Ectoplasm

"Jilan, was all of this part of your plan!?" Bakugo his teeth, glaring at Jilan. "You knew all along that this practical exam would be a one-on-one combat test, and you deliberately accepted my challenge at this time, didn't you! As expected, you bastard never intended to fight me to the death!"

Jilan looked speechlessly at the row of teachers in front of her and said, "I never expected it to be changed to this kind of match at the last minute."

Real-world testing.

When everyone had already donned their combat suits and were ready to fight the robots, what appeared before the students of Class A was a team of Pro Hero comparable to those during the USJ incident: Shota Aizawa, Cementoss, Midnight, Thirteen... and even Principal Nezu had infiltrated the team.

The refined and approachable Principal Nezu smiled and said, "I believe everyone has gathered information about the practical exam through various means these past few days and already knows its content, but..."

"I regret to inform you that the test content has changed due to various reasons. Considering future combat against people, the educational work must be closer to real combat. Therefore, please pair up and fight against one of the teachers here!"

Aizawa added, "Furthermore, the team compositions and the teachers they will face off against have already been decided in advance. Taking into account everyone's behavior, grades, and intimacy levels, we have taken the liberty of making these combinations based on your individual circumstances."

"Are you kidding me? You're actually making us fight the teacher...?" Ashido said incredulously, "How could we possibly beat Pro Hero, even if we team up in pairs!"

"That's not necessarily true. Don't forget that Midoriya and his temporary team defeated Hero Killer Stain. If we can find a breakthrough, even the teacher might not lose, right?" Jilan calmly looked at Principal Nezu. "Besides... the victory condition certainly won't be making the opponent lose consciousness, will it?"

"Of course, the match is limited to 30 minutes, and the venue will be designated by us. We'll move to the designated location before the match begins. Your objective is to find our hiding place and handcuff us," Nezu, producing a pair of handcuffs. "Or, one of you can escape from the venue."

"So, it's a choice between fighting or running away? Indeed, if you feel you can't fight head-on, running away and calling for help is the best option. However..." Kirishima clenched his fist and smiled confidently, "As a true man, I must defeat my opponent head-on, honorably and squarely. The word 'runaway' doesn't exist in my dictionary!"

"Now that everyone understands the rules, it's time to announce the opponents," Nezu said with a smile, gesturing to Aizawa.

Aizawa pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. "First, I'll fight Todoroki and Yaoyorozu; Principal will fight Ashido and Kaminari; Thirteen will fight Uraraka and Iida; Mic will fight Koda and Jiro; Ectoplasm will fight Jilan and Asui; Midnight will fight Sero and Mineta; Snipe will fight Hagakure and Shoji; Cementoss will fight Kirishima and Aoyama; Power Loader will fight Tokoyami and Ojiro; and finally, Bakugo and Midoriya will fight..."

An exaggerated shadow appeared before Midoriya and Bakugo: "Your opponent is me, All Might!"

"All Might!" Midoriya took a step back, exclaiming in surprise, "How could we possibly be your match? You are the Symbol of Peace!"

"No, what stands before you now is your opponent, the enemy you must face!" All Might roared with laughter. "Midoriya, Bakugo, unite to defeat me!"

To save time, the ten groups took buses to different battlegrounds and started the competition simultaneously; the earlier they finished, the higher their score.

"... Jilan, is this our first time teaming up?" On the bus, Asui suddenly asked.

"If we don't count the USJ, this is indeed the first time," Jilan said with a smile. "Tsuyu-chan, I really feel like I've drawn the best lottery ticket to fight alongside you this time."

"... Jilan, would you like to team up with me?" Asui asked.

Although Jilan was a little confused, she still smiled and replied, "Of course, Tsuyu-chan, your Quirk is very versatile. You can be effective in any environment, and everyone would want to team up with you."

The light in Asui's eyes dimmed slightly, and she muttered dejectedly to herself in a voice that Jilan couldn't hear, "So that's how it is..."

"Both of you, I saw your performance at the Sports Festival, and it was excellent, especially Jilan. I know you were both very calm, so I'll get straight to the point."

The Ectoplasm's face seemed to be filled with black muscle, like a skull, giving it an unreal, ghostly quality. Its mouth seemed to be detachable; once it opened, its white teeth would take up most of its face, easily reminding people of the famous urban legend, the Kuchisake-onna.

The Ectoplasm's Quirk is to Clones, capable of splitting into up to 30 individuals simultaneously. It's said that after singing at a karaoke bar, it can split into up to 36 individuals.

"You performed exceptionally well in one-on-one combat, but what about one-on-many?" The Ectoplasm's entire body was encased in a trench coat, only its mouth opening and closing. "How to break through an encirclement of multiple opponents is the key to whether you can pass this test."

Jilan and his team's competition venue was in a circular, tubular building. The entire building had no windows and stood like a chimney. This building was connected to another identical circular building by a passageway, which was located on the top floor. Their exit was blocked, so Jilan and Asui needed to start from the center at the bottom, run all the way to the top floor, and escape through the pipeway at the exit on the first floor.

This is their escape route.

Jilan stared coldly at the Ectoplasm for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Teacher Ecto, don't you have arms?"

"... Hmph, you discovered this problem so quickly? No wonder you're a top student." Although the Ectoplasm's face showed no expression, Jilan could still see that he paused for a moment, then said, "I don't have arms, and my legs are prosthetics. However, don't think that being disabled makes you easy to bully."

"How can this be easy to bully? It's clearly an added constraint for us." Jilan shook her head speechlessly and said softly, "After all, if we don't have arms, where would the handcuffs be placed?"

The Ectoplasm's lower body was fitted with black prosthetics matching his own color; to subdue him, handcuffs had to be placed against these prosthetics. But if prosthetics could be installed on his feet, why not on his arms as well?

"The other groups are ready, let's begin the exam." The Ectoplasm didn't reply, glanced at the wall clock, and began the countdown, "5, 4, 3..."

"Asui, grab him!" Jilan shouted as the Ectoplasm countdown began. He didn't know when the handcuffs were in his hands, but as the Hamon wrapped around his body, he instantly grabbed the teacher who was less than two meters away. Asui reacted quickly and stuck out his tongue, aiming straight at the teacher!

Jilan knew that the Ectoplasm's Quirk required a short skill animation before it could be released. Therefore, he seized this time difference and put the handcuffs on his hands the instant the match started, aiming to end the battle in an instant!

Jilan's thoughts were clear, and the Ectoplasm had no time to react. The instant he shouted "1", Jilan had already grabbed his clothes, and the handcuffs were about to be put on his ankles!

But, "Pfft--"

The moment the Asui's tongue wrapped around the Ectoplasm's body, the Ectoplasm's body vanished into thin air like smoke, as if a balloon had been punctured!

This is his Clones! When exactly did this happen!?

Jilan realized something and instantly looked up. Several Ectoplasm descended from the sky, surrounding Jilan and Asui. They attacked Jilan and Wa Chui with their heads, shoulders, and feet as if they had no weight!

After dodging the initial attacks and scattering the two closest Clones, Jilan looked up again and saw a man in a trench coat standing at the highest point of the room, silently watching them.

"Jilan, your reaction was quick. If I hadn't been prepared, the match might be over by now." He paused, then continued, "But don't underestimate us seasoned Pro Hero."