Outside the examination venue, in front of the National Dagou Stadium—
"It's even bigger than the USJ!"
"Yeah… I don't even know what kind of test this will be. I'm getting nervous."
After getting off the bus, everyone in Class 1-A stared at the enormous venue in front of them in amazement.
The Dagou Stadium was massive—large enough to hold tens of thousands of people with ease.
"Stop thinking about useless things," Aizawa said sternly. "Focus on getting your provisional licenses."
Rarely did he show such seriousness. His usual lazy attitude was gone.
"As long as you pass this exam, you'll have taken the most important step toward becoming a professional hero. With a provisional license, you're already considered a semi-pro."
"Do your best."
Although he often emphasized how difficult the exam was, Aizawa was still very confident in his students.
His goal was clear:
He wanted every single one of them to pass.
"I don't want anyone eliminated."
"Alright! Let's shout our slogan!"
Kirishima raised his fist excitedly and prepared to lead everyone.
But he didn't notice that a tall, sturdy boy wearing a dark-blue military-style cap had silently appeared behind him.
"Wait… who is that?"
Yaoyorozu noticed first.
The boy looked strangely familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before.
"PLUS ULTRA!!!"
Suddenly, a voice even louder than Kirishima's rang out.
The boy behind him shouted U.A.'s motto together with them.
Everyone froze.
"When did he get behind me?!"
Kirishima jumped in surprise.
He hadn't felt anyone approach at all.
"That scared me!"
Masata looked at the boy and felt speechless.
"Hey… you're not from U.A., are you?"
His uniform was clearly different.
That meant he had joined their group without permission.
"And jumping into someone else's cheer circle is kind of rude, Inasa Yoarashi."
At that moment, another boy wearing the same uniform walked over.
Several students from the same school followed behind him, all wearing identical military-style caps.
Their presence immediately drew attention.
"Ah—sorry!"
Hearing Masata's words, the boy scratched the back of his head and laughed loudly.
"I just really like U.A.! I've wanted to shout 'Plus Ultra' here for a long time!"
Then he suddenly stood straight, snapped his heels together, and bowed deeply.
"Inasa Yoarashi, from Shiketsu High School!"
"I'm sorry for being rude just now!"
"It's an honor to compete with U.A. on the same stage! Please take care of me!"
Bang!
His forehead slammed hard against the ground.
The impact was so strong that everyone felt it through their feet.
His hat flew off and rolled away.
"W-What's wrong with this guy?!"
"He feels like he could overcome anything with pure enthusiasm…"
"You'd need Kirishima and Iida combined, then squared, to match his energy!"
"And what's with that uniform and hat?"
Everyone was stunned.
That bow looked painful.
It definitely wasn't fake.
But what surprised them most was his identity.
"There's U.A. in the east, and Shiketsu in the west."
Shiketsu High School was one of Japan's top hero academies.
One of U.A.'s biggest rivals.
"So even people like this are here…" Masata muttered.
Yaoyorozu nodded.
"They're very strong. Shiketsu is famous nationwide."
Masata looked back at Inasa and twitched slightly.
"Uh… are you really okay?"
There was blood on his forehead.
And his bowing style was completely abnormal.
"Don't worry! I'm perfectly fine!"
Inasa stood straight like a soldier, put his hat back on, and smiled brightly.
That posture immediately reminded Masata of someone.
"He looks just like Iida…"
Sure enough, Iida was standing nearby in almost the same posture.
Though compared to Inasa, his presence felt much weaker.
"Inasa, it's time to go."
A group of Shiketsu students called out to him.
Hearing his seniors, Inasa bowed once more, apologized again, and hurried after them.
"You should be careful of that guy."
Aizawa, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke.
"He's very strong."
"Huh?" Masata asked curiously. "You know him, Sensei?"
"He seems like an over-energetic idiot…"
"I've seen him before," Aizawa replied. "During the recommendation entrance exam."
Yaoyorozu's eyes widened.
"Oh! I remember now! He was there too!"
"That exam caused a huge stir."
"Then why isn't he in our class?" Kaminari asked. "Did he fail?"
Aizawa shook his head.
"No. He got first place."
Everyone froze.
"But he voluntarily gave up his admission."
"That caused quite a sensation back then."
Midoriya frowned.
"So… he's our age too?"
He had thought their class was special.
Now he realized there were other prodigies out there.
"As a recommended student, I also got first place," Todoroki said calmly.
Everyone subconsciously looked at him.
That meant—
Inasa had surpassed even Todoroki.
Masata wrapped an arm around Todoroki's shoulder.
"Wow, you lost to him? That's rare."
"I don't remember him," Todoroki replied indifferently.
His expression didn't change at all.
Masata sighed.
"So boring…"
Then he grinned.
"Well, I hope he can give me some surprises. Lately, everything's been too dull."
Aizawa glanced at him helplessly.
Even if Inasa was strong…
He still wasn't on Masata's level.
But for the others—
He was definitely a dangerous opponent.