“Begin!” That yell, joined by the firing of the starting gun, filled the air and we shot forward.
Predictably, with acceleration I didn’t expect from a scooter of all things, Yaoyo took the lead across the field but was far from out of reach, forced to find a path she could drive through rather than just jumping over what was laid in our way.
A few, one managing some kind of low powered flight, were just behind her.
Bit by bit those in the front drew closer to each other without any lines in a typical race to keep them separated, and, after one small graze that could’ve been brushed off as a mistake, the quirks they were using to get ahead were turned on each other, everyone going out of their way to try to slow down the other.
A foot, sharp and fast with a series of small wing like appendages running along its length, tried to score a kick to my side but I caught it, already twisting my heel and sending my attacker tumbling back across the field.
There were no rules against us fighting each other and Midnight made no moves to step in as things picked up.
Rather than letting myself get involved in all that, I picked up my pace, jumping over containers and passing cardboard cutouts of people all while keeping between those fighting at the very front and those doing the same behind me.
Hero points and villain points.
I’m pretty sure the normal entrance exam used those two point systems to decide a participant’s score.
If we were using that same criteria here, it was obvious that straight up attacking others to ensure your own victory would net you the latter.
But what would get us some of the former?
The ground shook, some fighting halted for a moment while people stumbled.
Racing out from some of the crates and building like objects ahead, dozens of robots, some only a little bigger than us, while others easily towered over some of the obstacles they passed, rolled forward, all of them protected by dark green metal plating with ominous red lens for eyes.
The one, two, and three pointers from the actual exam.
Those at the front were forced to separate from each other, avoiding and retaliating against the approaching robots and their swings, some slowing to do the same as me and avoid getting caught up in the initial craze.
At first, it looked like we, the participants, were the only targets.
While the machines at the front fought those leading the race, a good handful steadily tramped over and pointlessly swung their arms through those wooden cutouts of people, splintered remains sent flying.
Just like I thought.
With rules like this and what the machines were up to, this wasn’t a foot race at all.
Did hero points have more weight than villain points?
Hard to say when the show didn’t get into the details of the scoring system, but either way, I knew what I had to do.
I scanned the frontlines again, picking up my pace and curling my lip, the familiar taste of sweet blood spreading across my taste buds.
With enemies intentionally pursuing us thrown into the mix, that Yaoyo girl had lost her lead, forced to stop putting petal to the metal.
While that scooter might’ve carried her far ahead at first, it wasn’t good for this kind of situation.
Not on its own anyway.
Sprinting and dipping my way around the other runners and machines, I leaped into the air, right foot brought high up.
Just as one of the machines dropped from one of the obstacles ahead of her forcing her to abruptly brake, its arm pulled back, a kick dropped from above saw me tearing clean through the metal of its head, smoking wiring and components exposed.
I back stepped from the motionless machine, right fist raised and the left held at my side as I stopped beside Yaoyo.
“Hey.” I said while keeping an eye out for any other attacks.
“Take a look at the machines in the back.”
Surprise set aside quickly, she did as I said.
“They’re attacking the cutouts.” She figured out just as quickly.
“This isn’t just a race then.
Its more like a mock rescue operation.”
Good.
The quicker she was on the uptake, the quicker we could do this.
“You made that scooter using your quirk, right?
Can you make something to carry all of the cutouts?” Rather than saying anything, she nodded, her back beginning to glow.
At the same time a pair of machines, the simple one pointers, came rolling at us.
While she did that, a quick step in between their wide swings and punches that dug straight through their red lenses left them smoking heaps of scrap metal like the first.
By the time I was done, Yaoyo had created an entire wagon, the thing dropped and connected to the back of her scooter.
“I’ll handle the machines.” I said giving her nod.
She returned it and took off once again, not towards the finish line but towards nearby cutouts of civilians, loading them into the wagon.
This time, with Bloodboost strengthening me, I kept pace with her, destroying any machines that targeted us.
Either still caught up the idea of this just being a race, brushing us off, or only interesting in attacking others and the machines, the other participants, a vast majority already ahead of us, paid us no attention.
I didn’t do the same, quickly jumping in to help any that looked like they were struggling with the machines swarming them.
It was an interesting little test but not as challenging as I expected.
Between leveraging Yaoyo’s quirk to carry far more of the cutouts than anyone could by hand, the destroyed machines, and helping those struggling even when time began to run low, I was pretty confident in being among the top scores for this whole thing.
I wonder if there was anything else planned after this?
XOXO
“That’s right, it’s me, Nezu!” I couldn’t help but blink, caught off guard by the suited man sitting across from me.
Small as he was, with one scar traveling over the eye of his white fur covered body, a pair of round ears, and a tail, anyone might’ve mistaken him for an ordinary overgrown rodent.
No offense to him of course.
I couldn’t even be sure rodent was the right word; was he some kind of- “Am I dog, a rat, a bear?
Who knows?
“Good afternoon?” I said though came out as more of a question as I glanced around the small office I’d been made to wait in after the practical exam.
It was relatively empty with nothing, but the desk Principal Nezu sat on and the comfortable leather chair I was in across from it.
“Confused I bet.
Did you expect things to be wrapped up after the practical portion of the entrance exams?” He questioned hitting the nail on the head.
“Well, you’re right!
You can consider this bit an optional portion, whether you agree to participate or not will have no bearing on your entrance here.”
I always hated when schools or just about anything like a company did stuff like that.
Calling things optional and handing out assurances when everyone knew full well that be singled out as one of the people unwilling to play ball with extra work could end up with problems from those in charge later on.
In this case I was more curious than anything else though.
“What do I have to do?”
“It’s nothing more than an interview.
You see, when we have so few students eligible for the Recommendation Exams, I like to take the chance to get to know them one on one.
I’ll ask questions and you answer them however you want.
Maybe not even at all.
Its all up to you.
It can also act as a time capsule for when you graduate.” Principal Nezu explained while messing with the camera on the tall black tripod beside him.
“Assuming you agree and have no issues being recorded of course.”
So, an interview?
I guess I didn’t have a problem with that.
“I don’t mind, sir.”
“Great.” The principal said, hands, or rather paws, clasped together.
One camera set up later and the recording started.
“How about we start off simple?
How are you feeling about the exam?”
“On the written portion?
I got a perfect, or nearly perfect score.
I slacked a little with my studying this past month.” More like got distracted, Himiko finding ways to try and get me away from my desk.
I eventually caved in once I was confident all of it was sticking but certain subjects like biology were more or less memorization and memory was a fickle thing especially when conflicting information was involved.
“Ah, I see confidence won’t be lacking when it comes to you, Akaguro.
How about the practical portion?”
“If were just talking about the group I was split into, I’m either tied with that girl with the black hair or one of us came in first.” I said honestly.
“If the other group is included, I’m thinking whoever created all that ice could be the one at the top.” I still wasn’t sure how I stacked up to someone with a quirk like that or if they had the exact same practical exam as our group.
“Either way, it was pretty fun.”
“Oh?” Nezu questioned, curiously.
“Why assume you’re being ranked at all?”
That was a weird question.
“We’re all competing for the same spots, plus all the top heroes are ranked by number.
It makes sense for the top hero school in the world to start getting students comfortable with that early on.”
Nezu nodded along.
“Sound logic.
Tell me, is that why you applied to our school?
You want to become one of the top ranked heroes in the world?”
“Not really.” I admitted.
“U.A.
is the hardest hero school to get into.
I just wanted to see if I could manage it.
It’s the same reason I want to be a hero.” Beyond just changing stuff, the idea of staying home lazing around or working some nine to five didn’t sound right.
Hell, even if I got rich, after all this work I couldn’t imagine just kicking back.
Between my quirk and this entire gacha system, I couldn’t even begin to imagine how disappointed I’d be resigning myself to a life like that anymore.
Hero work was probably the only job in the whole world that could take full advantage of all the effort and abilities.
Not to mention being pretty good pay.
“And if you do manage to become a pro hero?” Nezu asked.
“I guess I’ll see just how far I can go.”
“You have quite the interesting mindset for an aspiring hero.” Nezu said with a smile.
“A simple but interesting one.”
Did he have a problem with my answers? You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Like them maybe?
I couldn’t tell but I wasn’t too bothered by it either way, the rest of the interview involving more basic and general questions.
I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d get a ticket out of this though.
XOXO
[Feat Accomplished!
Gain the interest of Principal Nezu!
+1 Silver Familiar Gacha Ticket]
[Feat Accomplished
Make it through the Recommendation Exams!
+1 Silver Trait Gacha Ticket]
Passing the fountain of U.A.’s entrance, I skimmed the window that appeared before me while following all the other participants out of the school.
So, a participation reward and that other ticket might actually be a product of a one on one with the principal.
I was still hoping for something crazy good from my performance, but I guess that wouldn’t be officially decided for a little while.
Now, should I use these tickets now or-
“Excuse me.” I stopped, the windows closing on themselves.
“It’s you.” I said, holding out a hand.
“I’m Akaguro Katsuya.
Thanks for the help earlier.”
“I’m Yaoyorozu Momo.” Standing before me, noticeably taller than most our age but still a bit shorter than me, Yaoyorozu took my offered hand with a smile.
“I actually wanted to say the same to you.
I believe that however our performances are judged, our teamwork should reflect well across the board.”
“Teamwork makes the dream work.” I said, the two of us walking in step together towards the gates.
“You looked different during the practical portion of the exam.
Bulkier.” She noted, scanning me.
“Is your quirk an emission type?”
“Hybrid.” Whether it was my actual quirk or the gacha system, that was the best way to describe everything between the major types of quirks.
“Yours is an emitter type, right?”
She nodded as we stepped beyond the gates, stopping on the path leading up to it to talk.
“My quirk is called Creation.
It allows me to create anything I understand.
There is a bit more to it than that but that’s the basics of it.” She explained, surprisingly forthcoming about it.
Or maybe not at all.
Its not like she had any reason to be bothered sharing that much with someone she worked with.
“You must read a lot then.” I knew the basics of how a scooter worked but the amount of knowledge she’d need to accurately recreate one went beyond surface level stuff that anyone would know.
“My quirk is call Bloodboost.
When I drink blood, I can boost my body’s abilities.
The exact effects depend on the blood type of the person.” I flashed my teeth for good measure, showing off my sharp canine.
I didn’t think twice about how people viewed my quirk as a whole but I didn’t bother showing off my tongue.
Himiko’s poorly hidden, not all hidden these days, reaction too it was enough reason not too.
It would just be inviting unnecessary awkwardness.
Yaoyorozu nodded, starting a question.
“Sorry but I kind of have to catch a train to get home.” I said, cutting her off and gesturing past her.
I could probably stay another day if I wanted but there wasn’t much of anything I wanted to do in this city before school started and we’d finished up early enough that I could be back in Aichi with Himiko before the day was over.
I was looking forward to being on my own but a couple days in a hotel room was whole different thing than an apartment I could be spending years in.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She quickly apologized, head bowed just a touch.
“I look forward to seeing you once again when the school year properly starts.”
Returning the goodbye and waving to her, I wasn’t at all surprised when she got into the fancy black car waiting just beside the curb that others had passed, the door opened for her by the equally fancily dressed driver.
Yeah, money wasn’t the main motivation, but I hoped I got cut checks big enough to just have people waiting on me like that if I felt like it.
I headed my own way, smiling a bit.
I was looking forward to the start of the school year too.
XOXO
(A/N: Katsu very much has more of a hardworking mindset than a heroic mindset.
We’ll see if he remains that way, evolves, or devolves overtime.