After the teachers left Unohana's office, silence settled over the room.
Isane and Rangiku silently observed the hooded man sitting across from them. His head was lowered, arms crossed over his chest. From the looks of it, he was sleeping while sitting upright on the sofa.
Rangiku leaned toward Isane and whispered, "So who is he? How come even Midnight and Princess Mei are acting like that? Tell me already."
Isane clearly didn't want to get involved in this conversation. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" she replied, hoping to throw the question back at him instead.
Rangiku stared at her. "Are you nuts, Isane?"
Isane looked back calmly. "What? Scared? Every time it's you who uses your big 'things' to get what you want."
"That's a different matter," Rangiku replied. "Didn't you see? He wasn't really into these big things."
"Not my problem," Isane answered flatly.
Rangiku glanced at the man in front of them again.
Then she smiled. "Fine."
In the Meeting Room
Teachers gathered around the large oval table. Thirty-two were present in total; the rest couldn't attend for important reasons. Their faces were hidden in the dim lighting of the office. Only the projection in the center of the table provided illumination.
Nezu's face remained hidden in the darkness, but his small voice echoed clearly. Beside him, Mabui controlled the projection.
Each time she pressed the remote, a profile of an examinee appeared. Their information was displayed: name, age, Authority, category, and many more details. After that, their total examination score was shown, followed by video clips from the survival test.
After watching and studying the information, the teachers would raise their hands for questions, then proceed to vote.
As expected, after the final test, many examinees had failed. Some would apply to other schools. Others would wait for next year to try again. UA allowed failed examinees to retake the exam as long as they could reach its standards in this world of abnormalities.
Those who truly wanted to achieve their goals would try again.
Those with weak will would crumble and never attempt a second chance.
Out of 1000 examinees, only 50 remained.
Lower than the expected 100 passers—but still a good result.
Last year, only about 30 students passed, not counting Class S.
UA didn't need quantity.
They needed quality.
And those with the greatest quality would have the power to protect the quantity.
The projection flickered.
A secluded photo of Izuku Midoriya appeared.
All Might smiled, but behind his covered eyes, he seemed worried.
Nezu spoke.
"Next examinee. Number 48. Izuku Midoriya.
Authority: Genetics.
Category: Quirk.
Epithet: Enhanced Strength."
His examination score appeared: 53 / 70.
A good result.
Then his written answer to Question 71 was displayed:
"I'll smile and tell everyone—and myself—that it's alright because I am here."
Of course, that made everyone turn their heads toward All Might.
All Might smiled and gave a thumbs-up.
Nezu, Unohana, and several teachers were thinking the same thing.
He must be All Might's chosen successor.
An old man tapped All Might lightly, and All Might nodded in return.
Those aware that All Might had been searching for a successor understood the meaning of that gesture.
A woman's playful voice spoke from the shadows.
"Yagi… I hope you've chosen the right one."
All Might smiled confidently. "Don't worry. I'll lead him."
The projection shifted to the combat footage.
Izuku faced a Class-F monster. Green lightning crackled around his legs.
"Full Cowl… eight percent!"
With a sudden burst of speed, he vanished and reappeared in front of a black panther hybrid monster. Using powerful momentum, he slammed his right leg down onto the monster's skull.
It was completely destroyed.
The teachers analyzed the video through their tablets, where his profile remained displayed. They graded him using the standard scale: S, A, B, C—and lower if necessary.
The old man beside All Might said, "Toshinori, I didn't expect you to be able to teach him this well."
All Might's mouth twitched slightly at the compliment.
"Good control," said the woman smoking from her pipe, one foot resting on her chair.
"Another Authority over Genetics?" a tired woman asked.
Of course, everyone understood what she meant. Most strong individuals possessed powerful Genetic of Quirks. It was rare for an examinee with a different Authority type to reach such levels.
Nemuri and Mei chuckled at the question.
That confused many—except those who understood why they were amused.
The video continued.
One thing was certain: he had power and control. He knew exactly what he was doing. However, he seemed somewhat cocky—which was normal. It was natural for someone to feel pride after gaining such strength.
But All Might sensed something had changed about his successor.
He just didn't know what.
Should I ask Shishō? he wondered. He was genuinely worried. Maybe the Quirk did something within him.
The video ended.
Voting began through the tablets connected to the projection.
Izuku Midoriya:
S –
A – 28
B – 4
C –
All Might saw the results and smiled.
They recognized his potential.
He needed polishing, but this was a good start. All Might had expected mostly B's or even C's. After all, Izuku had possessed the Quirk for only a week.
This proved that All Might had chosen the right successor.
Those who knew a thing or two about All Might nodded subtly toward him. They could see the boy's great potential. Even if he lacked something now, UA could refine him.
And none of them could question his choice.
It was his Quirk.
Who were they to tell him to choose someone else? Would they suggest their powerless neighbor just because he wanted to save the world? That would be shameless.
It wasn't their power to decide.
All they could do was support and guide him.
Nezu's voice echoed once more.
"Izuku Midoriya… to Class A."
( ・３・)AM N. NOT.