(POV: Fumikage Tokoyami)
'Faux cities... what an incredible concept.'
To say that Tokoyami was impressed, would be an understatement. He was well aware that UA was the cream of the crop when it came to Hero schools and he had expected it to have the facilities necessary in order to train their students.
But he had not expected this.
'...along with the main campus, UA owns or rents multiple batches of Faux cities and training centers.'
And despite the "faux" in "faux-cities", they came across as very real.
He and his... competitors and perhaps future comrades, currently stood at the entrance of the Faux city. In front of him was a vast expanse of buildings and streets, filled with minute details such as lamps or fire extinguishers. The only difference between a real city and this one... was the lack of civilians. This entire Area... had been built for the sake of being destroyed.
Well, destroyed was certainly an overstatement. No one here had a Quirk capable of destroying an entire district. Nevertheless, building entire district-sized faux-cities, for the sole purpose of letting one's quirk go loose, was a massive undertaking.
'And UA owns 4 of these... or perhaps more.'
Four faux-cities, all built rather close too each other and walled off. In addition to that, stood a gigantic Tower, seemingly overseeing the Test grounds and potentially even further than that.
'I wonder how they even plan on overseeing this test? So many applicants, 4 training grounds the size of entire districts. Drones? Or perhaps just cameras?
Tokoyami frowned as he mulled over the topic. The thought of cameras and drones overseeing the exam left him thinking about possible blind-spots, but he soon gave up on mulling over that topic, not wanting to disrupt his focus. UA would not overlook something so crucial.
Instead, his mind darted to the topic of his Quirk. Despite its usefulness and strength, Dark Shadow suffered a lot of weaknesses. So he kept being on the look-out for any Quirks capable of creating light, further weakening his Dark Shadow.
Dark Shadow's power was always a bit tricky to portray or measure, because it fluctuated a lot. A few years ago, Tokoyami had not really been considering the intricate workings of his Quirk.
But his Dark comrade, Riku had not done the same. He questioned and tested a lot, seemingly intent on figuring out any and all possible application of his power, this "Cursed Energy" of his.
And he encouraged Tokoyami to do the same. So he did.
In a small carnet, currently in his room, had been written a lot of info sketches, and experiments which the two of them had done. The carnet was divided into two parts, one focusing on his own Quirk, Dark Shadow. The other part was about how Dark Shadow was influenced by Cursed Energy.
This endeavour had helped him a lot, especially when focusing on how to better channel Dark Shadow, and had also helped Tokoyami to get used to maintaining control of his Quirk when more powerful.
His Quirk was structured in a way that Ambient Light conditions determined his quirk's Power. The darker it is, the more powerful it becomes.
That, however, had a flipside. The more powerful his Quirk was, the more difficult it became to restrain.
That restraint was enacted through his own mental strength. So, during night-time, he had to focus on calling forth, but also weakening Dark Shadow, essentially keeping a leash on him for him to not rampage. This was difficult for extended time periods, as Dark Shadow seemingly grew on Darkness and absence of light.
This concept was flipped on its head during day-time, as he had to focus on not only summoning, but strengthening Dark Shadow, because the Light of day slowly ate away at his form.
Either way, both Day-time and Night-time sapped at his mental strength and focus.
'Now... how to deal with that during the exam...?'
He narrowed his eyes as thought, his gaze narrowing on alleys and smaller streets. The easiest way for him to apply his quirk at high power, was to move through the darkest places possible. To quite literally "fight in the Shadows." Given that it was daylight, he did not have to worry much about losing control.
'Perfect balance between Light and Darkness.'
That was what he needed. It was something he had figured out with Riku, as they tested Dark Shadow, in the presence of Light and Cursed Energy. The results had been amazing, so more tests were conducted, involving an adjustable Desk lamp.
Summoning Dark Shadow at Night, and essentially weakening him with the Desk lamps at full strength, then adjusting the Light to see how his form shifted, grew or shrunk.
A wistful smile escaped Tokoyami as he remembered those times. It had essentially been their "Quirk-scientist" phase, in which Riku insisted on using Math to calculate their Quirks.
Darkness and Cursed Energy had been "-100" and Light was "100."
'And 0 is what's best for me. Although it's not likely i'll find such a place here.'
He wasn't worried. Even without his Quirk in best condition, he'd do well.
Tokoyami looked around for a bit, distancing himself form the competitors, all the while silently wondering when the examiner would start the countdown. The tension was already high, most had long stopped warming up and started getting jittery with all that waiting.
"AAAANNNDDD... STAAART!"
"Huh?!?"
That was when present Mic's voice emerged, his cheerful and loud voice cutting through the tension like a knife.
"WHAT'S THE MATTER?? THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A COUNTDOWN IN BATTLE!! RUN. RUUUN!!!"
The voice carried through speakers loud and clear, undoubtedly the same at all 4 faux-cities.
"CONSIDER THE BATON PASSED!!!"
Present Mic's last sentence was when the first robot fell. Every single student had started running at his second sentence, rushing ahead in a contest of speed to be the first to find a robot.
The group soon dispersed into the city, splitting up into alleyways, streets or even buildings.
Tokoyami was one of the first to do so. He had rushed forward with the maingroup, but was soon overtaken as examinees used their Quirks to get ahead of him.
So, he turned into the first alley he saw, distancing himself from the others and summoning his Quirk.
'There, this is the first!'
Just at the exist of the alley was a faux-villain.
-
-
(POV: Narration)
The view was perfect. Screens displayed different students in different sectors, captured from drones, cameras, and even the perspectives of the faux-villains.
Several teams sat in front of monitors, frantically checking point tallies in case the AI miscounted. Another team, divided into four, managed risk assessments for student safety, making sure injuries never went beyond minor scrapes, and that the robots shifted targets if necessary.
There were more teams still, all monitoring different feeds, ensuring the exam ran smoothly and without complications.
Each department corresponded to one of the four exam grounds. At the center of it all sat a small group with larger screens, focused less on technical details and more on "live highlights." These were the UA teachers, quietly observing the flow of the exam.
They weren't there to make decisions in real time. While their judgments could certainly influence or even overturn outcomes, the chaos of multiple feeds and simultaneous action made direct intervention impossible. Instead, they watched, took notes, and cataloged students' performances, remembering those they might want in their classes.
Some of the teachers took it seriously, others a bit less, seemingly only here to enjoy the show.
"Oh~ did you see courage on that one?"
A dainty hand pointed towards the screen, catching the attention of the teachers. Understanding the situation, a member of staff immediately replayed the piece of footage for the teachers to see.
The video portrayed a boy, seemingly out of breath as he backed away from a 2 pointer. Just as the faux-villain was about to rush forward, a spiky red-haired child appeared in between them, his fist catching the faux-villain as he stopped it from advancing.
The teachers in the room watched the short scene with approval glimmering in their eyes, before the feed turned back to the Live footage.
"Kirishima Eijiro." A high pitched voice emerged, its tone of voice neutral, nearly bored. "Quirk, Hardening. He is capable of essentially fortifying his body, making it hard enough to rival steel."
The room immediately returned to silence as everyone's focus returned to the screen. Footages popped off, showcasing how an examinee destroyed a robot with a laser, thus saving a green haired bundle of Nerves.
Some of the teachers noted it down, some didn't and this behavior kept up as more and more footages were shown.
Sometimes, the examinees names were read out loud, giving a bit of information into their background. Sometimes not.
"Mina Ashido, Quirk: Acid."
A short footage, showcasing agility and ability.
"Mezo Shoji, Quirk: Dupli Arms."
Another footage, showcasing calculated strength.
"Fumikage Tokoyami, Quirk: Dark Shadow."
A short video, showcasing timing and restraint.
"He has something on his record. Nothing criminal, just accident. We'll look into it during our discussion."
More Videos and names appeared, ranging all the way to a kid creating explosions, making a mesmerizing display of power, to another stick robots against the environment, before using the switch to shut them off.
5 minutes into the exam, another video popped up.
"Riku Shindai, Former name of Quirk: Cursed Energy. Now: Adaptation."
The high-pitched voice stating name and Quirk had a glimmer of interest as he spoke.
"The quirk description on his file is difficult to sum up, but i'd say its interesting to look into."
The Video showcased, durability and brute strength.
-
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(POV: Riku Shindai)
'Easy.'
That was not an overstatement, it would in fact not even count as bragging. Proof for that was his espression... which despite it's inhumanity, seemed to use the facial wings to form a frown.
'Is that really it? No way, right?'
With a flick of his wrist, the 2 pointer which he had crushed, was thrown against the wall. Then, his Hand shot out to his left, grabbing a small 1 pointer , not even bothering to turn around.
'Don't tell me its gonna be some Classroom of the Elite ass school.'
He hadn't read the Light-novel, but he did know that the Anime was basically a bunch of edgy teens competing in a school which literally lied to its students.
The robot in his Hand was flailing before promptly being crushed as well.
'I mean, i reincarnated. Maybe this is some Anime i didn't know? It kind of fits the premise.'
It wasn't the first time he entertained that thought. A world in which everyone had superpowers and had Superhero as a Job, would surely include something with a Protagonist and a shit-ton of trouble.
'Thank God i'm literally made for trouble.'
He ran through the streets, his Cursed Energy acting like a mini-map with highlighted enemies, soon finding a 3-pointer, which noticed him the moment he approached.
BAM! The robot, was shoulder checked into a wall. Sparks flew and Metal folded, but it's movement soon stopped and it sunk to the ground.
'Although, choosing UA as a Hero school... if this world operates on normal Anime logic, the main-cast would join UA as well.'
Honestly, this entire train of though was useless, but he still thought it fun to consider. People here had... colorful personalities and there were plenty of people his age, capable of bearing the heavy mantle of "Protagonist."
But considering a world in which he literally lived in, like an Anime world... felt strange.
'But between that and reincarnating... reincarnating is stranger.'
He was ready to bet a lot, that some dude attempting the exam would be a Protagonist.
Riku sprinted towards another three pointer as he thought. The faux-villain was already falling, seemingly short-circuited, but he rammed into it nevertheless, not allowing it to fall onto the blonde boy in front of it.
'Saving people probably counts for something. Anime rules and stuff.'
Schools loved to lie after all.
"Ah? Eh! Uh, thanks!"
The boy had made a jump backwards as Riku's large frame barged into the 3 pointer, but soon thanked him, before running off, only touching the faux-villains with energy on his fingers to have them short-circuit.
Riku did not care much and was about to head to his next faux-villain when the ground suddenly shook.
'Huh... that certainly sounds big. And heavy.'
He couldn't see what it was, the range of his Cursed Energy only covered about 1 or 2 city blocks, but he did sense people's awe... and panic.[1]
"Dude, what the Hell is this!"
"Fuck man, let's get away!"
"Is UA trying to kill us???"
They moved away. 'Sounds... scary.'
He was a bit nervous, especially as the sound of... what he assumed to be foots-steps, approached.
'...i'll fight it.'
He wasn't sure he should. This was an entrance exam, and while courage was probably appreciated, that feeling probably did not extend to recklessness. Maybe he should show his focus on helping others get away?
'...i already have plenty of points. I want to fight... that.'
Then, the presence finally entered his CE. 'What the Fuck.'
It was a foot and a Leg, attached to... the rest was outside of his perception.
Another step, a building crumpled and Debris fell. The second leg had entered his perception.
Now, Riku was starting to wonder a bit. 'How do i fight something this large? Can i jump up? Or climb?'
He waited a bit, as the gigantic robot approached and only when the robot's full form entered his field of perception, did he move.
He moved the other way.
-
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(Narration)
8 minutes had passed since the beginning of the exam. 2 minutes were all that remained. In each of the 4 exam grounds, examinees had been scurrying, some more desperate than others, in order to find more targets to destroy.
The Atmosphere of motivation, grit, desperation and even joy was interrupted the moment a small paw pressed onto a large red button. A button labeled with a 0.
The gates had opened and the waiting 0-pointers started moving into their respective Areas.
The teachers in the office watched as the small figure chuckled, clearly enjoying the students panicked retreat.
But not all did. Battle ground A showcased a student who had explosions crackling in his palm. A wild grin was on his face as he propelled himself forward- not towards the Zero pointer, but towards the smaller robots in between the large faux-villain's feet.
"BAHAHAHAHAH, YOU THINK I'M SCARED?!? YOU JUST AREN'T WORTH THE POINTS!!!"
The teachers watched through the screen as he darted from point to point, ignoring the Zero pointers presence as if inconsequential.
"Bakugo Katsuki. Quirk: Explosion." The high-pitched voice emerged again.
In the background of the drone-footage was another figure, dressed in black.
"Fumikage Tokoyami." The voice chirped again. He had already been mentioned, but not everyone would memorize him.
Differently than Bakugo, Tokoyami remained perched upon the Building, seemingly gauging the 0-pointer for it's value. But the bird-headed boy ended up glancing at Bakugo's explosions, before simply turning back and leaving.
"His Quirk doesn't work well with Katsuki Bakugo's." the voice explained.
The teachers watched calmly as the footage shifted to another Area. A grimly entertained chuckle escaped one of the teachers as the footage portrayed the sheer panic reigning upon the Area. No one stood out.
The footage changed again. Battleground C.
"OHH, THAT'S THE RIKU GUY!"
Present Mic's loud voice immediately pointed out the obvious.
The obvious being the large, shirtless figure springing along a roof, seemingly intent on jumping onto the zero-pointer.
A few teachers watched in faint interest as Riku's speed picked up before he jumped.
Even through the footage, the power behind the jump was obvious as the border of which he jumped off, crumbled. Riku crashed into the Zero pointers side, and immediately started to climb, aiming for its head.
"Well, a bit stupid to rush into a zero-pointer, but he's certainly got the courage."
Silence reigned for a moment, as the teachers simply watched the Mutant-child tear through Metal and wires.
Then, the footage shifted. Battleground B.
The chaos there was a bit different than the other battlegrounds. The Zero-pointer must have walked through a larger building, because rubble and debris had stained the street.
Below the debris and rubble, lied a girl.
Worry immediately permeated through the air, remaining even as the zero-pointer's AI changed it's direction.
"Principal Nezu... should we shut it off?"
"No... wait a little."
The small figure with it's chirpy voice was calm.
"This is how you draw out the students true selves."
The teachers watched as the screen zeroed in onto the fleeing students. No one looked back... with a single exception.
The Huge frame of one of the Pro-Heroes in the room had his fist clench as he saw the green haired boy stare directed towards the looming Zero-pointer.
"Do you see him?"
The Principal's voice rang out again.
"Izuku Midoriya. He has not accomplished a single thing throughout the entirety of the exam."
The boy's gaze was desperate as he saw the girl lying below the Debris.
"In front of him, stands the most dangerous obstacle he has ever seen... an obstacle which does not reward."
The boy started running.
"You see," the principal continued, his tone light. "This exam is not specifically designed to measure Heroism."
The green-haired boy stumbled as he ran, then corrected himself, feet pounding against cracked asphalt.
"It measures efficiency. Control. And most importantly... Quirk."
Midoriya's eyes never left the debris.
"That is why the Zero-Pointer exists."
The zero-pointer shifted, it's AI noticing the approaching examinee. Calculations ran through it's hardware, as safety protocols had it stop moving.
"It's an obstacle without incentive, nor reward."
But Midoriya ran faster.
"It brings nothing but consequence. The students who understand that will leave. Those who fear it, ...would usually do the same."
Power flooded Midoriya's Legs.
"But usually, those not seem to apply to him. The fear is undeniably present... yet overcome."
Izuku Midoriya leapt, the power in his legs pushing him all the way towards the zero-pointers face.
"He knows the danger... " Both disappointment and Admiration filled his voice.
The boy pulled back his fist.
Principal Nezu smiled. "And he does so anyway."
Midoriya's arm crackled with Power as it shot forward, meeting the zero-pointers face. The Obstacle did not stagger back or fall down, but simply imploded, the power of the punch bending the robot's own structure.
"That is what we're looking for... is it not?"
-
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CHAPTER END
This should not have taken as long as it did.
And it didn't. I got distracted and forgot to write.
Had an irresistible urge to replay Elden Ring, so i did. I'm not done with the playthrough, currently at Volcano Manor.
In addition to that, like 2 weeks ago, i found a fanfic which i fucking devoured. It's called:
Naruto: Outsider's resolve.
Be warned that its a slow story (has over 400 chapters) and that its about very weak MC. Well, people say he is weak, but i honestly consider him pretty average.
But it's basically a weak to strong fanfic... without the strong. I'm 300 chapters in and bro became a Chuunin. It took this man 50 chapters to get progress in a spar. It sounds pathetic, but i think its pretty realistic considering how the average person is.
But the best thing about it, is how it portrays Ninjutsu. They don't just spam Ninjutsu, for it to get dodged but the Jutsu's are genuinely terrifying every-time they are used. Like: "WHAT. A B-RANK NINJUTSU!"
Only weird thing about the story is strength ranking. It's still good but a bit weird. It's like "8 genin struggle against 1 chuunin." and Jonin are so strong, he can't even imagine.
The fic kind of closes the Power gap which exists in Naruto... by creating more gaps in between the ranks. Naruto kind of distorted the strength gaps between different ranks, and this fic kind of goes into that.
So, if you want something different than all those Sharingan thieves or Hashirama cells cultivators... give it a try. You'll pity the MC so much at the start, that his progress is gonna have you tear up.
[1] Big city blocks. But he has to waste cursed energy to see further. Usually, he keeps his CE on that wide area around him, but thats because his control is good enough to do so without wasting it. If he wants to see more, his control starts slipping. His perception is dome-shaped, so the close you come, the higher he sees up.