"And it's not just about surviving," Snipe continued, his tone turning sharper. "There will be a system of elimination. Aside from your partner, every other duo will be considered a villain. Your mission isn't only to survive but also to apprehend or defeat the other groups. Inside your suitcases, you'll find everything you need to fulfill this mission. Now, listen carefully as I announce the pairs."
The announcement hit them hard. No one had expected such a high-stakes exercise, especially not at the start of the semester. But despite their surprise, they nodded as they waited to hear who their partners would be.
The groups were formed randomly, and the process was kept deliberately secret. No one knew who anyone else's partner was, making it nearly impossible to form strategies or alliances.
The teachers handed each student a slip of paper with only one thing: their assigned partner's name.
Keeping that information hidden was part of the challenge—giving it away could easily be used against them.
"Now, take these," Ectoplasm instructed, holding out bundles of parachutes. "Each of you will have a parachute for landing. It's automatic—just jump and it'll deploy on its own. All you have to do is enjoy the ride down. Once you're on the ground, the first thing you must do is put on the watch inside your suitcase. It's essential."
He paused, making sure everyone was listening before continuing.
"The watch will transmit your position, monitor your health, and display a countdown of exactly one week. It also has a rescue button. If you press it, we'll come for you immediately. But understand this: using that button means you've failed the exercise."
Ectoplasm's voice remained calm but firm, his gaze sweeping across the students.
"If you activate the rescue button, you'll be placed into an intensive training course and lose the chance to take the hero license exam this year. Don't press it unless you truly have no other option."
Snipe picked up from there, his arms crossed as he continued the explanation. "The watch also acts as your only means of communication with your partner. It's already set up—just press the microphone icon to speak. You're only allowed to engage in combat after securing the watch on your wrist once you've landed."
The students were paying full attention now, their faces locked in various states of concentration and nerves.
"You'll each start with two points," Snipe continued. "If you successfully apprehend or beat another duo, you'll automatically steal two of their points. To pass this test, you need to gather eight points. But even if you lose your initial two points, you can earn them back by eliminating others or even the one who won the points previously. The exercise will only end when the week is over. If you fail to reach eight points by then, you fail."
Ectoplasm nodded in agreement before adding, "Remember, even if the island is vast. Resources are limited, and you'll have to use your wits to survive—not just against the environment, but against each other."
The rear doors of the aircraft began to open with a low, mechanical groan, revealing a stunning view of Stardust Island below. Jagged cliffs, dense forests, and winding rivers stretched out as far as the eye could see.
"Now," Snipe barked, "put on your parachutes and jump. Your test begins the moment your feet touch the ground."
Immediately, the students scrambled to strap on their parachutes.. But while most of them struggled to fasten their gear, three students wasted no time.
Raiden, Tamaki, and Nejire grabbed their suitcases, not even bothering to put on their parachutes. Without hesitation, they launched themselves out of the aircraft, plummeting straight toward the island below.
Their classmates stared, stunned by the reckless leap. But then, without further hesitation, the others continued suiting up.
Once airborne, the three of them immediately activated their Quirks.
Raiden shifted into his Mewtwo form, his body now covered in sleek, gray fur with a powerful, purplish tail swaying behind him. As he soared through the air, he used his telekinesis to keep his suitcase floating effortlessly beside him, propelling himself faster toward the island below.
Tamaki's transformation was simpler but no less effective. Large, dark wings sprouted from his back, feathers sleek and glossy as he dived through the sky with precision. Without hesitation, he angled himself toward the island, gliding swiftly on the cool currents.
Nejire channeled her energy through her feet, propelling herself forward with graceful, spiraling blasts. She moved with ease, her hair rippling in the wind as she accelerated toward their destination.
Below them, the island unfolded like a vivid dreamscape.
It was vast and sprawling, surrounded by at least five distinct beaches. Three of them faced the open ocean, battered by towering waves that crashed against the shore with force.
The other two lay along the island's calmer, sheltered side, where pristine, turquoise waters shimmered under the sunlight—almost paradisiacal in their beauty.
In the heart of the island, four lakes gleamed like scattered jewels. Two of them were large, nestled in the midst of a dense, emerald-green forest.
The other two were smaller, one of which bordered a sandy beach.
Thick forests covered most of the terrain, providing ample hiding spots beneath a canopy of swaying leaves.
The landscape was varied, with rolling hills and rugged cliffs dotting the terrain. And on one end of the island, a looming volcano jutted toward the sky.
The three students exchanged glances before breaking off in different directions.
None of them was interested in starting a fight right away. They had a week to reach their goals, and for now, it was better to establish themselves in different areas.
Raiden descended rapidly, aiming for the dense forest surrounding one of the largest lakes.
The fresh scent of leaves and soil filled the air as he swooped low, threading his way through the thick branches. A water source was essential, and this spot offered both cover and resources.
He landed smoothly on the soft earth, his senses sharpening as he scanned his surroundings. It was a semi-secure location, but he knew better than to assume it was completely safe.
Without wasting time, he set his suitcase down, opening it to retrieve the watch and his hero suit. He strapped the watch onto his wrist, feeling the faint hum of its activation.
He pressed the microphone icon, testing the communication link. But there was only static. His partner hadn't activated their watch yet.
Raiden glanced upward, eyes narrowing as he searched the sky. High above, his classmates and the students from Class 1-B continued their slow descend.
They were distant shapes, but Raiden strained to identify them. "Where are you…?" he muttered under his breath, his gaze darting from one figure to the next.
He quickly picked out familiar faces: Mirio, Hana, Ren, Rei, and the Naoka brothers.
Their forms were easy to recognize—he'd trained alongside them enough to know their siluettes.
But the students from Class 1-B were harder to distinguish. He barely knew them, and their unfamiliarity made it difficult to tell who was who from such a distance.
Then, finally, he spotted them. His partner.
Relief washed over him, followed by urgency. With a sharp exhale, Raiden flew where his partner was descending. Maintaining a low altitude, he glided just above the treetops, weaving through branches.
He kept himself low, avoiding unnecessary attention. The last thing he needed was to be spotted by other students this early in the exercise.
Every second counted, and his strategy depended on reuniting with his partner before anyone else could.
Just as his partner touched down, Raiden moved swiftly to approach. The other student, who had already secured his watch around his wrist, reacted instantly to the sound of movement, raising his guard with precision. But before he could attack, Raiden's voice echoed directly in his mind.
"Yoh, Chopper, it's me. Looks like we're stuck working together this time." Raiden's message was calm and almost inexpresive.
Still, there was a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. The reason was simple—out of all the students from Class 1-B, Raiden didn't know anyone stronger than Chopper.
"Oh, it's you." Chopper's shoulders relaxed, and he let out a relieved breath. "Yeah, I didn't expect to be paired with you, but from the looks of it, this could work out well. Between the two of us, we should be able to handle most of the competition, even the monsters from our classes. Good luck, partner."
Chopper's appearance had changed over the past few months. He'd grown taller—no longer the short, almost adorable fifteen-year-old he once was. Previously, he stood at around 1.40 meters, but now he was closer to 1.60, his features sharper and more mature. His messy brown hair framed his face, and his eyes, dark with a striking red iris, glinted with determination.
"The monsters in our classes?" Raiden questioned with genuine curiosity.
"Aren't we the strongest? At the very least, we're on a pretty high level." As far as he remembered, only Tamaki and Nejire had pushed him to his limits during the tournament.
"That used to be true," Chopper admitted with a shrug. "But this semester, we got two new classmates. They transferred here from the U.S., and they're siblings. Both of them have absurdly strong Quirks, I haven't been able to beat them even once."
"Stronger than your Quirk? Or mine? really?" Raiden's question wasn't arrogant—just honest.
He was well aware of the power his Quirk held, as well as the destructive potential of Chopper's.
"Maybe, I don't know, theirs are more simple but strong," Chopper replied.
"David Phoenix—that's the brother. His Quirk is dual, kind of like mine. He activates it with a snap of his fingers. Doesn't matter which hand he uses. Every time he snaps, he can teleport short distances. And that's not all—he can also generate strong shockwaves through the air. It's unpredictable. You never know whether he's going to appear behind you or blast you from a distance."
"Sounds tricky," Raiden remarked, his gaze sharpening. "And the sister? Alice Phoenix. Is her Quirk as complicated?"
"Worse," Chopper admitted with a grimace. "In my opinion, at least. You can't fight her up close. Her Quirk lets her mess with your senses. Up becomes down, left becomes right—she can twist your perception completely if you're within nine meters of her. And as if that wasn't bad enough, she's got a combat boost. Every punch she lands hits ten percent harder than the last. I haven't seen her reach a limit, but if she catches you in a flurry of hits, you're done for."
Raiden considered this new information carefully. Siblings with Quirks that complicated meant trouble.
Teleportation paired with shockwaves was hard enough to counter, but altering someone's senses during close combat? That was a pretty hard scenario.
"So, based on what you said, we've got five seriously dangerous opponents to worry about—those two siblings, Mirio, Tamaki, and Nejire." Raiden's voice was calm, or at least that's how Chopper heard it in his mind. "By the way, Chopper, what exactly is your Quirk? I know you can transform and grow bones, but... is there more to it?"
Raiden spoke directly into Chopper's mind, but from the way Chopper responded, it seemed he hadn't even noticed the mental communication.
Scratching the back of his head, Chopper responded "Don't underestimate the rest of my classmates. They've all gotten a lot stronger since the last tournament. And more than that, they're smart. They're always coming up with strategies and tricks during training sessions. Doesn't matter how powerful my Quirk is—they always find ways to push me to my limits."
"They sound bad, the same with my classmates, we will have to be careful more if we had to fight for a week" Raiden acknowledged with a raised eyebrow. "But it's still better to know what you can do. Your Quirk... there's more to it than just bone growth, isn't there?"
Chopper nodded. "Yeah. Growing bones is just the surface. My Quirk lets me enhance my body in a bunch of ways—toughening my skin, sharpening my senses, boosting my speed and strength. And I can use the bones I produce for all kinds of stuff—defense, weapons, even creating tools if I need to. It's versatile, but... the more I push it, the more strain it puts on my body."
Raiden's interest deepened. "So, it's not just brute force. It's adaptability. Makes sense why your classmates have to get creative to keep up with you."
End of the chapter.