The colossal gates of U.A. High School loomed before us, a towering testament to the dreams of countless aspiring heroes. The air thrummed with nervous energy, a palpable mix of excitement and apprehension from the hundreds of applicants gathered.
Beside me, Mina Ashido practically vibrated with anticipation, her pink skin almost glowing. "This is it, Minato! Kirishima! We're finally here!"
Kirishima Eijiro, ever the picture of manly determination, grinned. "Yeah! Time to show them what we're made of!"
I smiled, a quiet thrill running through me. This was the next stage, the public step into the hero world. My system reads Namikaze Minato - 90%, a silent confidence booster.
As we stepped through the main entrance, a ripple went through the crowd.
Then, the murmurs began.
"Is that... Minato Namikaze?"
"The pop idol? What's he doing here?"
"Oh my god, it is him! Minato-kun!"
Suddenly, the nervous buzz transformed into a frantic swarm. Students, who moments before had been focused on their own anxieties, turned their attention to me.
"Minato-kun, can I get an autograph?!"
"A selfie, please, Minato-kun!"
"I love your new album, 'LOVE'!"
Hands reached out, phones flashed, and a tight circle began to form around us, threatening to engulf Mina and Kirishima too.
I managed a polite, practiced smile, trying to navigate the sudden mob. "Thank you, everyone! I appreciate the support, but we're all here for the exam today!"
It was no use. The crowd pressed closer, their excitement overriding all decorum. My internal alarm bells began to chime. This was exactly what I wanted to avoid – drawing too much attention before I had even demonstrated my "Quirk."
Just as the situation threatened to become unmanageable, a stern voice cut through the clamor.
"Alright, that's enough!"
A tall, broad-shouldered proctor, his face obscured by a hard hat and goggles, pushed through the crowd with surprising force. It was Cementoss, though I knew his identity from my intel.
"This is U.A., not a fan meet-and-greet!" he boomed, his voice resonating with authority. "Disperse! All applicants, proceed directly to the written exam hall! Any further disruptions will result in immediate disqualification!"
The crowd, chastened by the proctor's presence and the threat of disqualification, reluctantly began to disperse, though many still cast longing glances my way.
"Phew! That was intense, Minato-kun!" Mina exclaimed, fanning herself.
"Yeah, man, I thought I would be a toast!" Kirishima added.
"Just part of the job," I said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Come on, let's get to the written exam."
We followed the signs, eventually finding ourselves in a massive examination hall. Rows upon rows of desks stretched out, each with a test booklet. The atmosphere was now one of intense, focused silence.
The written exam was, as expected, straightforward for me, They made the questions on hero ethics, Quirk theory, and general academics feel almost rudimentary. I finished quickly, double-checking my answers, then waited patiently for the time limit to expire.
Mina, a few rows ahead, chewed on the end of her pen, her brow furrowed in concentration. Kirishima, across the aisle, looked like he was genuinely struggling with some of the more complex questions, occasionally muttering to himself.
Once the written exam concluded, we were ushered into a sprawling auditorium. Hundreds of applicants filled the seats, a sea of nervous faces. The stage was empty for a moment, then, with a burst of spotlights and a cacophony, Present Mic appeared.
"HEYYYYYYY, LISTENERS! WELCOME TO THE U.A. HIGH SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAM SEMINAR!" Present Mic's voice, amplified by his Quirk, boomed through the hall, making the very seats vibrate.
Most of the applicants flinched, startled by the sudden volume.
But not us.
"HEYYYYYYY!" Mina shrieked back, her enthusiasm boundless, her voice surprisingly loud.
"YEAHHHH!" I joined in, matching her energy, a wide grin on my face.
A collective silence fell over the auditorium. Every single head swiveled towards us. Hundreds of eyes, wide with confusion, disbelief, and a touch of irritation, stared.
Mina and I, unfazed, just grinned back. Kirishima, beside us, shifted uncomfortably, a faint blush on his cheeks. "Uh, guys..." he mumbled.
Present Mic, however, seemed delighted. "OH YEAH! I LIKE THAT ENERGY! YOU TWO IN THE THIRD ROW! YOU'VE GOT THE SPIRIT! ALRIGHT, IS EVERYONE READY TO HEAR ABOUT THE PRACTICAL EXAM?!"
"HELL YEAH!" Mina and I shouted in perfect unison, our voices cutting through the lingering silence.
Now, the entire auditorium was completely quiet. Not a single cough. Not a single whisper. Just the collective, bewildered stare of every other applicant.
From a few rows ahead, a boy with short, dark blue hair, wearing glasses and a rigid, almost robotic posture, turned in his seat. He was glaring at us, his jaw clenched, radiating disapproval. I recognized him as Tenya Iida from my intel.
Present Mic, seemingly oblivious to the awkward silence, or perhaps enjoying it, continued his explanation. "ALRIGHT, LISTENERS! THE PRACTICAL EXAM IS A MOCK BATTLE! YOU'LL BE ASSIGNED TO DIFFERENT BATTLE CENTERS! YOUR GOAL IS TO ACCUMULATE POINTS BY DEFEATING FAUX VILLAINS!"
He projected images of various robots onto the screen behind him, detailing their point values. One-pointers, two-pointers, three-pointers. And then, the massive, zero-point obstacle.
Suddenly, the rigid boy, Iida, shot up from his seat, his arm raised in a perfect, chopping motion. "Excuse me!" he barked, his voice loud and formal. "I have a question!"
Present Mic paused. "YES, LISTENER NUMBER 7111! WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION?!"
"On the handout, there are clearly four types of faux villains!" Iida declared, pointing a stiff finger at the screen. "However, you have only explained three! If this is a mistake on the part of U.A. High, it is an egregious oversight that could mislead applicants!"
He then spun on his heel, his finger now pointing directly at a few students who were whispering in the back. "And you two! You are clearly not paying attention! This is a serious examination, not a game! You are distracting everyone!"
Then, his gaze, sharp and accusatory, landed on me and Mina. His finger, still chopping the air, swung towards us. "And you two! The one with the pink skin and the pop idol! Your incessant shouting and lack of decorum are highly disruptive! This is U.A! This is not a game!"
Mina, who had been quietly fuming at being called out, immediately puffed out her cheeks. "BOOOOOOO!" she yelled, a loud, drawn-out sound.
I joined her, equally annoyed by the self-righteous lecture. "BOOOOOOO!" I echoed, louder.
Kirishima, caught between us, frantically waved his hands. "Guys, come on! Calm down! We're at U.A.!" he whispered, trying to pull us back into our seats.
Iida's face turned a shade of purple, his jaw dropping in disbelief at our blatant disrespect.
Present Mic, meanwhile, just let out a booming laugh. "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, LISTENERS! CALM DOWN! AND YES, LISTENER NUMBER 7111, THE FOURTH TYPE OF FAUX VILLAIN IS INDEED THE ZERO-POINTER! IT'S A GIMMICK! IT'S THERE TO CAUSE CHAOS! YOU'RE MEANT TO AVOID IT! NOW, ARE WE ALL READY TO GO?!"
"HELL YEAH!" Minato and Mina shouted, ignoring Iida's continued glare and Kirishima's desperate attempts to silence us.
"EXCELLENT! NOW, EVERYONE, MOVE TO YOUR ASSIGNED BUSES! THEY'LL TAKE YOU TO YOUR ASSIGNED BATTLE SITES! PLUS ULTRA!" Present Mic roared, his voice signaling the end of the seminar.
The auditorium erupted into a flurry of movement as applicants scrambled to find their designated groups. Iida, still fuming, stomped off. Mina and Kirishima, still buzzing, pulled me along. The practical exam was next. And I was ready to show them just enough.
The seminar ended with Present Mic's booming encouragement, and a chaotic scramble ensued as hundreds of applicants surged towards the assigned bus gates.
"Looks like we're splitting up," Mina said, peering at her numbered ticket. "I'm Battle Center B."
"And I'm C!" Kirishima added, a determined glint in his eye. "Guess we'll see who gets the most points!"
I checked my own ticket. "Battle Center A. Good luck, guys. See you at the top!"
We exchanged quick, high-fives and words of encouragement, then dispersed into the throng, each heading for our designated vehicle. The buses were large, utilitarian machines, clearly designed to shuttle aspiring heroes to their proving grounds.
My bus ride was relatively quiet, filled with the nervous chatter of other applicants, each undoubtedly running through their own strategies. I kept to myself, mentally visualizing the layout of Battle Center A, based on the diagrams Present Mic had shown. I knew where the high-point robots were likely to congregate, and where the tricky zero-pointer might appear.
When the bus finally rumbled to a halt, the doors hissed open, revealing a desolate, urban landscape. Crumbling buildings, overturned cars, and debris were scattered everywhere, designed to mimic a devastated city block. It was a perfect arena for robot destruction.
Dozens of other applicants from my bus poured out, fanning out towards the massive, red-taped starting line. The tension was palpable, a thick blanket of anticipation that settled over the entire area. Everyone was stretching, flexing, some muttering to themselves, ready to unleash their Quirks.
From a raised platform overlooking the entire test site, Present Mic's voice boomed over the loudspeakers, amplified to stadium-level volume. "ALRIGHT, LISTENERS! WELCOME TO BATTLE CENTER A! THERE ARE NO REDO BUTTONS IN REAL LIFE! GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!"
He paused for dramatic effect, his voice building to a crescendo. "AND BEGIN!"
The moment Present Mic shouted "GO," I didn't hesitate. I didn't waste a second, didn't wait for anyone else to move.
My body shimmered, a faint golden aura igniting around me as I channeled chakra. It was a controlled burst of the Lightning Chakra Mode, just enough to enhance my speed to an almost unbelievable degree without appearing overtly supernatural.
With a blurred whoosh, I shot forward.
I wasn't just running; I was a living streak of light, a phantom accelerating beyond what a human eye could easily follow. I bypassed the starting line, leaving a faint cloud of dust in my wake, and plunged into the mock city.
All around me, the other applicants were confused. They looked utterly bewildered.
"W-what was that?!"
"Did you see him go?!"
"Was that Minato Namikaze?!"
A cacophony of confused shouts erupted behind me as I vanished into the urban labyrinth.
Present Mic, witnessing my immediate, explosive start, seemed momentarily stunned himself. But he quickly recovered, his voice booming with renewed energy. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, LISTENERS?! GO GO GO! THERE ARE NO STOPWATCHES IN REAL BATTLES! THE PROS DON'T WAIT FOR YOU! GET TO IT! OR THE TEST ENDS IN ZERO!"
His words galvanized the frozen applicants. With a collective roar, the hundreds of aspiring heroes finally surged forward, their Quirks activating, tearing into the mock city. But I was already long gone, an invisible force, already deep within the testing ground, ready to dismantle every robot that stood in my path. The practical exam had truly begun.