After waiting for about three seconds, the wall of fire was still roaring fiercely, flames crackling and surging—but there was no response from the other side.
"Hm?"
Aizawa Shota felt a faint sense of unease. Could it be that Masata was still thinking up some kind of countermeasure?
Suddenly, an arm shot out from the wall of fire and reached straight for him.
"So he didn't run… he's actually choosing to attack?"
Although Aizawa looked relaxed, he didn't let his guard down. Masata's strength was already comparable to that of certain Pro Heroes—one careless mistake could easily turn the tables.
His gaze sharpened behind the goggles, and he reached out to grab the arm.
"This feeling—"
The moment his hand made contact, Aizawa was startled.
The surface was hard and inflexible, with a texture completely unlike human skin.
More importantly, the flames hadn't gone out.
If this were Masata's real arm, his Quirk should have been erased the instant Aizawa saw him—but the wall of fire was burning even more fiercely, showing no sign of weakening.
"I've been tricked!"
If Aizawa hadn't noticed something was wrong, he wouldn't be a U.A. teacher—but it was already too late. Just as the realization hit him, a second arm extended from the wall of fire.
Then Masata himself stepped out through the flames, handcuffs already in his grip.
Click.
Before Aizawa could react, the cuffs snapped shut around his wrist.
The timing was too tight, and the weight-bearing equipment on his body slowed him just enough. Aizawa could only accept the result.
He had been restrained.
The truth behind it was simple.
After releasing the wall of fire to temporarily block Aizawa-sensei, Masata had quickly surveyed the surrounding terrain.
The area was a narrow alley, with very few branching paths. Given the speed Aizawa had displayed earlier, escaping outright was almost impossible.
So the only option left was to use whatever was available.
Out of the corner of his eye, Masata noticed a clothing store beside him.
During the earlier clash, a mannequin standing at the entrance had been knocked over. One of its broken arms had rolled directly to Masata's feet.
What followed was straightforward in concept, but risky in execution.
Masata grabbed the mannequin's arm with his right hand and used it as a decoy, drawing Aizawa's attention. Then, in the brief opening that followed, he rushed in and restrained him with the handcuffs.
It sounded simple—but carrying it out was extremely dangerous.
Still, Masata couldn't think of any better way to pass the exam.
Once his Quirk was erased, Aizawa completely suppressed him in every aspect. Masata was only a first-year student, while Aizawa was a full-grown adult at the peak of his physical condition.
Fortunately, the gamble paid off.
Masata became the final student to pass the assessment.
Class A performed exceptionally well.
Aside from the two groups led by Kirishima and Kaminari, everyone passed the practical combat exam. Of course, Masata was excluded from that count—his assessment had already concluded separately.
Once everything was over, the students boarded the bus and headed toward the training ground used for the entrance exam.
"What's going on? Is there another test?"
Yaoyorozu Momo, walking at the front of the group, didn't see Masata anywhere and felt a bit confused.
"Another test?! Does that mean I still have a chance to pass?!"
Ashido's joking remark was filled with genuine hope. After talking with everyone earlier, she'd realized she was the only girl in the class who had failed the assessment. Even if the chance was slim, she wanted to believe.
"I'm sorry," Aizawa said calmly as he stepped off the bus last. "Once the final assessment is over, the results can't be changed."
Ashido's last shred of hope was mercilessly crushed.
"You're here to watch Igarashi's special assessment," Aizawa continued, pointing toward the massive screen slowly unfolding in front of them.
Everyone understood instantly.
No wonder Masata hadn't been seen—his assessment was about to begin.
"Igarashi ranks among the best in this class in physical strength, combat ability, and adaptability," Aizawa said evenly. "He's already capable of competing with third-year students. Watching his assessment should be beneficial for all of you. I hope you can take something away from it."
Bakugo, who had already woken up after Recovery Girl's treatment, still couldn't move properly. Passing All Might's test should have been a cause for celebration—but hearing this announcement only worsened his mood.
"A special assessment… does that mean I'm completely inferior to him?"
Even though Bakugo knew the answer deep down, hearing it stated so plainly left a bitter knot in his chest.
"As expected of Igarashi!" Midoriya said excitedly. "I'm definitely watching!"
Unlike Bakugo, Midoriya's reaction was full of enthusiasm. He had already taken out his notebook and flipped to a familiar page, densely packed with records of Masata's battles since entering U.A., along with his own analyses of Masata's strengths and weaknesses.
"What's the point of writing that stuff down?" Bakugo scoffed, glancing at him.
But then he remembered their earlier confrontation.
Clicking his tongue, Bakugo fell silent and focused on the screen.
The subject of this assessment—Igarashi Masata—stood alone on a wide street inside the training grounds.
Twenty meters away from him stood All Might.
"Well, Igarashi boy!" All Might called out cheerfully. "I'm only wearing half the weights today!"
As if to show off, he raised his arms. Heavy weight restraints were fastened to his wrists, but none were attached to his legs this time.
"So not only do I have to face you head-on," Masata said dryly, "but the difficulty's been raised another level?"
Masata was honestly speechless about the school's decision. Whether it was the earlier strength test or this final assessment, he always felt like he was being deliberately targeted.
"There's no helping it," All Might replied, rotating his wrist slightly. "We don't yet have a complete evaluation of your true overall strength. This is the only way to measure how far you've come."
Although he'd already fought earlier in the day, it hadn't affected All Might much. For this final assessment, he had transformed into his muscular form for the second time.
"Your objective is different from everyone else's," All Might continued seriously. "The only condition for you to pass is to last twenty minutes against me."
Masata exhaled slowly.
"All right," he said. "Let's stop talking and begin."