Chapter Two

[Y/N] glanced at Monoma's hand. It was normal; no physical traits regarding what kind of Quirk he has, and he's wearing a tracksuit with no special designs for his power to work when activated. Not a single scar or visible veins either. Nevertheless, she shook his offer with a firm grip. The soft skin against hers wasn't an imagination.

Strangely comforting.

"[L/N] [Y/N]." She replied, smile not wavering. "I go by my first name basis."

"Skipping the formalities I see," Monoma quipped, earning the girl to shake her head in disagreement.

"I just prefer being called by my given name rather than surname." She clarified. "Nice to meet you, Monoma."

"Likewise."

Speakers boom to life above the closed doors. Present Mic's voice filled the area. Both focused on the timer above the closed doors. It was only ten seconds left before the test.

"LISTEN UP FUTURE HEROES! NO TIME TO SHAKE YOUR PANTS—THE U.A. PRACTICAL EXAM IS ABOUT TO START! SHOW US WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF YO!"

An automated voice buzzed in the timer. "Three—two—"

The doors whirred, opening slowly. [Y/N] caught a glimpse of the inside, filled with city buildings that people see every day. She took a deep breath, curling her hands tightly into a fist as she prepared herself to run. The diamonds between her knuckles were slowly tilting upwards, forming into some little daggers.

"One."

"OUTTA WAY!" Explosives boomed at the front, causing the nearby examinees to be startled and move out of the way. Spikes was fast at propelling himself up, knew how to make his Quirk versatile. [Y/N] ran headfirst, taking the dumbfounded opportunity of others as a distraction. Some had the same plan, like Glasses. He was much faster than her, as expected from the engine in his legs.

Stay on the side first. Only a few steered away from the center street as [Y/N] dipped into the nearest alley. Machines can be heard in the populated section followed by examinees readying their quirks.

"There has to be something..." She scanned the narrow and slight dimmed path. Her eyes glinted.

These will do. She carried two empty water bottles from a nearby garbage bin with one hand and sprinted back to the main event.

Tons of Villain Bots were already down; no Arena Traps yet. [Y/N] took notes of the fallen bits of the bots, finding some sharp parts that seemed enough to be lifted for her plan. They didn't stop coming, and Quirk presentations won't be ending soon.

[Y/N] focused on the upcoming bots behind the ones ahead. The examinees first targets would be finishing the frontlines before dealing the next.

That's where she'll be showing off.

With enough force, [Y/N] threw the two bottles between the gaps of each bot, quickly drawing two red cards in the process. She flung them one by one with precision—faster than the bottles, making them stick to the plastic.

In the same pace she drew two black cards in her right hand, aiming them at the destroyed bot parts behind her. Specifically, the sharp bits. Once the black cards hit, the empty bottles and pointed parts swapped places.

Just in time for the Villain bots to be stabbed and shut down.

It made her grin. [Y/N] continued her strategy as she moves through with coordinated chaos. The speed projection decreases when the switch happens, seeing the weigh difference of the two objects—but [Y/N] timed it right. Whenever the bottle is close enough to the bot, a black card will be flung, maintaining the momentum for a second. And adding the weight broken bot part, it left enough damage for the Villain Bots to be stabbed once or twice.

[Y/N] danced in rhythm. Twirling and flicking her hands to draw her cards one by one, all dodging the attacks. She counted her points in her mind to keep in check, and so far, it was steady.

She was steady.

She threw one of the bottles at an upcoming 3P Bot. As she was about to draw and fling a red card, one passed on her right to hit the item. Confusion struck on her face. She looked around, tracing where the card was thrown, only to see Monoma. In his hands, there were two other reds while on the other three blacks.

Between his knuckles. [Y/N] spotted a diamond where the card was drawn.

...

Three points were stolen. Her points.

[Y/N] watched when the bottle turned into a different ruined bot part. It made [Y/N] mad, perplexed too that Monoma somehow had the same Quirk as her. It's true that identical Quirks can happen—she's seen some and there's always a slight difference—but diamonds between knuckles? Teleportation only happening when two opposite cards land? Same colors of deck like hers?

That can't happen, right? She watched Monoma held the empty water bottle in his hand, inspecting it like it was a treasure. "I have to say, for someone who has an elegant Quirk, your choice of item is sad." He looked at the girl, smirk deepening. "I would've taken you as a garbage collector rather than an exam taker."

[Y/N] stared at him, lips parting to retort back as the commotion in the arena ensues, but nothing came out. Her thoughts were all over the place, it lost her concentration in getting many points as possible. What's worse she was half insulted and half mesmerized on how Monoma delivered the jab with without stuttering.

Her chest tightened, blush creeping on her cheeks. "I—that's not—"

Oh God, she's done. Monoma stifled a laugh, making [Y/N] more flustered. She forced herself to say something, any comeback, only to press her lips in a thin line as the boy approached.

"Not a bad power. But we can agree—" A war cry erupted from a distance, it was nearing towards the two. A male examinee running with determination surged past [Y/N] and Monoma, and she felt something grazed on her tracksuit's sleeve followed by a slight sting when two of them swerved to avoid collision.

"—that mine is better."

[Y/N] glanced at Monoma after regaining her balance. The boy seemed unaffected by the intrusion. He was staring at his arm, there were no more diamonds on his hands, but this time half of face and his whole arm had sharp edges. Almost like he's becoming a rock, along with twinkling laser beams being shot in the background.

Then a groan. Probably the after-effects of using it.

"Huh?" Continuous smashes ruined the charging bots. It made [Y/N] pull herself together, seeing the examinee punching with bare hands at the metal. He would've been bleeding, but his skin had rough edges like his spiked red hair that made him invincible.

So that's his quirk. No time to snatch the bottle that [Y/N] was using as a decoy from him and instead picking up a small rock. She drew a red card, holding it between her ring and pinky then threw the stone with a technique that made it spin to curve. Another same throw in line for the red card and at the same time drawing a black on her right that flew to stick at a broken bot part.

Instant swap, piercing through the bot making it tumble down. It fell backwards and with the broken part penetrated it also hit the one behind, giving [Y/N] doubled points.

She saw red hair's reaction, but she had no time to dwell when the automated voice announced that there were 30 minutes left.

[Y/N] need to go back into her flow. It was ruggish at first—others were getting greedier, but she found a perfect angle where she can flick her cards and steal points without the need to come close to the bots or tangle with the rest.

There were many blasts in the air as well, perhaps it was Spikes from earlier before the doors were opened. No doubt he's got the most points. [Y/N] kept moving, leaving stunned expressions every time when the Villain Bot of their choosing had something in them appear out of nowhere.

Good. The girl rested for a moment to check her knuckles—still in condition, no signs of straining yet. None of them noticed I was behind this.

Except for Monoma. But not a big problem for [Y/N]: as long she stirs away from him to avoid distraction gaining her Quirk. She might have a gist on how Monoma's Quirk works, it was a reliable answer for [Y/N] if someone asked about it.

The girl drew her cards, but before she could jump back into the game the ground rumbled. The examinees felt it too and stopped their tracks. [Y/N] heard a crack, followed by panic shouts and sounds of a structure falling.

"What the heck?!" Yelled one. All eyes were up with fright, shadow loomed over. It was the biggest bot they have ever seen, towering the makeshift city. It had hands that was gripping the corner of two buildings near it, red lenses looking down.

"...Eliminate."