Itsuka Kendo had been preparing for this moment ever since she decided to become a hero. Walking down the hallway alongside the other participants, she tried to steady her breathing something she had learned from her martial arts sensei.
Controlling one's breath in any situation allowed air to properly circulate through the body, improving both focus and physical performance. That was exactly what she was doing now, letting the air enter and exit her lungs in a steady rhythm.
She could already tell that by doing so, her body was becoming more attuned her muscles tightening, her senses sharpening. That was why she couldn't help but overhear the conversation in front of her.
The orange-haired girl recognized two of the three people ahead.
One was someone she had spoken to during the written exam. The other was the vine-haired girl's best friend the same guy who had flipped off the glasses-wearing student during the briefing. The third was a brown-haired girl she didn't recognize.
Despite knowing one of them, Itsuka decided not to approach the group. She figured it was better to use the time to prepare herself rather than socialize.
This school had the lowest acceptance rate for the hero course, and she would be damned if she let herself get distracted before the exam.
For the first time in her life, she needed to make sure her focus was on the exam and nothing else.
"Are you sure, Aino, that the zero-pointer is a civilian bot or a boss villain?"
Itsuka was unintentionally eavesdropping on the conversation in front of her as she walked right behind them.
"I'm not sure, Kinoko. That's why I'm saying don't waste your energy on the zero pointer just avoid it if you see one," answered the lilac-haired boy, sharing his thoughts on the exam.
"In any case, our priority is to collect as many points as possible," added the vine-haired girl.
"You two are in the same test location. Work together. Kinoko, you can stall the bots by spreading mushrooms along their bodies and pathways, while Eve can help you move faster around the exam site."
Itsuka noted that Aino's strategy was solid it covered offense, defense, and mobility, all at the same time. And he had come up with it just while walking.
"I-I don't know. I can tell Shioza Shiozaki-san can pass the exam on her own," the mushroom-haired girl admitted hesitantly. "I feel like I'd just get in her way if I tagged along… and we don't even know if teaming up is allowed."
Aino raised a hand and placed it gently on the brown-haired girl's head, giving it a light pat.
"First, the only rule is not to fight your fellow participants," he said. "Second, you're amazing, Kinoko. Your Quirk will be a huge help in fighting those faux villains you won't be in anyone's way. You'll be their greatest asset.
"And third, I'm not saying you should work together from the start. I'm saying that if you two run into each other during the exam, you should team up. Heroes always work together during disasters and villain encounters."
Itsuka nodded at that statement. He was right it was always safer for heroes to have backup, especially against an unknown opponent. You never knew what kind of Quirk an enemy had until they used it on you.
"That's right, Komori-san! Don't underestimate yourself. I'd love to work with you I know you'd be a big help," the vine-haired girl added with a reassuring smile.
"Y-you guys…!" Kinoko's voice shook as she tried her best not to tear up at their words.
Itsuka couldn't help but smile as she watched the heartfelt moment unfold in front of her.
"And you."
The vine-haired girl's voice shifted from warm to strict as she turned to her best friend.
"Don't mess around, Ai. You'd better pass this exam."
Aino grinned. "Don't worry, Eve. I'll pass. I promised, didn't I?"
This earned him a small smile and a nod from the vine-haired girl.
"I think this is where we split up," Aino pointed out.
Itsuka looked ahead and saw different buses, each labeled with large letters indicating which students were assigned to them.
Her attention was pulled away when she overheard Aino's next words.
"Eve, let me have your blood. It'd be bad if people thought I was attacking someone just to get it."
'Blood?' Itsuka thought. Does his Quirk require blood to activate?
She kept her eyes on the two in front of her.
Without hesitation, the vine-haired girl nodded, lifting her index finger in front of Aino's face.
With a movement so fast that Itsuka almost missed it her heightened senses the only thing allowing her to catch it Aino made a quick swipe with his nail, drawing a thin line of blood from Eve's finger.
Then, to both Itsuka's and Kinoko's shock, Aino grabbed Ibara's hand and placed her bleeding finger in his mouth, suckling on it.
Kinoko's face turned redder than a strawberry, and even though she was used to it, Ibara couldn't help but blush slightly at the reaction.
"A-Ai's Quirk needs blood to activate. He can't go around taking his fellow participant's blood it might be considered an attack. So I just let him take mine," Ibara explained quickly, pulling her finger from Aino's mouth.
Itsuka felt her cheeks burn as she watched the exchange.
Quirk or not, allowing someone to suckle your finger like that… It took a special kind of trust.
She took a deep breath, trying to regain focus. She couldn't believe that her breathing exercise had been completely thrown off by witnessing such an intimate act.
"Yeah, Kinoko, look."
Aino raised his arm. His skin no longer had its normal tone instead, his entire hand and arm up to his shoulder had turned black, with glowing, colorful patterns running through it.
"Cool, right? I can do a lot of things when I consume blood."
Kinoko hesitantly reached out and ran her fingers along the glowing patterns.
"I-It's cool. The outlines look like a painting."
Aino smiled. "I'll show you what it looks like when I transform my whole body. It actually looks even cooler when I coat everything."
"There's your bus. Good luck on the exam, you two," he added as he spotted their ride.
"G-good luck, Aino," Kinoko stammered.
"Good luck, Ai," Ibara said with a nod.
Itsuka watched as Kinoko and Ibara waved goodbye and boarded their assigned bus. Then, she noticed that Aino was walking toward the same bus she was assigned to.
So we're in the same test area, she thought, following him up the steps.
Inside, Itsuka took a seat in the middle and watched as the other students settled in.
She glanced to her side and locked eyes with a black-haired girl sitting next to her.
Itsuka smiled. "Good luck on the exam. I'm Itsuka Kendo."
The girl nodded. "Hmm. Good luck to you too. Yui Kodai."
Itsuka smiled again, pleased to learn the name of her seatmate.
They didn't talk much, only exchanging brief thoughts about the exam before sitting in comfortable silence for the rest of the bus ride.
When they arrived, Itsuka's eyes widened as she stepped out of the bus.
"Whoa! This is the test site? It's huge!"
She wondered how U.A. could afford all of this.
The air around them grew tense as the students took in their surroundings.
Itsuka's eyes were fixated on the gate when she noticed a familiar pro hero standing atop the wall. Some of the students who also recognized the figure let out surprised gasps.
It wasn't every day you saw the infamous 18+ rated pro hero in the flesh.
The dominatrix-themed hero stood proudly, basking in the attention of both young men and women gathered for the exam.
Itsuka couldn't help but be drawn to the pro heroine as well, but something else quickly stole her attention.
The lilac-haired boy.
He was walking toward the giant gate.
Itsuka understood if he wanted to be the first one to enter the exam site after all, from what she knew, the test was all about gathering points. But standing so close to the gate like that… seemed odd.
Others were starting to laugh, amused by his actions.
Then, everything changed.
Itsuka watched as the lilac hair boy's hair turned black.
No, not just his hair his entire body darkened, shifting into a deep black hue, with colorful patterns etched across his skin.
Then, out of nowhere, two giant hands appeared beside him.
Itsuka immediately took note of their size. They were enormous, easily matching her own Big Fist Quirk at full enlargement. The metallic sheen of the hands, resembling bronze or gold, made them look almost artificial like something out of a puppet hands.
She trailed her gaze to the joints, expecting to see some form of attachment, but there was nothing.
The hands were simply floating in the air.
THUD!
THUD!
Itsuka flinched as the metallic hands slammed into the gate.
CREAAK... EITHHH... CRUNCH!
Everyone's eyes widened as the massive hands pried the gate open, the grinding of metal echoing throughout the area.
The now black-haired boy widened the gap even further before breaking into a sprint, rushing straight into the exam site.
Itsuka and the rest of the participants stood frozen in shock.
Some whispered, wondering if what he had done was even legal. Others mocked him, convinced he had just broken the rules.
"The rules? Don't attack other participants. That's it, right?"
The orange-haired girl's eyes widened as she recalled the black-haired boy's question from earlier.
"The only rule is not to attack the other participants."
Her gaze snapped from the open gate to the pro heroine, who was looking down at a device in her hands, her finger tapping against her chin as if reading something.
Then, she lowered the device and turned in the direction of the lone exam taker sprinting ahead.
Her lips twitched upward.
She was smiling.
And at that moment, Itsuka's instincts screamed at her.
Run.
So she ran.
End of chapter 6