His light.

Chapter 1: U.A Entrance Exam

Chapter 1

"Huff...huff..." I panted as I sprinted through the city streets, my flowy dress trailing behind me as I desperately searched for robots to take down. Panic rose in my chest. "I'll never be able to enter the U.S. like this," I muttered, a sense of failure hanging over me. All around me, robots were being destroyed with ease, each explosion reminding me of my own lack of progress. I turned a corner, only to hear a loud crash. A massive robot had been mercilessly torn apart. My gaze shifted upward, and there, standing on top of the wreckage, was a guy with spiky blond hair and a black tank top, grinning wickedly as smoke rose from his hands. He caught sight of me out of the corner of his eye but paid me no mind. Using explosions from his hands, he propelled himself across the map, taking down robots effortlessly as he went.

I bit my lip, struggling to keep the tears from welling up as I watched everyone else handle the robots with ease. I ran aimlessly, hoping to find a chance to prove myself, but soon felt defeated. I returned to the starting point of the map and sighed. "Yeah, I'll never pass," I murmured, swallowing hard as a painful lump formed in my throat. I looked down, embarrassed at my zero-point score.

"Veda!!" I heard a voice call my name. Looking up, I saw my friend from middle school, Sakura Yabuchi, waving at me with her usual bright smile. Her pink braided pigtails bounced as she walked over. I forced a smile as I approached her. "Hey, how many points did you get?" I asked genuinely.

Sakura thought for a moment before replying cheerfully, "Oh, I think around 35!"

My eyes widened. I always knew she was strong, but hearing her score made it real. My smile grew. "That's amazing! I'm so proud of you!"

She smiled back, then asked me about my points. My smile faltered, becoming awkward. "Um, I didn't get any, unfortunately," I sighed, avoiding her gaze.

Sakura's eyes widened. "WHA—" Her shout was cut off by a loud "THUD" as the ground shook beneath us.

I looked up, my heart racing as I saw the biggest robot I'd ever seen towering over us, crushing a nearby building effortlessly. Before I could react, the robot began firing lasers, and debris rained down around us. Chaos ensued as people screamed, some trapped under fallen debris, others injured by falling rubble. A sudden shout from beside me brought me back to reality—Sakura was clutching her arm, pierced by a metal bar from the collapsing structure. My mind felt hazy amidst the commotion, but seeing her injured snapped me out of my daze.

Dust clouded my vision, making it hard to see, but I ran to Sakura's side. Her hand was pinned by the metal, and using my quirk, radiant water, felt difficult amidst the panic. I turned on the flashlight I'd brought with me and gave her a determined look. "Hey, this will be quick, okay? I'll pull your hand off on three...two...one." Her eyes widened in fear as I counted, knowing how much it would hurt. She screamed, "No...no...nooo!" But before she knew it, I had pulled her hand free. The sensation was gruesome, but I quickly licked my fingers, focusing the flashlight on her wound, and gently applied my saliva. The injury healed instantly, leaving her hand as if nothing had happened. I patted her head softly. "You did well," I said, then hurried off to find others in need of help.

As I ran, I encountered people lying unconscious amidst the chaos. Without hesitation, I touched each of them, focusing my flashlight and healing them back to consciousness. However, I soon realized this was inefficient. If I kept going like this, I wouldn't reach everyone in time.

Thinking fast, I headed to the nearest building, pushing myself to reach the rooftop for a better view. Each floor felt like an endless climb, and exhaustion gnawed at me. But the thought of people needing help kept me moving. "Almost there..." I huffed, breathless, as I finally reached the rooftop. I climbed onto the ledge, carefully balancing myself to take in the entire scene below. Injured people scattered across the area while the massive robot continued its rampage, shaking the buildings with each powerful blow. One of its punches sent tremors through the structure, and I lost my balance, barely managing to fall back onto the rooftop floor. My heart raced. "I almost died," I whispered, my lips trembling.

But I clenched my fists, gathering my resolve. *I'll become their light—someone I never had, someone my mother never had.* With renewed determination, I climbed up to the edge again, gazing over the field.

Suddenly, I noticed a girl trapped under debris near the giant robot. Out of nowhere, a boy appeared, jumping high into the air and punching the robot with all his strength. I watched, amazed, as he took down part of it, but noticed he was falling with an injured arm and leg.

Scanning the field, I quickly took note of everyone severely injured and activated my healing abilities on a massive scale. Dozens of small, radiant orbs spread across the map, their soft light enveloping those in need. One by one, the wounded were healed, confusion flickering on their faces as they realized their injuries had vanished. My heart swelled with accomplishment.

But the side effect hit almost immediately. As I connected with each person's pain, I felt their emotions twice as intensely. Their fear, confusion, and relief flooded my mind, leaving me mentally and emotionally drained. My heartbeat quickened, and my breathing grew shallow as the overwhelming weight of their emotions took its toll.

"Good job, Chez..." I murmured to myself, but then my heart constricted painfully, my vision darkening as exhaustion overtook me. My body wavered, and before I knew it, I was falling from the edge of the rooftop, the world fading to black around me.