The sun filtered through the pale blue curtains of the Ishigami household, a quiet sign that the new day—and a new chapter of Daichi's life—was beginning. Birds chirped in the distance, their songs muffled by the sound-insulated room that Daichi had customized using his quirk over the years. It was something his parents had encouraged, particularly after the first few nights of his "sonic experiments" shook the cabinets in the kitchen.
Today was the day: U.A. High School officially began.
Daichi stood before the mirror in his room, brushing a few rebellious strands of dark hair back from his forehead. He wore the pristine, new U.A. uniform—navy blue slacks, a white button-up shirt, and a fitted blazer with the U.A. emblem emblazoned on the chest. He studied himself for a moment.
"I look... heroic, I guess," he murmured, letting out a soft laugh.
A knock on the door was followed by his mother's voice. "Daichi, breakfast's ready!"
"I'm coming!" he called back, grabbing his school bag.
Downstairs, the smell of miso soup and grilled fish filled the air. His mother, Miyuki, beamed as he descended the stairs, her quirk lightly glowing the room with a soft, golden hue. His father, Tatsuya, was adjusting his tie at the dining table, sipping green tea, faint static crackling in his fingers as he unconsciously used his electricity-based quirk.
"Well, don't you look sharp," his mom commented with a wink.
Daichi blushed slightly. "Thanks, Mom."
"I remember my first day at hero academy," his father said. "I zapped the teacher by accident."
"You still haven't stopped doing that," Miyuki teased, giggling.
As they sat down for breakfast, Daichi felt warmth spread through him—not from the food, though that helped, but from the environment. He'd never had a family like this in his past life. Every moment with them was something he quietly treasured.
"You nervous?" his dad asked between bites.
"A little," Daichi admitted. "Excited, though."
"You've already made it past the toughest hurdle. Just be yourself," Miyuki said.
Daichi nodded. "I'll do my best."
After eating, he grabbed his bag and shoes and headed toward the door. Just as he was putting on his shoes, his phone buzzed with a new message. It was from Kyoka Jiro.
Kyoka: "Hey, meet me by the main station. Let's walk to school together."
Daichi smiled. His mom peeked over his shoulder and spotted the name.
"Ooooh~ Jiro-san, huh?" she teased.
Daichi flushed. "It's not like that, Mom."
"Sure, sure," she sang. "You go be the responsible young hero, Romeo."
His dad chuckled from the kitchen. "Don't keep her waiting, Daichi."
With a final wave, Daichi left the house, still red in the ears.
He met Jiro at the train station as promised. She stood under the awning, dressed in the same uniform, her trademark earphone jacks swinging slightly as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. She smiled when she saw him.
"Morning," she said.
"Morning," he replied, falling into step beside her as they began the walk to U.A.
The walk was quiet at first, the streets still relatively empty in the early morning hours. Daichi watched as rays of sunlight shimmered through the trees. After a few minutes, Jiro broke the silence.
"So... your quirk. Upgrade, right? You shoot lasers and all that?"
"Ah, not quite," Daichi said with a smile. "My official quirk is called 'Echo Core.' I can create duplicates of myself—each one able to emit concentrated sonic waves. And my body naturally generates and manipulates sound. I can amplify, direct, and distort sound, even create a kind of sonic shield. But I can't physically transform like other mutants."
Jiro's eyes widened slightly, interest clear on her face. "Whoa, that's kind of close to mine. I can plug my earphone jacks into surfaces and send sound vibrations through them—mainly for offense and detection. But I've been trying to figure out how to manipulate that output more... finely."
Daichi nodded. "You want more control instead of just brute-force shockwaves."
"Exactly," she said, clearly surprised he understood so quickly.
"Well," Daichi offered, "if you want, I could help you refine your frequencies—maybe teach you how to focus the vibration into narrow bursts. Think of it like audio sniping."
Jiro blinked. "Seriously? That'd be awesome."
"Anytime," he said, smiling.
The two arrived at U.A. in a comfortable silence, having built an unexpected sense of camaraderie. The gates loomed ahead, a symbol of ambition, dreams, and—for some—intimidation. But to Daichi, they were an opportunity.
As they walked through the gates and into the school building, they navigated the halls until they stood in front of Class 1-A's door. The room that would house the future top heroes of Japan.
Jiro gave him a sideways glance. "Ready?"
"Let's do this," he said, sliding the door open.
The classroom was already half-filled. Daichi immediately recognized several students from the entrance exam. There was the boy with engines in his legs—Tenya Iida—standing with perfect posture. In one corner sat Shoto Todoroki, as calm and unreadable as ever. In another, a girl with gravity-defying hair waved at them brightly—Ochaco Uraraka.
Jiro went to find a seat while Daichi glanced around, taking it all in.
"Yo," a cheerful voice called out. "You're the guy who sniped the zero pointer, right?"
Daichi turned to see a grinning blond boy with a laid-back attitude. "Denki Kaminari," the boy introduced himself with a thumbs-up. "That was some awesome shooting, man."
"Daichi Ishigami," he said, shaking the offered hand. "Nice to meet you."
Just as he was about to respond, a loud scoff interrupted them.
"Tch. That laser crap was nothing special."
Daichi turned and found himself face-to-face with none other than Katsuki Bakugo. He stood with his hands shoved into his pockets, a permanent scowl on his face.
"You got first place, huh? I'll take that back. You hear me, weakling?" Bakugo growled. "I'll be the No. 1 Hero. Not some sound-shooting loser."
Daichi didn't flinch. "You're welcome to try. I'm not looking for titles. Just doing my best."
Bakugo's eye twitched. Before he could say more, the door slid open, and a familiar green-haired boy walked in—Izuku Midoriya.
Daichi had seen him during the exam—the mumbling boy Jiro had once saved from falling. Bakugo's ire instantly shifted like a weather vane in a storm.
"The hell are you doing here, Deku?" Bakugo snapped, stomping toward him.
Midoriya flinched but stood his ground, visibly nervous. "I-I got in with points... rescue points."
Daichi sighed. "He really needs to chill."
Before the situation could escalate, a gruff, monotone voice cut through the tension.
"If you're here to socialize, do it after school."
Everyone turned to see a man in a sleeping bag standing at the front of the class. He slowly unzipped it, revealing tired eyes and a perpetually unimpressed expression.
"I'm Shota Aizawa. I'll be your homeroom teacher. Get changed and meet me at the field. Now."
The students stared.
"Didn't you hear me?" Aizawa said, eyes narrowing. "You have ten minutes."
Everyone scrambled to the lockers.
—
Outside on the training grounds, the students lined up in their gym uniforms. Aizawa stood in front of them, holding a digital tablet.
"We'll be doing a Quirk Assessment Test," he announced. "Bakugo, how far could you throw a baseball in middle school?"
"67 meters," Bakugo answered.
"Use your quirk."
Bakugo stepped forward, grinning, and launched the ball with an explosion, sending it flying hundreds of meters. The digital display blinked: 705.2 meters.
"Whoa!" Kaminari shouted.
"This is the kind of freedom U.A. gives. Use your quirks to the best of your ability. The student with the worst score across all tests will be expelled."
The class froze.
"Wait, expelled?!" Uraraka cried.
Aizawa remained unbothered. "If you want to be heroes, you don't get to be coddled. Now, line up."
The tests ranged from a 50-meter dash to standing long jumps, grip strength, and side-step agility. Daichi paced himself, using minor sonic pulses to subtly enhance his balance and reaction times.
During the grip test, he sent micro-vibrations through his arm muscles, maximizing pressure without damaging the device—earning an impressed glance from Aizawa.
For the ball throw, he didn't duplicate himself. Instead, he focused sound energy into a tight, spiraling force around the ball, creating a propulsion effect similar to a rocket launch. The ball soared, though not as far as Bakugo's, and landed at a solid 662.1 meters.
"Nice throw," Jiro commented.
"Thanks. I've been experimenting with propulsion waves."
Throughout the tests, Daichi observed his classmates' quirks with curiosity. Kaminari had raw power but poor control. Todoroki barely tried yet scored high across the board. And Midoriya... he was struggling, trying not to use his quirk.
By the end of the tests, the ranking board appeared on Aizawa's tablet and was projected onto a nearby display.
1st: Daichi Ishigami2nd: Shoto Todoroki3rd: Katsuki Bakugo4th: Tenya Iida5th: Momo Yaoyorozu...20th: Hanta Sero
Midoriya landed somewhere in the lower half, but Aizawa simply sighed.
"No one's getting expelled. That was a lie to bring out your potential."
Everyone let out a collective breath of relief.
Class 1-A's first trial had ended. But the road ahead? It was only just beginning.