Midoriya didn't have time to think any further about it.
The moment those conclusions began to settle inside his head, a familiar voice suddenly echoed directly through his mind.
"Don't get distracted."
The sudden telepathic message made him almost stumble.
"I can imagine why you're looking around. I can explain it later. Right now, focus. There's work to do."
It was Mewtwo.
The psychic hero hadn't even turned his head, yet somehow he had immediately noticed where Midoriya's attention had drifted.
After hearing the voice, Midoriya quickly shook his head.
Right.
This wasn't the moment to analyze things.
This was training.
And if there was one thing he had already learned about Mewtwo's training methods, it was that getting distracted usually resulted in pain.
A lot of pain.
Midoriya immediately focused his attention back on the incoming rocks.
The floating projectiles moved in seemingly random directions, crossing paths, accelerating, stopping, and changing trajectories without warning.
At first they had looked chaotic.
Now he was beginning to understand there was intent behind every movement.
The rocks weren't simply trying to hit him.
They were trying to push him.
Force him into bad positions.
Corner him.
Restrict his options.
It felt less like dodging projectiles and more like trying to navigate a battlefield controlled by an invisible strategist.
Midoriya pushed One For All through his body and continued moving.
His objective was simple.
Get closer.
He leaped from one floating platform to another.
Jump.
Land.
Push off.
Jump again.
Sometimes he used the rocks themselves as stepping stones.
Other times he was forced to alter his route entirely.
A few impacts still got through.
One rock clipped his shoulder.
Another struck his side.
A third hit his leg hard enough to nearly throw him off balance.
Yet unlike before, he didn't panic.
Slowly, almost unconsciously, Midoriya was adapting.
His eyes started predicting trajectories.
His body reacted faster.
The attacks still looked random, but he was beginning to recognize certain tendencies.
Not patterns.
Tendencies.
Tiny differences.
Subtle shifts.
Enough to improve.
Little by little, he pushed forward.
Thirty meters.
Twenty-five.
Twenty.
The distance steadily shrank.
Then Midoriya noticed something.
The closer he got to Mewtwo, the harder things became.
At first he thought it was his imagination.
Then a rock the size of his fist nearly broke his nose despite being far smaller than the earlier projectiles.
The reason became obvious immediately.
It was moving much faster.
A lot faster.
Midoriya's eyes widened.
At fifteen meters from Mewtwo, the entire obstacle field changed.
The rocks became smaller.
But their speed increased dramatically.
And with greater speed came greater impact.
What had previously been manageable suddenly became dangerous.
Midoriya immediately raised his guard.
The attacks came from every angle.
Above.
Below.
Both sides.
Behind.
He dodged one.
Blocked another.
Duck.
Jump.
Turn.
Counter.
Every second demanded complete concentration.
And still, it kept becoming harder.
From Mewtwo's perspective, the situation was quite different.
Floating calmly in the center of the training field, he observed all the students advancing through the obstacle course.
He was also aware of most of Midoriya's previous thoughts.
Not because he was actively reading the boy's mind.
The truth was much simpler.
It didn't take a genius to understand what had impressed Midoriya.
The growth of the others was obvious.
And naturally, the question that followed was equally obvious.
Why were they so much stronger than during the Sports Festival?
The answer was actually quite simple.
Mewtwo had borrowed the idea from an old examination the teachers had used against his generation.
During that test, the students had been forced to fight while wearing weighted gear.
Mewtwo had liked the concept.
So he adapted it.
The moment the Sports Festival approached, he gathered the students under his guidance and presented the idea.
The reaction had been immediate.
They hated it.
"That's unfair."
"We won't be able to go all out."
"We'll perform worse."
"We'll look weaker."
The complaints had lasted almost an hour.
Which was exactly why Mewtwo had proposed it.
He still remembered the conversation clearly.
"You will use them."
The students had stared at him.
And Mewtwo had continued.
"Yes. It will weaken you."
"That's the point."
Naturally, that had only generated more protests.
Then he explained.
"The Sports Festival is watched by heroes."
The room had become quieter.
"You don't need to show everything to attract internships."
That caught their attention.
"If what you display while wearing the weights is enough to attract heroes, then your actual abilities remain hidden."
Several students had frowned.
Mewtwo continued.
"There are villains."
His tone had become more serious.
"And the Sports Festival is one giant public demonstration of future hero capabilities."
Immediately everyone understood.
Every battle.
Every movement.
Every technique.
Every weakness.
Everything became public information.
"The less they know, the better."
Mewtwo had crossed his arms.
"Trust me."
His expression had darkened slightly.
"I learned that lesson after my own Sports Festival."
The room had gone silent.
"It was a mistake going all out in my festival"
After that discussion, the students had reluctantly agreed.
Weights on their arms.
Weights on their legs.
Additional resistance.
Reduced speed.
Reduced mobility.
Reduced explosiveness.
Then Mewtwo had made them train like that every day until they adapted.
At first they hated it.
Eventually they became accustomed to it.
And now, when the weights were removed, their true capabilities became apparent.
Something Midoriya didn't know yet.
The jump in power wasn't sudden.
The Sports Festival versions had simply been nerfed.
What he was seeing now was much closer to their actual level.
The same thing had happened with the students trained by the other members of the Yonkou.
Mirio.
Nejire.
Tamaki.
All of them had followed similar philosophies.
Focus on developing Quirks.
Focus on combat ability.
Focus on survival.
Leave most of the actual hero work to the professionals.
The reason was simple.
If another disaster like the USJ happened...
If another villain attack occurred...
If another impossible situation appeared...
Then these students would at least have a better chance of surviving.
Mewtwo watched as the group continued advancing.
They had already performed this exercise dozens of times.
Every session became harder.
Every session introduced new complications.
And now they were close enough.
Seven meters.
Some even closer.
Mewtwo smiled slightly.
It was time for the next phase.
A mental message immediately echoed inside every student's mind.
"Looks like this isn't enough."
Several students grinned.
They knew that tone.
"It is time for Phase Two."
The floating rocks immediately stopped moving.
The battlefield suddenly became quiet.
Every student froze for a moment.
Then Mewtwo continued.
"I will no longer use Telekinesis to avoid contact."
Several eyes widened.
"I will not use Barrier either."
Now everyone was paying attention.
Mewtwo slowly floated downward.
His feet touched the ground.
And for the first time since the exercise began, he stopped relying on his usual defensive abilities.
"Your mission now is simple."
The students immediately tensed.
"Subdue me."
The words caused a brief silence.
"You only need to land one clean hit."
For a fraction of a second everyone paused.
Then every student looked at each other.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Because unlike the first phase...
This one sounded impossible... but... if there was one thing every person present wanted...
It was the chance to hit Mewtwo.
Even just once.
The group immediately began moving.
Strategies formed.
Teams started developing naturally.
People repositioned.
Opportunities were analyzed.
Everyone knew exactly what to do.
Everyone except one person.
Midoriya.
The green-haired boy stood there, completely lost as the others suddenly sprang into action.
Because unlike the rest of them...
He had absolutely no idea what was happening.
In a single instant, Bakugo propelled himself straight toward Mewtwo.
However, he was moving far faster than usual, and the reason quickly became apparent. Reiko Yanagi, the telekinetic girl from Class 1-B, was using her own power to accelerate him even further. Yet that alone wasn't enough to explain his current speed. There was clearly another factor involved.
Mewtwo smiled the moment he noticed it.
It was Ochaco Uraraka.
The girl had reduced Bakugo's weight to nearly nothing, allowing Reiko to move him effortlessly through the air. Together, the two girls had transformed him into a living missile.
And he wasn't alone.
From above, Eijiro Kirishima descended at tremendous speed. His flight velocity was slightly lower than Bakugo's, especially since Bakugo was still contributing with his own explosions, but the difference wasn't significant. Both boys were being coordinated by the two girls, who used their Quirks with surprising precision to maneuver and accelerate them from different angles.
Seeing them approach, Mewtwo's smile widened.
It was a good strategy.
A very good one.
Rather than immediately evading, he chose to stand his ground. He wanted to measure the force behind their attacks. After all, this wasn't a real battle. It was a test.
Bakugo rushed from the front while Kirishima descended from above. At the very last second, Ochaco released her Quirk, restoring their full weight and dramatically increasing the momentum behind their strikes.
Mewtwo reacted instantly.
His tail began glowing white as he activated Iron Tail, raising it to intercept Kirishima's attack. At the same time, his hand became enveloped in power as he used Mega Punch. Rather than striking back, he opened his palm and used it purely to receive Bakugo's assault.
The collision echoed through the training ground.
Yet despite the tremendous force behind both attacks, Mewtwo stopped them completely.
Dead in their tracks.
Still, he immediately realized something.
Neither Bakugo nor Kirishima were the real threat.
They were distractions.
And they had performed their role perfectly.
Without hesitation, both boys continued their assault, launching strike after strike in an attempt to overwhelm him. Mewtwo either blocked or dodged every single attack, but the constant pressure forced him to keep his attention focused on them.
Exactly as planned.
Then suddenly, Mewtwo turned his head to the side and dodged.
There was seemingly nothing there.
No visible attacker.
No incoming projectile.
Nothing.
Yet he moved anyway.
Spinning in midair, he unleashed a Confusion attack in every direction around him.
The result was immediate.
Bakugo and Kirishima were both blasted away, sent flying toward the floating rocks still circling the battlefield.
But they weren't the only ones.
A surprised cry suddenly echoed through the area.
A girl's voice.
Moments later, a figure appeared as she crashed against one of the floating boulders.
It was Toru Hagakure.
Mewtwo had never forgotten about her.
She was invisible, yes.
That didn't mean she wasn't there.
At almost the exact same moment, another figure emerged behind him.
Izuku Midoriya.
Using Full Cowling, Midoriya had taken advantage of the distraction to close the distance. He was already in striking range, his fist drawn back and ready to land a clean hit on Mewtwo's back.
For a brief instant, it looked like he had succeeded.
Then Mewtwo moved.
Without even turning around, his tail lashed backward with incredible speed.
The impact connected directly with Midoriya's face.
The green-haired boy was launched through the air and slammed into another floating rock, ending his surprise attack before it could even begin.