The day of the UA entrance exam arrives with all the subtlety of a freight train.
"You've got everything?" Grandpa asks for approximately the twentieth time as I check my bag by the door.
"Yes," I say patiently. "Pencils, ID, application confirmation, spare clothes for the practical, water bottle, protein bars—"
"And your head?" he interrupts. "You've got that screwed on straight today?"
I pause, recognizing the genuine concern beneath his gruff exterior. He's nervous. For me. It's almost touching.
"I'm ready," I tell him, more confidently than I feel. "We've trained for this. I've got this."
He nods once, then does something completely unexpected: he pulls me into a brief, awkward hug.
"Show 'em what you've got, kid," he says gruffly. "But remember—"
"I know," I interrupt with a small smile. "Don't show them everything."
With that understanding between us, I head out, my stomach a knot of nerves and excitement. The train to UA is packed with other applicants, all of us eyeing each other with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. Future classmates? Future rivals? Both?
I spot Nejire waiting at our agreed meeting spot outside the station, bouncing on her toes with nervous energy. When she sees me, her face lights up with a smile that eases some of the tension in my chest.
"Today's the day!" she practically sings, falling into step beside me. "Are you ready? I barely slept! I kept going over equations and hero laws in my head, and then I started worrying about what robots might be weak to my quirk, and then—"
"Nejire," I cut in, unable to help smiling at her familiar rambling. "Breathe."
She takes an exaggerated breath, then laughs. "Sorry. I'm just excited. And nervous. Excitervous?"
"That's not a word."
"It is now!"
Her enthusiasm is contagious, and by the time we reach UA's imposing gates, I'm feeling more excited than anxious. The campus is even more impressive in person than it looked in the manga, a sprawling complex of ultramodern buildings that practically scream "top hero school."
We join the stream of applicants heading toward the main hall for registration and the written exam. Around us, I catch snippets of conversation, mostly nervous chatter about what to expect.
"They say All Might himself might be watching—"
"I heard last year only thirty people passed—"
"My cousin told me they release actual villains for the practical—"
I resist the urge to correct that last rumor.
After registration, where we're given numbered badges and directed to assigned seats, Nejire and I have to separate. "Good luck!" she whispers, giving my arm a quick squeeze before heading to her seat several rows away.
I settle into my chair, glancing around at my fellow examinees. Most look as nervous as I feel, some frantically reviewing notes, others sitting in tense silence. A few rows ahead, I notice a tall blond boy with an unusually cheerful demeanor, chatting animatedly with his shy-looking friend. Something about them seems familiar...
My thoughts are interrupted as a stern-looking proctor begins explaining the rules of the written test. No talking, no quirk use, three hours to complete, blah blah blah. Standard test stuff.
When the papers are distributed and we're told to begin, I flip mine over expecting... I don't know, incomprehensible genius-level questions? Hero-specific trivia?
Instead, I find a surprisingly straightforward exam. There's a logic section, a math section, a comprehension section, and a hero ethics section. Challenging, sure, but not the nightmare I'd built up in my head.
For the last three years, without a quirk, I'd thrown myself into academics. What else could I do? If I couldn't be physically extraordinary, I'd be intellectually exceptional. Now that unexpected dedication is paying off.
I work through the questions methodically, finding a rhythm. Time seems to both crawl and fly by. At some point, I notice movement along the observation balcony overlooking the exam hall. Teachers, probably. I resist the urge to look up and instead keep my focus on my paper.
Three hours later, when the proctor calls "Time," I've completed every question and even had time to review my answers. As we file out of the hall for a short break before the practical exam orientation, I scan the crowd for Nejire.
Instead, I nearly collide with the tall blond guy I noticed earlier.
"Sorry about that!" he says with a smile bright enough to power a small city. "Wasn't looking where I was going. Too excited! How'd you find the test?"
Before I can answer, his quieter friend appears at his side, looking embarrassed by his companion's exuberance.
"Mirio, you can't just—" he starts, then notices me. "Oh, um, sorry about him."
Wait. Mirio? As in Mirio Togata? And that would make his friend... Tamaki Amajiki?
Holy shit. These are the future Big Three of UA.
"No problem," I manage, hoping my shock isn't visible on my face. "The test was... fine? Not what I expected."
"Right?" Mirio, because it is definitely him, with that distinctive face and boundless energy, agrees enthusiastically. "Everyone makes UA sound so scary, but that wasn't so bad! I'm Mirio Togata, by the way. And this is my friend Tamaki."
Tamaki gives a barely perceptible nod, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.
"Shinra Torino," I reply, accepting Mirio's enthusiastic handshake. "Nice to meet you."
"Torino?" Mirio's eyes widen. "Any relation to the hero Gran Torino?"
"My grandfather," I admit reluctantly.
"That's amazing!" Mirio practically bounces. "He's a legend! One of the greatest speed-based heroes ever! Does he still do that thing where he bounces off walls to build momentum? I tried copying that once and broke three lamps and my mom's favorite vase!"
I can't help but laugh at his enthusiasm. "Yeah, he still does that. Usually aimed at my head during training."
"You're so lucky to train with a pro!" Mirio gushes. "Tamaki and I have been practicing together, but it's not the same as having professional guidance."
"Trust me, there are downsides," I assure him. "Like having your every mistake critiqued by someone who can move faster than you can blink."
Our conversation is interrupted by Nejire's arrival. "Shinra! There you are! How was your—oh! Hello!" She notices Mirio and Tamaki, immediately shifting her attention with characteristic curiosity.
"I'm Nejire Hado! Are you both taking the exam too? What are your quirks? How do you know Shinra?"
Mirio looks delighted by this barrage of questions, while Tamaki shrinks further into himself. Before either can answer, an announcement blares through the speakers, directing us to change into our athletic gear and head to the practical exam site.
"Guess we'll have to save the quirk discussion for later!" Mirio says cheerfully. "Maybe we'll end up in the same test area! Good luck to both of you!"
As they walk away, Nejire turns to me with an excited gleam in her eyes. "They seemed nice! Especially the blonde one. So energetic!"
"Yeah," I agree, still processing the encounter. "Really nice."
Meeting Mirio and Tamaki has thrown me slightly off-balance. I know they're supposed to be here, taking this exam, but interacting with them directly, becoming part of their story even in this small way... it makes everything more real somehow.
We change into our gym clothes and are herded onto buses that take us to different testing grounds. Thankfully, Nejire and I are assigned to the same arena—Battle Center C—though we're instructed to enter through different gates.
"See you inside," she says, giving me a thumbs up before joining her line. "Don't hold back!"
"You either," I called after her, feeling a flutter of nerves return. This is it. The practical exam.
Before we enter, the pro hero Present Mic gives us a loud, over-the-top explanation of the rules. Destroy robots to earn points. Different robots are worth different point values. Avoid attacking other examinees. We have ten minutes. Standard battle trial stuff.
What he doesn't mention, and what I pretend not to know, is the secret rescue points awarded for helping others. In the manga, that was how Midoriya passed despite scoring zero villain points. He saved Uraraka from the zero-pointer robot, earning enough rescue points to qualify.
As we line up at our respective gates, I mentally review my strategy: Focus on racking up villain points efficiently, but keep an eye out for opportunities to help others. Use my lightning abilities but don't go overboard. Avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
"START!" Present Mic's voice suddenly booms, catching many examinees off guard. But not me. I was ready.
The gates swing open, and chaos erupts as dozens of teenagers with various quirks charge into the replica city. I activate my electricity, channeling it through my legs for a burst of speed, and surge ahead of the pack.
The first robot I encounter is a one-pointer, a relatively small mechanical opponent with pincers and a single red sensor "eye." I blast it with a focused bolt of lightning that shorts out its circuits, causing it to collapse in a smoking heap.
One down, many to go.
I quickly fall into a rhythm, moving efficiently through the urban landscape. Electricity pulses around me, enhancing my speed and reflexes. I take down robots systematically—two-pointers with a concentrated blast to their central processing units, three-pointers with a more powerful surge that fries their more complex systems.
Around me, other examinees showcase an impressive array of quirks. A girl turns the ground to quicksand, trapping robots before solidifying it again to crush them. A boy with extendable fingers snares mechanical limbs and ties them in knots. Another examinee breathes what looks like acid mist, melting through robot armor.
About halfway through the time limit, I spot a student with a stone-manipulation quirk cornered by two three-pointers. He's clearly exhausted, his attempts to create stone barriers growing weaker. The robots advance, preparing to attack.
Without hesitation, I change direction, launching myself between the robots and the trapped examinee. With a shout, I release a wave of electricity that disables both machines simultaneously.
"You okay?" I ask, offering a hand to help him up.
"Y-yeah," he nods, looking stunned. "Thanks for the save."
"No problem." I give him a quick smile before dashing off to find more targets, knowing that interaction probably earned me some rescue points.
In the distance, I can see flashes of spiraling energy that must be Nejire. From what I can glimpse, she's doing amazingly, her quirk perfectly suited for this type of challenge. She can blast multiple robots at once with her energy waves, and her flight capabilities give her excellent mobility.
I'm racking up a decent score myself, by my count, around forty villain points so far, when the ground begins to shake. Dust rises from several blocks away, and a shadow falls across the testing ground.
The zero-pointer has arrived.
It's massive, way bigger than I expected, towering over the buildings like a mechanical Godzilla. Examinees scatter in panic as it begins to advance, crushing debris beneath its enormous treads.
My first instinct is to run the other way. The zero-pointer is worth no points, and engaging it would be a waste of time and energy. That's the smart play.
But then I hear a cry for help.
Near the zero-pointer's feet, a blue-haired examinee is trapped under fallen debris. The robot continues its inexorable advance, seconds away from crushing him.
I don't think. I just move.
Lightning crackles around me as I push my speed to the limit, racing toward the trapped student. Time seems to slow as adrenaline and electricity surge through my system.
"Hang on!" I shout, skidding to a stop beside him. The debris is too heavy to lift conventionally, but...
I focus my electricity into my hands, creating a magnetic field similar to what Enel could generate. It's not a technique I've mastered yet, but desperation fuels my concentration. The metal beams trapping the student begin to shift, responding to the electromagnetic force I'm creating.
"Can you move?" I ask, straining to maintain the field.
He nods, wincing in pain but beginning to drag himself free. The zero-pointer looms closer, its shadow now directly over us.
"Not to rush you," I grunt, "but we're about to become robot roadkill!"
With a final effort, he pulls himself clear of the debris. I grab him, slinging his arm over my shoulder, and prepare to make a dash for safety.
But the zero-pointer is too close. Its massive foot descends, about to crush us both.
Shit.
In desperation, I channel everything I have into one massive lightning blast aimed at the robot's descending foot. Blue-white electricity erupts from my hands, more powerful than anything I've unleashed during training.
The bolt hits the zero-pointer's ankle joint, causing it to short circuit catastrophically. Sparks fly, metal groans, and the massive leg buckles mid-step. The robot staggers, its weight shifting away from us as it begins to topple sideways into an empty building.
The ground shakes with the impact, dust and debris flying everywhere. I throw myself over the injured student, creating a hasty electrical shield that deflects the worst of the falling wreckage.
When the dust settles, I look up to see the zero-pointer lying in ruins half a block away, its systems completely fried.
Holy shit. Did I just do that?
"Th-thank you," the blue-haired student gasps, looking at me with wide eyes. "You saved my life."
"Don't mention it," I manage, helping him to his feet. "Can you walk?"
He nods, testing his weight gingerly on an injured leg. "I think so."
"TIME'S UP!" Present Mic's voice booms. "THE PRACTICAL EXAM IS OFFICIALLY OVER!"
Around us, robots power down, examinees collapse in exhaustion, and medical robots begin making their rounds to treat injuries.
I sag against a wall, suddenly aware of how much energy I expended. Taking down the zero-pointer drained me more than I anticipated. I hope it was worth the rescue points.
"Shinra!"
I look up to see Nejire running toward me, looking disheveled but excited. "Did you see what I did to that cluster of two-pointers? I created this spiral wave that—" She stops, looking past me at the wrecked zero-pointer. "Did... did you do that?"
"Kind of an accident," I admit. "I was just trying to stop its foot from crushing us."
"An accident?" she repeats incredulously. "You accidentally destroyed the biggest robot they have?"
Put that way, it does sound a bit excessive. So much for not drawing attention to myself.
"Is that boy okay?" she asks, nodding toward the guy, who's now being treated by one of the medical robots.
"I think so. Just trapped under some debris."
Nejire looks at me with a strange expression—somewhere between impressed and... something else I can't quite identify.
"What?" I ask, suddenly self-conscious.
"You could have gotten more villain points in those last minutes," she says. "But you chose to help him instead."
I shrug, uncomfortable with her scrutiny. "Anyone would have done the same."
"No," she shakes her head firmly. "They wouldn't. Most people were running away from the zero-pointer, focused on getting a few more points before time ran out." She smiles at me, a genuine, warm smile that makes my chest feel tight. "But you ran toward danger to help someone. That's what being a hero is really about."
Before I can respond, we're instructed to board the buses back to the main campus. As we leave the battle center, I notice several of the proctors watching me with interest. Great. So much for staying under the radar.
On the bus ride back, Nejire chatters excitedly about her performance in the exam, while I nod along, my mind still processing everything that happened.
I took down the zero-pointer. I saved another examinee. I definitely drew attention.
Is that good or bad? I'm not sure. But one thing's certain, after today, UA will know exactly who Shinra Torino is.