The day before the exam, Ryuko sat down with me in the kitchen.
"Tomorrow's the big day. How are you feeling?"
"Honestly?" I responded, nervously fidgeting with my tail. "I'm terrified out of my wits. I'm going to be measured against the elite of the elite."
"No more elite than you. Remember, you are as good as anyone else in there. I would not have given the recommendation if I hadn't thought you had everything it takes to succeed."
"Did you take the recommended student exam?" It had been… ten years ago, now. Had it really been that long?
"Who would've recommended me? Ryuo?" Ryuko smiled bitterly. "No, I took the regular exam. But I knew people who did, and witnessed it happen, in my later years."
"So how does it differ from the standard test everyone gets?" I tilted my head in curiosity.
"The test itself has three sections. The written test, the practical test, and an interview. The main difference is… well, the regular exams are graded on a direct, linear points system. You receive points based on getting the right answers in the written exam, and by accomplishing the objectives of the practical exam. They change it every year to keep people from guessing; when I took it it was about who could save the largest amount of rescue dummies during a simulated villain attack. One point per dummy, and the ones who got in are the thirty-six with the most points. Sounds simple, right?"
I nodded, hesitantly. Clearly there was more to it than that.
"Not so for the recommended students test. The regular exam measures your academic success and physical ability, but for the recommended students, those capabilities are not in question. After all, that is the point of the recommendation: the school must vouch for your grades, and a licensed Pro-Hero must vouch for your combat abilities, in order for you to qualify for the recommended student program."
I nodded again. Even though I was homeschooled, I still had to take exams to track my progress, and I had obtained a voucher from the Ministry of Education regarding my grades to send to UA.
"So instead, the principal follows and analyzes the examinees over the course of the exam, and picks out who he wants at his own discretion rather than automatically awarding the spot to those who had the highest mechanical performance. It's not meant to be a direct comparison of strength and ability, but rather who he judges to have the greatest potential."
"...So what's the point of the test other than the interview…? I mean if it's not going to measure anything?"
"In part it's because that's what people expect, and they still provide insight into the contenders, allowing the principal to examine them in action."
"Right…" So now I couldn't even trust in the results of my own performance, I had to hope that the impression I made on some complete stranger was good enough to qualify.
"Hey." Ryuko said, noticing my ears drooping. "As long as you're honest and forthright, I have no doubt that you'll get in. And even if they don't see your real potential, then all the worse for them because I know you can breeze through the regular exam."
"Wait. You can still take the regular exam even if you don't get in via the recommendation exam?"
"Of course you can. There's only four spots in the recommended student program, it would be a pointless waste to ban applicants who clearly had a great deal of potential, even if they didn't make the final cut."
"...Does that happen? I mean, wouldn't the regular exam be dominated by failed recommended students?"
"It does, just not that often. All the top schools compete for recommended students, and yeah, UA is the top choice, but for most of those people if it comes down to being a regular student there or a recommended spot in Shiketsu, Ketsubutsu, Seiai or the like, they'll pick the latter."
But thanks to my circumstances, I specifically wanted to go to UA, because despite their low admission rate they were renowned for their ability and willingness to accommodate to the students who did get in.
"You're going to be alright." Ryuko went on, a playful smile entering her features. "And remember, if nothing else, beat Endeavour's kid. I'm sick and tired of him crowing about his son like he's the best thing since sliced bread at every PR event."
"And you're certain he was the only one doing the crowing?"
"Obviously." Ryuko grinned. "See, the difference is, when I do it, it's just a statement of fact."
-----
The main building of UA Academy towered before me, dwarfing even me with its immensity. The pathway through the campus was clearly marked with signs and arrows, leaving no room for confusion as to where to go.
I yawned, my jaws stretching wide as I felt my eyelids droop- no matter how hard I'd tried, sleep had been hard in the coming. On top of simple anxiety keeping me awake at night, when I did manage to fall asleep mixed in with the usual fare of being eaten by sharks, chased by sharks and stranded on the open water with sharks (sometimes substituted for crocodiles, orcas, piranhas, barracudas, etc) had been a mixture of scenarios ranging from flunking the exam to simply being laughed out of UA. Nothing rational, but my subconscious mind was merciless.
Regardless, I needed to do this. I could do this.
I pushed onwards, claws clicking on the concrete pathway. The campus was quiet on a saturday, the majority of the students at home.
The doors themselves were a trio of towering wooden edifices: probably intimidating for most, but also a necessity, for people like me. They swung open as motion sensors detected my approach, admitting me into the entrance hall.
Please await the beginning of the entrance exam here, a large sign spelled out. I glanced around- maybe four dozen teenagers around my age were lounging around the lobby, waiting. A low murmur was audible in the hall as I made my way towards an empty spot, my sharp ears picking up on the tense conversations around the room as people sized up their competition. Apparently my appearance was drawing quite a bit of attention.
I set myself down to on the floor, trying my best to ignore the chatter, and observe the room. There were a couple of other examinees I recognized: there was Todoroki, his white and red hair impossible to miss. I wondered if that was natural? He'd also gained a large patch of burnt skin on his face since the last time I'd seen him in person, ten years ago.
For an instant I considered going over to talk to him, but then squashed it as the stupid idea it was. He didn't look like he was in the mood for small talk, and truth be told, neither was I.
"A dragon?! UA really is the most heated high school in the country!"
The source of the disturbance was a boy in a blue tracksuit who'd just arrived through the front doors, his black hair cut in a short, military style buzz. He was the second tallest person present after myself, but I had no idea how tall that actually made him- everybody looked short from my perspective.
"Are you by any chance related to the Number Ten Hero Ryukyu?!" He shouted as he made his way towards where I'd laid down. Did he really not have any concept of indoor volume?
"...She is my sister." I replied curtly, noting that many of the other examinees were turning towards us to see what the disturbance was about.
"Alright! I love her! The Dragon Hero is burning hot!"
"...Did you just call my sister hot?"
"Yeah! She's such a passionate Hero, her hot spirit is like a roaring inferno!"
...Was he leading me on?
People like this didn't actually exist, did they?
"I see you're following in her footsteps!" He stood ramrod straight, before bowing low. "I love it!"
...Honestly I had zero idea how to respond to that. Thankfully I was spared having to do so by the doors to entrance hall being thrown open.
"Gather around everyone! It's time to begin the Recommended Students Exam!"
The high-pitched shout caused a jolt of pain in my ears as a man with a massive spike of blonde hair jutting from his head entered the room, wearing a padded black jacket.
"My name is Present Mic, and I will be taking things from here! Everyone, line up and take a number card from the pile!"
He laid a stack of large, white signs on a table, each with a number written on it. Grateful for the distraction I began making my way over and one by one each examinee took one from the pile. There was a sticker in the back, and most people attached it to the front of their shirt- I just slapped the number 07 on my chest scales. That's one upside to having reduced tactile sensation.
"Everybody ready?!" Mic did a quick headcount, and seemingly satisfied, lead us down the hallways to a large lecture hall filled with desks laid out in orderly rows. On each one rested a small tablet, or as in the case of one in the far end of the room, a particularly large tablet with a stack of cushions instead of a chair, as I'd requested in my application.
"The written exam begins now!"
-----
"The written test is now over!" Present Mic shouted as we exited the classroom, sending a throb of pain through my ears once again.
Ryuko had been right, it wasn't really so much a test of academics, but a more abstract test of the mind and personality. Which also made it so that I had zero idea about how well I'd done.
"Next up is the practical examination! And after that the interview!" Present Mic continued. "For the practical, we'll be judging you six at a time! We'll be starting with the numbers 06, 31, 12, 41, 16, and 23! Follow me to the Exam Field!"
As the those carrying the numbers he called out filed out to follow Mic, Todoroki and the buzz-cut boy amongst them, the rest of us dispersed around the entrance hall once more to await our turn.
This time nobody approached me, and I drifted off to my own thoughts.
Eventually the first round of examinees returned from the practical exam, as Present Mic called out another set of numbers.
"42, 11, 01, 34, 14 and 37! You're up!"
The students in question left with Mic, while the returnees replaced them. I noticed buzz-cut was glowering at Todoroki- if he'd tried the same approach as he'd given to me, I could see how things had probably gone.
However, as soon as he spotted me his previous enthusiasm seemed to flow back to him, and he marched over to where I'd been lying down.
"Allow me to-" He began, standing ramrod straight, hands clasped at his sides, before bowing forward so hard his head impacted the floor. "-APOLOGIZE!"
Utterly bewildered, I had no chance to speak out before he went on, forehead held to the floor.
"Over the course of the written exam, I came to realize I had unintentionally given you insult! I had spoken in crude form of your sister, and so I must apologize! My conduct and lack of discretion were simply unbecoming of a future Hero!"
"It's… alright?" If he was trying to fake it, he probably would've tried playing a more… orthodox approach. So in a way, his bizarre enthusiasm actually made him seem more sincere. "...I accept your apology."
"Thank you! My name is Inasa Yoarashi! I look forward becoming a Hero alongside you at this fine Academy!"
"Ryuuzaki Tatsuma." I replied, once again wondering if this guy had an off-switch or something. "Bold of you to assume we'll both be getting in."
"I am nothing if not bold! I love boldness! It is the hallmark of a passionate Hero!"
I guess he just was… like that. But still… it was actually fairly nice. That childlike enthusiasm was contagious, almost… innocent, in a way.
"I saw you giving the stinky eye to Todoroki over there." I noted, glancing over at the split-haired teenager busy brooding on the other side of the room. "Did he give you the cold shoulder or something?"
"Cold is certainly one way to describe it." He noted, his voice turning sour. "He has the same eyes as his father. Even if he graduates, he will not become a Hero."
"...Don't you think that's a little harsh of a judgement to make this early? Three years is a long time, and people change."
"Maybe. But I doubt it."
For a moment there was an awkward silence, stretching on for an uncomfortable length. This was exactly why I'd made friends with Yui, all those years ago. I never know what to say.
"...So what's your Quirk?"
It was the best I could come up with, but it seemed to re-ignite his enthusiasm, and he launched into a bombastic monologue about the hot spirit of heroism intersped with the occasional actual mention of his Quirk, some sort of aerokinetic ability.
After that the conversation turned to other topics, consisting of him chattering endlessly about whatever he liked (which seemed to be absolutely anything and everything, except the Todorokis) whilst I offered vague responses and the occasional comment. Sometimes I'd tune him out for a moment only to realize he was quite capable of carrying the conversation entirely on his lonesome, seemingly without even noticing. Eventually, however, his monologue was interrupted by the sound of the door being slammed open.
"39, 30, 45, 18, 07 and 15! It's your turn in the spotlight!"
"That's you!" He shouted, clapping a hand to my shoulder, or as close to it as he could reach. "Show them your passion!"
"...I will?"
Uncurling myself from my position on the floor, I pulled myself up to follow Mic. Five others followed, two girls and three boys. I watched my competition as Mic lead us out the front door and through the campus- I had no idea what the test involved, and it paid to be prepared if it involved direct competition.
The most striking was a six-armed arachnid mutant, his body covered in light fur and his face replaced by that of a tarantula, mandibles clicking in anticipation.
The other two boys were more plain in comparison, the first a blonde walking with confident stride, the other a dark-haired boy walking in a slouch, constantly seeming to jitter and twitch.
The first girl had her black hair tied to a high ponytail, looking a little bit out of place in her tracksuit as she sent glances in the direction of the rest of us.
The other girl wore her shoulder-length dark green hair open, raw confidence seeping into her every movement and expression. She had that cat-like way of walking, like she owned the place and the rest of us just hadn't realized it yet.
Just as I watched them, I saw that they in turn studied me. What they found, I had no idea.
We made our way across the paved pathways in tense, anticipatory silence. Present Mic tried to fill the air with chatter, something about his radio show, but nobody was listening. Credit to him, he didn't let that stop him.
Eventually he brought us to one of the massive training areas in the outskirts of the campus, a massive concrete structure literally kilometers across. I could barely spot the transparent dome covering the roof of the exam site. It boggled the mind how they could afford all of it.
Mic lead us to the massive gates which opened of their own accord, granting us access to a large antechamber, a clearly marked starting line drawn across the floor and a gate lined with green and red lights leading further into the arena.
"The practical test is a three-kilometer race! In order to pass, you must reach the other end of the training grounds!"
Past the gate the arena seemed to be filled with a wide variety of terrain: I could see huge rocky cliffs, tightropes and log platforms suspended over chasms, streets covered with ice or openings that periodically belched jets of fire, narrow and slanted pathways, a large lake, all topped off with what looked to be a medieval castle of some sort in the distance.
"However, it is not a race that can be completed simply by running!" Present Mic went on. "Use your Quirks to get past the obstacles if you want to have any hope of finishing!" He whirled around to face us, hands held open. "Any questions?!"
The brown-haired guy held his hand up immediately. "Is using Quirks on other examinees permitted?"
"Nope! Your performance is judged individually, and getting frisky wouldn't just be unsporting, it'll deduct from your score! Anything else?"
We looked at one another, and as nobody spoke up, he went on.
"Now, take your positions on the starting line! When the light goes to green, it's go time!"
I moved to the starting line, the thud of my heavy steps echoing in the chamber, and the others followed.
"Get ready! And always remember, Plus Ultra!"
As soon as the lights on the gate blinked green I sprung forward at a run, taking a couple of bounding leaps forward through the gate before launching myself into the air with a heavy beat of my wings.
I rapidly gained altitude, raising over the circular arena, studying the terrain laid out before me. Flying high would allow me to bypass the obstacles along the way which, while perhaps boring, seemed to be the most practical solution.
Still, a bit of doubt wracked me. The purpose of the recommended student exam was not to merely measure raw ability, but to show off one's talents as a whole. But at the same time, deliberately handicapping myself from flight when it hadn't been forbidden hardly seemed like a heroic quality either.
Glancing down, I saw the other examinees had began their journey through the arena. One of them- the brown haired boy judging by his absence- had seemingly transformed into a two-legged, ostrich-like reptile of some sort- if I hadn't completely forgotten my dinosaur books, a Gallimimus. He had chosen to take to the streets, and was in the process of navigating past the fire geysirs dotting the road.
The ponytail girl had chosen the same route, having somehow produced a scooter out of nowhere. She was neck and neck with dinosaur boy, swerving past obstacles as they went. The arachnid boy was scrambling up the side of a sheer cliff face, and the blonde boy was doing the same with the assistance of tendrils of water spouting from the nearby lake.
The last of them, the green-haired girl, had apparently chosen to follow me. Her body had split into a half a dozen pieces, her head, arms, legs and parts of the torso all rocketing through the air below me in a loose cloud.
She saw me watching, smirking confidently as her remaining arm wiggled free of her sleeve, a black void where the flesh should've connected, suddenly moving noticeably faster.
Interesting, but it didn't really matter. Like Mic had said, the objective was just to get to the finish line as fast as possible. Other examinees didn't factor into it.
I turned my attention back to my own progress, just when it happened. Dozens of vents, hidden around the arena, suddenly began to spew out thick clouds of mist, a nigh-impenetrable fog suddenly descending upon the arena.
It seemed like I shouldn't have underestimated UA- of course they would be prepared for flight-capable Quirks, with appropriate obstacles. With visibility dropping to near zero I had to spread my wings to slow down and descend towards the ground level. I could have tried to guess the position of the finish line but that was the first thing they had taught in flight lessons, never ever fly without a reference point. Without instruments or visual contact, you could think you're holding the same bearing and altitude only to end up in a wildly different direction.
Soon enough the ground came visible again, and I slammed down into stone floor as I wracked my brain for the right directions, cursing my lack of foresight in not memorizing the layout of the arena. Stupid, stupid. Worrying about irrelevant things rather than putting my head in the game.
Still, I had to have cleared at least half of the arena by now, so I was in a good position. The mist seemed to actually be thinner near the ground, to the point that somebody smaller or more maneuverable than I probably could've maintained low-level flight. I had no idea how it was even possible to get gas to behave that way, but UA must've had their ways. I could see the logic in it: if they did nothing the obstacle course
would be redundant for fliers, but totally banning or impeding flight totally would unduly restrict them. This way they could let them use their Quirks, before forcing them to deal with the rapidly changing circumstances.
Now I just needed to concentrate, before the lead I'd built up slipped away.
I could see the castle wall some distance away in front of me, while the faint scent of burning gas was wafting from the opposite direction, alongside the sound of an engine running, which meant the fire traps were that way.
So extrapolating my position from that, the direction I needed to go was-
Forward.
I took off like an arrow, clawed forelimbs digging into the ground as I galloped onward. The castle wall loomed before me, an imposing edifice of hewn stone. I didn't have the time to go over it.
I'd lost too much time already.
I accelerated instead, setting my head down as Dad had taught me.
Thousands of kilograms of angry dragon impacted horn-first into roughly a meter-thick structure of stone and mortar.
The stone gave way first.
There was a noise like the strike of thunder as the wall shattered, a shockwave spreading out from the point of impact, stone cracking and buckling. I smashed through to the other side like a cannonball, a cloud of dust and stone fragments exploding around me. Stumbling slightly, I used my wings as a third pair of limbs to stabilize my footing as I accelerated again.
Behind me the wall creaked and groaned, and from the corner of my eye I could see large parts falling off as structural integrity failed, chunks of masonry suddenly losing their supporting sections. But I paid it little heed, continuing onward as fast as I could manage.
Up ahead I could feel the air getting colder, which meant that I was getting closer to the frozen area. The testing site was circular, which meant that the other paths would be converging as we approached the finish line, and soon enough I could hear the sound of an engine approaching.
I could see the headlight of a motorcycle turning around a corner just as the frozen area became visible, the pathway covered in ice, slick and smooth like a mirror's surface.
It seemed like ponytail girl had managed to pull ahead of the dinosaur boy, who wasn't visible yet but I could hear his exhausted breathing in the fog. I still had a lead on them but it was shrinking by the moment the motorcycle revved up and accelerated: I was a good runner, but I wasn't going to overtake one in a straight line.
I reached the beginning of the frozen portion, my claws digging into the ice.
Just concentrate on the run, don't think about the others. Whoever goes over the finish line first isn't the deciding factor.
I slipped and slid my way forwards, my claws scraping long marks into the frozen pavement. The layer of ice was too thin to get a proper grip on, and trying to pierce into the pavement below would've forced me to slow down too much. I used my heavy tail as a counterweight whenever I started to slip in an effort to maintain my balance, but it wasn't good enough. I was wasting time.
The motorcycle was gaining on me, even as I tried to pay it little heed. Just focus.
The fog was starting to clear a little, and I could tell we were approaching the finish line. Suddenly a cluster of objects emerged from the fog above me- the green-haired girl. She turned around to look down at me, giving me a wink and the waggle of a disembodied finger.
I could feel frustration bubbling in my chest, no matter that we weren't supposed to be in a direct competition. The fog was still thick enough that I couldn't fly properly, but maybe…
Tensing my rear limbs for a mighty leap I took to the air, but instead of true flight I half-glided over the frozen pavement. With my claws almost scraping the ground I didn't have the room to make full use of my wings, but it was faster than going on foot.
The motorcycle was running into the same problems I had, the tires skidding on the ice, and I could hear dinosaur boy not too far behind.
Green-hair was closer than I would've liked but the glide trick had bought me some time. Flying so close to the ground felt awkward and clumsy, but if I went any higher I risked getting lost. So I settled for craning my neck as far as it could go and trying not to hit the ground with my wings.
Still, it was working.
Green-hair seemed frustrated at the turn of events, splitting into yet more parts, but she seemed to have hit her limit: she couldn't cut off more parts of her torso without starting to lose clothing, and there seemed to be a maximum number of times she could split her other pieces into ever smaller chunks.
Barely before I could even realize the finish line emerged from the fog, whipping by underneath me in a flash. I spread my wings wide, air braking rapidly to avoid smashing into the opposite wall of the test site.
"And number seven takes the first spot!" Present Mic shouted, holding up a stop-watch. "Fifteen isn't far behind, though!"
Green-hair rocketed over the finish line just as I managed to bleed off my momentum, claws scraping on the concrete. Her landing was much smoother, easily arresting her velocity and landing on her feet, assembling herself back together like a puzzle box.
The motorcycle girl crossed the line mere moments late with dinosaur boy- definitely a Gallimimus- hot on her heels.
"Thirty and forty-five as well! What a super-tight race!"
As the two of them decelerated green-hair walked over, the frustration I'd seen earlier had been wiped off, replaced by the same easy confidence I'd seen earlier.
"That was a close one. You win this time, but next one's going to be mine. Watch me!"
"...Okay."
Seemingly satisfied she turned away, and I laid down to wait for my breathing to slow. Physically I'd had worse, but nothing can quite compare to the excitement and anxiety of having your entire future on the line.
Ponytail and green-hair exchanged a few words in low voices but for the most part we waited in silence, too exhausted for small talk, until few minutes later the hydrokinetic and the arachnid made their way across the finish line.
As we returned to the waiting area buzz-cut was nowhere to be seen, alongside a few others. Soon after I laid down to wait a large man with canid features wearing what seemed to be muzzle on his face arrived through another door, calling another examinee to the interview.
There was nothing to do now save to wait and try to calm my nerves. I'd finished the race first of my group, but this damn test didn't even let me take comfort in that. I curled my tail around myself, doing my best not to fall asleep.
Eventually I was the only one left in the entrance hall, and soon enough the dog-person arrived to call me in.
He lead me into the interviewing room, a bland meeting room dominated by a desk with a chair on either side. The unoccupied one was, surprisingly enough, actually one I could sit on. Though technically it was more of a couch, a long eight-legged one I could lay down on length-wise.
However the chair, nice as it was, was not the most interesting thing to note about the room. That title belonged to the occupant of the other chair, on the opposite side.
A rat.
The principal of UA was a rat. A rat in a suit, bigger than normal and with weird paw things but still. Smelled like a rat, looked like a rat, yeah, I was pretty sure he was a rat.
A fucking rat.
"No, this is not a joke, my dear." A pleasant, chipper voice rang out. "You are in the correct room."
Was I that obvious?
"Yes." The principal said again. "And no, I'm not reading your mind."
"Then how-"
"Please, allow me to explain." The principal said, taking a sip from his teacup. "My Quirk, High Specs, grants me intelligence above that of a human. You are not used to most people being able to read your body language and facial expressions very well, correct?"
I could only nod.
"The combination of human instinct and inhuman body might fool most people, but not I." He straightened his tie, before offering me his hand. "But I digress. Principal Nedzu, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my dear."
I looked down at the proffered limb, staring for a moment before awkwardly reaching to shake it with my own, just the claws alone being larger than Nedzu's entire arm.
"Ryuuzaki Tatsuma."
"Sit down, sit down, you must be exhausted."
Physically not that much, but mentally god yes. I climbed onto the chair, carefully testing if it could hold my weight before settling in.
"Ah. Nervous?" He asked, but didn't wait for a reply. "Don't be. I've been following your progress, like I have everyone's, and you've performed exceptionally in the previous tests."
"And yet they're the ones with the least weight towards the end result, are they not?"
"Quite so, quite so. Well then, shall we begin?"
"...I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
"Then we shall tarry no longer. I have read your files, reviewed your answers to the written test and analyzed your actions in the practical. I am, therefore, almost ready to make my judgement. However, there is one question I feel like I must ask first." Nedzu set his paws on the table, steepling them in a very human-like gesture. "What is your reason for becoming a Hero?"
Wow. Straight to the point, huh.
"You said reason. Can I give you my reasons? I'm not sure I can compress it to a single one."
"Of course! Take as much time as you want, my dear."
"Alright. I guess my first reason is that… that I enjoy using my Quirk, and because I think I'd be good at it. I, um, I actually considered abandoning this path when I realized that, because it didn't feel… it didn't feel like a sufficiently heroic motivation." My tail twitched slightly, but I brought it to wrap around the legs of the chair in an.effort to keep it still. "...But, my sister, Ryukyu I assume you know, she talked me out of it. She taught me… that I shouldn't feel ashamed of that. That I should turn that into a source of strength."
"I see." Nedzu smiled. "She always had that ability to bring comfort to those around her, even in her time with us. I am glad to see she has gone one to be a great hero, both in public and private."
"Yeah... that's actually my second reason. I… want to follow in my sister's footsteps." I fidgeted in place, a little embarrassed to voice the thought aloud to the principal, but Ryuko had herself told me to be honest. "We don't always get along, and we aren't always honest with each other, but… she's done so much to help me… she's the best sister I could've asked for. So… I want her to be proud of me. I... want to be like her."
"You have every reason to." Nedzu nodded. "Is that it?"
"No, I... do have one more. I- I assume you know about the, um, incident from two years ago?"
"It was brought to our attention, yes." Nedzu answered, his expression dark.
"I… I came so close to dying there. I… don't really know how I managed not to. But whatever it was, regardless of how it happened, I did live. And, I felt like I'd been given another chance." A third one, at that. "Most people, in that situation, don't get one. Most people don't have a Quirk that could allow them to survive that experience, even as I am. So I guess what I'm saying is… I feel like I should put my life to good use. So that nobody else has to go through what I did."
I laid back down on my seat, slowly exhaling through my nostrils. That had sounded so much better in my head. Nedzu was just looking at me, his expression giving away nothing. He probably thought it was stupid. Hell, it was pretty stupid. Why did I even both-
"Well then." Nedzu began speaking, interrupting my thoughts. "We usually do the announcement via mail, but I do not believe there is any harm in breaking from tradition, as you are the last interviewee and I have made the final decision."
I couldn't help the twitch of my ears, or the colony of butterflies in my stomach as Nedzu drew out the announcement.
"You were already close to the top of the list, but first I wanted to ascertain whether your motivation stemmed from feeling locked into this career because of your circumstances, that you wanted to become a Pro-Hero because it was the only thing you could do. I can safely say you've passed that test with full marks."
Oh.
That- I didn't even- Does that mean-
"It is therefore my pleasure to welcome you to the Heroics Department of UA High School."
He folded his paws again as he went on, his expression like he had said this same thing many, many times before, without ever getting tired of it.
"This is now your hero academia."