When the order was given, the entire cluster of aspirants shot out like a mindless mob. Reiji watched calmly, advancing slowly. He knew this was a piece of cake for him; he wouldn't have the slightest problem meeting his point quota.
'I'll focus on saving a few; that'll earn me extra points. Besides, I'm sure they're watching me; I can't believe I came unnoticed by all the U.A. figures,' he thought, almost imperceptibly glancing at the camera hidden among the stones.
The sounds of combat and explosions were not long in coming.
He advanced down a side street, avoiding the center where most of the crowd was gathered. He caught a glimpse of Kirishima fighting enthusiastically, knocking down a pair of single-point robots with great efficiency.
"Watch out!"
But what caught his attention most was a group of three younger applicants being surrounded by two three-point units that had outpaced them. One of the robots raised a sharp-edged limb, ready to strike one of the three applicants hard.
Reiji ran. Without using blood yet. He grabbed a metal bar that had fallen from a collapsed structure and threw it with precision, deflecting the blow just in time. Then he slid along the ground, kicked one of the joints of the nearest robot, and finished by hitting its main sensor with a pressure rock. The second one barely turned before receiving an elbow in its support point.
When it fell, it spun on its own axis and hit the weak point.
'6 Points and who knows how many more for saving these 3!'
The three applicants looked at him, surprised. Reiji barely glanced at them and continued on his way, watching as some of the applicants were subdued by the robots and he went to help.
This pattern repeated itself a couple more times. Reiji barely used his Quirk, just enough to block a blow that didn't reach in time or to hurl a spear of compressed blood at a robot trying to crush an unsuspecting applicant.
The points were adding up, even though he was focused solely on saving. It seemed absurd to him how most people acted as if it were a deathmatch, ignoring the cries for help just to get a few more points.
"Idiots..." he muttered, pushing his shoulder against the fallen torso of a type two robot he had just deactivated.
It was at that moment that he felt it.
A heavy, downward gust of wind. A dry cracking sound. Reiji spun around just in time to see a meter-long flying drone descend from the sky, its blade-like propellers spinning inverted. It moved like a bird of prey, straight toward a group of four applicants trapped among metallic debris.
'That... What the hell is it?' He thought, his eyes narrowed. Noticing the trajectory, he generated a thin whip of blood from his palm and used it to attract a metal plate at full speed. He threw it as a shield. The impact of the drone was brutal, but it didn't hit anyone. The device bounced, spinning around.
"What was that, was it in the explanation?!" a voice shouted from among the rescued group.
He didn't respond. He turned around, seriously observing the drone's trajectory, which now seemed to be reconfiguring for a new attack.
'A new enemy? For what?' He thought, annoyed; he hadn't specifically counted on this. Besides, it seemed to have attacked suspiciously close to him. Before the drone could take off, Reiji stabbed it with multiple spears to neutralize it.
'Did they really create a new model to test me, or is it just a coincidence?' Before his doubt could be answered, a two-pointed robot appeared behind him, ready to strike. I dodge it without looking and take it down without any problem.
I scan the streets around me; this was the only model like it. I decided to ignore it for now and continued with my work.
I moved through the remains of collapsed structures, fluidly dodging fragments, broken beams, and lesser robots that no longer posed any real challenge. Reiji was racking up points almost without realizing it. His priority was still saving the others, keeping a low profile, and not letting his blood do its thing. Everything was going well… until something changed.
A heavy vibration rippled through the concrete.
Then another. And another.
He turned quickly. Knowing perfectly well that it could really be it, but his eyes widened slightly as he realized what was really happening.
In the distance, through the smoke and chaos, three zero-point robots emerged simultaneously from different sectors of the testing ground. Each one massive, mechanically perfect in its aggression. The other aspirants began to scream and flee. Even the bravest retreated without hesitation.
Reiji frowned. That wasn't normal. Several weren't supposed to appear at once, and even one represented a significant threat to all the applicants. Let alone three.
The robots didn't swerve. They didn't change course. They didn't attack randomly as in previous simulations. They were all heading toward him.
A high-pitched whirring noise pierced his ears. He didn't have time to turn around.
From an elevated gate to the east of the field, a swarm of drones descended like a mechanical rain. Ten, twelve... maybe more. Each one spun its inverted propellers aggressively, like blades.
At high speed, they headed straight for Reiji, who frowned.
'This isn't part of the exam anymore...'
Blood oozed subtly from his right forearm, forming a curved disc that spun in his palm. He threw it like a high-speed Frisbee. It hit the first of the group squarely, exploding in a shower of metallic fragments. The others separated to avoid the impact, but Reiji was already moving.
He leaped backward, landing on a half-collapsed column. From there, he extended his fingers. Two filaments of blood, thin as taut threads, emerged from his back and shot toward two drones flanking him. He entangled their propellers, twisted his torso violently, and slammed them together.
'Are these things going to kill? Is this legal?'
A Class 1 robot appeared in his blind spot. Reiji knew it from the whine of its servo. He spun, flexed his leg, and drove a solid blood dart into its eye sensor, knocking it down before it could raise its arm.
Another two-pointer was coming from the left. Reiji let it close. When the hydraulic arm came down to strike him, it hardened a thin line of blood at the robot's neck like a fixed blade. The impact itself caused the enemy to cut his own neck as it attacked.
The challengers around him screamed and ran.
"Why is everyone going after him?!"
"Run, stupid!"
Reiji ignored them.
He flexed his legs. Blood now pooled in his thigh, forming a high-tension spring against the ground. Not for close combat, but to gain momentum.
He jumped.
From midair, he extended both arms and generated a net of blood spikes that curved like spiraling whips. He launched it toward the swarm, catching three drones in mid-flight. The impact destabilized them and dragged them to the ground.
He landed on one of them. The metal creaked under his weight.
The rest of the drones stopped.
On the horizon of the field, the zero-point robots began to move.
Three.
No. Four. One more had appeared when the applicants cleared the area.
"Tsk, this isn't part of any entrance exam anymore," he muttered in annoyance.
He ran. And as he did, he molded a blood spear from his left forearm, thinner and hollow inside, allowing him to use it as an internal pressure channel. By stabbing it into the ground in front of him and releasing it like a spring, he was propelled through the air just as the first zero-point slammed its fist into the concrete.
From above, he launched a shower of jagged-tipped blood stakes. He wasn't seeking to stop them, only to slow them down.
"They're testing me. This is a measure of control, pressure, determination... Aizawa. Or maybe Nezu. Or maybe both..."
The swarm of drones reappeared, now surrounding him in a circular formation.
'If you want to test my limits, this isn't enough... But I'll let you have fun. After all, I have nothing to hide from you.'
He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, a network of crystallized blood was already forming all over his body, slowly forming a porcupine-like armor around him. The blood used was thin, but it wasn't exactly defensive.
He twisted his torso. And each spike shot out with precision. And in a single motion, he fired them like precise shrapnel, hitting the drones at different angles.
Explosions. Falls. Sparks.
The zero-point robots were getting closer and closer. Reiji landed on his feet, slipped on the dusty concrete, and held himself up by driving a blood stake into the ground as a brake. After Katsuki, his control had improved considerably, and the blood he used now wasn't even half of what it used that time...
He could continue without any problem, still in control of his instincts. However, he still had the device Mei had given him.
The zero-point robots were approaching like mechanical titans, shaking the ground with every step. One of them, the closest, raised its hydraulic arm with the squealing of its joints.
Reiji looked at it, unfazed.
He flexed a leg and pushed himself to the side, just as the robot's arm fell. The impact impacted the street, sending up a shower of concrete and smoke. Reiji emerged from the side, beginning to climb the sand, using some of his blood as a platform. Quickly approaching the 0-point's "face," he placed his hand on the cold metal. A thin line of blood ran from side to side, before spikes expanded from inside the 0-point's head.
The explosion was immediate; Reiji expected this and protected himself with a thin layer of blood. Using the momentum, he headed back to another 0-point. But before he could land, a new drone appeared. Somewhat shattered but still functional.
Reiji twirled in the air, correcting his trajectory with a strand of blood that he whipped toward a bent lamppost. He grabbed it precisely and changed its direction in a downward parabola, narrowly missing the scything drone's scything noise by inches.
The machine tried to follow, but a spiraling lance of blood hit its rear propeller, sending it spinning uncontrollably. The device fell behind him with a sharp explosion.
Reiji landed on the shoulder of another zero-point robot. He crouched for momentum and slid a thin stake through an opening in the mechanical neck casing. This time it didn't explode. Instead, the blood expanded like internal roots, blocking the flow of power to the limb servos.
The titan froze.
With one last leap, Reiji leaped away, and the metallic giant collapsed like an old building.
The last zero-point robot stopped with a metallic groan just before raising its arm. Then, as if an invisible command had severed the control thread, its lights flickered and went out, slowly collapsing to the side with a dull rumble.
Beeeeeeeeeee—
The high-pitched beep of the system echoed across every corner of the battlefield, an unmistakable signal: the exam was over.
Reiji remained motionless for a few more seconds. Adrenaline still pounded through his veins, but his breathing, though controlled, showed signs of fatigue.
He hadn't reached his limit... but he wasn't unharmed either.
His joints felt somewhat tense, the muscles in his forearms throbbing from the repeated use of his Quirk. He'd expended more blood than he would have liked. Not enough to make him dizzy, but enough to leave a feeling of emptiness beneath his skin.
Still, he'd controlled his impulses.
He walked among the wreckage of downed drones and robots, ignoring the stares from a distance. Most of the students hadn't dared approach during the test. Some were now watching him with a mixture of respect and fear.
"Wait, wait!" An enthusiastic voice brought him out of his thoughts.
Kirishima ran over, still panting from the exertion of his own battle. His uniform was dusty and he had a slight cut on his eyebrow, but his smile was as genuine as his voice.
"That was brutal, bro! You looked like a damn pro hero up there! I swear, I thought those drones were going to mow everyone down!"
Reiji glanced at him, not quite stopping.
"It was no big deal."
"What?! You faced three zeros, the new drones, and those weird mechanical arms! I saw it all!" Kirishima insisted, his expression reflecting excitement and respect for Reiji.
Reiji just snorted and continued walking toward the field exit. Kirishima stood there for a few more seconds, scratching the back of his neck, not understanding why anyone would leave so serious after such a performance.
Before he could walk away completely, a short, familiar shadow intercepted him.
"I didn't expect to see you so whole," Recovery Girl said, leaning on her cane as she scanned him with her gaze.
Reiji stopped. For the first time in the entire exam, his shoulders relaxed slightly.
"I could use... a little help," he admitted, his voice low. He knew exactly what the Quirk of the person in front of him was, and why he was standing in just the right place.
Recovery Girl nodded with a knowing smile and, with a light kiss on his cheek, activated her Quirk. The comforting tingle instantly ran through his body, releasing the accumulated tension in his arms and back.
"You've used quite a bit of blood, young man. You'll have to eat a lot when you get home."
Reiji nodded, still not fully looking at her. He could feel his regeneration speeding up by twofold with the Recovery event... Even at threefold, the blood loss he'd suffered had been replaced almost instantly.
"Thank you. But I have a question."
Recovery Girl looked up, curious.
"Why so many?" Reiji murmured. His tone was dry, but not aggressive. She knew Recovery wasn't responsible for anything, but maybe she could give her answers right away. "I'm not talking about the drones... I'm talking about the total number. Zero-point robots, automated swarms, secondary targets... This wasn't a normal exam."
His orange eyes bored into hers.
"They could have endangered the other candidates. Many weren't prepared for that."
There was a moment of silence. Recovery Girl took her time, as if considering several answers before settling on the simplest.
"Because you're a young man," she finally said with a gentle smile. "And youth... when it has that fire of yours, it can't be measured by the same yardstick as the rest."
Reiji frowned. He didn't seem satisfied.
"Does that justify using me as a guinea pig?"
"No. But they didn't do it to hurt you either," she replied gently, but without entirely softening her words.
"I understand..." He murmured, looking away. Indeed, they were just testing him; his access to U.A. and Himiko's safety were guaranteed.
Recovery Girl sighed, with an old-fashioned sweetness that only those who have seen many generations pass possess.
"Sometimes, adults forget that you are more than just potential."
He didn't respond. He just clenched his fists slightly, now relieved of tension but not of thoughts.
"Rest well," she added, taking a step back.
===
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