Chapter 7 – Moving In and 1st test
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the U.A. campus as students began moving into their new dorms. The dorm building for Class 1-A stood tall and sleek, glass reflecting the golden light of day. It was less a dorm and more like a modern apartment complex — home for the next few years.
Izuku stood at the base of the steps, bags in hand, staring up at it. "I still can't believe we're actually here," he murmured.
Beside him, Nerissa adjusted her duffel bag over her shoulder, smiling. "Believe it. We worked for this." Her eyes glowed faintly pink in the sun, that calm confidence of hers steadying his nerves like always.
Inside, laughter and chatter filled the air. Boxes were scattered everywhere, students introducing themselves and claiming rooms.
"Yo! You guys must be the last ones!" Kirishima called from the hallway, his bright grin as energetic as his voice. "Names Eijiro Kirishima! Welcome to 1-A!"
"Uh, thanks, im izuku midoriya" Izuku said, smiling awkwardly as he shook his hand.
Nerissa gave a cheerful wave. "And I'm Nerissa Ravencroft. Nice to meet you!"
More faces appeared: someone, already lecturing someone about dorm safety; a girl with an anti gravity quirk helping others carry boxes; and Bakugo, glaring and muttering about how annoying "all the extras" were being and threatening to blow someone up.
"Oh! You're the guy from the exam! You were amazing! " Uraraka said, after spotting him
Izuku scratched the back of his neck, cheeks red. "Ah— I just got lucky, really."
Nerissa smirked. "He's being humble. He wiped the floor with those robots."
"Hey, that's the kind of energy we need around here!" Kirishima laughed, clapping him on the back so hard he nearly stumbled.
The Strict guy stepped forward, hand raised in a crisp gesture. "Hello i am tnya ida, Welcome to U.A., both of you! I'm sure we'll all become exemplary classmates and future heroes together!"
The mix of personalities was overwhelming but oddly comforting. Every face carried a spark of determination and excitement — people who'd earned their place here, just like him.
-small time skip-
After some time unpacking and settling in himself and Nerissa, Izuku found himself out on the dorm's rooftop balcony. The city lights flickered in the distance, and the cool air brushed against his skin. Below, laughter echoed — his new classmates bonding, forming the beginnings of something that felt like a family.
Nerissa joined him, leaning against the railing. "Big day, huh?"
He nodded, eyes soft. "Yeah. I used to think I'd never get this far. Now… I'm here. With you… and now with all of them."
She smiled, bumping her shoulder lightly against his leaning against him. "You earned it, Izuku. And this is just the start."
As the stars began to appear above U.A., the two stood quietly side by side enjoying the atmosphere.
-later-
The elevator doors slid open, and Izuku and Nerissa stepped out, both still close after their roof top viewing.
"I swear, that box had bricks in it."Nerissa sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
Izuku chuckled softly. "That was your book box. It did have bricks in it."
Her pink eyes narrowed playfully. "Don't make me throw one at you."
That earned a few laughs from the students already lounging in the room. Mina perked up immediately, waving at them from the ring of couches.
"Heyyy! You two new people, come over here! We were just introducing ourselves!"
Izuku blinked, caught off guard by the sudden energy. "O-oh, um—sure!"
They made their way over, to sit on a couch together and soon enough, the circle expanded to fit them in. Mina grinned wide, leaning forward. "So, names? Quirks? Random fun facts?"
"I'm Midoriya Izuku," he said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. "My quirk's called Shadow Monarch. I can control and shape shadows, along with some other stuff."
Kaminari whistled. "Dude, that sounds metal. Like, actual king-of-the-night vibes."
Kirishima nodded. "Yeah, man, that's manly as hell."
Tokoyami stared intently then spoke in a low voice not to them but his shadow "a fellow walker of the night has arrived, revelry in the dark indeed."
Nerissa gave a small, proud smile before adding, "Mine's Radiant Touch. I can manipulate light energy — heal with it or use it offensively if needed."
Jirō's eyebrows raised. "Light and shadow, huh? That's a cool combo."
Mina elbowed Kaminari with a grin. "Bet they'd make a great team already!"
Izuku turned a shade of red that almost matched his shoes. "W-well we've trained together a bit, yeah."
Nerissa laughed quietly, trying to ease his flustered tone. "Mostly trying to stop him from passing out after overdoing it."
"Hey!" Izuku protested, but his embarrassed smile betrayed him.
Kirishima chuckled. "Sounds like you two have history already. Did you meet during training?"
"Sort of," Nerissa said. "We were both training these past 9 months together. We met at Takoba Municipal Beach Park and cleaned it up for training ."
The tension eased when Iida stood up, adjusting his glasses. "Excellent! A pair of disciplined classmates is just what this class needs. I'm Iida Tenya — it's an honor to meet you both!"
When it came to Tokoyami's turn, the dark-haired boy sat up straighter, his avian face grave.
"I am Tokoyami Fumikage," he said in a low, serious tone. "My quirk is Dark Shadow, the manifestation of the darkness within my soul."
There was a long pause.
Izuku blinked. "Oh! Uh, that's… actually really cool."
Tokoyami studied him for a moment before nodding solemnly. "You, Midoriya, wielder of shadow, our paths are aligned. The abyss has chosen its champions well."
Kaminari whispered to Kirishima, "Did he just call them abyss bros?"
Izuku, trying not to laugh, gave a nervous thumbs-up. "Right. Uh… glad to be comrades of the abyss, then?"
For the first time, Tokoyami's beak twitched upward in approval. "Indeed. May our darkness illuminate the world."
Mina threw her hands up. "Okay, that was so extra but also kind of amazing."
Even Nerissa giggled, covering her mouth. "I think you just made a friend, Izuku."
Izuku smiled faintly, feeling a surprising warmth in his chest. "Yeah… I think so too."
The introductions flowed smoothly after that — Jirō, Sero, Urarakai, Sato, and the rest. Each name added more life to the room. There were jokes, laughter, and a few awkward pauses, but overall it felt warm, like the first breath of something new.
Eventually, Mina leaned back and stretched with a yawn. "Okay, I like this group. We've got energy, a healer, a shadow king, and a guy who literally sparkles!!"she said with an over abundance of energy and enthusiasm.
For the first time since walking into U.A., Izuku found himself laughing freely. The anxiety he'd felt earlier in the day eased bit by bit. He could see it in Nerissa too, the way her shoulders relaxed, her smile becoming genuine instead of polite.
Then, without warning, a flat, monotone voice came from the doorway:
"I see you've all decided to bond."
Everyone froze.
A tired man in a black capture scarf stood slouched in the entrance, hair half in his face, eyes dull but sharp.
"Enjoy it," Aizawa said, stepping fully into the room. "Because starting tomorrow, I'll be testing just how well that teamwork holds up."
The laughter died instantly.
Mina blinked. "Uh… testing how?"
Aizawa's mouth twitched, not quite a smile. "By making you regret enrolling here if you slack off."
The class exchanged uncertain looks.
"Dorm curfew's at nine," he continued. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, you'll be doing the Quirk Apprehension Test. No excuses. No holding back."
And with that, he left as quietly as he'd arrived.
A beat of silence followed, then Kaminari muttered, "So… he's the friendly type, huh?"
Jirō groaned. "We're doomed."
Nerissa laughed under her breath, glancing at Izuku. "You ready for this?"
He took a breath, the corner of his mouth lifting. "Yeah. I think I am."
The next morning at Heights Alliance began with chaos — the good-natured kind that came with twenty young heroes trying to leave on time.
"Midoriya, your tie's backward again," Nerissa said through a laugh, stopping in front of him and fixing his tie.
He looked down at her and blushed. "It is? Oh, crap — I thought I got it right this time!"
From the common area, Mina's cheerful voice rang out. "Don't stress it, Midori! It's your first day, not a wedding!"
"Maybe not yet it isn't," Kaminari added with a snicker while grining, earning a playful glare from Nerissa and a few giggles from the others.
"Let's just get to class before our teacher decides to give someone detention for tardiness or worse a write up" Iida barked, chopping the air in his usual overly-earnest way.
"Man, it's way too early for this kind of energy," Jirō muttered, earphone jacks already in plugged into her phone.
By the time they all filed out, the morning air was crisp, and the walk to the main building felt like an adventure itself. Birds scattered from the sidewalks as the group's laughter echoed across campus.
Izuku couldn't help smiling as he walked beside Nerissa. A year ago I would've been walking to another ordinary day… and now here I am, heading to U.A. with friends.
Nerissa nudged him. "You're smiling a lot. Thinking about your adoring fan club already?"
He flushed. "N-no! I just—"
She giggled, the sound soft and bright. "Relax, hero. I'm kidding. Mostly."
As they turned the corner, the glass façade of the main building caught the sunlight, making the whole structure glow. It looked like the future itself — and it was waiting for them.
Class 1-A – Homeroom
The classroom door slid open with a mechanical hiss. For a moment, everyone froze. A man in a yellow sleeping bag was lying on the floor.
"What the—?" Kirishima whispered.
"Is that… a person?" Uraraka asked, blinking.
The figure stirred. "Too loud," came the groggy mumble. The man sat up, hair wild and eyes half-lidded. "It's too early for enthusiasm."
Izuku recognized him immediately — Shōta Aizawa, the underground hero Eraser Head.
"I'm your homeroom teacher ,shōta aizawa" Aizawa said flatly, dragging his sleeping bag toward the front of the room. "Let's get this over with. Go change into your gym uniforms and meet me outside. Orientation is a waste of time."
The class exchanged looks.
"Wait, what happened to the ceremony?" someone whispered.
Nerissa raised a brow. "Guess we're skipping the welcome party."
—Training Field—
Minutes later, the class stood in matching blue tracksuits under the bright mid-morning sun in the middle of the training fields.
Aizawa stood before them, clipboard in hand, scarf unmoving in the wind.
"In middle school and high school, you all did standard physical tests without your quirks right?" he began. "Well, this is U.A. High. Here, you'll learn to use them seriously and to push the limits of what you thought possible."
He glanced up, eyes sharp and unblinking. "Today, we'll be testing the limits of your abilities. The Quirk Apprehension Test will help me see where you stand, who's wasting their potential, and who should just out right be sent home."
Murmurs spread through the group.
"W-wasting our potential?" Uraraka echoed nervously.
"S-sent home" Toru higakure shuddered
Aizawa's expression didn't change. "The student who ranks last… will be expelled."
"WHAT?!" several shouted at once.
Aizawa's dry tone cut through the panic. "You think the world's fair? You want to be heroes, prove it. Life doesn't hand out participation trophies."
Izuku felt a shiver run through him. He's not joking.
Nerissa gave him a quick reassuring smile. "Hey. We've been training for months. We've got this."
He nodded, steadying his breathing.
—Tests Begin—
Aizawa called up Bakugō first for the softball throw. The explosive blond smirked, wound up, and hurled the ball skyward with a booming blast.
"705 meters," Aizawa announced without emotion.
"Yeah!" Bakugō barked, triumphant. "Top that!"
The rest of the class took turns — quirks flaring and dust flying. When it came time for Nerissa's throw, a faint glow surrounded her fingers, the light flickering in delicate threads as she released. The ball shot far into the sky, vanishing in a sparkle.
"Impressive control," Aizawa said,then showing the results 1300 meters before writing it down.
When her eyes met Izuku's, she grinned. "Your turn, shadow boy."
---
Izuku's Test
He stepped forward, palms damp. He'd trained for this. Still, the thought of so many eyes on him made his heart race.
Izuku inhaled, focusing. He extended a hand — and from the ground, a ripple of darkness spread beneath his feet. The shadow thickened, swirling outward before coalescing into a familiar, armored form.
Igris.
A collective gasp swept through the class.
Bakugō scowled. "The hell is that?"
Aizawa's eyes narrowed slightly, analyzing the summoned knight as if dissecting every detail.
"Assist me," Izuku said softly.
The crimson-armored knight nodded silently, moving with eerie precision he took the ball from izuku then ran to the edge of izuku's control range and threw it as hard as he could. While being assisted by Izuku's shadows to help push the ball forward even more
The ball screamed through the air, leaving a faint black trail before vanishing into the horizon.
The silence that followed was broken only by Aizawa's monotone: "2550 meters." All tho you could tell he was slightly impressed by the ingenuity of having the shadow solder leave the circle then throw it for more distance.
The class erupted.
"THAT WAS SO MANLY!" Kirishima shouted.
"Did you see that?!" Mina added. "He summoned a person like shadow thing!"
Izuku blushed hard, trying to wave them off. "I— uh— thanks."
Aizawa only nodded slightly. "Good control. Still inefficient — you hesitated before commanding it. Work on that."
"Yes, sir!"
For the 50 meter dash portion
He once again summoned his shadows but this time he summoned both igris and Hercules. They got behind him at the starting line, each grading an arm and leg preparing to throw him to the finish line.
His opponent was Bakugo this time and the whole time they were setting up he was glaring at him like he was trying ro murder him.
When the starting sound played he was thrown to the finish line so fast he zipped past Bakugo getting 2.45 seconds while Bakugo got 4 seconds flat.
You could visibly see the veins in Bakugo's forehead from a distance. Mean while izuku got up and dusted himself off to prepare for the next test
During the grip test, dark tendrils coiled around his arms, reinforcing his muscles. The machine creaked as the numbers spiked past the previous record.
For the endurance run he again summoned igris and rode on his shoulders. But for the toe touches his quirk didn't help much other than helping push him down lower. However in the standing long jump it work very well in izuku trying to making shadows
Wing and getting a shaky form of flight for the first time.
During the remaining tests Izuku maintained a focused rhythm. Igris shadowed him silently, ready to assist whenever needed.
By the end, his spirit buzzed. He'd felt he did well in the tests— not just as someone who was barely scraping by, but as someone who could match his pers as an equal.
When Aizawa called everyone together, the sun had dipped lower in the sky.
"Alright," he said, voice flat but carrying across the quiet field, "that concludes your first practical assessment. I've compiled your scores based on performance, adaptability, and teamwork."
He tapped a few buttons on the tablet in his hand, and the rankings appeared on the nearby display board.
1. Izuku Midoriya
2. Shoto Todoroki
3. Katsuki Bakugo
4. Tenya Iida
5. Nerissa Ravencroft
6. Fumikage Tokoyami
…and so on, down the list.
Bakugo's eyes went wide the instant he saw the top name. "WHAT?!" he barked, pointing at the board like it had personally insulted him. "No way! No damn way that nerd beat me!"
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous smile tugging at his lips. "I-I just tried to use what Aizawa-sensei said about thinking ahead."
Aizawa cut him off, tone sharp. "Midoriya earned it. He kept calm, adapted to each scenario, and actually thought before jumping in headfirst, unlike some of you." His tired gaze flicked pointedly toward Bakugo, who grumbled but crossed his arms in defiance. "Also no one is getting expelled. It was a logical misdirection to make you try your hardest."
Most of the class sighed in relief
Tokoyami gave a slow nod, folding his arms. "An impressive display of power… and shadow," he said gravely. "Perhaps our fates intertwine beneath the same eclipse."
Izuku blinked. "Uh, thanks? I think?"
"Do not thank the darkness," Tokoyami replied, voice deep and serious. "It merely watches."
From somewhere behind them, Kaminari whispered, "Dude, does he, like, rehearse those lines?" earning a snort from Mina.
Nerissa stifled a laugh beside Izuku, elbowing him lightly. "You've got competition for the most dramatic use of shadows."
Izuku smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, but he pulls it off way cooler than I do."
Aizawa finally spoke again, pulling the group back to order. "You've all got potential — some of you more than others. But potential means nothing without discipline. Rest up, because tomorrow…" He let the pause hang, eyes sweeping over them like a threat. "…we start real combat drills."
As the students began to disperse, chatting and comparing bruises, Izuku caught Nerissa's eye. She grinned — tired but proud.
"You really showed them today, huh?" she said.
Izuku shrugged, his face turning pink. "Guess so. But honestly…" He looked back at the others — Bakugo fuming, Uraraka laughing with Mina, Tokoyami muttering to Dark Shadow. "…I think we all did."