A few moments earlier
"When the test starts, you and I will go together. You won't have much mobility, so I'll carry you. You'll be in charge of attacking... we'll split the points."
"Ah, what—carry me? But—won't I...? Are you sure? Wait, I won't be a bother...?" Hana asked.
"It's fine, you must be light. I can handle it, I think...?" Denji murmured.
Hana, hearing this, got a little irritated.
"What do you mean, 'you think'? Are you calling me fat? Denji, you idiot!"
"W-Wha— no, that's not what I..."
Before they could continue, they heard a loud voice.
"EEEEEHHHEEE BEGIN, IT'S COUNTING, YOU CAN GO!"
It's already started... crap, I didn't have time to prepare... damn it.
Without hesitating, Denji shoved his hand into his chest and activated his Quirk.
He transformed. Chainsaws burst from his arms and one from his forehead, blood spraying everywhere.
Immediately after, Denji quickly retracted the saws from his arms.
Yes, he had learned to do this while training with All Might. He had practiced this skill so much that now, whenever he needed to retract his saws, he could do it without even thinking—it had become an automatic action.
To train this skill and turn it into a reflex, the training was very simple but also quite painful. All Might would throw things at him, and he had to catch them, but to do that, he had to deactivate his Quirk multiple times.
After doing this, Denji grabbed Hana by the arm and put her on his back.
They were obviously in the middle of the crowd. There were many other participants taking the test, and when it started, those with Quirks that limited their mobility were left behind.
"Denji-kun... put me down," Hana said from his back.
"Are you sure? If you say so..." Denji said as he ran.
Meanwhile, in Hana's mind:
Denji-kun... so this is his Quirk. I never imagined it would be something like this. Don't those saws hurt? When they come out of his body? And when they retract, does it hurt his own body? Wouldn't that be really painful? Hana thought.
Denji-kun is helping me. I can't be useless. I have to help too.
Denji and some others took the lead. At some point, Denji decided they should change course, separate from the group.
Entering the fake city, he veered left and ran between the buildings.
As he ran, Denji spoke.
"We're far from the others. We need to find some villains soon... Hana, get ready to use your Quirk."
"Yes!" Hana replied.
But right after she said that, a really big robot burst out of one of the buildings, smashing through the wall.
It caught Denji off guard, but he dodged just in time.
A robot... Hana and Denji thought at the same time.
It's big. Looks strong. Nice. My chainsaws will cut through it like paper, Denji thought.
"Kukuku..." Denji chuckled quietly.
"Denji-kun?"
"Hana, I'm sorry, but this one's MINE," Denji said as he ran straight toward the robot.
Startled, Hana could only hold onto Denji tighter.
Denji-kun is way too excited. What's with that enthusiasm...? Hana wondered.
This is it... the first time I can really use my Quirk. I can finally cut something... Denji thought.
Then his saws started spinning, producing a terrifying roar.
As he approached, the robot tried to strike with its right arm, but Denji dodged easily.
He slipped past the robot's left arm and headed straight for its torso.
With the robot's guard down, Denji 'passed through' its belly, plunging his saws into it.
"Kukuku, taste this, YOU BASTARD!" Denji yelled.
Then he 'split' the robot. Yes, with his chainsaws, he tore the robot in two and kept running.
Wow... amazing. He really is strong... Hana thought.
Continuing to run, Denji spotted another robot.
This one was even bigger.
"Hana, your turn. Defeat this one. I'll create an opening for you. I'll dodge its attacks and get us close. I imagine the closer you are, the stronger your Quirk's attack is," Denji said as he ran toward the robot.
"Right!"
Again, Denji ran toward the robot with his saws retracted.
The robot tried to attack Denji, throwing two consecutive strikes. Denji ran left, dodging everything.
Once he was close, after dodging, the robot attacked again, and Denji evaded once more.
With the robot's guard down, Denji shouted.
"NOW, HANA!"
Then, holding a knife, Hana conjured a white rift in the air. Using the knife in her hand, she 'cut' the rift.
Another rift appeared beside the robot. The 'cut' then emerged from the other rift.
Denji felt an invisible beam shoot out from the other rift Hana had created, and then the robot was sliced in half.
The top and bottom halves separated.
It really is as strong as I thought... It must be incredibly powerful if she masters it...
"Let's go... it's not over yet. We're still a long way from passing..." Denji said.
"Yes..."
Meanwhile, in other locations, the other participants were also giving it their all, each using their Quirks in the most suitable way for the situation.
Somewhere in the fake city:
A blond boy shooting lasers from his navel; Midoriya, desperate and lost, not knowing what to do.
Another freezing robots; another blowing them up with his hands, and so on.
26 points, 36 points, 42 points... everyone was racking up points.
A young man with glasses could be seen tearing apart a robot. A girl using her Quirk to make things float and then drop them.
Another using his strength to crush robots directly with his fists.
The number of points participants could earn was decreasing every second.
Back with Denji and Hana:
Jackpot... Three robots. So many easy points and so many chances to cut things up. Oh, how I love using my Quirk. Kukuku, these points will be MINE, Denji thought.
"Kukuku," Denji laughed a very sinister laugh.
Seeing this, Hana thought, still on Denji's back... Honestly, she really would have been left behind if Denji hadn't helped her. Her skinny legs couldn't keep up with these behemoths.
There he goes again... he's scaring me... How many times is he going to do that demonic laugh? AAAH, I'm scared. Don't scare me, you idiot... This isn't the first time... I think I need to stay away from Denji-kun. Maybe my mom was right... Hana thought.
"Denji-kun? Are you okay?"
Coming to his senses:
"Ah, yes, Hana. Sorry, I guess I got carried away."
Oh, really? You think?
"Well, there are three robots, Hana... How about we see who can destroy two first?"
The robots in question were all lined up side by side.
"So you want to compete... Well, I think we probably have enough points already... I'll show him he shouldn't underestimate me," said a girl (Hana).
"Okay, I accept. It's a bet..." Hana said, quickly activating her Quirk.
So sneaky... You don't even give me time to think... Hana, that's cheating!
Then, conjuring her rifts, one appeared in front of Hana and another behind one of the robots.
She 'cut' it.
One robot down.
"Oraa... one robot down, Denji... I think you're going to lose," Hana murmured.
Damn it! That's not fair. She can attack from long distances. I forgot about that. This isn't fair... But if that's how you want to play, I'll show you what I can do, Hana.
Instantly, Denji's arms went 'limp'—specifically, the blades of his saws.
Specifically, the 'mouths' of the blades detached and extended like ropes, like long whips.
He can do that...? I have to attack, or I'll lose.
It was too late.
Denji swung his arms. His now-loose saws looked like whips.
He swung them, and at tremendous speed, his saws sliced through the air and destroyed everything in their path.
Moving both, he swung them as if trying to bring his hands together.
The saws stretched out and cut through both robots at the same time.
Then Denji quickly pulled them back.
Damn it, he won... Hana thought.
"Kukuku, I win, Hana-chan."
What else can he do...? Besides, it's not fair. How was I supposed to know he could do that? If I'd known, I would have attacked faster...
"Damn it... Denji, you stole my points."
Your...?
"Exactly. Hmm, I thought I could win..."
She looks sad and...?
"Don't worry, I'll let you destroy the next one if you beg..."
"Denji, you idiot... I'd rather die."
"Well then, I guess you're not getting any more points for the rest of the test, Hana," Denji said as he moved forward.
They were so focused they didn't even notice the malevolent entity watching them from a distance.
The entity, full of negative feelings, was short and had purple hair.
The entity in question had teary eyes and thought:
SO JEALOUS! SO JEALOUS! SO JEALOUS! NOOO! THOSE TWO, HOW CAN THEY JUST SHOW OFF THEIR LOVE IN FRONT OF EVERYONE? I, MINETA, AM SO JEALOUS! THIS ISN'T FAIR! WHY CAN HE CARRY A CUTE GIRL AND I CAN'T...? THIS ISN'T FAIR! I, MINETA, WANT THAT TOO...
Mineta kneeled down, feeling that life was unfair.
But caught by surprise, two figures emerged from inside one of the buildings, smashing everything and heading straight for him.
They were two robots.
Mineta was full of emotions: jealousy, fury, sadness.
THESE DAMN ROBOTS! YOU WILL FEEL MY WRATH! I, MINETA, HATE COUPLES!
Then, thinking this, MINETA put his hands to his head.
His hair had a strange 'ball' shape, and they could be pulled off and stuck to things.
Mineta started pulling them off and throwing them.
The robots tried to attack, but MINETA dodged.
"ORA, ORA, ORA, ORA, ORA, ORAORAORAORAAA!" He started throwing dozens of balls until the robots were completely immobilized.
Then he picked up a piece of metal bar from the ground and started smashing the robots.
After a few minutes, the robots were in pieces and no longer working.
Already tired and at his limit, he threw himself on the ground.
I, Mineta, am the strongest...
Back with Denji:
He and Hana continued destroying robots, and there wasn't much time left until the test ended. How many points did they have?
Enough, Denji thought.
But what about Midoriya? When the test started, he had been left behind and hadn't managed to destroy a single robot.
He was lost and desperate to earn more points.
That's when he saw a giant robot, bigger than the others.
The robot in question was much larger than all the others—the Zero Pointer.
Bigger than buildings, it moved slowly.
What is that? So that's the Zero Pointer... Midoriya thought.
How can they have the nerve to put something like this in the test? Isn't it dangerous? Ah, damn it, I don't have time to think about that. I need points... I can't disappoint All Might...
But then he saw something...
----
(Author's note)
I got really annoyed writing this chapter because I lost the final part and had to rewrite it, and it didn't turn out as good as the first time. After rewriting it, I thought I was going to lose the text again, and if that had happened, I would have been really pissed off.