Succeed the number one hero… laughable.
Izuku was making his way home after more than a few interruptions, and took the time to ponder the proposition he had been given by the Symbol of Peace.
As if I needed another legacy to pass on… not to mention the liability associated with it.
He grimaced in thought. Thinking about it objectively, gaining another quirk would only hinder my efforts to perfect my Moon Breathing Technique as well as my search for a successor. Whatever extra strength I would gain as a result of the quirk transfer would throw off the execution of my forms.
Even worse, once I did get accustomed to the change I would have to give it away upon finding a successor, or risk a weaker student dying before they could pass on the technique. Besides, to my knowledge, All Might is capable of destroying entire city blocks with a single punch. Such widespread destruction is unfitting of the Moon Breathing Style. I would much rather maintain my reliable, precise strength than the uncontrollable destruction that All Might wields.
Most importantly, I have no intention of becoming a so-called "hero", especially if my contemporaries would be made up of the cowards I saw today.
Izuku finally reached the door to his house. At least I now know why his extra toe joint exists despite his quirk…
Falling into his bed, he focused his thoughts on the road ahead.
For now, I'll continue my own training. Though I do not know what sort of trials await me at the UA exam, I'll be sure to spare no effort in training myself in both mind or body.
…
10 months later, Izuku was standing at the front gates of UA on the day of the exam. He had sufficiently studied for the written portion, but had dedicated a majority of his time to improving the speed, power and accuracy of his Moon Breathing techniques. Though he still lacked his Blood Demon Art, Izuku's current level of skill was more than sufficient for dealing with whatever the practical portion of the exam could throw at him. And since his request to use his katana as a support item was approved, he was fully prepared to tackle any obstacles the UA staff placed in his way.
From behind, he heard a certain blond's telltale stomps approaching him. Bakugou attempted to bump into Izuku to push him off balance, but found that his shoulder had missed its target.
And his target was now staring at him inches from his face.
Bakugou's dilation of pupils and increase in heart rate was obvious both to him and his six-eyed opponent, though he attempted to disguise it with false bravado.
"Stay the hell outta my way, Deku." he sneered, before walking towards the registration area.
Izuku stared at his distant figure until he heard another voice come from behind.
"Geez, what's his problem? Exam jitters get to everyone, but that doesn't mean he should take it out on other people! Are you okay?"
Turning around to meet the bubbly-sounding stranger, he found a girl his age with chestnut colored hair and a permanent blush on her cheeks. She also had strange pads on the tips of her fingers, suggesting a touch-activated quirk.
Izuku noticed her flinch when his eyes met hers.
"I am alright. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to register for the exam." he started to walk away.
"H-Huh? Oh, yeah! Good luck!" She replied, smile slightly strained.
Izuku did not respond.
…
The written portion of the exam was elementary. Izuku had long since memorized most of the material it had covered back when he was a child. Knowledge in this world was far more accessible than the one of old, and Izuku had made full use of that throughout his life. When he wasn't training at the beach, he was studying at the library. Thanks to his efforts the vast majority of the exam turned out to be a breeze.
The only part of the exam where he had to actually think came during the morals and ethics portion. It questioned his opinion on heroes, criminal punishment, and the value of human life. He had to be careful not to answer too truthfully, but to still come off as genuine to the examiners when they graded his responses. Izuku chose a middle ground; harsh compared to the average respondent but not to the point where it raised alarms. Though it pained him to write against his true beliefs to soothe the fears of weaklings he didn't respect, he thought it better than getting kicked out of the school before the term had even begun.
And with that he was ready to move on to the practical portion of the exam.
…
Finding his spot in the lecture hall, Izuku noticed he was right next to Bakugou, who had the same sneer on his face as he always did. Soon after he took his seat, the voice of a hero with ridiculously styled blond hair echoed through the room.
"What's up listeners!? Can I get a 'Hey'?"
Silence was the only response.
"That's coolio!" he continued. "Here's how it's gonna go! Each of you are going to be sent to one of seven testing locations, where you'll have ten minutes to take on three different kinds of robot villains! Use your quirks however you want, but no attacking competitors!"
"May I ask a question?" a stern voice rang out.
"Go ahead!"
"On the handout, there are no less than four villains running around the city! If this is a printing mistake, it is one unfitting of the UA institution!" he declared.
Turning around, he pointed a finger at Izuku. "And you! Why are you bringing a sword when it's obviously not an aspect of your quirk? Are you attempting to intimidate other participants?"
Izuku raised his face to meet his aggressor, who flinched upon seeing his eyes.
"Alright examinee 7111, students can apply for whatever support items they may need to use during the exam. As for the packet…" Trying to move on, the hero went to address his first comment. "The fourth and final villain is worth zero points, so he's more of an obstacle than a target! It's best to just get out of its way when it shows up! "
He reached the final slide of his presentation. "That's all I got for you guys, so go on out there and break a leg! Plus Ultra!"
Break a leg… what an odd platitude. Leaving the hall, Izuku started to make his way to his assigned bus.
…
Reaching the starting line for his assigned location, Izuku realized there was a bit of time before the exam actually began, and decided to appraise his competitors.
He was not impressed.
Look at these fledgelings… Almost all of them have solely trained the parts of their body that relate to their quirk. They lack spatial awareness, move without purpose, and are ill-prepared for actual combat.
He quietly sighed. Hopefully the other testing locations have more promising individuals.
Suddenly, he sensed someone approaching from behind. Turning around, he realized it was the same boy who called him out in the lecture hall.
Startled at being noticed, he held a look of surprise before returning to the stern expression he usually held.
"Are you still carrying that sword? Seeing as how your quirk relates to your eyes, I see no justification for you to be carrying extra weaponry. Don't you think that's unfair to your fellow competitors?" He admonished.
Izuku stared at him for a moment, then started to walk away.
Shocked speechless for a moment, the boy stood still for a moment, but then started to follow. "W-Wait! Didn't you hear me? It's unbecoming of a hero to act so irresponsibly!"
Izuku didn't look behind him. "Do not speak to me of responsibility when you know nothing of its meaning."
The boy was about to question his response, but his attention focused elsewhere when out of nowhere a voice rang out from the surrounding speakers. "Begin!"
Silence and confusion resonated around the field.
"What's wrong? In real life there are no countdowns! Go! Go! Go!"
And as he joined the mob crossing the starting line, he turned back to see the boy with the sword had disappeared.
…
Dashing down the street, Izuku sliced through dozens of robots on his way to the center of the city.
It seems these machinations are constructed with a steel-aluminum alloy… Its density is much lower than usual, likely to reduce the chance of serious injury among the examinees. For now, the use of my forms is unnecessary.
He cleaved through the torso of a three-pointer before splitting a 2-pointer down the middle. 33 points… I'll be on track to surpass 100 points before the exam's end.
To Izuku's left stood a boy with horns struggling with an attacking one-pointer. Single target, worth one point. Not worth stopping to destroy. He continued on, leaving his competitor to their fate.
Reaching a crossroads, Izuku saw a crowd of robots charging towards him.
Izuku's eyes narrowed. Like pigs to the slaughter.
..
In the observation room, UA staff were proctoring the exam, looking for cheaters, the injured, and potential standout students.
For better and for worse, they were finding all three in spades.
"Examinee 4851 in testing center E just tied up two other examinees."
"Examinee 9422 just sprained an ankle, someone go pick him up."
"Uhh… that explosive one is starting to present more of a threat to the kids than the robots, should we tell him to cool off?"
In the middle of the room, Kayama Nemuri, AKA Midnight was searching for any interesting examinees to keep an eye on when she noticed her contemporary Aizawa Shouta, AKA Eraserhead, intently staring at one of the screens.
Sauntering over to him, she popped over his shoulder. "Heya Shouta! What's got you so invested in the exam? Someone catch your eye?"
If someone did, the expression on his face didn't indicate it was in a good way. "You could say that."
Taking a peek at the monitor, Nemuri barely saw the outline of a boy dashing through the city streets, cutting apart faux villains with a speed far surpassing any of the other examinees.
She could barely believe her eyes. "Holy crap, that kid is crazy! How many points does he have?"
"Right now he's at 80. He's miles ahead of everyone else and at the rate he's going he'll probably blow past 100 by the time the exam's over." Aizawa replied passively.
"He might actually beat All Might's record! What's the little guy's quirk?"
He narrowed his eyes. "That's the thing. It's registered as a mutation type, 'Six Eyes.'"
Nemuri couldn't help but be surprised. Mutation type quirks weren't exactly weak per-say, but they rarely led to the kind of strength and speed that the person on the screen was exhibiting, especially at such a young age.
She tilted her head. "So… do his eyes power up the rest of his body or something?"
"Nope. The only thing separating him from someone without a quirk is that he has two more pairs of eyes."
"Is… is that it?" she stared incredulously at the screen.
"Apparently, but I'm starting to have my doubts. No normal human could pull off the moves he is, and definitely not at that speed. I'm going to ask Nezu to look into this."
As though speaking his name summoned the rodent himself, Nezu crawled out from a vent underneath the table and acknowledged the request. "I already am! Midoriya Izuku is proving himself to be a fascinating mystery, but for now please grade his actions as you would any other applicant!"
Aizawa gave a slight nod before returning his attention to the screen.
Nezu jumped over to a red button on the dashboard. "And, to help facilitate that, we'll be releasing the zero-pointer!"
…
Skewering the circuitry of a 3-pointer, Izuku tore his katana from the shredded remains of the defeated robot. That makes 128.
He was about to make his way towards another group of bots when the ground beneath him started to shake.
Centering his weight, he looked off to the distance to see the rising figure of the zero-pointer. It towered over the surrounding buildings, well over 80 meters in height. Izuku couldn't help but compare it to the largest opponent he had ever faced in his previous life.
Impressive… Its size surpasses even that of Doma's Water Lily Bodhisattva technique… Truly, the marvels of this world never cease to surprise me.
"Look at the size of that thing!"
"Are they actually trying to kill us?!"
"Screw taking that down, I'm outta here!"
A cacophony of voices blended together expressing fear and panic at the arrival of the zero-pointer. Noticing the mob of people running away from the walking skyscraper, Izuku understood that he should probably follow; The zero-pointer itself presented no opportunity for more points, nor would it increase his chances of entry in any way. It would be pure foolishness to engage.
But Izuku couldn't help but be curious. How does the moon breathing technique compare against foes of such extreme size?
There was only one way to find out.
Jumping over the escaping mob, Izuku made a dash towards the base of the zero-pointer, ignoring a girl stuck under a piece of concrete. Focusing his vision on the inner machinations of the overwhelming opponent ahead of him, he spotted a weakness.
The power that flows throughout its body stems from the base of its head… that must be where its energy core is. If I can overload its power flow by destroying its regulator, then the rest of the circuitry should overload.
His lips turned into a smile. And make for an explosive end.
Raising its massive limb, the zero-pointer attempted to crush the approaching insect. Despite the clear difference in size, Izuku did not falter. Positioning his sword for an upward cleave, he prepared to unleash one of his techniques:
"Moon Breathing, Third Form: Loathsome Moon, Chains."
Two slashes slipped through the gaps in the zero-pointer's armor, mutilating the base of its foot and destabilizing its posture. Using its momentary weakness as an opportunity, Izuku jumped onto its leg, running along the camouflage colored steel to reach his destination.
In an attempt to shake off the intruder, the zero-pointers swung its leg into a nearby building, toppling the structure in an explosion of dust and debris. Many onlookers feared for the swordsman's life, but his figure emerging from the dust assuaged their concerns.
Still approaching the head, the zero-pointer switched tactics. Launching missiles from silos on his shoulder, Izuku soon faced an impossible barrage of projectiles coming from all sides.
"Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy."
A barrage that was dispelled with a whirlwind of slashes, with each missile exploding in pink smoke before they could find their target. Reaching the torso, Izuku started his final dash to the base of the giant's head when its eight eyes began to brighten with an ominous red glow.
A sudden increase in temperature originating from its core… foreseeing the attack, he made a detour under its arm before eight lasers blasted the spot he was occupying a second before.
Running up the zero-pointer's back, Izuku finally reached the source of the robot's energy; a collection of battery cells that connected to the rest of the circuitry in its body. Taking the hilt of his katana and bringing it to eye-level, he positioned his right palm to the bottom of the handle and aimed the tip of the blade at the voltage regulator a few feet below the surface of its armor.
"Fourth Form: Waning Moon, Crescent Plunge."
Thrusting the blade of the katana into the armor down to the hilt, Izuku felt his weapon pierce its target and destroy the voltage regulator. Without it, the zero-pointer's ability to control its own power flow was void.
Looking deep in the internal workings of the robot, he knew that its destruction was now only a matter of time. The cells are becoming less stable… critical overload is imminent.
Pulling the blade from its slot in the armor, Izuku made a mad dash away from the core right before it exploded in a lightning storm of blue light and shrapnel. Knowing the worst was yet to come, he jumped off the robot and started freefalling towards the ground…
Eighty meters away.
Thankfully, a few dozen meters before he splattered into paste, he thrust his blade into the side of the building he was near to slow his descent enough to survive when he touched the ground.
Need to get to cover. Leaping around the corner, Izuku prepared for the zero-pointer's power flow to reach critical levels.
3…2…1…
…
A crowd of teachers surrounded the screens depicting the chaotic scene at testing center B. Discussions were ramping up regarding whether the applicant who attacked the zero-pointer was brave, dumb, or suicidal.
Among them, Present Mic's voice rang out through the murmurs. "Well, at least the kid knew to give up after he found out he bit off more than he could chew. Ain't nothing wrong with picking your battles!"
"He endangered himself and others by engaging an enemy in a battle where he had no chance of victory. A reckless hero like that is going to be more of a liability than an asset in the field." Eraserhead chided.
"Whoa there, he had a little chance! After all, the little listener managed to cut up the metal monster's foot and neck. That's gotta count for something!"
The sleep deprived hero glared at his polar opposite. "Would you say the same if this were a fight with a real villain? If the actions he took didn't neutralize the threat, then his actions were pointless."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Power Loader cut in.
Eraserhead was starting to get tired of the endless optimism surrounding him. "What are you talking about? He failed to take it down, turned tail and ran away. That's about as pointless as it gets."
A crazed laugh cut through the discussion. All heads turned towards Nezu, who was in the middle drinking his signature tea in gulps.
"I believe you should save whatever comments you may have for another 5 seconds."
Mic tilted his head. "What happens in 5-"
An ear splitting explosion rocked the walls of the observation room.
"Whoa!"
"What the hell?"
"Are we under attack?"
Panic spread across the room, and only the stalwart voice of Nezu brought a semblance of order back to the teachers.
"Staff, please remain calm. That explosion was simply the result of examinee 1912's 'pointless' actions."
Staring through the shaking 2-inch thick glass, the heroes saw the mangled remains of the zero-pointer in battle center B. The smoke and ash rising from its destruction reached far into the sky, resembling more of a mushroom cloud after a bomb than the result of a practical examination.
"What the hell did he do?" Cementoss asked incredulously.
Power Loader rubbed the back of his head. "He stuck a goddamn sword through the voltage regulator of the energy core on the zero pointer. After it was destroyed, the robot had no way of controlling its power output, and the ensuing damage cascaded into a core meltdown."
"Wait, how did he know where the voltage regulator was and what would happen if it was destroyed?" Hound Dog questioned from across the room.
"How the hell should I know?! All I know is that all of my hard work for the past few days just went up in a puff of smoke! Do you know how much overtime I'm going to have to put in to salvage this mess?! And the paperwork!..." Power Loader continued his rant long after others had stopped listening.
On the other side of the room, a grinning Nezu approached Eraserhead. "So, do you still maintain the opinion that examinee 1912's actions were pointless?"
Eraserhead looked away. "...Maybe not, but they were certainly reckless. Causing that kind of wanton destruction won't earn him any points in my book." Apparently done with the conversation, he started to walk away.
Nezu called after him. "Well, then I suppose it's a good thing you specialize in controlling such loose cannons, eh, Eraserhead?"
He stopped. He wouldn't dare…
"I hope you find him as much a delight in the class as he was in the field!"
In grim acceptance of his fate, Eraserhead sighed, hung his head, and left the observation room.
Nezu returned his attention to the monitors as his grin grew wider. "What a fascinating crop of students. I can't help but have the distinct feeling that this is going to be a very exciting year…"
…
Making his way through the dust and debris, Izuku eventually put enough distance between him and the mangled remains of the zero-pointer to breathe actual air.
It took me 47.3 seconds to eliminate the zero-pointer… a shame. If I still had my Blood Demon Art it would have only taken me one.
As soon as he reached a clearing, a voice boomed over the speakers. "And that's time! Please cease engaging the robots and proceed to the exit! You can expect your results within a few weeks! Plus Ultra!"
Izuku sheathed his sword with a click. So I managed to score 128 points… I suppose that's satisfactory. In all likelihood I'll be accepted into Class 1-A once I get my results.
When he started to make his way to the exit, a voice called out from behind him.
"Um, excuse me!"
Turning around, Izuku realized the person calling out to him was the same girl he had encountered near the entrance gates. She had a look of slight trepidation on her face, and was hobbling on one foot.
"Yes?"
"Um.." She suddenly bowed her head. "Thank you so much for saving me!"
Silence.
I see… she must have me confused with someone else.
"I believe you have the wrong person. Good day."
"What? No! Aren't you the one who stopped the zero-pointer when I got trapped under concrete?"
Thinking back to the moment he first engaged the robot, Izuku realized he did remember running past a girl trapped under debris. So she managed to somehow incapacitate herself during the exam… how utterly baffling.
"Oh, no need to thank me. I was simply following my own desires." To strike down a daunting opponent.
The girl blushed for some reason. "Eh? Oh, okay…"
"If that is all, I'll be taking my leave." He turned and started walking in the direction of the exit.
"Um… I hope we see each other again at UA!" she called out to him.
And for the second time that day, he didn't respond.
…
Long after the examinees had returned home, the UA staff were going over the applicant's scores and exam footage to determine who would and would not attend the most prestigious hero school in the country.
Present Mic picked up Izuku's file. "But man, this little listener was crazy! Slicing through all of those robots like they were nothing, and then blowing up the zero-pointer to top it all off! He's going to make one hell of a hero!"
"I have my doubts." Cementoss objected. "Unlike almost every other applicant, Midoriya took out every villain lethally. No wonder, since that sword of his leaves little chance of survival for its victims."
"I'm sure he can find a way to work around it!" Mic brushed him off. "Besides, it's not like he attacked any other applicants, so in my book he's good!"
"Heroics is not a field in which the bare minimum should be judged as the finish line." Eraserhead suddenly appeared from behind. "More importantly, the only hero points he scored was when he stopped the zero-pointer to save that trapped applicant, and even then I question if that was his motive."
Mic tilted his head. "What do you mean, Shouta? Of course he did it to save the damsel in distress, the thing was worth zero points! Why else would he attack an eight-meter tall robot?"
"I don't know… just because he could?" Nemuri chimed in.
Mic groaned. "You guys get too damn cynical whenever applications come in." Looking for a fresher perspective, he called out to the faculty's newest member. "Hey Toshinori, what do you make of this kid in testing center B? You annoyed that he beat your record?"
Toshinori turned his head at the sound of his name. Though his secret had been revealed to the staff of UA in order to facilitate his new position, he was still surprised at how accepting all of them had been of his condition. Not only that, but they'd all been extremely helpful in teaching him the duties and responsibilities that formal educators have at an institution like UA, so he was very grateful to them.
Toshinori walked over to Mic's side, smiling all the way. "No, I can't say that I am. Knowing that the future of our society rests in the hands of such competent future heroes only makes me-"
Blood spewed out of his mouth.
"Whoa!"
"You okay?"
"Aim away from applications."
Finally calming down, Toshinori picked up the folder Mic had been talking about to get a closer look.
And his eyes did not deceive him.
"It's him."
…
A few weeks later, Izuku was practicing his breathing in his room when he was interrupted by the sound of his mother frantically banging on his door.
Letting out a sigh, he rose to his feet and walked to his door, opening it to reveal Inko holding an envelope with the UA seal on it.
"Izuku! A letter from UA came in! Did you apply there?"
He slowly nodded his head. "Indeed I did. I took the exam a few weeks ago." He reached out to grab the envelope.
Relinquishing it, Inko's expression turned to one of surprise. "You want to be a hero? Why didn't you say anything? How did the exam go? Do you want to open the letter toge-"
"No thank you, mother. I'll inform you of the results later." He closed the door on her face.
Returning to his desk, Izuku opened the envelope to find a device the size of his palm resting inside of it. Placing it flat on the desk, it beeped to life and projected a screen out of thin air.
And on that screen beamed the smiling face of All Might.
"Hello Young Midoriya! I must admit, I did not expect to see you again after our last encounter, but I'm delighted to have been proven wrong!"
He backed up a bit from the camera. "This isn't known to the public yet, but you're looking at the newest addition to the UA faculty! I'll be teaching heroics for the coming year, so you and I are going to get to spend a great deal of time together!"
Izuku suppressed a sigh. "Now, it's time to reveal the numbers you've been waiting for: your scores! On the written exam you placed in the 96th percentile! Though there was much debate among the staff regarding your answers in the ethics and morals portion, the rest of your answers were exemplary!"
The grin on his face somehow grew even wider. "Moving on to your practical results, you earned an astonishing 128 villain points! Blowing all of the other applicants out of the water, you surpassed the next highest scorer by over 50 points!"
Izuku didn't change his expression. His superiority over his contemporaries was as natural as the moon following the sun; as such, there was nothing to celebrate.
But All Might continued on. "Or at least, that's what I would be saying if there wasn't a secret judging criteria! You see Young Midoriya, we not only judged you based on how many faux villains you neutralized, but also by how heroic the actions you took were!"
Izuku's eyes narrowed. Heroic actions? I don't recall taking any heroic actions…
The footage switched to the scene of him dashing towards the zero-pointer while all of the other applicants ran away in terror. It then paused on the frame of him running past the girl with the chestnut colored hair trapped under some rubble.
"Facing down an impossible opponent for the sake of the helpless is the very essence of a hero! Not only that, but you successfully neutralized the zero-pointer before it could cause any major damage to its surroundings! Thanks to that, our judges saw fit to award you 50 hero points, giving you the top score of 178 and beating my record! Welcome Young Midoriya, this is your Hero Academia!"
The device shut itself off.
Izuku leaned back in his chair. So there was a hidden criteria on which applicants were graded during the exam. Come to think of it, if I am to pretend to be a hero for any amount of time I'll need to learn to rescue people without being instructed to. Arousing suspicion from the staff will only make my search for a successor more difficult…
Izuku looked at his sword resting on the wall. Perhaps this year will prove to be more of a challenge than I thought.
…
Bakugou stared at his open acceptance letter.
Second place.
His clenched fists shook on the desk.
Second to him.
He had trained years for this moment.
He got over a hundred more points than me.
Ran until he collapsed, lifted weights until his bones creaked, practised his quirk until blisters littered his hands.
And it still wasn't enough.
But worse than that, worse than losing, worse than the feelings of inferiority crushing his soul…
Was knowing that the next three years would be spent with him.
Being haunted by those eyes.
The one person he had been trying to escape all of his life, and now he was stuck with him.
And there was nothing he could do.
The empty room offered him no comfort.
The bang of his fists hitting the desk cut through the silence. No. I've worked too hard to give up here.
Gritting his teeth, he got up with enough force to knock his chair over. I'm not gonna let that fucking villain ruin my origin story.
Throwing the letter in the trash, Bakugou forged a new resolution. I'm the only one who knows what kind of monster he really is. But one day he's going to screw up. He's going to let the mask slip, and when he does…
I'll be there to put him down.