Seeing that several people had already crossed the second obstacle, the remaining students finally lost their composure and rushed toward the single remaining steel cable.
"My equipment can finally show its worth!"
From the crowd, a girl clad in full mechanical gear stepped forward. Various devices were mounted across her body, forming something like a sci-fi exoskeleton.
"Hey, isn't that cheating?!" a student beside her shouted angrily.
"Hehehe~ Since the Hero Course trains for real combat, then for fairness, our Support Course is obviously allowed to wear equipment we make ourselves!"
The girl—Hatsume Mei—grinned wildly, eyes shining with excitement. Her enthusiasm alone made people instinctively take a step back.
"All the big companies here—and everyone watching on TV—open your eyes wide and look at my cute babies!!"
As she shouted, a grappling launcher on her waist fired instantly. A steel cable with an arrowhead shot forward and embedded itself firmly into a stone pillar. The wire tightened, yanking her body across the abyss in one smooth motion.
"Huh? Why does my body suddenly feel heavier~?"
But then—
She felt something off.
Turning her head, she saw a short boy clinging tightly to her jetpack.
"AHHHHHH!! Could you at least warn me first?! You scared me half to death!!"
Of course, only Mineta Minoru could pull off something this shameless.
His stamina was already terrible, and he had barely made it this far. Ever since discovering the "strategic potential" of his Quirk during combat training, his brain had been filled with terrible ideas.
Just like now—sneaking up behind Hatsume while she was distracted and sticking himself to her backpack with his sticky spheres. Not only could he cross the abyss safely, but he could also enjoy being pressed against a girl's body—
Click.
"…?!"
Hearing that sound, Mineta froze.
Before he could react, the sudden feeling of weightlessness told him exactly what was happening.
"AHHHHHHHH!!! WHY DID YOU DROP ME—?!"
Hatsume casually pressed a button on her belt. The outer shell of the jetpack detached instantly—along with Mineta.
"Hehehe~ My jet baby has dual-stage propulsion! You were only stuck to the first layer! It hurts my baby a little, but this is the perfect chance to show its full power!"
"Injection!"
She pressed another button. The compact jetpack roared to life, blasting out compressed gas as it shot upward, retracting the cable at the same time. Flames burst from the soles of her boots as she stabilized herself and flew cleanly toward the opposite shore.
Meanwhile, Mineta—mid-scream—ripped off the clothes he was stuck to at the last second. After shedding the heavy shell, he slapped a sticky sphere onto the stone pillar beneath him and clung on for dear life, climbing up inch by inch.
"…I'm seriously cursed!!!"
But by the time he finally made it across, the area was already empty.
After all that delay, the capable students had already passed the obstacle, and those without sufficient strength had likely been eliminated—either retreating or getting taken out by Masata's magma pool.
At this point, the obstacle race was nearing its end.
The three frontrunners were Igarashi Masata, Todoroki Shoto, and Bakugo Katsuki. Nearly all audience attention was focused on them.
"These freshmen are terrifying… The strength of the leaders already surpasses most of their classmates, doesn't it?"
"Especially Class 1-A's class rep. Forget his Quirk—even his physical abilities are completely overwhelming!"
"Endeavor's son is no joke either. His control, power, and judgment are all top-tier!"
"And that kid who explodes from his hands—rough around the edges, but definitely hero material!"
Masata now entered a wide, open stretch of ground.
"Igarashi is still far ahead! The first echelon behind him refuses to fall back—but the main group is in total chaos!!"
Present Mic's voice cut through the discussion.
"Since the school hasn't announced how many students can pass the qualifiers—everyone can only charge forward and pray!!"
"Up ahead—the final obstacle! A massive minefield!"
"…That said, these mines aren't actually very lethal," the commentary continued.
"And if you observe carefully, you can clearly see where they're buried!"
Hearing this, Masata glanced down and noticed the rounded bulges in the ground—clearly marking the mines.
"I could just partially elementalize and walk straight through… but that would burn my clothes again."
He grimaced.
"Doing that in front of everyone would be way too embarrassing. I'll clear this honestly."
Avoiding the mines with deliberate steps, Masata continued forward. Even so, his speed remained impressive, and thanks to his massive lead, victory was practically guaranteed.
"Damn it…!"
When Bakugo reached the minefield entrance and saw Masata nearing the end, he let out a furious roar.
"I might not be able to beat that magma bastard—but I'm NOT losing to that half-and-half freak!!"
At the same moment, Todoroki surged forward as well. Seeing no hope for first place, the two naturally shifted focus.
We can't let him cross the finish line unchallenged!
Cold ice spread rapidly on one side, explosions detonated on the other. The two clashed while advancing—but the constant mine detonations beneath their feet slowed them significantly.
As a result, the people behind began catching up.
"Chacha, keep it up! We're almost there!"
Catching up fast were Yaoyorozu Momo and Chacha. The two worked in perfect sync—covering each other, blocking interference, and using their Quirks efficiently to advance.
"Bakugo and Todoroki already cleared most of the mines for us—let's rush straight through!"
Chacha's cheeks were flushed from exertion as she leaned closer to Yaoyorozu.
"Yes. Since they paved the road for us, we can't waste it… but first—"
Yaoyorozu smiled slyly, eyes glinting like a fox as she glanced at the crowd behind them.
"—let's make things a little harder for everyone else."