"To all exam candidates tuning in—welcome to my live broadcast! Everybody say hey!"
...Silence.
"Voice Hero Present Mic," he raised his trembling arms. "Tough crowd. Alright, I'll now give you a quick rundown of the combat portion of the entrance exam."
"It's Present Mic! I listen to his radio show every week! All the instructors at U.A. are Pro Heroes! So cool!" whispered Midoriya in awe.
The boy sitting behind him, Kisei Gin, heard everything.
"So noisy," grumbled the spiky-haired boy on Midoriya's right.
Yeah... too noisy.Kisei Gin silently agreed.
"You'll now participate in a ten-minute simulated urban combat exercise. You may bring any personal equipment. There are seven different test sites. After my explanation, you'll head to your assigned zones."
Kisei Gin glanced at her admission card: Test Site C. She also peeked at the cards in front of her—Midoriya was in Site B, and the spiky-head in A.
"There are three types of enemy bots set up throughout the training grounds, each worth varying points based on difficulty. Use your Quirks to defeat them and rack up points. That's your goal. Remember, attacking other participants is strictly forbidden—it goes against the very spirit of heroism."
A student ahead suddenly raised his hand:"The test sheet lists four enemy types. If that's incorrect, wouldn't it be a disgrace for Japan's top school? We came here to learn from exemplary heroes. Also, that curly-haired kid over there,"—he pointed at Midoriya—"has been muttering non-stop. If you're just here for sightseeing, kindly leave."
"Sorry..." Midoriya shrunk under the laughter of the other students.
Mic gestured for the boy to sit down."Candidate #7111, excellent question. Thanks. The fourth type of enemy is worth zero points. They're mainly there to distract you. Every zone has one. While they can be defeated, it's pointless—best to avoid them."
The boy bowed politely."Thank you for clarifying!"
Kisei Gin mused,"So the zero-pointers are there to test our judgment and adaptability..."
When she stepped off the U.A.-provided transport bus and saw the massive simulated city, she could only marvel.U.A. really is rich.
"Hi—Start!"Mic's voice suddenly blasted through the air.
Gin barely held herself back from rushing forward.No. I can't go first. That'll make me stand out. Got to act normal. Average. Calm.
"There's no countdown in real battles, people!" Mic yelled.
Finally, everyone reacted and sprinted forward.Gin followed, face expressionless.
"U.A. accepts about 40 hero students each year, split into two classes of 20. So that's what you're competing for. Combat points are important, but based on my analysis, there's likely a hidden scoring system—probably related to helping others. If your hidden score is zero, you might rank lower than expected, no matter how many enemies you defeat. So lend a hand when you can—it might just get you in."
Help others, huh…Gin sighed inwardly.Easier said than done.
"36 points..."She pulled her silver katana—formed from her Quirk—out of a bot's chest and casually listened in on others:
"24 points... 30... 15..."If the hidden score is worth 10, I might still need more. Better keep going.
She darted into an alley and found a stray two-point bot.
"Two points, mine," she smirked.
A short sprint, then she jumped onto its back. Her silver blade slid between its armor plates, slicing the control circuit—clean, efficient, satisfying.
Finally, I can fight properly. Holding back earlier was annoying. This is better.
She leapt down, content—until she noticed a boy with purple seaweed hair sitting in the corner, clutching his stomach and watching her.
They stared at each other.Gin broke the silence first.
"No need to thank me. I'm off."
"Wait, can I know your name?"
"No need. I don't do good deeds for recognition—"
Control taken.That was her first thought.
"Let's work together. You disable the bots, I'll finish them off."
"Okay."She answered automatically.I can't move. Control-type Quirk—strong one too. No idea how to break it.
She followed the seaweed-haired boy back into the open streets. They found a 1-point bot.
"Go."Gin rushed in, disabled it. He stepped in for the final blow.
"Hmm… no score increase. So partial takedowns still count." He looked thoughtful and walked off.
Gin regained control.No contact... just words and eye contact. Probably voice-activated. And he released it himself—so I still don't know how to break it.
Strong Quirk with unclear triggers—dangerous.
Physically weak too, if a two-pointer backed him into a corner. Maybe I can catch up...She jogged after him, keeping a low profile.
But he didn't use his Quirk again.Is he being cautious now? Ugh, no new intel. I'll go back to hunting bots.
Her current score: 39. Not enough. She turned to leave—
The ground shook.
A massive zero-point bot entered the field.
Yup. It's huge. Better not engage.But just then, she saw that same purple-haired boy frozen in place.
Tch…
If I save him, maybe 5 bonus points?She sprinted over and yanked him to safety.
"Suicidal much?" she muttered while dragging him through an alley.
"Mm."He sounded sincere.
"…What?"
"Actually, my legs gave out."
"…Oh."
They ran a while before Gin deemed the area safe. She let go of his wrist and walked off.
"Hey, thanks."
She turned back and stared silently.
"No snarky 'don't thank me' this time?"
"No need."
Control taken—again.
"Heh," he chuckled."Careless heroes are easy to manipulate."
Trigger condition: replying to him verbally.
"Thunk!"A piece of debris hit her back as the bot stomped around.
The control broke.
"Ah. That did it? Oh well. Later," he waved and left.
So physical contact breaks it? Wonder if force matters.She rubbed her sore back.Just because she's a tough merc doesn't mean pain doesn't bother her.
"Hey, Seaweed-head."
He turned, surprised.
She smiled and waved."See you at U.A."
"…Huh?"
Before he could react, she jogged away.
Was that... a provocation?