Chapter 08: The Real Barrier
The U.A. campus was not a building. It was an event. As Kaito and Tokoyami passed through the main gates, Kaito was almost overwhelmed. He couldn't see the famous glass architecture, but he could sense it: a colossal, cool, unmoving mass of energy, dwarfing every other structure he had ever perceived. It felt like standing at the base of a mountain. The air was buzzing, not with electricity, but with people. Hundreds of bright, nervous, and powerful energy signatures were moving in a single stream toward the main building.
The written exam was first. Kaito sat at a desk, the room silent except for the scratching of pencils. A proctor had looked at his file, seen the word 'blind,' and watched him with a wary energy. Kaito ignored him. He leaned over the paper, his violet-tinged eyes scanning the questions. The black ink contrasted against the white paper, allowing his Quirk to trace the shapes of the kanji. He was slower than everyone else, his focus absolute, but he moved with a steady, determined precision.
Afterward, they were herded into a vast auditorium. The sensory input was deafening. Thousands of students were packed into the seats. Kaito and Tokoyami found seats near the middle.
Suddenly, a new energy signature appeared on the stage. It was blindingly loud, a sharp, screaming yellow-and-black energy that pulsed with every word.
"HEEEEYYYYY! WELCOME TO THE SHOW! CAN I GET A YEAH?!"
Kaito physically flinched, his hands rising to his temples. It wasn't just the sound; the man's presence was a sonic boom.
It was the hero, Present Mic. He began explaining the practical exam. Kaito couldn't see the projector screen, but he listened intently.
"...THREE TYPES OF FAUX-VILLAINS, LISTENERS! EACH WORTH A DIFFERENT POINT VALUE! ONE-POINTERS! TWO-POINTERS! AND THREE-POINTERS! YOUR GOAL IS TO USE YOUR QUIRKS TO IMMOBILIZE AS MANY AS YOU CAN TO RACK UP POINTS!"
"Excuse me!" A new energy signature flared to life several rows ahead. It was sharp, rigid, and intensely blue. A boy stood at perfect attention. "On the handout, there are four types of villains listed! If this is a misprint, it is a gross embarrassment to U.A. High!" He then pointed. "And you! With the curly hair! You have been muttering this entire time! It is distracting! If you are not here to take this seriously, then leave!"
Kaito sensed the energy signature the boy was pointing at: a chaotic, frantic, buzzing green energy that seemed to be vibrating with terror.
Present Mic calmed the room. "EXCELLENT QUESTION, EXAMINEE 311! THE FOURTH TYPE IS A ZERO-POINTER! IT'S WORTH... ZERO POINTS! HE'S AN OBSTACLE! A GIMMICK! I RECOMMEND YOU AVOID HIM!"
The lights came up. "NOW, YOU'LL ALL BE HEADING TO YOUR ASSIGNED BATTLE CENTERS! CHECK YOUR CARDS!"
Kaito pulled out his card. "Battle Center B," he said.
"Battle Center F," Tokoyami rumbled beside him. "So, we are separated. A trial in the dark. Do not fail, Kaito."
"You too, Tokoyami."
Ten minutes later, Kaito stood before a gate so massive it blotted out all other sensory information in front of him. He was in Battle Center B, and he was surrounded.
The nervous energy in the crowd was a physical fog. His Quirk, on high alert, was mapping everything.
He sensed the rigid, intense blue energy from the auditorium—the boy with the glasses—standing near the front, stretching his legs.
He sensed a warm, light energy, a girl who felt like sunshine and... bubbles? She seemed to be calming herself down, taking deep breaths.
He sensed a strange, flickering energy a bit further away, one that felt like sparkles and... French perfume?
And right near him, he sensed the chaotic, buzzing, muttering vortex of green energy. The boy was trembling, looking at the gate with a mixture of pure terror and desperate, agonizing resolve.
Kaito took a deep breath, centering himself. He couldn't see the gate. He couldn't see his opponents. But he could sense them. He rolled his shoulders, the violet glow in his eyes stabilizing, sharpening into a focused pinpoint.
This is the real barrier.
The massive gates began to slide open.
.
.