Hey Guys! Crescent Rider here and I am back with another chapter! But before you all begin, I want to let you know that if the rewrite of the last chapter wasn't enough compensation, I hope this chapter will.

There's also an announcement at the end of this chapter.

That is all I have to say and enjoy the chapter!

Throughout the weeks, Neo's schoolwork doubled and grew more complex given that the last quarter exams would determine where she would be placed among the ranks of her classmates.

As if that wasn't enough, Yukino made their training more difficult and arranged a different schedule, so the only days she could relax were Sundays. Her mother didn't disclose any reason for this change, but Neo accepts it nonetheless.

Since then, Neo's physical and mental capabilities have steadily improved. She refined her skills from her mother's training and improved her Quirk in between her studies, breaks, and even on her Sundays off.

If that wasn't enough of a challenge from her mother, Yukino stopped pulling her punches on their sparring by bringing her Quirk into the mix. They revolve around animal-based traits such as the arm strength of a gorilla, the leg strength of a rabbit, the reflexes of a cat, and the sharp sense of smell of a dog. What is recognizable about her transformation is her bulging arms and legs, slit eyes, and small dog-like nose.

With these traits, Yukino finished today's match by sweeping Neo's leg after the latter attempted to land a wheel kick. After Neo expresses the brunt of her fall, Yukino walks over with her daughter a hand and smiles towards her progress as some areas of her body were bruised from earlier attacks.

"Yukino Valentine nee Arakari!"

"Quirk - Chimera!"

"She can morph several sections of her body and acquire animal-like traits! Immense strength, enhanced reflexes, heightened senses, and more!"

"A woman with an all-rounded ability to become a beast among beasts!"

As Neo gets back on her feet, the latter stretches her body around to loosen up and then smiles back at her mother.

"Just two more weeks," Yukino stated, "After that, it's onto the exams. And when that's done, it's onto the exam. How are you feeling?"

Neo cupped her chin as she thought over her upcoming exam, then gave the same expression of uncertainty, "I don't know... Though I feel confident, I'm not quite sure what to do after the exams,"

"I guess that's natural for your age," Yukino stated, "After everything we've done, you'll find yourself in uncharted territories, given that the top five of your school will be given recommendation spots to Japan's prestigious schools and U.A. Academy is part of those choices,"

When U.A. Academy was mentioned, Neo gestured to her mother, "I talked to Toru-chan the other day. She says she wants to go to U.A,"

"Really? If so, why not go there as well?" Yukino questioned,

"I could... But it would only feel selfish of me to go just for Toru," Neo clarified, pauses, then "And I don't have a reason to be a hero..."

"Oh," Yukino mouthed, then found herself in a bit of a problem,

She could bring up her reason for being a hero, but that wouldn't be of much help since she focuses more on her zookeeping job than her hero duties. Then came the other heroes in mind, such as Mirko, Endeavor, and the top hero in Japan, All Might.

The latter is naturally a great example of being a hero by default, but Yukino was against it since she's worked with him before. This wasn't out of spite for him, but out of sheer worry for her daughter. Then there's Endeavor, who she considers the worst example below All Might.

There wasn't much she had said about him to her already. Her Disciple, Mirko, could be considered an example, but Yukino remains indecisive on whether she'll be a good or bad influence on Neo despite their history.

Even before and after her training, the Rabbit Hero was a fierce fighter who'd stand their ground regardless of how strong her opponents were or how vastly outnumbered she was.

Hence, she is stumped by this just as Neo remains indecisive about her future. But given how she only has three months left, that seems like little time to decide.

"This truly is complicated," Yukino remarked as she scratched the back of her head,

Neo sighs in defeat before gesturing, "Can we go inside now?"

"Of course," Yukino obliged and the two went inside,

Then the weeks passed by, along with Neo's studies and training...

Neo's School

As she and her classmates sat on their desks quietly, her homeroom teacher came with a stack of papers for the quarter exam.

"Good morning, class," The Homeroom Teacher greeted, placing the papers onto his desk, and his hand on top of the stack, "As you all know, this will be your final exam for third years. After you've made your answers and submitted your papers, the result scores will determine whether or not you'll land a position in the top five students of the board and earn recommendations for national schools across Japan,"

Though there was silence, everyone was feeling tense and competitive against each other. Even Neo, herself, wasn't an exception to the atmosphere. The Homeroom Teacher then picked up a smaller stack of papers and handed it down to each column of students before him, "When I give the word, you'll only have an hour to finish the first test,"

A few set their eyes on the wall clock. With such a quiet atmosphere, they may as well hear the clock hand-ticking whether they have super hearing or not. Then it was nine o'clock and the exam began, "You may begin,"

With that, everyone started working on the papers while the Homeroom Teacher's eyes were on his students by his desk.

The first few minutes of questions were going smoothly, but after the first half of the hour had passed. That's where the real struggle happened, some students scratched their heads as they found themselves stumped and few tapped their pencils against the paper.

Neo, however, analyzed every question and answered them without issue. This was due to her Quirk Training, which enabled her to deduce the best possible answer for each question of the test.

After three-quarters of the hour had passed, Neo and a handful of her classmates went and submitted their tests to their teacher. Then they returned to their seats while the rest continued or struggled through their papers.

When the hour had come to pass, all remaining students had to submit their papers whether or not they were complete and their Homeroom Teacher gave them half an hour to prepare for the next set of papers.

It already caused a few to drop sweats from their faces, and Neo has yet to shed anything as she's prepared for everything...

Hours Later...

The exams were over, but everyone was still tense about the possible outcome. Not even an ounce of confidence could assure them of the result. Neo would join them, use her Quirk to write kanji characters, and have them move around her desk or stack up into a single tower.

She also allowed a few of her classmates to watch, especially when it eased their anxious minds when she fiddled around with her quirk.

"You know, Neo. that Quirk of yours is incredible," Male Classmate 01 said, "It's no wonder the other teachers were eyeing you so much,"

Neo, merely dismissed that fact by waving her hand, bringing up a note, and showing it to her classmates, "I only worked hard here and at home, that's all,"

"Don't be so modest about yourself," Female Classmate 01 remarked, "We all know that the teachers liked your potential. Physically, Academically, and Quirk Capability. They might as well send you to U.A. Academy already,"

Neo showed some hint of pride in her ability with a smile, but then she erased the notes on her paper, wrote a new message, and showed it to them, "I don't know if I want to be a hero though,"

"Are you serious? Being a hero is why most of these students enrolled in this academy," Male Classmate 01 stated, "Don't tell me you're here because you wanted to,"

Neo erases and writes her next message to them, "I only transferred here because of the school benefits for my mother and myself. Even then, I haven't dreamed of being a hero,"

"Well... That does make sense," Female Classmate 01 stated as she knew of the merits of this academy,

"If it isn't U.A., why not go after the other academies?" Neo and everyone else turned to another classmate,

It was a girl with pale hair reaching her shoulders, wearing glasses over her light baby-blue eyes, and wearing the academy's uniform for female students; consisting of a white polo shirt, red neck ribbon, knee-length skirt, and black leather shoes.

Though Neo wasn't close to her, she was elected by the majority as this classroom's representative. Her name is Kashiko Sekigai, "I know this sounds negative and all, but there are other courses besides the Hero Course you could choose,"

Neo wrote her next message and showed it to her with the same uncertainty as before, "I don't know if I could,"

Kashiko stared, then stated the following sentence, "It's a phase we students go through, Neo-san. What matters is that you're content with your choice,"

Then Kashiko placed her hand over her chest, "I, on the other hand, plan to enroll in Isamu Academy High for the hero course,"

"I've heard of that, isn't their school close to U.A. Academy in location?" Male Classmae 01 said,

"Indeed. However, I don't feel confident that my abilities will ever match U.A.'s standards," Kashiko admitted,

Neo gazes at her class representative, then smiles at her honesty. Once the bell rang, that was everyone's cue to stand from their respective desks, grab their bags, and head home. But Kashiko had more to say as she approached Neo, and placed her hand on her shoulder, "If you ever need help, let me know. I'll try and absolve the problem for your sake,"

Neo nodded, grabbed her bag, and left her school. But she would stick with a few of her classmates as they became more open to her than when she first arrived...

Later...

Before going home, Neo joined a few of her classmates for an outing at a ramen shop a few blocks from their school. This was the first time she's been out with someone from her academy and sharing their time over a bowl never felt so satisfying to have.

The two classmates in question were Matsunaga Mayumi and Takamoto Izumi. (A.N.: I won't describe their overall appearance. The reason is that I'm saving that for a possible return. In the meantime, the latter is Female Classmate 01 and the former is Male Classmate 01)

"I take it you enjoy your bowl, Neo?" Matsunaga inquired and Neo nodded in response,

From slurping the noodles to gulping the broth, Neo enjoyed her meal much like her classmates who did the same. After their bowls were empty, Matsunaga ordered seconds for himself as well as Neo when she wanted a bit more.

Takamoto, on the other hand, settled for some desserts and a glass of water...

After they were served with Neo and Matsunaga were served with their second bowl, they started eating while Takamoto jokingly remarked, "Careful not to eat too much of it, Neo. Otherwise, you'll end up as poor Matsu here,"

When Matsunaga swallowed his noodles, he whipped his head towards her, "Hey! What's that supposed to mean!"

Neo, on the other hand, just turned to Takamoto while chewing on her ramen, " What I'm saying is this is her first time. If she gets a carving just like you, who knows what will happen? I certainly know much about that when I started hanging around you,"

Matsunaga begrudgingly grits his teeth but vents out his frustration by eating his ramen. Neo and Takamoto seemingly giggled, and then the former decided to change the topic by writing a message on her napkin, "Which academy are you going for, Takamoto?"

"Me? Why I'm going to Shiketsu High School," Takamoto revealed, "It's always been my goal to learn there, especially when my idol studied. Even if I land a position as one of the top ten students, I'd pick Shiketsu High over anything,"

"The same goes for me," Matsunaga said after he finished his ramen, "Not saying that school is better than U.A. it's just that my chances are better off with Shiketsu's standards and curriculum,"

"You sure? Because I remember you going there for someone you've talked about days ago?" Takamoto teased,

"Shut up!" Matsunaga yelled, but calmed down, "But besides that, I've made my decision clear when I transferred from my old school to this one. I will work my way up in Shiketsu High, get my license, and make a name for myself.

Matsunaga soon clenched his fist, and donned a look of genuine determination, "I've been looked down on by others before, I won't let them look down on me again,"

Neo lets out a small smile, then gazes down on her bowl again. She contemplates what she would do after graduation. Takamoto would be the one to notice this expression of hers...

Truth be told, she'd grown a bit tired whenever she recalled Neo being indecisive about her future, "Why don't you just go to the U.A. already,"

Neo and even Matsunaga turned their heads toward Takamoto. Especially when the latter ordered his third bowl of ramen. All the while, Takamoto continues onward with what she's implying, "I mean, I get the whole 'I can't decide which school to go' shtick. But having seen and heard about your indecisiveness for the past few months has gone too long enough for me. I can't even begin to count the days you've expressed this feeling,"

Neo and Matsunaga glanced at each other, and the latter shrugged his shoulders while Takamoto continued onward with her rant, "Not to mention the constant chatter from teachers and students I've been hearing! I mean seriously, can't you be a little selfish with what you've achieved than anyone?"

Neo blinked at her while taking a few noodles from her bowl, and stuffed them into her mouth. Listening to her rant wasn't all too bothering for the mute girl, but she assumed that this was caused by her Quirk.

After a good five minutes have passed, Takamoto takes a breather and settles down in a calm and composed manner, "Look... All I'm saying is that you shouldn't throw away this rare opportunity, especially when our peers and teachers hold so many expectations in your overall performance."

Then Takamoto decided to pat her head several times since Neo's overall height is about 4'6 feet tall and the former happens to be 5'4 feet tall, "So take some pride over your achievements, alright?"

Neo blinked, then wrote another message for Takamoto to read, "But my friend's going to U.A. soon. If I go there too, it may sound selfish of me,"

"Then it's alright to be a bit selfish too. It's not like everyone shares everything with others. Take Matsu! Besides wanting to be acknowledged, he's after-" Before Takamoto would reveal, Matsunaga pounds his fist against the table.

"Hey! You swore not to tell anyone!" Matsunaga yelled,

"Ahem!" The Ramen Chef called, and glared at them, "If you're going to cause a ruckus, do it somewhere far from my shop,"

"Right... Sorry," Matsunaga apologized, and ate his noodles again,

"But back to the point of the matter, don't be afraid to be prideful and selfish every once in a while. Even Pro Heroes aren't noble figures as people deemed them to be," Takamoto said, "I even dare to say that All Might may have his way with this too,"

That notion is true... Whenever Neo and her mother watched the news, they considered All Might a prideful hero despite being the Symbol of Peace in this era of Heroes. If that wasn't enough, other heroes below Endeavor and Mirko have proven this true.

It made Neo reconsider the possible choice above her indecisiveness. But instead of deciding it from the get-go, she'd have to wait for the ranks to be announced.

After they've finished and paid for their meal, Neo goes her separate ways with Matsunaga and Takamoto. As usual, she goes for a different route home and walks past several alleys and crosswalks.

...

...

...

But some things often occur in the most unexpected ways possible...

Somewhere...

As Neo walked through another alley, she had the misfortune of a certain someone from behind, "Neo-chan..."

She widens her eyes after she recognizes the voice behind her. Then she reacts rather quickly by whipping her body around, conjuring a long weapon in hand, and gaining some distance between herself and the person she certainly knew months ago...

Himiko Toga, who doesn't flinch from the sharp tip nearing her grinning face...

She giggled in her usual demeanor as she stared at Neo's heterochromatic eyes, "I'm so glad that you remember me,"

Neo only glared at this girl but remained firm in her stance. As not to allow her to end her...

Instead, Himiko gently placed her hand onto Neo's weapon, lowered it down, and asked a peculiar question, "So... Which school do you plan to go to?"

This perked Neo's head as she didn't know what Himiko was after...

...

...

...

And she sought to find out what her intentions were and why...

Yep! I'm ending it here as a cliffhanger. But rest assured, you will know about their conversation soon. In the meantime, I want you all to wait until I work things out.

Also, I want to remind you that descriptions of the two OCs Matsunaga and Takamoto will be provided soon. And for those of you who didn't recognize the name Kashiko Sekigai, she only appeared in the My Hero Academia OVA: Training of the Dead.

And to this day, I find myself entertained by it for various reasons. You'll understand if you guys look it up, if not, then that's fine...

Lastly, I've finally decided something about Neo's Quirk. It's NOT a stockpiling Quirk, rather it feels more like a Superior version of Momo Yaoyorozu's Quirk, Creation. Various points differentiate between the two Quirks, the most common being Momo creating her items through her skin while Neo conjures anything at any time.

Currently, Neo's Quirk is hard to distinguish but easily shattered. But I promise there'll be progress in her Quirk as the story continues.

That is all I have to say, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!

(Quick Announcement and Question for Fanfiction Readers: I'm moving the next mass update to the end of December instead of November due to slow progress and family plans, Hence the post of today's chapter. Now for the Question, if I decided to make another crossover where Neo transports to another universe, which anime would that be?)