The colossal gates of U.A. Academy, engraved with the motto " in his eyes (which he kept an almost normal dark brown, suppressing the latent red glow) attracted curious glances. HePlus Ultra," stood like a monument to the age of Quirks. For the thousands of teenagers swarming at their base that ignored them, his heightened senses busy analyzing the environment – the crowd flow patterns, the visible security points, the auras of power emanating sunny morning, they represented the promise of fame, heroism, and a bright future. For Reiji Kinzoku, they were merely an ornate entrance to the enemy's strategic heart, a fortress of hypocritical ideals he intended to explore and from the most potent candidates.
He spotted Katsuki Bakugo, already scowling, shoulders tense as if ready to explode at any moment. Reiji felt an almost imperceptible twitch in his jaw. Bakugo. The symbol of everything he, eventually, perhaps, subjugate.
He moved through the crowd with a fluidity that set him apart, even in his attempt to blend in. His height, a result of accelerated growth over the past two years, placed him above most of the fifteen-year hated about his former life. The arrogance born of randomly granted power, the casual cruelty towards those deemed "inferior," the loud stupidity that masked a deep insecurity Reiji could now almost smell beneath the bravado.
No-old candidates. His posture, erect and calm amidst the sea of nervousness, and the cold, controlled intensity in his eyes (isy trash, Reiji thought, a cold wave of contempt and old resentment washing over him. *How many times did youwhich he kept an almost normal dark brown, suppressing the latent red glow) attracted curious glances. He ignored them, his push me? How many times did you mock? Called me 'Quirkless Freak'? You have no idea what I' heightened senses busy analyzing the environment – the crowd flow patterns, the visible security points, the auras of power emanating from the mostve become. You, with your childish explosions, are just a loud insect compared to the power I now command. The potent candidates.
He spotted Katsuki Bakugo, already scowling, shoulders tense as if ready to explode at any day will come, Bakugo, when you understand what it means to be truly powerless.* The thought was swift, cold, and moment. Reiji felt an almost imperceptible twitch in his jaw. Bakugo. The symbol of everything he hated about full of dark promise before being filed away. Bakugo was a past annoyance, and currently, just another piece on the board his former life. The arrogance born from randomly granted power, the casual cruelty towards those deemed "inferior," the loud.
Nearby, Izuku Midoriya looked ready to vibrate out of his own skin, muttering to himself. Reiji ignored stupidity masking a deep insecurity that Reiji could now almost smell beneath the bravado.
*Noisy trash them both. He noted other power centers – Todoroki Shoto, Yaoyorozu Momo. Potential rivals? Or future, Reiji thought, a cold wave of contempt and old resentment washing over him. How many times did you push me? How sources of "quality blood"? The thought surfaced and was suppressed. The mission was the focus.
The presentation in the auditorium many times did you mock? Called me 'Quirkless Freak'? You have no idea what I've become. You began, with Present Mic shouting his explanations on the brightly lit stage. The volume was almost physically painful to Reiji's enhanced, with your childish explosions, are just a loud insect next to the power I now control. The day will come, senses, but he forced his concentration onto the practical exam details.
"...Three types of faux villains are stationed in each battle Bakugo, when you understand what it means to be truly powerless.* The thought was swift, cold, and full of dark promise center!" Present Mic exclaimed, a graphic showing the 1, 2, and 3-point robots appearing behind him. " before being filed away. Bakugo was a past irritation, and currently, just another piece on the board.
Nearby,You earn points for each of them based on their difficulty level! Your goal, little listeners, is to use your Quirks to immobilize these faux villains and rack up points!"
Reiji processed the information. Direct destruction. Simple.
" Izuku Midoriya looked ready to vibrate out of his own skin, muttering to himself. Reiji ignored them. He notedOf course, attacking other examinees is prohibited and a non-heroic action!" Present Mic added with a wink.
other centers of power – Shoto Todoroki, Momo Yaoyorozu. Potential rivals? Or future sources of "qualityAs Present Mic continued, the nervous muttering from Midoriya, seated a few rows ahead of Reiji, became more audible. He blood"? The thought surfaced and was suppressed. The mission was the focus.
The presentation in the auditorium began, with seemed to be analyzing every word, every possibility, aloud to himself.
Suddenly, a clear, formal voice cut through the Present Mic shouting his explanations on the brightly lit stage. The volume was almost physically painful to Reiji's enhanced senses, but he buzz. "Excuse me, may I ask a question?!"
Everyone turned. Iida Tenya was standing, hand raised rigidly, a spotlight finding him in the dim audience.
"Okay!" Present Mic shouted, pointing at him. "Hit me, Examinee 7111!"
"On the presentation handout," Iida began, his voice projected forced his concentration onto the practical exam details.
"...Three types of faux villains are stationed in each battle center!" Present Mic exclaimed, a graphic showing the 1, 2, and 3-point robots appearing behind him. "You earn points for each of them based on their difficulty level! Your goal, little listeners, is to use your Quirks to immobilize these faux villains and rack up points!"
Reiji processed the information. Direct destruction. Simple.
"Of course, attacking other examinees is prohibited and a non-heroic action!" Present Mic added with a wink.
As Present Mic continued, the nervous muttering from Midoriya, seated a few rows ahead of Reiji, became more audible. He seemed to be analyzing every word, every possibility, aloud to himself.
Suddenly, a clear, formal voice cut through the buzz. "Excuse me, may I ask a question?!"
Everyone turned. Iida Tenya was standing, hand raised rigidly, a spotlight finding him in the darkened audience.
"Okay!" Present Mic yelled, pointing at him. "Shoot, Examinee 7111!"
"On the presentation handout," Iida began, his voice projected clearly, "there are clearly four types of villains listed! If this is a misprint, then U.A., the most prominent hero academy in Japan, should be ashamed of such a foolish mistake! We examinees are here because we wish to be molded into exemplary heroes!"
He then turned, fixing a stern gaze on Midoriya. "And you there, with the curly hair! You've been muttering this whole time! It's distracting! If you think U.A. is some pleasure trip, then you should leave immediately!"
Midoriya shrank down, covering his mouth, utterly mortified, as a few other students chuckled at the situation.
Reiji observed the scene with cold boredom. Iida's almost cartoonish rigidity, his blind adherence to rules, and his need to police others... it was pathetic. And Midoriya's reaction, the instant humiliation... confirmed his inherent weakness. Loud fools and frightened prey. This place is full of them.
"Okay, okay, Examinee 7111, thanks for the great call-out!" Present Mic interjected, bringing attention back to the stage. "The fourth villain type is worth zero points! He's an obstacle, something you'll encounter out there! There's no merit in defeating him, so I recommend you listeners try to avoid him!" He paused dramatically. "That's all from me! I'll leave you with our school motto! As the great hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said: 'A true hero is someone who overcomes life's misfortunes!' So go beyond! PLUS ULTRA!"
With the presentation over, the students were directed to their respective battle areas. Reiji headed for Area B, the commotion caused by Iida and Midoriya already forgotten, his mind focused on the efficient execution of the task ahead.
While waiting for the gates to open, he positioned himself strategically. Most candidates were clustered together, tense and talking nervously. Reiji stood slightly apart, observing, calculating. He could feel the gazes from the teachers in the observation towers. Let them watch.
"START!"
Present Mic's cry had barely registered when Reiji exploded into motion, a dark blur leaving the hesitant mass of candidates behind. The simulated city opened up before him, a labyrinth of concrete and steel waiting to be conquered. His heightened senses swept the area instantly, the electric hum and metallic clank of robots creating a sonic map in his mind.
An agile one-point robot emerged from a corner, sensors swiveling. Before it could react, Reiji's fist punched through its chassis with the ease of tearing cardboard, driven by sheer supernatural muscle power. Without pause, he was already moving, a predator seeking the next mechanical prey. Two two-point robots attempted a pincer maneuver; Reiji accelerated, streaking between them like clearly, "there are clearly four types of villains listed! If this is a misprint, then U.A., the most prominent hero academy in Japan, should be ashamed of such a foolish mistake! We examinees are here because we wish to be molded into exemplary heroes!"
He then turned, fixing a stern gaze on Midoriya. "And you there, with the curly hair! You've been muttering this whole time! It's distracting! If you think U.A. is some pleasure jaunt, then you should leave immediately!"
Midoriya shrank back, covering his mouth, utterly mortified, as a few other students snickered.
Reiji watched the scene with cold boredom. Iida's almost cartoonish rigidity, his blind adherence to rules, and his need to police others... it was pathetic. And Midoriya's reaction, the instant humiliation... confirmed his inherent weakness. Noisy fools and frightened prey. This place is full of them.
"Okay, okay, Examinee 7111, thanks for the great call-out!" Present Mic interjected, bringing the attention back to the stage. "The fourth villain type is worth zero points! That guy's an obstacle, something you'll come across around the area! There's no merit to defeating him, so I recommend you listeners try to avoid him!" He paused dramatically. "That's all from me! I'll leave you with our school motto! As the great hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said: 'A true hero is someone who overcomes life's misfortunes!' So go beyond! PLUS ULTRA!"
With the presentation over, the students were directed to their respective battle areas. Reiji headed for Area B, the commotion caused by Iida and Midoriya already forgotten, his mind focused on the efficient execution of the task ahead.
While waiting for the gates to open, he positioned himself strategically. Most candidates were clustered together, tense and talking nervously. Reiji stood slightly apart, observing, calculating. He could feel the gazes from the teachers in the observation towers. Let them watch.
"START!"
Present Mic's cry had barely registered when Reiji exploded into motion, a dark blur leaving the hesitant mass of candidates behind. The simulated city opened before him, a labyrinth of concrete and steel waiting to be conquered. His heightened senses instantly swept the area, the electric hum and metallic grinding of robots creating a sonic map in his mind.
An agile one-point robot emerged from a side street, sensors whirling. Before it could react, Reiji's fist tore through its chassis with the ease of ripping cardboard, driven by pure, supernatural muscle power. Without pause, he was already moving, a predator seeking the next mechanical prey. Two two-point robots attempted a pincer maneuver; Reiji accelerated, blurring between them like lightning. As he passed, his hands shot out to the sides, grabbing the metallic "heads." With a brutally efficient twisting motion, applying force precisely at the weaker connection points his senses identified, he tore them from their "necks." The robotic bodies crashed inertly. Four points in mere seconds.
He saw other candidates starting to engage, their Quirks lighting up the streets with explosions, ice, or energy manifestations. Bakugo, predictably, was a spectacle of indiscriminate fury and destruction in the distance. Reiji ignored him, focusing on his own efficient hunt.
A larger, tracked three-point robot blocked his path, opening fire with gatling guns. The bullets traced the air, ricocheting harmlessly where Reiji had been moments before. His speed was his primary defense. He sprinted towards the gunfire, not in a straight line, but in an erratic, low-profile pattern impossible for the robot's auto-targeting to track. He slid under the final barrage of bullets, arriving at the robot's base. Ignoring the now useless weapons at close range, a lightning bolt. As he passed, his hands shot out to the sides, grabbing the metallic heads. With a brutally efficient twisting motion, applying force precisely at the weakest connection points his senses identified, he tore them from their "necks." The robotic bodies crashed lifelessly. Four points in mere seconds.
He saw other candidates beginning to engage, their Quirks lighting up the streets with explosions, ice, or energy manifestations. Bakugo, predictably, was a spectacle of indiscriminate fury and destruction in the distance. Reiji ignored him, focusing on his own efficient hunt.
A larger, tracked three-point robot blocked his path, opening fire with gatling guns. The bullets traced the air, ricocheting harmlessly where Reiji had been moments before. His speed was his primary defense. He ran towards the gunfire, not in a straight line, but in an erratic, low-profile pattern that made it impossible for the robot's auto-targeting to keep up. He slid under the final volley of bullets, reaching the robot's base. Ignoring the now useless guns at close range, he focused his strength on a structurally vulnerable spot he identified near the tracks. A powerful, concentrated fist strike dented the metal and damaged the locomotion system. As the robot tried to compensate, Reiji leaped, using the side of the machine for purchase, and delivered a crushing two-handed blow to the central processing unit in the "head," sinking it into the torso. Silence. Three more points.
He continued at this relentless pace, a silent storm of calculated destruction. His approach was cold, methodical. Locate. Assess structure and weak points (using heightened senses to perceive joints, armor thickness, power unit locations). Neutralize with precise application of force and speed. Repeat. He was a close-combat machine, his fists and feet shattering metal and circuitry with a brutal efficiency that seemed born of years of experience, not adolescence.
He watched the other fights in glimpses. Uraraka floating a robot. Iida running in straight lines. Todoroki freezing multiple targets. Powerful in their specialties, but Reiji saw the limitations, the openings. None possessed his overwhelming combination of pure physical attributes and the ability to instantly analyze and exploit weaknesses. He didn't need ice or eye beams; his fists and speed were sufficient for these mechanical opponents.
He completely ignored any opportunity to gain Hero Points. Saw candidates trapped under rubble, others being cornered by robots. Their problem. Helping them would be a waste of precious time and energy he could use to accumulate more destruction points. His mental score climbed at a dizzying rate: 30, 40, 50, 60...
Then came the tremor. The roar of tortured metal. The Zero-Point Robot. He found a high vantage point, observing the mechanical titan and the resulting panic with analytical disinterest. Zero points. Useless obstacle.
He witnessed Midoriya's shocking act – the impossible leap, the devastating punch that destroyed the giant, the fall and the broken limbs. Raw, volatile power. Non-existent control. Impressive and pathetic at the same time. He analyzed the situation quickly and turned his attention back to the opportunities created by the chaos.
While everyone's attention was on the Midoriya drama, Reiji exploited the distraction. Slipping through the outlying streets, he located and methodically destroyed the smaller robots that had been abandoned or ignored. A "1 Pointer" here, trapped under concrete. A "3 Pointer" there with damaged treads. A few more "2 Pointers" in a forgotten alley. He cleaned up the area while the others were preoccupied with "heroics" or recovering from shock. He maximized his efficiency until the last second. Eighty-four points.
The final buzzer sounded. End of exam.
Reiji stopped, the "echo" of the last blow still vibrating in his knuckles. He looked around at the mechanical carnage he had wrought, then at the other exhausted candidates. No sign of fatigue on his own body, not a visible drop of sweat. He was as composed as when he started.
He began walking towards the exit, moving past the wreckage and the other students without a glance. He felt the gazes from the observation towers, intense and questioning. Let them look. Let them wonder how a "Quirkless" could display such a level of raw physical he focused his strength on a structurally vulnerable spot he identified near the tracks. A powerful, concentrated fist strike dented the metal and damaged the locomotion system. As the robot tried to compensate, Reiji leaped, using the side of the machine for leverage, and delivered a crushing two-handed blow to the central processing unit in the "head," driving it deep into the torso. Silence. Three more points.
He continued at this relentless pace, a silent storm of calculated destruction. His approach was cold, methodical. Locate. Assess structure and weak points (using heightened senses to perceive joints, armor thickness, power unit locations). Neutralize with precise application of force and speed. Repeat. He was a close-combat machine, his fists and feet breaking metal and circuits with a brutal efficiency that seemed born of years of experience, not adolescence.
He watched the struggles of others with detached observation. Uraraka floating a robot. Iida dashing in straight lines. Todoroki freezing multiple targets. Powerful in their niches, but Reiji saw the limitations, the openings. None possessed his overwhelming combination of raw physical attributes and the ability to instantly analyze and exploit weaknesses. He didn't need ice or eye beams; his fists and speed were sufficient for these mechanical opponents.
He completely ignored any opportunity to gain Hero Points. Saw candidates trapped under debris, others cornered by robots. Their problem. Helping them would be a waste of precious time and energy he could use to accumulate more destruction points. His mental tally climbed relentlessly: 30, 40, 50, 60...
Then came the tremor. The roar of tortured metal. The Zero-Point Robot. He found a high vantage point, observing the mechanical titan and the resulting panic with analytical disinterest. Zero points. Useless obstacle.
He witnessed Midoriya's shocking act – the impossible leap, the devastating punch that obliterated the giant, the resulting fall and broken limbs. Raw, volatile power. Zero control. Impressive and pathetic at the same time. He quickly analyzed and dismissed the situation, turning his attention back to the opportunities created by the chaos.
While everyone's attention was on the Zero Pointer drama, Reiji exploited the distraction. Slipping through the peripheral streets, he located and methodically destroyed the smaller robots that had been abandoned or ignored. power and combat efficiency. Doubt and mystery were, in themselves, a form of protection. He had passed, had exceeded expectations (or shattered them), and had done so without revealing anything truly essential about his nature. U.A. was within his grasp.