The last thing Kairo remembered was the screech of tires, the blinding flash of headlights, and the sickening crunch of metal. Then... nothing.
When consciousness returned, it slammed into him like a villain's smash — cold concrete under his back, the metallic tang of blood in his mouth, and a voice in his head that wasn't his own.
**[System Initialization Complete]**
**[Welcome, User: Kairo Voss]**
**[Forge System Online. Core Directive: Build. Evolve. Survive.]**
**[Current Status: Quirkless. Health: 42/100. Mana: Locked. Level: 1]**
Kairo's eyes snapped open. Rain poured down on him in a dark Musutafu alley, soaking his borrowed school uniform. His body felt smaller, younger — a teenager's frame carrying an old soul's memories.
Here's the exact moment of disoriented awakening, rain hammering down as the glowing blue system interface flickers to life:
(That haunting glow and rain-soaked intensity perfectly match Kairo's first breath in this world.)
He pushed himself up, wincing at bruised ribs. The UA entrance exam pamphlet was still clutched in his hand like a cruel joke. Tomorrow. He had one night.
The system laid out its cold rules: **Analyze**, **Deconstruct**, **Forge**, quests, stats — no starter bonuses, no god-tier quirk. Just tools for the desperate.
A quest pinged:
**[New Quest: Survive the Entrance Exam]**
**Reward**: 500 EXP, Basic Forge Blueprint Unlock, +1 Stat Point
Kairo scavenged through the night — rusted pipes, broken glass, discarded circuitry. Each deconstruct fed his inventory, each tiny success building momentum.
Then came the first real test: crafting in the downpour.
**[Forge Successful!]**
**Item Created: Glass-Edged Knuckle Dusters**
**Stats: Damage 15-20, Durability 40/40, Bonus: Bleed on Crit**
Hands glowing with raw energy, shaping metal and glass into a weapon born of desperation:
(The sparks and focus — junk turning into something deadly under the rain.)
Dawn arrived gray and heavy. The exam gates loomed ahead.
As Kairo approached, a girl with short purple hair and dangling earphone jacks passed by. She glanced at his bloodied, bandaged hands and the faint glow still fading from his palms.
"You okay? You look like you just fought a villain and lost."
Her voice was casual, but her eyes were sharp — curious, no nonsense, no pity.
Kairo met her gaze. "Nah. Just getting started."
She tilted her head, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "Good. UA doesn't need more broken toys."
A spark — not fireworks, just quiet recognition. Two people who knew what it meant to fight for every inch.
The system whispered:
**[Hidden Affinity Detected: Potential Ally/Romance Flag]**
**Name: Kyoka Jiro**
Here's Kyoka in that moment — confident, teasing, earjacks swaying as she sizes him up in the rain:
(That smirk and direct stare capture the first flicker of tension perfectly.)
The gates opened. Robots roared to life. The practical exam exploded into motion — massive machines, destruction, screams, and opportunity.
Kairo slipped on his new knuckle dusters, the edges glinting wetly. He charged forward into the chaos:
(The sheer scale of the robot battlefield — high-stakes action begins now!)
**End of Chapter 1**