Chapter 230 - 229: Way Stronger

Location: UA High School - Campus Grounds

Time: Few Minutes Before

Izuku Midoriya adjusted the collar of his black middle school uniform.

Step. Step.

He stepped off the grass and merged onto the wide paved path leading toward the main building.

Hundreds of examinees walked around him. The crowd was loud.

"Look at the size of this place..." a kid with spiky red hair muttered ahead of him.

"My stomach is doing backflips," another student groaned, holding his chest. "Did you hear about the mock scores from Somei Academy?"

Izuku ignored the chatter. He kept a steady walking rhythm.

His back was straight.

He kept his hands out of his pockets to maintain a balanced center of gravity.

Underneath his uniform, he felt the solid, flat weight of the neural link embedded against his lower spine.

His muscles were completely relaxed. Years of experience as a vigilante and strict training made walking through a dense, unpredictable crowd feel entirely normal.

BUMP.

Someone clipped his shoulder hard.

Izuku didn't stumble. He knew who it was.

He just stopped and looked to his left.

Katsuki Bakugo walked past him. Bakugo had his uniform unbuttoned at the collar.

His hands were shoved deep into his pockets. He stopped a few feet ahead and looked back over his shoulder.

"Don't trip over your own feet before we even get inside, Deku" Bakugo scoffed. "I'm going to take first place..."

Izuku didn't react to the attitude. He knew exactly what that meant. It was Bakugo's weird, aggressive way of acknowledging him.

Izuku gave a single, calm nod. "Kacchan..."

"Tsk." Bakugo clicked his tongue, turned his head forward, and kept walking.

Izuku took a few more steps. A girl walking slightly to his right suddenly stopped.

HUFF-PUFF.

She clutched her backpack straps, breathing fast and shallow.

"Ah... my stomach is really doing flips," she muttered to herself. She looked at Izuku. "Are you scared?"

"..."

Izuku looked at her.

"A little," Izuku answered casually. "But you're locking your shoulders stifly."

Ochaco Uraraka blinked. She looked down at her own tense arms.

"Take shallow breaths," Izuku continued. "If the exam starts and your muscles are tight like that, you'll pull something immediately. Take a deep breath. Hold it for three seconds. Let it out slow."

HUFF-PUFF.

HUFF-PUFF.

HUFF-PUFF.

Ochaco followed the instruction. She took a deep breath, held it, and exhaled slowly. Her shoulders dropped instantly.

"Wow. That actually helped a lot," Ochaco smiled, her round face lighting up. "I'm Ochaco Uraraka."

"Izuku Midoriya," he replied, nodding politely. "Good luck in there."

He kept walking toward the auditorium, leaving Ochaco feeling relaxed.

...

Location: UA High School - Main Auditorium

The massive room buzzed with anxious chatter.

Thousands of students sat in the tiered rows.

Izuku sat in his designated seat and looked at his printed examinee card. Battle Center B. He scanned the rows around him.

Bakugo sat a few rows down. He was assigned to a completely different center.

The girl from outside, Uraraka, sat in a different section holding a card for Center B. A tall kid with glasses nearby also held a B card.

The auditorium lights dimmed.

Present Mic stepped up to the brightly lit stage podium.

"WELCOME TO MY LIVE SHOW, EXAMINEES!" Present Mic yelled, spreading his arms wide. "EVERYBODY SAY HEY!"

"..."

"..."

Silence.

Absolute dead silence swept across the thousands of students.

Present Mic leaned into the microphone. "TOUGH CROWD! ALRIGHT, LISTENERS! I'LL GIVE YOU THE RUNDOWN ON THE PRACTICAL EXAM!"

A massive screen lit up behind him, displaying a map of the different battle centers.

"YOU WILL ALL BE CONDUCTING TEN-MINUTE MOCK URBAN BATTLES!" Present Mic explained loudly. "AFTER THIS PRESENTATION, YOU WILL HEAD TO YOUR ASSIGNED GATES AND CHANGE INTO YOUR GEAR! YOU CAN BRING WHATEVER SUPPORT ITEMS YOU WANT!"

Tap.

He pressed a button.

The screen shifted to show three pixelated robot silhouettes.

"THREE TYPES OF VILLAINS ARE STATIONED IN EVERY BATTLE CENTER!" Present Mic announced. "THEY ARE WORTH ONE, TWO, OR THREE POINTS BASED ON THEIR DIFFICULTY! YOUR GOAL IS TO RACK UP A HIGH SCORE BY USING YOUR QUIRKS TO DISABLE THEM!"

Izuku watched the screen carefully. 'This robots were the ones in the sports festival last year right?'

A tall student suddenly stood up straight in his row.

It was the kid with glasses Izuku noticed earlier. He raised his hand rigidly into the air.

"Excuse me!" Tenya Iida spoke loudly, his voice carrying over the quiet crowd. "May I ask a question?"

A spotlight hit him immediately.

"ON THE AIR!" Present Mic pointed at him.

Tenya held up the UA printout. "This document clearly states there are four types of villains! If this is a misprint, then UA, the most prominent school in Japan, should be ashamed of this foolish mistake! We examinees are here because we seek guidance to become exemplary heroes!"

Tenya turned around sharply. He pointed a stiff finger directly at a random student sitting two rows behind him.

"And you!" Tenya scolds. "You have been muttering and whispering this entire time! Stop distracting everyone! If you cannot take this seriously, leave immediately!"

The random student shrank down in his seat, embarrassed.

Izuku watched Tenya quietly. The tall kid was strict, taking the entire process incredibly seriously.

"OKAY, OKAY, EXAMINEE NUMBER 7111!" Present Mic waved his hand. "THANKS FOR THE CATCH! THE FOURTH VILLAINS ARE WORTH ZERO POINTS!"

The screen shifted again to show a massive, looming robot silhouette.

"IT'S AN OBSTACLE! THERE IS ONE IN EVERY BATTLE CENTER!" Present Mic explained. "IT WILL GO CRAZY IN NARROW SPACES! IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO DEFEAT, BUT THERE'S NO REASON TO FIGHT IT! I RECOMMEND YOU ALL JUST RUN AWAY FROM IT!"

Tenya bowed deeply. "Thank you very much! Please excuse my interruption!" He sat back down quickly.

Present Mic cleared his throat and stepped away from the podium slightly.

"THAT'S ALL FROM ME, LISTENERS!" Present Mic yelled, throwing his hands up in the air. "I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH A QUOTE FROM THE GREAT HERO NAPOLEON BONAPARTE! A TRUE HERO IS ONE WHO OVERCOMES LIFE'S MISFORTUNES! GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!"

...

Location: UA High School - Faculty Observation Room

The dark observation room hummed with the sound of server racks.

Dozens of glowing monitors lined the front wall, showing live camera feeds from all six fake city battle centers.

Nemuri Kayama leaned against the back railing, holding a steaming paper cup of coffee.

She looked to her right.

Makoto sat on a high metal stool, watching the monitors closely.

Nemuri smirked. She tapped Makoto's shoulder lightly.

"You look different today," Nemuri said quietly, keeping her voice under the chatter of the other teachers.

Makoto didn't look away from the screens. "What do you mean?"

"You're glowing," Nemuri teased, taking a sip of her coffee. "You have that specific look. Did you finally get a boyfriend? Come on, spill the details."

Makoto smiled. It was a completely relaxed, genuine smile.

She turned her head away from the monitors. She looked across the room.

Kaito stood near the front console, talking quietly with Principal Nezu and All Might.

Kaito wore a simple black dress shirt, his hands resting casually in his pockets.

Makoto looked right at him, her smile widening just a fraction.

Then she looked back at the screens. She didn't say a single word.

Nemuri followed her gaze. She looked at Kaito. She looked back at Makoto.

"..."

Nemuri's eyes went wide.

She almost choked on her coffee. She covered her mouth with her free hand, processing the information instantly.

She had her own slight crush on the Golden Manager, but seeing Makoto's quiet, undeniable confirmation shut that down immediately.

Nemuri just grinned and slightly lost. After all, she also invited Kaito last valentines day but she was rejected.

"Right," Nemuri whispered, leaning closer to Makoto. "I see how it is."

'It seems I'm too late... No, they aren't even married yet.'

...

"Are they ready?" Kaito asked, turning away from Nezu.

Vlad King checked the tablet in his hand. "All students have changed into their gear and are standing by the gates."

...

Location: Battle Center B - Starting Gates

THUD.

The heavy metal doors began to slide apart.

SWOOOSH.

Izuku didn't wait for the gap to widen. He sprinted straight through the opening.

BOOOM. SWIIISH.

Tenya Iida reacted a split second later. His calf engines flared, and he dashed right behind Izuku.

"..."

The rest of the examinees froze. They stared at the open doors.

"Hey, wait!" a student in the front yelled. "They already started! Go! Go!"

Panic hit the crowd.

Hundreds of examinees scrambled forward, activating their quirks and flooding into the fake city.

Izuku ran down the center of the main street. His black undersuit clung tightly to his packed muscles.

The neural link sat flat and hidden against his spine, powering the entire system silently.

CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.

Three blocky, green 1-Pointers rolled out from an alleyway.

BZZT.

They turned their optical sensors toward him and raised their metal arms.

Izuku didn't slow down.

He focused a single thought through the neural link.

The black nanobots on his right forearm shifted.

His microbots was upgraded furthermore. Right now it became nanosized.

CLING.

They extruded outward and locked together in a microsecond, forming a solid black bo staff in his grip.

SWOOSH.

He slid on the asphalt, ducking under a clumsy mechanical punch.

CLANG. BAAM.

Izuku swung the staff hard.

CRUMBLE.

The reinforced nanobots smashed directly through the first robot's knee joint. The leg snapped backward.

The robot dropped.

THUD.

Izuku planted the staff on the ground and vaulted himself into the air.

He flipped over the second robot. Mid-air, he sent another thought to the suit.

The staff dissolved.

SWISH-SWOSH.

The nanobots flowed down to his boots, forming heavy, spiked cleats.

SMASH.

Izuku dropped from the sky.

He drove both heels directly into the top of the second robot's head.

BAAAM.

The metal caved in.

"This robots are much more easier than I thought."

Izuku landed in a crouch, rolled forward, and sprinted toward the third target.

SWIISH.

...

[EIGHT MINUTES REMAINING, LISTENERS!] Present Mic's voice echoed over the city speakers. [THE CLOCK IS TICKING!]

The testing site turned into a chaotic warzone.

"Release!" Ochaco Uraraka yelled.

She pressed her fingertips together.

A 1-Pointer floating high in the air suddenly dropped, crashing into the pavement.

Ochaco leaned against a wall and covered her mouth, her face turning pale green.

A few streets away, Yuga Aoyama fired a sparkling laser from his belt, blowing the head off a 2-Pointer.

"Ouch..." Aoyama groaned, grabbing his stomach and bending over.

And on another part of the examination site, Eijiro Kirishima was also destroying robots left and right.

"Haha.. Take my manly punch!!"

BAAAM. BOOM. CLAANG.

...

Groups of unnamed examinees ran through the streets, looking frantic.

"Where are the robots?!" a girl shouted, holding a metal pipe.

"The main plaza is completely clear!" a boy yelled back. "Some green-haired guy took all of them!"

On the east side of the city, Tenya Iida found a group of 3-Pointers.

He applied the exact training Kaito designed for him.

Silent Velocity.

Tenya idled his calf engines, matching the pitch and frequency of a nearby explosion.

He sprinted forward without making a single sound.

He closed the distance before the 3-Pointers even turned their sensors.

He planted his left foot.

Tenya stood perfectly still.

SWIISH. BAAM.

He executed a point-blank kick and shifted his engines from zero to maximum RPM at the exact microsecond of physical impact.

CRUMBLE.

The sudden kinetic transfer multiplied the concussive force.

The heavy armor of the 3-Pointer shattered completely. The robot blew apart into scrap metal.

...

[FIVE MINUTES LEFT!] Present Mic announced. [WE ARE HALFWAY THERE! POINTS ARE DRYING UP!]

"I need a better vantage point." Tenya said as he looked around the perimeter.

He activated his quirk again.

Exhaust Compression.

BAM. BAM. BAM.

He fired his leg engines in micro-bursts.

The rapid exhaust gas trapped directly under his boots created a solid cushion of air.

SWISH. SWISH.

Tenya kicked off the empty air, changing direction completely to land safely on a low roof.

He looked across the street.

He spotted Izuku.

Izuku moved like a seasoned street fighter. A 2-Pointer swung a heavy arm at him.

He shot a grapple line from his wrist.

He swung around a streetlamp, dodging the hit entirely, and dropped right into the middle of a fresh group of robots.

CLING. CLING.

The nanobots shifted instantly.

A heavy combat shield formed on his left arm. A short sword formed on his right.

Izuku blocked a punch with the shield, stepped inside the robot's guard, and drove the sword through the main battery line.

He spun around, using his leg muscles to deliver a raw, unassisted roundhouse kick to a second robot's neck.

BAAM. BOOM.

He fought with terrifying, calculated brutality.

"This guy..." Tenya gripped his pants tightly.

He watched the fluid martial arts and the shifting suit.

He realized this examinee was matching his multi-million yen training plan step for step.

...

[THREE MINUTES!] Present Mic's voice blared again. [IF YOU DON'T HAVE POINTS NOW, YOU BETTER START RUNNING!]

"My points should be enough right?" Izuku stood on the edge of a four-story building.

He looked down at the streets below.

The area was completely cleared. He did a quick mental count.

He had destroyed around seventy robots.

He looked a few blocks over.

He saw other examinees panicking, trying to find scrap points to pass the exam.

Huff-puff.

Izuku took a deep breath.

"Let's live the rest for others..."

He decided to stop hunting.

If he took any more, he would just be stealing chances from the others.

He stood on the ledge and watched.

Down on the street, Tenya made the exact same calculation.

A lone 2-Pointer rolled out of a damaged building.

"This is mine!"

"Get out of the way!!"

A group of desperate examinees rushed it with their quirks flaring.

Tenya powered down his engines.

"I don't know if my points is higher than that green haired examinee."

He stepped back and let them take the kill. He already had enough points to secure a top spot.

Tenya looked up.

Izuku looked down.

They locked eyes across the ruined street. It seems that they both have the same ideas.

Both of them acknowledge one another.

...

Location: UA High School - Faculty Observation Room

The dark room buzzed with the low chatter of the pro heroes.

Dozens of monitors lined the front wall.

They displayed live feeds from Battle Centers A through F.

The teachers stood leaning against the metal railings, holding coffee cups and tablets. They watched the examinees fight across the different fake cities.

"Look at the examinee in Sector C," Snipe said, pointing a gloved finger at the top right screen. "She has a solid long-range quirk. Good aim. She knows how to keep his distance and dissolve the robots."

"The group in Sector D is doing well too," Ectoplasm added, adjusting his collar. "Especially that examinee with a shadow quirk and the one with a electricity quirk."

Hound Dog crossed his arms and let out a low grunt of agreement.

Vlad King tapped his tablet. He brought the feed from Battle Center A to the massive center screen.

Vlad King said loudly. "Look at Sector A. This kid is hoarding everything."

The teachers turned their attention to the center monitor.

Katsuki Bakugo was tearing through a group of 3-Pointers.

He didn't stand back and throw massive explosions.

He sprinted directly at the machines.

BOOM.

Bakugo fired a small blast from his left palm to redirect his momentum mid-air.

He spun around a mechanical punch. He landed on the robot's shoulder, grabbed the heavy metal plating, and flipped himself over its back.

BAAM.

He unleashed a point-blank blast directly into the robot's exhaust port, blowing it to pieces.

"His combat move is insane," Cementoss noted, looking at the live scoreboard on his own screen. "He already broke a hundred villain points. He isn't relying on raw quirk output. He is using high-level martial arts and force redirection."

"He's the only real fighter in that site," Snipe said, leaning over the railing. "He doesn't have any competition. He's just taking out every target he sees."

Shota Aizawa stood in the back corner of the room. He had his yellow sleeping bag zipped up to his chin.

"Check Sector B," Aizawa said, his voice flat.

Snipe pressed a button on the console. The main screen switched to Battle Center B.

The streets were completely empty. Broken robot parts and scorched concrete littered the entire block.

"There's nothing left," Vlad King muttered.

The camera panned up to the rooftops.

Izuku Midoriya stood on the ledge of a building, his black suit blending into the shadows. The camera split, showing Tenya Iida standing in an alleyway down below. Both of them had stopped fighting.

"Those two wiped the entire map," Snipe said, tapping his chin. "The green-haired kid and the engine kid. They split the points right down the middle."

"What exactly is that green-haired kid's quirk?" Ectoplasm asked, staring at the screen. "Metal manipulation? The weapons form around his hands instantly."

"Whatever it is, it's strong," Vlad Kind agreed. "He fights like a pro. His movements is perfect."

Kaito stood a few feet away from the main group of teachers.

Makoto stood quietly beside him. Kaito held a cup of green tea.

He stepped back into the shadows, moving closer to All Might and Principal Nezu.

Kuro was beside against All Might always sneaking glances at Kaito.

"Meow.."

Of which Kaito also remember this cat. After all this was the same cat that turned into a monster cat bus years ago and he helped it.

He kept his voice very low. The other teachers couldn't hear him over the noise of the monitors.

"Is that him, Toshinori?" Kaito asked softly even if he already knows. "Your successor?"

All Might looked down at Kaito. He gave a small, proud nod.

"He is the boy I chose," All Might whispered back.

"So you already gave your quirk to him?"

"... Well" All Might scratched his head.

Principal Nezu stood on a tall stool next to them. He leaned closer to Kaito.

"He refused the quirk," Nezu whispered, keeping his tone light but serious. "Midoriya chose to take the exam on his own merit. He is completely quirkless."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. He looked back at the monitor. He really didn't know what was happening to the other people in this world.

But he was surprised that Midoriya was way different from his memories.

After all he didn't snoop and watch others life.

"He is using a support gear from David Shield's company that they created" Nezu explained quietly. "It is advanced microbot technology. Everything you see on that screen is the result of pure physical training and martial arts."

Kaito watched the screen. He saw Izuku standing perfectly still on the roof.

Izuku actively let the remaining, panicked students fight over the last few 1-Pointers. He knew when to stop.

Kaito took a sip of his tea.

"He's good," Kaito muttered softly. This time Kaito really believed it. After all watching Midoriya for the past few minutes using martial arts and technology, he was like Batman.

"He has the heart of a true hero," All Might smiled, his sunken eyes locked on the monitor. "He just needs to show it to the world."

"Well," Kaito said, looking at a different monitor. "He's about to get his chance."

On the far left screen, a massive red warning light started flashing.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The ground in all Sectors began to shake violently. The zero-point obstacle was deploying.

...

Location: Battle Center B

[ONE MINUTE REMAINING!] Present Mic announced.

Izuku stood on the edge of a brick roof, looking down at the street.

The area was completely cleared. Broken robot parts littered the asphalt.

Smoke drifted up from crushed battery packs.

"Huff-puff."

He took a slow breath, letting his heart rate drop.

He knew he had over eighty points. He didn't need to hunt down the stragglers.

He looked down the street and saw the girl he met at the gate, Uraraka.

She was using her quirk to make pieces of broken concrete float, then releasing them to drop on a lone 1-Pointer.

She looked exhausted, but she was still fighting.

"Gravity quirk?*

Izuku stepped back from the ledge. He decided to stay out of her way and let her secure her points.

RUMBLE.

The brick roof under his boots vibrated.

"Hmm?"

Izuku turned his head.

The glass windows of the office building across the street shattered simultaneously.

BAAANG.

A colossal metal fist smashed through the structure.

CRUMBLE. CRUMBLE.

The entire building collapsed inward, sending a massive cloud of dust and debris washing over the city blocks.

The Zero Pointer rolled forward on heavy tank treads.

It was four stories tall. Its red optical sensor locked onto the street below.

The remaining students on the ground stopped running. They stared up at the giant machine in pure terror.

"Run!" someone yelled from the intersection.

The examinees turned and sprinted in the opposite direction.

Izuku watched from the roof. He saw everyone retreating.

"This is the last hurdle?"

The logical move was to leave the area and wait for the buzzer.

"Ow!"

The sharp cry cut through the sound of the grinding tank treads.

Izuku looked down preparing to save her. "I can't reach her in time..."

Uraraka was on the ground.

She tripped on a piece of rebar sticking out of the concrete.

She clutched her ankle, pushing herself backward.

​The Zero Pointer raised its right arm. The shadow of its fist fell directly over her.

SWIISH.

​Izuku dived off the four-story roof.

​The nanobots extruded from his wrist.

​THWIP.

​He fired a grapple line at a streetlamp to swing himself down to the street.

​FWOOSH.

​A streak of blue exhaust fire tore down the road.

Tenya Iida burned his calf engines to maximum output. He crossed the horizontal distance instantly.

​Tenya scooped Uraraka off the ground just as Izuku landed on the pavement next to them.

​BAAAM.

​The giant fist slammed into the street, cracking the pavement exactly where Uraraka just sat.

​Izuku looked at Tenya.

​"Get her back," Izuku said quickly.

​Tenya nodded, holding Uraraka securely.

​"Wait!" Uraraka yelled, looking at Izuku. "Are you crazy? Run!"

​Izuku looked up at the looming robot.

​"It's too big," Izuku explained, his voice dead serious. "Look at the street. Examinee are panicking and tripping over each other. If this thing keeps walking, the rubble is going to crush someone. I need to distract and take its aggro."

​Tenya looked at the scrambling crowd. He knew the robot was worth zero points.

He knew the logical move was to retreat. He looked back at Izuku's eyes.

​"Understood," Tenya said. He turned and carried Uraraka away from the drop zone.

​Izuku stepped forward.

​The Zero Pointer locked its red optical sensor onto him. It raised its massive left arm to swat him away.

​Izuku stood his ground. He sent a command through the neural link.

​CLING. CLING.

​The nanobots peeled off his forearms. They formed two heavy grapple launchers mounted directly to his wrists.

​BANG. BANG.

​He fired both lines.

The metal cables shot across the gap and embedded deep into the armor plating of the robot's shoulder joints.

​Izuku hit the winch trigger.

​SWOOSH.

​The cables retracted violently. Izuku launched himself into the air.

​He flew directly toward the robot's chest.

The Zero Pointer swung its left hand to crush him mid-air.

​Izuku detached the left cable.

He kept the right cable anchored. He used the tension to swing his entire body in a wide arc, dodging the incoming fist completely.

SWIISH-SWOOOSH.

​Izuku moved like a blur.

​He released the right cable and launched himself upward.

Mid-air, the nanobots retracted the launchers and instantly formed two long, serrated swords.

​CLANG.

​Izuku landed on the robot's extended arm. He sprinted straight up the metal casing.

​SLASH.

​He dragged the swords through the thick hydraulic cables in the elbow joint.

The cables snapped.

The entire left arm lost pressure and dropped dead to the side.

THUD.

​The robot jerked. It brought its right hand up to grab him.

​Izuku jumped off the arm.

THUMP. SWISH.

He fired a quick grapple line into the robot's chest, swung underneath the grasping hand, and launched himself up toward the neck.

​Izuku didn't take a single hit.

​He reached the apex of his jump, right in front of the robot's head.

​The hidden power source pulsed, feeding raw energy into the suit.

​Izuku shifted every single nanobot from the swords down to his legs.

The black metal formed massive, piston-driven greaves around his boots.

​He twisted his body in the air. He channeled his physical momentum and the raw kinetic force of the suit into a single, devastating strike.

"GO DOWN!"

​He delivered a double axe-kick directly into the robot's neck joint.

​CRACK. BAAAM.

​The metal sheared.

The pistons fired, driving the strike completely through the structural support.

CLANG. SNAP.

​The Zero Pointer's head snapped off the chassis entirely.

CRACKLE-CRICKLE.

​The giant machine short-circuited. The headless body tilted backward and crashed down into the ruined street.

​CRUMBLE.

​Dust blasted across the fake city.

THWIP.

​Izuku fired a grapple line to a nearby building. He swung out of the dust cloud and landed perfectly on top of a streetlight.

The nanobots retracted back into his suit, resting flush against his skin.

​He stood on the pole and checked his breathing.

​But entire site went dead silent.

"..."

"..."

​The examinees stopped running. They turned around and stared at the smoking remains of the four-story robot.

​Uraraka sat on the ground a block away. Her eyes were wide. She stared up at the boy on the streetlight.

​"Izuku..." Uraraka muttered.

​A few other students stood nearby, jaws dropped.

​"It's that guy again..." a boy whispered.

​"What kind of quirk lets someone do that?" a girl asked, staring at the severed robot head.

​Tenya stood near Uraraka. He stared at the crushed robot. He looked up at Izuku.

​'I need to train more.' Tenya clenched his hands into tight fists. He pushed his engines to the absolute limit just to run away.

Izuku dismantled the machine in seconds without taking a scratch.

Tenya felt the massive gap in their combat experience and abilities. He realized he had a very long way to go.

​[TIMEEEEEEE'S UP!] Present Mic's voice blared over the speakers. [THE EXAM IS OVER!]

...

[TIMEEEEEEE'S UP!] Present Mic's voice blared over the speakers. [THE EXAM IS OVER!]

Location: Battle Center A

Smoke filled the entire street.

Half a city block was completely leveled.

Chunks of concrete and twisted rebar covered the ground.

Katsuki Bakugo stood in the middle of the rubble.

"Huff-puff..."

He was breathing heavily. Thick smoke drifted from both of his palms.

A few feet away from him, the Zero Pointer was lying flat on its back.

Bakugo fought the machine head-on. He swept the massive tank treads and unleashed maximum-output explosions directly into its chest plate.

BZZT.

But the robot wasn't dead.

Its red optical sensor flickered. Its mechanical arms twitched weakly against the broken pavement.

"Tch," Bakugo clicked his tongue.

He glared at the twitching machine. He was incredibly frustrated.

He pushed his body to the absolute limit, but he couldn't completely vaporize the massive robot before the buzzer rang.

...

Location: Faculty Observation Room

The teachers watched the live feed from Battle Center A.

"His raw output is terrifying," Cementoss said, looking at his tablet. "Examinee Bakugo scored over a hundred villain points. He actually knocked the zero-point obstacle off its treads."

Snipe leaned against the railing and shook his head.

"Look at the collateral damage," Snipe pointed out. "He destroyed half the block to do it."

Ectoplasm stepped forward and tapped the main console.

"Then look at Sector B," he said.

The main screen switched back to Izuku and Tenya.

"The engine kid secured the trapped civilian first," he explained, pointing at Tenya. "Then the green-haired kid stepped in. He deliberately drew the aggro. He kept the machine away from the panicked crowd and dismantled it."

Vlad King crossed his arms, staring at the cleanly severed robot head on the street.

"Zero collateral damage," Vlad King noted. "He neutralized a four-story threat and left the street completely intact."

All Might stood near the front of the room.

'Good work! Midoriya-shonen...' He gripped the metal railing with both of his hands. He leaned forward, staring at Izuku on the screen.

A massive, silent smile spread across his face. He was trembling slightly. His chosen successor acted exactly like a true hero.

Shota Aizawa watched from the dark corner of the room.

"Hmm? What's wrong with this guy?" His tired eyes shifted from the monitor to All Might.

He noticed the intense reaction. Aizawa narrowed his eyes slightly, filing that detail away for later.

Principal Nezu stood on a tall chair next to the console.

TAP. TAP.

He typed quickly on his tablet. He calculated the hidden rescue points for both Tenya, Izuku and Bakugo.

"Well then," Nezu announced cheerfully, looking up at the teachers. "It looks like the entrance exam results this year are going to break multiple historical records."

Kaito stood in the back, holding his cup of green tea.

He looked at the monitors.

He saw Bakugo's smoking palms in Sector A. He saw Izuku standing calmly on the streetlight in Sector B.

Makoto leaned against his shoulder.

"This incoming freshman class is really intense," Makoto said quietly.

Kaito took a sip of his tea.

He gave a small, relaxed smile.

"Yeah," Kaito replied. "The villains operating in Japan are going to have a really bad time in a few years."

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(9 Advanced Chapters)

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JJK: I'm a Kamo Extra and I Refused to Die and Became No-Life King