Toma was gone.
And something in Yujiro Hanama went silent with him.
It wasn't a scream or a break. It was a slow, heavy thing—like a door inside him quietly swinging shut.
He didn't talk about it.
Didn't cry.
He just trained.
Day and night.
Rain, cold, heat, wind—it didn't matter. Yujiro pushed his body past its limits and then dared it to go further.
In the weeks that followed the destruction of the orphanage, he slept in a storage shed behind the U.A. observation compound. Refused housing. Refused pity. Refused distraction.
Toma was dead.
And no one would die because of his hesitation again.
The day of the U.A. entrance exam arrived with little ceremony.
For others, it was a moment of nerves and anticipation.
For Yujiro—it was inevitable.
He walked toward the main gate of U.A. High School in silence, wearing plain black training gear and Toma's scarf wrapped around his wrist like a war ribbon.
The line of hopeful students stretched around the corner. Vibrant quirks flickered in the air. Families shouted last-minute advice. Some students clung to notebooks or special support gear.
Yujiro carried none of that.
He stood alone.
Eyes sharp.
Back straight.
A storm wrapped in silence.
"Hey! Watch it!"
Yujiro felt a shoulder bump his. Hard. A blond boy with red eyes glared up at him.
Katsuki Bakugo.
"You got a problem, quiet boy?" Bakugo growled.
Yujiro blinked once. "No."
Bakugo snorted, half-annoyed by the lack of reaction. "Tch. Better not slow me down."
From behind, a soft voice interjected.
"That's Yujiro Hanama."
Izuku Midoriya stood there, green curls messy, notebook under one arm. His eyes were wide, filled with a mix of awe and caution.
"I saw the footage. You fought Revenant. You… held him off without a quirk."
Yujiro's gaze met Midoriya's.
"Didn't hold him off," Yujiro said. "I just refused to fall."
Midoriya nodded slowly. "That's… incredible. I—I'm Izuku, by the way. Izuku Midoriya."
"Yujiro."
A beat passed. Midoriya shuffled nervously. "You're really intimidating in person."
"Good."
Inside the test hall, Yujiro sat apart from the others.
He watched.
The nervous ones.
The arrogant ones.
The ones with flashy quirks who thought they'd already won.
Then Present Mic began his loud, animated explanation.
Yujiro tuned out the noise. His heartbeat slowed. His breath fell into rhythm.
He closed his eyes.
And saw Toma's smile.
"You better get in," the memory whispered.
"I will," Yujiro whispered back.
In the waiting room before the practical exam, Uraraka approached Midoriya.
"Who's that guy? He's… kinda scary."
Midoriya replied, eyes never leaving Yujiro, "He's the kind of person who breaks the ground just by standing on it."
Yaoyorozu added quietly, "His presence has weight. Like Aizawa-sensei. But darker."
Tenya Iida marched over. "Regardless of his reputation, I hope he doesn't try anything dangerous. There are rules to these exams!"
Yujiro looked over.
"I don't need to break rules to break expectations."
The gates to the exam zone opened.
Present Mic shouted, "BEGIN!"
Yujiro didn't move.
He walked forward. One step. Then another.
The others ran.
But Yujiro… stalked.
And then the first robot appeared.
He cracked his neck.
Raised his fists.
And let the rage of memory flow through his veins.
"Toma," he whispered.
Then he charged.