Chapter 53 – The Beginning of the Exam
The sun was high when Aoi and Midoriya arrived at the massive U.A. auditorium. The air was thick with anticipation; dozens of young candidates with determined faces and pounding hearts were preparing for the most important test of their lives.
Aoi crossed his arms, watching the nervousness of the other students. He sat next to Midoriya and waited. Then, a thunderous voice echoed through the hall:
— WELCOME TO THE U.A. ENTRANCE EXAM! — shouted Present Mic, as energetic as ever.
The sound made the ground tremble. Everyone fell silent, startled. Aoi chuckled lightly and nudged Midoriya.
— Hey, don't let the teacher lose his spirit, right? — he said with a teasing grin.
Midoriya blushed instantly, not knowing where to hide his face.
Present Mic began explaining the rules with his usual enthusiasm. Each word echoed like thunder against the walls of the auditorium. He explained about the robots, the points, and the rule forbidding attacks between candidates. When he mentioned the zero-pointer robot, tension filled the air — Iida stood up to question it, and the teacher laughed as he replied:
— It's only there to cause chaos! It gives no points, so you'd better avoid it!
Aoi smirked. "Or maybe it's the opposite…" he thought.
Inside the bus to the testing field, the silence was heavy. Aoi looked out the window and said:
— Midoriya, don't you think it's strange? A robot worth nothing in a hero test… sounds like one of U.A.'s tricks.
Midoriya frowned in thought. U.A. never did anything without a reason.
When the bus stopped, the scene before them stole their breath away — a massive fake city, complete with tall buildings, wide streets, and smoke rising in the distance.
— Amazing… — murmured Midoriya.
— Worthy of the best school in the country — Aoi replied, a spark of excitement in his eyes.
Present Mic opened the doors and shouted:
— THE EXAM HAS ALREADY STARTED! GO, GO, GO!
Chaos erupted. Candidates sprinted out, unleashing Quirks of every kind. Fire, lightning, and ice clashed across the streets. Aoi looked at Midoriya and said:
— Good luck, Izuku. I'm gonna have some fun.
A wild grin spread across his face.
— Let's play, everyone!
His blue flames exploded beneath his feet, and a sonic boom shook the entire field. The others were thrown back by the shockwave as a blazing blue trail shot forward at impossible speed. Giant robots were destroyed in seconds.
— One hundred points. That's enough — Aoi murmured, leaping onto the top of a building. Sitting down, he watched the ruined field and closed his eyes.
But then, the ground trembled. A colossal shadow fell over the city — the zero-pointer robot had appeared, tearing through buildings as if they were made of paper.
Aoi's eyes snapped open, his Observation Haki activating. His gaze swept across the battlefield until he found Midoriya — standing still, dwarfed by the towering machine.
— It's your turn, kid… — he whispered. — Show them what you've got.
Inside the observation room, All Might and Nezu watched closely.
— Five years have passed… — All Might said softly. — Aoi's grown so much.
Midnight, smiling proudly, added:
— He's my little Aoi. Of course he did.
Silence returned as Midoriya hesitated before the giant robot. Fear paralyzed him — until a girl's scream broke through the noise.
Without thinking, he ran. He leaped with all his strength, tears streaming down his face as he shouted:
— Detroit Smash!
The impact obliterated the zero-pointer completely, but the cost was heavy — his bones shattered the instant his fist connected. As he began to fall, the sky flashed blue.
Aoi appeared, leaving a flaming trail behind him, and caught Midoriya before he hit the ground.
— I've saved you from falling twice today — he said with a laugh. — You owe me a bowl of ramen.
Midoriya smiled through the pain.
Seeing everyone around wounded, Aoi sighed and raised his hand.
— Domain Expansion: Phoenix Sanctuary!
The ground beneath him ignited, and a brilliant wave of blue fire surged outward — faster than sound. In an instant, the entire test site was engulfed in azure flames. The false city shimmered under the light as fire flowed through every street, around every broken wall, reaching even the farthest corners of the battlefield.
The air itself glowed. Ethereal fish made of pure fire swam through the blue ocean of light, drifting gently between the wounded students. Wherever they passed, pain faded away, wounds sealed shut, and broken bones mended.
From the observation room, the pro heroes watched in awe as the entire exam field became a sea of divine flame — destructive and healing at once, like life reborn from ashes.
Aoi stood at its center, his body trembling as his Quirk consumed his energy. The light reflected in his eyes, calm yet determined.
Finally, the flames began to fade. The field quieted, now covered in a faint blue glow — the scent of fire and purity lingering in the air.
Aoi fell to his knees, exhausted. Recovery Girl approached, smiling softly.
— Such a beautiful power, my boy. You'll be a great hero one day.
He smiled back weakly.
— Thank you, ma'am… but I still have a long way to go.
The last sparks vanished into the wind. The exam was over — but the name Aoi Todoroki was already carved into the history of U.A., shining as bright as the phoenix that answered his call.