[UA University's Exam Watch Tower – Monitoring Room]
"...Unbelievable...!"
"...What in the world...?!"
Inside the dark room, the large monitor zoomed in on the figure of Midoriya Izuku... the 'quirkless' aspiring hero, standing atop a pile of destroyed faux villain robots.
Shocked had been one word when they witnessed the green-haired young man suddenly pull two weapons out of thin air—!
Not from some support case... not from any storage item access... but from nothing.
"W-Wait a sec... did he just materialize those...?!"
One of the monitoring staff leaned closer to the screen, squinting at the slowed replay.
The feed clearly showed how the two weapons of Midoriya Izuku had been 'summoned' through some sort of digitalization effect that appeared over both of his hands.
"There's no glove compartments, no hidden mechanism inside his jersey, no visible trigger—he just willed them out like some kind of creation-type quirk...!"
"But... he's quirkless, isn't he...?"
"He should be! His quirk registry said so! They said he didn't have any quirk whatsoever—!!!"
"Hey! Putting aside how did he even pull out those 'support gears' of his—the real enigma is this—"
The monitor panned across the battlefield—or more accurately, the graveyard of broken villain bots.
"He was tearing through our bots like a seasoned veteran..."
"That movement... those reflexes... you'd think he was born with some kind of physical-enhancement-type Quirk—!"
"—But he's quirkless! That's already been confirmed!"
"Okay! Fine! But... look at those weapons!!"
"That sword of his—what's it even made of? It sliced through our robots like ribbons..."
"Don't forget that gun—! Look at those impact marks! That kind of force could've come from a high-caliber shotgun or even a compact grenade launcher... and yet it all came from a handgun...!"
"..."
One of the pro-heroes—a masked cowboy—narrowed his eyes at the screen before turning to All Might, who remained silent, watching the chaos unfold with a calm, unreadable expression clouding his sunken face.
"All Might..."
"...Yes, Snipe?"
"Pardon me for askin', partner, but... I know we had to bend the rules a bit for this special request o' yours... but c'mon now—those weapons are a lot more heavy-duty than your typical support item, don'tcha think?"
"..."
All Might didn't respond immediately... his eyes never left the screen. But a slight grimace twitched at the corner of his mouth—the only hint he'd registered the weight behind Snipe's words.
A heavy silence followed... as the monitor shifted view again, showing even more robots reduced to scrap across the faux urban jungle that made up their exam site.
"All Might, this brat of yours... are you sure he's actually quirkless?"
Another voice broke through—rough and laced with skepticism.
"...What are you trying to say, Vlad King...?"
The red-suited man stepped forward, arms crossed tightly as he stared at the screen.
"Someone with that kind of movement, that kind of... "support gear" summoning... and the way the brat handles villains? That's not DAMN normal, and I sure as hell wouldn't believe that he's 'quirkless'."
"...I understand your doubts... but he doesn't have a quirk. He has confirmed it himself to me."
"...Are you sure the brat didn't just lie to you? What about that materializing bit of his? Was that not a damn Quirk? Are you telling me he really, truly doesn't have a Quirk?"
All Might's only answer... was a silent shake of the head, and somehow... that just made the tension worse—
"Enough."
A clear, firm voice cut through the building unease. Everyone turned to face the familiar small figure now standing in front of the monitor.
"I understand your concern, Vlad King. But the decision has been made—the young man has been permitted to participate in the Hero Major's entrance exam."
"What...?! Wait—hold on!! Chancellor Nezu, what about him pulling out those dangerous weapons out of thin air—!"
"Forgive me, but we've already verified his registry and honored All Might's request. The young man is quirkless, and the series of weaponries that he have brought to the exam has been verified."
"They're verified...!? By whom?!"
"By me personally~."
"W-What—?! Chancellor—!?!"
"I said enough."
The small chancellor's words instantly piped down the pro-hero's further protest, an air of finality and quiet authority lacing the former's voice.
"Vlad King... this matter is closed. We won't debate it any further."
The Chancellor's tone left no room for argument. Though a grunt of frustration still escaped Vlad King... he said nothing more.
Nezu simply smiled in quiet understanding... knowing all too well the concerns that brewed in the hearts of his pro-hero staff.
But... the die had already been cast. Now, all they could do... was evaluate the young man fairly, along with his other examinee rivals.
Chancellor Nezu then directed his attention to all of the staff present in the room.
"The rest of the examinees are beginning to engage their targets. Focus your attention and begin evaluations immediately."
"Y-Yes, sir!!"
The room stirred back to life. Screens flickered. Staff leaned forward.
Then the pro-heroes—some still frowning with lingering doubts, others quietly intrigued by the prospect of this mysterious 'quirkless' examinee—they all returned to their designated exam site monitoring blocks, continuing to supervise the examinees.
And in the quiet that followed...
Only the Small Chancellor and the No. 1 Hero remained, watching as the big screen continued to follow Midoriya Izuku.
"Hmm~ I wonder..."
Nezu was the one who broke the silence, prompting All Might's attention.
"I wonder... do you think he'll eventually pull out his so-called 'Driver'?"
All Might didn't look away from the monitor.
"Only if he needs to."
"Heh... maybe we should toss the Zero Pointer at him and see what he does," Nezu chuckled at the idea, "might be just the push he needs~."
All Might gave a low hum, neither agreeing nor denying.
"Though don't you think it's gonna be exciting, All Might?"
"...Exciting? How so, Chancellor Nezu?"
"How about the chaos that this young man would spark? Once the news hits the world that THE Kamen Rider is right here in U.A., I bet there's going to be reporters, fanatics, and even polices camping at our front gate. Hahaha~."
"Yeah... it's going to be chaotic in this following year."
"Oh, but it's not just outsiders we have to watch out for—even from the inside as well. I bet the Department of Support is going to have a field day once they hear about this~."
"I bet they will."
"Just imagine it—all those tech-hardcore minds scrambling to 'try' and study his 'Driver' and his many personal 'arsenals.' I could even imagine them BEGGING just for the chance to see it up close."
"...I bet he will loathe those future fanatics of his."
"Hahaha~, he sure will~. But I digress—his importance isn't just about people trying to get their hands on his stuff... no, I'd say he's going to be the turning point of the world."
He glanced up at All Might with a knowing look.
"You do realize... don't you," Nezu continued, his voice growing thoughtful, "that if this goes through... this young man of yours could be the first in U.A. Academy's—nay, in Japan's history—to enroll in the Hero Major without possessing a Quirk."
The Chancellor's words lingered in the air, pressing down with quiet weight. All Might remained silent... but the corner of his mouth twitched—just slightly.
"Not like the Quirkless, unlicensed vigilantes who roam the streets enacting their own brand of justice... but an actual Pro Hero who doesn't possess any shred of a Quirk whatsoever."
All Might just gave him a soft hum.
"A pioneer, perhaps. A symbol for a different kind of future... one that proves it's not just Quirks that make a Hero—but choice, ingenuity... and a little help from some nifty gadgets~."
"...Can't say for sure, Chancellor Nezu."
"Hmhm~, fair enough."
Their eyes returned to the screen; it showed the green-haired young man continuing to move, following after his peers without pause.