Chapter 1
Entrance Exam
"Here we are," Midoriya Izuku said solemnly, staring up at the massive campus of U.A. High, renowned as the greatest hero school in all of Japan. With him were six of his closest friends, comrades he'd fight and die for, and they for him. He turned to look at them. "Let's do our best."
"Of course, Judaime!"
"You got it, Midori!"
"We'll pass this exam to the EXTREME!"
"Yes, boss."
"Hmph, I'll bite them all to death."
"You can count on us, Izu."
"You're in my fucking way, Deku!"
That didn't sound like one of his Guardians. Peeking past his friends, Izuku was surprised to see his old childhood friend, Bakugo Katsuki. With short, spiky, sandy-blond hair, sharp red eyes, and a scowl that'd make a baby cry, Bakugo walked with a swagger necessary to carry his enormous ego.
"Kacchan," Izuku stepped forward and greeted. He hadn't seen Bakugo since he and his Guardians finished their business in Italy.
Bakugo strut right up to Izuku, jutting his head forward until they were nose to nose. "What the fuck is a Quirkless nobody like you doing here, Deku?" he snarled like a rabid dog.
Izuku sighed. "How many times have I told you, Kacchan? I have a Quirk, I just never liked using it."
"A weak fucking excuse from a worthless nobody!"
"You take that back, Shitty-Pomeranian!" Hayato, the most hotheaded of Izuku's friends, sneered as he got right in Bakugo's face. Literally, as the two were now butting heads.
"Why should I, Shitty-Knockoff?" Bakugo leaned forward, refusing to retreat a single step.
Hayato was equally stubborn, causing the two of them to grind foreheads.
"They're such good friends!" Takeshi laughed, 100% earnest.
""We're not fucking friends!"" Hayato and Bakugo shouted in synch, then bellowed at each other, ""Stop fucking copying me!""
Izuku pinched the bridge of his nose, willing the growing headache away. "That's enough, Hayato."
Hayato's attitude did a complete 180 as he quickly stepped away from Bakugo (making Kacchan stumble from the sudden lack of resistance) and rubbed the back of his head shamefully. "Forgive me, Judaime!"
"Heh, fucking suck up," Bakugo snorted.
"You—!" Hayato grit his teeth.
"We're going to be late at this rate," Izuku interrupted before another argument began. Then he turned his focus towards his childhood friend. "Kacchan, you can insult me as much as you want, I don't care. I stopped caring years ago. But"—he exuded a pressure of his Flames forward, just enough to make Bakugo stagger in shock—"I won't accept you insulting my friends."
For the briefest of instants Bakugo was confused, unable to recognize the teenager standing before him with the weight and vastness of the sky. But then his self-assuredness kicked in, brushing the moment off as a trick of the mind.
"Like I fucking care what you think, Deku," Bakugo scowled, shoving his hands into his pockets as he stomped forward.
Izuku's Hyper Intuition pinged, seeing through Bakugo's childish attempt to knock Izuku over with his shoulder. With a mental shake of his head Izuku casually stepped aside, causing Bakugo to stumble when his roughhousing hit nothing but air. He shot Izuku a murderous glare, as if someone as worthless as Izuku daring to avoid his harrying was a crime against the Great Bakugo Empire.
"You and your shitty extras better stay out of my fucking way, Deku. This is my origin story, and I won't have you worthless side-characters screwing it up."
His piece said, Bakugo stormed off towards the enormous U.A. building.
"He's quite the character," Yu chuckled, unfazed by the encounter.
"A carnivore with blood on his fangs." Kyoya grinned eagerly. "I look forward to biting him to death."
"Fucking asshole, how dare he say that to Judaime!" Hayato seethed.
"His attitude is EXTREME!" Ryohei cheered.
"That's just the way he is," Takeshi laughed. "It's actually kind of adorable!"
"You're so weird, Yamamoto-kun," Chrome said, making Takeshi's smile even wider.
Izuku huffed, lips quirked into a smile. "C'mon, guys. We've an exam to attend."
Wow, they seem like such good friends, Uraraka Ochako thought, watching the group of seven from afar. She could tell, just from how close they were as they walked, that they were all really dear to one another.
She considered running up and introducing herself, because it'd be amazing if she managed to attend U.A. and get seven awesome new friends all at once, but decided against it. They looked like a close knit group, and Uraraka didn't see any room in it for anyone new.
C'mon Ochako, focus! Uraraka hyped herself up. She was going to ace this exam, and attend the greatest hero school in Japan! If… no, when she got in, then she'd think about introducing herself to those seven, especially if they managed to pass as well.
His name's 'Deku'. Uraraka memorized it before slapping her round cheeks to get herself focused and marched towards the front doors of U.A. with her head held high.
With the written portion of U.A.'s entrance exam concluded the faculty's staff members were shuffling into the darkened observation room where numerous screens were relaying footage of the mock cityscapes where the practical exam would be held.
"Sure am lookin' forward ta seein' what this year's crop will bring," Snipe, the Gun Hero, said as he took a seat and got comfortable.
"I'm looking forward to being pleasantly surprised," Cementoss, the Cement Hero, said.
"Ahh, hundreds of youthful boys and girls all panting and sweating as they desperately fight for the few available slots in the Hero Course," Midnight, the R-Rated Hero, cooed while rubbing her legs in a suggestive manner. "It never fails to turn me on!"
"Behave," Eraser Head, the Erasure Hero, scolded, using his trusty spray bottle to calm the adult heroine down.
"Shouta!" Midnight spluttered through a mouthful of water.
"Nemuri," Eraser Head dully replied, finding his own seat.
"Now now, everyone," Nezu, the principal of U.A. High, a professional hero, and one of the few animals in the world that manifested a Quirk, softly chided. "We're about to select the next generation of heroes, and I expect you all to give it your utmost attention."
Sitting in the chair beside the principal's was a skeleton of a man, wearing a baggy yellow suit several sizes too large and hung loosely from his gaunt frame. His golden blond hair fell across his sunken blue eyes, which were fully focused on the dozens of screen throughout the observation room.
He was All Might, Japan's #1 hero, perhaps the greatest hero in the entire world, and his time was running out. Having sustained a life-threatening injury from his nemesis, All For One, years ago All Might's time as a hero was shortening by the day. By now he could barely perform his duties as the #1 hero for three measly hours a day.
That's why he was here, at U.A.: to find a worthy successor for his Quirk, One For All, the greatest Quirk in the world and the meta ability that allowed him to become Japan's Symbol of Peace. U.A. was filled with hero-hopefuls with boundless potential, and surely one amongst them embodied the heroic qualities All Might was searching for in his successor.
If not, he might have to swallow his pride and go with his former sidekick's recommendation.
"And… BEGIN!" Present Mic, the Voice Hero's voice roared from the speakers.
"Loud as always," Eraser Head grumbled, rubbing one ear.
"It's starting," the Space Hero, Thirteen, said as her knees bounced excitedly.
All Might watched the many screens closely as hundreds of examinees frantically rushed into the mock cities U.A. prepared for their practical exam. There were seven cities in total, each the size of a busy metropolitan, filled with robots that the examinees needed to destroy for points.
The #1 hero's attentive gaze flickered from screen to screen, already spotting many young men and women with fantastic potential and excellent Quirks. There was a young lady with orange hair and a side-ponytail crushing scores of robots with her enlarged fists; the younger brother of Ingenium shattering test-bots with his engine-powered legs; a young man with an explosive Quirk and an equally explosive personality wrecking devastation upon his targets; another examinee was shrinking every robot she came across into the size of pebbles before crushing them underfoot; there was even a boy who had the head of a raven while his sentient Quirk, a living shadow, extended from his stomach to smash apart robots with its deceptively powerful shadow claws.
All of them would surely grow up to be powerful heroes who'd easily break into the Top 50 of the ranking charts when they graduated.
But All Might was looking for more than just brute strength. He was searching for those who had the heart of a hero.
"Intriguing," Ectoplasm, the Haunted Hero, spoke up.
"Someone catch your eye?" the Excavation Hero, Power Loader, asked.
Ectoplasm nodded. "Exam Site F, camera 121."
Everyone turned to the aforementioned screen, including All Might. The camera attached to said screen was zoomed in on an examinee. It was a fairly tall teenager with an athletic build and short but spiky black hair. Unlike most of the examinees, this young man was positively beaming as he decapitated a 2-point villain robot with his… sword?
"Is that allowed?" All Might asked.
Power Loader scrolled through the electronic pad in his hands. "Yup. Kid had it registered beforehand as a support weapon."
"What's so special about the boy?" Vlad King, the Blood Hero, asked.
"Keep watching," Ectoplasm said.
They did, and the Haunted Hero's interest became self evident as the young man cleanly executed robot after robot, divesting them of their heads and limbs with but a single slash each, with incredibly smooth and precise movements. This boy wasn't toying around a sword for the heck of it; he was trained, extremely well trained.
"Wow, those're movements I usually only seen in movies!" Midnight exclaimed, impressed.
"He's experienced," Eraser Head said, tired eyes narrowed. "Too experienced. Those aren't movements learned in a dojo. We might have a vigilante on our hands."
"If he passes we'll do a thorough background check," Nezu assured.
"What's his Quirk? Increased proficiency with bladed weapons?" Snipe asked.
That question answered itself when the young man suddenly found himself surrounded on all sides by test-bots. They attacked simultaneously, and where an ordinary examine would've panicked this young man did not. Instead, he practically gleamed with excitement as he held his sword in a reverse grip.
"Shigure Soen Ryu," the microphones picked up, "7th Form, Splashing Rain!"
Cerulean water erupted from the katana's blade as the young man spun in a tight circle, launching a large wave of rippling water into the encroaching robots. Instead of blasting the robots away, the conjured water enveloped their frames and the staff of U.A. watched in interest as the movements of the robots slowed to a crawl.
"8th Form!" the boy all but laughed. "Pelting Rain!"
With speeds so fast All Might nearly missed it in his unpowered skeletal form, the young man executed a rapid series of slashes that utterly diced the barely-moving robots, reducing them all to scrap in the breadth of a second.
"Ha!" the boy grinned brightly, "This is fun!"
"What was that?" Midnight asked the question many of them were wondering.
"Yamamoto Takeshi," Nezu said, pulling up the young man's information on his own pad. "Quirk: Tranquility. It allows him to produce waters that slow down and weaken anything they touch. My, how fascinating!"
"Wait, doesn't that mean his Quirk has nothing to do with swordsmanship?" Thirteen asked in surprise.
"It doesn't," Eraser Head confirmed. "His sword skills are something he learned to supplement his Quirk. A logical approach."
"High praise coming from you, Shouta," Midnight said cheekily.
"But he's taking this exam far too lightly," Eraser Head continued, his tone hard. "He won't get far as a hero with such a flippant mindset."
All Might didn't mind as much. After all, that's what U.A. was for: to take these unpolished gems and transform them into magnificent heroes! Plus, young Yamamoto's Quirk intrigued him! It wasn't a direct combat Quirk like many of his fellow examines', but the boy hadn't let that slow him down! Instead he supplemented his Quirk with his skillful swordsmanship, which surely took many years of hardship, practice, and training!
Fantastic!
"Look at Site B, camera 33," Hound Dog, the Hunting Dog Hero, said, drawing their attention way from Yamamoto Takeshi.
Nezu used his controller to enlarge the aforementioned screen, showing a tanned skin teenager with striking gray eyes and short unkempt ashen colored hair. His upper body was larger and more defined than Yamamoto's, and his fists were blurs of expert jabs that pulverized every test-bot he came across. He'd just demolished a robot that nearly snuck up on another examinee with an uppercut.
"Sasagawa Ryohei," Cementoss read the boy's name from his electronic pad. "Quirk: Activation. Increases the efficiency of any type of activity."
"Explains his strength," Eraser Head noted, eyeing the robot that was literally punched into unrecoverable scrap. "He's using it to improve his own combat ability."
"A basic but good all-round Quirk," Vlad King said with a nod.
"And he didn't hesitate to save that black-haired boy," Power Loader pointed out. "That earns him some Rescue Points right there."
Until Sasagawa Ryohei suddenly decked the boy he'd saved right across the face.
"I stand corrected."
"What's going on? Why'd he attack him?" Thirteen wondered.
"Do we need to disqualify Sasagawa for assaulting a fellow examinee?" Cementoss asked.
Nezu fiddled with his controller to bring up the relevant audio.
"—giving up?!" Sasagawa's loud voice, one that'd make Present Mic proud, boomed from the speakers, causing Nezu to adjust the volume. "You made it this far haven't you?!"
"But… I don't… I don't feel like I belong here," the black-haired boy weakly admitted. "I thought I could man up if I forced myself to attend the U.A. entrance exam… but it's no good! Ever since that day I ran from that damn villain, I… I learned what kind of fraud I am! I'm not manly, not manly at all! All I can do is talk big! I don't deserve to attend U.A., much less be a hero!"
"Oof, that kid's got baggage for sure," Snipe sighed.
"A traumatic incident in his past," Hound Dog assumed.
"Anyone have any idea what villain he's talking about?" Thirteen asked.
"Not with the information given."
"Oi, grit your teeth."
"Huh?"
"ORAAA!" Sasagawa roared as he socked the black-haired boy in the face again, this time on the opposite cheek, knocking him off his feet.
"Shouldn't we stop this? At this point it's abuse," All Might said worriedly, seeing how the poor examinee was now bleeding from a split lip.
"Not yet," Nezu said, watching intently. "Keep watching."
"So what if you were afraid?! Everyone gets afraid!" Sasagawa roared. "I know what you're going through. I've been afraid too. I've seen monsters disguised as men, and the fear of just standing in front of them damn near killed me. But you know what? Seeing my bestest buddies almost die in front of my eyes was a fear that eclipsed everything else. Yeah, I was afraid, but I couldn't let that fear keep me down! Not when my buddies were counting on me! So I stood up and fought, because like my little bro's always saying, 'courage ain't the absence of fear, but the willingness to fight in spite of it!' You say you're not manly? Yet here you are, fighting the good fight despite your fear!"
"Bro…" the black-haired examinee was staring up at Sasagawa in wonder.
"Ask yourself this: ten years from now, if you looked back to this very moment, would you regret running away? Would you regret not giving this exam your all?"
"... I… I would! I definitely would!"
"Then stand! FIGHT!" Sasagawa bellowed. "You're worried about not being manly? You've already taken the first step! Being MANLY is about putting your life on the line for the things important you without regret! And if you still think you can't do it"—Sasagawa jabbed a thumb at himself—"then just follow me! Watch my back, and I'll show you what it means to be a MAN!"
Sasagawa held out a hand for the other examinee, who stared at the open palm with teary eyes before grabbing it. Sasagawa suddenly began to glow, and many of the teachers tensed upon seeing the activation of his Quirk. It steadily enveloped the black-haired boy with the soothing light of the sun, concentrating around the cuts on his face.
All Might, along with many others, went bug-eyed witnessing the boy's wounds closed.
"Activation," Recovery Girl, the Youthful Heroine, gasped in delight. "He's increasing the rate of cell regeneration, healing the boy! He can use his Quirk to heal! He's a healer! Oh, happy day!"
Several of the staff members sweat-dropped at Recovery Girl's jubilation.
"What's your name?" Sasagawa asked, pulling the other boy up to his feet.
"K-Kirishima Eijiro!"
Sasagawa nodded. "Follow me, otouto! You're going to pass this exam, and become your ideal hero!"
"Y-Yes, aniki! I'm going to be as manly as you!"
"You're wrong, otouto. I'm not manly … I'M EXTREMELY MANLY!"
With that, the two examinees joined forces against the exam's robots.
"… well that just happened," Eraser Head huffed.
"Oooh!" Midnight wriggled in her seat. "So youthful! It turns me on!"
"We're accepting that boy," Recovery Girl said—nay, demanded. "Sasagawa Ryohei is becoming a U.A. student, and that's final."
"Let's be fair, the exam isn't over," Vlad King said, trying to be the voice of reason. "There's no guarantee he passes."
"I don't give a damn." The Youthful Heroine dug in her proverbial heels. "If he doesn't make into the Hero Course, I'll take him as my personal intern."
"But you don't have an internship position?"
"Then I'll bloody well make one!"
"Now, now!" Nezu bade everyone, Recovery Girl in particular, to calm down. "Sasagawa Ryohei has done more than well enough for himself. He already has 31 Villain Points, and I say his interaction with Kirishima Eijiro earns him a healthy amount of Rescue Points! Unless something goes drastically wrong Sasagawa-kun is an easy shoe in!"
"Good," Recovery Girl huffed.
"You feel quite strongly about this," All Might said cautiously.
Recovery Girl pinned him with a glare. "And why wouldn't I? You know, as well as I, that healing Quirks are phenomenally rare, and despite my title I'm not getting any younger. If I can train the next generation healer who'll look after you wild lot then I'll be able to finally retire in peace."
All Might chortled, while Nezu laughed uproariously. It was thanks to Recovery Girl's Quirk, Heal, that U.A. could hold practical exams like this without worry. Additionally, there was nothing wrong with having more trained healers.
But All Might was far more impressed by young Sasagawa's spirit. He not only saved young Kirishima with his actions, but took it a step further and inspired him to keep pursuing his dream to become a wonderful hero. That was exactly the sort of trait All Might was searching for in a successor.
Thus he mentally added Sasagawa Ryohei to his short list of potential inheritors.
"Whoa, we've got a dangerous one over here," Ectoplasm said, beckoning at screen 99 at Exam Site E. The screen was blown up and the relevant audio switched on.
"FUCKING DIE!"
The U.A. staff watched as a half-Japanese teenager of average height, mid-length silver hair, and an impatient scowl that was fed up with the universe, fire a plume of bloody crimson flames from his hands that lashed out erratically before consuming the robots before him.
Everyone was both awed and horrified as the flames devoured the exam robots until not even ash remained.
"A fire Quirk?" All Might asked, his gut warning him that those flames were even more dangerous than Endeavor's Hellflame.
"No," Nezu replied with utmost seriousness as he review the examinee's file. "Gokudera Hayato. Quirk: Disintegration. He produces flame-like energy that decays and breaks apart whatever it touches."
"What a terrifying Quirk," Thirteen whispered. "His potential for sheer destruction is horrifyingly high."
They watched as a trio of 3-pointers, robots thrice the height of an average adult and far more durable than their one and two point counterparts, charge at Gokudera, only for the boy to fire another blast of disintegration at them and reduce them to stray atoms. Even the concrete road beneath them was affected, leaving behind large gouges where Disintegration had haphazardly erased solid matter.
"I'll be a monkey's uncle," Snipe whispered, propping up the tip of his cowboy hat to get an unobstructed view of the unmitigated damage Gokudera caused. "That right there might be one of the most terrifying Quirks I've ever seen. 'Bout as dangerous as yer own Black Hole, Thirteen."
Thirteen didn't deny that.
"I shudder to imagine a Quirk like that in the hands of a villain," Midnight said as Gokudera deleted a 2-pointer from existence, along with the building behind it. Worriedly, she asked, "He hasn't injured any of the other examinees with friendly fire, has he?"
As all footage was being recorded so the teachers could review each individual examinee more thoroughly afterwards, Eraser Head brought up the recordings of Gokudera's progress on his personal pad and carefully watched the footage on fast-forward.
"He hasn't," the Erasure Hero concluded, much to everyone's relief. "The first thing Gokudera did when the exam began was distance himself from the other examinees before cutting loose. Even now, he's taking great care only to use his Quirk when the coast is clear. He's being cautious and careful. A good attitude to have with a Quirk as dangerous as his own."
Power Loader checked his own electronic pad. "49 Villain Points… 53 now. Exam's not even halfway over and he's still racking in points. He'll get in even if he doesn't earn a single Rescue Point."
"A powerful and flashy Quirk, exactly what the public and media loves," Eraser Head scoffed. "You can have him, Kan."
Vlad King rolled his eyes. "Already handing your problem children off to me?"
"I'm sure I'll still get my fair share."
"Oh, look at that," Thirteen pointed.
Everyone paid attention as Gokudera attacked a 3-pointer the same time the boy with the Explosion Quirk did, and they were treated to an astonishing sight. Gokudera's flames of Disintegration overwrote the other boy's explosion, eradicating it and the 3-pointer at the same time.
"I'll say it again: that's a terrifying Quirk," Snipe laughed.
"What the hell was that, Shitty-Knockoff?" the boy (All Might checked for his name: Bakugo Katsuki) demanded, barely getting the words out past his shock.
"That was me earning 3 more points, Shitty-Pomeranian," Gokudera snarked, chin jutted up.
"Since when do you have a fucking Quirk?!"
Gokudera rolled his eyes, his derision a beacon. "Since always, dumbass."
"They know each other?" Midnight asked as the two young men traded barbed insults.
Nezu brought up their information. "They both attended Aldera Junior High."
"Don't we separate examinees who attend the same school so they can't work together?"
"We've quite a few applicants from that school and not enough exam sites, so perfectly separating them all was impossible."
"I don't think we have to worry about them"—Vlad King pointed at the screen, where Gokudera and Bakugo were standing close enough to bite each others' throats out—"trying to work together."
"You stole my fucking kill, shitty extra!" Bakugo howled.
"I wouldn't have been able to if your Quirk wasn't so fucking weak," Gokudera taunted.
Bakugo's expression became downright murderous, making All Might and several other teachers fear an actual fight might break out. That was until a 2-pointer skid around the corner and barreled towards them both. Gokudera didn't even turn his head to look, holding out his arm and blasting the exam robot with his Disintegration before it got close.
"58 points," Gokudera goaded, causing Bakugo's face to slacken in disbelief. "From the look on your face, I'd say I've more points than you, Shitty-Pomeranian."
"No way… no fucking way a damned extra is doing better than me!" The palms of Bakugo's hands began crackling threateningly.
"Careful," Gokudera drawled, taunting mockery lacing his every syllable. "Attack me and the cameras will catch it," he pointed straight at the camera All Might and the others were watching them through, "and I don't think the teaches of U.A. are like the spineless dipshits at Aldera that let you do whatever the fuck you want. Plus, the more time you waste with me, the less time you've got to improve your shitty score. Won't that be a laugh? Mr. 'Future No. 1' not even earning first place on a fucking entrance exam!"
"Shitty… Knockoff…!" Bakugo grit his teeth so hard All Might heard it from here. Regardless, his decision was already made as Bakugo used his explosions to propel himself away from Gokudera to find more villain bots to destroy.
"Heh, dumb motherfucker," Gokudera snorted. "Don't get what Judaime sees in that bastard." He continued searching for villain bots of his own, and with each one destroyed Power Loader lamented the extra workload increasing before his eyes.
"Did anyone else catch what they said about Aldera?" Midnight pointed out.
"We did," Ectoplasm confirmed, his peg-leg tapping against the floor. "I don't like the insinuation. It's not uncommon for teachers to grant leeway to students with flashy Quirks, and Bakugo's Quirk definitely applies."
"He'll get a rude awakening if he tries to pull that nonsense in U.A.," Snipe said, arms crossed. "We don't tolerate that bullcrap here."
"I'll look into it," Nezu promised. "For now, are there any other standouts?"
"Exam Site D, camera 61," Hound Dog said, eyes wide.
Nezu brought up the relevant screen, and everyone's eyebrows reached for the sky.
It was a tall teenager, with short silver hair and deep gray eyes, sitting atop of an operational 3-pointers. Yet the villain bot wasn't following its programing and unseating the examinee. No, it was carefully and deliberately carrying the young man like he was its king and it was his servile mobile throne. Not only that, but there were another six 3-pointers stationed around them, moving like an obedient honor guard!
"How is he doing that? Did he reprogram the 3-pointers?" Midnight asked.
"No, I think he's directly controlling them," Eraser Head said, noticing the occasional lines of static electricity bouncing between the 3-pointers and the young man. "Who is he? What's his Quirk?"
Vlad King scrolled through his files. "Narukami Yu. Quirk: Electromaster, capable of generating and manipulating electricity."
"Nothing about hacking? Or overriding technology?" Cementoss asked, surprised.
"It's an aspect of his Quirk," Power Loader said, leaning forward in his seat as Narukami directed the 3-pointers under his control to surge forward and attack a pack of villain bots. The regular villain bots ran on a rudimentary operating system, so while they appeared big and intimidating their attack patterns were basic enough for a kid with a useful Quirk to take them down. Narukami had replaced the attack system of his 3-pointers with a complex algorithm of his own, allowing them to move and execute advanced offensive patterns vastly outstripping the efficiency of their counterparts. Needless to say Narukami's 3-pointers tore apart the villain bots with ludicrous ease.
"His control over electricity is so precise it can bypass the firewalls on our villain bots and overwrite their operating systems with one of his own," Power Loader continued. "Hot damn, the absurd level of control that would take, along with the mental acuity to rewrite their programing from the ground up with his Quirk alone. Jesus, his brainpower's got to be off the charts."
"So he's a genius?" Vlad King asked.
Power Loader snorted. "To put it lightly."
"He's not taking the exam seriously," Eraser Head said, glaring at Narukami's screen. The young man was propping his head up with one hand where he sat, and fighting to keep a yawn off his face.
"In his defense, the exam's villain bots are powerless against him," Midnight pointed out. "This practical test was practically made for him."
"Doesn't mean he should be slacking off."
"How many points does he have?" Thirteen asked.
"28," Ectoplasm replied, having already brought up Narukami's record. "Kid won't break the top 10, but might be just enough to get him in the Hero Course."
"That's if we don't count his Rescue Points," Cementoss said, as the enlarge screen displayed Narukami directing one of his 3-pointers towards an examinee that'd been knocked over by a villain bot, crushing the offending bot between its hammer-like arms.
"You okay?" Narukami asked, his mobile throne steering him towards the young woman with violet hair and earphone jacks hanging from her earlobes.
"Peachy," the examinee, Jiro Kyoka, grouse as she hobbled to her feet. Then she saw Narukami's ride and gasped. "Dude! How're you doing that?"
Narukami tilted his head. "With my Quirk?" he said, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.
Jiro palmed her face. "I get that, wise guy. But what kind of Quirk?"
"An electrical kind."
"You don't say," Jiro deadpanned.
Narukami laughed lightly. "As fun as this is, don't you have some bots to break?"
"Oh crap, you're right!" Jiro's head whipped left and right in a panic, searching for bots in the vicinity and finding none. "I can't be wasting time like this! I don't have a ton of points!"
"Want some help?" Narukami offered, to the surprise of most of the staff.
Jiro stared at him, like she was trying to decipher his motives. "Why would you help me? We're enemies."
"We are?" Narukami said guilelessly. "I don't recall you ever swearing death and vengeance against me. I'd definitely remember someone as cute as you."
Jiro spluttered, red infusing her cheeks. "Dude! You can't just call people c-cute out of nowhere!"
"Why not? It's just the truth."
The young girl's face reddened deeply, making Midnight coo at the scene. "S-Screw you, you damned Casanova. When I said enemies, I meant you're part of the competition! We're all trying to get accepted into U.A., and that makes us enemesi! You've no reason to help me!"
"What if I want to see more of you in class?"
"Oh, that boy's dangerous," Midnight ogled, her smile downright lecherous. "That poor girl doesn't stand a chance."
All Might found himself agreeing, as young Jiro's became more scarlet than the ripest of tomatoes, all while her earphone jacks flailed uncontrollably.
"Look at me, I'm holding you up even more," Narukami chided himself, politely ignoring how Jiro's head became hot enough to fry an egg, before focusing on one of his 3-pointers. A line of static jumped between himself and the bot, and its red optics flickered as its programming was rewritten. "There, this guy will follow every command you give him. Give it a shot."
Young Jiro needed a handful of seconds to get her scarlet blush under control. "For real? Um, okay. Pick me up?"
The 3-pointer obeyed, although not in the way she expected, as Jiro certainly didn't expect to be bridal carried by the reprogrammed bot.
"What the hell is this?!" she shrieked.
"Ah, I made sure he knew how to treat a lady," Narukami explained.
"߆øπßç#$%©&†µ!"
A few of the staff members felt for the poor girl, while Midnight was cackling like a hyena high on laughing gas.
"Just… just put me on your back!" Jiro commanded, and the 3-pointer acquiesced. Once she was situated, and fighting to keep the heat from her cheeks, she grumbled, "Okay, yeah… this'll help. With how fast 3-pointers are I should be able to rack up some points." Young Jiro glared, rather weakly, at the smiling Narukami. "I still think you're a philandering bastard, but this really helps me out. So… t-thanks."
"You're welcome. I'm Narukami Yu."
"J-Jiro Kyoka."
"See you in class, Kyoka-chan."
"SHADDAP!" Jiro screamed, trying to hide her burning face with her arms as she ordered her 3-pointer to move.
"Shouta," Midnight said.
"No," Eraser Head immediately denied her.
"Shouta, please."
"Nemuri, no."
"You have to put those two in the same class! You have to!"
"No."
"But think of all the fun I'll have watching them!"
"More incentive not to put them together."
As Midnight squabbled with Eraser Head, All Might checked his electronic pad to see how well young Jiro was fairing. She'd only amassed 11 Villain Points so far, and the practical exam was halfway over by now.
"Are we going to allow this?" Vlad King asked the principal. "Any points Jiro Kyoka scores from here on out won't be on her own merit. An argument could be made that she's cheating."
Nezu hummed in consideration. "Requesting assistance from your fellow heroes when your own strength is lacking is a valuable lesson we teach our students. While Jiro-kun isn't a student of ours yet, I believe there's nothing wrong with her receiving assistance from another. I'll let this pass."
Vlad King gave the principal a look, but accepted his reasoning with a shrug.
"Oh, what's this now?" Thirteen said, drawing everyone's attention back to the screen.
"Hey, playboy," another examinee, one with tired eyes and a mess of light purple hair, called out to Narukami.
"Hmm? Can I—?" Narukami's words were cut off as his eyes glazed over, and the purple-haired examinee smirked in triumph.
"Gotcha. Now, give me one of your—"
But he never got to finish his sentence as a sudden spark jolted Narukami's head, causing him to flinch and his eyes to clear.
"What just happened?" Snipe asked nobody in particular.
"What the hell?" the examinee mirrored that thought.
"Shinso Hitoshi," Eraser Head read the boy's profile. "Quirk: Brainwashing, he can place another in a suggestible state if they verbally respond to something he says."
"Brainwashing, a powerful Quirk," Hound Dog said, fingers folded. "But how did Narukami escape from it?"
"Ouch, that stings," Narukami said with a ginger shake of his head. "Haven't felt that in a while. You've got some sort of mental interference Quirk, don't you?"
"How… how did you break out of my Brainwashing?" Shinso demanded shakily.
"Ah, I once came across someone with a similar Quirk," Narukami shrugged nonchalantly. "She was… enthusiastic with using it, so I developed a countermeasure. Whenever I detect abnormal electrical signals in my brain activity I programmed my subconscious to run a mild current across my nervous system to… reboot myself. Good attempt, though. Would've worked on anyone but me."
"He can do that?" Thirteen said, awed.
"He's versatile with his Quirk, expanding its applications beyond its common usage," Eraser Head admitted.
"Feh, just my luck," Shinso spat with a scowl. "Whatever. I tried, I failed. Piss off and leave me alone."
"Why? You were going to ask to use one of my bots, right? Sure, go ahead."
Shinso was understandably stunned, as were most of U.A.'s staff. "What're you playing at? Is it pity? Well you can take your pity and dump it in the trash, because I don't need it."
"Less pity, and more understanding," Narukami said, already reprogramming one of his 3-pointers and directing it to the bewildered Shinso's side. "You've got a nifty Quirk, and the fact that you're here means you want to use it for heroics. I like that. Problem is that your Quirk doesn't work on machines, does it? If this exam had been against real people you would've aced it with flying colors, and I think it'd suck if you failed just because of a bad match up. When you saw me give Kyoka-chan a bot of her own you thought you could brainwash me into doing the same for you. That's smart thinking."
"I… I don't…" Shinso was struggling to find the words to verbalize his hectic feelings.
"Just take the bot and get to smashing," Narukami reproached, but not harshly. "You're running out of time, and you want to be a hero, right? Then swallow your regrets and fight for what your heart desires. Plus Ultra."
Those words stirred young Shinso into actions, his hesitation hardening into resolve as he climbed atop of his 3-pointer. "Nosey bastard… if I pass, I'll treat you to a meal."
Narukami smiled. "Beef bowl, extra large, with plenty of toppings."
Shinso snorted. "Do I look like I'm made of money? But fine, if I get into the Heroic Course I'll treat you to the best damned beef bowl in Japan."
"It's a promise."
Shinso rode off on his 3-pointer, and Narukami did the same. The Electromaster commanded his remaining 3-pointers to demolish every one and two pointer they came across, while assuming control over the 3-pointers and adding them to his growing army.
"He's one to look out for," Power Loader said, impressed. "Such versatility from an electricity Quirk? He'll make it into the top 10 shortly after he graduates, that's a guarantee."
"He has potential," Eraser Head grudgingly admitted.
"I bet he'll have a flock of innocent 1st years pinning after him before long!" Midnight squealed.
Eraser Head soured as he imagined that nightmare, and then looked to Nezu. "Can we disqualify him? Right here, right now?"
"I'm afraid not, Aizawa," the principal chuckled.
"Then he'd better not be in my class."
Nezu's cackling only filled the Erasure Hero with dread.
All Might, meanwhile, was very proud of Narukami. While his elemental Quirk was a powerful one, the young man had greatly expanded its parameters with his exceptional creativity. Add in his willingness to aid his fellow examinees and All Might was more than happy to add Narukami Yu to his list of potential successors.
It made him wonder how young Sasagawa was doing, and he flipped through the tabs on his pad to check the examinees' villain scores. He was pleased to discover Sasagawa Ryohei sitting comfortably in 5th place with 49 villain points, while young Eijiro had 28. Narukami Yu was now in 6th place with 36 villain points. All in all they were doing quite nicely!
Out of curiosity, he scrolled upwards to see who was in first.
The score he saw made him gasp.
"What is it, All Might? Someone catch your eye?" Midnight asked him.
"I believe so," All Might replied slowly, reading the name currently in first place. "Principal? Can you bring up the screen for Hibari Kyoya?"
"Indeed I can!" Nezu said, rapidly flicking through the screen so quickly it was near impossible to tell what was on them. Despite this, the principal stopped perfectly on a young man of average height and short black hair. His narrow gray eyes were so intimidating it almost made All Might shiver upon seeing them. He wielded a pair of steel tonfas, which he used to destroy the villain bots with brutal efficiency.
"Whoa, we've got a savage one here," Snipe said, watching as Hibari struck a 2-pointer's head so hard it flew off and lodged itself in the chestplate of the 1-pointer behind it.
"Look at those moves," Thirteen admired as Hibari slid beneath the horizontal hammer arm of a 3-pointer, jabbed his left tonfa into an exposed opening in its joint, and tore the mechanical limb clean from its socket. "This boy knows how to fight."
"Extremely well, at that," Eraser Head grumbled. "Yet another problem child displaying a level of skill unachievable without real experience."
"Vigilante?" Vlad King asked.
"Likely."
"I'll add him to the list," Nezu chuckled. "What brought this particular examinee to your attention, Yagi?"
All Might swallowed. "His score. Young Hibari has amassed 88 villain points thus far."
The other staff members were sufficiently stunned.
"He's on a roll," Snipe admitted. "Looks like his time prowling the back alleys of Japan have been good for something."
"The exam's only"—Vlad King checked the time—"three-fourth of the way over, meaning he still has time to improve his score."
"What was your score when you did the practical?" Midnight asked All Might, recalling he was a U.A. alumni.
"101 villain points, 80 rescue points," All Might answered.
Snipe whistled. "181 points? That's the record, ain't it? Think Kyoya here's gonna be the one to break it?"
"No," Eraser Head easily refuted, having checked young Hibari's progress. "The moment the practical started Hibari went off on his own. He hasn't encountered any of the other examinees, meaning there's no chance for him to earn any rescue points. He might beat All Might's Villain Points record, but not his total score."
"Still, earning over a 100 villain points is nothing to scoff at," Thirteen said. "His combat ability is beyond exceptional for his age." The screen showed Hibari striking a 3-pointer in the midsection so hard he tore it in half. "He's quite fortunate to have been born with such an prominent strengthening Quirk."
Nezu started cackling, which was never a good sign.
"Principal?" Vlad King asked warily.
"Delightful! How very delightful!" Nezu threw back his tiny rodent head and laughed maniacally.
"Now I'm worried," Cementoss admitted without shame.
"Aizawa-kun," Nezu said, calming down so suddenly it was downright eerie. "You've already pulled up Hibari-kun's profile, have you not? Won't you please read it aloud for us?"
"What're you planning, you annoying rat?" Eraser Head huffed, nevertheless fulfilling the principal's orders. "Hibari Kyoya, Quirk…" All Might didn't miss how Eraser Head's exhausted eyes widened in surprise.
"Shouta?" Midnight asked worriedly.
Eraser Head swallowed to clear his throat. "Quirk: Propagation. He can increase the size or multiply the quantity of a chosen non-living object."
"Oh, that's quite the handy Quirk to have," Thirteen said, admiring the possibilities such an ability brought. "He could propagate the number of relief supplies during a disaster, making shortages a non-issue. Can he do the same with food? Can the copies he produces be safely consumed? Does—?"
"Hold on a moment," Hound Dog cut in, getting an inkling about what astounded the principal so. "How does that"—he pointed at Hibari eviscerating a 2-pointer of its wires and circuit boards—"come from Propagation? Is he multiplying his strength?"
"No," Eraser Head said solemnly, watching Hibari with keen interest. "His file says his Quirk produces a purple cloud that induces the propagation affect. I've checked the recordings, that problem child hasn't use his Quirk a single time throughout the practical exam."
A dumbfounded silence fell upon the U.A. staff as Eraser Head's words sunk in.
"Are you saying…" Midnight struggled to put her shock to words, "… that Hibari Kyoya has earned almost a 100 Villain Points quirklessly?"
Eraser Head nodded.
"Impossible," Vlad King gasped. "He's practically tearing apart the villain bots with his bare hands! Are you saying he's doing that without a Quirk?!"
"Indeed!" Nezu tittered, looking ready to thank the world for delivering such a fascinating specimen that shattered the mold.
"Pathetic false herbivores," Hibari Kyoya's smooth and confident words filtered through the room's speakers. When an examinee earned far more villain points than their fellow competitors the bots were programmed to start avoiding said individual, not only to give the other hero-hopefuls a passing chance but to see how the over-achieving examinee would adapt to the villain bots actively fleeing their presence.
The staff of U.A. gawked as they saw how Hibari used that rule to his advantage. Like a predator gleefully hunting his chosen prey, Hibari had chased and corralled a cluster of villain bots into a dead end alleyway with skillful manipulation.
"I'll bite you all to death."
With purposeful steps, Hibari casually walked into the passage with his tonfa raised. The villain bots, seeing their only hope of escape was through Hibari, lunged at him as one.
What came next was a massacre.
"Sweet Jiminy Cricket," Snipe gaped, taking off his cowboy hat and placing it across his chest as they all witnessed Hibari Kyoya tear through the bots as a whirlwind of destruction. "If that youngin' can do that without a Quirk, the hell is he capable of with it?"
"Is that bot screaming for help?" Midnight asked hesitantly, pointing at the villain bot trying to flee past the devil himself, only for the black-haired Satan to grab its leg and slowly drag it back into the alleyway.
"It's just your imagination, Nemuri," Power Loader replied blandly.
"But—"
"Imagination, let's leave it at that. For the sake of my sanity."
"Alright, if you say—"
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Snipe suddenly screamed, startling them all.
"What is it? What's wrong?" All Might demanded, worried about what could make a Pro Hero react in such a way.
Snipe pointed a shaky finger at one of the screens: Exam Site C, camera 42.
Nezu quickly enlarged the display, and soon all the other staff members of U.A. became just as baffled as Snipe.
On it was a petite girl with short purple hair styled in a way that reminded All Might of a pineapple. Her right eye was covered in a black eyepatch decorated with a white skull, while her left eye was a vibrant violet.
Oh, and she riding atop of freaking Cthulhu! The eldritch monstrosity was the size of a five-story building and was all tentacles, fangs, and teeth! Sweet Mother America, so many teeth! Its tentacles writhed, twisted, and lashed out in ways that made the laws of physics cry in a corner, capturing any and every villain bot it came across and shredding them into toothpick-sized fragments with its millions of teeth! Why did it have so many TEETH?!
"… are outer gods allowed to attend U.A.?" Thirteen asked meekly.
"How would they pay the tuition? With souls of the damned?" Ectoplasm blankly wondered.
"Don't be so illogical," Eraser Head scowled. "That thing is clearly a creation of that girl's Quirk."
"How curious," Nezu murmured, unable to contain his toothy smile as he reached behind his chair and brought out a device resembling a game controller. He turned it on, and an artificial voice said, "Manual override engaged."
"Principal?" All Might asked, wondering what the mad-rodent was up to.
Nezu only replied with a toothy grin that made his expression exponentially creepier. Using his controller, he took control over a 2-pointer and had it scale a tall building Cthulhu was shambling past. He then directed it to leap directly for the one-eyed girl balanced atop of the eldritch abomination.
It didn't get far. As soon as the young lady spotted the bot falling towards her, indigo mist pooled in her singular eye.
Tree branches as thick as a man's torso erupted from the side of the building, ensnaring the 2-pointer so comprehensively it couldn't move a single servo. Then, out of nowhere, hibiscus flowers began blossoming all across the bot; flowers were somehow growing out of cold metal! All Might's jaw fell farther and farther as those same blood-red flowers suddenly erupted into geysers of crimson fire, melting the 2-pointer into slag.
"Wha…?" Midnight gawked.
Nezu's beady black eyes were practically glowing as he took control over a 3-pointer and directed it to ambush the young girl from behind.
A gigantic anvil, one with '1,000 TONS!' engraved on its side, appeared over the bot and flattened it with a tremendous WHAM!
"Wha …?!" Ectoplasm said, blinking furiously.
Nezu controlled another 2-pointer to make a leaping ambush at the girl.
Space tore open, and a gargantuan 7-fingered hand emerged from the tear in reality to reach out, grab the 2-pointer, and squeeze it into unrecoverable pieces before retreating back into the void.
"What?!" Hound Dog cried, eyes perfectly round.
Nezu directed a squadron of 1-pointers to tackle Cthulhu from the front.
Only for the concrete beneath them to ripple like water before transforming into spikes that impaled each bot.
"WHAT?!" Cementoss shouted, seeing an examinee mold concrete as easily as his own Quirk.
"Principal, what's going on?" All Might gasped, artic dread pooling in his nonexistent stomach. "That young girl… does she have multiple Quirks?"
Was she somehow related to All For One? A secret weapon he prepared against All Might but never had the chance to unleash before All Might pulverized the top-half of his despicable head?
"No," Nezu said, his grin ever-present as he flicked his controller off. "That is Dokuro Chrome, and her Quirk? It's listed as Real Illusions."
"Illusions? Those are illusions?" Vlad King said incredulously. "She's been getting points for every villain bot she destroyed! Our cameras are recording the insanity she's causing! How're they illusions?!"
"That's where the 'real' part comes in, doesn't it?" Eraser Head asked, watching young Dokuro studiously.
"Indeed!" Nezu cackled joyously. "Dokuro-kun's illusions are so powerful they deceive the world itself! If she cuts you with a sword she's conjured with her Quirk, your body believes it's actually been hurt and wounds itself accordingly! If she smashes an object with a construct of her Quirk the world somehow records it as damage and destroys said object! Why, if she made a bridge with her illusions it'd be entirely possible for people to cross it, because they believe it's actually here! AH HA HA HA HA!"
While All Might was relieved to discover young Dokuro had nothing to do with the deplorable Symbol of Evil, the description of her Quirk still sent chills down his spine.
"Can that even be considered an illusion at that point?" Thirteen whispered, watching as Dokuro summoned more tentacles (why tentacles?!) to deal with the villain bots.
"It can!" Nezu assured. "Because at the end of the day, they are illusions! So long as you accept this as an irrefutable fact, Dokuro-kun's illusions have no hold over you!"
All Might breathed a sigh of relief, as did many of the other U.A. staff members.
"A glaring weakness for such a powerful Quirk," Snipe hummed, finally getting his metaphorical feet beneath him. "It's like a fancy parlor trick. Once ya know the gimmick, the magic's gone."
"No doubt she's been heavily reliant on her Quirk to carry her to this point," Eraser Head hummed. "No self-respecting hero is a one-trick pony. If she passes, put her in my class. She needs to learn there are situations where she'll be unable to rely upon the crutch of her Quirk."
Nezu nodded, but All Might saw the devious twinkle in the principal's eyes. There was something he knew that he wasn't telling Eraser Head. Should he warn his soon-to-be colleague? But that might direct Nezu's ire to himself if he ruined the principal's surprise.
In the end, All Might decided silence was golden.
"This year is truly quite the bumper crop," Thirteen said admiringly. "I don't think we've ever seen so many prodigiously talented individuals in the same exam before."
"It's definitely going to be one helluva year," Snipe agreed, putting his cowboy hat back on.
"How many minutes are left in the practical?" Midnight asked.
"1 minute," Eraser Head mumbled, glad it was almost over.
"Then I do believe it's time!" Nezu said gleefully, flipping up a glass case on the dashboard before him and punching the big red button.
The faculty of U.A. got a front row seat of the examinees' reactions as the "gimmick" villain bot, a colossal machine that towered over the faux city's tallest buildings, appeared in each of the exam sites. The principal laughed in unholy glee as he watched the children scamper in fear like rats, causing several of the staff members to quietly groan at his shenanigans.
"A person's true colors are shown in the face of overwhelming opposition," All Might said, doing his best to keep an eye on all the displays. It was disheartening to see nearly all the examinees flee at the first sign of the Zero-Pointer, but he didn't hold it against any of them. They were still children, and fleeing in the face of such a titan was to be expected.
Which is why those who defied expectation shone so brilliantly.
"Uh oh," Power Loader said. "Everybody, camera 1."
They looked and saw what'd elicited the hero's concern: in Exam Site A an examinee, with auburn hair and shoulder-length bangs that framed her round face, was pinned beneath a pile of debris caused by the Zero-Pointer's rampage. Even worse, she was in the Zero-Pointer's path, and if nothing was done the gargantuan machine would run her over beneath its tracks and kill her.
"Shut down that site's Zero-Pointer," Eraser Head ordered.
"Will d—"
"Wait," Nezu cut in, his tail standing straight.
"Principal, with all due respect that girl isn't getting out on her own," Power Loader objected.
But Nezu shook his head. "There's no need. Look."
All Might barely caught what seemed to be a steam of orange fire jettisoning across one of the screen. It then appeared on another, then another, and another. The #1 Hero swiftly realized the cause: someone was flying across the length of the faux city at extreme speeds.
The mysterious flame-clad figure skid to a stop before the astonished auburn-haired examinee, one Uraraka Ochako. With a blast of his beautiful flames the boy blew away the debris pinning young Uraraka, allowing him swiftly scoop her into one arm while he used the other to expel a torrent of fire to propel them skyward.
"He's flying," Ectoplasm said, impressed.
"He's totally flying," Snipe agreed.
The young man landed on a faraway rooftop, allowing camera 3 to zoom in on him and give the U.A. staff a proper look at his appearance. He had a mop of fluffy dark-green hair, with bright irises of a similar color. His cheeks were dotted with four symmetrical freckles shaped like tiny diamonds. All in all, All Might would've said the young man was rather plain looking.
Yet he carried himself with the surety of a professional while his eyes burned with quiet confidence, inevitably drawing in one's attention like a force of gravity.
"Are you alright?" the boy asked Uraraka, who was stunned by her instantaneous rescue.
"I-I am," Uraraka stammered, her heart doubtlessly trying to beat its way out of her chest from the rush of adrenaline. "Thank you for saving me. I-I'm sorry you had to waste time on me."
"Don't be. Saving you was never a waste of time, and besides: as soon as I saw you needed help, my body simply moved on its own."
All Might's heart hammered in his boney chest, and he sat a little straighter.
The young man and Uraraka looked towards the distant Zero-Pointer, whose rampage continued to topple the buildings around it while filling the air with screams of terrified examinees.
The young man immediately stepped forward.
"What're you doing?" Uraraka asked.
"Stopping that machine," the young man answered immediately.
"But Present Mic said it isn't worth any points! There's no point in fighting it!"
"So what? It's a danger to others regardless. Besides"—he turned to Uraraka and gave her a small but assertive smile—"I can't stand by when I see others in danger."
Emotions surged across very fiber of All Might's being, so intense he nearly buffed up on accident.
That young man…!
Holding out his hands behind him, the U.A. faculty witnessed the boy fire twin streams of fire from his palms. The thrust was so great it instantly propelled the young man skyward, rocketing over empty buildings of Exam Site A at an incredible speed.
He's almost as fast as Hawks! All Might thought, hands clenched.
In a matter of seconds the young hero was flying directly above the raging Zero-Pointer. Firing another explosion of orange flames upward, he used that force to boost himself straight down—
"Big Bang Axle!"
—and smash a flame-wreathed fist into the top of the Zero-Pointer's central processor (aka: its head). But he didn't stop there. The heat of his flames were so great it burned away the gimmick villain's metal exterior as if it were made of paper, and his speed so overwhelming he plowed straight through the rest of the Zero-Pointer's building-sized body and caused it to explode catastrophically.
A few teachers instinctually leapt to their feet, worried for the young hero's wellbeing. Yet when the dust and debris settled they saw him standing tall and unscathed amongst the Zero-Pointer's wreckage.
"TIME'S UP!" Present Mic's voice echoed across all the exam sites, signaling the end of U.A.'s practical exam.
"Holy smokes," Snipe breathed. "Do you see that?"
"Obviously," Eraser Head drawled, even though his was totally focused on the main screen.
"We've had others stand against the gimmick in the past, but it's been a while since one's actually been destroyed," Ectoplasm said.
"Look at him! He's not even tired!" Midnight gestured. Indeed, the young hero wasn't even breathing heavily, nor did All Might see a single drop of sweat anywhere on him.
He destroyed U.A.'s Zero-Pointer as easily as All Might would have.
"Who is he?" All Might asked, hoping he didn't sound too giddy. He succeeded for the most part, although from the look Principal Nezu gave him the Quirked animal discerned his interest.
Hound Dog brought up the young man's information. "Midoriya Izuku, Quirk: Harmonization."
Thirteen blinked beneath her astronaut-theme helmet. "It's not a fire Quirk?"
"And here I thought we were seeing the next Endeavor," Cementoss hummed.
"What does Harmonization do?" All Might asked.
"… I don't know," Hound Dog admitted, scrolling through young Midoriya's application. "The boy didn't add any details about his Quirk, only its name."
"Is he trying to keep it under wraps?" Vlad King puzzled.
"It's illogical of us to waste time puzzling out the ins and outs of his Quirk before he's even been accepted," Eraser Head said, standing up and shuffling towards the exit. "If he becomes an official student of U.A. then we'll ask."
"Do you really think that boy won't get in after a performance like that, Shouta?" Midnight asked.
Eraser Head shrugged. "Nothing's certain until the final point's tallied. I'm going to get a few winks of sleep before heading out for patrol." The automatic door slid open as Eraser Head approached, briefly flooding the dark observation room in light, as the Erasure Hero left.
All Might, on the other hand, could barely contain the trill of excitement surging throughout his veins.
I finally found you, my successor!
EXAMINATION RESULTS:
[1] Midoriya Izuku / Villain Points: 70 / Rescue Points: 65 / Total Points: 135
[2] Hibari Kyoya / Villain Points: 121 / Rescue Points: 0 / Total Points: 121
[3] Narukami Yu / Villain Points: 49 / Rescue Points: 60 / Total Points: 109
[4] Dokuro Chrome / Villain Points: 93 / Rescue Points: 5 / Total Points: 98
[5] Gokudera Hayato / Villain Points: 80 / Rescue Points: 11 / Total Points: 91
[6] Sasagawa Ryohei / Villain Points: 55 / Rescue Points: 35 / Total Points: 90
[7] Yamamoto Takeshi / Villain Points: 71 / Rescue Points: 18 / Total Points: 89
[8] Eijiro Kirishima / Villain Points: 45 / Rescue Points: 40 / Total Points: 85
[9] Bakugo Katsuki / Villain Points: 79 / Rescue Points: 0 / Total Points: 79
[10] Ibara Shiozaki / Villain Points: 36 / Rescue Points: 32 / Total Points: 68
[11] Itsuka Kendo / Villain Points: 25 / Rescue Points: 40 / Total Points: 65
[12] Tenya Ida / Villain Points: 52 / Rescue Points: 9 / Total Points: 61
[13] Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu / Villain Points: 49 / Rescue Points: 10 / Total Points: 59
[14] Fumikage Tokoyami / Villain Points: 47 / Rescue Points: 10 / Total Points: 57
[15] Yosetsu Awase / Villain Points: 50 / Rescue Points: 6 / Total Points: 56
[16] Shoji Mezo / Villain Points: 44 / Rescue Points: 10 / Total Points: 54
[17] Mina Ashido / Villain Points: 25 / Rescue Points: 28 / Total Points: 53
[18] Kamakiri Togaru / Villain Points: 46 / Rescue Points: 5 / Total Points: 51
[19] Jiro Kyoka / Villain Points: 25 / Rescue Points: 20 / Total Points: 45
[20] Uraraka Ochako / Villain Points: 28 / Rescue Points: 15 / Total Points: 43