My Hero Automata

Chapter 37: Prepare for Hell!

Summary: Uh-oh! Everyone forgot that time is a thing and Final Exams are coming up soon...

Chapter 37: Prepare for Hell!

... ...

The few days following the mass attack on UA had been...tense. There had been no more activity from the League so far, but that hadn't particularly reassured anyone. The fact that, despite UA being shut down for repairs and upgrades, most of the Heroics students of First Year Groups A and B were on campus, moving into the dorms, certainly didn't help in providing a release for that tension. While, for some, the change would normally have been exciting...there were stark reminders all over campus of the attack. The lingering damage was obvious, and only made impossible to ignore so by busy repair crews fixing the grounds and technicians upgrading the defenses. To say it put a damper on things would more than a bit of a understatement.

As a result of the tenseness lingering in the air, it was with a wild mix of startled fright, chagrin, and relief that Group A witnessed the return of Midnight's usual flamboyance on their first day back in Theoretical Heroics 101. With barely a moment of warning from Jirou and Izumi, Midnight crashed through the door and slammed a thick stack of pamphlets down on her desk. It was only her the return of her half-dangerous smirk and the moment of warning that kept the various on-edge students from freaking out. But that didn't last long, given her news...

"Prepare for hell, my adorable students! For finals approach! There are only two weeks left in the term, so I hope you've all been studying~!"

Gaping faces gave way to a mix of groans and, from Mina, a wail of despair. There were also a few faces rapidly growing indignant and angry...but Midnight was quick to cut them off at the knees. Her face turned a bit more serious as she snapped the riding crop she used in class to gather attention. It worked as it always did, stopping the protests long enough for her to speak up again.

"Normally, that warning is all you would get from me, as Heroics students are expected to overcome all adversity. However, the staff is all fully aware of the disruptions that have happened with your learning this year. In light of that, I have three pieces of good news. First, regular course exams have been pushed back to the 1st of August. Those of you who have other commitments can arrange to take them at the more usual time, if you're confident in your ability to pass."

Midnight paused there, letting them absorb the first bit of good news. Tension drained out of a few students, but others still looked mulish. They, at the very least, weren't so blindly angry as to not wait for the rest, which she nodded in approval of.

"Now, your Heroics theory and practicals are unaffected. Frankly, both you are your sister First Year group have already shown you have what it takes on the practical side. Expect a harder exam than usual, given that we already know what you're capable of...but there's another counterpoint of good news. I'm sure you've all noticed a few Heroes patrolling around campus already, yes?"

There were nods and murmurs at that. Izumi nodded right along with the others. She and 2B had already identified at least a dozen such Heroes, all of them UA Alumni, roaming not just the school, but the local area around it. So far, the biggest surprise had been the seemingly consistent presence of Miruko. Other, lower ranked but still well-regarded heroes, had been around with varying levels of frequency as well. Local heroes had also been more frequently spotted near UA, which was normally considered a low priority for patrols. Given the number of pros and provisionally licensed Heroes that operated out of UA, only an idiot would usually dare to attack it or anything in its vicinity.