I started a second fic called All For Tyria over on Ao3 only (for readers), which is a MHA AU set in Guild Wars 2. As of writing it is only one chapter and will not be updated as often as Void's Inheritance but it also exists now.
CW: Mentioned past attempted sexual assault
=VI=
[Naruhata Ward, February 20th, 2243]
Soga crouched down behind the radiator watching the gang members below idly stand guard. They were Trigger dealers, and as a former user of the drug, he knew just how dangerous it could be. He wore a balaclava to hide his face for his vigilante activities but his outfit was otherwise reminiscent of Knuckleduster's former costume, which was purposeful.
"What's up doc?" A female voice whispered from behind.
"Fuck!" Soga hissed, falling flat on his ass. "Mirko, what the hell are you doing out this late?" He whispered back and pulled up his mask.
Rumi had approached him quietly, the soft pads on her feet making stealth easy. "Well, the old man said you were out handling business, so I decided to tag along to make sure you don't get yourself killed. Remember Hashibira is taking the Recommendation Exam at U.A. tomorrow. He'd be mad if you went and died on him right before."
"Ok Miss "I fight alone"." Soga rolled his eyes.
"Oi, I could always haul you off to the cops Kugisaki." Rumi threatened.
"You wouldn't fucking do that." Soga scoffed. "Because that would make Inosuke upset too, and you'd have to fill out paperwork."
"Gonna have to fill out paperwork anyways if I help you take these guys down." Rumi shrugged. "So, who are you after?"
Soga sighed. "Trigger dealers, gang's called the Rat Pack."
"They got a leader?" Rumi's ears twitched.
"See that big guy down there with the tattoos? The bald one, taller than me?"
"Yeah?"
"That guy goes by the street name of "Steelheart". He's the leader." Soga watched the aforementioned man shout something at one of the gang members who were slacking off moving crates into a truck.
"Quirk?" Rumi asked.
"Well… uh." Soga's face flushed and he tried not to laugh. "He can turn his nipples into metal blades about the length of a katana."
Rumi stared at him disbelievingly. "You gotta be kidding me." She snorted, noticing the look on the vigilante's face. "Oh my god, you're not. That's fucking hilarious. He's like a… you know that old American pre-quirk comic hero with the metal claw?"
"Wolverine?" Soga guessed.
"He's like a shitty Wolverine." Rumi cackled. "What's he going to do, try and hug me to death?"
"I know, right? Although he is the leader of a gang so he must have something else going for him." Soga noted.
"Or his goons are just a bunch of weaklings." Rumi licked her lips and cracked her knuckles.
"Well, if anything I'm more of a Wolverine than he is." Soga snorted, popping three spikes out of his fist.
"Please. You're a fucking porcupine." Rumi jabbed.
"Let's just beat these guys up. It's getting late." Soga pulled his mask back down.
=VI=
"Well, that was disappointing." Rumi dropped the unconscious Steelheart like a sack of potatoes. The man didn't even last a minute against her. His quirk was just as stupid as it sounded because he couldn't hit anything behind him and hand to hold his pecs to stabilize the blades. Still, the image of the man desperately grabbing his man boobs to try and stab her was too funny not to stay out of her head.
"Well, it's not like we're fighting villains. These are low-level street thugs." Soga dusted off his gloves. Most of these guys hadn't even used their quirks.
"You fought that villain during the blackout, right?" Mirko brushed her bangs out of the way.
"Not very much, just saved the old man and some cops from getting killed."
"You ever considered becoming a hero, Kugisaki?" Rumi kicked one of the thugs who was beginning to wake up.
"When I was younger. Can't exactly become one now with my record." Soga snorted. "HPSC wouldn't give me a license even if I passed the exams. Plus I have a good job at the gym now."
"And yet you're still romping around at night fighting crime." Rumi narrowed her eyes and smirked. "You like fighting, dontcha?"
"You mocking me?" Soga bristled and hopped up the fire escape. By the time he got to the roof the Rabbit Heroine was already there.
"Nah, I get it man. Beating the shit of villains really gets the blood pumping."
"Hmph." Soga ignored her, but she kept following him. "The hell you want Mirko? If you wanna talk just come to the gym. Go fill out the arrest paperwork."
"Please," She snorted in response. "As if I don't ditch unconscious villains all the time. They'll send it to me later. Fighting with you was fun."
Soga stopped. "I thought you hated teams. I distinctly remember you saying that joining a team is for weaklings."
"It is for weaklings if you only rely on your teammates. You didn't need my help at all back there porcupine-boy." She joked.
"You really have a talent for pissing me off tonight, don't you shorty?" Soga huffed.
"Call me short again and I'll have you on your knees." Rumi threatened, a slight smile blooming on her face.
"Are… are you flirting with me?" Soga blinked.
A barely visible blush appeared on Rumi's cheeks for a split second as she considered what she just said. Not being one to back down from a challenge, she doubled down. "You know what? Yeah, fuck it, I am flirting with you." Ideally, her type would be someone stronger than her, because if anyone was going to bed her they'd have to earn it in a fight. "I'm not one to dance around the subject, you're pretty strong and decently hot, wanna bang?"
Soga sputtered and blushed for a few seconds at the sudden proposition before an enraged scowl appeared on his face. "Fuck off." He hissed, turning around and storming off.
Rumi's brain took way too long to process what happened, seeing as he was already far off by the time her mind caught up to what he said. ' The hell? Did that motherfucker just turn me down? And why the hell did he seem so pissed about it?'
=VI=
[U.A. High School Parking Lot, February 21th, 2243]
"Inosuke, get your face off the goddamn window. You're acting like a toddler." Iwao shouted to the kid, who was fogging up the car window and cackling like an idiot.
"The building! The building is huge!" Inosuke giggled. "I wanna climb it!"
THWAK!
"We live in the city dipshit, you've seen taller buildings." Rumi, wearing an oversized hoodie to hide her identity, smacked him over the head. "Now go! You're going to be late!"
"Knock em' dead kid!" Iwao yelled after the boy as he sprinted off. "Think the kid will pass?"
"He fuckin' better," Rumi grumbled. "There are only four spots for recommendation students and they only take forty-eight recommendations. He's got a one-in-twelve chance of passing."
"If you bothered to read the e-mail I sent you'd know that they are accepting six this year," Iwao replied.
"What, they letting more rich kids in instead of the normal exam?" Rumi snorted. "I thought Nezu hated that shit."
"They aren't. Apparently, the hero class sizes are going to be twenty-two, or up to twenty-four after the sports festival, assuming they transfer people in." Iwao informed her.
"Huh. Sucks to be the teachers then, having to plan around more students than usual." She kicked her feet up onto the dash. "Why do ya think they did it?"
"Not sure, maybe has something to do with the scandal last year where they had to boot a few students for cheating their way into the hero course?" Iwao frowned. "Come to think of it there were only two students in 1-A last year, although word through the Hero Network is they re-admitted some that got transferred into Gen-Ed."
"Maybe…" Rumi grumbled. "Brat's gonna need all the chances he can without a quirk. At least this way he can try the regular exam if he doesn't get in."
"Might not have a quirk but Inosuke's a freak of nature. If anyone can embody the "Plus Ultra" spirit of the school, it's him." Iwao said. "Seriously, I'm not sure what's up with him, he shouldn't be that strong but he is. Plus whatever he's got going on that he won't tell us about, but that's something that I'm not gonna push. He'll tell us when he's ready."
"Hrmph."
"Alright," Iwao turned to the back seat. "I'll bite, what's got you in such a pissy mood? I thought you'd be happier today considering the brat will be out of your hair soon. You and Soga have been in a foul mood since last night. Did you two get into an argument or something?"
"None of your business, old man." Rumi looked away.
"It's my goddamn business when you live in my house and use my gym, Rumi." Iwao groused. "And Soga's my employee, so I have a stake in both of your behavior."
"Ugh…" Rumi rolled her eyes. "Fineeee… I asked him if he wanted to have sex with me last night and he got pissed and stormed off."
Iwao sighed with a blank look on his face. "I'm regretting my question now." This was not where he thought the conversation was going to go.
"You're the one who asked. You reap what you fucking sow." Rumi shot back.
Iwao slammed his forehead into the steering wheel and groaned. This is what he got for surrounding himself with a bunch of people whose fight or flight instinct was purely fight, because they used the flight instinct as a weapon to beat someone's skull in. Kugisaki was supposed to be the voice of reason among these dipshits. "And why the hell did you do that? I didn't take you for the dating type."
Rumi snorted. "I don't want to date him. So, we were just finishing up fighting that gang led by Steelheart-"
"The nipple guy?" Iwao asked disbelievingly.
"Yes, the fucking nipple guy, that's not important," Rumi dismissed with an annoyed roll of her eyes. "Anyways, after we beat the shit out of his little Trigger gang, we were talking on the roof and well, just trading insults with each other. I guess he figured I was flirtin' with him, and I decided ' You know what? He's a little cute and he can hold his own in a fight, sure!'. So I asked him if he wanted to bang."
"You just straight up said it, didn't you." Iwao deadpanned.
"Well yeah, because I don't like to dance around the point and men are oblivious as fuck. They always are like 'Oh, if I hit on Mirko she'll beat my ass!' or something. I respect people who at least try and aren't creeps about it. That doesn't mean I'll say yes but at least they aren't being pussies about it." She scowled.
"There's a thing known as coming on a bit too strong." Iwao reminded.
"Yeah, but I've never been flat-out rejected like that before. I thought he'd be all for it, considering I've seen him checking my ass out while I work out in your gym." Rumi argued.
"Can we… can we not talk about your ass, please." Iwao pleaded. God, he hoped that Tamao never had to have a conversation like this with him. He'd probably have to cut his eardrums out if that happened.
"Yeah yeah… Anyways, you've known the idiot for longer, so do you have any idea why he acted so upset when I did that?" Rumi questioned.
"I.. ugh." Iwao gave up. "Alright, so you said you were arguing with him?"
"Yeah, more like friendly banter."
"Well, he's gotten better about it but Soga told me he's never liked it when he thought people were looking down on him or laughing at him. Seeing how he's known you for these past few months I doubt it's that though." Iwao rubbed his chin in deep thought.
"Well then if it's not that, what is it?" Rumi asked impatiently.
"I'm not too sure about this, and it's just a guess but maybe he doesn't feel comfortable trying to get into a relationship of any kind?" Iwao postulated. "He's never had a girlfriend, one of his friends is married too."
"The hell should that matter?"
"Did I ever tell you how I met Soga?" Iwao asked.
Rumi shook her head.
"Well, you remember Koichi, right?"
"Yeah, your little vigilante student. He's Captain Celebrity's sidekick," She air quoted, as it was an open secret that America's #9 hero had made that up to save Koichi from being charged as a vigilante. The HPSC just wasn't willing to call him out on the lie. "Kid's good, probably going to be in the top Ten over there someday." Which was impressive for a foreigner. The only Japanese immigrant in the Top 50 over there was Godzillo at #7.
"Well, back when Koichi was starting out he and Haneyama got cornered in an alleyway by Soga and his dipshit friends. If I hadn't intervened they woulda done something they could never take back." He scratched at his eyepatch. "I like to think I knocked some sense into him that day. He seemed to think so too, and even thanked me for stopping him. Turned his life around and became a mostly upstanding guy, aside from the, you know, illegal vigilantism."
"We literally all have been or are active vigilantes old man." Rumi rolled her eyes but maintained a contemplative look on her face. "So he doesn't want to get involved physically or romantically with women cause he feels guilty?"
"I mean, that's just an assumption. It's not like I'm his therapist or anything." Iwao shrugged. "But, do you really think I'd put Tamao's life in his hands if I didn't trust him?" With a sigh, he opened up the driver's side window and got into the back with Rumi. "But, that's just a guess."
"So what, I ain't a quitter?" At this point, it was about her pride.
"Well, you could just fucking talk to him about it calmly and rationally like a normal goddamn person, Rumi," Iwao suggested. "You don't have to make everything into a competition, got it?"
Rumi thought for a moment. "Fine."
"Now get back in the driver's seat."
"I drove us here, can't you just use self-driving to get back?" Rumi huffed. That was what Iwao used to bring Inosuke to that mountain because the man only had one working eye.
"I don't trust that shit in the city. Empty roads are easy." Iwao buckled himself in. "And Rumi?"
"What?!"
"If you do get things settled with Soga, please keep whatever it is you get up to out of my house." He shuddered.
Rumi flipped him as her cheeks flushed.
=VI=
[U.A. High School, February 21st, 2243]
Hizashi stared at the boy standing in front of him. "Uhm…"
"I'm here for the exam!" The boar-headed boy shouted, visibly vibrating in excitement. "What am I fighting?"
"Well, little listener-"
"I'm not little!"
"- there isn't a combat portion to the recommendation exam. It's a written, practical test, and then the interview."
The boy froze, beady taxidermied eyes of his boar mask staring off into the sky as his dreams crumbled before his eyes. "Rabbit Lady lied to me!"
"The exam hall is down the next room on your left." The Voice hero consoled the distraught boy. "Good luck!" He watched the boy trudge off and marked him down as attending. Hopefully, the next examinee would be a bit more normal. Looked like it was one of the three German exchange applicants. "Yo yo yo! Can I get a name, little listener?"
"Hmph, thou does not recognize my regal presence? It is I the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, Fischl!" The eyepatched girl replied in heavily accented Japanese.
This was going to be a long day, wasn't it…
=VI=
Setsuna sat down and waited for the exam. There were a multitude of different kids sitting scattered across the room. There was a tall girl with a black ponytail, a heteromorphic boy with blue horns sticking out of his head, and another that she could see had white and red hair… and then there was the one sitting off to her left.
"God of the Mountains… smartest of them all!" The boar-headed boy was clutching his pencil so hard that she was surprised it hadn't snapped in half. Setsuna did a double-take, realizing that no, that was not a mutation and the boy was wearing an actual taxidermied animal skull.
What the fuck? Well, the proctors let him bring it in, so it must be okay and checked beforehand.
"I see you are all here." Her attention snapped to the front of the room as the last group of examinees entered. She recognized the hero, Snipe, from Midoriya's notes. "Ya'll get an hour to fill out this exam. S'all multiple choice. 'Cept for the small essay at the end." The masked hero pointed to the cameras on the ceiling. "And don't go thinkin' you can pull any funny business, ya hear?"
"Yes sir!" Everyone responded.
"Good. Y'all can begin. Pencils down when the bell rings." With that, he propped his feet up on the desk.
=VI=
Insosuke had now discovered that he hated tests. This was more stressful than the Hashira training he had to go through, or even the battle against Kibutsuji himself! Ok, admittedly the last part might've been overexaggerating, but still!
He just thought of the exam as a fight, but instead of his fists he was punching scantron sheets with his brain. The hardest part was the essay because not only did he have to think about his answer carefully, but he also had to worry about his handwriting. Rabbit- erm, Rumi had literally beaten it into his thick skull that people would need to be able to read his writing, which had looked like literal chicken scratch.
But now he was done with the damn test. He'd persevered not purely out of spite (although that certainly was a helpful motivator), or even a desire to repay Iwao, Rumi, and Soga taking him in and training him (which he was doing too, but that wasn't his primary reason). While he was thankful and would do his best to repay them, Inosuke was focused on one thing: getting into U.A. would be the best path to finding a way back home.
But for now, he would do his best to enjoy himself and pass this exam!
"All right listeners! Now is time for the practical portion of the exam!" That loud guy with the weird spiked hair yelled excitedly. "We'll be making you all do this race! Step forward when your number's called! Can I get a "YEAH!"?" He was met by silence and a cough. "Okay, no enthusiasm today…" Spikey hair pouted. "Number 5, 42, 14, 23, 13, and 2!"
Inosuke looked down at his shirt. He was number 8. ' Damn. I guess I can watch them. Maybe I'll get to fight them if- when I get in." He really wanted to see how Quirks compared to Blood Demon Arts. The only quirk users he faced were those two criminals, Bamboo Guy, Rumi, and Soga. Most of those were just quirks that replicated weapons.
There was a foreign girl approaching the starting line. She had a purple glowing bird flying around her. Was that her quirk?
=VI=
"Mein Fräulein," Oz chirped. "Zat boy in zee mask has been staring at you for a few minutes now."
"Hrmph! Clearly he is besmitten by my glorious form." Fischl flipped her hair back with a haughty laugh.
=VI=
'I wonder what that bird tastes like?' Inosuke thought.
=VI=
"Three, two, one, GOOOOO!" Present Mic shouted. The first six examinees took off immediately with Fischl at the lead. Her limbs crackled with electricity, enhancing her speed. Oz flew alongside her, followed closely by a few drones watching the competitors. The first obstacle they came to was a large rock wall. One of the other competitor's hands sharpened and he began to climb his way up.
"Oz!" Fischl shouted and held her hand up. The bird immediately grabbed her hand with his talons, growing in size before lifting off. The other competitors used the handholds in the wall to ascend.
With the combination of her quirk and her impressive athletic ability, Fischl was quickly able to bypass most of the obstacles ahead of the other competitors. Before long she was already at the last obstacle, a large pool with stepping stones to get across.
"Ufufufu!~ No mere water shall stop thou who art blessed by the Immernachtreich!" She taunted the water to the confusion of those watching through the drones. The German girl quickly struck a pose. "Midnight Phantasmagoria!"
Oz flew into her back, quirk and user merging into the larger form of Oz. They rocketed across the pool leaving a large wave in their wake.
"CONTESTANT NUMBER 14 IS THE FIRST TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE!" Mic hollered with his quirk.
"We did it!" Fischl panted.
=VI=
Shoto crossed his arms. He was part of the last group of contenders for the exams. At his father's recommendation, he was here, and he would not disappoint. The other competitors didn't matter, only being fast and showcasing the perfect control of his qui-
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAAH!" One of the other applicants, number 8, ripped off his shirt and tossed the tattered remains to the side. The masked boy's body was covered in small scars, with a large one over his chest.
Shoto looked down at his clothes. Stripping wasn't a required part of the recommendation exam, so why did that boy ruin a perfectly good shirt? Was he trying to intimidate the other applicants by showing off his extremely muscular body? Come to think of it, that boy looked older than the rest of the applicants. Was he some delinquent that was held back?
"Uhm, number 8, why did you tear off your shirt?" Present Mic questioned. Was this another Togata situation? He hoped the boar-masked boy wouldn't remove his pants too.
"I don't like wearing all those stuffy clothes when I exert myself," Inosuke stated the obvious, which was only obvious to him.
"Alright…" Mic sighed. 'I don't know why he didn't just take it off without tearing it. Whatever.'
Shoto gave applicant number 8 a curious look again. Could he perhaps be one of those yokai he'd heard his father mumble about in his sleep? Could they really exist? Perhaps he should leave the boy an offering to see…
"Three, two, one, GOOOOOO!" Mic hollered, giving him no time to finish the thought.
Shoto shot off in a sprint, saving his quirk for the first obstacle. The others followed behind at a distance but to his surprise, the shirtless boar-masked boy sped ahead of him and jumped over the first rock wall entirely.
Hizashi blinked from the starting line, trying to make sure he saw that right. He remembered glancing at Hashibira's file and it said quirkless. What the hell?
Inosuke landed and immediately bolted for the next obstacle. "ALL RIGHT! KING OF THE MOUNTAINS, COMING THROUGH!" He cackled. This was nothing compared to what he'd been through.
As he reached the end, the vibrations in the air told him that the dual-colored hair boy was hot on his tail. He shot past Inosuke as he hopped from platform to platform, completely bypassing the water. Seeing the path made before him, Inosuke used the ice to cross seconds after the other boy.
=VI=
Nezu always looked forward to the interviews every year. If he had infinite time, he would interview every student even if they weren't recommended. Unfortunately, he did not have that luxury. A pity, because each young mind had their own motivation and perspectives on heroism. It was a delight to hear why they wanted to attend his school.
Every year he accepted forty-eight students to take the recommendation exam. Usually, between forty to sixty percent of them were from well-off families who donated heavily to U.A. He let them in as a courtesy, although in the years Nezu has been principal only a few of those have made it into the hero course. Of course, he didn't only accept the children of the rich. Some were recommended by heroes or law enforcement based on their deeds or their quirks. Others were the children of powerful pro-heroes or even international exchange students recommended by other hero schools overseas.
In truth, the interview was the most important facet of the interview process. Nezu gauged applicants on a scale of 30% practical, 20% written, and the last 50% weighted toward the interview. Did the student have to be perfect? No, absolutely not. No living being was perfect, they were all filled with little flaws and eccentricities. So long as they showed potential for heroism, they could be molded into great heroes even if they were rough around the edges.
A few had caught his eye already. The Yaoyorozu heiress was surprisingly humble given her upbringing, and her motivation for becoming a hero in spite of what her parents probably desired for her was admirable. The Yaoyorozu family were heavy sponsors of both the HPSC and U.A, preferring a "play both sides" approach. Would securing their heir as a student secure him a powerful ally in the future? Probably. He wouldn't lie and say that that wouldn't play a part in his decision to admit her.
Then there was Todoroki Shoto. Compared to his father he was far more… restrained. Endeavor's son was quiet and didn't seem to be a very social person. Despite that, the scarred boy seemed eager to distinguish himself from his father and prove that he was more than Endeavor's son.
Honenuk Juzoi, and Tokage Setsuna, and "Fischl", as the German girl put down as her preferred name despite her records stating otherwise. The latter was part of the group of three Headmaster Varka had recommended from Favonius Hero Academy, of which the other two were taking Majima's Support Reccomendation Exam currently. Those were the other three at the top of his list of potential students. Out of all the examinees they had the most drive and potential for heroism.
There was only one applicant left to interview, and this one truly interested Nezu. Hashibira Inosuke, recommended by the retired hero O'Clock (aka the former masked vigilante Knuckleduster), which was a surprise. Even more surprising was the second person recommending him: Mirko. Usagiyama was known for her strong "I work alone" ideals, which meant that Hashibira would have to be special to catch her attention.
But what set the boy out from the rest wasn't the people who recommended him, the fact that he was a few years older than the other first-years, or even his criminal record for assaulting a hero and two human traffickers. It was the fact that the boy was quirkless and despite that outperformed almost all the other applicants on the recommendation exam. His test scores on the written were average, and Nezu still needed to grade all the essays, but he was looking forward to the interview.
The boy in question walked in moments later, still not wearing a shirt. A bold choice for such an important interview. "Hashibira Inosuke. I've been expecting you." Nezu said ominously before turning his chair around. He liked to freak the kids out like that sometimes
Inosuke stared blankly at the strange rat-man wearing a suit in front of him. "What are you?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Well, I could be a dog or a mouse or a bear, but more importantly... I'm the principal!" Nezu threw his paws in the air. "I take it Ms. Usagiyama didn't mention to you that I wasn't human?"
"No, she just told me not to try and eat you.," Inosuke admitted. "Which makes a bit more sense now."
Nezu smiled, which looked like he was baring his fangs. Inosuke shivered. Despite the principal's tiny size, he could tell that he was incredibly dangerous, and Inosuke was trapped in this beast's lair. "Please take a seat. Would you like some tea?"
Inosuke racked his brain for the little he knew about politeness. "Uh, sure." He accepted a cup the principal produced from somewhere behind his desk and slurped loudly.
"Have you been enjoying the school so far, Hashibira?" Nezu inquired.
"Hell ye-," Inosuke corrected himself "I mean, yeah. It's huge and it's a lot quieter than the city." He had to make a good impression.
"I'm happy to hear that. Now, let's get down to brass tacks. You wish to attend the U.A. heroics program. U.A. is a very prestigious school with thousands attempting the exams every year, and even those accepted into the hero course must maintain their grades to keep up." Nezu wasn't even mentioning how strict Aizawa would be if Hashibira was assigned to his class, or Kan's rigid training regiments.
"I'm not a coward. I won't run away from something just because it's hard."
Nezu flipped to the next page, still maintaining eye contact with Inosuke. "Even if you are quirkless?"
"Hasn't stopped me before. I don't care much what other people think." The boar boy huffed.
"I see. Would it be alright if you remove your mask?" Nezu's gaze traced over the numerous scars on the boy's body.
"I guess." Inosuke placed his mask on his lap.
Now that his mask was removed, Nezu could see the determined look on Hashibira's face. As he suspected, Inosuke possessed the same fire in his eyes that Mirko did. It made sense considering she was the one sponsoring him. "I will let you know that U.A. has an anti-harassment policy, and you are not required to reveal your quirk to your classmates, nor will your teachers share that information unless you give them permission."
"Why would I care about that?" Inosuke asked, genuine confusion written in his expression. "I don't give a damn if people know I don't have a quirk. Never needed one and never will."
A very Mirko-esque way of thinking. Nezu could see why she decided to take him in. "I agree. Despite your lack of a quirk, your results speak for themselves. You scored in the top five on the practical exam." An impressive feat considering he was right on the tail of Todoroki Shoto, who placed first. "Even if you do not care about your quirklessness, others will not feel the same way. You will likely be dismissed by many heroes when seeking internships, and the public will have mixed reactions if you reveal your status. There have never been any recorded quirkless heroes since heroism became an industry. Are you prepared to face this and any other challenges that you may face?"
"I am." Inosuke resolved with an unflinching stare.
Oh, he likes this one.
"Good. Good." Nezu clapped his paws giddily. "Now, why do you want to become a hero? What drives you, and what do you think defines the essence of heroism." These were the most important questions in determining the character of prospective students. Anyone could be strong if they trained enough, but not everyone became strong for the right reasons.
Inosuke's memories flashed before his eyes as he pondered the principal's questions. For almost as long as he'd been alive, he'd desired to fight strong opponents. Human, demon, animals… anything to prove that he was the strongest one around. The king of the mountains, worshipped by all.
But…
Tanjiro smiled and waved at him in the distance with his unwithered arm, surrounded by Nezuko, Kanao, Zenitsu, and Aoi. Behind him were the surviving Hashira and members of the Corps.
That was before…
He watched the others risk life and limb against the demons, not for glory or fame but because it was the right thing to do.
And he…
Inosuke wandered off to train on the mountainside out of restlessness. There were no fights to be had unless he wanted to spar with Zenitsu.
"I want to protect people, because that's what my friends would want." Inosuke started. "I wanted to be the strongest just cause, and I didn't realize till later on what true strength really was."
"Set your heart ablaze!"
"Because not everyone gets a happy ending."
"All the people I eat are that way. I save them. They're no longer in pain and they no longer suffer."
"So I ate her to the very bone!"
"And you don't have to be powerful to be a hero." Small tears welled up in his eyes only to be quickly brushed away."
"Inosuke, your mom will protect you…"
"I want to be the kind of person that my friends would be proud of." Would be. Not would've. He would find his way back to them. "I don't care that I'm weak, because every life matters."
The faces of the fallen flashed in his mind. Shinobu, Kyojuro, Genya, Muichiro, Mitsuri, Gyomei, the snake guy that he couldn't remember, and all those lower members of the Demon Slayer Corps who gave their lives. He remembered them all.
"So even if I can't be the hero that saves everyone, I'll save as many lives as I can so that the others can be less burdened." Inosuke finished his surprisingly humble speech.
Nezu's grin grew. "That's an excellent answer Hashibiria."
After a few more questions about the boy's history with Mirko and his scrubbed criminal record, Nezu ushered him out the door and sat back down.
' This class of first years was going to be an interesting one already.' Nezu cackled internally as he drew a checkmark next to the boy's photo.
=VI=
[Naruhata Ward, February 25th, 2243]
"God, I'm so fucking sore." Soga groaned.
"You trained too hard idiot." Inosuke laughed.
"Yeah… training." The older man's face reddened. That was totally what he was doing with Rumi last night. "You're one to talk, seeing as how you need go to the entrance exams tomorrow if you don't get accepted. Don't push yourself too hard or you'll be too exhausted to participate."
"I wanna do the practical on the regular exams even if I do get in on recommendations!" Inosuke declared. "I wanna fight those robot things!"
Soga gave him a blank stare. "I… I don't think they allow that if you are already accepted. That would take points away from the other examinees. Plus its not guaranteed that you will be fighting robots, sometimes they do different things."
"I wanna fight robots!" Inosuke screeched.
Soga facepalmed.
"Hey, idiots!" Rumi stormed into the room. "Mail's here." The Rabbit Heroine held up a bulky looking letter from U.A.
"Gimme!" Inosuke tried to grab it out of her hands.
"Hold on brat! Aren't you going to wait for the old man to see?" Rumi chided.
Inosuke simply growled like the feral little gremlin that he was. "Lemme open it, rabbit lady!"
"YOU KNOW MY NAME'S RUMI SHITHEAD!" Rumi smacked him over the head with her other hand before he could dodge.
"Will you idiots quiet down? You'll give me a goddamn headache." Iwao muttered as he entered.
"He/she started it!" Rumi and Inosuke accused, pointing at each other.
Iwao gave them the stare of an exhausted and disappointed parent. "I swear…" He sat down on the recliner and cracked open a beer. "Alright, I'm here. Get on with the grand reveal. If you got in we'll go out and celebrate."
"Tempura!" Inosuke shouted out of nowhere, having already decided what he would be eating.
"Just open the goddamn letter." Soga facepalmed.
Inosuke grabbed the envelope and ripped it down the middle, which tore the papers it contained in half much to everyone's annoyance. Thankfully, those weren't important as the actual message was contained in a metal disc that clattered to the floor. With a flash of light a hologram of Nezu appeared in the middle of the room.
"Ah!" Inouske shouted. "Rat ghost!"
"It's a hologram you moron." Rumi cackled.
"Hello, It's me! Nezu, the one who could be a dog or a mouse or a bear, but more importantly... I'm the principal of U.A High!" The message waved to the group before it. Inosuke was too busy flailing his hand through the projection to pay attention.
"Hashibira Inosuke." He froze. "Huh?"
"It's a recording dumbass."
"You scored decently well on the written exam, placing fifteenth after combining the multiple-choice and essay scores." Nezu informed. "And on the practical exam you scored in second place."
"Fifteenth, good job kid. The U.A. exams are hard." Iwao whistled. ' Second on the practical is amazing. That kid really scares me sometimes with how strong he is even without a quirk. He'll definitely surpass me.'
"After careful consideration, you are officially accepted into the U.A. Heroics Course. Young man, this is your hero academia!" Holographic confetta appeared behind Nezu.
"All right!" Inosuke cheered.
"Great job kid." Soga slapped him on the back. "You earned it."
"Never doubted for a second," Iwao added.
"I'd be pissed if they didn't pick ya'." Rumi nodded. "I'm… I'm proud of you, Inosuke."
"Well, I'll be damned. Mirko, proud of someone else's accomplishments?" Soga teased.
"Shut up!"
Inosuke smiled. He was one step closer toward his goals.
=VI=
Momo flopped back onto her bed, clutching the disc in her hands. "I did it!"
=VI=
Shoto wasn't suprised that he was accepted. Placing fifth in the written portion and first in the practical made him an appealing and logical choice to be accepted. Was it because of who his father was? Probably. He would have to put his best effort in to show that he wasn't just accepted for being Endeavor's son.
=VI=
Juzo let out a relieved sigh. He got in.
=VI=
"The threads of fate have woven themselves into a fine tapestry, one that shall detail the heroic deeds of the prinzessin!" Fischl swooned dramatically.
"Mein Fräulein means she get in." Oz explained to their parents over the video call.
=VI=
DinoRawr: GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS!
DinoRawr sent attachment [ ]
Lumi: () LETS FUCKING GOOOOOO!
CopyPasteKey is online.
CopyPasteKey: Congrats Setsuna.
CopyPasteKey is offline.
NotAMasochist: Nice. Hopefully the rest of us do well on the exam tomorrow!
GreenBean: Yeah!
DinoRawr: You guys got this! You got a handle on your quirk yet GreenBean?
GreenBean: No… I'm working on it though (ó﹏ò。)
Lumi: If you cant you have a different power you can use!
Lumi: GreenBean: Quirk- Stabbing things ()ιﺤ
GreenBean: I didn't register a weapon tho and the deadline was yesterday
NotAMasochist: Listen Izuku
NotAMasochist: We didn't go thru all that training for u to get cold feet now
NotAMasochist: Just use ur head and u will be fine.
DinoRawr: Preach.
CopyPasteKey is online.
CopyPasteKey: Midoriya
GreenBean: Yes?
DinoRawr: He speaks!
CopyPasteKey: NotAMasochist is right. We haven't hung out much but I can tell you put in a lot of effort to prepare for tomorrow.
CopyPasteKey: My quirk is useless without the aid of other people, so I'm prepared to try my hardest even if I can't find a useful quirk after my time limit runs out.
CopyPasteKey: Lumi told me you were strong before your quirk came in too. I'm sure you will do fine.
CopyPasteKey: That is all.
GreenBean: Thank you Monoma (ಥ﹏ಥ)
CopyPasteKey: Np
CopyPasteKey is offline.
DinoRawr: I will be cheering u all on from home! If you don't get in I'll pull a NotAMasochist and kick your asses!
NotAMasochist: ヾ(。。)ノ I wouldn't do that
Lumi: Doubt
GreenBean: Doubt
NotAMasochist: Ya'll are dicks.
NotAMasochist: But probably correct.
DinoRawr: lol
Lumi: I'm gonna get ready for bed so that I'm rested for tomorrow. See you guys at the exam! ヾ(o)
Lumi is offline.
NotAMasochist: We probably should too.
NotAMasochist is offline.
GreenBean is offline.
=VI=
Lets goooo! One chapter to go until regular exams! (I say at nearly a quarter of a million words into the fic).
Art for the New Years chapter has been posted in chapter 36 on Ao3 BTW. Go back and check it out. Very cute.
I bet ya'll weren't expecting a minor Kugisaki Soga/Usagiyama Rumi ship. It's not really a dating thing, more of a FWB (Fighters with benefits) deal they have going on. Ever since I read MHA: Vigilantes ive thought about them hooking up, but Soga being reluctant because of his past behaviour, plus his canon personality making him a bit prickly to teasing even if it is flirty. (heh, prickly, cause he has spikes). He may have been a huge asshole in early MHA:V, but he also became someone willing to put his life on the line to fight Number 6 and was someone Iwao trusted enough to protect his daughter even though he wasn't the greatest in the past.
Mirko wasn't intending to flirt with him, but upon being called out on it she thought of it as a sign of weakness if she backed down, and her two non-fighting braincells were like "you know what, he's hot & strong enough, go for it!"
Anyway, back to Demon Slayer stuff. I'm super hyped for the movies, because UFOTable is going to pull out all the stops in terms of animation quality like the did for the Heaven's Feel trilogy and Mugen Train. I don't really consider the "theater releases" of the other seasons to be movies though. Its cool to see them early but i dont think they warrant that kind of release.
For those wondering about the other Demon Slayers, the next interlude after the exams will feature them for more pre-quirk worldbuilding.
As for why the classes are 24 instead of 20? Nezu decided since the first years will have Natah and Ordan (because he knows they will pass the HPSC license renewal) 1-A and 1-B will have two extra teachers. Do Eraserhead and Vlad know this? No, but its not like hes doubling the class sizes and the extra two seats are empty until after the sports festival, and only if people outside the hero course prove worthy of them. Plus there was Eraserhead expelling all but two until after the sports festival in Kamisato and Fuwa's class last year.
