Just like the original script, before Izuku could even get close to Uraraka, examinee 7111 suddenly grabbed his shoulder and started grilling him.
"Who exactly are you? You're not planning to bother the other candidates, are you?"
"Ehhh! W-Who… Me?" Izuku stammered, trembling as he answered, clearly nervous.
It didn't take long for the other students to start whispering, muttering about how weird he looked outside U.A.'s gates and in the halls, some even saying straight-up, "I'm glad he's my competition."
I could let a lot of shit slide, but this? This was past my limit.
Before I got dumped into this world—or hell, even before I turned into a NEET - i was like him: naive, anxious, a good kid. Sure, I got bullied and talked about too, but unlike Izuku, who could push past it and show people a different side of himself, I… how do I put it? I ran from reality, turned into a shut-in hikikomori, holed up in my room, cut off from the outside world. I thought if I tried hard enough, I could've been something great…
Then I realized the real world doesn't work that way. And after getting tossed into this place, it's even clearer. Reality's where people grind their asses off and make choices. It's not just about effort - success here's tied to luck too. If I'd been born into some average family, I wouldn't even have a shot at high school, let alone U.A.
This is a brutal-ass world where the strong rule and the weak get stomped.
So, Ida, let me school your ass real quick.
"Oi, I think you're the one fucking with my buddy here, you smug prick. And the rest of you—if you knock out one rival, you really think that bumps your odds of passing? Keep jerking each other off with that delusional bullshit…" I spun around, chewing out every candidate nearby with a cocky smirk. "You're all just a bunch of gutless punks picking on someone you think's weak and doesn't belong."
"What? How dare you talk to us like that...?!"
He tried clapping back, but with the exam starting in a minute, I ignored his ass and turned to Izuku, who was gawking at me, shocked.
"Midoriya, stick with me. Rules don't say shit about helping each other, so you and me? We're crushing this. I've got your back this time. Just keep that inherited power of yours in check with every hit, alright?" I whispered in his ear, scanning around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.
"Wait, how do you know about…" He stared at me, face pale, looking hella anxious and insecure.
"Details later, man. Get through this first, then you can grill me."
"R-Right. Got it."
"No need to drag it out. Let's roll."
Before he—or anyone—could say more, Present Mic started the countdown, and we got dumped into the battlefield.
And just like that, the exam kicked off.
…
The 10-minute mock battle was on.
Right after we got dropped into the arena, Izuku bolted for the battlefield entrance.
Back in the original timeline, he ran solo, trying to smash as many robots as he could but scored zilch 'cause he kept getting sniped and was too scared he'd fuck up.
Not this time. I'd set up for both of us.
On my belt, I had a fanny pack stuffed with about 200 wax-coated nitroglycerin pellets—which I'd researched and whipped up with my Quirk just for this moment—plus a tricked-out slingshot tuned to fire fast and far.
After 10 months of slingshot practice alongside physical training, martial arts, psych tactics, and Quirk work, I had the balls and skill to snipe robots other people were about to drop, plus take out extras so Izuku could land finishing blows with One For All. Ain't no rule against stealing points as long as you don't hurt other candidates, so no matter how much they bitched, they had to eat it and couldn't do jack shit about it.
Everything went smooth as hell—our points were racking up enough to snag spots in Class 1-A—but something felt… off.
Then I saw the hidden boss—a robot the size of a damn building—start tearing through the area, and my plan went to shit real quick.
"Fuck…"
That "zero-point" robot was barreling straight at me. Didn't give a damn about the other candidates scrapping with smaller bots—just kept charging, leaving a trail of wreckage like some end-of-the-world flick. The ground shook like crazy, debris flying everywhere. Some kids got pinned under rubble, stuck, while others bolted in panic.
"Move Midoriya! NOW!" I yelled, freaking the hell out.
"O-Okay! Let's get out of here!"
He started to say it and was ready to haul ass at first, but then he spotted Uraraka trapped under debris, unable to move. Without a second thought, he turned back, sprinted to her, leapt up with insane power, and smashed the robot with one hell of a punch, shutting it down on the spot.
Right then, I saw his arm flare up—One For All kicking in full blast, about to break his right arm again like before. Then Uraraka rode a chunk of robot over, used her power to float Izuku down safely, and puked her guts out from overusing her Quirk… All of it, same damn script. Felt so familiar, almost nostalgic.
"So you really inherited it like the original, huh? Nice work man," I muttered under my breath, watching Recovery Girl—an old nurse lady from U.A.'s staff—roll up and use her power to fix Izuku's busted arm.
"Now you've made a solid impression. Your shot's here…"
…
A week later, we finally got the results.
Izuku scored 30 villain points. Only difference from before? He nabbed 50 rescue points this time, totaling 80—enough for U.A. Hell, he even got picked as a recommended student, meaning he could hit other schools without taking exams like this again.
Thanks to me meddling, Bakugo didn't get his usual 77 points—dropped to 70, slipping from first to fourth. Safe to say he wasn't thrilled, but unlike the original timeline where he'd grab Izuku's collar and talk shit, my being here changed that. I was ready to harden my skin to tungsten with my Quirk, so even if that asshole blasted me with a slap, I'd shrug it off and deck him back—with my hardened arm, of course—sending him flying a few meters. Maybe that prick'll learn something this time.
As for me, I passed with 54 villain points, 10 rescue points, and an 80% on the written test, enough to get into 1-A. I played my Quirk careful-like, letting folks think I could only harden into tungsten - though my app said I can transform matter.
Phase 1 of my plan's done. Help Izuku ace the exam, boost his confidence, and become one of his crew. Best-case scenario, sure, but what actually went down was way better than I'd mapped out.
Izuku saved Uraraka and broke his arm, earning mad respect and props from the other students. First day of class, everyone was hyping him as a hero who'd risk it all to save someone. Me, though? Got greeted with dirty looks for sniping points like a cheap bastard. Still, shit's moving like I wanted - no hiccups so far.
But there's still some small fries to fry, like Bakugo's beef with me.
Weirdly, he hasn't said anything since that day—just glares at me with a pissed-off flicker in his eyes. Even after the exam, he kept giving me this feral-ass look. That bastard's definitely plotting something. Soon, too…
Sure enough, while Izuku was still blushing like a tomato talking to Uraraka, I felt someone creep up behind me—fast as hell, didn't even clock it 'til they were there.
"If you wanna play buddies, do it somewhere else. This is the Hero Association!"
A scruffy-looking dude with a messy beard and tangled hair stepped out of a sleeping bag right behind us—no way this guy's a normal human.
After climbing out, he eyed us with a tired look and went on:
"Hmm, took you eight seconds to shut up. Life's short, kids. You don't appreciate that."
Oh yeah, fuck me—I totally forgot this guy's a main factor too.
"I'm your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta. Nice to meet you all," he said. "Put on your PE uniforms and head to the field."
"What? A test?! Right after we just started?" someone asked, surprised, with murmurs of agreement rippling through the others.
"Yes, and no, only." he replied flatly. "I need to see what you lot are really capable of."
Everyone scrambled to the locker rooms to change into gym gear.
In the original timeline, this test ranked students based on how many challenges they could clear, with the lowest scorer getting expelled. It's a bluff, sure, but if I called the old man out here, that lie'd turn real, kicking off a domino effect that'd fuck everything up worse than ever. So, best keep my mouth shut.
First up was the 50-meter dash. Pretty much everyone used their Quirks. Bakugo clocked 4.13 seconds, blasting his way there with explosions, while Uraraka lightened herself with Zero Gravity to run faster—though it didn't help much. Others, like Ida Tenya with his calf engines and Aoyama Yuuma with his navel laser, zipped to the finish in under 4 seconds. Me? I turned my bones into some bio-composite shit and ran like hell.
My time wasn't great—6 seconds flat—but still beat Izuku's 7.
After the first three tests, we moved to the next: ball throw. My turn came up quick. I turned the ball's insides to helium without let anyone knows this, and chucked it with everything I had.
Result? 352.7 meters. Class average.
Guess I'm not as strong as Izuku, and I still suck at using my Quirk right. Proof's in him yeeting the ball 705.3 meters—though it cost him another busted right finger.
I finished the other tests after—not too high, not too low.
…
Finally, the test results dropped.
"By the way, no one's getting expelled, like I said at the start."
Everyone's faces were shocked—partly feeling tricked, mostly relieved no one was getting booted.
"It was a lie. A rational one to push your Quirks' limits," he said, giving us a weird look before adding, "How are you kids this dense? Oh, and Izuku, go see Recovery Girl now, or you won't make it to class tomorrow."
Then everyone got their scores, me included. 17th - not stellar, but good enough to blend in. Izuku hit 21st - dead last - but his future's bigger than that. Bakugo? Third place. He didn't look happy, probably pissed he's not top dog like before.
Anyway, this is just the start - long road ahead. Gotta cook up my own plans here.
Soon, U.A.'s gate's gonna get busted open, letting reporters swarm inside. Then there's the League of Villains' U.S.J. mess and a pile of shit after that. I need to stay on top of it all, then I can flip this series' shitty ending—now this world's reality.
Right then, I tracked down All Might, who was chatting with Eraser Head—scruffy Aizawa—about Class 1-A, especially Izuku. Didn't wanna butt in, so I waited 'til the homeroom teacher split before rolling up to All Might.
"Yo, All Might-sensei."
"Oh! It's you, kid! What's up?" he said, turning to me with that big-ass grin that doesn't need watering.
"I know you're probably busy, but can we have some gossips for a sec? Somewhere private, like your office?"
"Sure thing." He nodded and led the way.