chapter 5: U.A's sponsored training Assessment
Three weeks later.
Morning fog clung low over the pavement as our shuttle van eased through the gates of U.A.'s training compound.
I'd seen this place in anime, in fan books, and pixelated frames. But standing here now? It was something else. U.A. wasn't just a school—it felt like a monument. A fortress built by ambition, steeped in legacy. You could almost hear the echo of past legends in the air.
And now, I was walking into that legacy.
About twenty of us were selected—orphans, scholarship kids, hopeful transfers—all brought in through U.A.'s new outreach and evaluation program. I was here because of a visit from Eraser Head that still didn't feel entirely real.
I could sense the eyes on me. Curious. Wary. I wasn't here to socialize. I was here to prove I wasn't just some lucky pick.
The shuttle doors opened with a hiss.
We stepped out onto a wide open training field. Three instructors were already waiting for us.
One looked like he hadn't slept in days—scarf around his neck, dark bags under his eyes.
Beside him stood a tall, athletic woman in a crimson tracksuit, mirrored sunglasses hiding her expression.
And the third was unmistakable.
Aizawa. Eraser Head himself.
He scanned us with that same look you'd give stray animals sniffing around your back porch.
"Listen up," he said, voice rough and dry. "This isn't a recommendation or an endorsement. It's a test. Treat it like one."
The woman beside him stepped forward. "I'm Fukui. I'll be running your obstacle evaluations. You're being split into teams—Alpha, Bravo, Echo."
Efficient. No wasted breath. Classic U.A.
I was placed in Team Bravo.
With me were:
Yoro: older, quiet, with a sharp steel jaw prosthetic.
Amari: tall, focused, and wearing delicate crystal earrings that actually hummed with energy.
Ochaco: caught off guard when she saw me, but her grin was instant.
Taichi: lanky, twitchy, and brimming with restless energy.
"You'll work in pairs," Fukui explained. "One power-type, one support. Riku Akashi, you're with Uraraka."
"Got it," I said.
Ochaco lit up. "Yes! Tag team!"
"You know her?" Taichi asked, looking skeptical.
"We've trained together," I replied.
"But... you don't even have a flashy Quirk."
"Exactly."
I stepped beside Ochaco as we moved to the starting line. Aizawa's gaze followed me, sharp and calculating.
I held it.
I wasn't here to flinch.
---
Phase One: Obstacle Gauntlet
The course was vicious.
A full kilometer of shifting terrain, simulated disasters, collapsing walls, oil-slicked corridors, and dummy ambushes rigged with unpredictability.
"You've got ten minutes to complete the course," Fukui shouted. "Use your heads. Use your skills. Go beyond if you want to stay."
A loud buzzer blared.
The gates opened.
We ran.
Ochaco and I had strategized during the wait—she'd use her Quirk to neutralize heavy hazards and gain vertical advantage. I'd guide us with Observation Haki, keeping track of movements, ambush patterns, terrain shifts.
Twenty meters in, we hit a bottleneck: a collapsed section of concrete blocking the path.
Most teams hesitated or tried to climb.
Ochaco glanced at me.
"Now?"
"Now."
She floated the largest slab just long enough for us—and two others—to pass through before letting it drop.
BOOM.
The rest were stalled behind the rubble.
"Smart," Yoro muttered as he moved past us.
"Just getting started," I replied, already scanning the next zone.
Pressure-sensitive tiles.
Trigger the wrong one, and taser bots would pop out like angry hornets.
"Wait," I said, stopping Ochaco. "Step where I step. Exactly."
My Haki flared.
I could feel micro-vibrations in the air—minute pulses, tiny shifts beneath the tiles. It was like sensing spider threads, stretched and trembling.
Left. Forward. Right diagonal. Pause. Cross.
We made it.
Someone else didn't. A burst of electricity dropped a student, and med bots swooped in.
Halfway through, the dummies came.
Some looked like petty crooks. Others? More like budget Nomu.
One lunged at me, faster than any normal person.
But I'd seen it coming.
Pivot. Dodge. Counter.
One precise hit to the neck joint dropped it cold.
Ochaco zeroed in on the next one, floated it mid-air, and we shoved it into a pillar with a coordinated strike.
More came.
I let Armament Haki coat my arm—just enough to harden my palm and forearm. No flashy aura. Just control.
I didn't punch.
I redirected.
Their blows hit me—and slid off.
"Holy crap!" Ochaco shouted. "You're doing this without a combat Quirk?!"
I smiled. "Let's just say I bend the rules."
The final stretch was a mess of rope climbs, shifting platforms, and foam-pit crawls.
When we hit the finish line, we were panting, sore, and covered in dust.
The scoreboard flashed.
Team Bravo – 6:47
Top Time
---
Fukui handed us water and made notes on her tablet.
Yoro and Amari arrived seconds later. Taichi limped over, beaming.
"That was insane!"
Ochaco dropped beside me in the grass, wiping sweat from her face. "Next time, I'm making you lead from the back."
I laughed. "But we finished first."
She elbowed me. "Exactly. You're a menace, Riku."
I didn't say it, but her words echoed in my head.
So are the things I'm preparing for.
---
Phase Two: Hero Scenario Drill
After a short rest, we were called into a second arena. This time? No running.
It was a live scenario.
A simulated crash site—fire, smoke, sirens, and robotic civilians scattered in wreckage.
"Three victims trapped. Fifteen minutes. Rescue priority matters. You will be graded on teamwork, strategy, and decision-making."
"Team Bravo, step forward."
We entered. Doors hissed shut behind us.
A ruined bus crushed part of a small sedan. One of the dummies inside was screaming.
"Split up," I said. "Ochaco floats debris. Yoro for heavy lifting. Amari, suppress flames. Taichi handles the perimeter."
"What about you?" Yoro asked.
I tapped my temple. "Radar duty."
Haki spread.
Three panicked heartbeats. I guided them to the strongest one first.
"Under the hood!"
Yoro yanked back the crumpled metal. Amari cooled sharp edges. Ochaco floated a beam just long enough for the mannequin to be pulled clear.
We moved quickly, efficiently.
Then the scenario shifted.
A second explosion. Part of the wall caved in.
One dummy—labeled unconscious—was pinned.
"Extension: Three minutes," the announcer called.
I moved in.
Armament Haki bloomed.
One precise strike—cracked the pressure point without shattering the slab.
Ochaco floated it gently. Taichi dragged the dummy out.
"Bravo Team: All Objectives Complete."
Smoke cleared. Scenario faded.
Aizawa was watching from above.
He didn't smile.
But I saw it in his body language.
Approval.
---
In the side hallway, a U.A. intern handed us drinks, towels, and snacks.
Souta from the home ran up.
"Dude! You and Uraraka were unreal!"
I just shrugged. "We had a plan."
"No, seriously—people were cheering when you broke through that wall."
I smiled faintly. "Guess the training's paying off."
---
Later, stretched out on the grass behind the building, Ochaco looked over at me.
"That was wild."
"I was half-expecting you to float us straight to the end."
"Too risky," she said. "Too much use makes me queasy."
"Right. Forgot."
She gave me a sideways look. "Thanks for covering me. You always seem to know what's coming."
"Lucky instinct," I said.
She closed her eyes. "If we both make it into U.A., let's aim for the same class."
"Yeah," I said quietly.
"Like friendly rivals."
I didn't answer right away.
Because I wasn't thinking about rivals.
I was thinking about villains.
About Shigaraki. About what was coming.
I wasn't training to survive.
I was training to change everything.
---
Back at the group home, Ms. Hana met me at the door.
"You look like you were hit by three buses," she said, tossing me an ice pack.
"Na Only one," I muttered.
She raised an eyebrow. "Results?"
"Not yet. But I think I did alright."
She smiled. "I'm sure you did."
---
That night, I sat at my desk and opened my journal.
Observation Haki: Detection radius increased—six individual signatures under pressure. Useful for recon and rescue.
Armament Haki: Still requires emotional surge. Might need to develop memory anchors.
Ochaco: Excellent potential. Reliable partner.
Aizawa: Observing. Calculating. Maybe assessing threat level?
I paused, then added one final note:
> I'm not the strongest yet.
But I can see the path.
And I'm walking it.
Step by step.