared after hearing this. Seishima clenched his fists and elbowed back, "Oh!
I'm fired up!! "
The three of them and the teacher got on the bus prepared for them. The bus engine started and drove in the direction of the examination hall.
When they arrived, Zoe found that the venue was similar to the city scene of the entrance exam. Ruijiro Seishima frowned uneasily, "Oh no, this scene is very unfavorable for us …"
Zoe and Asparagus Vulgaris nodded in agreement.
Zoe then said with some annoyance, "The teacher's personality is to manipulate concrete. In this kind of scene, he can use endless concrete."
"…" Seishima patted Zoe on the shoulder, "It's okay!"
Asparagus Vulgaris said, "We're still here, aren't we?
We'll definitely win! "
The teacher looked back at the students who seemed to be having a party. What a bunch of simple-minded people.
After getting off the bus, the teacher began to explain the rules of the actual combat test to the three of them, "The time limit is 30 minutes. Your purpose is to 'put this handcuff on me' or 'one of you escapes from this venue'. This test is very similar to the actual combat situation.
Please treat us as real enemies. If you encounter an enemy, it's good if you can defeat him. However, if the difference in strength is too big, it's best to escape and ask for help. "
"Feng Ze and the rest of you should be very clear about this point."
The two beside him didn't understand, but Zoe knew that the teacher was referring to the incident where she, Tenya and Kazuhiro Midtani encountered Stein. She nodded slightly.
There was another rule in this test. The teachers had to wear a super-compressed weight ring on their limbs to slow down their movements and reduce their physical strength at the same time.
The students set off from the center of the examination hall. If they wanted to escape successfully, they had to go through the designated door, and the teachers would lie in ambush near the door.
After the students arrived at the center of the venue, the recovery girl was in charge of the broadcast, "Everyone is in position. Now, the Sunyoung High School's first-grade final test will begin!"
"READY …"
“GO！！”
As soon as the voice fell, Zoe, Asparagus Vulgaris and Seishima, who were standing back to back on the road, were instantly surrounded by high concrete walls. The opponents didn't give them any buffer time.
Zoe, who also expanded her perception range at the beginning, opened her eyes and smiled, "Found the teacher!"
"Well done, Fengze!"
The concrete walls that surrounded them grew taller and taller from the inside out.
The only way to escape from this wall was through the opening at the top, but the surface of the wall was smooth, and there was no fulcrum to climb out.
Asparagus Vulgaris began to break the concrete walls, and Seishima joined him with his hardened arms.
In the past, Zoe would have wrapped her wind around her hand and joined them to break the wall. However, Snake Well's nightmarish words of "Calm down", "Don't get so excited", and "If you get so excited again, I'll shave all your hair off" made her put down her raised foot. She watched quietly from the side, which was rare for her. Her mind started to work.
Their method is too time-consuming, she thought. The teachers will probably find them before they can break through the wall.
Cut a path out with my wind blade?
No.
Although my wind blade has become sharper after training with the seniors, I still can't cut through such a thick wall …
Asparagus Vulgaris is very strong, and Seishima can harden his body. My wind blade can't cut through these walls in one go …
Zoe had a flash of inspiration and called out to them, "Hey, it's more important to conserve your energy!"
This was something she had learned from Takeshi during the sports festival.
Asparagus Vulgaris put down his hand. "What do you mean?"
"What should we do?" Seishima stopped as well.
After Zoe confirmed that the teachers were not near them, she pointed to the wall behind the two boys. "That's the direction of the escape. The teachers should have come from there."
Then, he touched the wall behind him. "This is the opposite direction of the escape. What do you think if we go out from here?"
The two boys nodded, and Zoe continued, "I can also break a hole like you, but it's too time-consuming. So … Asparagus Vulgaris, use Seishima as a shield in front of you and charge forward. I'll use my wind blade to weaken the wall bit by bit. Let's break a hole through here."
"Weaken … it?"
"Yes, there's a risk. If I can't cooperate with you …" Seishima would be hurt.
Before she could finish her sentence, Seishima shouted and hardened his head and hands. Asparagus Vulgaris lifted him up as a shield. "Let's start!"
Zoe did not waste any time. She walked behind them and exhaled, telling herself not to be so nervous.
Calm down. It's okay.
Take control of everything around you and in front of you.
The hardness of the wall, the strength and speed of Asparagus Vulgaris, and the hardening of Seishima.
How much should I weaken?
How fast?
How wide?
Focus.
Focus.
"Let's start."
Asparagus Vulgaris supported Seishima and rushed forward. Seishima's arm hit the wall. A second later, cracks began to appear and the wall began to disintegrate.
Zoe let the wind seep into every crack. "Okay!
Let's break through in one go! "
The time it took to break through was shorter than they had imagined. From the hard rock at the beginning to the feeling of hitting loose sand in the end, it only took a short 30 seconds.
The three of them succeeded in breaking through. When they ran out, they could not react in time. Three seconds later, they staggered and ran to hide in a nearby alley.
Seishima looked up at Zoe, who was leading the way. She was indeed much faster than their fists and brute force. "Won't it make a lot of noise?"
Zoe did not look back. "No, I've already used the wind to silence the noise. The teacher won't hear anything. She might think that we're still trapped inside."
Asparagus Vulgaris: "Really?
Fengze, your personality can be used like this? "
Zoe stopped, looked around, and squatted down along the wall. She waved at them and said with a smile, "This is something I've always wanted to try since the first Hero Basic Training.
Compared to that kind of thing, let's discuss countermeasures before the teacher finds us! "
"Teacher Concrete Division is good at protracted battles, right?"
"Yes, I think so too. But protracted battles … are a little troublesome for me."
Zoe raised her hand. "Me too. That's why I lost to Takeshi at the sports festival."
Needless to say, Asparagus Vulgaris, whose brain would become slow if she used her personality for too long. For a moment, the three of them were silent. Did the teacher put them together because they were not good at protracted battles?
Seishima shook his head. "Don't think about it!"
Zoe also composed herself. "Although I haven't seen the teacher fight, I don't think she's very flexible. If we split into three and attack the teacher at the same time as fast as we can, it's very likely that we'll pass the exam."
"I see. I have no objections."
"Then which direction should we attack from?"
"Oh?
Do you think I'm not flexible enough … "
The voice of the Concrete Division sounded in the alley, and their scalps exploded.
The three of them turned their heads mechanically and saw the shape of the Concrete Division's emotionless face gradually emerge from the wall behind Zoe.
Seishima: "!"
Asparagus Vulgaris: "!"
"Bang!"
Zoe reflexively raised her fist and swung it at the face that appeared next to her head.
Although she missed, she immediately jumped back a few steps. After she steadied herself, she found that her breathing had become chaotic.
No wonder she was ranked fourth on the list of "Heroes You Don't Want to See on the Streets at Night."
"Wait, is that the teacher?"
"Didn't you say he wasn't nearby?"
Zoe came back to her senses. After sensing for a while, she gritted her teeth unwillingly. "A substitute …"
The concrete master slowly walked out from the wall and said gently, "Well, don't be angry, Feng Ze. Teacher knows that you're good at sensing, so he made a mirror that's no different from my real body …"
He suddenly stopped talking. Zoe shivered and stretched out her right hand, manipulating the wind to knock the two students next to her out of the alley.
Seishima and Asparagus Vulgaris rolled several times before stopping. "Fengze!"
However, she found that she had been trapped in the airtight concrete mound by the teacher.
"Then you won't be able to control the wind freely … Ah, I forgot to mention one thing."
We, the teacher, are going to do our best …