The sun shone brightly over the sprawling campus of U.A. High School, the prestigious institution that trained the next generation of heroes. It was a hot and sticky summer day, the kind of day where sweat clung to the skin and the promise of the future felt palpable in the air. On this day, thousands of young hopefuls from across Japan had gathered outside the gates of U.A. for one reason: the entrance exam. Only the strongest, smartest, and most determined students would be allowed to join Class 1-A, and it was every aspiring hero's dream to pass this test and be a part of the legendary school.
Among the hopefuls, one stood out.
A sixteen-year-old boy with spiky black hair and a serious expression, wearing the standard U.A. entrance exam uniform. Son Gohan, known as Gohan to his friends, shifted his weight from foot to foot nervously as he stood in line. He wasn't particularly tall, but his athletic build and confident stance indicated that he had spent years training. His dark eyes, though filled with focus, also betrayed a hint of uncertainty.
Gohan wasn't the most outgoing student—his reserved nature often made him appear distant from others, but that was far from the truth. Deep down, he wanted to protect people. That's why he was here today. He had a gift, a power inherited from his family, but also a curse that he had to control.
Gohan's quirk was unique: Life Force Harnessing. A power that allowed him to tap into the life force within himself, increasing his physical strength, endurance, and even manipulating energy in bursts similar to the martial art energy techniques known as Ki. It was a versatile ability, but one that required discipline, control, and an immense amount of energy. A single wrong move, and he could tire himself out—or worse, hurt someone. That was why he preferred to keep his abilities under wraps, only using them when absolutely necessary.
Today was one of those days.
As Gohan waited in line for the exam to begin, he overheard snippets of conversation from other students around him. The nerves in the air were palpable.
"Man, I can't believe we're finally here," a young boy in a blue uniform with goggles on his head said excitedly to his friend. "This is it! I'm going to pass and be a hero! Just wait and see!"
Gohan didn't know him, but he could tell from the boy's enthusiastic energy that he was determined to succeed. Then, he heard a voice that made him snap to attention.
"You're in my way," came a sharp, impatient tone.Turning, Gohan saw a boy with messy blonde hair and an angry scowl on his face, pushing past the crowd. He wore the U.A. uniform with an air of confidence that bordered on arrogance. This had to be Katsuki Bakugo, the loud, hot-headed student with the Explosion quirk. Gohan could tell from the way Bakugo carried himself that he was already a force to be reckoned with.
"Hey, don't just shove people out of the way!" another voice called out from behind him. Gohan turned again to see a young girl with brown hair and a pink hue to her cheeks, her hands clenched into fists. Ochako Uraraka was her name—Gohan remembered her quirk was Zero Gravity, which allowed her to make objects float. She seemed to be trying to keep her calm, though she wasn't having much luck dealing with Bakugo's attitude.
"I'm not here to make friends, idiot," Bakugo snapped back, not even turning to face her. "Just stay out of my way."
Gohan took a breath and turned his focus back to the front of the line. He had his own nerves to deal with. He wasn't going to let someone else's attitude distract him today. He had come too far.
As the crowd slowly made their way into the testing area, a stern voice echoed over the loudspeakers, drawing everyone's attention.
"Alright, everyone. Welcome to the U.A. entrance exam! I'm your proctor for the first portion of the test. My name is Sekijiro(or Vlad King for better Knowledge), and I'll be overseeing the practical exam. The first part of the test is simple: take down the robots. Do it with precision, do it with skill, and do it with the heart of a true hero! There's no time to waste. You have one hour. If you fail to score high enough, you'll be sent home."
Gohan's heart raced. He had trained hard for this. But taking down robots was one thing—facing a real-life villain was another. Still, he knew what was at stake. If he didn't do his best now, all of his dreams would slip through his fingers.
The doors to the exam arena opened, and Gohan stepped forward with the crowd. The area ahead of them was a massive urban battlefield, designed to simulate a disaster zone filled with destructible buildings, roads, and—more importantly—robots.At the far end of the arena, Gohan could see the large figures of robotic villains—large, humanoid machines with red eyes that seemed to glare down at them. Gohan cracked his knuckles, his body subtly adjusting as his muscles rippled with energy. Focus, he reminded himself. This wasn't just about power—it was about control.
"Get ready!" Sekijiro shouted. "Your time begins now!"
At that instant, chaos erupted. The students spread out, some charging directly at the robots, while others hung back, trying to think of strategies. Gohan wasn't one to rush into a fight recklessly. He moved quickly but carefully, his footsteps light as he scanned the battlefield for any weak points in the robotic foes. He noticed a robot lumbering toward a group of students—its large arms winding up for a powerful attack.
"Watch out!" Gohan shouted as he dashed forward, closing the distance between himself and the robot in the blink of an eye. His right fist surged with energy as he struck the robot's chest with a powerful punch, the force enough to send the machine toppling to the ground in a heap of twisted metal.
"That was Amazing! how did you do that?," a voice called out from nearby. Gohan turned to see Izuku Midoriya, the boy with messy green hair and a determined gaze, rushing past him. Gohan recognized him from the entrance exam lineup. Midoriya's quirk wasn't known to Gohan, but he can sense he has some immense power left untapped. Gohan had heard about it, and while Midoriya was clearly talented, he lacked the raw control that Gohan had over his energy.But it was still too early to make comparisons.Gohan nodded to Midoriya, offering a quick smile.
"Stay focused."Midoriya gave him a shaky thumbs-up , snapping out of his rambling about Gohan's Quirk whilst still trying to catch up with the flow of the exam.The battle raged on, with students taking down robots left and right. Gohan's movements were fluid and calculated, his strikes powerful but precise. He didn't want to waste energy, knowing how easy it was to overexert himself. His quirk allowed him to harness his life force to enhance his power, but he couldn't let it consume him.A large mechanical beast appeared in front of Gohan, its metallic jaws snapping as it lunged toward him. Gohan's eyes narrowed.
"Time to finish this," he muttered.He focused his energy, his ki flaring outward as his muscles tightened. He leaped into the air with incredible speed, his body glowing with energy. He aimed a powerful ki blast at the robot's head, the concentrated blast of energy tearing through the metal with a brilliant flash. The robot crumpled to the ground, its systems short-circuiting. Gohan landed gracefully, sweat trickling down his forehead as he took a deep breath. He had to pace himself. But as he looked around, he saw others still struggling with the challenges of the exam. Midoriya had just dodged an incoming blow from a massive robot, and Uraraka was floating a group of students to safety while trying to keep her own feet on the ground. Bakugo, of course, was in the thick of things, his explosions lighting up the battlefield as he single-handedly obliterated multiple robots. He was fast, furious, and relentless—but there was an underlying cruelty in his approach. Gohan pushed forward, moving between the wreckage and the fallen robots. The arena was quickly filling up with debris and destroyed machines, but there were still plenty of enemies left. He kept his focus and harnessed his ki for one final push, throwing a powerful barrage of energy blasts to clear the area. As the exam came to a close, the large screen at the front of the arena flickered to life, showing the rankings. Gohan glanced up, his heart pounding in his chest.
Results:
- Bakugo Katsuki,
-Midoriya Izuku,
-Gohan Son,
- Uraraka Ochako,
- Iida Tenya,
- Kyoka Jiro
The list of students scrolled by, but Gohan didn't care about the exact order. He had done his best. For now, that was enough. But the moment he stepped off the arena floor, a voice cut through the air. After the grand event, Gohan returned home exhausted. He lounged on his bed for the coming hours, which seemed like an eternity, as he sat there... waiting... and waiting, and waiting some more... After what feels like an eternity, Gohan hears his mom call for him; he rushes to the living room of their home and sees her holding this fancy letter with the initials U.A. on the front. Gohan nervously opened the letter to see a small disc; confused at first, he saw a holographic projection of All Might begin to play. Rejoicing with his mother, he had been accepted to the school, via the judges praising his heroic actions during the practical exam, saying that the judges recognized his potential to save others and awarded him points for his rescue efforts, effectively allowing him to pass the exam, alongside his destructive capabilities being a worry, but they can be trained.
"Young Gohan, welcome You've been accepted to U.A. High School. Welcome to your hero academy" is the last words Gohan hears from the hologram before it shuts off.