Boom! With this chapter rolling around, all of you readers will get to see the progress of these two pure-hearted teenagers and in what ways Shigeo is adjusting to this new world! Feast your eyes on Chapter 6 of 100 Percent Hero!
The afternoon sunlight created a bright glare on the multiple windows of U.A. Academy. The hustle and bustle of school was plentiful here, and many students were getting to their classes, casually conversing with one another, engaging in training exercises, and absorbing the sunlight outside.
Going completely unnoticed among the masses of people was a frail man with sunken cheeks wearing a dress shirt and regular khakis. As this man walked by, many of the students there assumed this was either a teacher or staff worker going about their daily job. They had no way of knowing that this man was the number one hero, All Might.
After Shigeo decided to enroll at U.A. alongside Izuku, Toshinori knew it was solely his responsibility to handle the application process and paperwork needed to register. However, that in-and-of-itself was no easy task: since Shigeo wasn't from this world, there were absolutely no public records or any indication he technically existed. Under normal circumstances, this would have been a major problem, but since All Might had already been hired as a teacher here, he could easily work things out with the principal. He had already called him yesterday to let him know of his arrival, and he'd trusted the pair of trainees to continue their routine without him. But this was not the part that gave him the most anxiety. How he would go about explaining Shigeo's situation and get the principal even to believe him, he was not yet sure, and it's what he was thinking about right now.
The symbol of peace made it to the principal's office. Sitting at his desk was Principal Nezu, although he was not what one would expect. This principal was not a man at all: he was an animal with the features of several different species. He had the head of a mouse with circular black eyes, large, dog-like paws with pink pads, and a thin tail similar to a feline. Nezu was a sporadic case of an animal obtaining a quirk, and his quirk gave him enhanced intelligence that superseded most humans. It was why he could function in regular society and why he was appointed as the principal of this school.
The principal's lips reached upwards, and his charcoal eyes brightened at the arrival of his newest teacher. "Ah, All Might!" Principal Nezu was one of the few people aware of All Might's true form and knew how vital it was to be kept a secret. "Good afternoon. I just made a spectacular pot of tea. Would you care to have some?"
"Gladly." The principal poured him a cup of tea, and upon drinking it, All Might felt a delightful taste that tickled his taste buds. "Wow, I didn't know your tea could be so flavorful."
"Well, it's something I pride myself on." Principal Nezu took a sip of his tea and smiled. "Now tell me, All Might, what can I help you with today?" The principal rested his tea on the countertop and placed his elbows on his lap. "When I got your call, I could detect the urgency in your voice."
"Indeed." All Might put his cup of tea on the table and straightened his back. "I want to talk to you about a boy I met about a week ago."
"And?"
"Well, I was thinking of having him apply to U.A., and I wanted to run it by you to see if you'd approve of his application.
The anthropomorphic animal let out a short laugh. "Is that all? I hardly view it as anything problematic! Just let him send his application, and if he qualifies, he will be a student, simple as that."
All Might sighed and scratched the back of his head. The easy part of this day was done. Now came the hard part. His eyes drifted away to a painting on the wall, and he could feel his chest tighten with anxiety. No, it wasn't as simple as that. "See..."
Principal Nezu's smile disappeared when he saw this sudden change of expression. He inclined his chair forward, resting his elbows on the table and clasping his hands together in front of his mouth. He could tell immediately there was something more All Might had to say to him. "What is it?"
The number one hero faltered for a moment. His eyes left the painting and went to his lap. The hero's fingers curled up as the stress of his decision mounted. Did he dare reveal the truth about Shigeo Kageyama and where he came from? He had yet to learn what repercussions this might bring, how it might impact Shigeo's treatment at U.A., or whether Principal Nezu would even believe in it. Was it worth it?
His fingers clenched into fists, and his eyes returned to the principal. The symbol of peace decided to come out with it. It was better if Nezu had an idea of the situation so he wouldn't be left with an enormous surprise that led to rash action. Perhaps he could even find some clues as to getting Shigeo back home. "Principal Nezu, what I'm going to tell you will be hard to believe, but please bear with me."
"I'm listening." The anthropomorphic animal stilled his breathing from the tense expectation of the news about to come.
"You see, the teenager I want to enlist here, his name is Shigeo Kageyama, and he's..." The hero's green eyes dimmed to a dark verdant solemness, "not from this world."
The principal let out a small yelp. The lines on his face twisted into shock, and his calm disposition had been broken. Nezu had yet to learn what All Might was going on about. Not from this world? What did that mean?
The hero's body stiffened, and he clasped his hands together in the space between his legs. "This child comes from another world completely different from ours. Quirks don't exist in his world, although some individuals have psychic abilities. Shigeo Kageyama is one of those individuals. He can utilize psychic energy to his will, granting him telekinesis, flight, and many other abilities that wouldn't usually be seen in a quirk user with similar power."
"You're saying he has more than one power?" The first reaction to this revelation was shock, but then this shock morphed into hesitancy. His claims were quite severe and brought about a plethora of confusion and questions. After all, the implication that someone had more than one power was impossible, and the implication that there was a traveler from another dimension was unimaginable to most.
"Yes. I've seen it myself. Not only that, but he has a phenomenal amount of energy. The sheer amount of energy allowed him to tear through reality itself, sending him to our world. Unfortunately, he can't return, and for now, it appears he will be stuck here."
"All Might, these are quite the dramatic claims. But, are you sure this is what happened to this Shigeo Kageyama? Are you sure he isn't a misplaced child who got lost and has an amazing Quirk?"
"I'm positive. You'll find nothing if you try to look him up online or search his public records. Besides, I've seen his powers. I've seen what he can do. There is no way this child can be a regular Quirk user. If you want me to give you hard evidence, I can bring Shigeo here and have his foot x-rayed to determine he has two joints in his pinky toe." The symbol of peace leaned his body forward, creating a slight air of gravity around him and causing Nezu to shift uneasily in his seat.
"Principal Nezu, this is not Kageyama's home."
The head of the school felt his throat clamp up with the bright green irises burning into his body. All Might was positive in his assertions about this child. Principal Nezu reclined in his chair and held his fingers to his chin while his mind raced with the information disclosed to him. This was the second secret the symbol of peace had revealed. When he'd first learned about All Might and gained his trust, he was pretty shocked to know the truth about All Might's quirk. But this? This was on a whole new level of crazy.
Toshinori slammed his fist down on the desk, although he only did this as a display of his determination, and the punch had no power. "I understand your doubts, but Nezu, you have to believe me!"
"I do." The principal's face was stern, and the lofty, relaxed quirk-user from less than a minute ago had disappeared. The hero's bright green irises brimming with seriousness, slightly dimmed when Nezu met his gaze with an equally severe look in his eyes. Whether or not he found it possible, Nezu believed the symbol of peace's claims. After all, All Might had trusted Nezu with the truth about his quirk and One for All, a secret that, if leaked, could ruin the hero's reputation and could very well damage society itself, all in the hopes of finding someone to pass his quirk onto. The least the principal could do in return for this trust was to give him his faith in All Might's claims, no matter how outlandish they seemed.
"Imagining a traveler from another dimension is quite the dramatic tale. I never pondered the possibility of other worlds or universes beyond ours." The principal's eyes traveled upward to look at the ceiling. His heart stirred slightly, and the anthropomorphic animal's mouth formed a frown when he thought of the disparity and loneliness this child must have been experiencing.
"I can only imagine what this child must be going through."
Toshinori lowered his head; his bright green irises dimmed to a dark jade color. He was all too familiar with the sadness in Shigeo's heart, the torment and misery he displayed before when he clutched onto the hero and unloaded all of his anguish. "He's been having a difficult time, but he's still hanging in there." The number one hero lifted his head back up and reached out his hand a few inches. "Right now, I'm having him stay with me. This is because I wanted to bring him to U.A. High so he could be close by and because he has fantastic potential to become a hero.
The number one hero flicked his finger out. "I came here today so you would be aware of Shigeo's origins and powers and be prepared to take any measures necessary to conceal this secret."
Principal Nezu nodded his head. "That makes sense."
"I also hoped you could assist in finding a way back home for Shigeo, maybe try and find a Quirk that could travel through dimensions. I know the chances are slim, but any help would be appreciated."
Principal Nezu rubbed his chin, pondering All Might's request for assistance. Undertaking such a challenge would be quite a hurdle. "As you say, finding a Quirk that can travel through dimensions seems impossible, but I will be sure to do whatever I can."
The symbol of peace closed his eyes and bowed his head in respect. "Thank you." Toshinori wanted to address one more thing before he went. "Also, if it isn't too much trouble, I would prefer the other staff or anyone else not be informed about this. I don't want to put that kind of pressure on Shigeo or have him be treated differently than the other students."
"Yes, isolating him and making him feel different will not do him any good, especially with the loss of his family. Very well, All Might. I will accommodate Shigeo and work out his application for you."
"I'm eternally grateful for your assistance, Principal Nezu."
"Yes, well, it certainly sounds like quite the situation you have on your hands. So, whatever else you may need of me, call me, and I'll be glad to help."
Toshinori Yagi took an internal sigh of relief. At least now, the young esper would have a guaranteed chance of attending U.A. High. However, there were still some other pressing matters he needed to listen to, for there was someone else whom he required assistance from, one of the only other people he could trust with this secret.
All Might had called to set up a short meeting with him early that morning, and thankfully, they'd managed to set up a time right after his meeting with Principal Nezu. This man was someone All Might had known for a few years now, one of the first to know about his true form and the secret of his quirk. His friend in the police force, Naomasa Tsukauchi, was a reliable confidant and the only man who could help him with the problem he was facing with Shigeo.
The number one hero waited near one of the back exits of the police station in his true form to draw as little suspicion as possible from anyone else. Finally, after a few minutes, his friend came out the door in his usual police attire.
"All Might!" The policeman greeted the number one hero with jubilance, and the two exchanged a firm handshake. "It's good to see you!"
"Tsukauchi, it's been far too long. How's everything been going for you? Keeping up with your workload?"
"Yea, yea, nothing too big's been happening in the villain world." The detective's expression grew more serious when the casual conversation starters quickly got old. "I was surprised when you called and requested a meeting with me; it was out of the blue. Not that I'm not happy to catch up with a friend, but I've had the nagging suspicion that whatever you wanted to talk to me about must be pretty dire."
All Might's face similarly darkened. "You've got a keen intuition, Tsukauchi. You're right; I called you today because something huge has happened, something truly extraordinary." The detective's head flinched back slightly: the way this sounded, Tsukauchi was in for a ride.
"The other day, I ran into a young boy named Shigeo Kageyama..." The hero spilled the entire story to his friend, the world Shigeo came from, his calamitous fight with the boss of Claw, his phenomenal power, and how he arrived in this dimension. After finishing the story, Tsukauchi was naturally shocked, leaning his back against the wall while running his hand through his hair.
"Wow..." Unlike Nezu, the policeman had a bit of a more challenging time swallowing this truth, for it seemed too outlandish.
"I get it that it's a crazy story, Tsukauchi, but he didn't make it up. If you search for him in your police database, I guarantee you won't find any legal proof that he exists. And that's the problem: nobody's going to believe this kid came from another dimension, but people are going to be suspicious if they come asking for any legal papers or identification and come up dry. I don't know how long this kid'll be here, but if he's gonna become a part of this society, then he needs proof of his existence. And that's where you come in: I want you to create his legal registration, give him a social security number, birth certificate, past schools, all of that. I know that's a tall order, but you're the only person I can trust with the resources and the skills to help him."
The detective's hand fell to his side, and Tsukauchi stared blankly at his friend for a few seconds, still processing this story of a traveler from another dimension. All Might felt his stomach twist in knots, if he still had a stomach, waiting to see what his friend's answer would be. Finally, after what felt like hours, the detective spoke.
"I'll... I'll search for him on the police database, like you said, to be 100% certain that he's not a legal citizen. If the search turns up dry, then I don't have much other choice but to believe that kid's from another world, and then I'll help create the paperwork you're looking for.
All Might let out a deep sigh, wiping his forehead in relief. "I can't thank you enough, Tsukauchi! You're a true friend!" The shock was still rather deep, so the most he could give the hero was a shaky smile.
"No problem..." With nothing else to say and wanting to confirm the integrity of the hero's tales, the detective entered the police station while Toshinori stood outside with a relieved smile wide across his face. Now all of the most complex parts were done, and hopefully, it would be enough for Kageyama to live a peaceful life here for now.
After the number one hero finished his business with Principal Nezu and Tsukauchi, Toshinori returned to the apartment, knowing he'd had to miss the day of exercise with his two pupils. When he arrived, the hero found Mob sitting on the couch, and wanting to get straight to the point, All Might sat beside him and told him everything he'd done that day."
"So you told the school's principal and your friend, a detective, the truth about me?"
"Yes. I thought it was best they both know about you. That way, the principal wouldn't suspect anything when you tried to apply, and with my friend in the police force, he'll be able to give you a legal identity and let you live a regular life in this world for the moment. I hope that doesn't upset you."
"No, I don't mind." He trusted All Might's decision-making. After all, the hero had taken responsibility for so many other things for him: it was only thanks to him that he had a roof over his head, three meals a day, a comfortable bed, a workout program, and most of all, emotional support. So it was only fair for Shigeo to trust the number one hero.
Despite this support and his attempts to create an active life for the esper, a pressing matter still needed to be addressed. After learning he would be attending U.A. High, Shigeo realized something important that he'd overlooked. Now that he was alone with the hero, he saw it as the appropriate time to mention it. "Hey, All Might, am I just going to keep exercising for the next ten months? Do you think I should be enrolled in another school before I go to U.A. High?"
The symbol of peace nearly fell off of the couch. How could he have missed something so vital? Shigeo was a middle schooler, after all! He needed education! And he needed to have some sort of life outside of his training! He couldn't just be a shut-in with no proper sociality for the next ten months. If he were, then he'd likely be unable to interact with his peers or establish meaningful connections properly. Alas, several complications would still arise if he tried to enroll him in an actual school. So he'd have to go for an alternative. "Unfortunately, we can't risk drawing any attention to you and your lack of public records. So what options are left?" All Might began working through the alternatives in his mind. "The best idea I have is if you're enrolled in an online school. That way, you get the education you need without drawing any attention to yourself from the authorities or the public."
"Oh." The esper's reaction to this was very silent and stifled. The lackluster irises continued to be darkened with his lack of emotion, and the corners of his lips curved ever-so-slightly downward. The frail hero saw this slight change in expression, causing him to feel a sense of uneasiness and regret. "Is that alright for you?"
"Yea, yea, it's okay." Shigeo lifted his lips to form a small smile. The young esper understood the hurdles preventing him from returning to an everyday life. It was lamentable and reminded him of how foreign he was to this world, but as long as he had All Might and Izuku alongside him to support him and work through the challenges ahead, that was enough company for him. "I don't want to add any unnecessary stress to your life. After all, you are the number one hero, and you're training two teenagers on top of that."
The hero's blue irises remained fixed and concerned for a few more moments, but the worry in his eyes eventually disappeared. He appreciated the sentiment Shigeo harbored and how little he had objected throughout this ordeal, even though he had lost so much. Be that as it may, Shigeo Kageyama was still only a middle schooler. He deserved to have some semblance of an everyday life, go out in the world, enjoy regular hobbies, mingle with peers, and share laughs and memories with friends. It wasn't fair to completely take those things away from him.
Suddenly, a light bulb lit up in Toshinori's mind. He paced to his desk and grabbed two decks of playing cards in the cabinet. "Shigeo, how about we play a card game called five crowns?" The symbol of peace grinned as he removed the cards from the boxes and began shuffling them into one giant pile. "I picked it up while I was in the United States."
"I've never heard of it."
The hero's grin widened even further, and his green irises were now sparkling with excitement and joy. "Well, I'm here to teach you." Shigeo shifted his body to face All Might in a diagonal direction. The esper and the hero smiled while All Might explained the game's rules. Although the young child could not interact with others of his age for now, he still had Toshinori at his side to aid him and build memories with, and the symbol of peace was resolved to make those memories last for the rest of his life.
And so time passed. Shigeo Kageyama and Izuku Midoriya continued whole-heartedly with their training, pushing themselves to their very limits and working through the pain of the exercises. For every muscle fiber broken, it would regrow even stronger; through that process, the two teenagers could see progress. About two more weeks into training, Shigeo overcame his limited stamina and ran long distances without passing out. However, even though Shigeo constantly trained his physical body, he never used his psychic powers. All Might saw no importance in honing the young esper's abilities, feeling there was no need if he was able to fight a villain as strong as All for One.
For the esper, his internal suffering and agony persisted for the next few weeks after his arrival, constantly reminding him of what he had lost and might never see again. Despite this, the constant praise and support given by All Might and Izuku mitigated this pain enough for the child to begin enjoying himself again.
To let Shigeo live a normal life, Toshinori decided to engage in more fun activities after his training. The game of cards was his first attempt, although he later shifted to more exciting activities that required them to go out into the city, such as bowling, eating out, miniature golf, or watching movies. In some instances, All Might offered Izuku to tag along. Although the Quirkless teenager was utterly baffled at the idea he would be doing such casual activities with the number one hero, that did not stop him from accepting his request, and boy-o-boy were those moments memorable. Izuku also took the initiative that All Might had taken and went to the mall several times with Shigeo, where the two of them would browse the stores, get some ice cream, admire the scenery, and even pet the local cats the mall had raised to attract customers and to keep away pests. However, as Shigeo adjusted to this new world and gradually accepted his new life, Izuku and Toshinori noticed how deadpan his expressions typically were. During most of their time together, Shigeo usually remained emotionless, only showing the smallest smiles and only little happiness. Despite this, they accepted this side of him and came to view it as who he was.
While Shigeo was adjusting to his place in this new world, Izuku remained diligent in his training and in his schoolwork. The fiery willpower inside continued to fuel him, pushing him to excel and causing him to constantly think of different ways he could improve his strength and adjust his schedule. This caused him to work on his plan even in class, occasionally resulting in the teacher calling him out for distractedness.
While Shigeo didn't have a class or a teacher to lecture him, he found the online school All Might had enrolled him in to be rather challenging. Several times, he had to ask All Might for assistance, and even with his aid, he found the subjects to need to be clarified. During his online classes, one of the subjects was history, where he learned more about the history of Japan and of quirks, when quirks first developed, the categories of quirks, their development time, and much more. It was pretty shocking for Shigeo to see how openly this society used their powers and how many people had them.
Meanwhile, Toshinori had continued researching the inter-dimensional portal quirks with which he was seeking to send Shigeo back home, but none of his searches bore fruit. Likewise, Principal Nezu had done his share of investigation but came up short of finding solutions to sending the teenage esper to his dimension.
Several months had passed: sprinting through a park with budding leaves and growing trees, the two teenagers were carrying large safes on their shoulders and sprinting on the pavement while All Might zoomed in front of them on an electric scooter. Both teenagers were panting heavily, feeling the weight of the safes pressing down on their shoulders. For one of them, the pressure of the weight and the strain on his muscles were beginning to be too much for him: Izuku's vision began to warp and blur. The trees started to change into shades of dark purple and light pink. It seemed as though time was starting to slow around him.
The number one hero stopped his electric scooter when he heard the thud of flesh hitting the ground. He turned around to find Izuku had collapsed on the floor, while Shigeo was barely holding on. All Might's eyes scrunched, mildly disappointed to see Izuku lying on the ground defeated.
"Hey, what're you two doing? Pick yourself up and keep moving! You two have only got three months until the exam! Are you gonna tell me that you're just giving up now after all of the tireless hours you've put into your dream?"
Shigeo remained silent and looked on with concern at how Izuku was lying on the ground. After all the time he'd gotten to know him, Shigeo knew that Izuku wasn't one to give up. The Quirkless teenager was mustering all his strength, crawling toward the safe at a glacier pace.
The esper put his safe on the ground and lifted Izuku onto his feet. The Quirkless teenager winced, the act of merely moving his muscles being enough to send pain shooting through his body.
"The plan I created for you was specifically tailored to your body and included rest breaks for recovery, meant to be swift but manageable. So it doesn't make sense that you're in this much pain. Unless..." The hero's light green irises expanded when this truth clicked in his mind, "You've been ignoring those breaks and working your body more than intended. If you do that, then your body's gonna break, not strengthen!"
"All Might's right, Midoriya." The esper felt internal pain, knowing that his training comrade was pushing himself too hard. Shigeo had also been fighting on, but he had yet to go out of his way like Izuku had and trained on his own during the rest periods. "You can't inherit One for All if your body is damaged."
Izuku's eyes remained glued to the ground. Although neither of them could see his face, Shigeo could feel Midoriya's body shaking, and All Might could also see the faint vibrations around his body.
"No," muttered Midoriya, the resolve in his voice despite the pain in his body shocking both Shigeo and Toshinori, "If I don't do this, if I don't go beyond my limits, then all the other applicants will beat me in the exam. My goal isn't just to get into U.A.: my goal is to excel, to become the best hero I can be! Like you, All Might!"
The symbol of peace and the phenomenal esper were startled at his words. Their shock only increased when they saw the fierce, fiery resolve illuminating the teenager's leafy-green eyes. "I want to become the number one hero in the world." Midoriya's eyes sharpened, and he clenched his fists with solid force.
"So I'll keep going beyond until I CAN REACH THAT GOAL!"
Baffling. Shigeo's lips parted slightly. His ordinarily expressionless eyes were now gleaming with a burning sense of awe and admiration. That look in his eyes, that willpower to keep fighting, to become a hero, they all served to amaze the esper and remind him of the unbelievable resolve Izuku Midoriya had. Once again, he was shown what a hero meant to him. In a way, the esper almost envied him for that. Yet, even now, after all these months of training and the time coming closer to the entrance exam, Shigeo could not reach deep within and find even a twentieth of the passion for being a hero Midoriya was displaying now.
Like Shigeo, Toshinori was impressed by the fanboy's willpower, reminiscing about their first encounter and the tears shed by Izuku upon being told he would be able to become a true hero. The symbol of peace allowed the power of One for All to course through him, returning him to his muscular state. All Might let out a short laugh and placed his hand on the teenager's shoulder.
"It pleases me to see that your passion is burning as hot as ever! That will continue to get you far on your path to becoming a hero. But, at the same time, it would be a real shame to see all the work you've put in go to waste, so no more ignoring your rest periods and pushing yourself far beyond what you can handle."
Midoriya lifted his head to see All Might's face; then he turned to the left to see Shigeo smiling at him with compassion swirling in his gaze. Midoriya couldn't help but catch this infectious happiness, and his lips curved with bliss. Words could never express his gratitude for having these two in his life.
The time had come at last. After all this effort and dedication, the U.A. exam was about to begin today. Even now, when the exam day had begun, and all the training Midoriya had gone through was about to pay off, he didn't stop for one second to take a break. Right now, the next inheritor of One for All was continuing to pick trash off of the beach.
Continuing to work right beside him was Shigeo. Knowing the day of reckoning had finally come and assuming Midoriya would go to the beach by himself early in the morning, he woke himself up very early as well, wrote a letter to All Might telling him where he would be, and used his psychic powers to fly to the beach. Thankfully, due to it being so early in the morning, nobody noticed the middle schooler flying through the air, and he also made sure to keep a low profile by flying high in the sky.
"Fight on! Fight on! Fight on!" The two teenagers carried a large fridge over their heads with their shirts off. The blood vessels on their muscles were bulging to enormous sizes: the veins in their eyes were crimson red. Their entire bodies felt stiff and ready to crumble under the weight of the broken refrigerator. It was like the weight of reality that once attempted to crush Midoriya's dreams of becoming a hero. But like that weight, the young hero would overcome the weight looming over him and lift it off of his shoulders. And with Shigeo helping him, pushing with him every step of the way like he always had since they first began training together, they would surmount this crushing burden together.
"Come on, Kageyama!" yelled Midoriya, "We just need to get it up these steps, and we'll be done!"
"I know!" When the middle schoolers reached the base of the steps, they took very cautious baby steps. Being at the bottom end, the esper felt the weight of the fridge shift towards him, so he planted his feet on the ground and focused entirely on stability. After taking ten of these baby steps, Izuku and Shigeo made it to the top of the stairs.
"FIGHT... OOONNN!" With the passion of the Body Improvement Club's mantra and the determination in both teenagers serving as the fuel for their strength, they threw the fridge into a large pile with all their might.
"GGGRRRAAAHHHH!" The two teenagers still felt the immense, overflowing rush of grit and tenacity coursing through them, and they let out booming primeval screams. Even the expressionless psychic who bottled up his emotions couldn't help but scream. However, for the esper, the sudden burst of emotions came in the form of more than a scream. A bright, multicolored aura surrounded Shigeo, expanding around him until it was only a few inches from touching Midoriya. Several pieces of garbage began to float in the air like they had before when Shigeo first came to this dimension.
"Whoa, Kageyama!" The Quirkless fanboy's impassioned war cry and fiery will quickly faded when he saw how the esper's emotions were beginning to get out of control and fuel his powers. Once Shigeo's senses returned to him, and he realized he had unintentionally activated his psychic abilities through his intense passion, he immediately powered down and let the objects floating in the air fall gently back to the ground. Shigeo felt an instant regret for letting himself get carried away like that, and he bowed his head in shame.
"Sorry, Midoriya."
"Come on, Kageyama. It's no big deal. Just try to be a little more cautious, is all."
The esper straightened his body back up and returned the gesture of his smile. However, the bowl-haired middle schooler quickly saw the Quirkless teenager's gaze droop, and before he knew it, his body fell flat on the ground. The psychic wasn't feeling particularly rejuvenated either and decided to follow his training partner's lead.
Both middle schoolers laid on their backs, panting heavily while they looked up at the dark blue sky. The dark sky had become a familiar sight for them: seeing it so many times every day when they would come to this beach, work themselves ragged, and lay exhausted on the ground during their rest breaks. So many times, it seemed as though they wouldn't get up; their bodies would sink into the sand and forever remain buried underneath the beach because merely moving was too burdensome. Yet both of them trekked on, persevering through the worst. While part of this was due to their determination, Midoriya's passion for becoming a hero, and Kageyama's passion to strengthen his body, there was something else equally important.
Whenever one of them would falter during their training, fall to the ground with exhaustion, or let themselves give in to the building pain, the other would be at their side, giving them the words and inspiration they needed to get back up and continue fighting on. Knowing that the other always had their back, knew the torment of the training, and was with them every step was an even greater source of strength for them. It allowed them to enjoy this overwhelming training, the pair's memories serving as excellent sources of fondness to look back upon.
"Man, we've sure been through a lot together," said Midoriya, breaking the almost mystical silence between them.
The esper nodded. "It's hard to believe we've been doing this for ten months." Shigeo's mind shifted back to the memories of his arrival. Back then, he was alone, in a random world with no one to rely on, destined to live in solitude and sorrow. It also opened up the scar of his lost family, something that would never heal until the day he was reunited with them. The features on his face were becoming bleaker, and his black eyes were turning an even darker charcoal. He was about to reminisce about his master, his family, and his friends, but before he knew it, he felt an arm snake around his shoulder and under his neck.
Shigeo's attention moved away from his memories, and he turned his head down to see Izuku's attention face towards him. The inheritor of One for All could instantly recognize Shigeo's sadness and longing for his family. For a few seconds, everything remained silent. Finally, after this prolonged reticence, the teenager calmly spoke. "Kageyama, now that we're about to take the exam, I just wanted to say... thank you."
"For what?"
"Before I met you before I met All Might, I was just a loser who nobody looked twice at because I had no Quirk. I thought I would spend the rest of my life with the hopeless feeling that I could never accomplish anything, that there'd be no one else to care about me and who I wanted to be. But then you two came along: All Might trusted me with the power of One for All, and you've stuck by me ever since, breaking your body with me and pushing forward. After training with you for a while, I've realized something: you're not just my training partner. You're my friend. My only one."
The bright, sparkling joy of light removed the cloudiness in his eyes. His smile reflected joy, and the corners of his mouth rose very high. The esper's body acted on its own, and he also placed his arm around Izuku's shoulder. "You too, Midoriya. I'm also glad I could make a friend like you."
The bonds of empathy and friendship had taken these two very far, and with everything they'd done together, that bond was a force to be reckoned with. Finally, their attention was brought to the sound of footsteps approaching them. The two middle schoolers craned their heads back and weren't surprised to see an inverted All Might staring at them.
The symbol of peace's smile was warm, pleased to see the two of them having this nice heart-to-heart moment. While this moment was pleasant, his attention was also drawn to the crystal clear waters and the white sand that spread far across the beach. The hero's blue eyes widened, and his mouth gaped open from the shock of such pristine beauty. "Oh, my god. You two went beyond the area I assigned and cleaned the entire beach! Look at it! All I can see is the bright sand! Not a single piece of trash in sight! This is far beyond what I ever expected of you!" The number one hero transformed into his stronger form and took in the scenery with his typical smile. Both teenagers responded with a smile and attempted to get back up, although they were having trouble doing so, forcing All Might to step in and help them up.
"We did it, All Might," muttered the dog-tired Izuku, his eyes still weary from exhaustion. "Does this mean I'm finally ready to inherit One for All?"
"Indeed you are. I knew you had the stuff, but this is something else!" The symbol of peace wanted to ensure Shigeo was present in his well-earned praise. "And you too, Kageyama. You once told me that you were simply a loser with no other strengths without your powers." All Might pulled out his self-phone and showed the two of them the pictures he'd taken ten months ago. "This is both of you back when you started this training, back when you had no confidence. But look at you now! Look at how much progress you've made!"
Shigeo looked at the picture of him, frightened and weak, then looked down at his body. The soft, flabby skin that had once adorned his body was now replaced with rock-hard, well-defined muscles. His stomach was now marked with six ab lines, and on every part of his body, the muscle lines were very noticeable, bulging with the strengthened muscle fibers. Both teenagers found this to be a pretty monumental leap, but Shigeo, in particular, felt like he was in a state of euphoria.
For so long, he'd wanted to find another way to stand out in the world. He'd desperately searched for any signs or hints of potential he had outside of his psychic powers but unfortunately found none. Now that the time had come for the exam and their goal of training and cleaning the beach had been completed, Shigeo could truly grasp the concept of how much he had changed and how much he had improved in these months.
While the esper was having this sense of joy filling him, All Might continued speaking. "Young Midoriya, there is still quite the journey ahead of you in your quest to use the full power of One for All," the hero spread his arms out to show him the large pile of garbage and what he had accomplished, "But now that I've seen what you can accomplish, I'm confident you'll be able to do it."
The Quirkless teenager's lips formed a shaky smile, and he looked at his hand with a look bordering on disbelief. He was finally ready. After all this time, the number one hero finally told him that he was prepared to inherit his quirk and start his quest to become the next symbol of peace. His life-long dream was about to begin.
While both teenagers were feeling a rising sense of joy and amazement at what they had done, the source of that joy was distinct. For Midoriya, his strengthened body was a sign that he was worthy enough to become a hero. Still, for Kageyama, his new body was a sign that he now had worth beyond his psychic powers, that if he was ever in a situation where he didn't have his powers, he now had something else to rely upon, to nurture. He had formed a new sense of identity; to the esper, this meant just as much as being a hero meant to Midoriya.
Regardless of the differences in their joy, the emotions churning within them were strong nevertheless, and these emotions were beginning to leak out in the form of tears.
"I finally did it," muttered Shigeo while tears stained his face, "I've finally gotten a strong body." The words were so soft that neither Izuku nor Toshinori could hear him.
"All Might," Izuku murmured, "Am I really worthy of this?" The child was equally touched as the esper as tears welled in his eyes and slid down his face. "All your dedication and commitment, All Might. All of your assistance and friendship, Kageyama." The child's smile widened, and he looked at All Might with elation. "How did I ever get so lucky?"
The esper looked up from the ground and was surprised to see tears running down his friend's face. The fanboy turned to his right and displayed equal surprise at his friend's waterworks. Upon realizing how much this meant for both of them, the irony and similarity caused the two teenagers to smile widely.
"You aren't the only one who's lucky, Midoriya." The powerful esper's attention was drawn to All Might, and his eyes only shined brighter. "I don't know what I did to have either of you helping me through these ten months."
Hearty chuckles came out of the hero's mouth. Neither of them could see that luck didn't have anything to do with what they had accomplished. Toshinori clasped the shoulders of the two teenagers. "It was both of you who put in the hard work to get you where you are now, not me. Never forget that. Now..." The symbol of peace changed his attention to Midoriya, for he was the one who was doing this all in the hopes of obtaining One for All. "Here is your reward for your perseverance."
The hero plucked a hair off his larger spiked hair, perplexing the teenagers. "I once heard this saying: there's a difference between being lucky and deserving. One is an accident, the other a reward. Never confuse them."
The Quirkless teenager drew a short breath, and the psychic teenager slightly widened his eyes. "Take this advice to heart, young man. You've earned One for All with your undying willpower and effort." Izuku Midoriya's green irises shined with amazement, and drops of tears were ready to fall down his cheeks. But the teenager resolved to stay strong and refused to let the tears flow again. He clenched his fists and grabbed the future All Might was giving him. Once Midoriya took the strand of hair, Mob was the first to ask the obvious question.
"What is he supposed to do with it?"
"Eat it!"
Both teenagers' lips tightened into a straight line, and their eyes became utterly blank. "Eat it?!" the shocked Midoriya exclaimed. The symbol of peace awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, knowing how odd this would be.
"You see, One for All is encoded in my DNA, meaning you have to ingest my DNA to obtain my quirk."
"This isn't exactly what I had in mind when I said I'd inherit One for All from you!"
"Stop being a baby and eat the hair! We don't have a lot of time!" The Quirkless teenager, or almost formerly Quirkless teenager, grimaced at the thought, but he shook his head and psyched himself up. The clock was ticking, and Midoriya couldn't wimp out now. Izuku raised the hair over his mouth, and dropped it in. The silky hair felt odd as it traveled down his throat, and he gagged as it entered the throat and continued its path down the body. Midoriya's entire body shivered, and he waved his hands in disgust.
Once he got over the nauseating sensation, he expected to feel some drastic change occur instantaneously, but he looked down at his hands, feeling nothing out of the ordinary. "That's weird. I don't feel like my body underwent some change."
The symbol of peace laughed and held his arms out, amused by Midoriya's statement. "Well, of course it isn't instantaneous. Your body has to process the hair first and integrate it into your central nervous system." Toshinori looked at his wrist to see what time it was, and the clock read 6:15. "It should take effect in about two or three hours or so."
"Ugghhhh..." The teenager's stomach growled. "I haven't eaten breakfast yet and still need to get back home to shower."
"You've got enough time, Midoriya," said Shigeo.
The number one hero gazed up at the sky while he prepared to word his next piece of caution. "While you have honed your body to withstand One for All, you did it at a speedy rate, so make sure that you don't make any rash moves." The teenager took in a slight gasp, not liking what this implied. "Even more problematic is that you haven't even tried out your Quirk. We don't have time to discuss specifics, but listen to my words." Both teenagers tuned their ears and eagerly waited for All Might's advice. "You must prepare yourself before using One for All, so before you use it, clench your butt-cheeks, and from the bottom of your soul, yell, "smash!"
The two teenagers were slightly off-put by these instructions for using the quirk but did not question the hero's advice. "From the bottom of my soul. Got it. Now I gotta get going!" The fanboy sprinted through the sand the speeded up the stairs. "See you in a few hours, Kageyama!"
The psychic waved his friend off before he disappeared from his sight. Now that they were alone, All Might could direct his attention towards Mob. "Are you feeling prepared for this? I trust that your psychic powers haven't dulled."
"No, I've still got the hang of it." The psychic's power shrouded him, and with his telekinesis, he lifted several pieces of the trash on the cement into the air before gently placing them back down. The symbol of peace was happy with what he saw. It looks like he didn't need to train with his powers after all.
"Excellent! Now let's go back home so you can get ready for the exam. I still need to tell you a few details before you leave. We can discuss them while we're driving in the truck I brought.
The two of them began a quickened pace to the truck. In only a few hours, Shigeo Kageyama and Izuku Midoriya would begin the exam that would define their futures.
It was 8:40 in the morning. U.A. High School was full of students, although the influx of applicants made the school even busier and livelier than usual. Standing at the entrance of the school, Shigeo and Izuku had just arrived and were sprinting to arrive for the exam. It took some time for them to get ready with their belongings. Both were wearing school uniforms: All Might had purchased a school uniform for Shigeo the day before the exam to ensure he'd have something nice to wear.
The two teenagers were panting, sweat beads falling down their faces because of the distance they had to run. "Alright, we made it just in time."
"Uh-huh." The two reduced their running speed to a regular walking pace. As the two teenagers walked through the entrance, the green-haired student felt his heart throbbing. He was tightly gripping the straps of his backpack, and his lips were trembling. He was finally here. U.A. was standing right in front of him.
On the other hand, Shigeo was as expressionless and neutral as ever. This exam didn't really bring about any fear or amazement for him. Unlike Izuku, Shigeo didn't have the drive to become a hero, nor did he have a good grasp on justice's true meaning. If this exam involved using his powers, he should be able to pass this without a problem. However...
"Man, I got so caught up in making it here I didn't even try to test out my Quirk."
"Don't worry about it too much." The esper attempted to give his friend a sense of comfort to put his mind at ease. "I'm sure it'll come to you as you go along." Shigeo looked down at his hand, his lips curving nominally downward. "I hope that the same goes for me. I haven't used my powers at all for these ten months. I'm feeling kinda rusty."
"So you're here, Deku." Izuku recognized the deep resentment and gruffness of the voice behind him. The two friends rotated their bodies and saw the blonde-haired teenager with a yellow scarf around his neck and wearing a school uniform like them.
The esper hadn't a clue who this young teenager was and whispered into his friend's ear. "Who is that?"
"It's Bakugo, the classmate I told you about before." Upon hearing this, Mob felt a tick in him. So this was the bully who went out of his way to mock Izuku for not having powers and was convinced he was better than everyone else, thanks to his abilities. Shigeo's brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes lightly lingered with resentment.
Bakugo noticed the slight irritation in Shigeo's eyes and met that irritation with an even greater and more hostile glance. "And what the hell are you looking at, bowl cut?"
The teenage esper's rage quickly faded: unlike Bakugo, it wasn't in his nature to hold onto anger, and his face returned to a mostly neutral expression.
"Nothing, sorry."
Bakugo glared for one more second and then scoffed before he resumed his lonely walk. "Don't either of you two losers get in my way?" These were his last words before he left the two of them alone.
While the two friends were looking at Bakugo, their ears picked up on the chatter of two other teenagers who recognized Bakugo.
"Hey, I know that kid. He's the one who fought off the sludge villain ten months ago. I heard his name is Bakugo, right?"
"Yea, he's got an insanely powerful quirk."
"Hold on." The sludge villain? Ten months ago? The powerful psychic remembered Izuku and All Might talking about a sludge villain when he first arrived in this world. From what he'd heard, All Might had already taken care of that sludge villain and kept him locked up in a bottle. He also recalled how Midoriya had saved Bakugo from a monster attacking him. Could... could this sludge villain have been the monster that attacked him? But that didn't make sense! All Might had already captured the sludge villain beforehand, so how could it have escaped? Wait...
Izuku Midoriya saw how his friend's face began to twist in shock, his face becoming as pale as a ghost and his stomach tying itself into knots. He came to his friend's side and put his hand on his back. "Kageyama, are you alright?"
The psychic did not respond to his friend's question. His eyes were fixated on the ground, and his heart began to slow to a standstill. "Midoriya did I..." The esper attempted to formulate all the possibilities of how the sludge creature could have escaped, and one large possibility came to mind. Somehow, All Might had lost the bottle when he unleashed the psychic blast of energy. All Might wasn't one to so carelessly let a villain escape from his grasp, and with his strength, it didn't seem possible that the villain could have gotten out of his confinement. And from what All Might told him, he had leaped into action to save Izuku from colliding with the wall. With the speed he was going, it seemed like a strong possibility the bottle could have flown out of his pocket. That was the only reasonable conclusion he could reach. Mob's face stared up at Izuku, and the nerves in the green-haired teenager's body were jittered when he saw the conflicting and pained emotions on his friend's face. "Did I set that sludge villain free when I unleashed my psychic powers?"
"Ok, your ten-minute break has begun!" The first training day was proving to be harrowing and bone-breaking for the two teenagers. After performing burdensome exercises such as running with tires around their arms and carrying large appliances, Shigeo and Izuku felt they had just taken showers with their clothes on. So when they heard All Might announce this break, they instantly fell to the ground in exhaustion. The symbol of peace could see how much work needed to be done for these two.
After about twenty seconds of lying on the ground, the esper got himself off the ground, albeit with light difficulty, and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Hey Izuku, I'm gonna go get some water bottles All Might brought. I'll bring you one."
The number one All Might fan, pushing himself onto his feet, gave Mob a thumbs up and a small smile. "Thanks." The young esper walked off and momentarily disappeared from their line of sight. Now that Shigeo was out of hearing distance, the number one hero approached his successor to tell him something he'd been meaning to bring up with Izuku.
"Young Midoriya," All Might spoke with a whispery voice, "I wanted to tell you not to mention the sludge villain that attacked both of you and that blonde-haired child two days ago."
"Huh?" The green-eyed middle schooler gazed at the hero with his eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"
"I didn't tell him that the sludge villain had escaped when he unleashed his psychic energy blast and was responsible for taking your schoolmate hostage. If he finds out, he'll feel even more guilt and self-loathing over his actions, and I don't want to put a bigger burden on him than he already has."
Izuku quickly realized where All Might was coming from. He'd seen how remorseful and ashamed Shigeo had been when he apologized for his actions. Even though he hadn't done it intentionally, the esper still felt great sorrow over his psychic outburst, and he could only imagine how much worse he would feel if he found out he was responsible for inadvertently releasing the sludge villain and allowing it to wreak more havoc. The boy hardened his green eyes and nodded.
"Understood. I won't breathe a word."
Midoriya remembered that conversation he'd had with All Might all those months ago and never breathed a word about the situation to Shigeo again. But now that the esper had begun to put the pieces together, he realized this secret could no longer be kept under wraps. If he lied, Shigeo could look up the story online and confirm it himself, and it would create more distrust against Izuku than the distrust already created between them. So with a shaky and solemn voice, the green-haired teenager muttered the answer Shigeo was waiting to hear.
"Yes."
The psychic middle schooler felt his body run cold. How many times had this happened? How many times had his psychic powers caused an accident which led to destruction and ruined lives? Too many that the teenager would not like to remember.
"Great," muttered Mob, "Great to know I was responsible for letting that villain go and nearly getting someone killed in the process."
The formerly Quirkless teenager understood why All Might wanted this kept under wraps, and he gazed at his saddened friend with equally sad eyes. Shigeo shouldn't be putting such guilt and pressure on himself. It wasn't fair to shame himself for things he couldn't control.
"What's the matter? Is the exam too nerve-racking for you?"
From behind the two teenagers, a young girl with warm brown eyes, a perpetual blush on her cheeks, and bobbed hair was observing this fellow middle schooler, appearing to be in some state of anxiety and decided to see what was going on. Once Mob realized that this girl was talking to him and comprehending how others would perceive the scene playing out, the middle schooler did his best to hide his guilt.
He straightened his posture and gave the girl a false smile. "No, it's nothing serious. Just a little nervous like you said."
"Try not to stress yourself too much." The young girl closed her eyes and beamed at the two friends. While Mob remained relatively neutral at the sight of this new girl, Midoriya's eyes were as wide as saucers. He felt his heartbeat rapidly increase, and the heat began rushing to his cheeks. He'd never had a girl come up and talk to him before! This was such a new and somewhat terrifying experience for the green-haired middle schooler, which was why when she addressed Midoriya next, his response wasn't awe-inspiring.
"Are you feeling a bit jittery about the exam too?"
For a second, all the middle schooler could do was incoherently stutter until his brain caught up enough to give an actual response. "Yea... a little."
The female middle schooler let out a soft and warm laugh. "Guess we're all in the same boat then. Anyway, I'll see you two inside! Bye!"
Mob was the only one of the two who wasn't shocked enough to stay silent. "See you there." She waved her hand at Shigeo and Izuku before continuing her walk into the school. Midoriya's entire body remained frozen by what had just transpired as she walked away, momentarily superseding the previous sadness that Mob was feeling less than thirty seconds ago.
Once the girl had entered the building, the green-haired middle schooler felt a sense of pride and happiness filled his heart. "I talked to a girl," muttered Izuku.
Even though Shigeo had just bent to the ground in shame less than a minute ago, the esper couldn't help but smile at the nervousness and pride Izuku was feeling when talking to a girl for the first time. It brought him back to when he was just as nervous about conversing with girls whenever they addressed him. How much had changed since then.
"That nervousness will fade in a little while."
Midoriya was brought back to his senses by his friend's voice, and when he looked back at his friend, his lips were pursed in a neutral line, although slight guilt still lingered in his gaze. The green-haired teenager instantaneously brought his focus back to the previous matter and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Kageyama, stop beating yourself up over what happened before. That was almost a year ago, and besides, nobody got hurt. You didn't do it on purpose."
The esper's eyes met his friend's eyes, which managed to remove some of the clouds of grief fogging his expression. After about two seconds of maintaining this gaze, Mob lightly exhaled. "Maybe you've got a point," the esper said half-heartedly, "Let's go in then."
The green-eyed middle schooler maintained his grip on the esper's shoulder for a few more seconds as they resumed walking, although he eventually slid his hand down and back to his side. Hopefully, this revelation wouldn't significantly affect his performance in the exam. He couldn't afford to make any mistakes for something of this caliber.
The air was tingling with anticipation and excitement. All the student applicants had already entered the main auditorium where the exam orientation was taking place, and they were all whispering with one another, wondering how the orientation would go and what kind of challenges they would face during the exam. Shigeo and Izuku were sitting together, and as luck would have it, Bakugo was seated right beside Izuku, creating a tense awkwardness for the three applicants.
Without warning, the auditorium's lights flickered to life, all shining down at the center stage, where someone was waiting to give his introduction to the applicants. The man was very tall and slim, with long blond hair spiked upward in a considerable tuft. He wore a pair of orange-tinted shades and looked at all the students with a large and welcoming smile.
"Hey, all you U.A. candidates!" The man's voice echoed throughout the large auditorium, further highlighting his energetic and dramatic nature, "Thanks for giving your attention to this school's d.j., Present Mic! Now let me hear you shout!"
The d.j. cupped his hand to his ear and waited for the applicants to shout back, but the nervousness and gravity of the exam prevented any of the students from speaking out. Present Mic seemed to realize the solemnity in the room and acknowledged their quietness. "Keeping it mellow, huh? That's fair. I guess it's better to get straight to the point and tell you how this practical exam is gonna go down!"
While everyone remained silent and neutral to Present Mic's booming voice, one green-haired applicant felt utterly stunned by the man he saw onstage. His grassy irises gleamed with excitement, and his hands were clasped over his mouth.
"I don't believe it! It's Present Mic, the voice hero! I tune in to his radio show every day of the week, and now I'm getting to hear his voice in person."
While Shigeo remained unfazed by his friend's geeky attitude, Bakugo's eyebrows furrowed, and his arms were crossed. "Shut up, Deku. I can't hear what he's saying."
Present Mic continued. "As you all read on your applications, all of you pumped-up boys and girls out there will be duking it out in ten-minute bot battles in super hip urban settings!" Upon hearing this, Shigeo's eyes nominally widened, and he leaned closer to the speaker: truth be told, he hadn't even looked at the application. All Might had taken care of all the paperwork for him, so he had to pay even more attention now. "Now, after I drop the mic, all of you will go to your specified battle centers." A large monitor on the stage showed a visual graph of the eight centers the examinees would be going to, listed in descending letters.
Katsuki, Shigeo, and Izuku picked up the cards they had been given upon entering the auditorium to see what center they would be going to. The blond-haired teenager glanced at Izuku's card and saw where his battle center would be. "I get it. They looked at our applications and split us up based on our schools. That way, nobody can work with their friends."
Once Izuku saw Bakugo's card, he realized his fellow examinee was right. "Yea. Even though our examinee numbers are right next to each other, we're assigned different battle centers."
Bakugo stared daggers at Midoriya, causing the teenager to shift away. "Don't glue your eyes to my card."
"Where are you going to be taking your exam, Kageyama?"
"I'll be in Battle Center C. Guess we won't be taking the exam together after all."
"And I was really looking forward to grinding you to a pulp in the same battle center."
"Ok, folks, let's check out your targets!" The screen changed images to show multiple buildings crammed into a small area, just like an urban city, and adjacent to the buildings, three silhouettes of machines appeared, each with different numbers. "There are gonna be three types of robots you'll encounter during your exam: each robot has a different number of points, and your total score will be based on the number of robots you destroyed combined with the type of robots you destroyed.
"Your goal is to shred apart these robots with your quirk, but I'm warning you: you're still being tested as a hero, so attacking the other applicants to increase your chances is a big no-no!"
"Excuse me! I have a question!"
At last, the silence within the crowd was broken by a young middle schooler with glasses and a somewhat bulky build. This middle schooler stood up from his chair and raised his hand to get Present Mic's attention. The d.j. eagerly addressed the middle schooler. "Hit me!" One of the stage lights shined on the middle schooler, and the audience saw he had a book in his hand with all of the images of the robots, with an additional silhouette not seen on the screen. This did not make sense to the middle schooler, and he made his discontent well-known.
"On the print-out, four machines have been categorized, not three like on the monitor." The student's tone became more domineering, and his words rang with a cutting aggravation. "With all due respect, if this misstep resulted from the carelessness of the U.A. faculty, it is quite shameful. We all are exemplary students, and I believe we deserve the best quality a prestigious school like U.A. has to offer." The student's following action was even more surprising than the last: he turned around and pointed to Izuku. "And you, the boy with the unkempt green hair."
The middle schooler took a second to realize this person was addressing him.
"Me?"
This student furrowed his eyebrows and gave Midoriya an irritated gaze. "I can hear you muttering this entire time. It's distracting. If this exam isn't serious enough for you, don't bother staying."
The green-haired teenager clasped his mouth with his hands and looked to the ground in shame while some of the people nearby snickered at the humiliation the spectacled middle schooler dealt. "Sorry," muttered Izuku under his breath. The esper sitting beside him felt troubled by how his enthusiasm was being called out and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder to try and ease him as he had done outside the U.A. exam building.
Present Mic saw the rising tension and how the other child was being called out and attempted to defuse the situation. "Now, now, let's take it easy, examinee number 7111." The d.j. kept his pleasant expression, giving the standing middle schooler a thumbs up. "Good catch there. Let me explain the last robot." The silhouette of the fourth robot appeared on the screen at the bottom left section of the monitor. "The fourth robot is worth zero points. It's just there to try to throw off your game. One of these robots is in every battle center, and it's best if you steer clear of it. Even if you destroy it, there's no point to doing it, so I recommend you keep your focus on the robots topping the charts."
Although the middle schooler seemed disrespectful and inconsiderate, he quickly proved this wrong when he bowed in respect to Present Mic. "Thank you very much. Please continue with the orientation." With that, the student sat back in his seat, and the light shining on him faded out.
"Well, that's everything I have for you applicants today! Let me say farewell with a little present to show this school's motto. As General Napoleon once laid down, "A true hero is one who overcomes life's misfortunes." Now, are you ready to go beyond?" Suddenly, the monitor changed images to show the words "Plus Ultra" while Present Mic raised his hands in the air. "Let's hear a plus ultra!"
Young Midoriya's entire body began to shake with excitement and happiness at where he was and the exam he was about to partake in. His verdant irises were sparkling with light, and his mouth formed a shaky smile. "Good luck! Now get out there and show this school what you're made of."
The students gradually began to stand and make their way toward the exit. Bakugo stood up and gave one last resentful stare before huffing off and walking with the crowd.
"Sorry you got called out like that," said Shigeo, "It wasn't right of him to target you like that."
"I'm fine. Besides, I've got way more important things to think about." The green-haired fanboy stood up from his chair. "Come on, let's get to our designated sections." The esper nodded, and the two friends walked opposite Bakugo, waiting for the crowd to thin until they could enter the crowd, where they followed the rest of the applicants into the hallway.
Once in the hallway, Shigeo and Izuku continued walking, going with the flow of the crowd. However, the crowd quickly began to splinter as each applicant went to their designated battle centers, indicated by signs hanging from the ceiling.
"Midoriya, look." The bowl-haired middle schooler directed his friend's attention to the sign with the direction of Battle Center B. "There's where you'll be taking your test." Shigeo's finger shifted to the other sign leading a small portion of the students to Battle Center C.
"Well, I guess this is where we'll part ways for now."
"Yep." The two comrades exchanged affectionate glances and equally affectionate smiles, although Shigeo's lips were barely curved compared to Izuku's. From then on, they'd have to do things alone for the first time in ten months. But, before they would leave, Shigeo wanted to give his friend some final assurance and hope, knowing how uncertain he was about this exam and how much passing meant for him. "Midoriya, the next time I see you, you're going to be a student at U.A. High. I know you'll be."
The inheritor of One for All's smile only widened, and his compassion for his friend again surged in his heart. "Thanks. And don't you hold back, either. Show them what you can do with your psychic powers."
"I'll try." Then, with one final smile, the two teenagers turned their backs to each other and walked through the corridors leading to their battle centers. Less than an hour before the exam would officially begin.
At each battle center, the applicants were all huddled around the entrance blocked by large, dark brown steel doors, hiding the dangers and the robots waiting for them on the other side.
In Battle Center C, Shigeo Kageyama stood, wearing a plain white t-shirt, black shorts, and charcoal running shoes. The powerful esper showed only the slightest hints of expression as he prepared himself for what was about to come. "This'll be easy for you, Mob. You just have to use your powers and crush the robots. It's like exorcising evil spirits. It'll be no problem." The middle schooler clenched his fists and looked at the steel doors with a more hardened face. "All Might's counting on me to pass this test, and so is Midoriya, so no pulling punches!"
As the bowl-haired psychic stood at the front gate, some of the other applicants stared at him with mocking grins on their faces. "I saw that kid at the front. It looked like he was about to piss his pants."
"I know, right? And look at his stupid haircut, his bored face. There's no way this kid'll be any challenge during the exam." While these examinees derided the esper for the face-value information, they would soon come to see how utterly wrong their predictions were and the devastating power this child possessed.
"Attention, examinees." The students heard the voice of a staff member calling out to them from the top of the gate, carrying a megaphone in their hand to ensure their voice was reaching everyone. "The exam will begin in five seconds."
The examinees bent their knees and readied themselves for a full-on sprint but soon found themselves directing their attention at the bowl-haired boy, whose body emanated a rainbow aura, his hair standing up slightly.
"5, 4, 3, 2, 1, go!" The doors to the battle center burst open, and with that, Shigeo Kageyama's exam had begun.
Shigeo finally did it! He got a strong body! You finally got to see those tender moments with Izuku and Shigeo, and now you're going to see just how things work out for the two teenagers in the exam, so stay tuned for Chapter 7!