Battle Center D – Practical Exam
The mock city was a chaotic symphony of crushing metal and explosions.
Choso moved through the dust clouds like a phantom. A Two-Pointer—a mechanical scorpion-like drone—lunged at him with a spinning tail.
He didn't dodge. He stepped into the guard.
Cursed Energy Reinforcement.
Blue-black energy flickered invisibly around his leg as he delivered a devastating roundhouse kick to the robot's central joint.
CRUNCH.
The metal buckled instantly. The robot collapsed, sparking and smoking.
Twenty-eight points, Choso counted, not breaking stride.
Suddenly, three One-Pointers—fast, wheel-based robots—skidded around the corner, encircling him. Their sensors glowed red as they charged simultaneously, closing the distance too fast for a standard kick.
They're swarming. Perfect range.
Choso stopped, dropping into a low stance. He held his hands out, blood flowing from his palms and floating in four small orbs around him.
"Convergence."
He compressed the orbs until they vibrated with potential energy. As the robots leaped at him, he released the pressure.
"Supernova."
POP-POP-POP-POP!
The orbs detonated outwards like grapeshot grenades. The omnidirectional spray of high-pressure blood bullets peppered the robots, shattering their sensors and denting their chassis, knocking them backward mid-air.
They crashed to the ground, damaged but still twitching.
Now to finish it.
Choso dragged his thumb across his palm again.
"Blood Edge."
The crimson liquid surged out, shaping itself into a long, serrated dagger. The outline hardened, while the blood inside roared with supersonic rotation.
Vrrrrmmmmm.
Choso spun through the dazed robots.
He slashed horizontally. The Blood Edge met the steel chassis of the first robot. There was no resistance. The high-speed rotation of the blood shredded the metal instantly, slicing the robot cleanly in half.
He pivoted, driving the dagger into the second robot's exposed engine block. The third tried to reboot, but Choso flicked his wrist, extending the Blood Edge into a longer blade, and decapitated it.
Thirty-one points, he noted, dismissing the blood blade back into a floating orb around his hand. Supernova for spacing, Blood Edge for the kill. Efficient.
"Help!"
Choso pivoted. A Three-Pointer—a hulking behemoth of a robot—had cornered a girl with a mutation quirk, seemingly paralyzed by fear.
Too far to run.
"Convergence."
He took the blood he had just used for the blade, compressing it into a dense arrow at the tip of his fingers. He aimed for the Three-Pointer's exposed neck cabling.
"Piercing Blood."
SNAP.
A beam of red light tore through the air. It pierced the robot's neck, severing the hydraulic lines instantly. The machine shuddered and powered down, falling backward with a heavy thud.
The girl looked up, eyes wide. "Who... who are you?"
"Move," Choso said, landing crouched in front of her. "It's not safe here."
He turned and sprinted away before she could thank him.
Thirty-four points.
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U.A. High – Observation Room
Dozens of screens lined the walls of the dark room, illuminating the faces of the U.A. faculty.
"This year's batch is certainly energetic," a voice purred. Midnight, the R-Rated Hero, watched a screen in Sector B. "Lots of destruction."
"Indeed," a small, high-pitched voice replied. Principal Nezu sat in his chair, sipping tea. "But destruction is only half the test. We look for those with the heart to act."
His eyes shifted to a monitor labeled 'Sector D'.
"Speaking of action," Snipe pointed a finger at the screen. "That kid from my written exam room. Itadori. His movements are... refined. That's not brawling; that's martial arts."
On the screen, Choso was dismantling a group of robots with surgical precision.
"Registered Quirk: Blood Manipulation," Nezu read from the file. "But look closely at that dagger technique he just used. He's rotating the fluid inside a hardened shell to increase cutting power. That requires immense concentration and hydrodynamic control."
"He's versatile," Cementoss noted, leaning forward. "Close range with those blood blades, area-of-effect with that explosive burst, and long range with that piercing beam. And look. Every time he engages, he checks his surroundings. He clears the line of fire for other examinees."
"And don't forget the resemblance," a gruff voice grunted. Vlad King, the Blood Hero, crossed his thick arms, his eyes locked onto Choso's screen. "It's almost identical to my Blood Control. But the way he utilizes it... it's aggressive."
Vlad watched as Choso fired the Piercing Blood, his eyes widening slightly at the velocity.
"I usually focus on solidification for trapping and restraint," Vlad admitted, a spark of competitive interest in his eyes. "But this kid is using high-pressure hydrodynamics to create projectiles and cutting edges. He's turned his own vitality into a sniper rifle. I want him in Class B. He'd fit right in."
"We shall see," Nezu chuckled. "Though I imagine Aizawa might have something to say about a student with such... logical efficiency."
Nezu tapped a paper on his desk—Choso's essay.
"His written exam was quite provocative," the Principal mused. "'To be a Hero is to live for others, even if it means dying for them.' A heavy philosophy for a fifteen-year-old. But he seems intent on proving it."
"He's racking up Villain Points and Rescue Points simultaneously," Midnight licked her lips. "I like him. He has conviction."
On another screen, separated from the main chaos, a skeletal figure with sunken eyes watched a different sector entirely.
All Might stared at Battle Center B, his gaze fixed on a green-haired boy who was frantically running around with zero points.
Midoriya shonen... time is running out, All Might thought, his heart clenching with anxiety. You have the heart, but you need to manifest the power!
Back in Sector D, another student was making waves. Fumikage Tokoyami stood with his arms crossed, Dark Shadow tearing through robots with reckless abandon.
"A strong offense," Ectoplasm nodded approvingly. "But let's see how they handle the true test."
Nezu's paw hovered over a large red button.
"The true test of a Hero," Nezu grinned, his eyes gleaming. "Let us unleash the calamity."
CLICK.
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Battle Center D
The ground shook.
It wasn't a vibration; it was an earthquake. Choso skidded to a halt, stabilizing himself with a blood-anchor to the pavement.
Here it comes.
From the central plaza, a shadow eclipsed the sun. The Zero Pointer rose like a mechanical god, towering over the skyscrapers. Its single red eye glowed with menacing intensity as it smashed a building aside like it was made of cardboard.
Dust and debris flooded the streets.
"R-Run!"
"It's huge!"
"That's not worth zero points! That's a death sentence!"
The examinees broke. Panic swept through the crowd as they turned and fled, abandoning the exam.
Choso stood his ground, shielding his eyes from the dust. He checked his mental tally.
Eighty-one Villain Points. At least more than enough Rescue Points. I've passed comfortably.
Logic dictated he should run. There was no benefit to fighting this thing. It was a waste of blood and Cursed Energy.
He turned to leave, his body already moving to follow the retreat.
"Owww!"
A cry of pain cut through the roar of the machine.
Choso stopped.
He looked back. Near the rubble of the destroyed building, a boy with a lizard mutation was trapped. A massive slab of concrete had pinned his tail, and the Zero Pointer's treads were grinding closer.
The other examinees were running. They didn't look back.
Standard hero ethics, Choso thought, the words from his written exam echoing in his mind. Lives first.
The memory of the Choso from the manga flashed in his mind—standing against Kenjaku, burning his life away to buy time for Yuji.
I said I was going to dominate, Choso gritted his teeth, the Cursed Energy in his gut flaring violently. Running away isn't dominating.
He turned around.
"Flowing Red Scale: Stack."
THUMP-THUMP.
His heart rate doubled. Then tripled. The red markings across his nose and eyes glowed vividly. His muscles bulged, tearing slightly under the strain before regenerating instantly with the enhanced blood flow.
He didn't run; he vanished.
He closed the distance in a single breath, leaping over the trapped boy.
"Hey! Don't move!" Choso yelled.
He looked up at the Zero Pointer. It was looming directly over them. It was too big to punch. He needed to hit the core.
He jumped.
With Cursed Energy exploding from his feet, he launched himself straight up, soaring toward the robot's chest level. He hovered there for a split second, gravity fighting his momentum.
He brought his hands together, interlacing his fingers in the signature mudra. He drew every drop of available blood floating around him, compressing it between his palms.
"Convergence."
The pressure was immense. The blood turned almost black, it was so dense.
I need maximum output. Pierce through everything.
"PIERCING BLOOD!"
SNAP.
The sound wasn't like a gunshot; it was like a thunderclap. A beam of crimson light, no thicker than a pencil but moving at the speed of sound, erupted from his hands.
It tore through the air, creating a vacuum tunnel. It struck the Zero Pointer's chest plate.
SCREEEEEEECH!
The hardened steel armor didn't even slow it down. The beam punched a clean hole straight through the chassis, shredded the central engine block, pierced the reactor core, and exited out the back of the robot, slicing through a skyscraper behind it.
The Zero Pointer froze. Its red eye flickered once, then died.
With a groan of dying metal, the colossal machine slumped backward, crashing away from the trapped student.
Choso fell from the sky, landing heavily on his feet. He stumbled, his vision blurring for a second.
Blood loss... dizzy...
He shook his head, forcing the world to stabilize.
"TIME'S UP!"
The siren wailed across the city.
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U.A. High – Observation Room
Silence reigned in the observation room.
"Did... did he just shoot a hole through that thing?" Present Mic whispered, adjusting his glasses.
"He targeted the main power core with pinpoint accuracy," Snipe analyzed, his voice filled with respect. "That penetration power... it went through five layers of reinforced alloy like it was paper."
Nezu was beaming.
"He had the points to pass. He could have walked away," the Principal said softly. "But he saw someone in danger, and he engaged a threat that was mathematically illogical to fight."
He stamped a seal onto a digital file.
"Itadori Choso. Rescue points... off the charts."
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Battle Center D
"Hey... are you okay?"
Choso blinked, looking down. The lizard boy he had saved was limping toward him, supported by a cane made of debris. "You saved my life, man. That was... that was incredible!"
"Just doing my job," Choso mumbled, leaning against a wall. He felt lightheaded. The Max Output Piercing Blood had taken a lot out of him.
"Here, dearie."
An elderly woman in a lab coat hobbled over. Recovery Girl.
"You overdid it, sonny," she scolded gently, handing him a juice box. "You're anemic. Drink this."
"Thanks," Choso took the juice, stabbing the straw in.
"Any broken bones?" she asked, eyeing his arms.
"No. Just... tired."
"Good. You have a sturdy body. Now, go home and eat some liver."
Choso chuckled weakly. "Yes, ma'am."
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The Itadori Household
The sun was setting by the time Choso unlocked the front door. He felt heavy, drained, but satisfied.
"Choso!"
Kaori was in the hallway instantly, a ladle in her hand. Jin was right behind her.
"You're back!" Jin exclaimed. "You look exhausted! Are you okay? Was it hard? Did you get hurt?"
They swarmed him, checking for injuries.
Choso looked at them—his mother, his father. The people he fought to protect. He thought about the robot falling. He thought about the fear in the lizard boy's eyes, and the relief that followed.
A tired, confident smile spread across his face.
"I'm fine," Choso said, kicking off his shoes. "It was intense. But..."
He clenched his fist, feeling the faint hum of his Cursed Energy.
"I will pass. I'm going to be a Hero."
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