The gates hissed open with a metallic groan.

Izuku stepped inside with the other examinees, hands in his pockets, his movements unhurried while everyone else exploded into frantic sprints. Some already activated their quirks, blasting forward in bursts of fire, ice, or propulsion.

Izuku just… walked.

Then—whoosh.

In the blink of an eye, he blurred from the starting street to the first robot—a hulking, three-pointer stomping through a mock plaza. His hand shot forward, palm open, and he pushed. Not punched—pushed.

The machine flew backward like it had been hit by a truck, slamming into a wall and crumpling into scrap metal.

One down.

He didn't even look at it. He was already gone.

Observation Room — UA Faculty

"Who is that kid?" Present Mic asked, leaning closer to the monitor. "I didn't even see him move."

Aizawa squinted. "Too fast for standard cameras. He's holding back… but even then, the control he's showing is impressive."

"I can tell you one thing," Snipe said, arms crossed. "Those aren't beginner moves. That kid's got experience—years of it."

All Might, who had been quietly watching from the corner, said nothing—but his eyes followed every step Izuku made.

Back in the Field

Izuku flowed through the mock city like water, always just appearing where the next target was, dismantling it with minimal movement. One robot had its arm ripped off in a blink, another was flipped onto its back like a helpless turtle, and a third was split in half with one swift kick.

He never stayed in one place for more than two seconds—meaning other examinees always had chances to score on the robots he left partially disabled.

"Holy crap! He's leaving them for us!" one examinee shouted, blasting the head off a robot Izuku had crippled moments before.

Uraraka, sprinting past another downed machine, caught a glimpse of him—vanishing around a corner like a phantom. 'How is he moving like that?!'

Observation Room

"He's not just going for points," Midnight noted, her eyes narrowing. "He's actively making sure others get chances. That's rare for this stage."

Nezu sipped his tea calmly. "It's a display of both skill and awareness. He's making a name for himself without stepping on the toes of potential future classmates. Quite the calculated approach."

"Calculated?" Vlad King raised a brow. "Feels more like instinct to me. Natural talent like that… you don't teach."

All Might's eyes narrowed slightly. "…That strength. That speed. It's familiar."

Izuku suddenly stopped and sat back, his score already more than enough to secure first place.

'Damn, they're probably glazing me up there. And All Might… there's no way he knows who I am. I haven't even shown twenty percent of my power. Then again… I do have twenty percent.'

[DING]

MISSION ALERT!!

OBJECTIVE:

● SAVE URARAKA AGAIN!!

REWARDS:

● +2%

'Oh, cool. Alright.'

---

The ground quaked as a monstrous BOOM echoed through the mock city. The Zero Pointer burst through the side of a skyscraper in a shower of steel and concrete, its titanic frame blotting out the sky. Each step was a seismic event, rattling windows and cracking pavement.

Thick plumes of dust rolled over the streets like an incoming sandstorm. Through it all, Izuku's ears caught it—her voice. Uraraka's panicked cry.

---

In a split second, his body moved. A sonic crack exploded behind him as he launched forward, his boots pulverizing the asphalt where he'd stood. Street lamps bent from the gust that followed him.

One heartbeat—he was on the ground.

Second heartbeat—he was airborne, rising past the broken skeleton of the building the Zero Pointer had smashed through.

The giant's glowing sensors barely had time to focus on him before Izuku's fist cocked back, muscles tensing like a drawn bowstring.

B O O M

The impact was apocalyptic. The air rippled in a visible shockwave that shattered every remaining window in a hundred-meter radius. The Zero Pointer's head didn't dent—it imploded, its metal skull crumpling inward as the entire frame was launched backward like a missile.

It tore through two more buildings, splitting them apart like wet paper. Walls burst outward, sending debris raining down in a deadly storm of glass, steel, and concrete. The monster didn't stop until it plowed through the city's perimeter wall, half-buried in rubble, sparks hissing from its broken chassis.

---

Observation Room

"What the hell—?!" Vlad King shouted, almost spilling his coffee. "That's not normal power output!"

All Might said nothing, but his grip on the armrest tightened until the leather creaked.

Back in the field, Izuku landed hard, his boots cracking the pavement. He didn't waste a second—he pushed through the settling dust, zeroing in on Uraraka, who was pinned under a slab of fallen debris.

With one arm, he tossed it aside like it was cardboard, scooping her up effortlessly. She gasped at the sudden lift, finding herself cradled against his chest as he bolted toward the evacuation gates, the collapsing skyline rumbling behind them.

They only stopped when the walls of the gate loomed ahead, the dust cloud roaring closer like an angry beast.

"You alright?" Izuku asked with a small smirk.

Uraraka's wide eyes met his, her face flushing crimson as she realized just how close she was to him.

"Y-Yeah… I'm fine."

"Good," he said, setting her gently down.

"Could you, uh… please put me down?" she added quickly, stepping back to create distance.

"Sorry," he chuckled.

She gave a shy smile. "Thank you, Izuku."

"No problem."

"THE TEST IS ALL OVER!" Present Mic's voice boomed from the loudspeakers, marking the end of the chaos.

Izuku smiled faintly, a satisfied calm in his expression.

'All that saving paid off. I've learned how to control my power… otherwise I probably would've sent that Zero Pointer flying across the entire school.'

Around him, the sound of groans and shuffling echoed through the dust-choked air as Recovery Girl hobbled into the scene, her cane tapping against the cracked pavement.

"Line up, line up! Let's patch you brats up before you keel over," she barked in her usual grandmotherly tone.

Izuku glanced over at Uraraka, who was still catching her breath, before giving her a casual wave.

"Well, I'll see you when school starts, Uraraka. See ya."

He turned and began walking toward the exit, his steps steady and confident. Every head seemed to follow him as he left—murmurs whispering through the group like ripples in a pond.

Some looked impressed, some intimidated… and a few, like Iida, wore a thin mask over a storm of envy.

'He even saved the girl…' Iida thought bitterly, his hands tightening into fists. 'He's definitely getting the highest marks. Damn it.'

Uraraka's gaze lingered on his back long after he'd gone, her blush still refusing to fade.

'He's so cool…' she thought, biting her lip slightly before she even realized it.

Thwack!

She yelped as Recovery Girl's cane tapped her knee sharply.

"Don't go falling for the boy just because he saved you," the old woman warned, giving her a sharp side-eye. "You don't know how badly that can end."

"I'm not falling for him!" Uraraka said quickly, waving her hands defensively as her blush deepened.

Recovery Girl just chuckled knowingly before shuffling off to the next student, leaving Uraraka staring at the ground with her thoughts spinning.

TO BE CONTINUED