My Hero Academia: Thunder God

In the monitoring room, Asui, Midoriya, Iida, and the others all had deadpan expressions as they watched the big screen, where Principal Nezu was laughing maniacally.

"...After all, Principal Nezu has been tormented by humans in various ways before, so his true nature tends to slip out at moments like this," Recovery Girl explained softly.

"His true nature, huh?" Kaminari murmured, his eyes taking on a thoughtful glint.

"Hey, look! Mina-chan and the others are changing direction!" Asui suddenly pointed out as the screen shifted back to Momo's team.

"Yeah, they were heading south toward the exam exit, but now they've started running east!" Tetsutetsu exclaimed.

"East…?"

"That's where the principal is!!" Midoriya, Kirishima, and Iida shouted in unison.

---

Inside the industrial simulation zone—

"Zzzzzzzt!"

"Let's go!"

Mina didn't hesitate. The acid she had sprayed melted a large hole in the metal wall in front of her, creating an opening wide enough for three people to pass through. She immediately dashed forward.

BOOM!!!

The moment they exited, the building behind them collapsed under the relentless onslaught of falling debris. Whether it was just perfect timing or someone intentionally trying to crush them, they didn't have time to think about it.

"As expected, we're going for the principal," Momo thought to herself with a small smile as she ran alongside Mina, slightly out of breath.

When she had initially laid out the two options, she had already expected this outcome, not just because she believed it was the better choice, and not simply because she knew Mina's personality.

But because, logically speaking, their remaining time was too limited to waste searching for whatever obscure escape route the principal had maybe left open.

Going straight for Nezu was the clearest objective. Sure, they'd encounter obstacles, but at least they'd be taking control of their own fate rather than leaving it in the hands of their opponent.

Momo understood this reasoning fully. And she believed Mina understood it too, perhaps not in a deeply analytical way, but on an instinctual level.

Thus, they continued pressing forward, using Mina's acid and Vulpix's flamethrower to blast through walls and obstacles whenever possible.

Unfortunately, not everything could be melted or burned away quickly, and the constant threat of collapsing structures slowed them down.

As a result, they weren't able to take the most direct route. Instead, they were forced to navigate the cold, maze-like industrial area in a winding, roundabout way.

Still, according to the projection map, they were getting closer to Nezu. That was reassuring.

But…

Time was running out.

At this pace, their exam would likely end before they could reach their goal.

Even in the monitoring room, the tension was palpable. Kirishima, Tetsutetsu, and the other typically carefree students now wore deep frowns as they stared at the screen, eyes flicking between Momo's team and the countdown clock in the top-right corner.

---

"It's already this late in the exam… Why isn't she using it? What's Momo thinking?"

Kaminari frowned as he watched her determined expression on the screen. Then, a thought struck him, an unlikely, but entirely possible reason for her hesitation.

"Wait… could she have forgotten to bring it?"

He immediately shook his head. No way. Someone as meticulous as Momo wouldn't make a mistake like that.

And yet… something nagged at him.

"But what if she didn't forget? What if she left it behind on purpose? That would make even less sense!"

---

"Kaminari, look! Momo and the others changed their strategy again!"

Kyoka lightly tugged at Kaminari's sleeve, her voice low as she pointed to the screen.

"Mm?"

Kaminari lifted his head, at the same time, his hand instinctively closed around hers.

Kyoka stiffened slightly, glancing around in embarrassment. But seeing that everyone else was still fixated on the exam, she let out a small breath and relaxed.

She didn't pull away.

Sure, their relationship was nothing unusual. But still… it was a little embarrassing.

Meanwhile, Kaminari, too focused on the screen, completely missed her expression.

Had he noticed, he probably would've really regretted not teasing her about it later.

---

"So she's sending Vulpix ahead first? Hah… Smart move. That's Momo for you," Kaminari muttered.

Indeed, on the screen, the bright orange-red Vulpix had broken away from Momo and Mina, sprinting toward Nezu's location at full speed.

With its agility and size, it could maneuver through obstacles far faster than they could. Even in areas where the path was completely blocked, it could simply leap and climb over.

And if something did fall on it? It had fire attacks to clear the way or, if needed, sharp teeth to bite its way through.

Compared to Momo and Mina, Vulpix's path to Nezu was practically a straight line.

"But won't we lose the map if Vulpix leaves?" Mina asked, a bit uneasy.

She had a general sense of direction, but this industrial area was dense, and their path had been shifting constantly due to Nezu's destruction. If they took a wrong turn now, they might get completely lost.

With only minutes left on the clock, that could cost them everything.

Momo, however, simply smiled—calm, confident.

"It's fine. I already memorized the entire map," she said, adjusting her pace.

"I'll continue updating it in my head as we go, accounting for the new paths the principal is blocking. That way, we can still navigate accurately."

Mina blinked.

Her calm words, her sheer certainty instantly put her at ease.

Without even thinking, she shifted slightly so that she and Momo were running side by side, rather than one leading and the other following.

It was a small gesture, but it made a difference.

Now, they were moving forward together. Equally.

Momo had ensured that neither of them felt like a "leader" or a "follower"—only partners.

And just like that, a bright grin spread across Mina's face.

At that moment, their friendship leveled up.

And perhaps… for Momo and Mina, this would be their greatest takeaway from the exam, maybe even more valuable than simply passing.

---

Meanwhile, up ahead—

Vulpix, bounding swiftly along a massive steel pipe, had finally spotted its target.

Perched atop a towering crane, leisurely sipping from a porcelain teacup, sat Principal Nezu.

Artificial intelligence or not, Vulpix registered the small white-furred creature in front of it as…

A large white-furred rat.

And at the same time—

Nezu, gazing down from his high vantage point, instantly spotted the bright orange-red fox standing out against the industrial area's muted colors.

Neither of them moved.

For a long moment, the only thing in the air was silence.

And then—

Two non-human creatures locked eyes.

***

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