All Might held out a single strand of hair.
"Eat it."
Izuku blinked, unsure he'd heard correctly. "…You're serious?"
"If you're taking in DNA, the method doesn't matter," All Might said, urgency edging his voice. "Hurry. We don't have much time."
Only a few hours remained before the entrance exam.
Izuku hesitated for a fraction of a second, then nodded to himself. "…This really isn't how I imagined it."
Before he could dwell on it, he swallowed.
By the time he looked up, All Might had already returned to his thin form.
"…All Might," Izuku said, steadying his breath. "What kind of test is the entrance exam?"
"A combat trial," All Might replied. "Focus on what you can do."
Izuku nodded again. "…Should I go all out?"
All Might met his eyes.
Izuku exhaled softly. "…Right. I will."
He began unfastening the sandbags wrapped around his body. One by one, they dropped onto the sand with heavy, dull thuds, leaving deep impressions behind.
All Might stared at the growing pile.
"…How much weight were you carrying?"
Izuku gave a small shrug. "Arms, legs, back… and some extra in my shoes."
He gathered everything together without complaint.
"I'll take these home, then head straight to the exam."
With that, he turned and left, the weight in his arms seeming no different from anything else he carried.
All Might watched him go, a faint smile tugging at his expression.
"…He'll be fine."
—
Back home, Izuku took a quick shower and removed every last piece of extra weight—iron plates from his clothes, hidden weights from his shoes, everything.
For the first time in months, his body felt light.
—
February 26, 8:00 a.m.
Izuku stepped outside, school bag slung over his shoulder.
"I'm heading out!"
"Do your best!" Inko Midoriya called after him, her voice warm with encouragement. "I know you can do it!"
About forty minutes later, he stood before the gates of U.A. High School.
He let out a slow breath.
"I made it."
Today was the entrance exam.
As he walked toward the test site, one thought lingered at the back of his mind.
I haven't even tested this power yet…
"Move."
The voice cut through his thoughts.
"Kacchan—"
Katsuki Bakugo passed him without slowing.
"Don't get in my way."
Izuku tried to respond. "G-Good morning—let's both—"
But Bakugo was already moving ahead, not even glancing back.
Izuku watched him for a moment, then shook his head.
"…Doesn't matter. I'm here."
—
At the exam venue, students gathered as instructions were given.
Izuku scanned the material in his hands.
"Four types of targets…"
He checked his candidate number.
Nearby, Bakugo clicked his tongue. "Different testing areas, huh? Too bad. I won't get to crush you."
—
9:30 a.m. — Test Area BTime limit: five minutes.
Izuku stood at the edge of the massive training ground.
His legs felt stiff, his muscles coiled tight with anticipation.
"…Focus."
He steadied his breathing.
The signal rang out.
Students surged forward in a rush of motion and noise.
Izuku moved with them—but almost immediately, he realized he was falling behind.
Every target he spotted was already engaged, already taken down.
"…Too slow."
He searched for an opening—
Then the ground trembled.
A massive machine stepped into view.
A zero-pointer.
"…You've got to be kidding."
The mood shifted instantly. Students began pulling back, some already turning to leave.
There was no reward for defeating it. No reason to take the risk.
The machine advanced, each step shaking the pavement beneath it.
Izuku instinctively stepped back—
Then he saw her.
A girl pinned beneath a slab of debris, unable to move.
The machine's foot rose above her.
Time seemed to narrow.
Izuku moved.
His legs drove him upward, launching him into the air before doubt could catch up.
"Stop!"
He drew his arm back.
Power surged through it—wild, overwhelming, barely contained.
"—!"
He swung.
The impact shattered the robot's head instantly. The rest of its body collapsed a heartbeat later, breaking apart in a violent chain reaction.
Fragments scattered across the field.
For a brief moment, everything went quiet.
Then—
Pain crashed in all at once.
His right arm. Both legs.
They gave out completely.
"…She's safe… but—"
Gravity took hold.
His body began to fall.
"Hey!"
A sharp strike snapped across his cheek.
The fall slowed.
His descent softened, his body lowering instead of crashing.
Izuku blinked, disoriented.
The girl he had saved stood nearby, her hand still raised.
"You're okay," she said, relief clear in her voice.
Izuku managed a breath. "…Thank you."
—
A week passed.
The results still hadn't come.
Izuku found himself drifting at times, thoughts replaying the moment again and again.
The jump. The strike. The feeling of that power.
And sometimes, without realizing it—
He smiled.