Uraraka Ochako watched the young man stretch.. He seemed a bit old for UA, but maybe he was just taller than normal. Getting closer to him, she saw he had a bone white flute at his side, and a strange look in his eye. Down his back was a long, bushy ponytail.
Then the bell rang and he was in motion, drawing his sword as he charged into the testing area. Everyone else hadn't even begun to comprehend they were supposed to move before he was at the first robot, the blue energy around the red and blue sword that had appeared in his hand turned purple as he swung it up, sending the robot flying into the air. Leaping into the air, he twisted his body so the sword was above them before bringing it down with a boon, the robot slamming into the ground and cratering it.
—
Mio ran into the testing zone with her twin rings flared behind her. Dancing to the steps of the Agnian off seer rhythm, she slashed through robot after robot. In the distance, she could see the Ether spikes of her friends through her Iris. Despite that distraction, she still fought with the best of them, because that's what she was. She was Oroboros. She was Mobius.
She, like all her friends, were war. They had lived their entire lives as soldiers, lost friends to each other's nations and Mobius, and come out on the other end stronger.
Spinning around a robot's punch to slash through its chassis, calling up Izuku, she spoke to him, "How are you doing?"
"Good!" He said cheerfully, "How are you doing?"
"Good enough," Mio said, "How do you feel about finally being here?"
Mio knew, unlike the rest of them, Izuku had a life beyond war. One that had been ripped away suddenly and unexpectedly. It had been his dream to go to this school.
School. A new concept to Mio, and one she wondered how much was like military training. There were plenty of new concepts she had learned once the worlds came back together.
What it was like to have a mother and father. What it was like to meet your "boyfriend" (another new concept)'s mother. What days of peace were like, going to see "movies" and buy books and watch the inefficient but undeniably spectacular fighting styles of the Pro Heroes.
In Agnus, efficiency was key, because in Keves, efficiency was key. If either side wasn't efficient, your side would die. That's how it had been for as long as anyone knew. Izuku might know, due to merging with I, but if he did, he wasn't talking about it. On Earth, in Japan, showmanship was key. People fought in ways full of inefficiency, because it made the civilians feel safer.
There were no civilians in Aionis.
In a way she couldn't describe to anyone other than Izuku, there was no living in Aionis. Thwy had thought they lived to fight, and fought to live, but that wasn't true. They survived to die. Here on Earth, people lived until they died. There was no diary counting down days to Homecoming, no ten years. One day, she would become like Guernica Vandham had been, gray haired, wrinkled, old… Assuming of course, the extended aging of M's body had been placed into faded.
But either way, it was exciting. The chance to live a life with her friends.
Pouring energy into her dual Sundancers, she threw them, long hair flowing as she did so, discuses of energy slashing through robots about to hit a pair of purple haired boys.
Recreating them in her hands, she charged forwards to continue the dance of destruction.
—
Aizawa Shouta watched the six zones, noticing that in each zone there was someone dominating their Zone.
In Zone A, it was a ponytailed boy wielding a red and blue sword. In Zone B, it was a cat Heteromorphic with a pair of chakram. In Zone C, a metallic looking skin Heteromorphic, wielding a sword bigger than him with a built in turret. Zone D was a dark skinned young man with strange, paper dolls surrounding him, who was wracking up rescue points and combat points in equal messure. Zone E had a girl with wings sprouting from her head, using the butt of a caduceus staff to shoot bullets at the robots. And finally, in Zone F was a short girl hefting a massive hammer.
"Hey, Boss," Powerloader said, "Don't those six seem a bit… Old to be doing this?"
"It was part of a political deal with Agnus and Kesev," Nezu said, sounding slightly irritated, "it was out of my hands, even I can't override the HPSC and Diet. They were very clear, both nations wanted their joint special forces unit: Oroboros, to be allowed to take the Entrance Exam and have a fair chance to go to UA."
Of course it had to do with that mess.
Six months ago, three cities had suddenly appeared on Earth's oceans alongside chunks of landmass, Agnus, Kesev and "the City". All filled with men and women who were trained to fight. Not just fight, to go to war.
What had seemed like an impending war, America had been prepared to fight off and counter invade Kesevi territory, had stopped when the Queens had spoken out.
Not personally at first, of course, it had started with envoys. Reaching out to explain this wasn't expected at all and they were very sorry for the seeming invasion, they actually just wanted peace.
When asked about the war machines visible across their territory, they apologized again and explained that until recently, they had been at war with each other and that each of the giant machines represented what was once a military base and now a burgeoning town.
Shouta didn't believe it for a second.
So he was gonna keep a close eye on these "special forces".
"Time to release the Executioners," Nezu said, some glee returning to his voice.
—
Izuku swept around the robot, spinning as he sliced the legs off with Truthseeker before driving the sword into its back with a grunt. Pulling the blade out easily, he whipped around as he heard gunfire shooting at him, running for a piece of rubble for cover. Waiting for the sound of the gunfire to stop, Izuku whirled around, lifted the Veil slightly and sent a slash of energy at the robot, cleaving it in two. Another two robots approached, and Izuku charged forwards, flipping over one and slashing through it before landing and slamming the sword down on the other.
Robot after robot came after the Mobius-Ouroboros hybrid, and each one was felled by the Veiled Sword. Amidst the war-din, a soldier both ancient and young fought as if his life depended on it… All the while chatting with the love of his life.
"So I was thinking," Izuku said casually, the Veiled Sword growing bigger as he switched classes, bullets pinging off the barrier as he rushed forwards, toppling it. Switching weapons, he knocked it into the air before returning the Veiled Sword to Truthseeker and smashing the robot down, "How about we get lunch after this?"
"Just the two of us, or the entire group?" Mio asked.
"Whichever you prefer," Izuku said.
"Just you and me," Mio said. Izuku would be the first to admit he had a possessiveness problem, it had been a whole issue, honestly, but Mio could also want her private time.
Before they could continue further, loud sirens went off, letting Izuku on edge as he looked around for the cause. His Iris locked onto it, a giant robot far larger than any of the others, the 0-pointer. Well, it didn't matter of it was worth points, it was going down.
Rushing forwards, Izuku began to give orders, his time in Colony 9's Special Forces training him well, "Move. Move! Keep going! Don't stop!"
"Help!" A voice called from the direction of the machine, and Izuku's Iris locked onto the girl calling. Trapped under some rubble.
Simple enough.
The Off-Seer ran forwards, Truthseeker flashing as he cleaved the rubble in two. Pulling her out, he pushed her away from robot with an order to "run!"
Turning back to the robot, Izuku's grip on the hilt of his sword tightened. Willpower and Ether flowed, causing the red and blue sheath to come apart and become a gauntlet around his left hand.
The Veil had been lifted.
Lucky Seven, the Sword of Origin, flashed upwards as it was revealed to the world, Ether following it like water followed the tide. In a single, fluid slash, the robot had been split in two. Immediately after, the Veil fell again, the gauntlet reforming into Truthseeker.