Um... hello. My name is Pidzejowaty, but call me PJ. In 5 days, you managed to get 40,000 views... where previously I had been collecting 80,000 for several months.
Thank you so much. I'd like to give you something Kreia once gave to Revan... a choice.
There will be a vote on which class Eron should be placed in, 1A or 1B.
The vote will be on my Discord. It's all free, of course. The Discord link is below.
Thank you for your attention. I hope you enjoy reading.
The invitation link is valid for 7 days.
https://discord.gg/yJzJjw2d
Chapter 14
Present Mic began his speech.
"Welcome to my show! Everyone shout HEY!"
Silence greeted him from the assembled participants.
"What a refined response. Then I'll quickly explain the rules of the practical exam. ARE YOU READY!? YEAHHHH!"
The pro hero raised his fist, but once again, no one spoke. Eron simply closed his eyes. To bystanders, it looked as if he were asleep. They didn't know that he simply didn't use his eyes to see.
Present Mic moved on to introducing the opponents.
"My listeners! Three types of opponents await you. This year, we have a change, and the robots have laser weapons that they will shoot at you with! Don't be afraid, though, as a possible bullet won't kill you, but it will hurt a lot! Remember that attacking other participants and any anti-hero behavior is prohibited and may result in you being kicked out of the exam!"
A boy with glasses raised his hand.
"Can I ask a question?"
"Okay!"
"The printouts show four types of opponents. Does that mean UA made a misprint? UA should be ashamed of such a shameful mistake..."
The teenager with glasses was still talking, but Eron didn't bother. He pointed a finger at another contestant, then pointed a finger at Eron.
"And this one has the nerve to sleep! How dare you disgrace UA with such behavior."
Eron slowly opened his eyes and looked at the teenager with glasses. He sensed confidence, but also cockiness. He stood up, and a moment later, the light from the ceiling spotlight illuminated him.
"Mind your own business."
Iida paled slightly, seeing the scars on Eron's cheek.
Present Mic, sensing the rising tension, clapped his hands, his voice rising with enthusiasm again.
"YEAH! Relax, listeners, we're moving on to the fourth opponent! Defeating the fourth opponent will net you zero points. It's completely pointless. You'll just waste your time. The briefing is over. Get on the appropriate buses, and they'll take you to the exam site. Good luck!"
The crowd of candidates began to move, whispering among themselves as they headed toward their assigned buses. Eron continued to stare at the bespectacled teenager.
"Let me give you some advice. First, take that stick out of your ass. Second, don't annoy me. I have no patience for idiots these days."
"H... How dare you!"
Eron wasn't listening anymore. He moved to leave the room and boarded his assigned bus. He didn't sit down, but chose a seat near the window and the exit. It was his training's fault. It was always good to have two escape routes.
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Ibara boarded the same bus. She sat in the back and looked at Eron with concern. She was disturbed by his inappropriate response to the bespectacled teenager. She glanced at the weapons on his belt... a strange pistol and... and the swords, each with a retractable blade. Until now, she had only seen a red blade... she wondered what others might look like.
His posture was tense. She saw his hand involuntarily brush his lightsaber. The bus roared forward, passing the UA gates and heading for the exam area. Other candidates whispered excitedly, exchanging theories about robots and lasers, but Ibara remained silent.
She pondered the words he had spoken to the bespectacled man. They were the words of a warrior who had long since lost patience with fools. She feared that this anger, this impatience, was a gateway to darkness. Obi Wan had warned her that the dark side of the Force feeds on anger and fear.
She was afraid of what might happen if he didn't control his anger. She feared that Satan was already whispering to him, tempting him with promises of limitless power.
Ibara didn't even notice when the bus stopped. The end of the road. People began to get off and stand in front of the large gate.
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A girl with purple hair was talking about her quirk, the ability to create sound waves, and the boy next to her was laughing nervously, talking about his plan for three-point robots. Eron listened for a moment, but his mind was elsewhere.
He felt... a familiar adrenaline rush. He felt it before every attack.
"Hey! You're American? I hope I'm not the only one from the USA!"
Eron turned to the girl who had horns on her head and hooves instead of human feet. She had large, blue eyes.
"Hello! My name is Pony Tsunotori!"
What surprised Eron most was her speech... she spoke Basic. He replied in the same language.
"I'm not American. I'm Eron Kai."
Pony beamed, her hooves tapping lightly on the bus floor as if she couldn't sit still. She clapped her hands together, her large eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Oh! Eron Kai! Nice to meet you! My quirk is Horn Cannon! What's your quirk? Is that flashlight on your belt your quirk? Why do you need a gun?"
Eron sensed pure joy in her, without ulterior motives.
"My quirk is called 'Force'."
"And what exactly does 'Force' do?"
Eron hesitated for a moment, looking at Pony. Her curiosity was genuine, without guile... yet he was alert...
"'Force' allows me... to sense living things around me. I can use something like telekinesis and strengthen my body."
"Oh! Sounds like a powerful quirk! Mine allows me to control my horns. I can pluck them from my head and throw them, and they grow back on their own after a while."
"Sounds useful."
Pony nodded enthusiastically.
"Hey! I know this is a test, but maybe we can work together?"
Eron was silent for a moment.
"I don't know if that's the best idea. My quirk could be... dangerous to those around me when I fight."
Pony opened her mouth as if to protest, her large eyes glazed over with disappointment, but she nodded with a smile.
"Okay... But if you change your mind, I'll gladly help you!"
Eron nodded and turned toward the entrance. The gate opened, and Eron moved forward, using his Force power to guide him. To those around him, he flew like an arrow, outpacing everyone.
He ran between buildings until he encountered three single-point robots. They began firing at him. A red lightsaber flashed and deflected the lasers flying at him. He used his Force power to pull one of the robots towards him. He severed its arms and used it as a shield. He took a few steps forward and threw the robot at his companions. He had just scored three points.
Adrenaline was still pumping, reminding him of assaults on Separatist positions, where every shot could be the last. Here, the lasers were supposedly non-lethal, but he wasn't about to test that. He reacted the same way he would in a real battle.
He charged forward, leading the attack of a squad he could only see. He was back in his element. He was doing what he was meant to do. More robots stood in his way. He destroyed them with deadly precision.
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Aizawa and Vlad King watched Eron's actions.
Aizawa, hands in his pockets, watched with a blank expression. Vlad King, arms folded, stood nearby, his expression a mixture of awe and surprise.
"So this is the famous Eron Kai, hmm?"
Aizawa merely nodded. They were both reading the clone reports... and the Eron files, created by Captain Hellbound.
Vlad King grunted, his eyes narrowing as Eron crushed a two-point robot on the screen with a single gesture.
"I can't even imagine it... he was fighting thousands of robots at once... THOUSANDS..."
Aizawa only muttered quietly.
"This isn't a test for him. It's no challenge."
Nezu entered the control room with a mug of tea in his paw. Behind him walked Captain Hellbound, in his white clone armor, a strange sight among the UA heroes. His helmet tucked under his arm, his face scarred by battle, his eyes full of shame. Nezu spoke seriously.
"I see you admire our exceptional candidate."
Aizawa sighed, not taking his eyes off the screen.
"He has potential, but his past is one big unexploded bomb just waiting to be blown up."
Vlad King looked at the newest Pro Hero, Captain Hellbound.
"Captain Hellbound, you know him best... is there anything you didn't write in your report?"
"I only have my thoughts to add... I'm afraid he'll never trust anyone again. I betrayed him in the worst possible way."
Nezu sat down in his chair.
"It wasn't your fault, Hellbound."
The captain just shook his head.
"That's not important. What matters is what Commander Eron thinks... In his eyes, WE betrayed him."
Nezu's tone was calm and empathetic.
"Betrayal is a wound that doesn't heal easily. Unfortunately, the Republic and the Jedi Order haven't made our mission easy. We won't convince Eron simply by wanting to help, but I promise you, Hellbound, we will help him. All Might is confident Eron will become a great Pro Hero."
Vlad King asked, interested in All Might's memory.
"If All Might vouches for him, why didn't he get into UA through a recommendation? All Might's word alone would have been enough."
Hellbound took a step forward.
"It was my doing. I wanted you to see for yourself what Eron is capable of."
Aizawa gave him a sideways glance.
"And what is Eron Kai capable of?"
The Hellbound captain walked to the console and directed more droids into battle.
"You'll see soon."
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Eron was unstoppable. The robots were nothing like those in his galaxy. They were weak and few in number. He lost count of how many he had destroyed. The adrenaline slowly faded from his body... until he heard a scream.
He moved toward where the robots had surrounded several exam participants. A girl with strangely elongated ears was attacking the robots with sound waves. She wasn't yet aware of the surroundings.
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Kyoka turned her head and saw several robots that had just begun firing at her. She had nowhere to hide. A boy with a red sword landed right in front of her, deflecting the lasers.
"FIND COVER!"
He shouted to her and charged into the fight himself. He saved the boy, who was being pummeled by a two-point robot.
"Who are you!?"
She asked, but he didn't answer. Kyoka crouched behind a destroyed wall to give herself a moment's respite. He was destroying the robots with skill and precision... Kyoka turned her head toward one of the streets... she could clearly hear... a dozen... no... dozens of robots heading their way.
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Adrenaline returned with a vengeance. Eron felt he belonged here. The battlefield was his home. The feeling of constant danger was like a drug. He alternated between using his Force powers to crush robots and his lightsaber. He noticed a large group of robots approaching from where he'd left the sonic attack girl. Together with a few others, she repelled the initial attack.
He moved forward. He pulled the robot toward him to impale its head, then immediately cut it in half. He raised his hand and clenched it into a fist, and three single-point robots collided in midair, crushed by an invisible force.
Behind him, the other exam participants were taking down robots one by one. Eron didn't care about anyone or anything. He was completely absorbed in the fight.
He looked at the robots charging towards him. It seemed they had finally realized they couldn't defeat him from a distance. Eron extended his hand toward them. He felt the dark side of the force gather in his hand. Today he was the ruler, the master of his fate. Lightning struck the robots, burning their motherboards and circuits. Some exploded, others fell limply to the street.
Then everyone gathered felt the ground shake. The zero-pointer entered the fray.
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Tsunotori Pony destroyed the robots one by one. She impaled them on her horns, and with her was a girl with thorny vines for hair. Ibara fought with all her might. They were surrounded by robots. Ibara used her vines as a shield, and Pony destroyed the robots from a distance.
They felt the ground tremble beneath their feet. Soon, they saw something enormous approaching. They didn't notice that with each tremor, larger cracks appeared in the building next to them.
The point man slammed his powerful fist into the ground, sending up a shockwave that began to push the smaller robots away. In the process, several hundred kilograms of debris rose into the air and rained down on the surrounding area.
Ibara and Pony were thrown by the shockwave. Ibara quickly created a cocoon of her vines before the destroyed robots crushed them... unfortunately, the building gave way and began to collapse directly towards them.
Pony closed her eyes... but the building's rubble didn't fall... she opened her eyes and saw the rubble levitating above them... she looked at the 0-pointer walking towards them... and between him and her and Ibara stood Eron, his hand outstretched towards her.
"Eron! Run!"
The boy kept his eyes closed. He felt his opponent approaching. He extended his other hand toward it... and felt a huge weight. The enormous robot slowed... but continued walking towards him...
With effort, he dropped to one knee. The rubble above Pony and Ibara shifted restlessly. Pony noticed that her companion was unconscious.
"Pony!... Take her and run!"
Pony froze as she saw Eron staggering.
"Eron, you can't do this alone!"
She shouted, throwing her horn at the one-point robot that was trying to flank Eron. The horn pierced the machine, adding one point to it.
Eron gritted his teeth, struggling against the weight of the rubble and the giant's pressure. He looked at the terrified Pony... he felt her fear... but it wasn't for herself... but for him.
"Pony... I have to do this myself... because if not me... then who?"
Kyoka ran up to Pony and helped pull Ibara out of the cocoon. As she pulled her out, panting heavily, she grabbed Ibara under the arms and slowly began to pull her away from the floating rubble. Pony got out on her own and ran to Eron. She grabbed his arm, and the rubble fell with a crash, kicking up thick dust into the air.
She threw his arm over her neck and helped him stand. She tried to pull him to safety, but the 0-pointer was moving inexorably toward them.
She felt his body tremble with the effort.
"Pony...stop."
"Eron! We have to escape!"
A powerful blast of power blew away the dust around them...she realized it was Eron's quirk...
"I'm tired of running...I'll never...ever...run from anyone again."
Pony hesitated. Eron jerked away from her hands.
"Eron, no! This is too much! This is just a test! We have to escape! There are no points for him!"
Eron looked at the girl who was dragging Ibara away from danger...he knew that if he ran now, they would become targets.
He felt the weight of a hand on his chest...but it wasn't Pony's...
"Eron. You can do this. Show everyone the power of the Balance of Power."
Eron didn't have to turn his head to see who was speaking. His new master was here with him. He slowly rose from his knees and faced the threat.
The dark side... the light side... it didn't matter at all... what mattered was the goal, and his goal was to destroy this robot. Anger fueled his power, while the desire to protect others allowed him to direct it where it was needed.
Pony stood right behind Eron. The 0-pointer approached inexorably, until he finally launched a punch in their direction. She tried to grab Eron and dodge to the side, but some strange, invisible barrier stopped her... The robot's fist stopped a few meters in front of Eron. Both hands were raised.
Pony's voice trembled with awe and fear.
"Eron...?"
She could feel the energy radiating from him. An invisible power that, in her opinion, had accomplished something impossible.
Eron couldn't hear her... a battle for dominance was raging in his head.
"Eron..... balance..... remember... balance"
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His master's voice came again with a new wave of understanding. This was what the force was. It was neither good nor evil. It was a tool to be used for their own purposes. Jedi and Sith had distorted the understanding of the force, and both sides had gone to extremes....
But to understand the force... one must have a broader perspective... one cannot rely on dogma. There needed to be... contrast.
Pony heard the terrible sound of tearing metal. She looked at the robot's fist, which began to crack and collapse inward. Hydraulic fluid leaked onto the asphalt.
"Eron, how do you do this?"
Eron closed his eyes, and his breathing slowed. The anger that fueled his strength mingled with the desire to do good. Protect others... that's what the Jedi were truly supposed to do... use their power for good... that's where the Sith failed...
Images flashed in Eron's mind... the mud, the screams of clones, Separatist droids falling under his lightsaber... But now... for perhaps the first time in his life, he felt purpose.
"I'm not a Jedi. I'm not a Sith. I am myself."
With a roar, he thrust with the Force, and the shockwave shattered first the robot's arm, then his entire body. He fell to his knees. He opened his eyes and saw the giant shatter into pieces. He felt someone grab him from behind... Pony saved him from falling flat on his face.
Pony pulled Eron closer, looked into his face... and realized he had lost consciousness. She didn't understand how someone could be so powerful at his age... such strength... Eron was almost as powerful as All Might...
Kyoka had revived Ibara in the meantime. The two girls stepped closer. Ibara was terrified by the power she witnessed. She couldn't hear Obi Wan... she couldn't contact him...
She was afraid... she had been unconscious for too long... she didn't know if God had given Eron his power or if Satan had whispered in his ear...
Kyoka managed to whisper.
"He... he is powerful..."
End of Chapter 14