My Hero Academia: Aura Farming

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[Consequences]
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…

It was all very abrupt.

Around the coast, people had been going about their daily lives as usual. A few had heard vague news about some kind of fight breaking out near the city's center, but they hadn't made much of it. Hero-versus-villain battles were an everyday occurrence.

Then came the update—the clash had somehow moved toward their area.

Some went to investigate. Others chose to stay at a cautious distance. But as the battle went on, more and more people's curiosity simply won over.

Even from afar, they could hear the distant thunder of impacts rolling through the air. If that didn't make them curious, then nothing would.

But just as the people had begun to reunite to observe the battle, the police arrived, barricading off the nearby zone and making it impossible to get any closer.

Still, from far enough away, the battle remained visible.

And as shockwaves continued to ripple outward, the crowd grew. From what had been a few onlookers, a multitude gathered, all watching in awe as two distant figures clashed brutally across the sea and sky.

Then—just as the fight seemed to reach an impasse, with both figures standing apart, and staring at each other as if in a conversation—

They saw it.

The smaller figure, floating high in the sky, raised a single hand… And from it, something formed that sent goosebumps rippling through the crowd.

Energy. Pure, powerful, and destructive energy.

A massive sphere of it hovered above the sky like a looming bomb, waiting to be unleashed.

For those who didn't know who the combatants were, the sight alone was terrifying. But for those who recognized Rockinesis—and remembered what his smaller lasers had done to concrete in his last fight—

The realization was earth-shattering.

If something far smaller had melted through solid ground… what would that do?

Was he actually going to launch that at someone else?

Fortunately, their answer arrived quite quickly.

Tension tightened in every chest as the sphere suddenly compressed, shrinking into a smaller, blindingly brighter—and undoubtedly hotter—core. One that the floating figure pointed straight at the giant below.

For a moment… everything stilled.

The spectators' gazes flicked back and forth between both figures, hearts hammering as they wondered if the threat of that attack alone would be enough to end the battle.

Maybe the giant would know when to give up?

But then, to their dismay, the villain took a step forward instead—

"RAAAAAGH!!!"

And charged with a roar.

That sole shout should have shaken them, instilled in them fear.

But knowing what he stepping up meant, all they felt was pity.

At that instant, everyone knew what was coming.

Many covered their eyes. Others stumbled backward, bracing for what they could already feel approaching.

And just as they feared—

—BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!—

In but the blink of an eye, the until-then calm scene of the two facing each other changed catastrophically.

A terrifying beam, wide enough to swallow several people whole, erupted forward, sounding as though the very sun had descended upon the Earth, screeching like an ancient creature roaring in its deathbed.

The sole sound was enough to cause many to wince and cover their ears in pain.

The light was blinding as well, causing many to look away forcibly.

But then came the worst part.

The impact.

Instants later, the beam struck the water, and a colossal explosion of steam and spray surged upward, like a typhoon being born in an instant. All followed by the strong gust that exploded all around, even going as far as forcing some of the spectating people back from the sheer pressure.

And to top it all off, then came the waves.

A tremor rippled through the entire zone, massive waves crashing onto the coastline seconds later. Fortunately, they weren't quite strong enough to cause real structural damage—only soaking a few distracted onlookers and flooding the roads that bordered the sea.

But eventually, even those violent aftershocks began to fade. The steam slowly cleared, unveiling the battlefield once more.

And as the mist finally parted, and they recovered from the effects of such a devastating attack, eyes landing back on the battlefield to see what the aftermath was… every remaining witness froze.

"No way…"

"Even after that?"

"That can't be…!"

A figure rose from within the sea, slow, trembling faintly, clearly damaged, but still in its feet.

And soon, the mist finally cleared for everyone to see.

Though, in truth, its sheer size had already given away the answer.

Gigantomachia.

He still stood.

And Rockinesis—the one responsible for such a devastating attack—was nowhere to be seen.

"Weakling… not so weakling, after all," Gigantomachia muttered from his spot, slowly caressing his chest.

A massive, smoking burn stretched from his collarbone all the way to his waist. Several layers of skin had been charred away, the damage reaching deep into the muscle beneath.

But that was it.

In the end, he had endured the attack.

"Hm…" he growled, turning his gaze back to the spot where his opponent had last been before the blast.

Now, there was nothing.

"Did he run…?" he muttered, scanning the surroundings.

Taka was nowhere to be seen. Not in the skies. Not beneath the sea.

He looked behind him.

Nothing.

If his enemy were preparing a surprise attack, Gigantomachia felt it would have come already.

…He was truly gone.

In the end, Gigantomachia didn't dwell on it for long. He was not a creature of thought—only of obedience.

After confirming his foe's disappearance, he turned his attention back in the direction he had originally been heading.

It was time to resume his mission.

"Hero agency, Sprigga—"

"Machia."

Gigantomachia froze.

His eyes widened.

That voice…

"Master…?!" He asked, voice trembling with emotion.

"Leave, Machia. Heroes are closing in. I can't afford to let you be captured. Return to your hiding spot."

A second or so passed after that. Then there wasn't even a trace of hesitation.

"Yes, Master."

Without question, Gigantomachia shrank from his towering form to a more manageable one, before immediately breaking into a run towards the coast's solid ground.

Moments later, he activated his Mole Quirk, plunging into the earth and vanishing without a trace.

And in the exact place where he had been standing, floating silently behind where his massive head had been only moments before—

A figure hovered.

"Phew..."

Taka.

"Good grief… I was worried that wouldn't work," he muttered, exhaling deeply. "God bless True Speaking... and his low intelligence too. That wouldn't have worked otherwise."

It might not have ended in his ultimate victory, but the result was favorable eitherway.

With a satisfied nod, he glared at the spot where Gigantomachia had just left.

'Like that, whatever objective he had is now delayed... and the police will be more attentive to any appearance that guy might make... hopefully.'

Exhaling, satisfied at the results of his efforts, and of not dying at the hands of such a powerful foe way above his league, he glanced at his stats.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

[STATUS PAGE]

▸ Strength: 128

▸ Defense: 256

▸ Aura Projection: 2683

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Total Aura: 12683 → 2683 (21%)

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"Yeah… that beam drained me," he sighed.

He was practically back to where he'd been months ago. Temporarily, at least.

At this rate, he'd need around twenty minutes to recover to full power.

Taka clicked his tongue in annoyance and glanced toward the distant police barricade.

'Hopefully my plan to stall for a strong hero didn't backfire…' He thought, scanning for any worrisome figure standing amidst the officers. 'Otherwise someone's gonna get here and beat my ass while I'm weakened.'

Fortunately, as he scanned the area, no hero came into view. It was only the policemen for now.

"Though I should still leave as soon as possible." He mumbled, raising higher into the air, and preparing to take off.

But just as he was about to—

<[+224 aura!]>

A massive bonus notification popped into view, making him blink.

He instinctively searched for the source.

Then he saw it.

A large crowd gathered behind the barricades, waving and cheering his way.

"…Well, at least there's a little reward from all this," he snorted.

He gave them a brief wave.

The cheers only grew louder.

Still, he had no intention of lingering. The longer he stayed, the higher the risk that All Might—or someone just as terrifying—would show up to ruin his perfect victory.

So, turning back around, his remaining aura flared, and soon, he shot into the sky.

He was far slower than before, but as his aura regenerated, his speed would steadily return.

"Now then," he muttered, "time to go back home."

…

°

°

°

| Three hours later… |

…

"Well… that was some kind of progress, wasn't it?" Taka muttered, scratching his head with a tired frown as he walked through the familiar streets of his city—heading straight for home.

It took him about two hours to reach the city as his aura slowly recovered. Fortunately, despite the reduced speed, the trip itself was relatively safe.

A helicopter had followed him for a while, but once enough aura returned to him, he picked up the pace and left it far behind.

When he reached Shizuoka, however, he didn't head straight home. Instead, he made a quick detour toward the Rockibase.

There, he spent about an hour testing his aura's supposed healing ability.

And thanks to the sheer desperation to fix his broken arm before Seiji could see it, he actually managed to make some progress.

Sadly, what he had feared from his previous attempts was confirmed…

Healing consumed a monstrous amount of aura—and for some reason, the aura filled back up at barely half the speed compared to when he used it for destruction.

After burning through another ten thousand aura, the damage in his arm had certainly lessened.

But it was still broken.

Why?

Maybe he still lacked full mastery over it, stuck in some kind of inefficient "aura-wasting" phase.

Or maybe healing was simply that expensive.

Either way, now he was walking home while desperately trying to think up an excuse.

Because there was no way he'd be able to hide a broken arm for long.

'…Though who says I have to?'

Taka grabbed his chin, a slow, devious smirk creeping onto his face.

'If I hide it well enough until tomorrow… I can just blame it on Seiji during tomorrow's spar. Then, that guy will have to bring me to the hospital to get treatment, all without compromising my very secret identity... What genius I am.'

Shaking his head helplessly in response to his humble thoughts, and as evil plans brewed inside his mind, he eventually reached his house.

Standing outside the door, Taka braced himself. His pain resistance skill surged to the forefront in all its questionable glory.

'Just until tomorrow.'

With that thought in mind—and wearing his best poker face—Taka took out his keys and opened the door.

But the moment he stepped inside—

—BAM!—

'MOTHERFUCKER.'

Seiji appeared at his side out of nowhere and slapped his arm.

The broken one, in case it wasn't clear.

"Taka, my dear ward, I missed you!"

"…"

Taka's jaw clenched. His eyes shut tight for a brief moment.

After a deep breath, however, he forced a smile.

"Hello there, my dear guardian."

"Haha, look at you. All polite and shit. It's almost like you're trying to hide something."

"…"

Taka said nothing. He simply maintained his violently twitching smile.

Seiji stared at him for a second, clearly amused, but in the end, he only gave him a light pat on the shoulder.

"Well, as much as I'd love to interrogate you about it… You've got a visit."

"…?" Taka's pain became secondary for a second, raising an eyebrow.

A visit? Now?

Who? He was rather solitary, so it made no sense that someone would be looking for him, even less during the weekend.

But if Seiji said so, someone like that must exist within the house.

While confusion took hold, Seiji gave him another pat and began pushing him to guide him into the living room—where the guest was already waiting.

"Well, hello there, Takahashi Fukumoto."

"…!"

The instant Taka took a step into the living room, he froze like a statue.

Sitting on the couch, with both legs dangling uselessly above the floor, was a giant white rat.

Or, as most people knew him—

Nezu.

The principal of U.A.

The instant he recognized him, Taka let out a half-amused, half-helpless snort and smirked as he looked at the floor.

All while arriving at a single but very profound conclusion.

'I'm fucked.'

…

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-To be Continued…-

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(A/N: The consequences have finally caught up, and they knocked and invited themselves into Taka's home.

What are Nezu's plans for arriving there?

What will happen to Taka's identity?

Discover it in the next episode of Aura Farming System!

Which, by the way, will be the last chapter before we time skip to U.A.—or well, to the entrance exam.

It won't last long tho, don't worry.

Hope you look forward to it.)

Join my Patreon to get access to more chapters, and you'll help me make ends meet while doing so.

patreon.com/TheSynonym

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[The Truth Comes Out]
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…

"…"

"…"

A contest had begun. A staring contest.

Taka locked eyes with Nezu, and the principal returned the gaze without blinking, silent and unmoving—save for the knowing smile fixed on his muzzle.

Then, Taka's eyes darted to Seiji at his side.

Seiji met his gaze just as unblinkingly, a smug smirk tugging at his lips.

Taka slowly looked back at Nezu.

'I'm being ganged up on…'

A bead of sweat ran down his temple as he felt the weight of both stares pressing into him—heavy, sharp, and painfully aware of the implications behind this little "visit."

Or rather, intervention.

Still… nothing was certain yet.

Maybe Seiji had just bragged about his great and amazing potential to Nezu after their spar the other day, hence his visit?

…No. He doubted Seiji had those kinds of connections.

Taka swallowed nervously.

This was thin ice.

Very thin ice.

He had to choose his words carefully, or everything would go to shit.

"So…" he said at last, feigning confusion as he gestured vaguely at the massive white rat… bear, dog, whatever he was. "Who are you?"

Nezu's ears perked up, delighted.

"Oh my, where are my manners?" he said cheerfully. "I'm Nezu, Principal of U.A. High School. Does that satisfy you, Mr Rockinesis?—oops! I wasn't supposed to say that yet."

"…"

After a long second of sheer disbelief, Taka snorted and shut his eyes.

'Yep. Never mind. Everything went to shit a long time ago.'

Suddenly, something pressed down on his shoulder.

He turned to see Seiji leaning on him casually, staring at him with that same damn smirk.

"You know," Seiji said lightly, "it was quite the surprise when U.A.'s actual principal knocked on my door and explained the certain… connections between a criminal mastermind that's been causing a lot of havoc lately—and my dear little ward. Anything you'd like to say for yourself, Taka?"

"You have no evidence," Taka replied instantly.

"Unfortunately, I do," Nezu cut in pleasantly. "Monetization records from that very successful channel of yours. Bank transfer history. IP address logs. Upload timestamps. Location metadata. And that's just the short list. Shall I continue?"

"…No. That's enough." Taka's poker face crumbled.

He was completely, utterly caught. There was no point in pretending anymore.

'Fucking Quirktube and the bank—where's my right to privacy?! I thought they weren't allowed to share any of that!'

Seiji suddenly burst into laughter, patting Taka's back loudly.

"Well, well, well! Looks like you got caught, little Taka! Your crime spree ends here!"

Taka gave him a long, flat stare.

Then—

"This guy knew too! I'm just a poor, innocent minor! If anyone's going to prison, it should be him!"

Seiji's laughter died instantly, and he snapped his head towards Taka with a panicked look.

"You little shit!"

Taka smirked, pointing at him accusatorily. "If I'm going down, you're coming with me!"

"After I raised you for twelve years, this is how you repay me?!"

"Hahahaha!"

Nezu's sudden cackle cut cleanly through their argument, making both of them snap their attention toward him in disbelief.

"You two really are quite the pair," Nezu said cheerfully. "There's no need to worry. I didn't come here to send either of you to prison, Takahashi-kun… nor you, Seiji-san."

"For real?" they both asked in unison.

Nezu nodded and hopped down from the couch, beginning to pace casually around the living room.

"While I am the principal of a hero school—and would normally be obligated to ensure you face the appropriate legal consequences for what I've discovered—you have, in fact, done some rather brilliant work as a vigilante. Illegal, yes. But impressive nonetheless."

"Hah? Brilliant work? This guy?" Seiji scoffed, poking Taka's cheek mockingly, which the teenager responded to by slapping his hand away.

"Indeed," Nezu replied with a sly smile. He pulled a small disk from his pocket and flicked it onto the floor. A holographic projection flared to life, displaying recordings of Taka's exploits as Rockinesis. "I took the time to analyze all your appearances. And surprisingly, for someone with no formal hero training, your environmental damage control is quite refined."

The images showed Taka redirecting attacks in harmless directions, positioning enemies, reducing his powers' impact on the surroundings, and minimizing collateral destruction.

"Though not perfect," Nezu continued, "you consistently reduced the impact on surrounding infrastructure. That's something even seasoned heroes often neglect. Most people wouldn't even think to prioritize it."

"Heh, that's because of me," Seiji said proudly, crossing his arms while leaning on Taka. "This brat was always tagging along at my job. So I gave him a tip or two about the hero life during my many outings capturing villains."

Taka deadpanned. "Bold of you to assume it's all because of you."

Seiji shot his ward a sideways grin. "Well, am I wrong, little Taka?"

"…No," Taka admitted quietly. "But still."

Nezu smiled and clicked a button on a remote. The projection shifted—now showing footage of Taka, or Rockinesis, clashing with multiple heroes who had attempted to apprehend him.

"Then there's the matter of you fighting heroes," Nezu continued. "Legally speaking, it is resisting arrest, without question. However, you consistently showed restraint. You even held back when you clearly had a very clear advantage."

Taka winced slightly as the footage showed him humiliating a few opponents.

"While you did seem to enjoy embarrassing them more than necessary," Nezu added with a knowing look, "I'll chalk that up to youthful immaturity. In the end, you caused no lasting injuries and disengaged responsibly."

Taka's face relaxed, suspiring relieved.

'Good thing I took something like this into account.'

Nezu clicked the remote once more.

Two final images appeared.

One being Taka's battle against the three A-class villains… And the other—his recent clash with Gigantomachia.

His eyebrow twitched at the clearly recent picture. From what it looked like, it was taken from the coastline with a very good zoom. Whether from the spectating crowd or the police, who knew.

"And finally," Nezu said, his voice turning more solemn, "there is your willingness to face foes that would have placed established heroes in extreme danger. In both of these cases, casualties were not only possible—but likely."

The room grew quiet.

"If you hadn't intervened," Nezu continued, "there was a chance the outcome could have been catastrophic. And while that does not excuse unauthorized hero activity—nor your involvement in conflicts beyond your legal standing—I must thank you. As the principal of U.A., and as someone who values human life, despite not being human myself."

"Uh… sure," Taka replied awkwardly. "You're welcome, I guess."

With that, the projection shut off. Nezu tucked the disk and remote back into his pocket, smiling faintly as the room settled into silence once more.

But then Nezu turned back to Taka. This time, however, his eyes locked onto his with a pressure wholly unbecoming of such a small body.

"Due to all the details I mentioned earlier, and considering your young age, I decided to take a small gamble," he said calmly. "Today, I did not come to apprehend you—nor your guardian—but to offer you a deal."

That immediately caught both ward and guardian's attention.

"But first," Nezu continued, raising one finger in its paw, "there is a question I must ask."

Taka frowned slightly. "What is it?"

Nezu's smile widened—then sharpened.

"What is your true Quirk, Takahashi-kun?"

"...!"

The instant the question left his mouth, the tension in the room spiked violently. Both pairs of eyes snapped onto Taka at once.

"Your registered Quirk, Muscle to Mind, supposedly allows you only to convert physical force into telekinetic power," Nezu continued. "Yet that description is clearly... insufficient to say the least."

He gestured lightly.

"Cloning. Energy manifestation. Physical strength and durability in the superhuman range, matched by an equally abnormal telekinetic ability. And what I can only assume are some degree of precognitive capabilities, judging by how accurately you anticipate crimes and conflicts to crash at them and play your shows."

Nezu's eyes glinted.

"To say your Quirk's official description falls short of its real scope would be a severe understatement, wouldn't you agree?"

"..."

Taka sweatdropped, his gaze sliding away under the weight of that stare.

What was he supposed to say?

He was cornered. Completely.

Nezu had already noticed nearly every ability he'd displayed so far—save for the ones he hadn't yet revealed. And the moment he did in the future, those too would be noticed. Lying now would only guarantee that he'd be caught in that lie later.

So… should he just tell the truth?

This was Nezu—an ally to the main cast. Not the government, with its sick machiavellian stuff, and certainly not a villain's spy. Even if terrifying in his own way, he was one of the few people Taka could reasonably trust. Both because of his proven character and because the guy was simply that competent.

Unless this was some AU where Nezu was secretly the true mastermind behind everything.

Rodent for One, or some shit like that.

'Focus, damn it.'

Realizing his thoughts were drifting, Taka forced himself back to the main point.

He glanced at Seiji—who was practically breathing down his neck, eyes wide and prodding smile brimming with expectation.

Taka trusted Seiji.

As for Nezu… he trusted him too, even if they'd only officially met today. The guy may be a rat, but he was a nice rat.

Or nice bear, or dog, whatever he was.

'I guess... It's fine.'

With a quiet sigh, Taka finally spoke.

"My Quirk's energy source isn't physical strength..." he admitted, his eyes growing serious as the revelations began unfolding. "It's a kind of energy that my body naturally builds up over time, piling up in me like a battery, and which lets me enhance myself, as well as project it into something akin to telekinesis. As for the other abilities… the energy seems to be quite versatile in how it can manifest outside my body, which lets me do all the other stuff—there might be more abilities, but I haven't discovered them yet."

"It accumulates passively?" Nezu asked.

"Yeah. Just on its own."

"And it somehow allows you to create clones, boost your physical prowess to inhuman levels, allegedly predict the future, and control things from afar?"

Taka nodded. "As I said, it's… uh, kind of versatile."

"Damn, kid," Seiji exclaimed from beside him, looking at him in a completely new light.

Nezu chuckled, but tapped the area beneath his muzzle thoughtfully. Clearly, not letting his amusement overshadow his running thoughts.

And while he did that, Taka sighed inwardly.

In the end, he still kept part of the truth to himself.

Not because he didn't trust the people in the room.

Not because he was afraid.

But because—

'The true Aura Farmer always keeps a few cards up his sleeve.' Taka thought, his eyes shining with a faint, sly glint for a second—Of course, just for dramatic effect while you read this. It wasn't something visible either to Nezu or Seiji.

Such a vain reason was all he had in mind when keeping the full information.

Maybe telling everything wouldn't change anything.

Or maybe… it would one day mean the difference between survival and death.

But for now, he preferred to keep those secrets wrapped.

That way, if someday an epic situation arose in which his foe somehow knew about his supposed Quirk and had prepared a countermeasure…

He would make the big reveal—then proceed to crush them with his full power.

That would be truly cool.

Of course, that was all just wishful thinking.

Whether it would actually come true or not was a matter for the future.

"Very well. Despite its bizarreness, I suppose it covers most of the loopholes I had noticed," Nezu suddenly nodded, giving the half-truth a pass.

Seeing that, Taka nodded as well, heaving a sigh of relief inwardly.

But then, he felt a pat on the shoulder.

He turned and saw Seiji smirking at him, looking a bit too excited.

"The next time we spar, you're showing me what you're really capable of."

Taka nodded silently, his expression unchanged.

Though in his mind—

'You just gave me free rein to beat your ass without the system's interference.'

If his aura could manifest a second face that revealed his true emotions, it would be wearing a wicked grin.

While Taka savored the future beating in his head, Seiji turned back to Nezu.

"So, what's this deal you were talking about, Principal?"

"Yes, I was just about to get to that," Nezu nodded, then fixed Taka with a sharp gaze, snapping him out of his thoughts. "You wrote in your desired career plan that you wanted to join U.A., correct?"

Taka nodded, once again inwardly cursing the concept of privacy.

Nezu smiled, offering a handshake. "Given your amazing potential, I want to make sure such talent is properly groomed into becoming a hero in the future, so... what would you say about receiving a recommendation?"

Taka tilted his head, unfamiliar with the term.

But then, Seiji gently smacked his shoulder, whispering it to him. "It means you won't have to take the usual entrance exam everyone else does. Instead, you'll go through the recommendation exam—fewer competitors, and thus better chances of getting in."

Taka's eyebrows lifted, finally realizing it was the method Todoroki and Yaoyorozu used to get in.

Nezu nodded. "Indeed. With the skills you've displayed, I have no doubt you'll excel in the practical portion. As for the written exam, you'll still have to study."

"I see…" Taka murmured, closing his eyes enigmatically for a moment to think, his usual edgy persona slipping as a matter of habit.

Then—

He smiled faintly, looking Nezu straight in the eyes, confident and unflinching—

"I refuse."

…

°

°

°

| Minutes later, Taka's room… |

…

-Click-

"Phew..."

Taka closed the door behind him and let out a long sigh.

"Today really can't get any more hectic…"

Groaning, he stretched and walked over to his bed, throwing himself onto it—his aura instinctively cushioning the fall.

Good thing, too. He did have a broken arm.

Lying there in the soft embrace of his sheets, his gaze drifted to the ceiling as his thoughts returned to the final exchange he'd had with Nezu.

More specifically, the moment he had refused the recommendation.

First of all—he didn't want to take Yaoyorozu's or Todoroki's spot. As for the other recommended students, he didn't even remember them, and he sure as hell wasn't interested in the class they'd end up in. Class 1-A was the one to aim for if he wanted to Aura Farm for good.

They just got into so much shit, it'd be a waste to go to the other class.

But that was only the surface reason.

The real reason he had refused was due to the entrance exam.

Hundreds of examinees. Teachers observing every move. And one giant robot just begging to be destroyed.

If that wasn't the perfect farming ground, then what was?

There was no way he was sacrificing that just to stroll in through the front door on a recommendation. That wasn't auratic at all.

'At least he didn't take it the wrong way,' Taka thought with a quiet huff, remembering how calmly Nezu had accepted his refusal.

Seiji had backed him up too, rambling on his own about " Taka does not like the easy way" and "It builds character," which conveniently spared Taka from having to come up with a believable excuse.

In the end, it was decided—he would take the normal entrance exam, just like everyone else.

But after that… came the unpleasant part.

Nezu had promised not to expose his vigilante identity—on one condition.

From now on, Taka was to cut ties with his vigilantism completely and focus solely on becoming a hero.

If he agreed, Nezu would also help erase the digital trail he'd left behind in his greed for money while aura farming: monetization records, paper trails, all of it. The police would never link Rockinesis back to Takahashi Fukumoto.

The principal really was frighteningly flexible. Why was he going that far? Who knew. Taka could only assume it was because he didn't want him to go to prison or something.

Cause if he did, he'd pretty much miss the chance to go to U.A.

'Yeah, that makes sense.' Taka nodded to himself.

So, just like that, Taka's vigilante career was forcibly brought to an end.

Though he had managed to negotiate one exception, he was still allowed to keep uploading songs.

Fortunately, Nezu had agreed to that much. Otherwise, he would have lost all sources of aura.

And honestly, with his fame already grown, the aura he'd lose by not making shows wasn't gonna be that much.

Besides…

'After today's shit, I think I'm gonna take a rest from beating up villains.' He thought, eyeing his broken arm with a wince.

Of course, if some level 10 trouble alert popped up in between these three months that were left until U.A., then he'd probably step up and help out with what was within his capabilities.

But for now, he was taking some vacations.

'It was some really hectic seven months… and they ended in the most hectic way as well.'

On the very same day he fought a living catastrophe. His life as a vigilante quietly ended.

Quite the coincidence.

And on that note, Taka recalled his fight against Gigantomachia. His eyes narrowing as his eyes darted to his broken arm, and then to his opposite arm's hand, picturing the destructive energy he could create.

Even his strongest attack, a laser beam filled with 10,000 points of aura, had merely burned his exterior.

That much had been enough to understand his place in the world as of now.

He was strong… But when it came to the top-tier powers of this world, he was still painfully weak.

And in three months, the canon would start.

The show lasted a single year, and in that year, the main cast jumped from dealing with baby-level threats to dealing with the motherfucking end of the world.

He had three months—and the time window in which the protagonists dealt with weak opponents—to up his game.

If he did not, then he would start to lag behind.

And, as an aura farmer, that was not permitted.

'Three months…'

He raised his working hand, clenching it into a fist.

"All Might, Gigantomachia, All For One, and whichever other powerhouse exists in this world…" He mumbled, clenching his teeth and raising his fist as aura enveloped it. "... Prepare yourself, because by next year, you will all be my errand boys!"

Unfortunately, in doing so, his broken arm moved a bit more than necessary.

"Ouch!"

…

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-To be Continued…-

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(A/N: And so, the preparations arc comes to an end. Now, a time skip is approaching.

How was the chapter? Was Nezu in character, or did I screw up?

Also, don't worry about Taka not being able to do his shows. As he said, the aura he gains during those is a bit prescindible when comparing it to his current passive earnings. And with the current level of fame, heh, as after presenting his original song, plus with the fight against Gigantomachia going viral, he has enough fame to keep his passive earnings high enough until U.A. arrives.

Also, I didn't get to add the last skill I had planned, but I suppose I can just add it later.

Ba bye now.)

Join my Patreon to get access to more chapters, and you'll help me make ends meet while doing so.

patreon.com/TheSynonym

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[Entrance Exam]
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| Three months later, U.A.'s gate… |

…

"This is it…!"

Midoriya swallowed nervously as he stood before U.A., cold sweat running down his back.

The school where All Might had graduated. The best hero institution in Japan. The place where he was about to apply to become a hero.

Staring up at the massive gate, he felt as if a literal barrier stood between him and the path he was walking into—like he wasn't meant to step inside.

He'd been Quirkless all his life, and yet here he was, about to take the hero course entrance exam. It felt almost contradictory.

'Although… I am supposedly not Quirkless anymore,' he reminded himself, expression flattening as he recalled All Might's bizarre instruction from hours earlier at the beach:

{Eat this.}

'He said if I ate that hair, I'd inherit his power… but did it really work?'

He examined himself. Truthfully, he didn't feel any different.

After exhaling his nerves, determination flickered back into his eyes. Ten months of hellish training—all leading to this day. All Might, the strongest hero, had entrusted him with his Quirk. He couldn't afford to fail.

He wouldn't fail.

-Paf!-

He smacked both cheeks at once to shake off the anxiety and stepped forward—

-Thud!-

"Outta my way, Deku."

—only to be shoved aside as Bakugo, his friend/bully—more bully than friend—stormed past.

"A-ah!" Midoriya flailed, trying desperately to assemble a proper greeting with his hands. "K-Kacchan! N-nice to see you! You're here for the exam, right? I wish you luck, and—"

But Bakugo had already ignored him completely and walked on.

Midoriya sighed as he watched the blond go.

'I got scared out of habit…'

Feeling embarrassed at how quickly he folded despite his earlier resolve, he forced his gaze upward toward the huge U.A. logo on the front doors. Then he shook his head sharply, chasing the nerves away.

'I'm not the same as I was ten months ago… remember your training!'

He took a deep breath, steeling himself.

'Time to take my first step toward becoming a hero!'

And a step he took indeed.

-Squeak-

—but right at the next one, his legs tangled clumsily, pitching him forward.

'I'm done for.' Midoriya thought, feeling his earlier resolve crumble like dust.

However, just as his face was about to slam into the pavement—

"Huh?"

—his momentum halted abruptly, stopping mere centimeters from the ground.

Then, in an instant, an unseen force pulled him upright again, leaving him staring ahead with a blank expression, completely unable to register what had just happened.

"Eh?"

Only when he finally snapped out of his daze did he look around to search for his savior, and soon, he noticed a girl standing right next, also staring at him—a brown-haired girl wearing a thick scarf.

Ochako Uraraka—albeit, unknown to the green-haired kid.

The instant he saw her, it clicked. She had helped him.

"Ah, you saved me—thank you!" he said, bowing quickly.

But the girl only blinked in confusion.

"Eh?! Me? No, that wasn't me!—I mean, I was going to help, but you stopped falling before I could even reach you!"

"Huh? Then that wasn't your Quirk?" Midoriya tilted his head.

"Watch yourself."

A deep voice spoke from behind him.

Startled, he turned.

There, a black-haired youth wearing a long, tailored overcoat, a fitted black turtleneck underneath, and similarly colored pants, walked past with a cold gaze and a confident stride. Beside him, a black-haired girl with earphone jacks for earlobes watched with vague amusement.

Before Midoriya could respond, the boy continued walking, the girl following.

"I guess it was him who helped," Uraraka murmured, eyeing the departing boy with awe as he walked away.

Midoriya did too. For some reason, that youth emanated an air of power—whether it was the way he walked, the tone of his voice earlier, or simply the way he carried himself.

He was the very image of someone… strong.

'And that Quirk… what was it?' Midoriya replayed the sensation of being yanked back to his feet, despite nothing touching him. 'A telekinesis-type Quirk?'

While the freckled boy got lost in his thoughts, several meters ahead, the black haired girl shot a wry look at the youth walking beside her.

"Did you trip that guy?"

"No." He replied, almost too fast.

She raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you say we should wait at the entrance, only to start walking again the moment that kid walked in?"

"I just thought it was a good moment to go in. His tripping was just a coincidence."

She didn't look convinced, but eventually nodded with a snort. "… Sure."

…

°

°

°

| U.A.'s Auditory |

…

Once everyone found their seats, a blond teacher stepped onto the stage, wearing a wide smile that radiated confidence. And his outfit wasn't subtle either—he was dressed like an actual rockstar. Slicked-back blond spiky hair, edgy leather jacket and pants, headphones, orange sunglasses, and a massive speaker-like collar around his neck.

For many, a hero renowned across Japan. Present Mic.

And also, one of the teachers of U.A.

He reached the podium just as a massive screen behind him lit up, the U.A. logo shining for all examinees to see.

"For all of you examinees tuning in today, I welcome you all to my show!—everybody say HEY!" Present Mic threw his arms up theatrically.

For a moment, silence drowned the auditorium. Not a single soul dared to answer.

"Hey."

But suddenly, a deep voice echoed across the room.

Normally, anyone speaking up then would've been met with weird looks, but the voice carried so much weight and conviction that nobody dared judge it, even for a moment.

In fact—

"... Hey!"

"Hey…"

"H-hey…!"

—It encouraged others to follow, almost instinctively, like responding to someone of high authority without thinking.

And as everyone realized what they had just done, their eyes naturally drifted toward the source.

With hundreds of students gathered, a single voice should have blended into the crowd.

Yet somehow, all gazes settled on one examinee sitting with an unsettling level of calm confidence.

He wasn't flashy, nor did he stand out physically. His outfit was good—but not that good.

Instead, what drew every eye… was his presence.

Somehow, everyone felt it instinctively the instant their gazes settled on him.

He was strong.

"—Ahem." Present Mic interrupted, snapping everyone back to attention. Even he looked surprised—whether at the unexpected response or at the strange presence of that student was unclear. But soon, his trademark grin returned. "I can see you're all pumped! Then it's time to get into the rundown of the practical exam you came here for!"

He struck a pose befitting his rockstar aesthetic, raising a hand dramatically as he shouted.

"AAAAAARE YOU READYYY?!"

"Yeah."

"Yeah…!"

"Y-yeah…"

"Yeah!"

Once again, that same voice answered first—and everyone followed.

Satisfied, Present Mic nodded as the huge screen behind him shifted, showing multiple cityscapes—U.A.'s "Battle Centers," full-scale urban combat zones labeled from A to G.

He proceeded to give a quick rundown of how the practical exam would work and what the examinees would be doing.

After the presentation, every examinee would be sent to a different Battle Center depending on their assigned location. Once there, their objective was to destroy the multiple robots scattered throughout the mock cities—four types in total—earning points for each one defeated. The point values varied based on the size of the robot: the smallest, about the size of a person, was worth 1 point, while the largest, roughly the size of a tank, was worth 3. And, naturally, fighting between examinees was strictly prohibited.

This was a hero exam, after all. Unheroic behavior wasn't exactly admired.

"Excuse me, may I ask a question?!"

Suddenly, a sharp and loud voice cut through the teacher's speech. Though it didn't look like it bothered Present Mic.

"Okay!" He shot a thumbs-up.

The examinee—Tenya Iida, a dark-blue-haired youth with glasses—stood up, holding the printout they had all been given. It contained the same information that the teacher had been covering, albeit more summarized.

"On the printout, there are four villains. If that's a misprint, then U.A., the most prominent school in Japan, should be ashamed of such a foolish mistake! We examinees are here because we wish to be molded into exemplary heroes!"

Then, in a quick pivot, he pointed directly at a certain green-haired boy—Midoriya.

"Additionally, the curly-haired one over there… You've been muttering the whole time. It's distracting! If you're here on a pleasure trip, then you should—"

"That's quite enough."

Once again, that familiar voice rang out, cutting Iida off midsentence.

The bespectacled youth turned sharply to the unknown youth, indignation written across his face.

"What?! I'm merely—"

"You could've said something to him without announcing it to everyone. Stop wasting our time and let the teacher answer."

"I—"

"Okay, okay, examinee 7111, thanks for the great message," Present Mic interrupted, stepping in before things escalated. "The fourth villain is worth zero points. Why? Because it's an obstacle, so to speak. It's not impossible to beat, but there's no reason to either. So, I recommend you all just avoid it."

Iida fell silent for a moment, his gaze drifting toward the examinee who had cut him off on the far side of the auditorium, before finally bowing deeply.

"Thank you very much. I apologize for the interruption."

And with that, he returned to his seat and remained silent.

After that, and having finished explaining the rest of the smaller details, Present Mic echoed the school's motto—Plus Ultra—to encourage everyone and bid them farewell. Thus, the rundown came to an end, and the wait for the practical exam officially began.

From then on, everyone was on their own.

Soon, the mass of students began moving, each walking toward the Battle Center assigned to them on their identification cards.

And while the crowd moved, sitting calmly in the stands was the youth from earlier. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he inspected the card in his hand.

"Battle Center G…"

Snorting, he stood up and adjusted his coat.

"Very well."

…

°

°

°

| Minutes later, Battle Center G's gate… |

…

"Hey, why's he still wearing that outfit? Didn't they let us change into athletic gear before getting on the bus?"

"Huh? Oh damn, you're right. Maybe his Quirk lets him ignore stuff like that?"

"Dammit, why did I have to get the same Battle Center as him?! Now I'm not gonna get any points."

"Maybe he's not as strong as he looks? Honestly, I can't see a single hint of what Quirk he might have."

"Hm, you're right. For all we know, he could have a crappy Quirk and is just putting on a façade!"

A group of examinees narrowed their eyes as they watched the youth from earlier, who leaned casually against a wall with his eyes closed while everyone waited for the gates to open.

"Yeah, now that I'm seeing him up close, he's not all'at—"

The youth opened his eyes and glared at them.

"—Is what I'd say if I were a fool! Haha… ha."

They immediately looked away.

"Hmph." The youth snorted, but didn't close his eyes again. Instead, he glanced around at the other examinees who were busy stretching or trying to calm their nerves.

'I don't see Midoriya,' he thought.

Indeed, this until-now unidentifiable youth was none other than the aura farmer himself… Taka. Now three months older.

Not only was he a little taller, but even through his clothes, it was clear his musculature had developed. He was no longer just fit—he was genuinely strong.

The last three months of training had pushed his body to its physical peak.

From here on, it would mostly be up to aging naturally, with maybe a bit more training. But growing stronger through pure exercise alone would bring much slower gains.

Of course, with some Aura, human limits were a joke.

Back to Taka, he continued giving all his competitors a glance, eyebrow twitching faintly upon not seeing a familiar green-haired curly teenager.

'…Too bad. I guess I'll have to settle for having aura-farmed him earlier.' He sighed, looking genuinely regretful—only to shrug a moment later, uncaring. 'Then again, I also won't have to worry about him failing to get into U.A. because I smashed the 0-pointer instead of him.'

He didn't dislike Midoriya. There was no reason for stopping him from getting into U.A.

The guy did his best to be a proper hero, and while a frustrating crybaby earlier on, he became someone somewhat to be respected by the end of the show. Even if he ended up a Quirkless bum.

That's also why he had helped him with Iida. Like he had reprimanded the glasses earlier, there was no need to humiliate Midoriya publicly for something he could have said over a hush or something.

Hence why he had spoken up.

That, and to aura farm, of course.

But he definitely didn't plan on being friends with Midoriya.

After all, he was the protagonist of this world. And if there was someone who could steal his aura-farming opportunities, it was that green-haired gremlin.

From now on, a rival relationship was about to begin—even if Midoriya had no clue.

And it was one he had absolutely no intention of losing.

He'd made sure the last three months were more than enough to cement his absolute superiority.

Midoriya could try, but he for sure wasn't gonna be catching up any time soon.

Smirking inwardly, Taka glared to his side. 'System, flash me with my gains.'

<... Watch your phrasing.>

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

[STATUS PAGE]

▸ Strength: (162 Base) 2500

▸ Defense: (324 Base) 2500

▸ Aura Projection: 26568

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Total Aura: 31082

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Skills:

▸Clean

▸Trouble Radar

▸Connoisseur

▸Pain is Just a Feeling

▸Innamovible Object

▸True Speaking

▸True Breathing

▸True Walking

▸Good job beating me… But that was merely a clone!

▸Efficient Body

▸Aura Projection - Pew Pew Mode

▸Imaginary Technique: My Theme

▸Sperm Eye

▸Let's Dance!

▸Aura Projection - Even A Stick Is Enough Mode

▸Aura Projection - Hardening Mode

▸Aura Projection - There There Mode

▸Aura Projection - Master Of Elements Mode

▸Aura Projection - Aura Type

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Over the past three months, he had tripled his aura.

His original song's video had earned him a huge amount during the first ten days. Sadly, after that, the passive gains stabilized—probably because the views were coming from the same people repeating the song, which didn't generate that much awe and hence didn't yield much aura, or because it simply wasn't reaching many new viewers after that.

Unfortunately, he didn't have a professional company pushing his track, so while it got really popular, it never reached the outrageous numbers big promoted videos could get. And, as expected, time eventually took its toll, slowing the gains even more.

Of course, his earnings were still massive compared to what he had before the video—just nothing like those sweet 1,000-a-day spikes.

In total, he'd managed to pull in twenty-thousand-something aura, up until today.

Pretty good considering he had been forced to stop his vigilante activities.

And then there was the matter of all the new modes he'd unlocked for his aura projection.

Some had been easy enough once he thought of them, coming naturally to him after one or two tries. Others—like the healing mode—had been tricky and took him weeks or months of constant practice to develop.

But they were definitely useful for aura farming. He already had plenty of ideas for how he'd be using them from here on out.

He just had to bide his time.

'Though for now, I have to focus on the event ahead.'

Closing his eyes enigmatically, he walked toward the front of the gate along with the rest of the examinees.

His eyes scanned his competitors, wondering if anyone from the future 1-A would be here too.

And, to his surprise, there was someone.

A certain purple-haired, dwarf-like teenager was among the crowd.

For a moment, he blinked.

Then he snorted—mentally apologizing.

'Sorry, Mineta. But someone had to go… and it looks like it's gonna be you.'

As if on cue, the gates to the Battle Center began opening—silently, almost imperceptibly.

Some students were distracted and didn't notice.

Others simply stared, waiting for a teacher to appear and announce the start of the exam.

Taka, however, smirked.

He stepped forward—passing everyone—and strode calmly straight into the battlegrounds, leaving the dumbfounded examinees behind.

"What are you—?" one student asked, feeling wronged, as if Taka were cheating.

But Taka shut him up with a single line:

"Don't you know? Villains won't wait for you."

And then—

-Swish-

—he vanished.

That's when it dawned on everyone, even if the teacher hadn't said it himself.

The exam had begun, and they hadn't even realized it.

…

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-To be Continued…-

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(A/N: How was all that aura farming? It was a fun chapter to write, except for the part where I had to check the chapter every now and then to guide myself.

Though I suppose that's gonna have to become a regular thing, seeing as we have stepped into the canon for good.)