For the 50-Meter Dash, I was paired up with Tokoyami. Dark shadow boy. He didn't say a word as we stepped up to the line.
Before stepping up to the starting line, I held out my hand and formed a solid ball of high-carbon steel—more elastic than regular steel. Good compression strength. Just enough give to store potential energy.
I absorbed it immediately, directing the material down into my legs. My calves and thighs stretched, reshaped—metal twisting into coiled tension. They weren't legs anymore. They were springs.
"On your mark..." The testing robot's mechanical voice signalled from its tripod, sensors locked on us.
I crouched down, loading my weight into the springs. Pressure built through them, compressed force stacking with every second.
Right hand forward, left spring-leg back. I had to give myself the right angle here, low enough to generate horizontal momentum, but high enough to keep from face-planting. I found an angle that felt right, which I estimated to be about a 25-degree launch arc.
"Get set…"
Tension wound tight through my frame, breath held, focus razor-sharp.
Then—beep.
The starting signal rang out, and I released everything.
The springs in my legs unleashed. A metallic snap echoed behind me as I blasted forward—no steps, no running, just a clean, devastating launch. Wind roared in my ears. The field blurred. My feet didn't touch the ground until a few meters after I crossed the line.
Felt like getting shot out of a cannon.
I transformed the springs back to steel legs, skidding to a halt.
1.73 seconds.
Faster than Iida's 3.04 by over a full second.
Tokoyami finished his run and looked at me with a small, unreadable nod.
I rolled my shoulders, letting the steel dissolve. This time I didn't even feel any recoil.
Up next was Grip Strength.
We moved into the nearby training gyms—wooden floors, bright lighting, and the dynamometers were already laid out for us.
I used the same titanium alloy ball I'd created earlier as a demonstration for Momo. I started absorbing the material into my body. I channeled it into my right arm, coating the surface layer by layer.
Still not enough.
It took a bit of time, but I kept drawing more material into the limb, reshaping it as I worked. My fingers fused together. The wrist narrowed. Joints locked and shifted until the structure resembled something like a crab.
By the time I was finished, I had a titanium pincer claw where my hand used to be.
When it was my turn, I stepped up and clamped the claw down over the dynamometer.
The machine beeped and recorded the result.
467 kilograms.
Less than I expected.
I released the handle and stepped back, my claw already shifting back into a hand.
The third test was the Standing Long Jump.
I used the same setup as the 50 meter dash—spring-loaded legs, high-carbon steel, coiled tight.
Only difference this time was the angle. I leaned back a bit more, adjusted to about 45 degrees for optimal lift and distance.
When I launched, the springs did their job. I cleared the entire sandbox without even brushing the edge.
Up next were the repeated side steps.
I was pretty sure I wouldn't need to save any more energy for Momo's Quirk—none of the upcoming tests looked like they'd need special materials that I didn't already have. So, I used it to create a solid rubber ball.
I absorbed the material, directing it into my legs until they became springier, more elastic—just enough bounce to keep me fast and light without losing control.
I ended up with one of the best scores, since most of the others didn't have any real advantage here.
Well, excluding Mineta. He used his Quirk to ricochet himself between the lines
We made it to the main event.
The Ball Throw.
My own score had already been overtaken twice—once by Yaoyorozu, who created a cannon and launched her softball over 1,500 meters. Then by Uraraka, who removed the gravity from hers and tossed it into the sky until the sensor capped it with a blinking infinity symbol.
Now it was Midoriya's turn.
Aizawa was standing right next to Midoriya, speaking low enough that none of us could hear. I already had a good idea of what he was saying.
I let my eyes drift across the group. Most of the class was starting to settle down by this point. The worst of the pressure had passed, and a few decent scores here and there had given people confidence. The ones still sweating were the ones who hadn't landed a solid result in anything so far.
Kaminari looked nervous, Jiro kept flicking her fingers against her ears. Hagakure? Hard to tell with her, but the jitter in her voice earlier wasn't subtle. All three of them had Quirks that didn't apply well to these kinds of trials.
Or maybe they just hadn't figured out how to apply them yet. I had a few ideas for how Kaminari could use his quirk.
"Hey!" a familiar voice called.
Ashido jogged over, with Kirishima trailing a few steps behind her. She threw a bright grin in my direction.
"You and Yaoyorozu are killing it out here! Honestly, I think one of you might take the top spot!"
Kirishima nodded with a wide smile. "Yeah! It's so manly! You're both crushing every test—makes me wanna go even harder."
I gave them a small smile and glanced over at Yaoyorozu, who was standing not far from us, composed as ever. She offered a light bow of her head.
"Thank you, Ashido-san, Kirishima-san. I've just been doing my best," she said gracefully, then turned to me with a slightly raised brow. "Though… Henshin-san, I couldn't help but notice—you were using my Quirk earlier, weren't you?"
"Since I already absorbed it, I figured I might as well make use of it," I replied. "Our Quirks pair well together, Yaoyorozu. I hope you don't mind?"
She shook her head slightly. "Not at all. I was just curious. It's… interesting to see how someone else adapts it."
Before I could say more, a sharp whoosh of a throw snapped my attention back to the field.
Midoriya had thrown.
705.3 meters.
Topping Bakugo's score of 705.2 meters.
And Bakugo? He looked like he might actually explode this time. Rage radiated off him in waves, sharp and unfiltered. Honestly, I think this was the most furious I'd seen him yet—even more than when Iida was lecturing him, or when he did his ball throw and it didn't come close to my result.
Ashido let out a low whistle. "Whoa. Okay, I totally thought he was a strong contender for last. But this? That score should push him up the rankings, right?"
I didn't answer right away. Just watched Midoriya shake out his arm, pain ghosting across his face.
"Take a look at his finger," I said finally. "He broke it with that throw."
Her eyes widened.
"He'll have to do the next three tests while dealing with the pain." I added.
Kirishima let out a soft "woah," under his breath, eyes narrowing a little. "That's rough. Props to him for pushing through, though. That's... not easy."
We watched Midoriya return to the group, cradling his hand but keeping his expression steady. Whatever else he was dealing with, he wasn't going to fold now.
And with that, the final stretch of testing began.
Next was the distance run—easily the most annoying one of the day.
The spring-leg trick that got me through the 50-meter dash and the standing long jump wasn't sustainable over a long run. The force it generates is too explosive, not built for repeated motion. So instead, I absorbed the rubber that I created for the repeated side steps and transformed my legs again—this time aiming for elasticity and energy retention.
It worked well enough. Each stride rebounded a little cleaner, a little lighter. But even with that, distance running isn't really my strength.
I still placed above average, but this was the first time I didn't dominate. Middle of the pack. Tolerable—but annoying.
Then came the seated toe-touch.
Honestly? Easiest one all day.
I sat down, legs extended, leaned forward—and didn't even try to stretch. Instead, I reached into the ground, absorbed some of the flooring material, and ran it through my arms. My fingertips extended an extra few inches.
Last was sit-ups, and I wasn't about to finish things on a lazy note.
Started with another full-body rubber transformation, to give me a little more flexibility in the lower back and hips. Then I added something extra.
I absorbed a bit of titanium, and shaped it into a compression belt around my midsection. It acted as a stabilizer, keeping my posture tight and helping rebound each rep so I didn't waste energy wobbling all over the mat.