7 The U.A. Entrance Exam [2]
The auditorium buzzed with an energy that made my skin prickle. Rows and rows of seats held nervous kids, me included, all waiting for the next step of U.A.'s brutal exam. I tried to ignore the butterflies tap-dancing in my stomach, instead focusing on finding my assigned seat.
As I squirmed into place - those things were never built for comfort - I caught snippets of conversation from the girls behind me. Giggles and whispers that usually would have had me blushing all the way down to my socks. But today was different.
"...did you see him? Green hair..." one of them was saying.
"... totally cute..." came the reply.
I pretended not to hear. No way was I getting distracted by some pre-exam flirting. Focus, Izuku, focus. To calm my nerves, I decided to check in on my stats. It wasn't vanity, just tactics. Every number was a reminder of the work I'd put in - and a hint of what I could handle next.
Name: Izuku Midoriya
Age: 17
Title: The Gamer
Quirk: None
Quirk Mastery: Null
Level: 20 (7500/10500)
Skills:
Accelerated Development: Lvl Max
Shoot Style: Lvl 33
Physical Endurance: Lvl 28
Analytical Mind: Lvl 19
Telekinesis: Lvl 17
Parkour: Lvl 15
Meditation: Lvl 12
Iron Skin: Lvl 7
Flash Step: Lvl 3
Black Flash
Attributes:
Strength: B
Agility: B
Intelligence: A-
Sense: B+
Vitality: A-
Charisma: B+
Attribute points: 306
Perks:
Determination
Zombie Hunter
Second Wind (3/3)
Inventory: (Closed)
It was time to power up again. The practical exam was going to be physical. System, I thought, allocate my points to make strength and agility both B+. Let's see what this body can really do.
There was a pause, then a response that made me blink.
[Error. Insufficient points to upgrade two attributes to B+.]
Shit. Why hadn't I seen that coming? Time for plan B. Thinking it through... agility does fit my fighting style better. System, upgrade my agility to B+.
This time, the change was instant. A surge of energy crackled through me - not the harsh buzz of the dungeon, but something sharper and lighter.
As I closed the system, I noticed Bakugo sitting down next to me, a frown etched upon his face.
I chose to ignore him, keeping my gaze fixed straight ahead and my hands crossed over my chest.
Suddenly, the auditorium lights dimmed, and a tall, slim man with long blond hair styled in a spiked tuft behind his head and a small brown mustache took the stage. He wore a black jacket with a high, studded collar, matching black pants, and knee-high boots. Tan shoulder pads, a red belt, and studded elbow pads completed his ensemble, along with black fingerless gloves and a directional speaker around his neck.
"WELCOME TO TODAY'S LIVE PERFORMANCE!!" the man shouted, his voice echoing through the auditorium. "EVERYBODY SAY 'HEY!'"
He paused, holding his ear to the crowd expectantly. The room remained silent, save for a single, awkward cough.
Undeterred, the man grinned. "WELL, THAT'S ALRIGHT, MY COOL EXAMINEE LISTENERS!! I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE GUIDELINES OF YOUR PRACTICAL!! ARE YOU READY?!"
Once again, silence greeted his words.
"Huh, it's Present Mic," I muttered, recognizing the pro hero.
Bakugo raised an eyebrow, glancing at me sideways. "Knowing you, I thought you'd get all excited seeing a hero up close and go into one of your muttering sprees."
I kept my gaze forward, my voice low. "I've outgrown that muttering, man. Plus, I'm a little too old to worship every single hero I come across."
Bakugo let out a dismissive "hmph," but I could sense a grudging acknowledgment in his tone.
Suddenly, a notification popped up in my field of vision.
"Reputation with Katsuki Bakugo slightly increased."
I ignored the alert for the moment, focusing instead on Present Mic's explanation. The screen behind him displayed seven boxes labeled A through G.
"THIS IS HOW THE TEST WILL GO, MY LISTENERS!" Present Mic continued. "YOU'LL BE EXPERIENCING 10-MINUTE-LONG MOCK CITY BATTLES!!! BRING ALONG WHATEVER YOU WANT! AFTER THIS PRESENTATION, YOU'LL EACH HEAD TO YOUR TESTING LOCATIONS!!"
I pulled out my application paper, double-checking my assigned location. Bakugo snuck a glance at it, a smirk on his lips.
"Hm, that's so kids from the same high school can't help each other out, yeah?"
I nodded. "Consecutive I.D. numbers are sent to different locations. It's smart of them to make sure friends can't help each other out."
Bakugo's smirk widened. "Doesn't matter. I'll crush them all anyway."
Present Mic continued his explanation. "EACH SITE IS FILLED WITH THREE KINDS OF FAUX VILLAINS. POINTS ARE AWARDED FOR DEFEATING EACH ACCORDING TO THEIR RESPECTIVE LEVELS!! USE YOUR QUIRKS TO DISABLE THESE FAUX VILLAINS AND EARN POINTS! THAT'S YOUR GOAL, LISTENERS!! OF COURSE, PLAYING ANTIHERO AND ATTACKING OTHER EXAMINEES IS PROHIBITED!!"
As Present Mic continued his explanation, a tall, muscular young man with short dark blue hair and glasses abruptly stood up. His hair was neatly flattened and parted on the right side of his head, and he had a serious expression on his face.
"May I ask a question?" he said, his voice stern. "There appears to be no less than FOUR varieties of faux villains on this handout! Such an error is highly unbecoming of U.A., Japan's top academy! We are all here in hopes of being molded into model heroes!"
The man then turned around, his gaze zeroing in on Izuku and Bakugo. "And you two! With the blonde and green hair. You've been whispering this whole time... it's distracting! If this is some sort of game to you two, then please leave immediately!"
I turned to Bakugo, "Is he talking to us?"
Bakugo's face twisted into a scowl, and he shot to his feet. "Hey, four eyes! If anyone here is distracting, it's you! If you used context clues and didn't have such a stick up your ass, you could infer that the fourth villain is an obstacle, you-"
"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT," Present Mic cut in, his voice booming over the auditorium. "THANK YOU, EXAMINEE 7111, FOR THE QUESTION! THE FOURTH FAUX VILLAIN GIVES YOU 0 POINTS! HE'S MORE OF AN OBSTACLE! IF YOU'VE PLAYED THAT RETRO GAME SUPER MARIO BROS., IT'S KIND OF LIKE A THWOMP! ONLY ONE ON EACH SITE, A 'GIMMICK' THAT'LL RAMPAGE AROUND IN CLOSE QUARTERS!"
The glasses-wearing man glared at Izuku and Bakugo one last time before turning around and bowing to Present Mic. "Thank you for the clarification. My apologies for the interruption."
Present Mic grinned, his voice echoing through the auditorium once more. "THAT'S ALL FROM ME, LISTENERS! I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH OUR SCHOOL MOTTO. THE GREAT HERO NAPOLEON BONAPARTE ONCE SAID, 'TRUE HEROISM CONSISTS IN BEING SUPERIOR TO THE ILLS OF LIFE.' PLUS ULTRA!!!"
As the auditorium erupted into a chorus of "Plus Ultra," I grinned. This was it - the moment I had been training for.
30 minutes later, I stood at the entrance of the mock city, decked out in my workout fit. The black shirt and sweatpants hugged my frame, the fabric light and breathable, perfect for the physical challenges that lay ahead.
The air hummed with energy, the kind I was used to from status recovery, only less...controlled. Eyes scanned the crowd, searching, then locked on mine. Glasses kid, from the auditorium. I could practically see the steam coming out his ears, those calf-engines twitching with the need to run. Let him stare. His disapproval wouldn't be scoring those robots.
An alert flickered in the corner of my vision.
Special Quest: First Step to Number One
Objective: Achieve the highest score in the practical exam.
Rewards:
25,000 XPIncreased reputation with the U.A. StaffIncreased reputation with __________
The blank reward was a puzzle, but the challenge... that fit me like a second skin. Number one, here I come.
The buzz of the crowd faded, replaced by the thud of my own heartbeat.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Slowly, I opened my eyes, my gaze fixed on the looming gates of the mock city. The other examinees around me were tense, each one waiting for the signal to begin.
"AND START!" Present Mic's voice was the starter's pistol to my straining muscles. I was moving before the echo faded. Scrambling shouts cut through the air behind me - let the other kids fight over who got the best view. I had a city to conquer.
The first robot loomed out of the haze of speed. No time to think, just react. My telekinesis wasn't some gentle nudge, it slammed into that clunky metal body like a fist. Not lifting, yanking - ripping it out of its lumbering path and straight at me.
The thing pinwheeled through the air, a blur of gears and flashing lights. My kick was ready before it even got close, heel slamming into its side with the force of a pile driver.
More than a crunch, the impact was a satisfying pop. Robot parts rained down, sharp edges glinting in the sun, but not one scrap close enough to be a problem. Already, I was scanning the street, picking my next target.
"That's one," I grinned, breathless but not from exertion. This? This is what I was made for.
Two-pointer up ahead, too slow to be a problem. I launched forward, not wasting time dodging, a telekinetic fist wrapping around it just as my real one connected. Impact vibrated up my arm, but the robot's crumple was more satisfying than any pain.
Then it was chaos. Another two-pointer, reacting too quickly - those claws weren't for show. Flash Step wasn't dodging, it was changing the rules. Ducking turned into a sidestep, a spin, then my heel was connecting behind the thing's "knee". Clumsy robotics couldn't adjust mid-movement, and down it went in a shower of sparks.
That's when I saw them. Two kids, cornered, one with a sprained ankle and the other cowering in fear. Their eyes weren't on the one-pointer pinning them down, but on me.
Time to up the pace. Another Flash Step - the cooldown meant using them sparingly, but this wasn't about points anymore. Robots weren't people: no fear, no pain, just a checklist of attacks to disable. I was a blur, a wrecking ball of kicks and carefully aimed telekinetic shoves. The corner cleared in seconds, the kids staring after me, slack-jawed.
"Get to safety," I managed between breaths. There was no time for thanks, only the harsh, metallic taste of adrenaline as I scanned for the next fight.
The scream cut through the chaos like a knife. Before my tired muscles could protest, I was already pivoting, eyes scanning the crowd for the source. There - pink skin, wide terrified eyes, trapped against the concrete. Acid sputtered from her fingers, buying seconds against the three-pointers closing in.
Not enough. Those things might be slow, but once they had a target...
With a roar I barely heard over the pounding of my own heart, I sprinted. Not at the robots, but the trash. Each chunk of metal and glass twitched in the air around me, a storm of jagged edges I aimed right at those lumbering death traps.
Focus like this was new. The debris wasn't just ammo - each chunk of pipe had a weak joint of the robot in my mind's eye. First strike shattered a claw, the next ripped open a control panel on the lumbering giant to my left. It jerked like a puppet with a cut string, slamming into the one beside it just as my next volley took out its sensor array.
The fight went from desperate to messy. Sparks flew, fluids I didn't want to think about spattered the ground. Their counter attacks weren't tactics anymore, just half-programmed flailing. I pressed the advantage, telekinesis a battering ram until they were groaning metal carcasses at my feet.
Breath ragged, I turned to the girl. "You okay?"
"Y-yes." Her stare was almost as unnerving as the fight. "I...you..."
"Don't mention it. C'mon, somewhere safe, then get back in there." A hand reached out to help her up, then I was already turning, ready to get even more points.
"Wait!" Her voice cracked after me. "Your name? Please..."
Over my shoulder, I grinned. "Izuku Midoriya."
Then it was back to it, adrenaline pumping in my veins as I sprinted towards the next fight.
The Viewing Room:
The viewing room hummed with a tension that mirrored the chaos on screen. With a flick of his paw, the principal - was it a bear? a mouse? - shifted the display from one frantic student to the next, his voice a low rumble. "They face the unknown, a tight time limit. That pressure, it reveals their true nature."
The six-armed man, his extra eyes scanning the screen like searchlights, got the next focus. "Those who think first, act decisively."
The screen cut to Glasses, legs blurring with engine-fueled precision. "Those who act, never wasting a second."
Then, a flash of blond hair and a laser beam obliterating a robot another student had almost cornered. "Those who see opportunity in chaos..."
The principal's voice dropped, the silence as heavy as the image of Bakugo that filled the screen next, surrounded by scrap metal and flashing that manic grin. "... and those born to fight."
One of the shadowed figures at the back stirred, a feminine voice cutting through the dimness. "So much promise, yet so young." Her eyes never left the next image: Izuku, holding his ground against the three-pointer attack. "But to see strategy, power, and compassion so quickly..."
The principal turned then, his too-wide grin unsettling on that animal face. "What do you think, All Might?"
A shadow detached from the back wall, resolving into a skeletal figure of a man - less flesh, more angles and the burning intensity of his blue eyes. One long finger stabbed a button. "Potential is just that...potential. The Zero Pointers will show who acts, not just reacts." His voice had a rasp to it that made the assembled teachers shiver. "A true hero acts when there's nothing to gain. Only when they face the impossible do we see who they truly are."
The room went dark as the city footage was replaced by wide shots of each test zone. Tiny figures, facing the rising behemoths of the Zero Point robots.
Izuku's POV:
I paused for a moment, mentally tallying the points I had accumulated so far. 62 points, my aching muscles reminded me. Should be enough. Should be safe to...
Then came the crash; not the echoing clang of metal, but the wet, crumbling sound of a skyscraper giving up. Dust exploded outwards, and there, in the heart of it, was a shape that made the robots look like toys.
Just seeing the scale of the zero pointer made my brain stutter to a halt. What the hell was U.A. thinking? Was anyone supposed to fight this thing? Its single glowing eye swiveled, pinning me in place like some insect about to be crushed.
The other kids were gone, smart move on their part. A glance back showed me why - that thing wasn't just big, it was fast.
Then came the scream. It was a girl with brown hair, pinned beneath a chunk of wall.
My plan of "strategically retreat and find easier targets" didn't even get a chance to form. One second I was staring at the monster, the next my feet were moving. Telekinesis flared to life, not with any plan, just a desperate need to move that damn concrete. Each groan of twisted metal was a beat against the drum of my own heart as I lifted it away.
She was a mess. Mud and dust caked her skin, and there was a nasty twist to her leg that made my stomach clench. "You okay?" Stupid question, but I couldn't seem to say anything else.
"Arm...ankle..." Her voice was barely a gasp, eyes squeezed shut against the pain. "Think they're broken..."
Her pain-filled gasp was louder than the monster's rumbling footsteps. Moving her wasn't an option, but that thing getting any closer wasn't either.
Fight or flight instincts kicked in, but this wasn't a fight I could win with kicks and punches. I stood, the world tilting slightly as I focused on the Zero Pointer. Everything else faded - the wrecked street, the panicked cries of other kids, even the girl's ragged breathing - replaced by a red-hot focus on the threat.
My telekinesis was a muscle, and it was screaming in protest as I pushed it, not moving objects, but moving myself. A burst, and I was airborne, the wind whipping past my face.
Then, something changed. My power, usually a focused hum, thrummed with a chaotic edge. It was the same feeling - the punch that connected with the Zombie King, a desperate surge that felt less like control and more like a dam breaking.
I didn't question it. With the zero pointer filling my vision, I channeled every memory of frustration, every ache from the dungeon, into that punch. It was time to unleash that black spark.
"BLACK FLASH!" The words tore out of me as my fist connected, not a hit but an explosion of power. Red-black lightning crackled, and for a fraction of second, the world was just me and the robot, frozen in that flash of energy.
Then came the impact. Metal didn't just dent, it crumpled. The zero-pointer's head was a buckled can thrown aside, leaving the massive body to stagger a few halting steps then collapse.
Gravity caught up with me, and even with telekinesis cushioning the fall, my legs nearly gave out. My head was pounding now, a dull ache behind my eyes that spoke of the abuse I'd put my skill through to pull off that stunt. The shockwave faded, replaced by the buzzing stares of the other kids. Had I done that?
Eyes still fixed on the twisted metal of the robot, I muttered, barely loud enough to hear myself, "Apparently, yeah."
"That guy," one of them choked out, the awe in his voice almost comical, "what was that?"
Another cut in, voice hushed but clear in the sudden silence, "His strength… it's on a different level."
"What's his quirk then?" A girl, face still pale, but her voice was more curious than scared now. "I thought he was using telekinesis earlier..."
The questions faded as Present Mic's booming voice cut in. "AND THAT'S TIME!"
Tenya Iida's POV
The scene played out in my head again and again: the green-haired kid - no, no way he was a kid after that punch - the wreckage of the robot, the shocked faces of the other students. They were all missing the point.
"That's not it!" The words were in my throat, but I couldn't make them come out. What was the use? They hadn't seen what mattered, not the quirk, or the points, but the choice. He hadn't run from the zero pointer, he'd run towards it. He'd saved that girl, putting her safety above the entire exam.
My legs, still obeying the ingrained order to retreat, felt wrong suddenly. Yes, there was danger, yes, this was just a test, but watching him... it was a sharp reminder that some things were more important than grades. Not my family's legacy, but that drive to help, regardless of the cost. Hadn't Father warned me about that, about the distractions that come with the hero path?
"Of course I'd help in a real crisis," the words echoed in my head, almost mocking. But would I? Had any of us hesitated because we knew, deep down, this danger wasn't real? Could we have pushed past that if it had been?
"Wait..." Could that be it? The exam wasn't just about scoring points, it was about proving your character, finding those willing to take risks when lives were at stake. U.A. wasn't just any school, it wanted the best - not just good students, but good people.
It hit me then, a revelation so clear it made me stumble. He wasn't just powerful, he was the kind of person who'd never let rules or risks stop him when someone needed help.
My eyes fixed on him, on the way he carried himself even in exhaustion. I wasn't just seeing an impressive quirk or a fluke of luck. I was seeing something I'd spent years striving for, but not in a way I ever could have expected. He wasn't a rival to beat, he was the standard to live up to.I knew what I witnessed today would stay with me for the rest of my life.
The day I saw...a glimpse of what a true hero could be.
