"I still can't believe those girls didn't get in any trouble!" Charlotte exclaimed, her ebony hair cascading down her back as she gestured dramatically with her hands. Her dark grey eyes flashed with frustration, and in the passenger seat beside her rested a sheathed katana and a Kibuki mask. In the back, Asaki sat quietly in her new uniform.

The red tie hung loosely around her neck, and her gray blazer was missing. Her brown shoes caught her attention for a brief moment as she absentmindedly tapped her foot. "I told you, Mom. They started it. I just finished it." Her tone was cool, but there was a faint edge of anxiety in her voice as Charlotte glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

"You don't think I know that, Asaki!" Charlotte raised her voice, then immediately softened, her face twisting with regret. "Sorry. You don't think I know that." Her tone was quieter now, but still firm.

"I'm not mad at you," she continued, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. "I'm mad at the school. Those girls have been tormenting you from the moment you stepped foot into that place. But of course, defending yourself is a crime."

"It's because I look like—"

"Don't finish that sentence," Charlotte ordered, her voice stern but not harsh. "Asaki, you know better. You know better than to fight with other students. If you think this kind of thing will fly at UA, you've got another thing coming."

Asaki sighed deeply, staring out the window. The emptiness of the seat next to her caught her eye, and suddenly a little shadowy furball bunny with large antlers appeared. It hopped over to her happily, resting its head against her thigh.

"I know," Asaki murmured, reaching down to pet the bunny. "I won't do it again. I'm sorry."

Charlotte let out a long, exasperated sigh as the car drove in silence for a while. The steady hum of the engine filled the quiet.

"It's fine," Charlotte finally said. "Just... please remember that your actions won't be seen the same way as other kids your age."

"I know," Asaki replied softly, but her gaze remained distant.

"Things will be different at UA," Charlotte continued, trying to sound optimistic. "You'll make friends. You'll have cool classes."

Asaki cringed. "Don't say 'cool,' no one says that."

"I say it," Charlotte smirked, the tension easing between them. The car slowed and came to a stop. "And for the record, you don't look like her. You have much prettier eyes—just like your dad's."

Asaki's lips twitched upward for a brief moment. It wasn't a smile, but it was something close to it. Her mother's words touched her, but the smile faded just as quickly, replaced by the familiar ache in her chest.

"I remember," Asaki replied, her voice quiet as she turned to look at the bunny again.

"Oh, and when you make friends, just tell the driver to take you and them to an arcade or something! I'll pay for it," Charlotte added, her tone lightening with the suggestion.

"Okay," Asaki said, already reaching for the handle to get out. The rabbit hopped off her lap and nestled into her now-vacant seat.

"Bye, Mom," she said, shutting the door behind her.

Charlotte watched her daughter walk away, her thoughts unreadable. But Asaki didn't look back.

Asaki had no intention of making friends. She knew what "friends" could do. After all, Yoru had claimed to be her friend once.

Asaki watched her mom drive away, her attention quickly shifting to the grand gate of UA. It wasn't the first time she'd passed under it. The first was three years ago when her brothers graduated from the hero course. The second was just a few months ago for her recommendation tests.

She took a deep breath, gathering the courage to enter. Her longing for Cerberus tugged at her heart, but she didn't feel comfortable bringing him out. For now, she wanted to keep a low profile. Stepping onto the campus, Asaki made her way to Class 1-A. There it was, in all its glory.

Asaki pushed open the door, and as she entered, she noticed the class was already full. Kids her age of all types—some floating in midair, others with unique quirks. Among them, she spotted two faces she recognized: Yaoyorozu Momo and Todoroki Shoto. She'd met them before, during business meetings between their parents and hers, but she'd always stayed silent, never bothering to greet them.

She moved toward an empty seat in front of Todoroki, but before she could settle, a voice interrupted her.

"HI! I'm Ashido Mina!" A girl with pink skin and hair, her dark eyes glowing with yellow pupils, jumped in front of her.

Asaki said nothing, just locking eyes with the energetic girl, her golden gaze unwavering.

"Excuse me," Asaki finally muttered, brushing past her. But as she did, she accidentally bumped into a blonde boy with spiked hair.

"WATCH IT, EXTRA!" he spat, his voice dripping with hostility.

Not one to let rudeness slide, Asaki shot back on instinct, "How about you stop taking up so much space?" She snorted, stepping back as the boy immediately stood, his crimson eyes narrowing in anger.

"Wanna say that again?" He glared at her, taking in her appearance. "Edgelord."

Before the tension could escalate further, a boy with glasses and blue hair raised his hands in an attempt to mediate. "Now, calm down, you two!" he called out, his wild gestures trying to defuse the situation.

Asaki wasn't backing down. "What did you call me? Angry Pomeranian?" she quipped, but before the boy with the glasses could respond, the door opened.

In walked a boy with green hair and red shoes, looking a little like broccoli in Asaki's mind. She quickly dismissed the thought—no way was she saying that out loud. But before she could turn back to the scene, the blonde boy started shouting.

"DEKU! HOW DID THE LIKES OF YOU GET IN HERE?" he roared, marching up to the green-haired boy and grabbing him by the collar.

The boy with glasses shifted his attention to the commotion, giving Asaki the chance to slip into her seat. She let out a relieved sigh, watching the chaos unfold. A girl with short brown hair and the boy with glasses greeted the green-haired boy—Deku, as the blonde had called him.

Asaki watched the interactions around her, a sharp pang of envy striking her chest. But the feeling was quickly overshadowed by a sudden thump at the door. The three students turned toward it; their faces instantly filled with fear.

"What is that?!" they all exclaimed in unison.

Asaki cocked her head to the side, confused. The door creaked open, and in slumped a yellow sleeping bag.

Asaki stared as the bag unzipped, revealing a very tired man with black hair and a white scarf wrapped loosely around his neck.

Tossing his sleeping bag to the side, he turned to face the class, his eyes heavy with fatigue. "It took all of you a total of eight seconds to shut up. That's not going to cut it. Time is precious, and rational students will understand that. I am your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta."

Without missing a beat, he gestured toward a bin filled with UA-issued gym clothes. "Now, all of you get changed into these and meet me outside," he ordered before walking out of the room.

The students hurried to follow his instructions, and once the last student joined the group outside, Aizawa began speaking again.

"As you know, all of you were accepted into UA, either through recommendation or the entrance exam," he said, pausing to scan the group with his tired yet piercing gaze. "But there are things the tests can't measure. Today, we'll be performing basic middle school gym exercises—with your quirks."

Asaki narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms as she mentally calculated how her quirk might help—or hinder—her in the tests.

"What about orientation?" the brown-haired girl from earlier asked nervously.

Aizawa shot her a flat look. "If you think you'll make it to the big leagues by following useless traditions, you're mistaken. UA doesn't waste time with formalities. I run my class how I see fit."

He continued, his tone steady but firm. "Throughout your years in junior high, and maybe even elementary, you've taken simple physical tests that measured your raw strength. But until today, you haven't been allowed to use your quirks during those tests. You've been told the world is fair, that quirks don't give anyone an advantage. But that's a lie. The world is not rational. One day, you'll see that for yourselves."

Aizawa gestured toward the blonde-haired boy from earlier, who stood smugly at the front of the group. "You. How far could you throw a softball in junior high?"

"Sixty-seven meters," the boy replied confidently.

"Good. Now throw it again, but use your quirk this time," Aizawa instructed, tossing him a softball.

The boy stepped into the designated circle, a wicked grin on his face. "DIE!" he yelled dramatically as he launched the ball with an explosive force.

Asaki rolled her eyes, unimpressed by the theatrics. The flair is so unnecessary, she thought. Still, she couldn't deny the power behind the throw.

Aizawa pulled out his phone, and the screen displayed the result: 705.6 meters.

"You'll need to refine your quirks," Aizawa said, addressing the group, "and learn to use them in practical ways if you want to reach your full potential."

"This is what I've been waiting for!" a boy with spiky yellow hair and a black lightning bolt streak exclaimed excitedly. "To use my quirk however the hell I want!"

Asaki rolled her eyes again, unimpressed by his enthusiasm.

"You think this is fun and games? Idiots," Aizawa smirked coldly. "We'll be doing nine tests in total to evaluate your potential. And the student who places last..." His smirk faded, replaced by a steely glare. "...will be expelled."

Asaki felt her stomach drop, the weight of the statement hitting her like a punch to the gut.

"But that's not fair!" the brown-haired girl protested.

Aizawa's expression didn't change. "Do you think the world is fair? Do you think natural disasters are fair? Or that it's fair when power-hungry villains destroy cities? The world is filled with unfairness. These tests are a reflection of that. If you want to survive here, you'll need to adapt to random challenges without warning."

Asaki clenched her fists, her thoughts racing. Despite the harshness of his words, she knew he wasn't wrong.

The tests began in the gym, starting with weightlifting and other strength exercises. Asaki quickly realized the irony: her quirk didn't offer much of an advantage here.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she focused her quirk into her arms. Shadows began to swirl, enveloping her muscles in a dark aura. She opened her eyes and leaped onto the pull-up bar, determined to push herself to the limit.
One...
Two...
Three...

She lifted her body up repeatedly, counting in her head. This was easy—simple, really. Her quirk, in this form, was straightforward to use. It enhanced her already strong body, amplifying her natural strength. Depending on her fitness without the quirk, it increased her power tenfold. (Note: This becomes more complex as the series progresses.)

However, by the time she reached 100, Asaki began to feel a bit tired. Deciding to push through, she summoned two tendrils from her spine, wrapping them around the bar to assist her. This display didn't go unnoticed.

"Hey, you're really strong!" a boy with red hair and sharp teeth exclaimed. "You're so manly!" Asaki glanced at him briefly and nodded before releasing the bar. Her tendrils retracted. She gave him another quick nod, and he immediately walked up to her.

"I'm Kirishima!" he said, extending his hand and flashing a toothy grin. Asaki stared at his hand for a moment before reluctantly shaking it.

"Tsukoyami," she said flatly. "I have to do the next test." She used the excuse to move away from him, though her mind was racing with calculations.

Her stats were already impressive:
    •    194 pull-ups
    •    138 push-ups
    •    Deadlifting 500 pounds
    •    Grip strength: 163 lbs
    •    50-meter dash: 7 seconds

She mentally ran the numbers, trying to assess where she stood in the class. Physically, she was likely the strongest girl, but compared to the boys, she felt a bit underwhelming. Well, except for that one pervy guy, Mineta, with grapes on his scalp. He seemed weak—useless, even. Maybe he could be used as a human shield. Asaki quickly dismissed the thought, realizing she shouldn't share such ideas with anyone.

The tests continued, and the final one of the day was throwing a softball. Asaki stood by and watched as the students went one by one. The most impressive throw came from the antigravity girl, who sent the ball soaring into the void. When it was Asaki's turn, she focused all her shadows into one arm. As she threw the ball, she released the shadows with it, sending the ball an impressive 203.2 meters.

Satisfied with her score, Asaki felt confident she wouldn't lose or get kicked out. She rejoined the other students. Ashido was waiting for her.

"Hey, your quirk is super cool!" Ashido said, grinning widely. "You've got to be one of the strongest girls!"

"Yeah! You're almost as strong as me!" Kirishima added enthusiastically.

"As strong as you?" Asaki repeated, unsure whether she was being complimented or insulted.

"I didn't mean it in a bad way!" Kirishima quickly clarified. "I just meant that..." He trailed off, noticing the cold look Asaki gave him. "Never mind."

"I could use more work," Asaki muttered, feeling a bit guilty for making Kirishima uncomfortable. "These tests don't really suit my quirk." Her voice trailed off awkwardly, and her golden eyes wandered to the green-haired boy, Deku, who was about to throw the ball. But Mr. Aizawa stopped him with his Erasure Quirk.

Deku threw it again, impressively far, but Asaki narrowed her eyes. "His finger..." she mumbled.

"Huh? What about his—OMG, it's broken!" Ashido exclaimed.

"Yeah, nice detective work there..." Asaki muttered under her breath, unable to resist the jab. Whether Ashido heard it or not, Asaki didn't care. She was more focused on Deku and Aizawa.

"Your quirk causes you bodily injury..." Aizawa continued, but Asaki's attention only snapped back when he said, "None of you are getting kicked out."

EXCUSE ME.

"You mean you made us all think we were gonna get kicked out?!" Asaki shouted, then paused. "Actually, that was quite smart. Never mind. BUT STILL, I CAN'T BELIEVE I THOUGHT A YELLOW CATERPILLAR WAS GONNA GET ME KICKED OUT OF UA!"