The day of the practical exams arrived. The students were excited, eager to show off their abilities, and to prove themselves as worthy heroes-in-training. I, on the other hand, wasn't interested in impressing anyone. I had no intention of becoming a hero. My only goal was to survive in this world and, if possible, take advantage of the chaos that heroes and villains inevitably caused.
As the exam began, I realized that U.A. wasn't like any normal school. The entire arena was designed for combat, a place where students fought against obstacles, each other, and even robots created for testing purposes.
But I didn't need the robots to prove my worth.
In the midst of the exam, I activated my quirk, Shifting Presence, and blended into the environment. No one could see me, not even the proctors. As I moved through the exam arena, I studied my classmates—looking for someone to test my abilities on. I had no interest in the robots; my true challenge was understanding the quirks of the students around me.
Bakugo was too loud, too aggressive. He had potential, but he lacked control. Midoriya was too kind-hearted—too predictable. But Todoroki? Shoto Todoroki was different. His calm demeanor and overwhelming power were enough to make me take notice.
He would be the first.
I moved behind him as he was caught up in a fight with one of the mechanical villains. He couldn't sense me at all. My quirk let me exist in his blind spot, moving like a whisper in the wind. With a swift motion, I appeared behind him, my knife ready, and I aimed for his back, testing the waters.
Shhh.
But before I could make contact, Todoroki's ice erupted from his body, freezing the ground beneath him in an instant. The cold air hit me like a slap, forcing me to back off, but not before my presence was known.
He turned slowly, his eyes locking onto my mask. There was no fear. Only cold calculation.
"Who are you?" Todoroki asked, his voice calm. "What do you want?"
I could see the spark of curiosity in his eyes. He was no fool. He understood that I wasn't a normal student at U.A. But the question lingered in my mind: What do I want?
That was the question, wasn't it?
"I'm just here to see how long you can survive, Todoroki," I said, my voice distorted behind the mask. "And to remind you that heroes are never truly in control."
With that, I vanished back into the shadows, leaving Todoroki standing there, unfazed, but more intrigued than before.