Chapter 12: The First and Last Day?

A serious atmosphere pervaded the observation room at UA. Director Nezu, sitting behind a huge table, calmly commented on what was happening in the arena.

"In the practical part of the exam, the applicants were not informed about the number or location of the enemies. Space and time are limited, and the students' task is to effectively deal with the 'villains'. Our data already allow us to draw certain conclusions..."

He mentioned the achievements of several participants, but when his gaze fell on Toji's data, he hesitated slightly.

"Strange, is there some kind of mistake here?" he muttered, squinting.

"What's wrong, Director?" asked Toshinori, noticing his gaze.

"In the list of those who applied to UA, there's no one with that name. And here it says he's Quirkless..."

Silence fell around, all the teachers' eyes were glued to the monitor. Toji, a tall and athletic young man, skillfully maneuvered around the arena, destroying robots.

"Unusually high physical indicators for someone Quirkless," noted Cementoss, watching his movements.

"And he looks older than fifteen," Midnight tantalizingly added, shifting in her chair.

"Hmm, did you say his name is Toji?" Sekijiro mused aloud, the future homeroom teacher of Class B. "Sounds familiar..."

"Do you know him, Kan?" one of the teachers asked.

"Exactly!" the man exclaimed, clapping his fist into his palm. "He's Zenin's offspring, the Quirkless one that rumors circulated about in the Kamo clan when I was still part of them."

"Zenin?" Nezu thoughtfully rubbed his chin. "They're known for their combat skills. Could they have raised such a strong fighter without a Quirk?"

"I doubt it," Sekijiro shook his head, "the Zenins are too obsessed with their Quirks. Life must have been tough for a Quirkless in their clan."

"Let's focus on the exam for now," Nezu suggested. "We'll come back to this issue later."

Everyone nodded and shifted their attention to the monitors, ready to return to the topic after the workday. Everyone, except All Might, who was closely watching Toji.

"I've seen him somewhere before..." he whispered to himself.

***

Lying on the couch and indulging in laziness, I scrolled through the news feed on my smartphone, looking for something interesting.

"As usual, all heroes," I muttered, flipping through the pages. My attention was caught by an advertisement for some new gadget. "Probably a useless thing, but it looks amusing. Should I buy it?"

Before another impulsive purchase, I was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. Tearing my eyes away from the phone and setting it aside, I got up from the couch and headed to the door, where a short man with a mustache stood.

"Here's your package," he politely said, handing me a sheet of paper. "Please sign here."

Glancing briefly at the paper, I signed it and accepted the thick envelope.

"A letter from UA?" I thought, examining the envelope. "Let's see what they have to say."

With curiosity, I tore open the dense paper, and the first thing I saw was a small metal disc. Twisting it in my hand, I placed it on the table, and suddenly a projection of a dark-haired man appeared.

"Toji Zenin. Congratulations. You passed the entrance exam at UA. Read the letter and see you at the academy."

The projection disappeared instantly.

"Hmm... how did they even find out about my last name?" I grumbled discontentedly, retrieving the remaining papers from the envelope.

Inside was a letter, indicating my class and a bunch of school rules, which I promptly ignored, along with some details. At the end, I found a list of names and surnames of my future classmates.

"Twenty people, then," I remarked, quickly scanning the list. "I'll have to find out more about them. I want to know what to expect from my future classmates... pff, it even sounds weird. I hope the academy won't be so boring, otherwise I won't stay there for long."

Examining the academy's requirements, I came across a point that I initially overlooked.

"Costume design?" I chuckled. "What nonsense, as if I'll be dealing with that nonsense."

But then, a small town made just for the exam popped into my head. An idea formed, and I carefully reread the point.

"No restrictions..." my smirk widened. "So, they have the means to realize my wishes?"

I grabbed several blank sheets of A4 paper and a pen. I started sketching the outline of the costume, imagining how it would look.

"There should be reinforcements here," I muttered, sketching lines on the paper. "And here... a laser? Yeah, why not!"

My thoughts raced ahead of my hand. I recalled technologies I had heard of and my own ideas.

"I can incorporate small smoke bombs here," I continued, making notes on the second sheet. "And if I add protection against loud noise and gas? Well, and of course, there needs to be storage space for my weapons."

On the third sheet, I described in detail the functionality of each element of the costume: from protection to hidden devices.

"Wow, will they be able to do something like this?" I asked, leaning back in my chair and examining my sketches. "Now all that's left is to send these drawings and wait. Let's see what UA's masters are capable of."

Glancing out the window, I noticed the sun beginning to set. And then, a feeling of hunger hit me, and my stomach grumbled.

"It's time to eat something," I muttered to myself. "If I delay, I'll miss the evening training."

A few days later, I was already walking through the corridors of the academy, trying to find my class. I was wearing the standard UA uniform, and notebooks and a pen lay in my backpack. A full set for a student, no matter how you slice it.

With each step, doubts crept into my mind again and again. "Maybe I should just give up all this and go back to being a mercenary?" I pondered. But my intuition told me to keep going, and I listened to it, step by step, getting closer to Class 1-A.

"Maybe I can derive some benefit from this?" I thought, standing in front of the classroom door. "Observing how heroes act, learning their methods and approaches wouldn't hurt. At least for now, no one has labeled me a villain. But that will only last for a while."

Setting myself up for a new goal, I opened the door, and the first thing that caught my eye was that same guy from the projection.

"You're late," he said dryly. "Expelled."

I stood on the threshold, trying to conceal my irritation. It was unexpected, but I wasn't going to leave so easily.

"Well, it seems like the beginning of my education at UA won't be as smooth as I expected..."