The voice of All Might boomed out with such force, it made Izuku's study table vibrate slightly from the sheer intensity—!
"Wait... is this an actual live feed—?"
"I AM HERE MERELY AS A RECORDED VIDEO!!!"
"...Okay, then."
Inside the video, the No. 1 Hero stood at the center of a stage that looked like it came straight out of a flashy game show, complete with a giant screen behind him—one proudly displaying the U.A. logo.
He presented himself with his usual high energy... but quickly composed himself with a small cough.
"I had to do some paperwork that ate up most of my time, so I haven't been able to contact you..."
His expression turned slightly guilty, as he gave a small, apologetic bow.
"For that... I apologize if I made you worry."
"All Might..."
"...That is, if you actually waited for me," he quickly lifted his head again, flashing a toothy, gleaming grin. "I bet you didn't even care enough to check the exam result yet, did you~?"
"Ahaha, guilty as charged."
"HAHAHA~! I knew it! I can already imagine you laughing along with me! I probably worried for nothing, because just look at this—"
All Might turned and tapped the screen behind him. It flickered once before changing into a simple scoreboard with two categories:
[ VILLAIN | RESCUE ]
[ 46 | 30 ]
"This... is your EXAM SCORE!"
Izuku leaned in slightly, eyes narrowing with focus. He stared at the numbers, trying to piece together their meaning. But based on what he remembered during the exam... the puzzle pieces were beginning to align.
"You racked up quite the points from smashing those villainous robots," All Might said, pointing at the first number, "but you also earned something even more valuable..."
He then gestured toward the other number.
"'Rescue' points...?"
"—HAHAHA! You've made me proud, young man!" All Might exclaimed with shining pride.
The screen behind him flickered again—this time switching to a video feed.
A video of Izuku, holding and carrying a brunette girl from the rubble during the exam—!
"...! That girl—"
It was Uraraka Ochako!
The video feed even showed the recording from before she was rescued… the moment where she had been trapped under rubble caused by the 'Zero Pointer.'
And of course—
[SMASH—!]
It then showed the moment where the 'Kamen Rider'—clad in his ebony boxing form—saved her by obliterating the Zero Pointer in a single blow.
"—Saving a damsel in distress... Now that's a classic heroic deed! Well done!" All Might continued to shower praises onto the somewhat bashful Izuku.
Izuku, though... could only wear a wry smile.
He wasn't even sure if he was supposed to be glad for receiving points for that "heroic deed"—especially when he had done it purely to save a friend...
"The judges would've rewarded you with even more points..."
All Might said this as his proud smile gradually shifted into a solemn one.
The screen showed once again the aftermath of that devastating attack on the Zero Pointer.
The destruction of multiple blocks of the faux urban city... all from sending that giant mech villain flying.
"...But you received some heavy criticism regarding the amount of destruction," All Might admitted, voice low with frustration, "which unfortunately affected your overall 'Rescue' score. How vexing, I say..."
Izuku could only offer an exasperated smile in response to All Might's sympathy.
"Well... I already expected as much."
"NEVERTHELESS, MY BOY—!"
All Might suddenly boomed, drawing Izuku's attention back to him.
"—What matters now is that you did well in this entrance exam! Your written score too—I dare say, you aced it! And so, combine with your amazing score from the practical portion..."
The mighty hero tapped the screen behind him once more—and as it flickered—
All Might gave Izuku...
A Thumbs Up!
[YOU PASSED!]
"CONGRATULATIONS, YOUNG MIDORIYA—! WELCOME TO U.A.!!!"
Izuku fell silent, staring at the frozen frame of All Might giving him a proud thumbs up.
A complex mix of emotions welled up inside of him...
Happiness. Excitement. Bashfulness.
Yet at the same time.
He also felt a heavy emotion of doubt... a feeling that he wasn't sure if he deserved this spot.
He was one step closer to becoming a hero... and yet...
'...Why am I still hesitating...?'
However, his moment of self-reflection was interrupted—
"Ah, but before I forget—there's... one more thing you ought to know, Young Midoriya."
Izuku looked back to the projected image... and saw how his (former) hero idol held a more... serious expression.
"Even if your final score didn't make the cut..." All Might paused, letting his words sink in, "there was no scenario where U.A. would've turned you away."
Izuku raised an eyebrow at All Might's rather scandalous-sounding statement.
All Might tapped the screen behind him again. It flickered, then promptly showed the previous recording feed of Izuku's Kamen Rider persona during the exam.
But... Izuku had already pieced together the implication.
"Your persona as the masked vigilante—the Kamen Rider—it has become a matter of great concern," All Might admitted with a stern tone. "U.A. has decided to take responsibility for what you represent... and what you've created—your suit, your strength, your very presence, even."
He paused briefly before continuing,
"You are quite the anomaly... and thus, U.A. has taken several measures to help you integrate properly into the institute."
All Might began listing them off with his fingers.
"—Preventing further information from spreading about your second persona... as much as we can for now, at least. Then, registering your Kamen Rider 'gear' as official hero support equipment, and along with it, updating your quirk's official registry... These are just a few of the many steps taken by U.A.—so far!"
All Might gave Izuku a pointed look—a clear reminder of the stir he had caused with his 'Kamen Rider' act during the entrance exam.
Izuku could only offer a wry smile, somewhat guilty for all the trouble he'd caused U.A, especially to All Might as well.
All Might eventually let out a sigh... before offering a reassuring smile.
"...Don't let it get to you too much, young man," he said, his voice softening. "Let me be clear—U.A. is on your side. And so am I. We're all looking out for your best interests here... alright?"
He gave the camera a firm nod.
"We've got your back, young Midoriya."
Izuku was stunned by All Might's sincerity. He was honestly taken aback by the weight behind the Number One Hero's words.
And so... his lips curled into a faint, sincere smile. One that lingered quietly as the pressure on his chest eased... even if just a little.
"With all that being said—!"
All Might straightened his posture, giving a firm salute to the camera—to Izuku, who was watching this recording of his.
"Congratulations once again on passing the Entrance Exam! I'll see you very soon—AT U.A.!!!"
With that, the video faded to black, and the projector clicked off—leaving behind Izuku in silent thought. Alone in his dim room, with only his quiet smile remaining.
"Sigh... good grief..."
While he was relieved to be given such reassurance, it was still somewhat hard to digest it fully.
"University life, huh..."
Izuku had once imagined that, after finishing high school, it would be a time where he could finally indulge himself with peace... maybe even pursue a more normal life.
But now, to be accepted into U.A. of all places—striving to become a licensed Pro Hero to boot...
"Guess I'll have to take this one day at a time~."
That being said, even if he had gone for a normal university to begin with...
"...I'd still need to find the 'source' of this uprising..."
He would've still been busy dealing with the increasing number of 'Imajin.'
Izuku then pulled out his smartphone—ready for another one of his 'morning routines' of hunting down another rogue Imajin—
RING~!!!
"...?"
His smartphone suddenly lit up and vibrated—!
A call came in, and it was from...
"Uraraka-san...?"
He promptly accepted the call and then...
"Hello—"
"MIDORIYA-KUN!! DID YOU GET ACCEPTED?!?"