MHA: The Fictional Hero: All Fiction - Chapter 5

“Are you absolutely sure you have everything?” Inko asked again, standing by the front door with that worried look she always wore whenever Izuku stepped out for anything remotely important—or dangerous.

Izuku let out a small sigh, adjusting the strap of his backpack. “Yes, Mom. I triple-checked everything,” he said, his tone carrying the weariness of repetition… though he didn’t actually mind it. Her fussing, as smothering as it was, came from love. And today of all days, he couldn’t blame her.

After all, it wasn’t just any day. Today was the day.

The U.A. University Entrance Exam.

Inko bit her lip, clearly trying not to ask again. Izuku knew how hard this was for her. She never outright said it, but something in her past—some event she refused to talk about—had left her with a deep unease about the hero world. Every time he tried to ask, she’d deflect with a soft smile and change the subject.

Still, ever since he developed his Quirk, she’d gradually come around. She no longer protested or tried to dissuade him. Maybe knowing he had power now—something that could protect him—gave her a little peace of mind.

Or maybe she’d simply realized nothing could steer him away from his dream.

“Oh!” she perked up suddenly, snapping out of her thoughts. “Don’t forget to tell your friend that the building owner agreed to put her on top of the waiting list for one of the downstairs apartments—if she passes the exam!”

“I will, Mom,” Izuku said with a nod.

“And, Izuku…” she added hesitantly.

‘Just when is she finished…’, Izuku thought, holding back the urge to roll his eyes. But he turned back to her with a patient smile.

“Your Quirk… I know it’s a lot. Still kinda hard to wrap my head around it. I still can’t believe you had a girl sleeping in your bed for you...” she trailed off, her cheeks coloring slightly. “Anyway, what I mean is—you’ve worked so hard for this. I believe in you. You’re going to do amazing today.”

Her words hit him harder than he expected.

A warm grin spread across his face. “Thanks, Mom,” he said softly, the nervous tension in his chest easing just a little.

That incident… yeah, that one had been something else.

It was hilarious—in hindsight.

At the time? He was pretty sure his mother’s glare alone could’ve killed someone on the Level of All Might.

But really, what else was she supposed to think? Walking into her son’s room only to find a naked girl sleeping in his bed while he trained nonstop for 24 hours straight. He hadn't needed to sleep that weekend. All thanks to that one-time-use card that let him swap his need for rest with that Girl.

Well he still had ‘Gold Dust Girl’, which would be a permanent addition to where ever he lived. Something he didn’t dare to bring out in front of his Mother. A Shy Girl that would take a Bath every day and create 500g of Pure Gold Dust that way.

That was a discussion he had no desire to have with his Mother.

‘Sleeping Girl’ had been an pretty useful Greed Island Card, if it weren’t for the one time use limit.

He’d give anything to have another.

Unfortunately, it was a one-off. A full 24-hour effect, and then gone forever. If only he could remove his need for sleep entirely, things would be so much simpler.

‘Am I turning into a training mad man? Did Goku affect me?’

Still, Biscuit’s Magical Spa Service came pretty close.

That ability—unlocked through his copy of her Nen—was a total game-changer. In just 30 minutes, it restored the benefits of eight full hours of sleep. Add in its recovery boosts for both physical and mental fatigue, its muscle regeneration, aura recovery, and more?

It was the ultimate supernatural spa.

A dream training tool.

Gon and Killua had famously compressed a year’s worth of training into just 30 days with it. Izuku wasn’t that reckless… but still, in the nine months since Camie reminded him of it, he’d packed years of progress into that time.

And today… all of it would be put to the test.

Izuku arrived at the entrance of U.A. High, his eyes wide with awe as he gazed up at the towering building and the equally imposing gate that guarded it.

Finally... he was here.

He patted his jacket pocket to confirm his student ID was still there, then gave his backpack a quick check—nothing lost or misplaced during the commute. With a quiet breath, he closed his eyes and braced himself. This was it. The first step toward becoming a Hero.

“Move the hell outta the way, Deku!”

That familiar voice cut through the air like a thunderclap, and for just a moment, a dark pulse flickered through Izuku’s mind—though this time, it wasn’t from channeling any of Chrollo’s Nen with his Quirk.

Of course. That trash fire still couldn’t help himself, even here.

Izuku turned with a calm smile, eyes locking onto the scowling blonde approaching him like a angry storm. “Oh, Kacchan. Hi!” he greeted cheerfully, refusing to budge. “What are you gonna do if I don’t move?”

The confidence in his voice wasn’t forced—it was earned. Through his intense training, the influence of the countless characters he'd copied via his Quirk, and months of video calls and late-night chats with Camie, Izuku had changed. The weak and timid, quirkless kid from last year? Gone.

“You cocky little extra. I’m gonna blow you to—”

“Kacchan,” Izuku cut him off with a grin, “that’s not very Heroic of you. You do realize there are cameras watching every inch of this place, right?”

Bakugo froze mid-step, eyes darting to a nearby security cam and then to the open path beside Izuku.

“...Tch.”

Without another word, Bakugo stormed past him.

Izuku smirked. That felt... good.

It wasn’t time to ruin Bakugo yet. Not here, not now. But today it would start. And all Izuku had to do was, to do his best. Bakugo would do the rest himself. Izuku knew his old friend.

Pulling out his phone, he checked for messages. He’d planned to meet Camie before the exam, but it looked like she hadn’t seen his last text. Probably spotty reception again.

With a quiet sigh, he turned toward the building. Might as well get the paperwork out of the way. He could find her later once she checked in.

And then—

Thunk.

His toe caught on his other foot, sending him stumbling forward. Classic. So much for the cool and collected new Izuku that grew so much.

But before he could hit the ground, something caught him—soft and light, like gravity itself had paused just for him.

“Hup! Gotcha!”

A cheerful voice rang out, and Izuku suddenly found himself upright again, steadied by a gentle force and a pair of quick hands.

Beside him stood a girl—short, softly curved, with warm chestnut-brown hair and round, expressive eyes. A faint blush colored her cheeks, and her bobbed hair bounced slightly as she tilted her head, smiling.

“Thanks,” Izuku said, brushing himself off. “That could’ve been embarrassing.”

“No problem! Would’ve been bad luck to fall right before the exam, huh?” she replied with a giggle.

“That’s true. Still, I really appreciate the save. I’m Izuku Midoriya—it’s nice to meet you.”

The girl beamed. “Nice to meet you, Midoriya! Though... I thought your name was Deku?”

“I’m Ochaco Uraraka, by the way! And hey, better I stop you now than have you chip a tooth before the test, right?” she added with a laugh.

“Oh, yeah,” Izuku rubbed the back of his neck. “That nickname—‘Deku’—it’s actually kind of an insult. My name Izuku can be read differently. It means ‘useless.’ Bakugo came up with it, back when we were young and I was considered Quirkless. Been a late bloomer. I only awakened mine last year. Didn’t feel like sharing that fact with him.”

Her eyes widened, guilt flashing across her face.

“A-Ah! I’m so sorry! I thought it came from ‘Dekiru’—like, ‘you can do it!’”

“Huh. That’s... actually kind of nice,” Izuku said, thoughtful. “If you call me that, I don’t mind.”

She shook her head quickly. “No way! Now that I know what it means, I’d feel terrible using it.”

“Well, so be it,” he said with a soft laugh. “Thanks for showing me a better way to think about it, though—”

Before he could finish, something warm and squishy pressed against his back. Two arms wrapped around him from behind.

“Eeh? Izu-kun, who's this cutie? Don’t tell me you're already two-timing me”

There was only one person who could say something like that with such airy mischief.

Ochaco’s face went red in an instant. She started waving her hands, flustered.

“W-wait! It’s not like that! I wasn’t flirting with your boyfriend—I mean, he’s not even—there’s no cheating, I swear!”

“Damn it, Camie...” Izuku sighed, shaking his head at the familiar chaos. “Don’t mind her, Uraraka-san. She’s just teasing. We’re not a couple—”

“Yet” Camie sing-songed behind him, "Mmh With that bod you’ve been rockin’, it’s only a matter of time, huh? You totally turned into a full-on hunk, Izu-kun~!"

He chose to ignore that. Altough it was the truth. 9 Months ago he still had been a scrawny Boy, but now he hat turned into an Athlete with Six-Pack and everything.

“This is Camie Utsushimi. She’s... a handful. Be warned, she lives to embarrass people. Camie, this is Ochaco Uraraka—she saved me from face-planting in front of the main building.”

“Aww, that’s so mean, Izu-kun! I’m a girl and your friend, so that totally makes me your girlfriend, duh!” Camie laughed, then turned to Ochaco with a wink. “Nice to meet ya, Uraraka-chan! If Izu-kun says you’re nice, then you’re already a bestie of mine too!”

Uraraka, still red-faced, nodded stiffly, unsure whether to laugh or bolt.

Izuku sighed. Nine months of Camie’s antics had toughened him up more than any sparring match.

“Yeah... she’s like this. But she means well.” He glanced at his phone. “Anyway, we should head in. I still need to register my Support Items before we get started.”

Together, the three of them moved toward the entrance of U.A., the sun rising higher above them.

———

Fortunately for Izuku, the line to register support items wasn’t long. Since non-hero civilians needed government approval just to carry them, U.A. kept the process tightly regulated—even for the Entrance Exam.

Only two students stood ahead of him: one blond boy wearing some kind of oversized utility belt with a lense or something, and a broad-shouldered, muscular, dark-haired guy lugging a plastic bag filled with small metal canisters. Judging by their gear, both seemed to take the exam very seriously.

But in a way, so did he.

Unlike generic gadgets or power-enhancing tools, U.A. only allowed support items that were essential for a student to use their Quirk. In Izuku’s case, that meant something no one would’ve expected...

...A small pile of manga and comic books.

The U.A. student at the registration desk blinked at him.

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” the upperclassman asked, staring at the colorful covers as if they might suddenly explode.

“I’m registering my support items,” Izuku repeated, more firmly this time. He pointed again at the stack of manga volumes and comics he’d placed on the counter. “These.”

A pause.

The upperclassman raised an eyebrow. “These are... manga and comic books. If this is supposed to be a joke, it’s not a very good one.”

His voice dropped into a growl, annoyance seeping in. “Now, if you’d please leave the line—we’ve wasted enough time.”

Izuku resisted the urge to sigh dramatically and instead tapped the form he’d submitted earlier.

“Check the paperwork,” he said evenly. “My Quirk’s name is listed right there. That should tell you everything you need to know.”

The student glanced down and scanned the form. His expression shifted from irritation to mild confusion, and finally, to cautious curiosity.

“I see,” he muttered. “Alright. I think I need a bit more context. What exactly do you need these for?”

“My Quirk is touch-based,” Izuku explained. “I activate it by making contact with a character’s image—specifically using two fingers. These manga and comics contain the characters I need. I can switch between abilities instantly by touching a different panel. That’s why I brought a variety.”

“Huh. Got it.” The student gave a short nod, beginning to type something into the terminal. “Still, I can’t approve all of these. Regulations say you’re limited to the minimum needed to demonstrate your Quirk’s function. Since you said you can switch between characters, I’ll allow two volumes. Make your choice.”

Izuku blinked, surprised. Honestly, that was more generous than he’d hoped for. He had mentally prepared to take the exam with just the passive side effects of his Quirk and his own physical conditioning.

Since he had no idea what kind of test awaited them, his best bet was versatility. He quickly flipped through his collection and selected two manga volumes from separate franchises—ones packed with a wide range of character types especially on the Covers.

He set aside the comics. They mostly focused on one hero per issue, and right now, he needed adaptability, not deep lore.

As he handed over his chosen volumes for approval, a small smile crept onto his face.

‘Alright. Let’s see what I can do.’

———

Unfortunately Camie, Ochacko and him were all assigned to different Written Exam locations and had to split up.

Izuku entered the Classroom listed on his assignment slip and quickly located his seat. He was just settling in when his eyes flicked toward the front of the classroom—only to freeze mid-motion.

Standing at the front, clipboard in hand, was none other than the extremely beautiful and sexy R-Rated Hero: Midnight.

A light blush crept onto his face. Even all of Camie’s teasing made it hard to stay calm at that sight.

Seriously? Of all the Pro Heroes who could’ve been assigned to oversee his exam… Why did it have to be her?

He had to admit—grudgingly, and strictly to himself—that she looked incredibly attractive. Thankfully, her current outfit was far more modest than some of her infamous earlier costumes. Still, he hoped she wouldn't be too much of a distraction. The last thing he needed was to lose focus now, of all times.

Even so, a little excitement bubbled beneath the surface. A Pro Hero was administering his test! And if he passed, all of his university teachers would be real Pro Heroes too. That realization alone made his pulse quicken.

The written exam lasted four hours and covered a broad range of subjects, everything up to the end of high school. The questions steadily ramped up in difficulty, clearly designed to gauge each student's academic baseline.

Izuku had expected something more difficult—but he wasn’t about to complain. He had always taken his schoolwork seriously, and studying came naturally to him. While his Quirk didn’t directly boost his intelligence, it granted him some other Cheats that made Studying extremely easy. In fact even with his training he had Studied a lot more than he would have if he hadn’t awakened his Quirk.

Praise the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

While his Chakra reserves were low, barely enough for a single Clone, having that Clone handle all his School Work made an massive difference.

It also made him realize another fact about his Quirk.

Abilities that conjured or summoned something, didn’t make it disappear if the time of his Copy run out.

And honestly? He also was smart. He always had been.

Even if he somehow failed the Heroics portion, which was higly unlikely, he had a backup plan. He already had applied to the General Studies and Support Course. And from there he would aim to transfer into the Hero Course through the Sports Festival—just like Eraserhead had done another Pro teaching at U.A.

Still, one part of the test caught his attention more than the others: the final essay question.

‘What does it mean to be a Hero?’

It was a question he found both deeply personal and thoroughly enjoyable to answer.

By the time he finished, he still had more than half the allotted time left. He’d already double-checked all his answers, but lingering any longer in the stuffy classroom felt like a waste. No point sitting around, bored, when he could use that time to mentally prepare for the practical.

Raising his hand, he waited until Midnight noticed and approached his desk.

“Yes? How can I help you?” she asked, her voice smooth, laced with that ever-present sensual tone.

Izuku stiffened slightly. Whether she meant it or not, that voice sent a subtle shiver down his spine.

“I’m done,” he said, holding out his exam packet.

“You sure? Don’t want to go over your answers one more time?” Midnight asked, tilting her head slightly.

“I already did,” Izuku replied with a small shrug. “If I check again, I’ll just start overthinking and second-guessing myself. That usually ends with changing answers that were right in the first place.”

Midnight gave a small nod of approval and took the paper from him.

“In that case, you’re free to leave. You can wait in the courtyard until the rest of the examinees are finished. The practical exam will begin shortly after that.”

With a quiet “Thank you,” Izuku nodded and headed out, a focused calm settling over him. Phase one was complete.

Izuku pointedly ignored the lingering stares and glances as he stepped out of the exam room, letting the door quietly shut behind him. He took a deep breath.

Being around this many people his own age still made him uneasy. That’s just what years of ostracization and bullying did to a person.

Hopefully, U.A. will be different, he thought. His interaction with Ochacko and Camie earlier was already a promising start.

Breathing in the crisp air of the courtyard, he found an empty bench and sat down. With two hours to kill until the next phase of the entrance exam, he pulled out his phone and started scrolling through hero news.

Better conserve his Stamina for the Practical Part, no point in last minute experimantations with his Quirk.