Ren and Midoriya walked side by side toward the practical exam zones.
"We're in different areas, huh?" Ren asked casually.
"Y-Yeah…" Midoriya said, already looking tense. They had just finished the written exam, and the pro hero Present Mic had loudly explained the practical rules:
1 point for small robots,
2 for medium,
3 for large ones —
and 0 points for the enormous type. Those were just to be avoided.
Midoriya's face was already pale. "Th-there's no way I can destroy any of those…"
"Midoriya," Ren said, placing a hand on his shoulder. His tone softened. "You won't be able to give it your all if you keep shaking like that."
"Yeah… you're right, Ren—"
"Oh, look," Ren interrupted, pointing ahead. "Isn't that the cute girl you like?"
"Eh?" Midoriya froze.
Ren chuckled. "Another reason to give it your all. Girls like strong guys." He patted his shoulder and walked off, leaving Midoriya red as a tomato.
"D-Damn you, Ren…" Midoriya muttered under his breath — then paused.
'Wait… did he just laugh? Like, genuinely?'
For the first time, he realized Ren was starting to open up to him. It made him oddly happy.
...
Ren arrived at his assigned area and took a look around.
A pink-skinned girl with small yellow horns.
A short boy with purple grape-like hair who was definitely staring at the girl.
A vine-haired girl with green eyes.
And a long-haired guy with his hair spiked straight up.
Well… at least that last one's somewhat normal. His hairstyle sucks though.
As soon as he stepped closer, a group of girls swarmed him.
"Oh my god!!"
"Ren Takeda?!"
"Can you sign this?!"
"Why didn't you take a recommendation?!"
Ren sighed deeply. I knew doing that damn TV series was a mistake.
Young Love.
The romance show that had every teenage girl in Japan obsessed for months. He'd played Yoichi — a young student hero searching for the meaning of love. It won him the Oscar… and a lifetime of regret.
He forced a charming smile. "Girls, do you want to know something?"
They leaned in eagerly.
"If you all pass this exam," Ren said warmly, "we'll be spending the next three years together."
The girls squealed in delight.
"So let's focus on passing first, yeah?" He waved lightly, still smiling that practiced smile.
"Good luck, Ren!"
"Good luck to you too," he replied, slipping away toward the guys. Still, it was useless — at 184 centimeters, he stood out like a sore thumb.
"I hate being famous…" he muttered.
"Why? I think it's awesome!" a cheerful voice suddenly said beside him.
He turned. It was the pink-skinned girl — bright eyes, a wide grin, and an energy that radiated chaos and fun. "You get free stuff everywhere! You can do whatever you want!"
Ren sighed. "Please tell me you're not another Young Love fan…"
"Young Love? Ew, no way," she said, sticking her tongue out. "Too mushy for me. I like Arrow Hero! It's my favorite film! Wataaa! Yah!"
She mimicked a few karate moves and even tried to quote the main character:
"You have failed this city!"
Ren couldn't help it. A short laugh escaped him — real and unexpected. "Where the hell did you come from?"
"I'm Mina Ashido!" she said proudly, holding out her hand.
"You probably already know, but... Ren Takeda," he replied, still smiling — genuinely this time.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ren!"
'No honorifics, huh?' he thought, amused. 'I like this girl.'
"Pleasure's mine, Mina," he said, shaking her hand.
And then—
"Hey, START!"
Present Mic's voice boomed from the top of a high tower overlooking all the testing zones.
Everyone blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
"What are you waiting for?!" Present Mic yelled, voice full of energy. "In a real battle, there's no countdown!"
The moment those words hit, the crowd exploded into motion.
Ren didn't hesitate.
A flash of white electricity shot forward like a bullet — it was him.
While everyone else was still processing what was happening, Ren was already gone, sprinting through the mock city with blinding speed. Buildings of steel and concrete surrounded him, towering like a small urban maze. The area was huge — about the size of a neighborhood, complete with streets, alleys, and open squares.
His footsteps echoed lightly against the pavement as his sharp eyes scanned for targets.
Then he saw it — a two-pointer.
The hulking robot turned toward him, gears whining as it raised its metallic arm.
Ren didn't slow down. He clenched his fist, muscles tightening — and with that single motion, the air around his right arm hummed. Kinetic energy swelled inside his joints, compressed and ready to explode.
'Let's see how this works on metal,' he thought calmly.
"Kinetic Strike."
His fist connected with the robot's head in a thunderous boom. The metal warped inward, sparks flying as the machine's optical sensors flickered and died. Its massive frame swayed for a moment before collapsing with a metallic crash.
Ren flexed his fingers, examining his knuckles. "Better than I thought…" he muttered with a faint smirk.
He'd trained relentlessly with Joint Reactor and Volt Hair during those ten months — not just acting as Midoriya's paramedic. He'd forged a new fighting style, one based on efficiency, speed, and explosive power.
Now, that training was paying off.
Ren darted between streets like a streak of light, each movement fluid and purposeful. Another robot fell. Then another. His fists crashed through metal like paper, kinetic energy detonating on impact with surgical precision.
One by one, the machines toppled around him.
Objective: simple.
Finish first.
To be continued...
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