𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗦 ⌈𝐈⌔𝐌 ✗ 𝔽!𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑬𝑹⌋

Chapter 030

CHAPTER 30: Strategy and Adaptation

The tension in the air was palpable as Midoriya and the rest of Class 1-A continued to watch the practical exams unfold from the monitoring room. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the screens, watching as Kirishima and Sato continued their match against Cementoss.

At first, it looked like Kirishima and Sato’s raw power might give them an edge. Kirishima’s hardened skin and Sato’s enhanced strength were formidable, especially when combined. But as the battle continued, Midoriya started to notice something off.

"This isn’t going to work," Midoriya muttered under his breath, his brows furrowing in concern.

You glanced over at him, noticing his serious expression. "What do you mean?"

Midoriya’s gaze remained fixed on the screen. "Cementoss doesn’t have a time limit to his quirk. He can keep generating cement walls indefinitely, while Kirishima and Sato are going to tire out eventually. They need to change their strategy, but..."

"They’re relying too much on brute force," you finished for him, understanding immediately.

Midoriya nodded. "Exactly. The teachers are exploiting the students’ weaknesses, forcing them to adapt and compensate. Kirishima and Sato’s approach is too straightforward—they’re not adjusting to Cementoss’s defensive tactics."

Sure enough, as the match progressed, the cracks in Kirishima and Sato’s strategy became more apparent. While they managed to break through several of Cementoss’s walls, they weren’t making any real progress toward the goal. Cementoss, on the other hand, remained calm and collected, slowly wearing them down.

As the timer neared its end, Cementoss created a final set of thick, impenetrable walls, cutting off Kirishima and Sato’s path. The two boys, visibly exhausted, made one last attempt to break through, but their strength had dwindled.

"Dammit!" Kirishima growled, slamming his hardened fists against the cement one last time. But it was no use. The match ended with Cementoss standing victorious.

"That was tough to watch," Ochaco murmured, her voice filled with sympathy.

"Kirishima and Sato did their best, but they weren’t able to adapt in time," you said softly, feeling the same sense of frustration as your classmates. "It was a good learning experience, though."

Midoriya nodded, his eyes still on the screen. "Yeah... this exam is designed to push us to our limits. It’s not just about quirk strength—it’s about strategy."

---

Next up were Fumikage Tokoyami and Tsuyu Asui, who were tasked with facing Ectoplasm. As the two students stepped onto the field, the tension in the monitoring room increased. Ectoplasm was known for his ability to create multiple clones of himself, a skill that could easily overwhelm any opponent.

The match started without hesitation. Ectoplasm immediately created several clones, surrounding Tsuyu and Tokoyami from all sides.

"You’ll need more than just brute strength to get through this!" Ectoplasm called out, his voice booming across the arena. "We teachers won’t hold back, so neither should you!"

Tsuyu and Tokoyami exchanged a quick glance. They knew they had to act fast. Without wasting a second, Tokoyami used his Dark Shadow to launch Tsuyu into the air, and she quickly reciprocated by using her tongue to throw Tokoyami to a higher vantage point. The combination move allowed them to get to higher ground, avoiding the immediate swarm of Ectoplasm’s clones.

In the monitoring room, Midoriya leaned forward, watching intently. "That was a smart move. They’re using the environment to their advantage."

You nodded in agreement. "But they’ll need more than that to win. Ectoplasm’s clones can cover the entire field if they’re not careful."