Chapter 14: The Entrance Exam - Part 1
POV: Nova Asahi
UA High School loomed before hundreds of nervous teenagers like a monument to impossible dreams made manifest. The gates stretched impossibly wide, designed to accommodate crowds of aspiring heroes whose quirks might reshape reality itself. Nova stood among them with combat-ready calm, Enhanced Reflexes painting every detail in crystalline clarity while Combat Precognition hummed with low-level awareness of potential threats.
"This is it. Ten months of preparation condensed into the next few hours. Everything I've built, everyone I've become, tested against the standards that forge legends."
The crowd pressed around him like a living entity—nervous energy and desperate ambition radiating from hundreds of bodies. Nova spotted Izuku near the main entrance, green hair unmistakable even in the sea of applicants. His friend looked terrified and determined in equal measure, notebook clutched like a religious text.
"Different battle centers. Just like canon. Izuku goes to C for his dramatic zero-pointer moment, I get assigned somewhere else to build my own legend."
The written examination came first, conducted in halls that could have hosted small conferences. Nova settled into his assigned seat and activated Combat Precognition out of habit, the two-second foresight showing him nothing more dangerous than pencil erasers and nervous fidgeting.
The test itself felt almost anticlimactic after months of anticipating this moment. Hero law, Quirk science, crisis response scenarios—topics that would have challenged most fourteen-year-olds but seemed elementary to someone with college education and comprehensive meta-knowledge of this world's systems.
"Question 47: In a hostage situation involving a villain with mental manipulation quirks, what is the primary consideration for hero response teams? A) Immediate assault to prevent power usage, B) Negotiation to determine villain demands, C) Evacuation of surrounding civilians to minimize casualties, D) Coordination with underground heroes for stealth approach."
Nova circled C without hesitation, drawing from both his academic knowledge and memories of watching heroes handle similar scenarios in animated form. The questions flowed past with mechanical efficiency, each answer selected from a database of information that shouldn't exist in any normal teenager's mind.
Forty minutes later, he set down his pencil and reviewed his work. Deliberately missed questions scattered throughout—enough to avoid perfect score suspicion while maintaining clearly passing marks. Ninety-four percent felt appropriate for someone with "exceptional analytical capabilities" without venturing into "impossible prescience" territory.
"Good enough to impress, not enough to investigate. The sweet spot between excellence and exposure."
The break between written and practical exams provided opportunities for reconnaissance that Nova couldn't resist. He drifted through crowds of applicants, Enhanced Hearing picking up fragments of nervous conversation while his eyes catalogued familiar faces.
Bakugo radiated confidence near the main courtyard, surrounded by a respectful distance that spoke to his explosive reputation. His red eyes swept the crowd like a predator evaluating potential prey, and Nova caught the brief nod of acknowledgment when their gazes met across the space.
"Good luck, you explosive bastard. Show them what Musutafu produces."
A nervous boy with purple spheres for hair—Mineta, Nova realized with mixed amusement and distaste—attempted to strike up conversations with female applicants and received the cold rejections his creepy energy deserved.
And there, standing alone with the stillness of someone accustomed to isolation, Nova spotted his target: Shoto Todoroki. Half-red, half-white hair like a living flag of internal division. Heterochromatic eyes that missed nothing and revealed less. The walking embodiment of family trauma and incredible potential.
"Endeavor's masterpiece. The boy who'll learn to be his own hero instead of his father's weapon. Don't stare. Act natural. He's just another applicant, not a character whose entire story arc I've memorized."
Present Mic's voice boomed across the assembly area like a guided missile made of enthusiasm: "WELCOME TO THE PRACTICAL EXAM PORTION OF UA'S ENTRANCE PROCESS!"
The hero's costume was even more garish in person—leather jacket and speaker equipment that somehow managed to look both ridiculous and intimidating. His voice carried the particular energy of someone who genuinely loved his job, even the tedious parts like explaining rules to nervous children.
"You'll be facing mock villains in urban combat scenarios! Three types of robots worth different point values! One-pointers are basic, two-pointers require strategy, three-pointers demand real skill!"
Nova's meta-knowledge filled in details Present Mic didn't mention: the zero-pointer that would test heroic spirit over point accumulation, the rescue scenarios hidden within destruction, the observers measuring character alongside combat capability.
"This isn't just about destroying robots. It's about proving you have the heart of a hero, not just the power of one."
An uptight boy with engines for legs—Iida, clearly—raised his hand with military precision. "Excuse me, but your explanation referenced three types of robots while the handout mentions four! If this is official UA material, such inconsistency is unbecoming!"
Present Mic's grin could have powered a small city. "EXCELLENT QUESTION, LISTENER!"
The explanation that followed matched Nova's memories exactly: the fourth robot was worth zero points, designed to test heroic instincts rather than point-gathering efficiency. Nova watched Izuku shrink under Iida's subsequent criticism for "muttering" and had to suppress the urge to defend his friend.
"Let it happen. This embarrassment motivates him later. This moment makes him stronger."
The bus ride to Battle Center B passed in a blur of nervous energy and strategic preparation. Nova reviewed his chosen loadout mentally: Combat Precognition for tactical awareness, Enhanced Reflexes for superior mobility, Lightning Touch for robot disabling, Explosion Seeds for heavy damage, Minor Regeneration for sustainability.
[Stamina Potion Consumed: +50% stamina regeneration for 1 hour]
[Focus Pill Consumed: +20% INT for enhanced precision]
[Current Status: HP 400/400, MP 250/250, Stamina 200/200]
[Quest Activated: UA Entrance Exam]
[Primary Objective: Score 40+ villain points for admission]
[Secondary Objective: Score 60+ rescue points for bonus rewards]
[Hidden Objective: Demonstrate heroic character without revealing system abilities]
The battle center spread before them like a movie set designed by someone with unlimited budget and minimal concern for structural integrity. Buildings stretched toward the sky in perfect geometric patterns, streets wide enough for giant robot navigation, obstacles positioned with mathematical precision to test every aspect of heroic capability.
"Ten minutes to prove I belong among legends. Ten minutes to show that borrowed power can create genuine heroism."
Present Mic's countdown began with theatrical flair: "THREE! TWO! ONE!"
Nova activated Combat Precognition as Present Mic's voice hit the final note: "START!"
Time dilated as prescient awareness flooded his consciousness, showing him the next two seconds of possibility with perfect clarity. Other applicants freezing in confusion at the lack of "go" signal. His own body already in motion, Enhanced Reflexes carrying him forward while competitors processed what had happened.
"No countdown for 'go.' Classic misdirection. The test starts when it starts, not when you expect it to."
Nova hit the entrance at a dead sprint, Air Hop launching him over confused clusters of applicants while Combat Precognition painted target priorities across his enhanced vision. The first robot appeared around a corner—basic one-pointer, slow and predictable.
Lightning Touch surged through his palm as he landed on its metal chassis, electricity frying circuits with surgical precision. The robot collapsed in a shower of sparks and twisted metal, systems dead before its combat protocols could activate.
[1-Pointer Defeated! Points Earned: 1]
[Time Elapsed: 15 seconds]
"This is going to be easier than I thought."
The real challenge wouldn't be accumulating points—with his combination of abilities, he could probably destroy the entire robot population single-handedly. The challenge would be looking appropriately human while doing it.
Nova smiled and disappeared into the urban maze, ready to build a legend one disabled robot at a time.
Behind him, other applicants finally processed what had happened and began their own charge toward destiny.
The ten minutes that would determine the rest of his life had officially begun.
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