11: U.A. Entrance Exam - 2
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Disc: HrPrTeam
(Special Credit to Splingosplongo for the Beta Reading Labor!)
-Story Start-
With the wind in his face, Yuji squinted his face in concentration as he ran ahead of the two robots he quickly dispatched.
"That's... 3 points?" He counted with his hand as he ran, the melody of chaos, quirks flaring, and hasty steps reverberating behind him.
Not letting himself get distracted by the urban sights, Yuji quickly turned a right corner to find a much bulkier robot in front of him.
It was certainly an impressive figure; covering roughly half the narrow street with its size.
No sharp objects and limbs like metal blunt shields - The most these can cause is blunt trauma, fitting an exam with allegedly no actual life endangerment.
There was not a single doubt in his mind, that was clearly a Three Pointer.
Having gotten a sense of how tough these robot things are, Cursed Energy reinforced Yuji's limbs as he sped toward the robot planning to meet it head-on.
Detecting the interloper, the three-pointer charged ahead with disturbing intelligence, its left limb brought forward as a protective shield, while its right limb rose overhead in an attempt to swing its weighty arm.
It was only a short few seconds later that they reached each other thanks to Yuji's mind-boggling speed.
Swinging the weighty limb, the robot was met with thin air as it hit the street with an explosive slam, kicking up dust.
Yuji dodged to the side, scurrying to the left limb acting as a shield for the robot.
With a huff of effort, he used the shield as a springboard, jumping high into the air and accidentally caving in the metal of it through sheer strength alone.
Given the building of the faux-urban city weren't skyscraper size, his jump allowed him a clear view of the Battle Center, the streets with the most robots in his mind.
'Gotta head left from here and wrap around the center. Alright.' He quickly surmised with a nod.
Lowering his head to fix his eyes on the three-pointer stupidly observing him from below, having trouble adjusting its grip on the caved-in shield limb, Yuji concentrated his efforts.
'Hope practicing with Choso's been working out.' He thought as he compressed and condensed his blood with his cursed energy.
Doing so, a blood orb formed in front of his hands.
Clasping his hands around it, he shot a sharp and incredibly quick beam of blood towards the robot's head.
The beam was traveling at the speed of sound, and the robot was much too slow to react to it.
Due to the compressed nature and speed of the blood beam, it pierced the tough metal alloy that the head was made out of, and a smooth palm-sized hole formed in between the eyes of the three-pointer.
Destroying vital circuitry and making it malfunction.
Without much prompting, as Yuji landed on his feet with a loud thud, the robot's body crashed down.
Strangely, no explosion occurred.
A safety feature, perhaps?
...
Yuji blinked as he counted his fingers, "That'd be six." A note of uncertainty crossed his features as he reinforced his legs and headed through the planned route.
He suppressed his urge to pump a fist at successfully using Piercing Blood outside of casual practice with Choso, he couldn't do it back when they fought... That guy.
The point of light practice was for Yuji to not rely on any other abilities that would hint at not actually having a singular Quirk or otherwise.
Aoi's voice rang in his mind:
"It's a good excuse to master Blood Manipulation, my friend. Limiting yourself in this case is greatly advantageous!"
"Why can't I just use Shrine instead?" Yuji asked innocently.
"Would you rather limit your physical capabilities then?" Aoi questioned with folded arms and an arched eyebrow.
"Got a point..." Yuji conceded the point.
The conversation about their abilities was always a troubling one.
Aoi believes it would bring unwanted attention and questions, and it is too soon.
Too soon... Why?
Yuji doesn't know.
...He likes to think Aoi doesn't know either.
Regardless, Yuji shook his head as he was speeding through the narrow streets from one street to another, destroying a few more one-pointers and a single two-pointer.
Nine points and not even thirty seconds have passed.
Some, find that unsettling.
"OI BASTARD!" A rather distant yet nonetheless loud voice called out as Yuji dispatched a one-pointer with another simple kick, its body bending and collapsing into itself at the impact of Yuji's foot.
...
Yuji ignored the voice since it was that far away.
And well...
"It can't be for me, I haven't even done anything to be called a bastard!" Yuji nodded enthusiastically, breezing through the exam.
-------------------------------
Nestled within the interior of U.A. was the Entrance Exam Spectator Room.
A privileged room, available only to select individuals and the teaching Staff of U.A.
Dimly lit, squeaky clean, and positively modern, the room was jam-packed with screens with labels of each Battle Center.
Within those screens, many points of view and angles were visible, capable of being controlled with a remote.
In each Battle Center, not a corner was unseen or hidden.
In front of the screens, sat together in comfortable chairs, tables, and a notepad for personal usage.
For the Teaching Staff of U.A. this was a once-in-a-year exclusive viewing of glorious entertainment.
Like for Pro Hero Midnight and Pro Hero Present Mic, as they watched with gleeful and expectant gazes.
Can you blame them?
Over a thousand would-be hero prospects going loose with their Quirks.
Something that is usually prohibited in regulated Quirk Society.
Whilst some like Pro Hero Eraserhead and even the Number 1 Hero, All Might in all his skeletal glory viewed with dissecting expertise.
Sniffing around the potential new first years, their gazes fixated on some more than others:
"That kid's definitely passing." A dry remark as well as a sigh left Eraserhead's lips as he voiced out his opinion on a specific examinee.
An examinee in Battle Center B that grabbed their attention due to his sheer...
Strength and Speed.
"At the rate he's going, he might even break your record, All Might." Pro Hero Cementoss commented.
Present Mic stroked his chin, "Hey... That's the nice kid from before..." He recognized.
"What? When'd you get the chance to get to know All Might's Mini-me?" A note of jealousy crossed Midnight's voice as she slapped her table with dismay.
The latter, All Might, seemed to be concentrated on a screen directed at Battle Center A.
His heart on his sleeve, the man was lucky no one took note of his worried and sweatdropped expression.
The conversation continued unperturbed.
Principal Nedzu redirected attention from even reaching All Might, as he stated with narrowed eyes, "Itadori Yuji... Orphan with two foster brothers, and, one of them is also taking the exam with him. His Quirk, Blood Manipulation."
Silence enveloped the rather boisterous room for a moment at the bombshell he dropped, answering the unasked question.
Though the answer was rather shocking, they'd all admit.
Specifically, Pro Hero Vlad King's eyes were particularly wide as he contemplated; fascination washing over his features.
Present Mic scoffed, "How in the hell is that-" He pointed at Yuji tremoring the ground with a kick that annihilated a poor two-pointer he landed on after a jump.
Vlad King nodded, voicing out his conclusion, "It's how he shot that beam earlier, it was his blood. Principal Nedzu, do you have any further information?"
Nedzu nodded, "It allows him complete control of his blood... I see, so he can enhance his body with it."
He stroked his chin with scientific curiosity, as he voiced out his observation, "But increasing his physical ability to this degree through enhanced blood flow? I cannot think of any enhancement possible in the body's biological process that would allow Blood Manipulation such effectiveness... How strange."
As he blabbered, he cut himself off with a shake of the head, "The mystery of Quirks, I suppose. Let us view the others." He gestured with a broad smile.
...
The talks resumed, as their eyes fixated on the Battle Centers and other prospective shining stars, but Midnight couldn't help but teasingly whisper to Vlad King.
"Is he yours?" She nudged at him with a wicked grin.
He snorted, keeping his gruff exterior unaffected, "Quit with the nonsense."
She pouted, "Oh, you're no fun~!"
Ectoplasm's voice reverberated in the room, as he called out to them, "I believe you are all focusing on the wrong shining prospect. Direct your eyes to Battle Center A." He pointed his finger at the screen.
Nodding, most of them did as prompted, only for their eyes to widen.
Present Mic couldn't help but blurt out in English:
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
Indeed, that would be the only proper response to what they saw.
-------------------------------
[Play - Tchaikovsky - Waltz of the Flowers]
The gentle dance of the strings, the sweeping melody of the violins.
Each stroke of the string, with each deafening tranquil tune that overwhelmed the surrounding chaos of Battle Center A...
A Clap resonated.
As a boy with a strange protrusion from his belly was about to blast a two-pointer with a laser...
His name - Yuga Aoyama.
His Quirk - [Navel Laser].
[Navel Laser gives the user the ability to fire sparkly twinkling laser beams from their navel. Size and shape can be manipulated by the User.]
CLAP.
Aoyama found himself displaced, a great distance across the urban street.
He sees a hulking man with a pleased, majestic grin on his face as he destroys the robot with a few kicks, effectively stealing his points.
The blonde boy's expression twists from perplexion to distraught, "That was my robot you bâtard! Voleur! My sparkl-" He pointed an accusing finger.
CLAP.
The point-stealing man was gone, exchanged with another perplexed glasses-donning individual with engines on his legs who coarsely stopped himself as he was moving at high speed during his displacement.
His feet used the ground to slow him down, the friction heating up his shoes, luckily they were made from a high-quality material that didn't allow him to get burnt.
The perplexed boy stopped as he stroked his chin.
"How strange, I was in front of a one-pointer." He blinked as he robotically stated, adjusting his glasses and straightening himself.
His name - Tenya Ida.
His Quirk - [Engine].
[Engine grants the user engine-like protrusions somewhere on their bodies (in Tenya's case it is on his calves) that allow them to move at extraordinary speeds.]
...
With each plucking of the delicate note, another robot was destroyed.
Another clap resonated.
Or another examinee was... Saved.
"Shit shit shit shit!" An examinee with a bent arm and razor-sharp nose cursed under his breath as a three-pointer noticed his weakness and was about to slam him with a heavy metal arm.
No doubt, if that had hit it would have been a painful ordeal.
However...
CLAP.
"H-Huh?" He blinked finding himself on top of the roof of the nearest faux building.
Lowering his gaze, he was met with a hulking man holding back the arm that was supposed to slam into him.
With a wicked grin, that exuded both madness and tranquility, the muscular boy immediately pivoted to not fight the gigantic metal robot in a contest of strength.
Sneaking his way around it as it was slower than him given its size, the boy found some kind of secret switch at the underbelly section of it, skillfully sliding beside the left arm the three-pointer liked to use as a shield.
The slammed right arm attempted to strike the boy, but he grabbed a small piece of stone, charging it with cursed energy as he threw it towards the button in front of him...
CLAP.
The hand missed him, and he was in front of the turn-off button.
With a resonating click, his fingers pressed the button, deactivating the robot - Promptly 'Defeating' it.
"Thank you br-" The injured examinee thanked from the top of the roof, only to notice the boy clapping his hand and disappearing from his spot - Exchanged with another bewildered broccoli-haired examinee.
"W-What was that? A teleportation Quirk?! Why use it against me? Oh, All Mig-" The examinee mumbled in a nervous sweat, having yet to obtain any points.
...
The source of this chaos.
The hoarder of points in Battle Center A.
Was none other than...
Todo Aoi.
His Quirk - [Boogie Woogie].
[Boogie Woogie allows the user to exchange places with any two individuals within a 300-meter range. Anything the User touches may count as an 'Individual' for ten minutes.]
-------------------------------
A heavy silence enveloped the spectator room once more.
A shocked, perplexed, and mostly disturbed deadpan crawled onto the faces of each of the spectating staff.
The screens showcasing Battle Center A were filled with images of one particularly muscular examinee:
Todo Aoi.
Some of them were his expert uses of his, in hindsight, rather simple and impressive Quirk.
Whilst others were...
He passionately clapped his hands rather rhythmically in poses that would otherwise be thought bizarre or worse - Perverted like his blissful expressions.
Speaking of perverted...
"Did he just take his shirt off?" Present Mic pointed at the screen with an almost weak, bewildered tone.
For once, All Might retorted innocently, "No, he tore it off."
They all turned to him with an unimpressed look, to which he shrugged, "What?"
Midnight snorted, "He's certainly enjoying himself."
Nedzu hummed in an impressed tone, "Why wouldn't he? At his current pace, he'll break all records. He's doing well... Almost too well."
"Todo Aoi, brother of another examinee we had our eyes on, Itadori Yuji." Nedzu gave a quick look at his file with a lowered head.
Present Mic hummed himself, scratching his chin in contemplation, "Ya know, I think the kid figured out Rescue Points." He recalled who the muscular weirdo was.
His good friend and fellow co-worker, Eraserhead inquired, "Your evidence?"
"A gut feeling, he was asking pretty pointed questions as well. I believe the Written Tests had already shown some kinda result right?" He turned to the overworked Ectoplasm with an expectant feeling.
The poor man sighed, "The woes of a man with a Cloning Quirk." He shook his head but turned to Present Mic with a nod.
Most looked at him with sympathetic looks.
Ectoplasm elaborated, "Yes, I believe I had managed to grade a good 200 tests. I'll see if his name comes up."
"Alright!" Present Mic gave a thumbs-up.
Nedzu grinned like a loon, "Hehe... We have quite the outstanding batch of first years this year."
Elbowing Eraserhead, Present Mic whispered not so subtly, "Lacking empathy for us poor teachers that might have to be their homerooms, am I right?!"
Eraserhead sighed with a thin line on his face, "Enduring his subtle sadism is within our contracts, unfortunately."
"HAHAHA GOT THAT RIGHT!"
...
All Might couldn't help but wonder whether taking up the mantle of a teacher here was even a good idea...
Speaking of good ideas...
'Young Midoriya! You need to think of something quick or else...!' He exclaimed in his mind with unbridled concern.
-------------------------------
Young Midoriya wasn't looking all too bright.
Battle Center A proved to be a brutal, chaotic mess.
Over a hundred examinees all at once, running around with their Quirks with a manic look on their faces as they hunted down every scrap of metal with a sign of '1-Point', '2-Points' or '3-Points'.
However, the robots were getting scarcer and scarcer.
And all the points Midoriya has managed to get thus far have been...
'0...' He sniffed, despair looming over him.
Worst of all, it seemed that he wasn't the only one struggling with points...
A resonating clap rang from afar, and Midoriya had already managed to piece together that whoever was responsible for the claps was the one teleporting others around.
Stealing their points.
He balled his fists.
There was no doubt, this was a brutal competitive environment.
You either step or get stepped on.
You either win or lose.
...
Unfortunately, he can only work with the latter, since, 'One For All isn't activating!' He internally screamed as he ran through the scraps of destroyed robots and other examinees with varying emotions on their faces.
Izuku Midoriya.
He was a hopelessly miserable, Quirkless mess.
A boy who dreamed of heroism.
He wanted nothing more than to be one.
His idol, the number 1 Hero of Japan and likely the world - All Might, served to crush his dreams further, stating he couldn't be a hero with no Quirk.
Dark thoughts rang in his mind, he would be ashamed to admit even the ill-advised idea of jumping off a roof and hoping for a better next life crossed his mind.
...
That was until his fateful act of rushing helplessly into danger to save another - Namely his 'Friend' Kacchan.
All Might took back his words, revealed his secret, and handed him...
His Quirk.
[One For All].
A stockpiling quirk that grew stronger with the passage of time, capable of being transferred from one generation to the next.
With how strong it was during All Might's time...
Given how strong it might just be right now.
Izuku had no choice but to prepare his body for the maelstrom of power he was about to wield, or else his body may explode from the power.
He trained, oh how he trained.
Harder than he ever did in his life.
Diet.
Sleep.
Food.
Missing classes to recover better.
Cleaning a trash-filled beach... On his own!
...
'Is this where it ends?' He couldn't help but weep internally, struggling to hold back tears.
He didn't want to disappoint All Might.
To embarrass him, to showcase that he was an unworthy successor.
Here he was... Given the likely strongest Quirk in existence...
And doing nothing with it.
All he had to do, was tap into it, clench his buttcheeks and yell...
His eyes widened as he turned a corner to an exceptionally narrow street, his eyes met with a two-pointer.
Biting his lips hard enough to draw blood, Izuku did not let this opportunity go.
He brought his right arm back, as he rushed towards the robot.
Power? coursed through his arm as he yelled, "SMA-"
CLAP.
That detestable reverberating clap rang aloud once again...
And Izuku was its target.
He was gone, appearing on a roof a little beyond the narrow alley.
With a lowered head, he could only watch with a hitched breath and ghastly expression.
Watching in horror as his only chance to get a scrap of a point was stolen by that very same crazy looking... Shirtless? muscular boy.
...
Clenching his fists, Izuku made his way down...
Regardless of how hopeless things looked for him.
He still dared to hope, to not give up.
If anything, that deserves some credit.
...
Little did Izuku know, that the Clap was only a prelude to the Clap Of Destiny soon to come.
-------------------------------
Back in Battle Center B, the bulldozing strategy was proving mighty effective for Yuji.
Only, for the first time, to be met with a slight disturbance after a good five minutes had passed.
"HOLD IT YOU BASTARD!" A loud, boisterous, and rather explosive voice called out to Yuji as he skidded to a stop from his speedy pursuit of all the poor robots who, had they known better, would have gone into hiding from the hunter of all things scrap and points.
Just as he cut through a corner, Yuji was met face to face with the very same haughty examinee who told others to not hold him back or he'd... 'Kill them'.
Blinking and relaxing his concentrated features, Yuji pointed a finger at himself, "Me?"
Katsuki Bakguo was absolutely livid, "YEAH BASTARD! YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME?! QUIT STANDING IN MY WAY!" He demanded, lifting his hands to threateningly let loose small explosions from his palms as he snarled.
...
With a fist in his palm, Yuji reached an understanding, "Oh I get it!" He seemed to reach an epiphany, much to Katsuki's rage and perplexion.
Yuji pointed a finger at him, "Dude, instead of worrying about me, shouldn't you be trying to get some points yourself? I think I've got..." He looked at his hands as he tried to count his fingers.
Much to Katsuki's utter bewilderment.
"Seventy Eighteen?" Yuji hazarded a guess, with a sweatdrop.
...He can count damn it!
...
Clicking his tongue audibly, Katsuki wasn't completely foolhardy, the bastard had a point.
He was busy trying to catch the bastard for a good five minutes, and he had a total of zero points as a consequence.
Five good minutes left for him to get some points, or else he risks not getting first place, hell even getting accepted would be put into question.
"I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU LATER!" He yelled as he propelled himself in the opposite direction, heading where Yuji hadn't yet bulldozed through.
...
As the explosive melody of chaos rang in Yuji's ears, sourcing from the surrounding Battle Center and others fighting the robots, Yuji couldn't help but admit as others entered his street.
"How's he planning on taking care of me exactly?" He wondered what he had done to incur the wrath of the mighty Bakugo Katsuki.
Not that he even knew who the pompous blonde was, regardless, the pink-haired former Jujutsu Sorceror headed off to continue dominating the exam, so to speak.
-------------------------------
With a single minute left on the clock for the ten-minute mock battles...
A thunderous announcement echoed in each of the Battle Centers.
[RELEASE THE ARENA TRAPS!]
It was shortly after the announcement, that each of the Battle Centers shook, as Nedzu's manic cackle was overshadowed and muted in comparison to the creaking and ominous sounds the 0-Pointer made...
In Battle Center B, all heads turned to view the Robot looming over even the buildings themselves, visible from every corner of the center...
"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" A dwarfish examinee with purple balls yelped aloud, pointing his gloved fingers at the robotic monstrosity, smartly scurrying his feet in the opposite direction.
Whilst Yuji, simply stood there with a gobsmacked expression, his jaw nearly hit the ground at the sheer size and epic proportions of the robot.
One of the main reasons for his shock though...
"T-The cost of something like this...!" He muttered in utter bewilderment, as examinees ran past him as the 0-Pointer crushed the very street he squeezed through, heading in Yuji's direction.
The poor man's mentality squeezed into his mental state throughout his time in this new reality seemed to have had unwanted consequences.
Namely, his newly obtained knack for appraising the cost of things.
Blinking and recollecting himself, Yuji scanned the surroundings, noting three of the examinees much too slow to escape the gigantic robot heading their way, its enormous arm ready to slam down.
He hadn't the luxury of questioning the safety of this exam or whether the 0-Pointer would stop short of squashing the other kids like flies.
With a burst of speed, Yuji quickly reached their side, noting their panicking features.
"Hold on!" He announced as he promptly picked each of them up and burst into a sprint to the other side of the street.
The robotic arm tried to strike them and Yuji, ending in failure as Yuji swiftly fled the strike trajectory.
The street rumbled as the wind blew in great force at the monstrosity's weighty force, leaving behind a cracked road with a fist embedded in it.
"Thanks, man! You're a lifesaver!"
"Appreciate it!"
Two of them thanked him, and the third kept quiet and nodded respectfully.
Smiling at them, Yuji gave a thumbs-up, "No problem! You better get away I'll take care of this guy." He pointed at the 0-Pointer.
"We've got less than a minute, we can all run and just ignore him." They counter-suggested.
...
Furrowing his brows, Yuji noted the surroundings, seeing no other examinees particularly in danger or in the 0-Pointer's direction...
"Ya got a point. Let's go!" He agreed with a nod, ultimately deciding against destroying something so...
Expensive.
...
Destroying it for the heck of it just cause he could wouldn't be nice, now would it?
-------------------------------
Within Battle Center A...
There he stood, with a minute left.
No points in his pocket.
Standing in front of a robotic titan that bulldozed its way through the urban street in front of him.
Izuku Midoriya's legs froze, as all ran away from the robot except for him.
After all, there was no point in fighting it, right?
...
However, there was a reason for Izuku to not move.
After a powerful blow to the side of a building, rubble fell on top of an examinee.
It was no one special.
Not even the cute girl he sort of, kind of, talked to earlier.
...
It was a person in danger, in need.
In need of saving.
In a short few seconds, the 0-Pointer will run over the examinee, injuring and perhaps even endangering his life.
At that realization, all doubt left his mind.
Power, unimaginable power coursed through his body as it reinforced his limbs way beyond the normal human limit.
It was only fitting, that in the time of someone else's need, One For All had heeded his call.
In fact, Izuku wouldn't have had it any other way.
He could hear the audible cracking of his bones as the power coursed.
Rising at a speed greater than that of a bullet shot from the chambers of a rifle, he jumped.
What he failed to notice, however, was that a CLAP resonated...
The ground cracked and tremored from the incredible force of the leap, and in an instant, Izuku was in the air, with a pair of broken legs and in front of the large metallic head of the 0-Pointer.
He clenched his buttcheeks and winded up his right arm for a punch, the very same power coursing through it as his sleeve tore apart from the force.
And he yelled with all his might...
"SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!" His tiny fist was met with the metal head of the robot.
And a resonating boom reverberated across the Battle Center and beyond.
The metal head was cleanly blown off in an explosion, as the 0-Pointer promptly malfunctioned and was defeated in a single, clean blow.
Unimaginable pain coursed through Izuku's arms and legs, as they flailed around loosely, all the bones shattered as he plummeted to the ground at breakneck speed.
The only reason for him staying conscious was the adrenaline and sheer perseverance, his head lowered to see the ground getting closer and closer.
'I have to break my fall!' He yelled in his mind, as tears ran along his face.
He tried to wind up his fist to punch the ground...
Only for...
CLAP.
Blinking, Izuku found himself across the street from the destroyed 0-Pointer.
Turning his head despite the agony, he is met with a strange sight.
The debris that held the examinee seemed to have been cleared.
Turning his head once more, the examinee he had wanted to save seemed to have already been saved by another.
As he held the last vestiges of his consciousness, Izuku couldn't help but smile that the examinee was okay and safe.
He didn't care who did it and why, as long as the person in danger was safe and sound.
A powerful impact of something hitting the ground resonated, Izuku turned his head to see someone else had taken the fall for him.
The muscular, shirtless figure of...
Todo Aoi.
And with the rising of his dusty, scratched figure from the impact crater, an announcement rang loudly.
[IT'S OVER! THE TEST IS OVER! EVERYONE STOP!]
...
At that, Izuku allowed himself to drop like a puppet whose strings were cut, pain coursing through his body as he descended into the land of unconsciousness.
To Be Continued!
-Author Note Start-
Hello hello my lovelies!
Been a while, hasn't it?
I'M FOR REAL REAL.
Anywho!
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and it was up to snuff in quality n stuff.
Love you and cya! Bu bye!
I'll also appreciate any and all constructive criticism and feedback regarding the characters that appear in this fic (Especially my representation of the Bruzzahs.)
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