The ground trembled violently beneath the feet of the exhausted teenagers, and a massive cloud of dust rose, blanketing the sky of the faux city. From amidst the rubble emerged a colossal metallic monster that blotted out the sun—the "Zero-Point" robot. Its sheer size rivaled a skyscraper, and its mere movement crushed concrete buildings as if they were tiny toy blocks.
Every student stopped fighting. The blood froze in their veins, and within seconds, the battlefield descended into utter chaos. Everyone began screaming and running away to escape certain death.
From his vantage point on the rooftop, Killua sat dangling his legs in the air, his blue eyes watching the scene with absolute, chilling detachment.
Inner Monologue (Killua): "A monster of this size awards zero points? Then it's obviously a psychological trap designed by the academy to test the students' reactions under absolute pressure. Engaging it is a waste of energy... Fleeing is the only logical choice."
Killua was about to stand up and leave when he caught sight of an unusual movement. Below the giant robot, a brown-haired girl (Uraraka) was trapped under a massive boulder, staring in sheer terror at the robot's caterpillar tracks slowly approaching to crush her.
Killua's face remained completely devoid of emotion. A familiar, cold voice echoed from the darkest depths of his mind—the voice of his older brother, Illumi: "Killua... do not fight an opponent you are not entirely sure you can defeat. Retreat. Ignore those who do not concern you. Your life is the priority; the rest... are just trash."
Killua agreed with this logic entirely. There was no justification for intervening. He slowly turned his head to walk away, but suddenly... his eyes locked onto a sight that completely paralyzed his analytical mind.
That green-haired boy, the one who had been trembling with fear throughout the entire exam and hadn't scored a single point... was running against the tide. He was sprinting madly toward the colossal robot, tears of absolute terror streaming from his eyes.
Killua's pupils shrank in profound shock.
"What the hell is this idiot doing?" Killua whispered aloud, his calculating mind struggling to process the situation. "He's running toward his own death for a girl he doesn't even know? This contradicts every single instinct of survival! It's a stupid, illogical... and disgusting action."
Midoriya leaped into the air with unimaginable explosive leg strength, soaring toward the robot's face. And in a moment that burned itself into Killua's retinas, the boy screamed and unleashed a terrifying punch... "SMAAAASH!"
That punch carried the exact same horrifying air pressure Killua had witnessed from "All Might" on the screen. The robot's entire face caved in, its metallic parts blowing away into the sky from the sheer shockwave.
But the price was devastating. Midoriya's body was completely shattered. His arm and legs were broken, rendering them useless, and he began plummeting from the sky like a broken ragdoll, completely unable to brace himself for the fatal impact.
Illumi's voice echoed in Killua's head once more: "Let him die. This is the tax of stupidity and emotions. Do not move."
Killua wanted to stay seated. His brain commanded him to stay, but... for some inexplicable reason, his body rebelled. His muscles tensed, and he felt a severe, irritating tightness in his chest—a deep annoyance at the thought of a person with such a strange, blinding spark dying right in front of him.
With an expression of pure, unadulterated annoyance, Killua launched himself forward. He utilized his absolute top speed. In a fraction of a second before Midoriya could hit the pavement, Killua pulled his favorite weapon from his pocket... a Yo-Yo made of a special metal alloy, weighing a massive 50 kilograms. He threw the Yo-Yo, wrapping its string at lightning speed around an intact concrete pillar, using it as a pivot point to swing through the air.
Killua tightly grabbed the collar of Midoriya's shirt just one meter before impact. He absorbed the kinetic energy of the fall with his incredibly flexible body, then dropped the green-haired boy onto the ground with intentional roughness to hide any trace of kindness.
Midoriya hit the ground, groaning in agonizing pain, while Killua stood over him, coldly winding the Yo-Yo string around his finger. He looked down at the boy with a gaze completely devoid of admiration; instead, it was filled with utter disbelief and reprimand.
"Are you crazy?" Killua said in a cold, sharp tone. "You shattered your entire body and gained zero points, just to save someone who means absolutely nothing to you? The sheer level of your stupidity is unbearably annoying."
Midoriya closed his eyes and lost consciousness before he could even attempt a reply. Killua turned his back and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "But... you are not like the rest of the trash here," he thought silently.
In the monitor room, total silence reigned. Aizawa offered a rare, faint smile as he stared at the screen. "This boy... he moves like a cold, emotionless killing machine, yet he defied all logic to save a rival at the very last second. What an interesting contradiction."
(One hour later - In front of the U.A. Academy Gates)
The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in a warm orange hue. Midoriya was walking with heavy steps, his right arm in a sling after being healed by Recovery Girl. He felt deeply depressed, absolutely certain that he had failed because he hadn't secured a single point.
"Oi."
A quiet voice stopped him in his tracks. Midoriya snapped his head up in shock. Killua was leaning casually against the brick wall of the academy's gate, his skateboard tucked under his arm, boredly chewing a piece of ChocoRobo.
"Y-You..!" Midoriya stammered, suddenly recalling what had happened. "You're the boy who caught me from falling! Killua, right? I-I don't know how to thank you, if it weren't for you I would have..."
"Save your annoying gratitude," Killua cut him off coldly, blowing a bubble gum and popping it. "I didn't save you because I'm a hero. My body just moved on its own because your sheer stupidity was annoying to look at. Anyway..."
Killua pushed himself off the wall, walking with silent steps until he stood directly in front of the bewildered Midoriya. He looked him dead in the eyes with absolute seriousness.
"I ran away from home this morning. I have no money, no luggage, and I have nowhere to sleep tonight."
Midoriya blinked several times, his brain failing to process the abrupt shift. "Y-You ran away from home? Wait, what does that have to do with me?"
A sly, cat-like smirk appeared on Killua's face, and he poked his finger hard into Midoriya's chest.
"You owe me your life, right? So, I've decided... I'm crashing at your place tonight. Come on, lead the way. I'm getting sleepy."
"EHHHHH?!! M-My place?!" Midoriya shrieked, his face turning bright red from embarrassment and sheer panic. "But my room is super small! And my mom is going to ask so many questions, and I..."
Killua ignored his rambling completely. He started walking past him, lazily resting his hands behind his head. "Hurry up and move, don't make me wait... Midoriya. I'm actually a little curious to see what your room looks like."
Midoriya stood frozen in place for a few seconds, his mouth hanging open in shock at the sheer audacity of this strange boy. He let out a long sigh of defeat and jogged to catch up with him, clutching his injured arm, terrified of the disaster he was bringing home and wondering how he would ever explain this mysterious, uninvited guest who had just forcefully barged into his life.
Visit my Patreon for the latest chapters and exclusive content! patreon.com/DEKUU_