"The key points of the entrance exam are as follows!"
Present Mic stood at the front, voice booming through the hall.
"After this briefing, all applicants will participate in a ten-minute simulated urban combat exercise!"
"You're free to bring any support items you like!"
Kurose Kuro instinctively touched his bag.
Inside, wrapped carefully, was the Quirk pistol.
If support items were allowed… then bringing it wouldn't be a problem.
Without it, he felt exposed.
"After the explanation, proceed to your assigned testing areas," Present Mic continued. "Got it?"
The room remained quiet.
Beside him, Katsuki Bakugo leaned over and glanced at Kuro and Izuku Midoriya's admission tickets.
"A room… B room… C room…"
"All next to each other, but split up," Kuro muttered.
"They don't want students from the same school helping each other," Midoriya said.
Kuro exhaled in relief.
At least he wouldn't be stuck in the same test area as Bakugo.
With that Quirk, the exam would turn into a disaster zone.
Bakugo clicked his tongue. "Too bad. Would've been more fun."
"There will be three types of target robots in the test area," Present Mic continued. "Each carries a different point value based on difficulty! Use your Quirk to disable as many as possible and rack up points!"
"Of course, attacking other examinees is strictly prohibited!"
That last part came at the perfect time.
Kuro glanced at Hitoshi Shinso's admission ticket. Room F.
Far away.
He thought through the rules carefully.
Disable targets. Score points.
His Quirks—
Damage Replacement transferred injuries. Pain Recall only worked on living beings.
If the enemies were robots, neither would be effective.
For Shinso, it was worse.
If his Brainwashing didn't work on machines, and he couldn't use it on other students… then he had almost no way to score.
Kuro patted his shoulder.
"…Looks like we're both out."
Shinso didn't react much. "I expected this. I'm just here to see how it works."
A student suddenly stood up.
His posture was stiff, precise. His voice sharp.
"The instructions mention four types of targets, not three," he said. "If this is a mistake, it reflects poorly on U.A., the top academy in Japan."
Kuro blinked.
…That's serious.
Then the boy turned and pointed straight at Kuro and Midoriya.
"And you two—mask and curly hair—you've been whispering this whole time. It's disruptive."
"If you're here just to satisfy your curiosity, leave immediately!"
Midoriya shrank back, covering his mouth. "S-sorry…"
Kuro didn't move.
Mask.
That was him.
He felt irritation rise.
After everything he'd dealt with at school, this kind of self-righteous tone hit a nerve.
"What if I don't?" Kuro said flatly.
Silence.
The room froze.
Even the microphones gave off a faint feedback hum.
Kuro didn't look away.
This was a one-time exam. Whether he passed or failed, there was no second chance.
He didn't care what these people thought.
He wasn't even sure he would become a hero.
He and them—
They weren't the same.
The boy—Tenya Iida—stiffened, clearly angered.
Before things escalated—
"Okay, okay!" Present Mic cut in quickly. "Thank you, applicant 7111, for pointing that out!"
He went on to explain.
The fourth type of target—
Was worth zero points.
Shinso grabbed Kuro's arm.
"What was that?" he whispered. "This is U.A."
His expression tightened. "You applied for the general course too, right? Even if you fail the Hero Course, don't sabotage yourself."
Kuro paused.
There was no anger in Shinso's voice.
Just concern.
"…Focus," Kuro said quietly. "Listen to the explanation."
"A zero-point target… why include it at all?" Kuro muttered.
"Like a useless condition in a math problem?"
Shinso frowned slightly.
"…You've been studying a lot."
"In math, they don't include anything without a reason," Kuro said. "If it's there, it matters. Even if it looks useless."
"But what does zero points mean? Just interference?"
He couldn't see the answer.
Shinso thought for a moment.
"Maybe it's tied to a different kind of scoring," he said slowly. "Like a problem with multiple solutions."
Kuro's eyes widened.
"…If it's a city simulation—"
Shinso met his gaze.
They both understood at the same time.
Not just defeating enemies.
Rescue.
If it was truly a simulated city, then saving people had to matter too.
"There you have it!" Present Mic's voice rang out again. "That's everything you need to know!"
He raised a fist, energy surging through the room.
"And remember our school motto!"
"Go beyond—Plus Ultra!"
"Now get out there and give it everything you've got!"
For Kuro, though—
This wasn't a test built for his Quirks.
It was a race for points in a system that didn't favor him at all.