Midoriya Izuku - The Crown (BNHA x Love of Magic)

by GaryGaster

Book 2 of Midoriya Izuku - The Winter King series. The Mantle is complete. Izuku, now a God, is thrust into his destiny of stopping the Outsiders. How will he balance being a hero-in-training while being the new King of Camelot, a husband, a father, and the central figure in the War. Can he? A BNHA (MHA) x Love of Magic fanfic. I neither own the characters nor their stories.

14. Provisional Exams

The winter sun shone down on class 1-A as they waited by the bus for their Provisional Exam. Cold wind whistled through snapping branches, mingling with the excited chatter of students.

Eraserhead was surprised to see the two missing students there. He didn't expect Ochaco to still want to be a Hero, despite her responsibilities as the Queen of her land. Momo cut all contact to everyone a week back. That didn't mean he wasn't secretly glad, as his body visibly relaxed upon seeing them. Other than Izuku, the two were also his top students and losing them would've been a major blow to the class.

"Good to see the two of you," he told them.

"Likewise, Sensei," Momo replied.

Ochaco smiled. "As I have said, Mr. Aizawa, the Queen's business does not conflict with that of the Hero. Not now."

"And what about after graduation? What will you do then?"

"I may not be too active on the field, but have various plans to help others."

"Very well," Aizawa sighed. "Get on the bus. We have an exam to get to."

The girls went on the bus along with their classmates. Momo was silent, taking the seat farthest from the Evoker while Ochaco sat right next to Izuku. Eri and Kota, who sheepishly asked to see the exam, were sitting on the seats across the aisle where the two adults would be able to watch them.

Mina, Kyouka, and Toru were talking to her, their expression worried upon seeing their classmate.

The others were unsure how to react to Momo's return and tried not to pry. They intuit that it had something to do with Izuku, and didn't want to get in-between them.

Mina's gaze flickered between the Seer and her God before sighing. Her gaze caught Ochaco's, who mouthed about talking later. Presumably, about fixing Izuku's and Momo's relationship.

'Drama may be entertaining to watch on-screen, it was just unfun in real life.' Mina enjoyed it even less when it was happening to Izuku. She wanted the good kind of drama. Romantic tension, will they won't they, a little misunderstanding that could be resolved with a simple talk or so. 'Not this,' she thought. Especially between Izuku and a future Sister of hers. She was thankful for Ochaco. Ever since her date with Izuku last night, the Chosen link now filled her with the familiar rainfall of happiness.

The ride to the facility was uneventful, and they soon arrived.

"Everyone, get out. We're here," Eraserhead's voice interrupted the silence.

The excited chatter among examinees died down as Class 1-A appeared. Students from other schools whispered among themselves, their gazes drawn particularly to Izuku.

The Sports Festival had left quite an impression - some students looked at him with barely contained enthusiasm, while others tensed visibly. The sheer disparity in power they had witnessed made many wonder how an exam could possibly account for such differences. A Ketsubutsu student pulled her friend closer, whispering excitedly about getting an autograph later, while others deliberately created space between themselves and the UA students. The weight of expectations, both positive and negative, hung heavy in the air.

Yet there was someone different from the rest,wearing a generic sailor uniform, who tried to approach him but was blocked by the crowd. The girl, carrying a luggage on her back, was glaring at the scene. Every girl Izuku interacted with prickled at her very being. 'Sluts, all of them,' she thought. But she could only watch. For now. There will be a chance later. And maybe something more.

Momo looked around, feeling someone watching her. But she didn't notice anyone suspicious.

Izuku took Eri in his arms while the others got out, and soon they were led into a building. The Takoba Arena.

"I'm getting nervous now," Kyouka commented.

"Don't get hit with a powerful Quirk and you should be fine, Kyouka," Izuku chuckled.

"We still don't have a clue what this test's about. Can we really earn our licenses?" Minoru asked.

"Mineta. It's not a matter of can. You will," Eraserhead stated.

"That's reassuring."

"I'm glad it is. Just pass the exam, and graduate from being eggs into full-fledged hatchlings, reborn into semi-pros. Show them your best," he replied.

"Yes, sir," everyone shouted.

"Time for our cheer!" Eijirou shouted.

"Go! PLUS ULTRA!" they yelled, but there was an extra voice that joined in. They stared at the tall and well-built young man with buzzed, dark brown hair and black eyes.

"It's bad manners to intrude on another group's huddle, Inasa," Seiji Shishikura, a short boy with spiked, purple hair and black eyes, said.

"OH YOU GOT ME!" Inasa man yelled before smashing his head on the concrete floor, "I AM VERY EXTREMELY SORRY!"

"He's like Iida plus Kirishima squared," Hanta whispered.

"I JUST WANTED TO SAY IT! PLUS ULTRA!" he shouted, blood trickling down his face. "I FREAKIN' LOVE UA HIGH! IT IS TRULY AN HONOR TO COMPETE ALONGSIDE THE FINE STUDENTS OF UA!"

After saying those things, he and his classmates started walking away to get ready for the exam.

Eraserhead sighed. "That is the other big school, Shiketsu. And that guy, Yoarashi, is very strong. He got placed into your grade under special recommendation, placing second after Pendragon. But for some reason, decided not to matriculate."

"Damn, so he even out-graded Todoroki and Yaoyorozu? How's that possible?" Denki whistled.

"It just shows that you still had to be careful. I'm sure Midoriya and Pendragon have nothing to worry about, but remember that the rest of you are regular people. Be cautious."

"Yes, sir."

Ochaco and Momo were watching the Shiketsu students, wondering what Himiko was doing with them.

Izuku found the girl's movements to be too graceful for a human. That, the golden glow of shapeshifter's eyes, and the hungry look she gave him made it obvious for him who it was.

"Eraser?! Is that you, Eraser?!" a young woman of a strong athletic build with noticeably muscular arms. She has sea-green hair that reaches just past her shoulders. She wore a sleeveless navy blue shirt with a high collar that's buttoned up all the way to her chin, puffed shorts with a green and orange pinstripe design and a corset adorned with yellow smiley-face pins.

"I saw you at the Sports Festival on TV! Long time no see!" she waved.

"Ms. Joke," he sighed, his face showing his displeasure. It was as he just met the most troublesome person he knew.

"Let's get married!" she said, perking Mina up.

"No thanks."

She laughed, "'No, thanks,' he said! Just do it!"

"You're a pain in the neck, so no. So your students are here, too?"

"It's always fun teasing you, Eraser," she told him before looking at her class, "C'mon everyone, come meet UA! Everyone, please treat my 2-2 students well," she winked.

"Damn, they have a bite-sized nerd!" Katsuki muttered upon seeing the Ketsubutsu student with a dark messy hair.

Beside him, was a blonde girl which was styled with two longer clumps spiking outwards on either side of her head and chin-length bang on her right. She had a set of sharp teeth, much like Eijirou.

"Oh! You're Midoriya, right? Can I get an autograph?" the girl fangirled. "Name's Nakagame Tatami! I'm your fan!"

"Uh, okay," he was confused, before taking the offered pen and paper before signing it. "Good luck over there. Hope to see you doing hero work in the future," he said, handing her back her stuff.

"Yeah. Thank you!" she grinned, practically hopping with each step.

The rest of the interaction, except for Katsuki's tension with Shindo, the dark-haired student, went normally.

"Hey, change into your costumes. The info session's about to start so stop wasting time," Eraserhead called out to his students.

They went inside the locker room and changed, with Eri and Kota waiting outside.

Soon, the students were directed to an auditorium, where the proctor for the exam was waiting. The place was packed full of students, and the sound of voices and conversations could be heard from every direction.

The lights dimmed, and a spotlight shined on the stage.

A lanky middle-aged man with beige, chin-length, and messy hair and dressed in a formal black shirt with a white undershirt appeared on the podium.

'He looked even less energetic than sensei,' Izuku thought.

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Today, 1540 students will compete to gain their Provisional License. I will explain the rules and criteria. First, let me introduce myself," he began. "The name's Mera Yokumiru. My favorite type of sleep is non-REM sleep. Nice to meet you all."

Izuku's and some other students' eyes widened in surprise.

'Does he even know what he is saying?' Mina thought.

The first round of the Provisional Exam will contain various aspects to it..." Mera droned on as most students struggled to keep up. Or keep their eyelids from falling, for that matter. The overly complicated exam mixed with the sleepy delivery and frequent pauses did not help matters.

Izuku found himself mentally organizing the scattered information into something more coherent. At its core, the exam revolved around two main ways to earn points, tracked by their provided watches. The first involved claiming and defending moving platforms scattered throughout the arena - a task clearly designed for those with overwhelming Quirks. The second method focused on gathering resources, items that looked oddly like chocolate bars, which offered fewer points but less risk.

Some resources, he noted, were locked behind special challenges. These promised substantially higher rewards, though Mera emphasized with unusual clarity that attempting to bypass these challenges would result in permanent disqualification. The proctor seemed particularly invested in this point, his sleepy demeanor briefly sharpening.

The system also allowed for both cooperation and competition - points could be shared or stolen between students through their watches. Curiously, Mera mentioned a special reward for anyone who managed to keep their collected resources until the end, though he left the details mysterious.

With only an hour to compete and just 200 spots available for advancement, the stakes were clear. As Mera finished his explanation, the tension in the room was almost palpable.

"In other words, those with powerful Quirks could dominate the whole exam by taking a hill?" Mezo pointed out.

"But it would also be harder for the individual to maintain it since it would be harder to have an ally both capable and willing to protect both your platforms," Ochaco replied.

"Wow. This was...complicated," Denki sighed.

"I'm tired just hearing the explanation," Hanta added.

Mera finished his explanation before snapping his fingers.

Like a signal, the walls around the place began to recede, revealing the training field. The place was a mock city, with skyscrapers and streets. There were also giant monitors and a scoreboard.

"The second round will happen after a short break. Those who failed would need to go home. That's all. You have 5 minutes to strategize before we start."

"Wow, 1540, and only 200 make it. Talk about intense," Sero commented.

"I'll make it. Even if I have to destroy everything and everyone that stands in my way!" Katsuki declared, explosions crackling from his palms.

"You going for the hill, Izuku?" Toru asked.

"Nah, I'm going for supplies," he answered, which surprised her and some others.

"Seriously? Why? With your power, you could just hold one and wait for the time to run out."

"There's no point if I take the easy road while worrying about the others. Let's all pass this!" he told her, causing her and others to grin.

"You're so manly, dude," Eijirou grinned, patting his back.

"Anyway, I have a plan. We cannot win this by all just sticking together, but there's also the possibility the other school will all target us."

"Because of the School Festival, right?" Ochaco sighed.

"Yep. Gathering all at once may be safer, but it will not let us gather much resource cache. We would need to divide ourselves into teams and have a good way to communicate. Ochaco, Momo, Kacchan, Todoroki-kun, and I will lead our respective team. Mina, you're with me. I need someone to sense things for me. Same with Aoyama-kun and Ojiro-kun. Momo, I want you to create some comm devices for each team."

Momo frowned, but obeyed.

"Mezo-kun, Kirishima-kun, Kaminari-kun, you're with Kacchan. Sero-kun, Mineta-kun, Tokoyami-kun, and Tsu-chan with Todoroki-kun. Please keep an eye on Mineta-kun. Ochaco with Kyouka and Toru. and. Momo with Sato-kun and Iida-kun."

"Why do I have to get stranded with extras?!" Katsuki protested. "Rather, why should I listen to you?"

"Oh, c'mon, Kacchan. Are you telling me you can't even pass the exam while minding three other people with strong Quirks? That's embarrassing, Kacchan," he taunted.

Katsuki glared at him, "Watch your fucking mouth, you nerd! Fine! I'll make them pass with me, but don't you dare be pathetic to lose someone from your group!" he stomped out of the building.

"That was...impressive," Hanta muttered. "How did you convince Bakugou like that without him picking a fight?"

"Felt like the right words," he shrugged. "Alright, everyone. Good luck on the exams. I don't want to hear one of you not passing," he told them.

Everyone agreed and split up, following their leaders. The students all gathered outside. They waited for the start of the exam.

The instant Mera's "GO!" reverberated through the arena's speakers, the air itself seemed to crackle with tension. The thunderous sound of hundreds of feet pounding against concrete filled the space as students scattered in all directions.

Some launched themselves skyward, their silhouettes casting fleeting shadows across the mock city streets. The screech of metal against metal rang out as those with strength-enhancement Quirks tore through obstacles, while the sharp ozone smell of electricity and the acrid scent of smoke began to permeate the air as various energy-based Quirks activated simultaneously.

Platforms materialized across the cityscape, hovering at different heights like floating islands in an urban sea. The sight sent waves of students surging toward them, creating bottlenecks at strategic points. A girl with wings made of crystal soared toward one, only to be knocked aside by a burst of compressed air. Two students from different schools collided mid-air, tumbling onto a nearby rooftop in a tangle of limbs and quirk-enhanced abilities.

The following minutes dissolved into calculated chaos. What started as individual pursuits quickly devolved into impromptu alliances and betrayals. Classmates turned on each other, the promise of points overwhelming years of friendship. A Shiketsu student found himself surrounded by three others from his own class, all wanting the spot on the platform. The tension broke with a sudden lunge, and then they were all scrambling in the dust.

"Well, that was awkward," Izuku, wearing his armor, casually muttered as he watched two students of Isamu academy chase each other for the cache while they were walking. 'If it was the same as UA, they'd all be in the same class,' he thought.

"You sure we don't have to chase them, Daddy?"

"Yeah. If we stop stumbling into these," he pulled out a few chocolate bar-looking boxes, "we can start doing that. But until then, let's let them be."

It didn't take them a few minutes and Izuku and the others were already way ahead of the rest, with their score almost doubling Momo's team. It was mostly thanks to Mina telling him where they could find what they were looking for, and Izuku's speed made it easier to get them.

"Are nous even needed here?" Yuga wondered. "It was as if déjà tous already have this covered."

"Of course, you are. Can never be too careful. Admittedly, I needed you two for extra sets of eyes, in case Mina's Voices set me up in something. Unlikely to happen here, but you never know."

"Daddy, I'm sure they won't really harm you."

"Yeah, no, Mina. We already had this conversation."

Playfully pouting, Mina continued to follow Izuku. "Oh, Daddy, there's another one there!" she said, pointing to what seemed to be a giant rock on top of a collapsed truck. It was 15 meters in diameter.

'That was weird,' he thought. "I'll be right back."

Izuku leaped to the rock before chopping it in half with his bare hands, not even bothering to use X on it. He grabbed the supply and landed beside the others before they even registered he was gone.

"Won't it be faster if you scanned everywhere? With your speed, I'm sure we can gather all of the stuff before the end," Mashirao pointed out.

"I could probably gather all of them before anyone could blink, save for the challenges," Izuku shrugged. "And I won't hesitate to be a little more forceful if someone's in danger. But this exam is for aspiring future heroes. I'd rather not sabotage that dream."

"I love you, Daddy," Mina hugged him before kissing his cheek.

"Love you too, Chosen," he grinned as he spanked her butt.

"Ehehe~" she giggled, happy that Izuku was back to his normal self. At least for now.

Then a gigantic piece of steel nail was suddenly sent their way, only for it to bounce off from Izuku's Barrier.

"Really? Like, Seriously? We're having a moment here," Izuku frowned. He looked and saw students from various other schools who filled the horizon.

"And this isn't the time to have 'a moment!' Are you making fun of us?!" one of the students shouted, tears of blood trailing down his face. "Casually flirting like a stupid couple."

"You should've just used that time we're distracted to catch up, you know?" Izuku retorted.

"This isn't a playground! We're here to get our licenses!" another student yelled.

The Evoker sighed, "It's not wise to target me, you know? I'll forget about this, and go on our own way. So scram," he told them, making a 'shooing' motion.

"Are you for real? Do you think this is a game, you arrogant son of a bitch?!" the same student from before, a bald young man with an orange bandana, yelled, his face contorting in anger. He pulled out a staff, winding up with it growing the size of a skyscraper. And swung down on Izuku. The very air seemed to howl around the weapon as it hurtled towards him.

While the other students made their worst decision in the exam, the massive display screens above the arena showed many students' status. In the viewing area, Kota slouched in his seat beside Eri, his eyes fixed on the shifting numbers of the scoreboard. "Man, that's just unfair," he muttered while munching from some pocky. "I couldn't even see him," he looked at the screen, where it showed Izuku standing over hundreds of students, all tied up.

"Papa is strong, after all," Eri said beside him, her eyes glitrerring with admiration.

"This is beyond just 'strong,'" he retorted.

"Midoriya was talking to the students before turning away. He likely told them to give up," Eraserhead, who was being dragged by Ms. Joke but not budging, told them.

"And that's why I told my kids not to pick fights they can't win," Ms. Joke chuckled, but her eyes held none of their usual mirth. "Though I have to admit, watching him in action is quite something."

"Your students seem to have more sense than most," Eraserhead commented, his tired eyes tracking the various team movements on the monitors.

"Of course! I may joke around, but I make sure my students understand the difference between courage and suicide," she replied, her trademark grin returning. "Besides, what kind of hero course teacher would I be if I didn't teach them how to pick their battles?"

"Won't those guys just fail or something?" Kota's eyes narrowed as he asked.

"It's their fault for trying to attack someone they have no business fighting. In the real world, that could have them or other civilians killed," Eraserhead added.

That hit close to home for Kota, remembering how his parents perished at the hands of a villain. His eyes narrowed at Eraserhead. 'I don't like him,' he thought.

Kota's eyes looked back at Izuku's team. They were already walking around, chuckling every now and then. 'He handles his team so well, while those other guys look like a bunch of idiots. On the other hand, some teams were struggling to be together.' His gaze turned to the monitor showing Katsuki's team.

He was shouting and threatening his teammates. It was so comical, even Kota was laughing. "Bakugou is a jerk."

While Izuku's team methodically gathered supplies with almost casual ease, across the arena, a very different approach was unfolding. Katsuki's explosive voice carried even over the chaos of the exam. It was, until Eijirou pushed Katsuki out of the way of an incoming lumpy flesh, only to be hit himself. Rather than hurting him, it floated him away, and transformed his body into a ball of flesh as it landed on the hand of the aforementioned purple haired student from Shiketsu.

"WHAT THE HELL!?"

"Sorry. We're just here to gather resources. You seem to have enough," he shrugged.

"WHO SAID YOU CAN FUCKING STEAL WHAT'S MINE, YOU LITTLE SHIT!?"

"We're not stealing. Your teammate got hit. That's your fault. It's also not our problem if we're better than you."

Veins popped out of Katsuki's head and he was about to launch himself forward before getting grabbed by Mezo. "You can't! He's taunting you."

"SHUT IT, OCTOPUS! LET ME GO!"

"We won't advance if you keep acting like a brute," he chided.

"WHAT WAS THAT!?"

"Calm down, Bakugou!" Denki tried to placate.

"SHUT THE HELL UP, DUNCE FACE! IF YOU WEREN'T SHOVED ONTO ME BY THE NERD, I'D HAVE LEFT YOU THREE TO GET TO THE PLATFORM!"

"How unsightly," the Shiketsu student clicked his tongue. "Your attitude will never get you anywhere, you know? The name's Seiji Shishikura, just so I won't be accused of being uncouth as you."

Katsuki growled.

"But that is the least of your concerns," he commented.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, SHITTY HAIR!?"

"Look," he pointed at the monitors.

Izuku and his team were walking around, not even paying attention to the platforms, nor any students.

"He wasn't even trying, yet he dominates every competition he touches. Unlike us mere normal people who has to try hard, and still struggle," he sighed. "But I was content with that. Some people simply needed to know their place, and I found mine. What about you? I looked you up. Always declaring how you'd surpass everyone, yet accomplishing nothing since a kid. Will you just keep struggling and hope things work out? Will you be his little bitch forever?"

Katsuki was shaking, and explosions were coming out of his hands. He was pissed.

Denki, meanwhile, looked at the scoreboard and saw they were falling behind. They weren't that great before, but now they fell off the 200th place. "Bakugou! Calm the hell down, man! We'll lose at this rate!"

"Shut it! I know!"

"You've been saying that since the beginning! And you keep ignoring what we tell you!"

He looked at Denki and for a moment, it was as if he would blow up in his face, but instead Katsuki took a deep breath.

"Octopus, you keep a look out for his Quirk. Warn us if he's sneaking up from any directions, GOT IT?!"

Mezo nodded.

Katsuki then threw something to Denki's direction. The electric-Quirk user's eyes widened before putting the object on his pocket. "I'LL TAKE HIM DOWN!"

Using his Quirk, he propelled himself to Seiji. The Shiketsu student grinned, thinking that Katsuki lost his mind. He used the lumps of flesh around him to try and trap him.

"You're slow," the ash blond teen grinned, dodging them.

His eyes twitched, but he calmed himself. Katsuki may be fast, but he'll eventually exhaust himself and there are dozens of flesh bits he could use to capture the explosive teen. He just needed them to make contact. Immediately, he started sneaking bits and pieces of himself, each smaller than a fruitfly and levitating them to the air.

Then he noticed Denki throwing something. Fortunately, he was able to dodge. "Hah! Seems like someone forgot their glasses," he taunted. Meanwhile, still sneaking some more flesh bits around the area.

Denki grinned. "If you didn't understand what that was, then you should've done more research!" He then pointed at the student before sending 10 Megavolts of electricity through him. They thought they'd won. But...

"Interesting," Seiji muttered. His skin extending outwards from his person. It was as if he was flayed alive.

"Man, this guy's even more disgusting now," Denki shivered.

"It looks like you still underestimate me, despite obviously outmatching you."

His trap activated, telepathically making all the pieces fly towards the three teens. But surprisingly, all of them managed to dodge. "What?"

Behind him, was Katsuki sending explosion his way. Seiji blocked using his flesh. But then Katsuki switched gears, from firepower he instead amped the brightness of his explosion, making Seiji close his eyes. With Mezo's warning, Denki and Katsuki tried to dodge the incoming bits but the latter got caught in it.

The purple-haired student panicked, used his control over his flesh to launch himself in the air. Returning his flesh to almost normal, he used his left eye under his bangs to locate the two, only for a hand to catch his leg.

"What?"

"Gotcha!" Mezo declared. He wrapping his arms around Seiji, tight enough to not give him space to deploy more of those disgusting bits of his. Then Denki pulled up something from his pocket, Katsuki's flashbang, and used it on him.

Seiji's eyes burned as he closed it, screaming.

Without a way to track them or fight back, Denki and Mezo laid it on him. Eventually, Eijirou and Katsuki were able to escape their meatball forms and joined in.

What resulted was the beating of Seiji's life. The sound of fists to flesh echoed to the next street.

Soon, the captured students regained their humanoid forms back and joined in. As thanks for Katsuki's team's help, they shared a fourth of their points to them. It wasn't a lot, but due to there being dozens of them, Katsuki's team jumped up to 175th place, at the lowest. It wasn't dominating by any means, but they were still within the cut-off point.

For a brief moment, he considered if he should fight the other students too. They looked more exhausted than them and the surprise factor was on their side. Doing the math, they could jump up at least another 30 or even 50 places. But he decided against it. There were better ways to prove himself than beating down already exhausted opponents.

While Katsuki's team had found their rhythm through combat, elsewhere in the faux city, Shoto's team had taken a different approach. With Minoru tied up by tape and being carried by Dark Shadow, they methodically searched for supplies. Despite lacking sensory Quirks, they had managed to stay within the top 50 - their excellent mobility making up for what they couldn't detect.

There were times when they had to fight against other students, but with Shoto and Dark Shadow by their side, it was almost pitiful.

Right now, they were in front of a new challenge for the resource. It was the second they had the past 20 minutes. They were mostly sets of puzzles or riddles. Tsuyu guessed it was to give those with Quirks that skew way too much on improved intelligence to compete with the big-hitters.

"What is...something that is always in motion, but never moves?"

"This one's easy. Time," Fumikage answered.

"That is correct. Well done," the computer replied, "Second question, how many people did ALL MIGHT save during his debut?"

Before anyone could say anything, Shoto shouted, "A hundred people."

"Correct," the computer replied.

"Wow, I didn't know you were an ALL MIGHT fan, kero," Tsuyu remarked.

"I don't really know anyone who doesn't at least admire him," Shoto retorted.

"Yeah, I guess," the frog girl shrugged. "Though I would've thought you'd look up to your father more, kero."

It was brief, but Tsuyu and Fumikage caught Shoto's expression souring, the former's eyes widened a bit. "What's the next question?" Shoto asked the computer, his voice turning cold.

"Last question! During a rescue operation, what would you prioritize if a villain is present? Defeating the villains or rescuing civilians?"

"Of course it's defeating the villains," Shoto said with conviction.

"Kero? Wouldn't rescuing civilians be the better choice?" Tsuyu argued, putting her finger on her chin.

"But letting the villains loose would only increase the chance of further casualties," Fumikage pointed out.

"That seems backward, in my opinion. Wouldn't having the civilians out of the way let the heroes fight the villains without worries?" Hanta asked.

"Heroes exist to save people first and foremost, kero. Each civilian in the danger zone is a potential tragedy. Even if we're confident in stopping the villain quickly, can we guarantee no one gets hurt in the crossfire?"

Hanta, not missing a beat, said, "Right, and most rescue operations happen in urban environments. Having civilians around severely limits which heroes can fight effectively. Midoriya might be able to take care of a villain no problem, but we can't always assume he'll be there to save us every time. Someone like Bakugou or Todoroki would have to hold back to avoid collateral damage. By evacuating first, we're increasing our chances against the villain too."

"But in many cases, the fastest way to protect civilians is neutralizing the threat immediately. A villain who's actively targeting civilians won't simply wait while we evacuate. Every second we spend moving people could mean more victims," Shoto countered, his eyes narrowed.

Fumikage nodded as he crossed his arms while leaning on the wall. "Villains often become more desperate and dangerous when they realize they're losing control of the situation. It could...cause more casualties."

The two sides were at an impasse, with Minoru struggling to break free from Dark Shadow's grip. "MHghmgm!" was all they could hear.

Seeing this, the others turned to Tsuyu and asked the silent question. To which she nodded. With a sigh, Hanta removed his tape and Dark Shadow put Minoru down.

"Geez, you guys, I've been struggling for the past five minutes..." Minoru started, before looking around, all smug. "It's such an easy question, yet you guys are having trouble? How sad," he said, pointing at them.

"Dude, just give us your opinion so we get over this already," Hanta told him.

"Fine. Why does it have to be an either-or scenario?"

"It was the question," Shoto pointed out.

"Then it's either a trick question or they don't know what they're talking about, right? Like Sero said, if Midoriya's around, there's no way a villain could harm civilians. Other than that, it would depend what your Quick could do, right? Todoroki's Quirk isn't that good for rescuing, while someone like Pendragon would be good at it, right?"

"What is your answer?" the computer prompted.

Minoru grinned, "Both. Depending on the situation."

The screen turned red, and several glitches appeared on the screen. Minoru's face turned sour, and he started to sweat all around his body. Then the iconic sound of the ancient computers connecting to the internet echoed across the room.

A few seconds of this kept happening. Until...

"Correct! Congratulations. Please accept your supply reward!" it said, the sound of metallic clinks and clanks came from behind the computer. The outline of the door appeared before it swung open, sounding like it was depressurizing, revealing a pedestal that contains...a soda can. Or at least a cache shaped like a soda can.

"Man, so much theatrics," Hanta muttered as Shoto walked up and took the can.

He scanned it with his watch before distributing the points to the team. Their team jumped to the top 30.

Back at the viewing area, as the teachers, students, and guests watched the ongoing Provisional Exam.

"Is that correct?" Kota asked Eraserhead. He didn't like the guy, but he was still class 1-A's teacher. Izuku's teacher.

"I'm on the firm camp of taking care of the villain as soon as possible. But the computer might just be looking for a speedy decision. You can't be so indecisive during the situation," he explained.

Kota thought about Eraserhead's words. He certainly could see what he was talking about. Besides, for those whose Quirks were already heavily leaning on either fighting or rescuing, they wouldn't need much time to decide.

Then his eyes went back to the large screen. In it, it was showing a student defending a pillar with his incredible control of wind. The other students' couldn't even get close to it. What was more impressive was he wasn't just defending the one platform he was on, but several ones his classmates were on.

"That guy's good!" Ms. Joke whistled. "Wanna place a bet on who wins between him and Midoriya?"

"How much is your life saving?" Eraserhead deadpanned."I'll bet it all."

"Okay! I bet on Midoriya winning. Be ready to pay up, Eraser," she told him. She could barely contain the laughter as Eraserhead glared at her. After a few seconds, she let out a laughter, tears in her eyes. "You're so easy~."

"You're such a pain in the ass."

Kota shook his head at the exchange, before seeing Eri. Her eyes glued tightly on Ochaco's exam. They were each ambushing other students running around for their points. The partially magical parts of Kyouka and Toru's costume made them incredibly hard to deal with. And practically invulnerable to other's Quirks. Meanwhile, Ochaco's Schwartalf armour would protect her against even most attacks from anyone. That was not to include her increased magic after crossing the Power threshold.

The setup has been searching with Kyouka's Quirk and Ochaco's senses before engaging. It was mostly Ochaco who did the fighting but Kyouka and Toru would occasionally help, if not for their want to contribute.

They had a slow beginning due to students barely having points then, but as more and more caches were gathered, and students were eliminated, each targets provide them with a much bigger gain than the last.

In a little more than half an hour, the trio sat pretty comfortably within the top 15. And Ochaco thought that the points would only keep going up.

She looked above, seeing those who opted to gather points on the platforms. Most of them barely had any, due to getting kicked out by the others pretty easily. Except for the exceptional ones, like Inasa, it was not a very viable strategy. Of course, Ochaco and her team could've gone up and defended a platform each. But there were simply no reason to do so, when a much more efficient method was available.

Then her senses detected something. A few students surrounding them. A projectile was launched, a disc-shaped metal lunging towards them. It may be fast for most people, but for Ochaco, it was as if it was crawling through thick jelly. She didn't need to Enchant her body to use her Quirk on it.

The familiar glow and sound of her Quirk activating appeared as she sent caught the disc and spun around before throwing it back to its sender much faster than before and releasing her Quirk. The attackers appeared, all wearing what you'd call a stereotypical 'ninja' outfits. Many of them were chuckling, probably thinking they'd steal her team's points.

But Ochaco wasn't trapped here with them. They were trapped here with Ochaco.

Back to the viewing area, the audience's eyes widened at the combat display of Ochaco's team. It wasn't as overwhelming as Izuku's blink-it-and-you'll-miss-it against his ambushers, but this was still as if Ochaco herself was a Pro Hero in the presence of amateurs who barely knew their Quirks. Every dodge of hers were done with minimal movement, it was as if some attacks went through her like a Permeation Quirk. But Eraserhead knew it was the former. Just executed with an absurd level of skill.

Honestly, he wouldn't know which one of his students would be more intimidating for others to fight. One a force of nature that you knew nobody alive could protect you from. Heck, you wouldn't even see him coming. The other, was so skilled, the inevitability of your defeat gets transmitted through your bones with each step of hers.

He shook his head, unsure what to feel about the two demigods wanting to become something like a Hero.

His focus then went to her two teammates. Kyouka and Toru weren't bad either. In his opinion, they rely too much on the Shield spell on them, but there weren't anything wrong with eating attacks that you knew you could take. As long as you actually knew it.

Then he switched his attention to Momo's team. She created her own sort of sized-up wheelbarrow for both her and Rikidou as they were being pulled by Tenya towards the next target.

Unlike Ochaco's team, her team couldn't really benefit all that much from her magical abilities past being able to locate the items they wanted. Creating a Veil would restrict them to only being able to use their magical senses as well. And they have none.

Neither Tenya nor Rikidou were slouch, hero-in-training-wise, but even discounting those with Sparks like Izuku and Ochaco, they both would fall short compared to Katsuki and Shoto. Thus, actively seeking fights were...undesirable. Especially knowing of the UA Crush.

Opposite to Ochaco, her ability as a Seer helped her make huge strides from the beginning of the exam. She had Tenya transport them and get points from resources while avoiding other students. But as the exam continued, she got less and less opportunity to gather points. The fact that Izuku's Sorcery kept blocking her Sight around his area didn't help either.

Momo gripped the edge of her creation as Tenya pulled them forward, trying once again to extend her Sight through the area. The familiar emptiness in the area she couldn't See through. It wasn't like that at first, but ever since Izuku acquired The Mantle, Seeing the area around him felt like reading a letter written on the water's surface.

They stopped in front of the building, one where there was a resource to get.

She massaged her temple in frustration. She looked at the leaderboards posted on the surrounding billboard screens.

Izuku's and Ochaco's teams now dominate the top 10. Her team lagged behind to the 30s. It was nowhere near the cutoff and it was still pretty comfortable place to be, but the tendency to compare didn't leave her mind.

'No. Breathe in, breathe out, Momo. You're getting too distracted. And seeing Ochaco so close to him this morning was just getting to you.' The way he smiled beside his wife despite not saying much the whole way here. She felt her heart was getting slowly dug out with a spoon. She didn't like this side of her, all that much. It made her feel ugly on the inside.

"Yaoyorozu! Look out!" Tenya called out from inside the building.

"Eh?" she raised her head, and saw something blue rolling towards her. She didn't have the time to know what it was but knew it would be bad to get hit by it. By instinct, she created a steel pavise shield using her Quirk.

The shield's metal edge scraped against the concrete with a piercing shriek, sending sparks skittering across the ground. Its impact vibrated through her arms and caused the shield to hit her head, making her see stars. Her ears rung after the hit mixed with the acrid smell of heated metal where the projectile had struck.

Her teammates called out to her as they ran.

"Hehe~" a squeaky voice laughed.

As Momo looked up, she saw a figure of a young girl, a teenager, in a black and blue gothic dress in one of the rooftops.

"Sorry, sorry," she said, her smile not looking remorseful. "But I have to stop you, ya know? One of my friends didn't like you."

"What are you-" Momo tried to ask before she sensed someone above. She jumped back, barely saving herself from getting crushed by the person made of bricks without a face, while retaining his shape as mostly human. 'That could've caused some permanent injuries,' she noted.

They weren't even holding back.

Tenya and Rikidou tried to jump in to help, only to be caught by an invisible net trap at the door.

Then a whirring sound came from behind, looking at it, she saw a female student wearing a tattered sailor girl outfit, with a paper bag on her head while wielding a chainsaw. It was a weird sight.

Momo faced daemons and monsters before, but for some reason, the...girl? in front of her sent warning signals in her brain.

"We couldn't get to the other girls, but you're classmates with him, right? RIGHT? I'M SuRe yOu hAvE YoUr pAwS AlL OvEr hIm, RiGhT? HiS HaNdS MuSt'vE FeLt gReAt tO YoU As He PaTtEd yOu. hE'S NiCe tO EvErYbOdY, aFtEr aLl."

"What are you talking about?" She wasn't making any sense.

"DON'T PLAY DUMB!" she shouted, winding the chainsaw further. "Midoriya Izuku. You girls are so lucky you get to see him every day. LIVE IN THE SAME ROOF AS HIM! While we True Fans never got the chance to."

The sight was extremely jarring. And it wasn't just her appearance. It was as if Mina's devotion was combined with Momo's jealousy mixed together and amped to 13. 'Will I become like that if I became his Chosen?' Momo thought.

"Yeah, she was crazy," the squeaky girl commented. "But hey! More allies, am I right?" She then pulled out a metal ball and launching it clumsily to Momo. "Geeaaar Shhhiiiiftt!" she shouted and the ball glowed blue, then accelerated incredibly fast. Really fast.

Momo barely managed to dodge, chuckling several metal creations out of her to nudge her away, taking advantage of conservation of momentum. A loud boom echoed in the area, the building now had a large hole the diameter of a person. She felt her spine shiver at how dangerous it could've been.

"Oops, sorry! My bad!" she said, sticking her tongue out and bopping her head. "What do you think of my Quirk? I could accelerate small things I touch without regards to inertia! Cool, right?"

"What are you guys trying to do here? Aren't you trying to become heroes?"

"We're trying to get rid of an evil witch," the chainsaw girl said.

'Yeah, no. You are not,' Momo thought, Veiling herself from the others.

"Where did you go, witch?!"

The brick student pulled out something, a gem. Then it glowed dimly orange. For a Normie, it wasn't anything special. But for those using their magical Sight, it was extremely bright. Momo was used to Seeing large amount of energy. Between Nana and Izuku, even before his ascension, were extremely bright. But it has been two weeks since she saw anything as bright so close, and while it didn't blind her, it was enough for her to stumble.

The dust kicked from the unstable step. Without missing a beat, the chainsaw girl lunged at Momo, her blade revving with the power of a jet engine, leaving a trail of white smoke.

She, thankfully, managed to create a thick rod of tungsten, jamming the weapon before creating a thin metal shield not uniformly, but in a way to enhance her momentum as she swung it to the girl and to the brick, briefly sending them flying. Then a spring, launching her to the air, and avoiding the metal ball from the gothic lolita girl.

"OWOAAHHH!" Rikidou shouted, powering through the net. He munched a bunch of sugar cubed. He saw the brick guy flying towards him, and landed a punch on his lower back. A loud crunch could be heard, too distinct from bones.

He was surprised as, while mid-air, a fist smashed to his face, causing his nose to bleed. he stumbled, but tried to regain his balance as he snapped his broken nose back. Clenching his fist, he rushed to the man.

As Rikidou was busy with his fight, Tenya was using the engines on his legs to break free from the net. "RECIPRO!" he shouted, his engine glowed, and he tore off the net like wet paper. His immediate concern was the girl throwing those projectiles on Momo. He thought she was the more dangerous enemy, anyway. "TURBO!" he launched himself to the air, causing shockwaves to shatter the nearby building's glass. In a moment, he kicked the girl but was surprised how easily she dodged him.

"Not bad, not bad. Onii-san's too slow, though." The gothic lolita girl gestured a come hither. He looked behind him only to have something fast hit his gut, causing him to lose balance and fall on his back. She jumped on him, landing a kick on his stomach.

He glared at her and countered by combining his Quirk with kick, though like last time, she avoided it with ease. "Clever Onii-san."

Tenya didn't like how fast this girl was. But he needed to protect his teammate. 'Midoriya-kun entrusted us to get through this as a team. That's why I won't let them down.'

Rikidou landed another solid punch, his muscles burning from the sugar crash starting to hit his system. The spiderweb cracks spread across the concrete man's surface with each hit, yet his opponent showed no sign of slowing. Each breath came harder than the last, his strikes growing heavier as his sugar-enhanced strength began to fade. Meanwhile, the brick student maintained the same methodical pace, neither fast nor slow, but unrelenting.

"You think you deserve him?" The chainsaw-wielding girl's voice cut through the chaos, her weapon's roar matching her fury. "Someone like you, born with everything, looking down on True Love!"

Momo ducked under another wild swing, creating a quarterstaff in fluid motion. The strike to her chin hit like a hammer. And using the butt of the staff, Momo struck at the woman's forearm, causing it to bend the wrong way.

"'True Love'? That's funny. What do you even know about him? 'Nice to everybody'? That's not even true."

Momo noticed that the woman didn't even scream from pain and the forearm was now fixed, it was as it was as if she had a regeneration Quirk. 'Quite potent, too. And either she's got a high pain tolerance or it was part of her Quirk.'

The narrow street left little room for maneuver, with debris from her earlier attacks forcing both fighters to watch their footing. The surrounding buildings cast long shadows across the battlefield, their windows reflecting the gleam of the chainsaw's blade.

This caused the paper bagged woman to pause. "You dare insult him!?"

At this, Momo laughed. The mere entertainment of the idea that the girl was some sort of dark mirror for her feelings gave her an epiphany.

While she herself were jealous, that unsightly part of her, she knew was also part of her feelings for him. There were uncertainties, for sure, but those uncertainties weren't about her feelings for him. And those feelings certainly weren't as shallow as the woman's.

It was silly for her to even considering this was how she would turn out. 'No, she's just some toxic fan,' she told herself. Like her head was cleared by the strange notion.

She still didn't know how she could face him. She still felt pissed about what he said, but she realized she didn't gave him a chance there, either.

She was starting to get more worried for her allies. It has been a few minutes and Rikidou's Quirk is about to time out, leaving him vulnerable. She needed to act fast.

'But how?' she thought. The student in front of her was more agile than she gave her credit for. And stronger too. But then she realized, her obsession with Izuku. She could use that.

Her face showed a playful grin, unlike her earlier frustrations, "'Insult him'? Far from it. I scream his name with love every time his hot thick rod thrusts inside of me." At least, it was what her future self did. But the woman didn't have to know that.

"YoU BiTcH! YoU ToUcHeD HiM?!" the chainsaw girl screamed, swinging her blade wildly.

'There's no reason for me to be like that. I love him, and that's all there is to it,' Momo smiled as she parried each wild swing with her staff. "Oh, yeah. His hands didn't just 'pat' me. Have you seen his fingers? Two of them were the size of a porn star's dick. And he's even more packing under that armor," Momo continued.

"AAaaaAAAAAaaaaaaa!" The attacks became both amateurish and slower each provocation.

Each attack letting Momo counter her. With every success, Momo gained distance. 'I won't win like this if she has some sort of regeneration. I have to move far enough to make a cannon or something similar.' She could still sense her teammates fighting, though their movements were slowing down each moment. 'I have to finish this fast.'

"And have you been tied up by him, blindfolded? Not being able to move a single muscle while this seven-and-a-half foot hunk lay on top of you, and be at his mercy?" That one was her own desires seeping through, but she was sure Izuku would indulge her, given his history. Of course, she wouldn't want it to be how their relationship start but maybe they could work to it.

Momo observed the woman, "Wow, are you actually getting wet?" she mocked, the ripped uniform really didn't let the woman have much room to deny it.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You bitch, don't speak about him like that!" she jumped.

Using this opportunity, executing a staff kick. Since the other girl was in the air, she was launched even further. Momo took advantage and created a cannon, aiming straight at the woman.

The fan was moving really fast, but her running straight only made it easier to aim. The BOOM! of the cannon fired, hitting her right at the stomach.

She was sent flying across the street, crashing into a car. Momo didn't need her magic to tell the woman wasn't going to be fighting back anytime soon.

Then she felt her teammates stop. The sound of their bodies hitting the concrete and the rooftop, hard.

"Annnnnnddd...GOAL!" the gothic-lolita girl cheered and did a little dance around Tenya's unconscious body. Momo looked at Rikidou, who was similarly down under the brick man's foot. Unlike the girl, he started to slowly walk to Momo.

She could barely create much of anything at the moment. The previous fight, despite being predictable at the end, it also meant each strike she parried and blocked were just as much stronger. But she won't go down without a fight.

Turning her cannon, she aimed at the brick man. Targeting the girl would be dangerous as she could hit Tenya. This was at least an easier target. And...FIRE! BOOM! The projectile launched, momentarily shaking the ground around them. But the man just back-handed it, deflecting to a nearby building and taking a chunk of the wall.

The man walked faster. But Momo won't let up. One. Two. Three shots. Yet each one got dismissed like nothing.

"Here I go~" the woman said, doing a baseball pitch. Like before, the throw was clumsy. But then it glowed blue and changed direction, heading straight for Momo.

'I don't have enough to create a shield!' she thought. She also sensed the man now running towards her. 'This is it!' she closed her eyes, waiting for the impact.

But nothing came. At least not on her. Instead, a loud whizzing sound as if the air itself ignited then the city and beyond shook!

She opened her eyes. What she saw was something that both surprised her and not, at the same time. It was Izuku. His back stood protectively on front of her. Near his foot, was the male student, practically buried underground. On his right hand, was the metal ball, stopped like nothing.

The metal sphere in Izuku's hand crumbled to dust as he released his grip, his presence alone diffusing the remaining tension in the air.

He looked behind him to her, "You okay?" His expression was a clear worry. Momo's gaze lingered. She hadn't seen him this close since that day. His emerald eyes that makes her knees weak. His brows. The way the wind blew his green hair. And how tall he was. His lips that caused her to have so many dirty thoughts. And the jaw that could cut a steel bar. She felt herself blush.

"I-I'm fine," she stammered. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest. She turned away from him, repeatedly chanting to herself not to look at his fingers and his...well, down there. Or she might actually imagine the taunts she said.

He smiled, relieved. Before turning to the remaining opponent. Before anyone could follow, he knocked out the girl on the roof top and gotten Tenya and Rikidou laying side-by-side.

Above them, the massive screens displaying the matches flickered briefly before stabilizing, drawing attention back to the viewing stage where the pro heroes monitored the exam. Ms. Joke and Eraserhead had their hands firmly pressed against Eri's and Kota's ears respectively, having witnessed the entire exchange.

"The hell's that woman saying, when she knew there are kids watching?" Eraserhead muttered before they both released their hands.

"Haha. You know how young people are nowadays," Ms. Joke laughed.

"What are they talking about?" Eri asked, her large ruby eyes full of curiosity.

"Nothing important, kiddo. It's for big kids only," the female hero told her.

"But I want to know!" Eri pouted.

"Nope!" Both heroes answered at the same time.

"Sike! You owe me a drink!" Ms. Joke told Eraserhead, finger-gunning at him. The latter only sighed before going back to his seat.

Eri pouted before turning her attention back to her father's fight.

Kota shook his head, 'Adults are so weird.'

The buzzer then sounded across the faux city and the first round ended.

"Congratulations to the top 200..." Mera said, before yawning. "And to those who didn't. We hope you'll try again next year. But we're not responsible for your safety if you choose to stay in the arena, haha."

The passing students went to the waiting area for the next part of the exam. Most of class 1-A comfortably passed.

Izuku sat on a sofa, Ochaco beside him, leaning on his left arm. "Tired?" he asked.

"No. It was a workout, yes, but nothing more than what my daily warmup. I saw you with Momo before. Did you patch things up?"

"I'm not sure, honestly. I don't think it's as bad as this morning, but we haven't really talked."

Ochaco nodded, as if having decided something. "That is okay. Like I said, do not worry about it for now."

"Thanks," he kissed her forehead.

The sound of explosions and shouting can be heard from the corridor and sure enough, Izuku saw Katsuki entering the room. Extremely pissed.

"What's the matter, Kacchan?" Izuku asked, his expression remained neutral.

"FUCK YOU! That's what!" he pointed at the demigod.

"What did I do?" he raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know!" Katsuki yelled, "But someone stole my points, and I almost failed!"

Izuku looked at the screen showing the ranking of students and sure enough, Katsuki was the 200th name. Which was strange, since Mezo, Denki, and Eijirou's names were in the 150s.

"Huh. Weird. Anyway, the good thing's you passed, Kacchan. What you have to focus now is the next part. You're already in, so relax. You did good."

"I'm gonna find out who stole my points! AND BEAT THEM UP!"

"Well, good luck with that," Izuku shrugged. While he may have understood what Katsuki was feeling, as far as he knew, it wasn't like there were any differences between the first place and the 200th place.

Katsuki started cursing as he walked off.

"Hello, handsome," a young woman with a light-brown hair called out. Izuku looked at her eyes, and saw it glowing golden. If Himiko were to use her Quirk, it would've matched the actual student's. And he found it unlikely that a shapeshifter would be interested enough to enroll in a Hero school.

"So, I take it you at least didn't drink the girl's blood, Himi?" he asked the disguised vampire.

"So nice that you recognized me, Izu-kun." Her smile reached her ears. "And, nope, I didn't drink anyone's blood."

"But charmed the faculty and students?"

"Nope," she proudly declared. "I simply said I bought some contacts and they bought it. Apparently, it's normal for the girl to buy one. Oh, call me Camie when I use this form."

"What of the girl?" Ochaco asked, concerned.

"Don't worry, Ochaco. She had err...stomachache and at home," Himiko's eye's glinted.

"So, you did charm her," Izuku accused.

"No. Just mixed some laxatives added to her dinner last night," Himiko shrugged.

"So why are you here?"

"The manchild wants me to get your blood."

"And how are you supposed to achieve that?"

"Dunno. I told him there was no way a syringe would go through your skin, but he won't listen," her expression remained the same, but there was a hint of irritation on her voice.

"So you are still spying on them?" Ochaco asked, her arms crossed.

"Yeppers. Had to change my appearance a few times now."

"Please don't talk like that. Anyway,. what are you going to do about the blood thing?"

"I'll tell them I can't. Skin's too durable, or something like that. I'm not handing your blood to them. Worst case I'll need a new disguise," she sighed.

"Well, that's a good girl for you," Izuku praised. This instantly brought a smile to the vampire.

"Maybe You'll give me some later?" Himiko asked, hopeful. She was referring to blood.

"Depends. I'll see if I have the time."

"Really? You're such a tease," she playfully complained.

"Meet me behind the UA bus or something after the exam. I'll see what I can do," he promised.

"Yay~" she cheered.

While the other students just watched the exchange, unaware of what was being said. Many of them were wondering why Izuku was so close to a Shiketsu student. Then again, it was Izuku. Her classmates were more curious about their relationship.

Inasa, who was staring at the three approached Izuku. "GREAT GOING THERE, MIDORIYA! THAT WAS A GOOD SHOW! ESPECIALLY WHAT YOU DID AT THE END!" he gave him a thumbs up.

"Eh? What show? Inasa, right?"

"YES! WHEN YOU SAVED YOUR FRIEND. YOU WERE LIKE WHOOOOSHHHH! THEN BAMMM!" he mimicked the sound effects.

"I'm glad you're excited. But it's a natural thing to help."

The large teenager's smile dropped a little. "YEAH. YOU'RE RIGHT. HEROES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE NATURAL AT HELPING OTHERS. I'M ALSO IMPRESSED YOU GOT MORE POINTS THAN ME! I WAS AT THE PLATFORM THE WHOLE TIME."

"Please, I just got lucky stumbling for the resource caches. And the students who challenged me."

The two continued to chat for a while, and Inasa left to talk to his classmates. Minutes more passed, Mina and the other girls were chatting, mostly gossiping, and occasionally sending glances towards Izuku. He and Ochaco were busy talking, though the others couldn't hear what they were saying.

There were also a commotion of a Shiketsu student apologizing to Katsuki. They were there because one of their classmates were rude to his team, but the timing of it all made the ash-blond student to think they also stole his points.

On the other hand, Shoto couldn't help but feel Inasa was glaring at him. So he called him out. "Did I do something you didn't like?"

"What?" Inasa asked without the usual enthusiasm.

"I'm asking why you kept glaring at me. I felt it before the first round too."

"Nah, you'll have to forgive me. It's because you're Endeavor's son. I hate all of you," he scowled before walking away with his class.

Then the large LED screens throughout the waiting area flickered to life, drawing everyone's attention. Students from different schools who had been scattered across the room began gathering closer to the displays, their conversations dying down to hushed whispers. The students straightened as Mera's tired face appeared on screen.

A low hum of machinery echoed through the building, and the waiting room's large windows suddenly darkened, giving the space an ominous atmosphere. The change made several students exchange worried glances - even the usually boisterous Katsuki fell silent.

"Now, for the second half," he said, then explosions rang throughout the city, startling the students. The buildings around the city collapsed. "You examinees will venture into the ruins as bystanders and prove your worth when it comes to rescuing innocent victims."

Mera then continued to explain that there were professionals acting as the victims scattered around the area and that they would also be helping scoring the examinees.

"How do you want to do this, My Love?" Ochaco asked Izuku.

"It would be more efficient if we stick with the grouping last time. Anyone got objections?" he asked the class who naturally gravitated to them. When they didn't say anything, he continued, "Unlike last time, we should set up a zone and coordinate with the other schools providing first-aids. Aoyama-kun, I want you to gather a team who could give signals from far away, either a beacon or those that could coordinate everyone," he commanded.

"Leave it to moi!"

Izuku stood up. "I'll leave it up to the rest whether they want to stay at the hub or help with the rescue. But Momo, I'd like you to create some first aid kits regardless."

"Of course," Momo replied.

"And remember, if you need help with rescuing, just holler out. I'll come running. Alright, let's go."

The rest of them dispatched towards the city. Some students teamed up with other schools. Izuku was proud to see everyone was cooperating quite well.

He was quite surprised how graphic some of the scenarios were. Some of them even had spare feet covered with synthetic blood lying around.

Right now, he was rescuing someone underneath a collapsed building. After confirming with Mina that there was nobody else trapped inside, he let loose a punch, holding back just enough to instantly vaporized the building. His power was felt throughout the faux city as the air itself shook from the force unleashed. "It's going to be okay," he told the young boy with a smile. "I'm here."

The students at the hub were astonished as Izuku just dropped the three dozen victims within seconds of the start of the exam. Many found the reactions of the HUC people funny as they described that they didn't even realize they got out the traps until they were rescued.

Izuku tried to drop them in different places, to not overwhelm the students with the rescued, but he was getting quite a lot of victims and there were a lot of them.

"Daddy! More over there!" Mina shouted from his arms. He opted to carry Mina around, jumping from building to building, as a way to locate the HUC representatives. Then he would drop her off, rescue the reps, drop them off, then pick her up again in a loop.

Meanwhile, Momo was rescuing an old lady trapped under a displaces truck. She used a modified scissor lift to rescue the woman. Reaching out to her and gently sitting her down the created wheelchair. After applying the first aid treatment, she made her way to the nearest evacuation zone. All was going well, until she saw that Izuku fangirl.

"Hey, witch! Don't think you won yet!" the woman shouted.

"Oh, God," Momo sighed, turning around. "What now? The exam's not done yet."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look, I'll make it quick." the girl ran up to her. "You will keep your hands to yourself and don't get close to Midoriya or else!"

Momo just ignored the crazy girl, feeling the glare from behind her, despite the girl's head being covered with paper bag. She won't let a nobody dictate how her relationship with Izuku would progress. Besides, taking the bait would only harm her score, she was sure.

While she was doing so, another large explosion was heard as debris flew around the area. It would have been caused further damages, but then the city was covered by an amber Shield humming in the air, protecting it. Momo recognized that it was Ochaco's spell. It was much more powerful and larger than she'd ever seen. Potentially a byproduct of Ochaco becoming a Power.

Not bothering to watch the spectacle, she continued her rescue. Whoever made that would get handled by Izuku anyway. Or so she thought. A telepathic message was sent by a student from one of the evacuation zones, mentioning that Izuku couldn't help with the villains.

Worry. Panic. Confusion. Momo was feeling a myriad of emotions. Why couldn't he help? Did something happen to him?

No. If something so strong is present, the entire country, if not planet, at least, would be gone. 'If so, why?' Her mind raced through possibilities - was Izuku deliberately holding back? Had the exam creators found a way to neutralize his powers? Or was there something else at play, something that could stop even a God without destructive force?

'That's not it,' she shook her head, forcing her attention back to the injured woman in the wheelchair. While she couldn't See Izuku himself, the distortions in her visions he created were still moving around, near the edge of the faux city - he was active, at least. The rest would have to wait. She had a responsibility here first, but after dropping the old lady off, she would need to get to the bottom of this.

In another part of the city, Shoto moved through the ruins methodically, his right side creating ice paths for evacuating civilians while his left maintained a comfortable temperature. The routine felt almost too simple - until he sensed someone matching his pace on a parallel street. Inasa. The Shiketsu student's intense presence was unmistakable, his wind control lifting debris with precise force that rivaled Shoto's own careful technique.

Neither acknowledged the other directly, but their rescue efforts began to overlap, creating an unspoken competition. Where Shoto formed an ice slide, Inasa's winds would guide civilians down faster. When Inasa cleared a path, Shoto's ice would reinforce it more permanently.

Their silent battle of efficiency came to an abrupt halt when massive tremors shook the ground - different from Izuku's earlier display of power. These vibrations felt more...purposeful. A deep, resonant voice cut through the chaos:

"Villains have been spotted in the disaster zone."

The voice belonged to Gang Orca, his imposing figure emerging from the smoke with dozens of sidekicks flanking him. His presence alone made the air feel heavier, more oppressive.

Knowing their ace wasn't going to be able to assist them, the students started to panic. Many were looking at each other, asking if they should still continue with the rescue. Some even ran off to avoid the 'villains.'

Shoto, however, ran straight to the Pro Hero. He used his right side to create a thick sheet of ice between the villains and a nearby group of terrified civilians, stopping them in their tracks.

He then used his left side, sending fiery attacks on the enemies, hoping to buy the civilians some time.

But it was blown by the wind. "Wha-?"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Inasa yelled. "GO RESCUE THE CIVILIANS OR SOMETHING!"

"DON'T GET IN MY WAY!"

The two then fought over who was the one saving the civilians, while the civilians were trying to escape the two.

"YOU'RE NOT FOCUSING ON THE TARGET! THEY'RE ESCAPING!"

"THEY'RE TOO CLOSE. WE NEED TO HOLD THEM OFF HERE. AND STOP ATTACKING MY ICE. IF WE WANT TO EVACUATE THE CIVILIANS, WE'LL NEED TO USE MY ICE SLIDE."

"NO! WE NEED TO-"

The two argued for some time. Gang Orca was, to say the least, disappointed with how these two were acting as if the exam wasn't even happening. And he was getting fed up.

With a step, he sped towards the fire and ice Quirk user and sent a sonic wave at him. Shoto's vision swirled and his ears rang as he lost the feeling of the rest of his body.

Then he targeted Inasa, but the wind-user was able to barely dodge. But the members of his pod managed to get a few shots in before Inasa took cover, taking pot shots at the villains.

'They're really going all out on us, huh,' Inasa thought. He saw some students already getting hit.

Then a large quake happened and he saw the Ketsubutsu student, Shindō Yō, smirking as he shattered the ground around Gang Orca. But it was not enough, the Pro Hero was faster than his stature led one to believe. And moments later, he was in front of Yo. He was about to deliver a hammer strike before he saw a rock being thrown at him. He would not have bothered to dodge if it wasn't directly aimed at his eye. Then multiple rocks were thrown with great accuracy.

He looked at the source of it, and saw the Ketsubutsu student, Tōteki Itejirō, using his Quirk to launch small rocks at him. He was about to dodge again before a gust of wind blew him off his feet and into a wall, causing the Pro Hero to be buried.

'Now's our chance!' Yō used his Quirk, Earthquake, to shake the ground below the villain, making him lose his balance. The other students saw the opening and took it. They used their Quirks as best as they could to defeat the Pro Hero.

As Yo prepared a finishing blow, Gang Orca broke free from the rubble, and charged straight towards the student, the rest of the students were shocked at the sight. It seems none of what they did managed to stop the villain.

As they were fighting the Pro Hero, Izuku was observing the battle. He was told by Mina that he shouldn't step into the conflict. Apparently, this will help Shoto and Inasa in the future. Izuku conceded, but it was painful to watch them stumbling like this.

There was nothing that wrong about competition in Hero work. In fact, it was integrated within it. And their earlier 'competition' were an example of it could've given a good result.

But the second a 'villain' appeared, it was as if it was a lie. Inasa's wind could've helped control and concentrate Shoto's fire. Their Quirks actually synergize well to each other's, in theory. On top of that, the flames were a good counter against Gang Orca. They were just too busy blaming each other to notice that.

If this was an actual villain attack, several civilians would've been dead already.

On the contrary, the Ketsubutsu students have wildly incompatible Quirks, but they made it work. Yo's Quirk not only destabilized the Pro Hero's ground, it also gave the Itejiro ammo to throw at him with the cracks forming on the ground.

Izuku watched as the flames suddenly launched the Pro Hero's way, forcing him to jump away. But it was quickly dispersed by the wind.

"Why are you being difficult?!" Shoto asked, his irritation visible on his face.

"Stop. Getting. In. My. Way!"

This continued for some time and once Izuku couldn't take it anymore, he stepped in. "Ookay. I'm stepping in," he said, appearing behind Gang Orca and surprising everyone.

"Midoriya." The Pro Hero nodded at the God, who did the same.

Izuku smiled at the hero, "I'm guessing I don't need to actually fight, right? We could just say we took you down."

"Ah. Midoriya. It would not do in the real world if you keep getting to skip the fight," he crossed his hand.

Gang Orca wasn't a fan of ending it right here. As an evaluator, he had serious reservations about appearing to show favoritism - it could undermine the entire purpose of the provisional license exam. These tests weren't just about raw power, but about developing the judgment and crisis management skills young heroes would need in the field. Simply letting a student bypass the challenge, no matter how powerful, seemed to go against those principles.

But as he watched Izuku, he found himself weighing other factors. This wasn't a typical case of a strong student - he was dealing with someone who had likely faced threats far beyond what most pro heroes encountered in their entire careers. The subtle confidence in Izuku's stance, the casual way he had appeared behind Gang Orca without any sign of effort. It shows hard-won experience.

There was also the practical reality to consider. In a real combat situation, Gang Orca knew he would be at an overwhelming disadvantage. Pretending otherwise wouldn't serve any educational purpose - if anything, it might give the observing students unrealistic expectations about power dynamics in actual hero work. Sometimes, acknowledging the existence of those far above your weight class was its own valuable lesson.

After weighing these competing priorities in his head, he decided. "...but I suppose it would make no difference, in this case."

"Thanks," he smiled. Turning to Shoto and Inasa with a disappointed look. "You two should have worked together instead of fighting. Your powers complement each other very well. You could have defeated the Pro Hero earlier."

"But-"

"No excuses. What if this were the real thing? I don't have to say why it's dangerous, do I?"

Both of them stayed silent.

"And I see you have some things you needed to get off your chest. Maybe take a break and have a talk."

The buzzer of the second part then rang, indicating that the second round is finished. Most students breathed a sigh of relief. Izuku left and jumped to the nearest building.

Shoto was frustrated. He was trying to use his Quirk more. That's the entire point of being here. Yet, he still ended up failing. And he was saved again. He could handle a threat like that easily, yet he fell short. Again.

The students, mostly exhausted from all the activities, went straight back to the auditorium. Mera was waiting for them, on top of the stage.

"It's been a long battle, boys and girls. But now it's time for the results. Before that, though...I would like you to know that we, the HPSC along with the members of HUC were deducting points on two issues as we watched you perform. Essentially, we judged you on the ability to act flawlessly in a crisis. Anyhow, here are the names of those who passed, in alphabetical order," he pointed at the screen behind him.

As the students frantically searched for their names, they felt their eyes burn and tears flowed down their faces.

"Yes!"

"WOO-HOO!"

"Finally!"

"I did it!"

The names listed were many, but eventually, those who passed found their names and those who didn't, fell dejected. Some of them, mainly the third years, even fell to their knees, looking into the distance. They failed their all three chances.

For the Class 1-A, they mostly managed to pass. All were celebrating except for Katsuki.

All of them had various reaction. Some, like Denki and Minoru, were making fun of Katsuki, telling him he failed because of his crude mouth. The blond teen was only able to grit his teeth in frustration.

The following minutes had the HPSC handing out sheets on the scoring system. Apparently, all had 100 points at the beginning, with 50 points as the cutoff. Izuku had a near perfect score but the mere 2 point deductions when they found him watching the fight without clear plan of action.

Shoto and Inasa looked at their papers, their conflict in the presence of villains almost costed them the entire exam. Shoto had 55 points, while Inasa had 51. Just a point shy from failing. Sweat fell down Inasa's forehead.

Inasa gulped. His feet slowly approached Shoto, who noticed the large man, turned around. When they were in front of each other, they stared at each other's eyes for almost a minute. Then, "I. AM. EXTREMELY. SORRY!" he apologized as he bashed his head to the floor, again. "I REALIZED HOW TERRIBLE I ACTED! IT IS UNBECOMING OF SOMEONE WANTING TO BE A HERO. FURTHERMORE, I ALMOST DRAGGED YOU INTO IT TOO. I'M SURE WE HAD THE SAME DEDUCTIONS."

"Ah. It's okay. It's fine," Shoto replied, waving his hands. "I lost my cool there, too. Sorry."

Inasa looked at Shoto, and nodded silently. He then approached Izuku and did a 90 bow. "I WANT TO THANK YOU! IF YOU WEREN'T THERE TO STOP THE FIGHT WHEN YOU DID, I WOULD LIKELY HAVE FAILED! YOU HAVE MY ETERNAL GRATITUDE!"

Izuku smiled at Inasa. "Just remember the lesson. It's fine, but don't do it again. You'll become a great hero."

Inasa was speechless, his smile widening and tears flowing down his face. He bowed again.

"Oh, for those who kept their resources from the first round until now, you can claim your one year's worth of coffee. You don't know how much you'll need it once you start working. That's all."

The HPSC staffs came and gathered the students, leading them towards the changing rooms. They were all given a box, which contains their provisional license. And another one that had the promised coffees.

Izuku looked at his. It held more weight than he even realized. There were times when he considered not pursuing Hero work, and there were times his prospects were on shaky grounds. But holding the license in his hands, a joyful feeling filled his heart.

He and his friends were going to be heroes.

Curiously, the name wasn't the one he picked out beforehand, Force Majeure. It was, instead, his title 'Winter King.' He thought it was either Mina or Midnight who made the change. It was the latter who facilitated the hero name in the class, after all.

It was then when Himiko, still disguised as Camie, approached him. "Hey. Come with me," Izuku called out. He didn't want to call out to her disguise's name. He didn't know the intricacies of the whole 'Lies weaken Powers' rule so he wanted to avoid even half-lies as much as possible. Though calling out to her caused the other students to look at their directions.

The brown-haired student, smiled. "Like, totally, bae! Are you gonna, like, lead the way or what?"

'Why is she talking like that?' Izuku thought before shaking his head. It might have to do with her disguise.

He assertively grabbed her arm before making his way behind the school bus. "Kyaa~" Himiko giggled as she was dragged by him.

He turned the corner and pinned her to the wall before unbuttoning his shirt and revealing his neck to her.

"Can't do this for long," he said. For now, nobody was brave enough to peek what they were doing, but there was no guarantee it would stay that way for long, so he wanted to give her the reward before someone like Eraserhead saw them.

Not wasting time, she licked his neck before digging her fangs in and starting to suck. He let her have her fill, and when she finally released him, a small string of blood trailed between his neck and her lips, which she quickly lapped up.

The display stirred something in him. He grabbed her arms and held it above her head, surprising her. He then kissed the vampire, his tongue pushing hers in. Three minutes of passionate kissing passed, before Izuku broke away. Her hair was disheveled, hearts appeared on her eyes as she panted, yearning for him.

"Sorry, not yet," he teased, causing the vampire to let out a whine.

"You're evil," she told him.

"I don't know about that. But I do love teasing my girls," he gave a sly smile. "But really, we should head back."

Himiko sighed, "Okay. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Both of them appeared from behind the bus, some eyes were drawn to them, and some whispered, thinking the two of them were making out or something. It wasn't totally incorrect.

They returned to the bus. Once Eraserhead arrived, the atmosphere on the ride back was much more lively. The chatter of everyone filled the bus. Eri was excitedly recounting the highlights of the exam for her. Kota asked about various Quirks he saw during it.

It was only when they got back to the dorms that the realization of their accomplishment dawned upon the students.

"We did it," Kyouka whispered.

"WE DID IT!" the students cheered, jumping around in excitement.

"By the way, My Heart. It is time for me to go," Ochaco said, her expression downcast.

"You sure? Why don't you join us in the celebration."

"I am. I have been gone longer than I suspect they expected. We shall see each other again, My Love," she told him before turning to Eri. "Be a good girl to Papa, Little Snowball. We shall meet again."

The little girl was also downcast, but with the tiniest bit of determination, she looked at Ochaco in the eye and nodded her head. "I will, Mama."

Ochaco smiled, before looking at Izuku again and giving him a kiss. They stayed like that for almost ten minutes, neither wanting to let go. But 'Duty is heavier than a mountain.' And so, Ochaco broke off the kiss. She smiled at her husband before departing to deal with her infuriating Nobles.

Izuku could only watch as her back got smaller over time. He still wanted to go with her, but she was clear last night what she needed him to do. Once she was finally out of sight, he tried to take Eri to the dorms before he had his hands pulled by Mina.

"Mina, what're you doing?"

"Welcome, Daddy, to Chosen Airlines! We fly from anywhere, but we always take you to Paradise!"

'What is my Chosen planning to do now?' he thought, before deciding to play along.

---

Thanks for reading this extra-long chapter!

I wanted to take this opportunity to really dig into some character dynamics and plant seeds for future developments. This provisional license exam marks a major milestone for our heroes-in-training, and I hope you enjoyed seeing how different characters approached this challenge.

As always, if you have questions or thoughts, don't hesitate to reach out - I love hearing your perspectives on the story!

Next up: Chosen Seer