Test Dummy

"Take it easy, or you'll drain me dry before I can fix myself."

Himiko pulled back, a satisfied smile on her face and a crimson stain blooming on her lips. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she looked at him with a strange glint in her golden eyes. "Your blood tastes super-duper good, Akaeru!"

"I'm guessing that's something to do with your quirk?" He questioned.

"Mhm… I like blood a-lot-a-lot, plus I can change and look like the things I drink from. I've only done birds so far though…" she said, looking at Akaeru with a now-dreamy look on his face.

"If you really need blood just tell me then. Wouldn't want you killing somebody with how greedy you are. Not everyone is as durable as me," Akaeru told her, putting his hand on the top of her head, which she seemed to enjoy.

"Mmm, ok! I only want Akaeru's blood anyways!" She responded happily.

Suddenly, a voice erupted from behind them, shattering the tense silence. "Akaeru! There you are! I was looking everywhere for you!"

Nejire appeared, a whirlwind of sunshine and smiles.

"Hey, Nejire," he greeted, forcing a smile of his own.

Toga, however, seemed disinterested in the newcomer. Her gaze remained fixed on Akaeru, a predatory glint in her golden eyes. A new thought seemed to spark in her mind. Jealousy.

***

Six Years Later…

The final school bell of the year rang throughout the school, almost like the alarm to signal the start of cheers and groans erupting from every classroom. Freedom, sweet freedom, hung heavy in the air. For Akaeru, however, the end of the school year wasn't just about summer break. It was about training his quirk like he had been every single day to make it into UA like Nejire, who was now in her second year already.

Akaeru had grown his hair out in these six years, and had overall grown into his looks and gotten even more confident.

He was about to head for the exit when a booming voice echoed through the hallway. "Akaeru!"

Akaeru didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. Bakugo Katsuki, a walking inferno with a permanent scowl stuck to his face, stood blocking the doorway, a small explosions practically vibrating in his hand.

"Up for another round, huh, Kachan?" Akaeru drawled, turning with a casual shrug.

Bakugo's scowl deepened, a familiar spark of challenge igniting in his crimson eyes. "Don't call me that, you damn extra! Today's the last day, so let's settle this once and for all."

"You say that like our fighting record isn't 127-0, little Kacchan," Akaeru said in a condescending tone.

Akaeru couldn't help but grin. Bakugo's predictable aggression was almost comforting.

Over the years, their "rivalry" had become a strange kind of ritual, a way to blow off steam before the school day ended.

"Alright, let's take it outside," Akaeru said as he led Bakugo outside of the school.

"Alright" he chuckled, turning towards Bakugo. "This time, let's make it interesting."

Bakugo raised an eyebrow, a flicker of curiosity breaking through his usual aggression. "What do you have in mind, time-freak?"

"I'll only use one hand," Akaeru said with a menacing smile on his face, and just as he expected, Bakugo erupted in anger at what was basically and insult to his strength.

"One hand?! You damn dream of an extra! You think you can beat me with one hand?!"

Akaeru chuckled, enjoying the predictable reaction. Truthfully, he believed he could beat Bakugo with no hands.

"Don't get so worked up, Kachan. Just a little handicap for the invincible hero." He knew Bakugo hated being called "hero" by him, as it was always said in a condescending manner.

Without waiting for another word, Bakugo lunged. A blazing explosion shot towards Akaeru's unguarded side. Akaeru, with practiced ease, sidestepped the attack, his single hand reaching out. A green aura pulsed from his palm, rewinding time just enough to deteriorate the explosion mid-air.

Bakugo sputtered, smoke billowing from his palms in frustration. "What the heck was that?!"

Akaeru grinned, a hint of pride in his voice. "Been practicing a little time manipulation trick. Let's call it 'Rewind Decay.' Not only can I rewind time, but with some focus, I can actually break down the energy of an attack by rewinding to keep the attack in place, and fast-forwarding at the same time to deteriorate the attack."

Bakugo's eyes narrowed. "So you're saying you can just erase my explosions now?!"

"Not exactly," Akaeru admitted. "It takes a lot of focus, and only works on smaller attacks. But it's a good way to conserve energy, especially against someone as weak as you, Kachan."

Bakugo let out a frustrated roar, charging forward once more. This time, he aimed a series of quick jabs, hoping to overwhelm Akaeru's defenses. Akaeru danced around the blows, his movements fluid and precise. With each dodged attack, he reached out with his free hand, a green aura swirling around his fingertips. He wasn't rewinding time entirely, but strategically using micro-rewinds to subtly change the trajectory of Bakugo's fists.

The frustration was evident on Bakugo's face. His usual fiery attacks were being neutralized, replaced by a flurry of wild punches that connected with nothing but air. Akaeru, on the other hand, remained calm and collected, his single hand a blur of green energy as he manipulated the flow of time around him.

"Give it up, Akaeru!" Bakugo yelled, his voice laced with desperation. "You can't keep this up forever!"

"Alas, you're right. But hey, it was fun while it lasted."

Leaving those words behind, Akaeru instantly ended the fight with yet another new technique he'd learned.

Taking a deep breath, Akaeru focused in on his remaining energy. A tingling sensation spread through his body as he activated his new technique, "Chrono Boost." With a surge of green energy pulsing from his core, Akaeru felt his body surge with a burst of accelerated time.

The world seemed to slow around him. Bakugo's charging form appeared sluggish, the approaching explosion a slow-motion inferno. Akaeru, however, moved with preternatural speed. He darted to the side with impossible agility, easily evading the blast.

Before Bakugo could react, Akaeru capitalized on his temporary speed boost. His hand, imbued with the power of Chrono Boost, slammed into Bakugo's shoulder with a sickening thud. The amplified blow resonated with a crack, sending the blonde bomber sprawling onto the grass with a surprised yelp.

The effect of Chrono Boost faded as quickly as it came, leaving Akaeru panting heavily. He deactivated the technique, the strain of manipulating time in this way evident on his face. However, a triumphant grin spread across his lips. He'd used his new technique to his advantage, turning the tables on Bakugo in a moment of vulnerability.

"You know, Kachan, every time we do this, I just get stronger. You're just a test dummy for me."

Bakugo, momentarily stunned by the unexpected blow, scrambled to his feet. Smoke dissipated from his clenched fists, replaced by a grimace of defeat.

"You damn time-freak," he muttered, turning to walk away. "Next year, I'll be the one leaving you in the dust. You better get into U.A."

***

Akaeru, more confident than ever, stood in front of the UA building, his backpack slung over one shoulder, and his uniform loose and stylish.

Standing beside him, Himiko had blossomed into an attractive young woman. Her blonde hair, now longer, framed her face like a golden halo. Though her quirk remained the same, her overall demeanor seemed less erratic, perhaps influenced by her time spent with Akaeru.

"U.A Highschool Entrance Exam Hall"

Together, they walked hand-in-hand towards the imposing entrance of UA, a beacon for aspiring heroes. As they approached the massive doors, Akaeru stopped, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Make sure you have everything ready, Himiko. If you need any help, I'll carry you through the exam if I have to. As long as you get in, even if you're in a different class, all is good."

A blush crept up her cheeks, a stark contrast to the playful glint in her golden eyes. "Mm, I will," she shyly said.

Their banter was interrupted by a loud commotion erupting from within the exam hall. A familiar voice, laced with frustration, cut through the noise.

"Move it, extras! This exam doesn't start without me!"

Akaeru smiled a little at the familiar voice. It seemed Bakugo hadn't mellowed one bit all summer, though that was expected.

"Looks like someone's eager to show off his explosions," Himiko remarked with amusement.

"Damn right!" Bakugo yelled.

"Don't worry," Akaeru assured her, a competitive edge creeping into his voice. "He'll have his chance. But today, the spotlight belongs to me and me only."

As they walked towards the entrance, Akaeru noticed Midoriya, a weakling in his mind, tripping and getting helped by a girl.

"Christ. Embarrassing just to be within a 50 mile radius of him."

If there was one thing he agreed with Bakugo on, it's that Izuku Midoriya should know his place at the bottom of society.

As Himiko, Bakugo, and Akaeru made their way into the UA building and into the orientation exam room, they found a place to sit, and waited for the orientation to start, which didn't take long as the spotlights turned on.

A dumb looking blonde man with a loud voice stood on the stage. "To all examiners out there, welcome to my live performance! Everybody say, 'Hey!'"

Silence.

With the silence, the blonde man shrugged and said, "That's cold. To the examiners out there, I'll give you a quick rundown of the practical exam."

"Are you ready?! Yeah!"

Silence.

"As the application says, you'll participate in a ten-minute mock battle in the city. Bring anything you like. After this, head to your assigned practice center."

Looking at the card he was given showing his practice center's location, he saw that he was in a different center than Himiko.

"Don't worry too much. Just use the other contestants to your advantage even if I'm not there. Also, bring a weapon." He told Himiko, giving her advice on how to pass the exam.

"Can we even bring weapons though?" She asked, somewhat sad that she couldn't be in the same center as him.

"He said to bring anything we want. So bring a weapon, and I'll see you after the exam."

With that, Himiko nodded her head, and they continued listening to the blonde guy on stage.

"At each practice center, there will be three types of virtual villains. You will earn points based on each of their levels."

"Use your individual quirk to defeat the villains and earn points. And of course, don't hurt others or do anything anti-hero."

"How boring," Akaeru murmured.

"May I ask a question?!" A boy stood up from his seat and raised his hand.

"On this printout, there are four villain types," he said, pointing at a page with four different types of "villains" and continued, "if it's a misprint, it'll be a great shame upon Japan's best school. We examiners are here because we want to be taught by exemplary heroes."

He then turned around and pointed at Midoriya. "And you, frizzy-haired boy! Your endless murmuring is disrupting! If you're here for fun, leave now!"

"Pff-Hahahahaha!" Akaeru couldn't help but laughing out loud, getting off looks from the people around him, though Himiko only smiled at him being happy.

The boy with glasses who was scolding Midoriya looked at Akaeru for a moment before looking back towards Modoriya, who apologized.

"Ok, ok. Examinee number 7111, thanks for the nice message," the man on stage said as he gave the boy a thumbs up.

"For your question, the fourth type is zero points. They're an outcast."