"Welcome to the Hero Simulation Area."
Misato finally came to a stop in front of a massive gate that dwarfed every other building Ochimaru had ever seen before. It was almost like the Great Wall of China had suddenly uprooted itself and moved to Japan, and no matter where he looked, the giant structure didn't seem to end, blotting out the sun and shrouding the entire forest around them in shadow. Every single applicant fell silent as they stared at the gate in disbelief. He was expecting the practical test to take place in some stuffy exam hall in an unused classroom, but instead he was faced with some sort of humungous arena. He had heard that Koushujin's grounds were almost unending, and it had taken over half an hour just to walk to the exam venue. His feet were screaming at him already and the exam hadn't even started yet.
"Beyond this gate is the location where all practical lessons and exams take place," she began, gesturing half-heartedly towards the arena with a clipboard as if it wasn't anything special. "It is comparable to a modest city in size and appearance, populated with various buildings and structures that mimic urban environments that pro heroes face every day."
"Damn," Youta whistled. "It's basically like a mini-Kagoshima squashed inside of a school."
"Correct, Kaneyama-kun," she responded, somehow having heard the applicant's hushed whispers. She secretively scribbled something on her clipboard and peered at the boy over the rim of her glasses. "Kagoshima was used as the template."
Youta gave the teacher an embarrassed smile as he took a few meagre steps backwards. Apparently, each applicant was being evaluated on some sort of hidden criteria outside of the exam. Ochimaru straightened his posture and cleared his throat as a wave of concerned murmurs erupted from the crowd of teenagers. He had no clue how Misato managed to keep track of a hundred applicants and remember their names as if they were already a part of the school. Her Quirk wasn't described on the faculty list, but he wouldn't have been surprised if it had something to do with intelligence.
"Before the practical test begins, I will explain what will be expected of you within these walls!" Misato yelled, vigorously flipping through the notebook on her clipboard to find some sort of rulebook for the exam. Ochimaru was feeling more and more nervous with each passing page. "It is imperative that you listen well, or else your performance and consideration of your enrolment may be negatively affected."
"Koushujin's entrance exam consists of a 'treasure hunt' that is designed to test individual ingenuity, physical aptitude and quirk efficacy," she began, twirling a fountain pen skilfully between her deft fingers. "Hidden within the Hero Simulation area are egg-shaped objects of various different sizes and colours. White eggs are worth five points and are the most plentiful, bronze eggs are worth ten points and are slightly harder to procure, silver eggs are worth twenty points and often require considerable effort to obtain, and finally, golden eggs are worth fifty points but are extremely difficult to come across and protect."
"Your admission into Koushujin is directly related to many points you bring back to the entrance by the end of the exam!" she shouted, gesturing to a bench filled with large, metallic egg baskets. "The exam will last for exactly two hours, at the end of which you will hear an alarm that signals your return to the entrance."
"This is fuckin' crazy," Youta whispered, cupping his hand to Ochimaru's ear. "Maybe a written exam would have been better after all."
"Perhaps the most important rule of the exam is that combat between potential students is allowed and encouraged," Misato smiled, attempting to maintain a professional expression despite her joy at seeing the applicant's shocked, uneasy faces. "While eggs can be found all across the city, stealing eggs from other applicants is a viable strategy that should not be underestimated. This exam is essentially a balancing act where you must collect as many points as you can while protecting your basket from any attackers. Collecting more points makes you more of a target."
"Exactly the thing I was afraid of," Ochimaru sighed, disappointed that his worst fear was being realised. A cooperative, friendly exam at a hero school was practically unheard of.
"Of course, there are limits to the level of combat we are willing to accept." Misato warned, her eyes suddenly turning frighteningly fierce behind her glasses. "Blindly attacking students no matter their point value will be seen as cruelty and may result in disqualification, and purposefully causing more harm than is necessary will also have the same consequences."
"Excuse me, Urekana-sensei…" a brown-haired applicant began, looking visibly shaken at the mention of combat. "What if our Quirks are not necessarily suited to fighting?"
"Not to worry, Minokosu-kun," she replied. "The final feature of the exam allows for choice depending on the capabilities of the applicant. In the centre of the Hero Simulation Area lies a large, spherical statue which contains a myriad of eggs, mostly of the bronze and silver variety. A single, elusive golden egg is also hidden within, although it must be located amongst all of the other eggs first. Whoever manages to break open the statue can reap the huge benefit within, while others may also collect any leftovers without much risk."
"Excuse me once again, but how does that benefit weaker applicants?" the student asked once more, his hands trembling as he propped his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.
"Well, it basically creates two different strategies, right?" Youta began, confidently speaking out amongst the crowd of sheepish applicants. "You either take the easy route and hunt for hidden eggs on the outskirts of the city where combat is less prevalent… or take a risk and try to go for the statue in the centre, where loads of people will be fighting."
"Correct again, Kaneyama-kun," Misato smiled, eliciting some baleful whispers and glares towards Youta. Ochimaru couldn't help but distance himself from his new friend slightly, as he didn't want to draw attention to himself before the exam started. "That about covers the basic rules of the practical exam. The school faculty will be watching your progress on security cameras, and teachers will be notified immediately if anyone is injured or incapacitated."
"Competing in this heat is pretty much a death sentence," Youta laughed, brushing his damp, messy fringe away from his forehead. Every other applicant was in a similar state, especially those who hadn't dressed for the hellish weather. Ochimaru couldn't wait to get away from the stench of a sweaty crowd of teenagers.
"Crates of iced water bottles have been placed around common hotspots within the Hero Simulation Area for your convenience," Misato replied. "If there are no further inquiries or remarks, we will commence lining up at the entrance to the city in preparation for the starter whistle."
The Hero Simulation Area looked even more unbelievable beyond the impenetrable gate. Ochimaru gawked at the perfect replication of a metropolis as he took his place amongst the other applicants, all gathering in one long line. Even though a hundred people were standing shoulder-to-shoulder, they only took up a fraction of the immediate area. The entrance was at the beginning of a residential area, complete with fully furnished houses and overgrown gardens. When this place wasn't being used for lessons or exams, it could easily support thousands of people. The skyline was obscured by skyscrapers and lampposts, and winding pavements split off in every direction. The concrete jungle was almost like an elaborate maze they would have to traverse if they ever hoped of reaching the centre.
"Statue, here I come," Youta grinned while skilfully stretching his legs.
"I think I'm gonna stick to the outskirts for the time being," Ochimaru wavered, displeased that he would have to abandon the only other person he knew. He would just hold Youta back if they both aimed for the statue, and his Quirk was more-suited to small skirmishes rather than a full-blown war over an objective. "I can already see a few eggs from here."
"Hopefully we'll meet up somewhere along the way then," Youta smiled, picking up his basket and hauling it over his shoulder. "I'm expecting to see a basket full of glittering gold when I see you next, okay?"
"Got it," Ochimaru smiled, and although his stomach was tying itself into a series of painful, crippling knots, Youta's words of encouragement managed to raise his spirits. "Good luck."
"Koushujin applicants!" Misato called, brandishing a pristine, silver whistle high into the air. "This year's practical exam will begin in 3…"
"2…"
"1…"
The harsh sound of a hundred pairs of shoes clapping against the pavement drowned out the shrill blaring of the whistle as everyone broke off in different directions. Ochimaru was pushed and shoved as he tried to hold his own against the other powerful students, but it wasn't long before he found himself falling towards the back of the crowd. He watched as Youta's purple hair slowly disappeared amongst the leaders of the pack as they made their way into the city. He avoided eye contact with everyone in fear of starting an altercation and dived into an empty street to catch his breath and collect his thoughts. He wouldn't get anywhere by just foolishly following the masses. Independence was key to survival here.
He quickly swiped a white egg sitting atop a recently-trimmed hedge and dumped it into the metallic basket by his side as he frantically searched around the area. Most applicants would enter the city a little before trying to search for points, but he knew that it would be better to search around the entrance area for any easy eggs before moving along. Hopefully, he could avoid combat with other scavengers and stealth around the area. Heartbeat loud in his ears, he broke out into a jog down the pavement, wary of any activity. Shrill screams and loud, panicked shouts echoed throughout the neighbourhood as he tried to desperately hold onto his composure amidst the chaos.
He dived into the garden of a house with an orange roof at the end of the street, noticing a bronze egg carefully hidden away amongst a pile of fallen plant pots. Trying to make as little noise as possible, he dislodged the egg and stashed it away. A single white and bronze egg didn't seem like a lot of points, but he was already making good progress even though the exam was just beginning. Misato hadn't made it clear exactly the amount of points needed to pass, but he assumed that since a golden egg was so highly coveted, 50 points would be a good starting point to aim for.
The area began to get eerily quiet as he crept amongst the houses, searching high and low for any more eggs he could grab. He tipped over bins and peered through windows, feeling somewhat like a shady home-invader. His basket a few more eggs heavier, it seemed like he had exhausted this particular street's resources, so he began to loop back around to where he had started. He wondered how many people had decided on the same strategy as him, but before he could plan his next move, he rounded the secluded street corner and ran straight into another wide-eyed applicant.
A boy with platinum-blond hair fashioned into an oversized quiff gasped as the two almost headbutted each other. Ochimaru spluttered out an apology and instinctively placed a hand over his basket, trying to protect the meagre amount of eggs he had collected. The other boy's basket was empty, and he had either started late, or was far less lucky in his search of the neighbourhood. Ochimaru considered turning around and jumping into the bushes to escape the rising conflict, but the sudden shock had left him stunned.
"I usually dislike being so forward, but…" the boy began, striding towards Ochimaru with a sense of urgency that made him completely freeze in place. "I don't have a choice."
Before he could react, the stranger lurched forwards and kissed him forcefully on the cheek, the scent of cheap, synthetic hairspray assaulting his nostrils. He jumped backwards as soon as the boy's lips left his face, his confusion only met with a strange, jovial smile. He brushed a spatter of saliva away from his cheek with the back of his hand, staring at the applicant in disgust, unable to even process what had just happened. The boy's lips were unusually bright and red, almost like he was wearing expensive lipstick, but when Ochimaru looked down at his hand, nothing had wiped off.
"Sorry about that, I usually give people a warning first," the boy laughed, stretching his hand over to reach the eggs inside Ochimaru's basket. "Trust me, it's not fun for me either."
Ochimaru would've brought his arm away in an instant, but he suddenly noticed that it wouldn't move even an inch. No matter how hard he strained or pulled, his body wouldn't listen to him. All he could do was move his eyes in horror, watching as the boy leisurely collected all of his eggs and transferred them to his own basket. He tried to open his mouth to shout out in protest, but his lips wouldn't move. It was like someone had glued them together. His throat constricted as he struggled to breathe, nostrils flaring in anger.
"Liplock," he stated, walking backwards with an apologetic smile on his face. "I never thought I'd see the day when my Quirk would actually be useful for something."
He tried to reach out for the boy as he began to run down the pavement, but his fingers only offered a weak twitch and fell still once again. Only able to move his eyes, he stared dejectedly at his empty basket and cursed the applicant's insanely effective Quirk. Even if he had to kiss someone in order to paralyse them, it was still incredibly useful for instantly disabling an opponent. If he ever saw the boy again, he would know to keep his distance.
"It'll wear off in a few more seconds!" he shouted, stifling a laugh as he quickly climbed over a brick wall with surprising agility and fell out of sight. "Thanks for the eggs!"
Ochimaru stood still in an enraged, unwilling silence before he finally felt his limbs loosen. He wanted to yell out at the scarily affectionate applicant, but he was long gone into the concrete maze by the time his vocal chords could move again. He was thankful nobody else had crossed his path when his body was in a paralysed state, although they would only leave disappointed because of his empty basket. He released a heavy, overdue breath and rubbed at his stiff shoulder with a recovering hand. All the progress he had been working towards had been stolen in one fell swoop, and now he was the one lagging dangerously behind. What was the point of hunting for eggs if they were just going to be taken by more confident applicants?
He would have to be more aggressive if he was to stand a chance against the others. Everyone else was doing all that they could to become professional heroes, while he was just creeping around fearfully collecting a pitiful amount of points. The very thought of moving closer to the centre of the city made his nervous stomach churn queasily, but he didn't have much of a choice. From this point onwards, he was going to use his Quirk not only to protect his own basket, but to potentially create an opportunity for a hit-and-run. A hero who wasn't brave enough to take on their peers wouldn't get anywhere in the industry.
With a newfound resolve, he headed towards the same direction as the applicant who had kissed him, slowly coming closer to the densely-packed buildings and towering skyscrapers of the mock city. The heat was almost suffocating, and he feared that the sweat pouring off him would negatively impact his Quirk. He had sensitive skin, and the pores on his hands needed to be unclogged for his soap to be produced and released. Sweat mixing with the lather would only make it less effective. He grabbed a nearby water bottle from a supply crate and downed the precious fluid in one gulp, pouring the remnants on his head in a desperate attempt to cool off as he ran down the empty street.
It wasn't long before his progress was halted yet again, this time by one of the elaborate roadblocks created by the teachers rather than another applicant. A huge, seemingly bottomless pitfall lay across the road, as if a portion of the ground had suddenly swallowed all its surroundings. His knees wobbled uncontrollably as he cautiously peered over the edge, only to be met with an infinite, inky black void. He could easily find another street and continue down a safe path, but a silver egg lying unguarded on the other side of the giant sinkhole was too alluring to ignore. His poor, empty basket was calling out to him.
He took a moment to ponder about how he would cross the impossible gap, as it was obviously intended for those with Quirks that granted them some form of superhuman movement. A person who could fly or jump up to great heights would trivialise this entire obstacle as they would be able to claim the prize without so much as a second thought. He was relatively less equipped for the job, but he desperately needed the points if he hoped to catch up with the other applicants. He doubted that others still had empty baskets.
Just as he was ready to give up, he spotted another applicant appear from an alleyway not too far away from him. He quickly dived behind a post-box before he was spotted, ignoring his earlier promise to be more proactive about stealing eggs. Kneeling on the searing pavement made him wince, but it was better than being discovered for a second time. He wasn't going to foolishly attack others without determining their capabilities and weaknesses first. A hero had to be strategically intelligent as well as physically powerful.
A girl cautiously tip-toed over to the edge of the pitfall like he had done minutes earlier, but instead of staring in confusion at the silver egg lying on the other side, she smiled softly in celebration. He instantly noticed that her skin was a sickly, pale-green colour like the inside of a honeydew melon. One of her parents must have had a Quirk that affected the composition of their skin and passed it down to her. She was wearing a simple, yellow summer dress, something completely unsuited to combat or intensive exercise, and a wide-brimmed sunhat that shielded her peculiar, inhuman skin from the harsh, blazing sun. She didn't look at all dangerous or capable of becoming a pro hero, but Ochimaru kept watching to see how she would tackle the impassable obstacle.
She reached gently into the shallow pockets of her dress and pulled out a small, brown object. Ochimaru squinted and craned his neck to try and figure out what she was holding, but before he could, she tossed it into the pitfall and closed her eyes. Suddenly, an eerie, creaking sound echoed throughout the street before a giant oak tree shockingly sprouted upward as if from nowhere. It grew to its full, majestic height in the span of seconds, its lengthy branches carving into the side of buildings and shattering windows. A flurry of leaves and acorns cascaded onto the abandoned cars below as the girl opened her eyes again, frowning shyly at the surprising amount of damage that the newly-born tree had caused. Ochimaru struggled to stay silent as a torrent of leafy debris assaulted him from above.
A branch had conveniently grown its way towards the green-skinned girl as she started to crawl upon its sturdy bark, grasping onto her sunhat with a shaking hand so it wouldn't plummet into the abyss below. She looked absolutely terrified, but she continued onwards until she was obscured by the tangled mess of leaves and branches. If he wanted to collect that silver egg, then he had better snatch it up before the girl could. While her Quirk allowed her to access the obstacle's reward, it also created a permanent pathway for anyone looking to impede her progress. Ochimaru smiled at his good fortune and sped off towards the oak tree after ensuring that the girl couldn't see his approach.
He had never been good at dealing with heights, but the oak tree's stoic stature and safety blanket of branches ensured that he had a good chance to be caught if he was unlucky enough to fall. Cursing quietly as a particularly sharp branch ripped through part of his tank top, he made his way across the sea of leaves while remaining as quiet as possible. Every misplaced step and shuffle shook the less stable branches of the tree, and he hoped that the girl had already reached the other side, or else his presence would be obvious. Taking her by surprise with his slippery Quirk would give him the best chance to steal the valuable egg. He felt guilty about taking it from her after she had tried her hardest to reach it, but time was dwindling.
Emerging on the other side of the tree, he was quick enough to watch as the girl bent over to pick up the silver egg with a sigh of relief. Seeing his opportunity quickly fading, Ochimaru decided this was his last chance to act before he was noticed. Using the branch as a springboard, he leaped across the remaining distance of the pitfall and landed powerfully by her side. Offering her no time to react, he took a deep breath and concentrated despite the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He felt the pores in his hands tickle as he raised them towards the girl's feet, ignoring her surprised squeal. When the fuzzy sensation reached its peak, he unleashed a torrent of pink, soapy liquid that sprayed across the ground, sending useless, miniscule bubbles floating towards the sky.
The girl stepped backwards in shock, her pale brown sandals suddenly slipping on the soapy lather. Her eyes widened as she instantly lost her balance, sending the silver egg tumbling out of the basket as she fell onto the ground, her yellow dress becoming stained with the oily substance. Ochimaru's attention focused on the valuable egg as it bounced and slid across the concrete, lodging itself between two branches, coming dangerously close to tumbling into the sinkhole. He dived away from the girl in a panic, attempting to grip the egg with soaked, lathery hands before it rolled away any further. A few seconds of fumbling later, and the egg was sitting safely in his metallic basket.
"No, that's mine!" the girl cried out, still on her hands and knees, crawling away from the soapy patch on the ground before she attempted to stand again. Her sunhat had been skewed in the fall, obscuring her eyes. "Give it b-back!"
Feeling too ashamed of his underhanded tactics to offer a reply, he jumped back onto the thickest branch and escaped through the branches. He looked back to witness the girl taking another tiny seed out from her pocket and throwing it towards him, determination fierce in her brown eyes despite her otherwise unsure expression. She bit her lip in concentration before the seed rapidly morphed into a spiky, dangerous cactus hurtling straight in his direction. He yelped and ducked behind another branch for cover, one of his feet hanging precariously over the abyss. He watched as the needle-covered plant lodged itself into bark beside him, one of the spines barely scraping against his nose before it came to a rest. Any slower in dodging and he would've got a face full of cactus needles.
He took a moment to process the shock before scampering away through the sprawling oak tree like a monkey. He considered lubricating the branches with soap so that it would be harder for the girl to follow him, but he decided against it as it could have caused her to have a serious fall. He had been cruel enough already just by taking the silver egg as soon she had laid her hands upon it. Ignoring her nervous cries of protest, he took off in the opposite direction as soon as his shoes hid solid ground once more. He wiped his soapy hands on the front of his shirt as he ran, his basket now one valuable egg heavier.
Several minutes later, after hiding in alleyways and sprinting hurriedly through deserted streets, he was slowly but surely making his way towards the centre and collecting points along the way. He had come across more white eggs while running away from the girl that helped to conceal the silver one tucked away at the bottom of his basket, and he was feeling much more confident about his chances now that he had a moment to stop and breathe. Warily creeping through a silent street, he kept his guard up in case any applicants decided he was a worthy target. Hopefully he would run into Youta soon, although the golden egg he had promised was still sadly nowhere to be seen.
After a few more minutes of silent running, he came across something that left him dumbfounded. A pile of black clothes had been discarded lazily on the side of the pavement, baking away under the sweltering sun without any sign of an owner. It wasn't just a jacket that an applicant had thrown to the ground in the middle of battle, but an entire outfit – including crumpled underwear. He sheepishly prodded at the pile with his foot as if he was expecting them to come alive and suddenly attack. Whoever these clothes belonged to must have either brought a second outfit or were totally fine with running around naked. The heat would make anyone consider the latter, although they would have to be considerably brave. To make the situation even stranger, an empty egg basket was sitting only a few feet away from the pile of clothes, whatever contents it had once contained long gone by the time he had arrived. He was starting to get worried for this unclothed, unknown applicant.
Before he could ponder about the owner's identity any further, he began to feel a creeping apprehension that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He whirled around only to be faced a dark, shadowy apparition in the vague shape of a person. It was like a ghost had suddenly decided to haunt him, but instead of a floating spectre, this figure looked entirely real. The shadow suddenly rushed forwards on solid legs as it raised a black, skinny fist. Ochimaru could only shield his basket before the shadow sucker-punched him directly in the gut. He gasped weakly as he clutched at his pained stomach, hunched over like he was about to vomit. The shadow knocked the basket out of his grasp as he wheezed in pain, sending all the points he had collected spilling out across the pavement.
Through watery eyes, he watched as the shadowy person weaved their way across the street towards the fallen eggs. If this thing was some type of ghost or spirit, it had mysterious physical properties that it allowed it to directly harm others. He was still recovering from that surprisingly solid punch, waves of sharp pain almost bringing him to his knees. He could only watch as a pair of bare, human arms emerged from the thick shadow's torso, clutching at his eggs. It looked like a person was hiding inside the shadow, piloting it like a suit of armour. Whatever it was, he couldn't let it reach the precious silver egg. He took a pained, raspy breath of stifling air before chasing after the shadowy person, intent on wrestling it away from his upturned basket.
He jumped upon the preoccupied shadow from behind, somehow able to knock it down to the ground as countless white eggs flew in all directions. He wrapped his arms around its back to keep it from moving as the figure inside struggled against his unsteady grip. The pale arms retreated inside the shadowy exterior as the two wrestled against the pavement. He only had a good grasp on the apparition for a few seconds before a hand materialised from its right shoulder, prising one of his arms away with a shocking amount of strength. Ochimaru gritted his teeth and begrudgingly let the figure go, cursing quietly at the mysterious hand. Whoever was inside was able to manoeuvre their limbs wherever they liked. This Quirk was powerful.
He rolled across the warm, solid concrete towards the silver egg and his basket, grabbing them both before the mysterious shadow could reach them. Standing back up again, he noticed that his own shadow that should have been trailing across the ground behind him was gone, even though the bright sun was still hanging high in the air. This wasn't just a random shadow that an applicant was possessing, it was his shadow. Upon closer inspection, the pitch-black figure had ears that protruded outwards like his and was roughly the same height. It was the only explanation for his missing shadow that made any sense.
He stared at the featureless face of the shadow as he backed away. Taking the loss and retreating with the silver egg was the best option he had. Nothing was as difficult as fighting your own shadow, and hopefully whoever was inside wouldn't be fast enough to catch him before he could escape. He realised that discarded outfit must have belonged to the shadow's pilot, as he had once read in a textbook that articles of clothing often interfered with Transformation Quirks. If the pilot exited the shadow, he would hopefully stop to get dressed again before chasing after him. He gave the shadow a final glare before turning his back and breaking out into a run, his stomach still pulsating with pain.
A hero needed to know when they were outclassed, or else they wouldn't even last a second out in the real world against villains. There was no shame in living to fight another day. With considerably less concentration than before, he let a weak, soapy mixture slowly seep out from his hands and splatter across the ground behind him as he ran away, attempting to dissuade the applicant from following him even further. Anyone who stepped on his soap would find it extremely hard to keep their balance, and he had never met another person who could walk across it without slipping and falling. It wasn't much, but it was all he had.
He didn't even look back as he crossed through multiple streets and alleyways, eventually running out of stamina and coming to a slow, shaky stop. Finally feeling safe again, he pressed his back against a derelict building and slid down to the ground, clutching at his chest as every frantic breath stung at his lungs. He had completely lost track of how close he was to the centre of the city and the exam was more than halfway over. Roughly, he had little over half of an hour before they would all be called back the entrance. He had better find Youta and the statue quickly before he went home with only twenty points.
No matter where he turned, there were applicants embroiled in combat everywhere. Shouts rang out from every direction and what sounded like a large explosion echoed from somewhere far away. It was like he had been dropped in the middle of an active warzone. He became more and more panicked as every street he searched only lead to aggravating dead ends and obstacles, the dread of failing the exam weighing heavily on his shoulders. He had managed to creep around and stay hidden from all the commotion, but he knew it wouldn't last for very long. The closer he got the centre, the denser the population of applicants.
Right on cue, he peered around a wall vandalised with crude graffiti only to witness two other applicants right in the middle of an intense fight. To his dismay, the serpentine girl he had accidentally upset earlier was coiled around the ankle of an immensely tall boy, who must have had some type of Quirk that increased the length of his legs. He looked like some type of sports mascot wearing unstable stilts as he teetered high in the air, his height rivalling some of the smaller buildings in the area. The snake girl kept a firm grasp on the boy amidst the wobbling, her flexible neck slowly slithering its way up to his bare thigh.
Ochimaru could do nothing else but hold his breath and watch as the serpentine girl bared her dangerous, sharp fangs. A guttural hiss escaped her throat as her lower jaw slackened to an astounding length, her eyes flashing with malice as she prepared to strike. The boy yelped and tried to shake her off, only to lose what little balance he had left and come crashing down to the concrete. It was like watching a towering tree being brutally cut down. He impacted the pavement with a sickening crunch and went limp, his legs slowly returning to their natural size as he lay still.
The girl dusted herself off as if nothing had happened and casually collected the fallen eggs around the area, her forked tongue flicking rapidly from her mouth as she finally checked the boy over for any life-threatening injuries. She didn't look the least bit guilty for causing another applicant to fail the entrance exam. Her basket was nearly overflowing with a myriad of sparkling eggs, and from what he could see from behind the wall, she easily had at least a hundred points. It was certainly tempting to try and steal a few, but her serpentine figure was so intimidating that it had him rooted to the spot.
"I'll give you one minute to get out of my sssight," she suddenly hissed, glaring over her lithe shoulder directly towards his hiding spot in the alleyway. He felt his heart sink dejectedly as their eyes met for the second time. She seemed ready to act on the aggression she had displayed earlier at Koushujin's entrance.
"How d-did you know I was here…?" he stuttered, retreating even further into the alleyway until only the frightening girl's pale, lengthy neck and serpentine head were visible. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of those potent fangs she was so keen to show off.
"You ssstink of lavender," she spat, tapping at her forked tongue with a sharp, bloodied fingernail. "It'sss coming from whatever'sss dripping from your handsss."
It was difficult to ignore the girl's prominent lisp, as her tongue would rattle against her narrow lips whenever she talked. It only made her threats more intimidating, like she was brandishing a sharp knife with every harsh word. Despite his rising fear, Ochimaru was strangely fascinated by the girl's inhuman appearance. He couldn't help but curiously stare at the contours and wrinkles on her thin face as her serpentine nostrils flared in rage. The girl furrowed her brow in disdain at his incessant, silent staring and finally broke eye contact, turning away with a hostile swish of her flexible neck. He was at a loss for words.
"If you're heading for the centre, it'sss in the opposssite direction," she begrudgingly stated, striding powerfully past the unconscious applicant. "The arrogant boy with the purple hair wasss fighting with sssome mussscled girl over at the egg ssstatue when I left."
"Oh, uh… thank you," he replied, dumbfounded by the girl's helpful advice. She didn't seem like the type to go out of her way to help others, but this was the entrance exam for a hero school. She was probably counting on being graded positively for altruistic behaviour.
"Don't misssinterpret thingsss," she growled. "I only told you ssso you don't end up following me and ssstealing my eggsss."
"I don't think I'd be able to beat you in a fight anyway," he smiled nervously, emerging from the alleyway with his hands raised in surrender. He felt like a zookeeper trying to quell the temper of a wild, untrained animal.
"Leave me alone and we'll never have to find out," she hissed, her tone dripping with venom. Her voice echoed ominously throughout the deserted street as she retreated with her overflowing basket. "You'd better ssstart running… your minute is almossst up."
He felt guilty for leaving the unconscious applicant sprawled across the concrete in the sweltering weather, but he assumed that one of the teachers was already on their way to collect him. He didn't want to imagine the look on the boy's face when he woke up only to discover that he had failed the exam. The serpentine girl's lack of remorse for her brutal actions also unsettled him, but it would certainly benefit her in the competitive environment of the hero course. Hopefully he would get a chance to properly apologize for staring at her when they both passed the exam. Her hostility probably came from a vulnerable place.
He shook his head to dispel the uncomfortable thoughts and broke out into a fevered run. He could make a beeline for the centre of the city now that he knew its direction, and he certainly wasn't sticking around to see if the serpentine girl was serious about her threat. The heat was making him dizzy, but if he didn't gather his strength for the final push to the statue, the chances of him passing the exam were slim. If he was lucky, it would already be destroyed by the time he arrived, and he could safely collect the leftover eggs before time ran out. It was now or never.
Following the quiet din of exasperated voices, he eventually came across a trail of carnage that marked the entrance to the city's centre. An upturned car was slowly leaking petrol across the concrete, poisoning the air with the oddly alluring, industrial scent. He crept through shards of broken glass that crunched harshly under his battered boots, staying spry and low to the ground in case he was suddenly ambushed. Instead, the destroyed street was oddly quiet. It looked like the aftermath of full-scale war, and he assumed that those responsible for the destruction had already made their way to the statue. He was standing amidst the broken, forgotten remnants of their fight.
Using the crushed vehicle as cover, he rolled into a shaded alleyway at the end of the dilapidated street. He leaned against a huge, green dumpster that was thankfully empty to collect his thoughts and calm himself down. This was his last chance of respite before he dived into the chaotic fight over the egg statue. He felt rather cowardly for sticking to the shadows and thin, bricked corridors for the entire exam, but he knew it was better to be safe than sorry. If he hadn't been as careful, he could have ended up like the long-legged boy.
He peeked fearfully out of the alleyway only to immediately pull his head backwards and press himself flat against the cold, stone wall in shock. Countless people littered the courtyard in front of him, some still active and others motionless on the ground. He had only dealt with a single person at a time for every altercation in the exam, but there was no such opportunity once he emerged into chaos. He stared down at his own reflection in the glittering silver egg. His pathetic, scared eyes stared back at him with those pink irises he had been teased for in junior high. Weird eye colours were just as common as hair colours in the modern era of Quirks, but he hated that he was stuck with such a bland, girly colour.
His face tightened to a harsh expression of anger as he glared at himself. What the hell was he doing, cowering in an alleyway while all the other candidates were fighting bravely for their admission? Spurred on by the mental beratement, he stepped back out into the beating sun before he had a chance to think things through and waste even more precious time. He wildly looked around for the egg statue as he sprinted through fallen bodies and flashy projectiles, trying to ignore the surprised yelps of everyone that he passed. He wasn't going to stop running until he found Youta again.
It only took a few more seconds until the towering, oval statue carved from dense stone came into view. It stood proudly atop a high pedestal that was far taller than he expected, preceded by a set of wide stone steps that would make anyone run out of breath before they even reached the top. He couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment that he had made it to the centre of the city relatively unscathed, but it was quickly overtaken by an intense worry as a head of purple hair was nowhere to be found. He could only see a large, muscled figure standing on the egg's pedestal with their herculean arms folded. It must have been the girl that the serpentine applicant mentioned. It looked like she was guarding the statue.
Before he could take another confident step forward, he was suddenly blindsided by a strange, white object that seemed to move at the speed of sound. All he could do was flinch pathetically as the projectile whistled across the courtyard and struck him on the side of the head. He groaned and crouched low to the ground, clutching at strands of his blonde hair as his brain rattled forcefully against his skull. Thick, plastic shards of the unknown white object fell to his unsteady feet as he slowly turned in the direction it was fired.
A tall boy with dark grey hair was standing a few feet to his left, partially concealed by a gnarled, skinny tree. He was brandishing some sort of large slingshot that was still recoiling from the force at which the projectile was fired. It was oddly flesh-coloured, and as Ochimaru recovered from the surprise blow, he realised that the applicant was missing one of his arms. Well, no, it wasn't that it was missing. The slingshot was his arm. The skinny boy's right forearm forked in the middle into a vague Y-shape, with a strange stretch of what looked to be red, exposed muscle connecting both ends that were without fingers.
Despite the aggressive attack, the boy's slim face remained emotionless as he reached into a metallic basket and loaded his slingshot arm with another round of ammunition. Only when he began to pull back the grotesque patch of flexible muscle did Ochimaru realise what had suddenly crashed into him earlier. The chunky shards littering his feet had been from a white egg. The boy's basket was filled to the brim with them.
"Using your own points as ammo…?" he faltered, diving into the tall grass before the Mutant could get another clear shot at him. The slingshot was already shivering under the pressure of being pulled back by the boy's single, powerful hand.
"I have plenty to spare," the boy replied, his quiet tone nonchalant and unassuming.
"What are you trying to accomplish anyway?" Ochimaru seethed, rubbing softly at the lump that was already forming on his head. The white egg was flimsy and hollow, but it was shot from the boy's slingshot with such speed it might as well have been a bullet.
"Ambushing people that get close to the statue," he stated, his soft voice barely audible over the commotion echoing through the scarred courtyard. "Before they reach Fumiyo anyway."
"Fumiyo?" he parroted.
"The athletic girl over there," the boy said, pointing at the statue with his normal hand. "She hasn't taken a step off of that pedestal since the beginning of the exam. She blasts away anyone who gets close with a gust of air from her hands. Her Quirk's called Razor Wind."
"And how do you know that?" Ochimaru questioned, perplexed by the boy's casual nature. His slingshot was still loaded and directed towards his rough location in the tall grass, but it looked like he had no intention of firing another egg.
"We studied at the same middle school," he whispered, as if the girl would suddenly turn on him if he spoke any louder. It was only natural that old classmates would stick together in an exam like this. "Trust me, you don't want to approach her alone."
"Noted," Ochimaru winced, taking a moment to ogle at the girl's bulging muscles. She would have looked more in place at a weightlifting competition or even the Olympics, and she definitely had a head start compared to the other applicants when it came to physical strength. "Anyway, have you seen a boy with purple hair around the courtyard anywhere?"
"Ah yes, the overconfident one," he replied with a small smile. "He backed off from the statue only a couple minutes ago on about the tenth wind blast."
"Tenth!?" Ochimaru cried, trying his best to stay quiet. He didn't want everyone else in the courtyard to suddenly focus their attacks on him.
"Yes," the boy nodded, dropping to his dirty knees and finally letting the white egg roll out of his slingshot. He gingerly placed it back in the metallic basket that was balancing on a weak, dry branch. "He sustained quite a few injuries before retreating with a slew of vulgar language. A few other applicants followed after him to try and steal some of his eggs."
"Which direction?" Ochimaru asked, emerging from the grass now that the kind boy had lowered his weapon. People who were willing to converse and negotiate in a competitive environment like this had to be few and far between.
"East," the boy simply replied. "Towards that fake police station over there."
"Thanks!" Ochimaru smiled, happy to have met someone who was relatively friendly. The lump on his head still throbbed painfully, but he was willing to overlook it since the boy had given him valuable information. "Good luck with the rest of the exam."
"Same to you," he nodded. "Getting past Fumiyo won't be easy."
Ochimaru came to his senses once again when a bright blue laser beam shot past his head and travelled up into the cloudless sky before dissipating in a shower of sparkles. He had almost forgotten that he was right in the middle of a battlefield. He took off in a fearful sprint as the slingshot boy readied his weaponised appendage towards the source of the laser. He passed directly through a crowd of preoccupied applicants, harshly elbowing a boy with dark, frizzy hair in the back. He only had a few more minutes to meet up with Youta and confront Fumiyo before the exam finished. This wasn't the time to be polite. His friend could have been in danger depending on the number of applicants that followed him. Even with his Quirk, it would be difficult to fend off multiple attackers without making a mistake.
He barged through the doorway of the police station only to find a group of applicants pinned forcefully against the pristine white floor. They were still conscious and swearing their heads off as they tried to push themselves off the ground, only to fall limp again under the immense weight pressing down on their backs. Even though they were immobilised by Youta's Quirk, it looked like a clear struggle had occurred in the foyer. The place was a complete wreck. Tables and chairs were upturned and missing legs, windows had been shattered carelessly, and a fancy mahogany desk had been smashed to pieces.
"Where is he?" Ochimaru questioned, kneeling down and prodding one of the aggressive applicants with an accusatory finger. A boy with maroon hair and broad shoulders sighed in frustration as he finally gave up on trying to stand again.
"Someone… cornered him in the… locker room," he wheezed, gasping hurriedly for air as the increased weight of his body pressed down on his lungs. He hoped that Youta hadn't permanently injured any of the applicants.
His determination to save his new friend outweighed his concern for the other applicants as he rushed down the narrow hallway, leaving the victims to struggle against the powerful, invisible force. He would need to collect Youta and escape the police station before everyone recovered, or else he would also become a target for theft. He came across a sturdy wooden door that had been ripped entirely from its hinges and crossed through the threshold, hands raised as he concentrated on pre-emptively activating his Quirk.
He finally laid eyes upon his friend again, although he was covered in what looked like countless deep papercuts that were dripping with blood. He was being restrained by a stout, burly applicant who had a series of tentacles sprouting from his back. The slithering appendages had suction cups that reminded Ochimaru of an octopus or a squid. They quickly latched onto Youta's wrists and legs, preventing him from moving his injured hands. The applicant stood powerfully as their tentacles constricted each one of his limbs and suspended him in the air. All he could do was struggle against the rubbery appendages.
After a short moment of shock, Ochimaru immediately leapt into action. A tentacle slithered its way across Youta's mouth as his eyes widened in surprise. He crept behind the ruthless applicant and brought a finger to his lips as soon as he noticed Youta staring at him. He began to feel the familiar tickle dance across his fingers as he gathered all of his strength into producing the most potent soap he could muster. As soon as he couldn't contain the sensation any longer, he flexed his fingers and aimed his hands towards the main tentacles that were grasping onto Youta's arms.
A thick, soapy mixture blasted out from his pores and splattered against Youta's upper half. The applicant whirled around in surprise and sent a tentacle slamming into Ochimaru's torso. He was swiftly sent tumbling off of his feet by the tentacles' astounding strength before he could completely finish expelling all of his lather. He aimed the uncontrollable flow of pink soap towards the applicant's feet as he fell before slamming painfully into the row of metallic lockers, his head whipping back and cracking off one of the doors. He barely even registered the pain as he stemmed the flow of slippery liquid and exhaled in relief.
He looked up to witness Youta slipping free from the powerful suction cups now that he had been sufficiently lubricated. He wrenched his right arm away from the tentacle with a series of pops as the cups fell away in quick succession. Before the applicant could constrict Youta any further, he stretched forward and grabbed one of the loose tentacles with a full five fingers, sending it hurtling down to the ground. The increased weight caused the stout boy to lose balance and slip on the stray puddle of soap left on the ground. The weighty tentacle kept him pinned against the tiles of the locker room floor as he released Youta, who landed on his hands and knees with an exasperated gasp.
"I still would've beaten him without your help y'know," Youta sighed while softly kicking the paralysed applicant's waist. The tentacled boy glared back at him, too encumbered to even offer a scathing response.
"Even with all those injuries?" Ochimaru asked, slowly crawling to his feet amidst his own oily soap. He had bought a pair of boots with the best grip available in preparation for the exam, but it was still incredibly difficult to stand and walk on the lathered tile floor.
"These are nothing!" he laughed, rubbing the numerous wounds on his arms to prove that he could fight through the pain. "That buff girl's Quirk is really something else though. I'm pretty sure she could've sliced off my arms with that wind if she really wanted to."
"Do you actually have a plan for getting past her?" Ochimaru questioned, concerned that Fumiyo would completely block them off from the statue until the exam ended. "The slingshot guy made it sound like you just kept running into her over and over again."
"Oh c'mon, give me a bit more credit than that," Youta grinned, scooping up his discarded basket and the loose eggs that had tumbled out across the room. "Every Quirk has its limits, right? She's been firing off these sharp gusts of wind from her hands the entire exam, so they've gotta be pretty beaten up by now. My plan is to drain her energy 'till the most she can produce is a weak little puff of air."
"Even if her Quirk did end up failing, she's still no joke when it comes to physical strength," Ochimaru countered, wiping his soapy hands on the front of the tank top, staining the fabric with a pinkish tinge. "Our only chance of breaking the statue is for you to incapacitate her."
"Well, look at you being all assertive," Youta teased. "What happened to those nerves from earlier?"
"I've been through a lot in these past two hours," Ochimaru sighed, poking at the fresh bump on the back of his head caused by the metal lockers. He wouldn't have been surprised if he ended up with brain damage at the end of this whole thing.
"You can tell me all about it after we get outta here," Youta grimaced, massaging his palms and fingers vigorously. It looked like his Quirk put some physical strain on his hands. "Overload will be starting to wear off on that pack of goons by the entrance."
"That's a way cooler name than Lather," Ochimaru huffed quietly, staring at the soapy puddle that the squirming applicant was splashing around in as the two ran out of the room.
The centre of the city was eerily quiet with only a few stragglers trying to rack up as many points as they could before the alarm signalled the exam's end. He expected to see an army of applicants all trying to desperately surpass Fumiyo. As they both returned to the dilapidated, overgrown courtyard, Ochimaru noticed that the helpful slingshot boy from earlier had disappeared from his perch on the gnarled tree. It would be disappointing if he had suddenly failed as he seemed like a nice enough person. Unfortunately, Fumiyo was still standing powerfully atop the statue's pedestal, looking rather bored that all of her challengers had fled in either fear or frustration. Her strategy to guard the statue so that nobody obtained the points instead was mean-spirited, but effective. She was essentially limiting the number of students that could pass by decreasing the number of available eggs.
"Remember, our priority is breaking the statue," Youta whispered as they fought their way through the tall grass and thorny bushes. "If I can't get close enough to apply Overload onto the buff girl, I'm counting on you to distract her, so I can use it on the statue instead."
"Lather isn't all that useful if people dodge the soap, but I'll try my best," he replied with a weak, unsure smile. He had never experienced the pressure of living up to someone's expectations before, and it was weighing heavily on his shoulders.
"Aw, don't give me that," Youta encouraged, slapping his friend on the back with a strong palm. "Making things a bit slippery isn't the only thing your Quirk can do, right? You said it yourself; soap from your mum, and bubbles from your dad."
Ochimaru was suddenly struck with a deep inspiration as soon as the words left Youta's lips. Not only did it warm his heart that he had remembered his Quirk explanation from earlier, but it also made him realise something he had never really thought about until now. All throughout his life, he had resigned himself into thinking that all he could do was produce soap from his hands. But that wasn't the case. He technically had a combination Quirk. The tiny, resilient bubbles that he produced alongside the lather were also a prominent part of his ability, even if he had only ever focused upon the slippery soap aspect. If he could figure out a method of reducing the soap while increasing the bubbles, it would completely alter his future skillset as a professional hero.
"Lightbulb just went off there, huh?" Youta grinned, his pristine, white teeth glittering in the sunlight like a beacon. "I'm looking forward to see what you come up with."
Fumiyo narrowed her grey eyes as soon as they both emerged from the dense undergrowth that shrouded and protected the egg statue. She unfolded her dirty, bruised arms with a sigh, and Ochimaru noticed that the pedestal was stained with a moist patch of fresh blood. The crimson fluid was slowly oozing from the muscled girl's large hands, and despite his inexperience, he could tell that it was from extensive Quirk overuse. He remembered the first time that his body ran out of the necessary substances to produce his soap during practice. It felt like his pores had been engulfed in fire. The blood seeped out from unnatural, hollow pockets in her hands, likely where the wind emerged from.
"It looks worse than the last time I saw her," Youta murmured, planting his feet on the first wide step that lead up to the imposing statue. "Someone else must have tried to get past her recently while I was in the police station."
"That's good for our plan, right?" Ochimaru asked, hiding partially behind his friend at the morbid sight of the wounded girl in front of them. It looked like she was in a lot of pain.
"Back for another round, Kaneyama-san?" Fumiyo yelled, her deep, almost manly voice booming throughout the courtyard. It turned the heads of the few remaining applicants in the area.
"Yup," he replied, cracking both of his battered, red knuckles. "Although this time I'm gonna win and break that damn statue behind you."
"Even with backup, you're still no match for me!" She shouted, pointing a thick finger in Ochimaru's direction. He couldn't help but gulp nervously under her intimidating gaze. She unnerved him much in the same way that the snake girl did. "Bring it on, the both of you!"
The atmosphere suddenly shifted into one of tense aggression as Youta bravely climbed the pedestal two steps at a time. Ochimaru trailed quietly behind as Fumiyo's stature shifted into a defensive position, her two arms outstretched straight in front of her as she dug her soles into the scuffed stone platform. Now that she was showing them off, Ochimaru could clearly see that she had a crescent-shaped hole in the middle of each hand. They started to whistle softly as the air from her surroundings slowly began to get sucked inside, almost like she was a powerful vacuum. The flesh on her palms was frayed due to all of her previous wind blasts, but that didn't seem to deter her as she took a long, deep breath. Youta seemed unconcerned, strongly ascending without a moment's hesitation, confident in his plan.
Ochimaru, however, was less confident. If Fumiyo was injured to the point that her Quirk would fail, then why was she even trying to fire off another wind blast? Surely the girl had a lot of experience and knew her own limits. The further that he climbed the pedestal, the more unsure he became. If Youta had been wrong in his assumption, then getting blown off the pedestal at this height would definitely cause an injury. He was just about to wildly voice his concern amidst the sound of air rushing past his ears but was swiftly interrupted.
"Run to the left!" Youta yelled, pushing Ochimaru to the other side of the pedestal as soon as Fumiyo released a calm, composed breath.
He did as his friend commanded, assuming that he would follow, but as soon as he realised what Youta was about to do, he wished that he had never left his side. He was running in the complete opposite direction, diagonally climbing the steps until he reached the top and was standing to the right of Fumiyo. He was trying to split her attention at the moment she fired a wind blast, so that she had no other choice but to aim at either one of them, unless she wanted to waste what would be one of the final uses of her Quirk. And of course, the one with the most powerful Quirk was Youta.
Her wide jaw tightened in annoyance as she quickly pivoted on her steady feet towards Youta's direction just before a torrent of uncontrollable, rushing wind was blasted out from the thin holes in her hands, sending her back a few feet until she crashed into the front of the egg statue. Spurts of blood shot from her hands as she shrieked in pain, her cry almost inaudible over the whipping winds. Youta was engulfed in the field of compressed air, the harsh winds cutting into his skin and giving him a fresh set of tiny cuts. To Ochimaru's horror, the pure force of the wind sent his friend flying back even further than Fumiyo herself until he was hanging precariously off of the high pedestal. His surprised eyes widened for a split second before he was pushed over the edge by the volatile gust.
"Youta-kun!" Ochimaru cried, watching his friend disappear into the shrubbery amidst a flurry of eggs as his basket was blown out of his hands. It wasn't a life-threatening fall, but if you landed at an awkward angle, you could easily break an arm or a leg.
Despite his intense fear at being left alone in the presence of Fumiyo, Youta's earlier encouragement still echoed clear in his mind. Even if he couldn't outright defeat Fumiyo, he could distract or disable her for long enough for Youta to climb back up if he was uninjured. Just because he wasn't here didn't mean the plan hadn't changed. He had to take matters into his own hands if he ever wanted to become a professional hero that would inspire others. Judging from her pained state, that must have been the last wind blast she was capable of unleashing. He still had a chance. How could he incorporate the bubble portion of his Quirk into an effective solution?
He was only given a few seconds to think before Fumiyo gritted her teeth and limped back to her feet. She faced him with a determined scowl, her arms falling limp to her side as they dripped quietly onto the stone pedestal. A heavy, but fleeting silence fell between the two as they stared each other down. Fumiyo broke the tension by quickly rushing forwards without warning, moving steadily even with her numerous injuries. Ochimaru reflexively brought his arms up to shield his face. His panicked mind was completely blank. He needed a little more time to think about how he was going to disable her!
As if God was answering his final wish, his salvation suddenly came in the form of a white egg that was fired from the trees above. It crashed into the side of Fumiyo's head before she could reach him, sending her reeling backwards in retreat. Ochimaru's eyes left her muscled form for a single second as he spied a tall figure splayed across a sturdy branch of an oak tree overlooking the statue. The slingshot boy from earlier gave him an encouraging thumbs-up with his able hand, his emotionless face still unchanging. Fumiyo swore as she clutched at her head, unable to focus on anything else but throbbing pain. Her loose topknot unfurled softly as she ruffled at her jet-black hair.
It gave him just enough time to think of something that might work. He silently thanked the currently nameless applicant and vowed to pay him back some time in the future. Even though he was in a perilous situation, he couldn't help but show a determined, shaky smile as his mind raced with possible ideas. The bubbles that he produced were so tiny that it was almost laughable, meaning that their supernatural resilience couldn't be used to its full potential. If they weren't naturally large, then he would have to make them large.
Ochimaru quickly coated his dominant hand in a thick layer of soap and pressed the tip of his thumb and index finger together to produce a circular shape. He stared back at his own warped, distorted reflection in the ring of pink, soapy liquid he had trapped between his fingers and was reminded of the cheap bubble wands he would always buy when he was younger. It was essentially the same principle, just on a much bigger scale. He was already kicking himself for not thinking of it earlier.
"Jun!" Fumiyo shouted, her attention entirely diverted to the lanky figure camouflaged safely in the trees. "What the hell are you-"
That moment of hesitance was all Ochimaru needed to complete Youta's plan. Even though he was close to hyperventilating due to the immense pressure, he took the biggest breath he could manage as he sprinted up to the distracted girl. He brought his soapy fingers up to his mouth and blew with all of his remaining strength, his flexible soap morphing into a rubbery bubble as his face turned a bright shade of red. By the time Fumiyo noticed, it was already too late. A veil of shimmering pink liquid had engulfed her entire body as Ochimaru kept blowing even though his lungs were already empty. A combination of his nerves, the boiling heat and lack of oxygen made him extremely lightheaded, but he didn't stop until he was sure that Fumiyo was trapped in a resilient bubble of his lavender lather.
He jumped away from the buoyant bubble and witnessed Fumiyo float up into the air, falling onto her wounded hands and knees, unable to keep her balance on the soapy membrane. She stared at him in confusion, bashing her fist ineffectually on the bottom of the bubble. The rubbery substance bounced and wiggled against the powerful force, but it didn't even look close to popping. Her confusion turned to anger as she struggled and slipped against her fragrant confines. Ochimaru let out a dizzy sigh of relief as he collapsed onto the concrete pedestal. She wouldn't be able to escape now that she had exhausted her Quirk.
"I knew you'd think of something!" Youta laughed in-between hoarse, laboured breaths as he hurriedly sprinted up the stone steps. His blue tank top had been ripped to shreds and stray leaves were tangled in his messy purple fringe, but he was surprisingly unscathed.
Ochimaru was too stunned by his friend's sudden appearance to offer a reply. He watched as Youta scrambled across the slippery, soap-stained pedestal, nearly losing his balance and crashing face first into the stone statue. He grinned excitedly as he placed both of his palms on the smooth grey surface, his fingers twitching faintly as his shoulders tensed in concentration. A loud rumble interrupted Fumiyo's cries of protest as he pressed his fingers powerfully against the unmoving stone, his bruised knuckles slowly whitening as he applied more and more pressure. It didn't take long for the heavy egg statue to sink into its sturdy pedestal like it was being swallowed by quicksand. The perfect oval shape started to bend and buckle as it struggled to support its own weight, causing the whole courtyard to shudder in anticipation. Small chips of stone and fine dust began to rain down on top of Youta as he finished unloading his Quirk, coating him in a thin layer of slate powder.
Eventually, a harsh crack split its way down the middle of the statue like it just been struck by a bolt of lightning. Youta's chest heaved as he pushed against the disintegrating structure with all of his remaining strength. As soon as the rumbling ceased, he retreated back to safe distance and fell down to his bleeding, quivering knees, completely exhausted. The ruined statue finally exploded into a shower of dangerous, heavy debris that crashed into the pedestal. Even the remnants of the statue were affected by his Quirk. An unending sea of sparkling eggs rolled out of the centre of the statue alongside the worthless rubble. There had to be hundreds of points hidden inside. Every single applicant could probably pass if they collected the eggs from inside the statue.
As soon as the statue finished collapsing, the two boys jumped upon the pile of eggs and started stuffing any silver ones they could find into their metallic baskets. The last of Ochimaru's worries disappeared as he marvelled at his overflowing, sparkling basket. Youta carelessly chucked the worthless white and bronze eggs behind his back as he searched for the elusive golden egg concealed amongst the rubble. The point difference between a silver and golden egg wasn't that huge, but whoever managed to obtain one was probably given special consideration no matter their final total.
"Thank God you're alright," Ochimaru sighed as he tried to shove another egg into his already bursting basket.
"Luckily, a whole bunch of branches broke my fall," he smiled, brandishing his dirty arms that were scuffed with dirt and minor abrasions. He was going to have a hell of a time cleaning all of those scrapes and cuts once the exam ended.
"As soon as I break out of this stupid thing, I'm going to throttle the both of you!" Fumiyo interrupted, her voice muffled and distorted by the thin, soapy wall. Her hands were pressed up against the shimmering, pinkish sphere as she attempted to push her way out. "I spent two whole hours guarding that statue!"
"Why were you trying to make sure it wasn't destroyed in the first place?" Youta asked fearlessly, hobbling over to the bubble and poking at the soap that obscured Fumiyo's face. Even though he had insisted that he was unscathed, he walked with an obvious limp.
"Well, once it's broken, a bunch of nobodies can come and take the rest of the eggs without putting in any effort!" she responded, hastily bandaging her ruined hands with linen that she pulled from her back pocket. It seemed like she had planned for the excessive bleeding. "I wanted to make sure that the only people who passed the exam are those who are skilled enough to collect eggs without relying on the hard work of others."
"Unless an army of applicants rush up here in these last couple minutes, you've still succeeded even though we managed to get past you," Youta smiled, showing a surprising amount of sportsmanship to the girl who was responsible for his many injuries. "Gotta hand it to you, it was really impressive the way you pushed your Quirk to its limits."
"Oh, thanks, I guess," she deflated, surprised by Youta's sudden friendliness. Her eyes fell to the floor in contemplation as the bubble slowly came to a rest on the pedestal. "Letting my guard down after pushing you off the edge was a rookie mistake. You deserve the victory."
"Now, as long as you promise not to strangle us, I think it's only fair that you get a share of these eggs," Youta grinned, limping over to grab a jagged, sharp chunk of rock that had neatly lodged itself into the cracked pedestal. He strained to pull it out of its resting place. "You've probably worked harder than everyone else here anyway."
"I hate being pitied," Fumiyo responded flatly. "But fine, I promise."
Youta staggered over to the pink bubble and gave it a single, strong stab with the makeshift spear, causing it to finally pop and shower the pedestal and eggs in a renewed layer of soapy lather. Fumiyo took a deep inhale of fresh air as she dropped to the ground, muttering a quiet thanks as she shakily crawled across the ground to collect her long-forgotten basket. Ochimaru was oddly disappointed to see his creation silently disappear into thin air but was glad to learn that sharp objects were still its fatal weakness.
The last minutes of the exam were spent searching for the golden egg. It wasn't long before a number of applicants realised that the statue had been shattered, and soon the pedestal was filled with people trying to obtain the rare commodity. Everyone was exhausted from their previous fights, so a widescale battle didn't break out, but Ochimaru was still wary that the tenuous peace they were experiencing wouldn't last long once the egg was found. Jun took it upon himself to guide others to the pedestal, something Fumiyo didn't appreciate, but having others clean up all the bronze and silver eggs meant it was only a matter of time before the golden one was uncovered. The tentacled applicant and the tough-looking boy with red hair from the police station were the last to join the search party.
"Ochi-kun…!" Youta whispered, beckoning his friend over to an area covered in large pieces of rubble that provided a handy hiding spot from any onlookers. "I found it!"
Ochimaru tried to hide his excitement as he crept over to the rocky outcrop, only to gasp at the glittering gold egg that Youta was cradling carefully in his arms. It was far larger than the other eggs and judging from his friend's laboured groans and hunched posture, it was far heavier too. He doubted that it was made from real gold, but it still looked impressive. He couldn't help but place a shaking hand on the illustrious surface as he admired the egg.
"I want you to have it," Youta smiled genuinely, pushing the egg forcefully into his hands. "You were the one who made it possible for me to break the statue in the first place, and I already have enough points from all the silver eggs, so this is my way of saying thank you."
"I d-don't know what to say," Ochimaru stammered, almost collapsing from the sheer weight of the egg as he tried to grip onto it with soapy hands. "Are you sure?"
"Of course!" Youta grinned, clasping his friend on the shoulder. "This way, we're both guaranteed to pass! Koushujin would suck if I didn't have someone to joke around with!"
Just as Ochimaru felt like he was about to break down and cry with gratitude, an extremely loud alarm blared throughout the courtyard, almost causing him to drop the egg on his toes. It sounded like an amplified air-raid siren and the volume seemed to shake the entire city. The two slowly stepped away from the circle of rubble to see all of the remaining applicants huddled on the wide steps of the pedestal, looking towards a massive monitor embedded into the building closest to them. He had no idea how nobody had noticed it before. The screen lit up with Misato's pale face in front a blank, blue background. She looked tired.
"This year's entrance exam for Koushujin Institute has now concluded," she began. "Your egg baskets will now automatically seal themselves, so no more eggs can be collected, and any combat after the end of this announcement will result in immediate disqualification. Applicants are to make their way back to entrance of the city as soon as possible to await further instructions. Thank you very much for participating."
"Well, you heard the lady," Youta sighed. "C'mon, I'll help you carry the egg back."
The trek back to the entrance of the Hero Simulation Area was surprisingly sombre. Almost every applicant that Ochimaru passed had been injured in some way, whether it be small cuts and scrapes on their knees or more serious wounds that had already been treated by the emergency medical staff. A girl with silver hair and thin-framed glasses even had one of her arms in a makeshift sling but had somehow still managed to complete the exam with a full basket. Others weren't so lucky, and he witnessed many sorrowful applicants with missing or empty baskets shuffling slowly through the empty streets. He received countless, envious glares as he tried to hide the golden egg under his shirt and stay in the centre of the crowd.
Eventually, they all reached the entrance once again that had been transformed into what looked like a disaster-relief shelter. Sturdy, white tents had been erected in front of the gate that were already housing applicants looking to get out of the sun and receive treatment. Long tables filled with non-perishable foods and bottles of water had already been pillaged by those who had arrived early. Ochimaru sighed in relief as he collapsed into a flimsy folding chair under the shade of the towering gate. He let the golden egg roll out of his lap and fall to the ground alongside his heavy basket. He could've slipped into a deep sleep right there.
"Hey, I'm gonna go get my leg looked at," Youta muttered, careful not to put any weight on the injured limb now that his adrenaline had subsided. "The line for the tents is totally crazy so we probably won't see each other again. Here's my number so we can keep in touch."
Ochimaru stared at the hasty scribbles on the scrap of paper in amazement. They had left most of their belongings in a supply room outside the Simulation Area's gate before the exam started, but he could barely wait to get his phone back. He had never texted anyone aside from his parents on the rare occasion they would send a message, but he tried his best to hide his excitement as he pocketed the note. Youta raised a single, perplexed eyebrow.
"Thanks," Ochimaru replied, avoiding his gaze in embarrassment. "For everything."
"Don't mention it," Youta grinned with a casual wave as he limped away. "Catchya' later!"
After a few more minutes of awkwardly sitting by his lonesome and almost drifting off to sleep, Ochimaru jolted awake at the sound of the air-raid siren, although this time it was much quieter. The din of the other applicants chatting ceased as Misato strode powerfully to a wooden podium not too far from where he was sitting. She looked far more dishevelled compared to her appearance earlier in the morning. Her navy business suit was wrinkled, and her wild hair was threatening to break out of the tight ponytail. She sat a cup of steaming coffee on the podium and cleared her throat loudly. She must've been exhausted to drink something so hot on a hellish day. The caffeine was probably the only thing keeping her going. Organising and overseeing the entrance exam couldn't have been easy.
"Potential students of Koushujin!" she announced after fighting back a yawn. "After you have received any necessary treatment, you are free to cross the gate leading back to the school grounds to retrieve your personal belongings. Various members of faculty will also be waiting outside to collect your baskets in preparation for tallying the scores."
"You will receive your exam results along with information relating to your enrolment through the postal service in a couple of weeks," she continued, nodding at what looked to be other teachers as they began to open the huge, iron gate. "If you have passed the exam, the letter will include an outline of the dormitory system here at Koushujin that your guardians must sign and return before the new term begins."
Ochimaru gulped at the mention of the permission note. Even though his parents had promised he could attend a hero school if he passed the exam, they could easily go back on their word and not sign the dormitory leaflet. He wasn't old enough to oppose them yet. Luckily, the injuries he had sustained were easily to conceal. If his parents found out just how many times he had been struck in the head, they would definitely freak out and encourage him to stay inside like they had done when he was seven. He wished that his parents could be a little more like Youta's. If Fumiyo had aimed her wind blast at him instead, he would've had to say goodbye to his dream of being a hero due to the visible cuts.
"If you have any further questions, you may direct them to me or my colleagues who will be happy to assist," she said, looking eager to finish her speech and sit back down. "From all of us here at Koushujin, we wish you luck with your results and hope to see you here in April."
With no other reason to stay in the fake suburban neighbourhood, Ochimaru slowly made his way out of the Hero Simulation Area and back into Koushujin's sprawling grounds. He was surrounded by now familiar faces that now didn't seem as intimidating like they did before. Fumiyo was arguing heatedly with Jun about helping others back at the statue as they walked briskly to the station. He wondered if these applicants would become his future classmates, and maybe even friends once they got to know each other better. He had learned from various pro hero interviews that hero candidates from the same class often shared a deep bond even after they graduated, and that had been something he had yearned for ever since he was young. Even though it was quite selfish, it was partly the reason he wanted to study at a hero school. He had never got to experience friendship because of his parents.
He smiled as Jun gave him a courteous wave and beckoned him into the train compartment.
Now that he had seen the inside of Koushujin and met some of its future students, he couldn't imagine going anywhere else. His life was finally starting to begin.