There were many aspects to being prepared for the U.A. entrance exam. In particular, to the theoretical side of it. The written test included your normal tasks in several subjects: Math, English, History and Japanese. Tsukauchi lamented the fact that they had to hurdle all of those together, probably going off the grades the middle schoolers had. Danny was at a disadvantage in this regard. And while the U.A. was willing to overlook that part and let him participate, they would be extra judgemental when grading the teen. So, Phantom needed to be prepared for that part, too. He was one year ahead technically, having finished the first grade at Casper High. However, his past marks, which barely reached Cs, were a sign that such a head start wasn't going to get him far.

Tsukauchi said many times that Danny wouldn't have to worry much about the languages part, since English was the tongue the teen spoke since his early childhood. And since the locals studied it as a foreign language, Danny wouldn't have any difficulty with the tasks. The detective also praised Danny's ability with the Japanese, and the teen didn't have the heart to tell Tsukauchi why he understood it so well. Nonetheless, these two subjects were hardly a priority. Math was a dubious topic. On the one hand, Danny could calculate difficult equations and find solutions to problems. But when the tasks demanded the knowledge of logarithms and complex algebra, he was absolutely helpless. Back in the US it was much simpler, so now the teen needed to learn those parts from scratch.

But the primary bane of his existence was History. Needless to say that it touched upon the Japanese one, something Danny had no idea about. One month was not nearly enough to grasp anything but the most basic concepts and key points, especially for the country as old as Japan. Especially for another world whose history took a drastic turn at some point. He was going to face total ruination during that subject. Well, it was only a fourth of all the questions. It was something Danny could only hope to compensate for with his practical exam. Nonetheless, his stubbornness would not allow the teen to just give up and drop the attempts. Not like he could do much except preparations.

Speaking of the practical exam, Danny was going to be thorough with that aspect, too. Tsukauchi was bound to be vehemently opposed to the teen's plans, so he would remain oblivious about that part of his training regimen. The detective didn't notice his absence, because Danny made sure to use his duplication power. While Danny Fenton remained in the apartment and studied, Phantom, or rather his anonymous counterpart Pariah, returned to the underground arena. He was eager to practice some new moves on the people who were fully prepared to receive a beating. He got himself a proper masque for fighting, and many more fighters fell from grace because of that one unbeatable kid. His reputation grew, and in a couple of weeks he was already known as someone who would end the fight in a couple of minutes. If he felt like it, even quicker.

His streak of victories caught the attention of some shady individuals. Phantom was invited to several gangs, leading the teen to believe that that's how they usually found new members. A logical path to take. There were some interesting potential employers, like a guy in white wearing a plague doctor mask, but edgy looks alone were not enough to sway the half-ghost. Promises of wealth, too, fell on deaf ears, and the plague doctor appeared quite disgruntled by the answer. Danny had a goal in mind, joining a gang was not it. He could come across as conceited, but Phantom did consider himself above the usual crowd of that establishment — and he wasn't afraid to voice his low opinion. It never reached the point of him coming up to the challengers and insulting them, but a single provocative line was enough to unleash all the wit he could muster.

And he certainly had something to mock.

Humans, no matter the size, were weaker and less durable than ghosts — his usual adversaries. Danny had to constantly adjust his output, be it a blast, a punch or a stab. He didn't wish to kill or severely maim his opponents. It was an excellent practice that would be useful to him in the future. His control over the output meant better control of his powers in general, and would allow for their further evolution. Furthermore, it put less strain on his core and allowed to remain a ghost for longer periods of time. If the U.A. wouldn't teach anything like it, then the school would prove to be a total waste of time in the end. It wouldn't make sense for them not to, so Danny remained optimistic. It must have been good if so many people sang praises to it.

As an extra bonus, Danny also earned himself some cash that he decided to store in a safe place for a rainy day. It certainly wasn't the income of a professional wrestler or a soccer player, but it was solid. A single pay could allow him to rent a small apartment, and since Danny had no need for such expenses at the moment, he could only store it, especially since people tended to notice such things. The local revenue services would be after his pelt if he actually spent all of those at once.

In the meantime, as both his mind and body were going through rigorous training, the day of the exam finally arrived. Danny himself was shocked at how quickly the month had passed. Tsukauchi made sure to wake up the teen as early as possible, despite the latter having set up an alarm clock. It was so that Danny still had a couple of things to shove into his head before the exam actually started. Or he could at least sort the subjects and bring some order to his depository of knowledge. Danny had no idea what the man meant, and he didn't want him to elaborate. As Tsukauchi fussed around the kitchen in an attempt to conjure a proper breakfast, the teen couldn't help but think about the past month. After all, most of what was happening with Danny's life at the moment was because of that man.

Sure, Phantom may not appreciate his restrictions, but Tsukauchi was a good person. Aside from actually taking him in, Tsukauchi wasn't letting the situation magically resolve itself and instead chose to take an active part in the life of a boy he chose to take in. Danny couldn't remember his own parents paying as much attention. Admittedly, the bar was low, but the detective was making an active effort on his own. The man's diligence applied even to bringing up a child. Tsukauchi helped Danny with his studies as much as he could, and each time they drove somewhere, he would pop a quiz on the topics Danny was learning at the moment. The teen may have grumbled, but the detective could see that the boy secretly appreciated it. That seemed to be a trend, Tsukauchi had the time to see as much.

Danny was used to toughing it out. His immensely powerful Quirk and vigilante past combined to create a special set of views. He was the only hero of his town, the one who was also scorned by the populace. He didn't see much cooperation and aid from people other than his team of associates. Danny told his guardian that he didn't always work alone, and that his friends and sister sometimes aided him from the backstage. Sam, Jazz and Tucker could not fight on an even ground with villains, like Danny. That's why he chose to act on his own most of the time. In the middle of the night, or right during the classes he sneaked out and faced the bastards alone. He didn't wish to be a burden, so he never told them about all the extra fighting he did. Tsukauchi set a goal for himself to get rid of that mindset, but it wasn't something that could be fixed in a single month. Perhaps being in a school of heroes could seal the deal, and as they rode towards it, the detective was still trying his best.

"Alright, what was the name of the event that restored Imperial rule in Japan?"

Danny scratched his temple. "Meiji-something?"

Tsukauchi sighed. "It's in the question, Danny. Meiji restoration, it is."

"Hey, I was half-right."

"Unfortunately, being 'half-right' doesn't give you half a point, Danny."

"Well, it should," Danny crossed his hands. "I just would like to end this as quick as possible."

"Danny..."

The teen threw his head backwards and moaned. "Fine, I'll do my best."

"You are not hoping to cheat, are you?"

Phantom threw him a small glare. "Have I told you how my last attempt almost killed everyone dear to me at the time? And my English teacher?"

"Sheesh," Tsukauchi shook his head. "I guess not. Still, we could use more time to prepare."

"What's done is done. No reason to worry about something out of your control," Danny smirked and sunk into his seat. "I know I'll try my hardest. That should be enough."

Tsukauchi could only hope that the boy would perform well. The car finally stopped, and since the man himself was not allowed entry, that was the time for a final encouraging word.

"Well, here we are..."

The detective looked at his charge, who was too busy gazing at the distant school building. "Are you alright, Danny?"

The teen did not respond immediately. "Just my last minute doubts. I'm still not completely sure if that's what I want to do."

Tsukauchi sighed and set the car in a parking mode.

"You worked hard this entire month, kid. Will you really reduce all that time to nothing because you got cold feet?"

"You sound like you are giving me a challenge," answered Danny, his voice still dripping with snark.

"Maybe. I've come to learn that you don't shirk from one."

"It's not that I'm afraid, Tsukauchi-san. Hell, if I fail, it won't be much of a deal for me."

Tsukauchi seemed to catch on to what the boy was saying.

"You still aren't sure if that's what you want."

Danny nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it is a good option, don't get me wrong. And with this practical exam part I actually get a chance to get into a good school. But I still worry that it will turn out to be a waste of time. What if everything ends up the same way as before?"

"I guess there isn't much I can say that I haven't said already. It really is entirely up to you, Danny. The school will provide you with everything you might need to better your skills. This will be a waste of time only if you allow it to be so. If you turn your back on becoming a better hero. You saw your flaws, then work on eradicating them instead of sweeping it all under a rug. Alright?"

The teen once again nodded. "You are right. I guess we will see how it works out."

"I know what I said, but I am confident in you. You studied really hard, and your Quirk is extremely powerful. So, don't go into the extremes. You have a good standing, but don't get too cocky either," Tsukauchi raised his fist, "Break a leg."

Danny smiled and fist pumped, before unbuckling the seating belt and exiting the car. As Tsukauchi gave him a thumbs up and asked to give him a call immediately after, he drove away to work, leaving the teen alone in a spacious area right near the entrance to the school. Briefly looking back, Danny could see the entire Musutafu. The U.A. was located atop of a hill, and the teen realised that he had seen it many times before, without realising what it was.

Phantom put hands in the pockets of his pants. Tsukauchi had insisted that Danny wore something more formal for that day, despite the latter's reluctance. The notion that the local schools had compulsory uniforms filled the teen's heart with dread and nasty memories of his arch-nemesis. His shirt was still all over the place, and his messy hair did not comply.

The next thing the teen saw was a myriad of middle-schoolers heading the same way Danny was. In that stream of hopefuls the half ghost noticed some kids that stood out too much, with their claws, wings, horns and other unusual physical traits. What was different now was the fact that those people must have been feeling pretty confident about their Quirks and could use them for fighting. Nobody was going to attack him, of course, but Danny saw the competition they posed. Other than the people who were usually the blandest folk in the background of every show, he also noticed one person in particular.

With a smirk, the teen quickly narrowed the distance between him and the raven-haired boy he had seen a month ago. The guy didn't notice Phantom before it was too late, and once an unknown boy invaded his personal space, Kirishima yelped and jumped.

"'Ello," Danny said and grinned.

"What the heck, man?! You scared me!" Kirishima raised his voice.

"Yeah, that seems to be a trend," the half ghost responded thoughtfully, rubbing the back of his neck. "And here I wanted to apologise for the last time."

"Last... time? Who are you?"

"Name's Danny. And you must be Kirishima, am I right?"

"Yes, that's me. Have we met before?" The Japanese boy looked at him in confusion.

"Yes, you and some other guys decided to enter an abandoned house. The cause of your soiled pants is before you," Danny cackled. "Not the best way to get acquainted, I admit. What were the odds that we would meet again?"

Kirishima seemed to reminisce about the incident, and his red eyes went wide. "No way. You did all of that?"

"Yep. Don't worry, it'll stay between us. I just came over to say hi and apologise. So, sorry for the scare. Off I go, now."

"Wait!" Kirishima stopped Danny before he went too far. "Did Sumeragi ask you to do that?"

Danny's story was too detailed to be a hoax, so he was instantly believed.

"Don't know who you are talking about," the half ghost shrugged. "I just felt like giving a scare."

The teen gave him a deadpan look. "You have a strange way of meeting new people."

"Oh, so you noticed? I wonder why they stay away afterwards," Danny pretended to think. "And I just got rid of social anxiety, too."

"It's not a big deal, really," responded Kirishima. "It was a very cool show, man. Very believable, too," he mumbled.

Of course it was, Danny was a half-ghost. He was almost a real deal. Danny smirked and crossed his hands.

"I am glad to receive some valuable feedback, Kirishima-san," he said. "So, no hard feelings, right?"

"Yeah, sure," Kirishima smirked too. "You came all this way to apologise, after all."

"It was only a couple of meters," Danny said and looked back to check. "You alone here?"

"I haven't seen anyone familiar yet, no."

"Wanna tag along?"

Kirishima raised an eyebrow at the sudden offer, but nodded. "Sure thing!"

Danny took the lead as they went towards the school building. They got an easy way in thanks to the provided IDs. Danny was glad to have received a Japanese one thanks to Tsukauchi's heavy effort. The building itself was a colossal glass structure composed of several interconnected pillars. It was there when the children were supposed to go through the written test. It was also a nice excursion around the place to entice the hopefuls. As they stood in line, Danny and Kirishima continued the conversation.

"So, you can harden yourself?" Asked Danny.

"You guessed right," Kirishima said proudly.

"That explains how you broke the door on your way out," Phantom threw him a small smirk. Kirishima's shoulders sank.

"Come on, man. We just agreed to leave it behind us."

"Eh, no, we agreed to keep it between us," Danny's smirk did not leave his face. "But if you want..."

"I do. That was so unmanly I am still embarrassed," Kirishima sighed. "Anyways, it's strange seeing you here."

"Strange, huh? What, you thought that scaring people is all I do?"

"I didn't mean it like that. That's the only thing I know 'bout ya."

"Can't really blame you," Danny said. "Up until a month ago I didn't even imagine myself coming here."

"I can relate, actually. But I am confident in my wish now. I want to be just like my favourite hero, Crimson Riot! And I will!"

The half ghost rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you are sure better motivated than I am."

"Don't you want to become a hero?" Asked Kirishima.

"Don't get me started on this again. My guardian was pretty insistent, that's all."

"Guardian... oh, sorry, it must be personal."

"Got that part right," Danny said, before an awkward silence settled between them. He made an attempt to resolve the issue by changing the topic. "Jeez, this line just doesn't get smaller. Can't they sort people faster?"

"Well, we already registered, so they know we are here, at least."

Danny sighed dramatically. "Take solace in small things, Fenton," he told himself quietly.

The line near the entrance shortened, and eventually Danny and Kirishima made it towards the desk. That's where Danny froze. At the desk sat one particular hero, wrapped in a scarf, looking as tired as ever. Of all the people to work there...

"You alright, kid?" Aizawa asked him.

"Oh, yes, sorry," Danny snapped out of his stupor.

"Then don't make everyone wait. Name?"

"Daniel Fenton," the teen responded.

"Dan... ah, right. For future reference, all official documents start with your last name," Eraserhead explained, clearly seeing that the boy was not local. He looked on the list and nodded. "You take the exam in a classroom C, follow the signs on the walls."

"Okay, thanks," Danny smirked and left.

He waited a bit for Kirishima, and to his surprise, the two were put in the same classroom. As the two kids went to the assigned room, Aizawa shot a brief look at Danny's back. He had a feeling they had met somewhere before. Shaking his head, the hero went back to directing the kids.

The written test was going to take two hours. The second the bell rang, Danny flipped the test paper and got down to business. Kirishima occasionally glanced at his newest acquittance, marvelling at how quickly the half ghost was filling in the gaps. In reality Phantom simply started with language questions, and after half an hour he was done with them. Just as expected, he didn't have any difficulties.

But soon the complications began and his pace slowed down. Math questions weren't something extraordinary, Danny at least memorised some formulas. Geometry was something he dealt with in his parents' lab, so the tasks to calculate the surface area of an octagon or the volume of a cylinder were difficult, but not unsolvable. The equations were dealt with somehow, Danny could only hope for a success. History was not something he was going to discuss afterwards, lest he brought further shame to his name.

After the final bell rang, Danny could only sigh and sign his test sheets. The students were then instructed to go to an auditorium for a proper briefing on how the practical exam was going to take place.

"I am doomed," Kirishima moaned along the way. "Doomed, I say!"

"That's what everyone says. Cheer up, they announce the results only in a week. The 'doom' part will come only then," Danny said and lightly nudged him.

Kirishima snorted and gave a toothy grin. "Yeah, you are right! So, what do ya think the practical test is gonna be like?"

Phantom hummed, "Unless they want to keep the tests up until the end of the week... it must be something all of us participate in, together. Something hero-like, too. I imagine it to be a mock battle of some kind. That's what heroes do, right?"

"Huh. You are right!" Kirishima said excitedly. "I've been training hard, so I want to give it my all, see?"

"Same goes for me. I always were a practice guy myself."

"Kirishima-kun!"

The sudden call from a distance caught both of them off-guard. From a crowd of students emerged a curious-looking girl. Had Danny not possessed a sense for supernatural, he would have thought that before him stood a ghost. She had pink skin, and her puffy, unruly hair had the same colour. The bizarre appearance did not end there, because the girl's eyes were pitch black, with yellow irises. To top it all off, both literally and figuratively, there were also small yellowish horns peeking from under the hair. Danny couldn't guess her theme at all.

"Friend of yours, Kirishima-san?" The half-ghost asked, looking at the teen in question.

"That's Ashido Mina, my classmate," explained Kirishima.

"Hello there," the peppy girl smiled at the boys. "It's good to see that you made it here, Kirishima-kun!"

Kirishima smirked and puffed out his chest. "It wasn't easy, but here we are."

"Wait, you guys did something besides the entrance stuff?" Asked Danny in befuddlement.

"Eh," his two acquaintances looked at each other and nodded. "Yeah. The finals at the middle school."

"Huh. I didn't go through any. Tsukauchi, you sly bastard," Danny chuckled. "Well, don't look into a gifted horse's mouth, they say."

"Woah. Did you get a recommendation?" Asked Mina in awe.

"Not an official one, at least. I really need to ask the old man about this. I'm Danny, by the way."

Mina cackled. "Nice to meet ya. Hey, you going to an auditorium, too? Mind adding another person to your party?"

Danny leaned forward a bit, lowering his eyes to her level, and pretended to carefully examine her. "What class are you, fellow adventurer?" He asked in all seriousness. "We got a tank and a wizard already."

"Why are you a wizard?" Kirishima asked and scratched his temple.

"Because Demon Lord is not a class," Danny shrugged.

"I can be a wizard or a rogue," Mina grinned. "A very pretty one, too."

Phantom smirked, "No objections on my part. What says brave warrior Kirishima?"

"I say that we accept this brave lady," Kirishima responded sagely, before the three of them laughed.

Danny couldn't help the pleasant feeling arising in his stomach. The company of the people close to his age was something he had left behind in Amity more than a month ago. Tsukauchi was a nice man, but it simply wasn't the same feeling. The building where the auditorium was located appeared enormous, and it was roughly the size of a soccer field, perhaps even bigger.

"Oh, come on!" Kirishima exclaimed, seeing a crowd that formed near the exit. "Another line?"

"How long do we have to wait?" Mina moaned, before noticing Danny's thoughtful expression. "Fenton-san?"

"I guess we can make a shortcut," he stood between the two, outstretching his hands to them.

"What are you planning?"

"You'll see. We can always stand here instead of waiting on a comfy chair."

"Nope," both of them responded and took his hands.

"Alright, watch your step, even if it might be hard, and don't make extra noise. This might tingle."

Before anyone could ask what was going on, the teens were shocked to see their bodies disappear from view. Danny was quick to react.

"Now we just move forward," he said, leading the group right into the crowd.

"Wait, how are we gonna..."

Kirishima didn't have time to finish the sentence before the cool, tingly feeling spread across his entire body. Both he and Mina saw how they were actually going through the people standing in the line. Neither said a word along the way just as Danny had instructed, and after several seconds they were already inside. Phantom released his hold, and everyone flicked back into visible spectrum.

"Well, here is that, at least," Danny mumbled.

"Dude, that was awesome!"

"Is this your Quirk?" Asked Mina excitedly.

"Yep. I call it 'Ghost' for a reason. I can also pass this power to other objects I hold."

"Hm, won't you work as a rogue class, then?" Mina said, looking to be in thought.

"You're right. But my arsenal is bigger than what you have seen. Come on, or they will take the best spots!"

As Danny went forward, Mina looked at Kirishima with a curious expression.

"Where did you meet this guy? He doesn't go to our school, right?"

"Oh, ehm..." Kirishima turned away to hide his embarrassment.

"I just came over to say hi," Danny once again appeared near them, having noticed them falling behind.

"Gah!" Mina jumped, swinging her hands in a way slightly resembling an actual martial art. "A little warning!"

"Yeah, that's how he greeted me, too," Kirishima said tiredly.

"You'll get used to it," Danny smiled and put hands on his belt, noticing the grateful look from Kirishima. "Don't lag behind."

Upon entering the main hall, the teens could only marvel once more at the size of the structure. The school was far from humble, and to dedicate so much space and put so many seats just to make announcements was insane. There was a single stage in the middle, alongside a huge screen for all to see. As Kirishima and Mina ogled the surroundings with baited breath, Danny dropped down on the nearest seat. As his fellow hopefuls sat nearby, deeper inside the row, he put his legs on the back of the chair in front of him.

"Hey, if someone wants to sit there, I'll stop," He said, seeing the judgemental looks.

The answer seemed to have satisfied the anxious middle-schoolers. The hall was filling up slowly, but at least the trio managed to get some good seats. Wishing to kill some time, Mina gave in to her curious nature.

"Say, Fenton-san, what school did you go to?"

"You wouldn't know of it," Danny responded smoothly. "I was actually a high-schooler before moving. But I have to start over now."

"That sucks, man," Kirishima said. "Wait, how old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"Really?" Mina giggled.

"What's so strange?" Danny narrowed his eyes.

"You just look..."

"Like you are thirteen or something."

The half ghost's unamused expression for some reason caused even more laughs.

"Laugh all you want," Danny mocked. "But I bet I'll score better than you during the practical."

"Oh, are we making bets?" Asked Mina with excitement.

"You want some challenge, Fenton-san?" Kirishima smirked and clenched his fist. The next moment it hardened into a stone-like form. "This ain't gonna be easy."

"You are on," Danny responded, letting his eyes glow. "What about you, Mina?"

"I don't know what either of you can do at your best," she shrugged. "So I'm not gonna risk it."

"I am actually curious how you will do, Mina," said Danny. "I didn't get to see many people with Quirks before. I find the inventive uses really interesting."

"I feel ya. I already see a lot of strong people around here," Kirishima took a look around the hall. "This will be a tough competition."

The lights above them began to dim, while the stage remained brightly lit. There was no clearer sign that the show was about to begin. Danny had his eyes transfixed on the stage, his barely beating heart picking up the pace. He was more excited about this than he dared to admit. His competitive spirit was reignited, and there would be no other chance to learn once and for all where he stood in this world's pecking order. After what felt like hours of expectation, a loud, booming voice rang across the entire area.

"Welcome, future heroes! Let's get this briefing started!"

The voice of a man emerging in the middle of the auditorium felt oddly familiar to the half-ghost. The long-haired blonde in a leather jacket excitedly flaunted his hands all around, radiating enormous amounts of energy. The next moment Danny groaned upon being assaulted by a barrage of lights and sounds. That sure was one way of introducing kids to an elite school.

"He sounds familiar," Danny mumbled, miraculously heard by Mina.

"Of course he does!" The girl squealed. "This is Present Mic we are talking about. I never thought I would see him in person. That's so cool!"

"Wait, you mean the radio DJ?" Danny rubbed the back of his neck.

"He is also a famous pro-hero!" Kirishima whispered. "Talk about a giving a welcome."

"We were guided here by heroes, though," Danny reminded.

"Yeah, but the presentation, man. Do you think he is one of the teachers?"

"I dunno," Danny shrugged. "I mean, he is a DJ, a hero, do you think he has the time to be a teacher, too?"

"Who knows. But if they are calling Present Mic as an announcer guy, how great do you think the rest of the school is?"

"I guess you are right. It's really cool."

Present Mic was a music connoisseur, if it hadn't been obvious from his DJ job. The song pick for the sudden introduction was catchy and suited Danny's tastes a lot. Still, it wasn't what they came here for. When the flashy introduction was done with, the energetic man continued to speak.

"Welcome to today's live performance! Everyone, say 'HEY'!"

Even the crickets were silent this time.

"Well, that's cool, my examinee listeners!"

Danny was honestly impressed by the man's ability to smoothly ignore the lack of any feedback.

"I'm here to present the guidelines for your upcoming test! Are you ready?!"

A good joke was the one that could be repeated more than once. Mic was once again met with silence, and Phantom's befuddlement turned into amusement. Still, he snapped his fingers, and the screen above showed a branching diagram.

"This is how the test will go, my listeners! You will be experiencing ten-minute long mock cityscape manoeuvres! Bring along whatever you want and after this presentation you'll head to an assigned testing locations!"

Danny smirked and leaned back in his seat. He turned out to be correct about the exam. He still was unsure about how exactly they were going to be graded. Noticing Mina and Kirishima look at the special cards they were given at the entrance, Danny looked down and finally realised what those big single letters meant — the test site where they would be graded.

"Hm... Guess we will not see each other perform," Danny said, looking over Mina's shoulder.

"Yeah. That's really a bummer," Kirishima grumbled.

"So, we just trust each other's words after we are done?"

"I guess so."

"You can just wait until the results arrive," Mina offered.

"No can do," the boys said simultaneously.

"This has become a matter of principle, lady," Danny added, receiving a confident nod from Kirishima. The latter's conviction seemed to surprise Mina for some reason. She didn't have time to think about it for long, because the announcer was not yet done.

"Each site you visit is filled with three types of faux villains," he said as the screen showed the shadowy silhouettes. "You get points for dispatching the enemies. Each type of faux villains gets you points according to their difficulty levels."

As Mic went on with his explanations, numbers 1, 2 and 3 were slapped on the silhouettes. The images then changed to show a shadowy figure dispatching of the foes by... hopping on them.

"Is this Mario?" Danny quietly voiced his surprise.

"Feel free to use the full potential of your Quirk to disable the villains and earn your points! Of course, playing antihero and attacking other students is prohibited and will result in your disqualification! Ya dig?!"

"May I ask a question?"

The sudden question came from an audience. It was quite dark in the rest of the hall, but the boy who spoke up was not far from the teen. The guy was tall, and his look screamed that the guy meant business. A neat and tidy suit, the glasses and carefully combed dark blue hair all formed a strong impression. There was something robotic about the way he moved, straightforward and hardly agile.

Perhaps it was his way of showing his righteous intentions. He actively tapped on his own list as he spoke loudly without even waiting for the permission.

"On this handout there appear to be no less than four types of villains!" He spoke with an official tone. "Such a blatant error, if it is one, is highly unbecoming of UA, Japan's top academy! We're all here today in hopes of being molded into model heroes!"

Without taking another breath, he suddenly looked up and right into Danny's eyes, much to the latter's surprise.

"And you! With raven hair! Remove your legs from the front seat! If this is a game for you, then please leave immediately!"

Danny was not letting it slide. "Who put you in charge?" He asked loudly.

The newfound stickler was not going to waste time on bickering. The guy was the antithesis of the word discreetness, but Danny actually decided to follow suit and sit normally. He didn't want to be known as someone disruptive.

"The guy sure is fun," Danny muttered.

"He is just too straightforward," whispered Mina in an attempt to ease the tension.

"Alright, alright!" Mic was quick to the rescue. Ignoring the brief argument, he decided to answer the question of an overly-diligent boy. "Examinee 7111, thanks for calling in!" The hero smiled brightly. "You see, the fourth type of faux villains gives you zero points! Those are more of an obstacle than anything else! One such guy will rampage in close quarters and must be avoided!"

The stickler boy bowed his head. "Thank you, sir! Sorry for the interruption!"

As he sat back, Present Mic opened his arms wide and with the ever-present excitement and hype, went on to finish his speech.

"That's all from me! I'll leave my listeners with our school motto! The great hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said 'true heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life'," Present Mic smiled, "Plus Ultra! Break a leg, everyone!"

And this time, the man's call resonated with the audience, and the crowd of students shouted back.

"Plus Ultra!"

Danny wasn't among the more excitable people in the crowd. His mind was focused at the task laid out before him.

He was going to fight against soulless machines, which Danny found perfect. The stars finally aligned, and against robots he could allow himself to go all out. They wanted to bring out and assess everyone's potential. It was also a no-brainer, relatively speaking. It was no rescue, there were no damsels tied to a railroad. Just good, old-fashioned beating. He wasn't the only person happy about the development. His companions were happy as well.

Kirishima himself fought in close quarters, so the opportunity to engage in a fist fight with machines excited him. Mina shared her own power with Danny, and it was just as destructive if need be — her skin could secrete acid. The half ghost was still wondering about the theme part.

"So, Fenton-san," Kirishima grinned, "How do we count? The points or the robots?"

"Nobody will count the robots. Let's go with points," Danny said and put hands in his pockets. "Whelp, off I go now. Good luck to you, guys."

"Same to you!" Said Mina, "Let's see each other after we are done!"

"Sure thing," Danny saluted, "How about the loser treating everyone to lunch, huh, Kirishima?"

"Cannot wait for my free ramen!" Responded the Japanese boy.

Smirking, the half ghost set out for his assigned zone. As he went, the teen opened his palm and let the energy flow between his fingers. The time was finally coming for him to show the world, or at least a certain part of it, what he was fully capable of. The practical test was supposed to make up for the shortcomings of the written one, he had to remind this to himself constantly. Thus he had to go far and beyond what his competitors could reach. He joked about it near Kirishima, but he was dead set on leaving the guy in the dust, along with others. He almost felt bad about leaving the guy zero chances.

It was his potential that helped him pass certain stipulations. To deny it, to hold back, was to betray the expectations of the man to whom Danny owed a great deal. Even if the teen was unsure if that's what he wanted, it was the opportunity. And if he was reluctant to pursue that goal, he could do it as a form of payback to Tsukauchi. Phantom needed a purpose of his own, so let the temporary one guide him.

The feeling was new to the teen. And at the same time, he was used to it. Danny was a hero of two worlds, he had a reason to fight, for he wanted to protect the safety of others. It was something the teen had unconsciously accepted, neglecting the fact that he received no gratitude for it. So, Phantom was accustomed to fighting for others. Now, the positions were switched. Tsukauchi performed the feat and, unlike the ungrateful masses, Danny was going to repay his debt in full.

Perhaps it sounded too dramatic, but Danny was serious about his intentions. He was going to ace that exam.

His confidence was not shaken when he saw the testing area. Or, at least, the tall buildings that peeked from behind the tall walls. The size of said wall was gargantuan. The testing area had to be the size of a small district. The concept alone left Danny in awe, for there were many of such areas. He knew the school was an elite one, but the funds required to build all of that must have been massive. Furthermore, that size also meant limited observations on the part of the teachers.

Maybe the robots had a death camera of sorts, but then how would they account for stealth attacks? Or maybe the cameras were spread across the entire area. Danny couldn't comprehend the scale of conducted work, so he was genuinely impressed. Casper High had nothing on this. Shaking his head, the teen freed his mind of such boorish questions. He wasn't at the school just yet. The time to brag would only come later.

Phantom saw other students coming to the closed front entrance, each of them wearing something more appropriate for fighting: gym uniforms, T-shirts and the sort. Danny glanced at his own getup, knowing how he needed to change himself. Another thing the teen saw was the looks the people were giving him. So he was already 'that unruly guy from the main hall'. The halfa had a good hearing, he heard the whispers. Danny had long since learned to ignore those, but now he wondered if there was actually some merit to the situation. He needed to start thinking about what kind of hero he was going to be.

Kirishima was a hard, straightforward one. Mina appeared to be cheerful and friendly. Eraserhead, the man that arrested him, was quiet and gloomy, the total opposite of the number one All Might, boisterous and charming in his own way. Danny would have to come up with his own idea, realise his strongpoints and act upon them more. But that was a story for another day.

The teen saw that enough people gathered near the entrance. The call to action could happen any minute now. With his peripheral sight, Danny could see Present Mic on one of the side towers. That could only mean one thing.

"Aaand begin!" The loud hero shouted, his voice resonating across the entirety of the huge area.

The most quick-thinking examinees did not need to be told twice, and the crowd of students started pushing each other before they even made it to the gates. Danny took a deep breath. That was it. His time to brightly shine had come.

"Going ghost," he whispered, raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Immediately the familiar rings of moonlight emerged, travelling up and down his body. The gaze of his blazing emerald eyes was turned towards the entrance.

Without wasting another second, he assumed the proper launching position and lunged forward. The force of his push was enough to leave cracks on the asphalt path, and Phantom flew over everyone's heads at a neck-breaking speed. He couldn't hear his surprised competitors, nor had the opportunity to see their faces.

The halfa got well-ahead of the rest, before grinding to a halt. If the teachers had their cameras set all around, he could fight even far away from the rest, without depriving the others from the opportunity to fight. However, looking around from his spot in the air, he didn't see any bots in close vicinity.

"What, you guys got scared already?" The teen mocked the empty air. "Can't really blame ya."

He had barely finished the sentence before seeing something coming at him from above. Danny bolted to the side at the last second, and as the machine landed on the ground with thunderous noise, the teen got a good look at it. The best and concise description would be 'robo-scorpion'. The green robot had number 2 plastered on its legs, and its three red eyes immediately spotted the target.

"Wow, that's some cool design," Danny said with genuine excitement.

The robot did not appreciate the compliment, dead set on causing harm. The metal beast lunged forward, swinging its claws and tails sporadically. Danny could guess where its weak spots were. For many animals, normal, ghost or machine, stomach was the most vulnerable place. The machine had its belly near the ground, the ever-present compromise of engine and armour must have been reflected there. They must have saved up on protection down there. As the machine ran forward with animalistic ferocity, Danny put the tip of his leg on the ground. The next second a line of ice spikes started emerging from the ground, meeting the robot head on.

The ice pierced through the machine's stomach. He must have hit the fuel tank, because the robot instantly exploded into the boy's grinning face. His hair was a mess, so he pulled them back.

"Looks like the guess was spot on. Two points for Phantom."

If that bot was something average, the half ghost was in for an easy ride. Those were training bots built without intention to kill the students who had no prior fighting experience. For all the suspense and drama, the school was playing in the giveaway. Danny just had to play smart and not underestimate the opponents. At the very least, they would waste too much of his time.

Phantom's ears caught the sounds of distant fighting all around. It appeared that everyone was getting into the fights. As he thought about this, the walls of the nearest building shattered into pieces. From the inside rolled out another robot, a different kind. It was a three-pointer, a tall mech-style machine that had its visors set on the teen from the start. That guy wasn't going to go down as easily. Before the teen attacked it, he heard the whirring of the wheels behind him. Briefly looking back, the teen saw robots coming from behind. Those were 1-pointers — smaller two-handed bots moving on huge single wheels.

Danny noticed the 3-pointer going for the hit, but the teen turned intangible at the last second. The immediate danger passed and the teen jumped on top of the arm stuck in the pavement. The halfa outstretched his palm and created a sword made of hardened ice. He stabbed the robot's hand and lunged towards the robot's top, without taking the blade out of the opponent's limb.

Once there, Danny jumped in the air and used his free hand to fire an ectoblast at the grouped 1-pointers. The explosion ripped the weak bots apart before the teen began to fall. In a single motion Danny swung his weapon downward. A single roar escaped his mouth as he cut the machine in half.

As he landed on the ground, the sword snapped in half. Tossing the weapon aside, Phantom started looking for more robots, taking into the air once more.

Perhaps going too far was not the best idea. The organisers probably kept most bots closer to the students. Phantom became a blur of black and white that bolted from one building to another on each side of the street, phasing through the walls and occasionally blowing the robots' hideouts. Since they were operational and could fight back, the teen saw nothing illegal in this.

As the teen phased inside one such building, however, he was immediately greeted by a swing of a metallic arm. With a yelp, Phantom rolled in the air, sliding right under the swing, the hit missing him by an inch. Danny landed on the ground and slid across it.

"Jeez, you tin cans can actually learn. Colour me impressed."

So far his attacks on the hidden bots were swift and merciless, they didn't have the time to react. This time the 3-pointer was ready for him.

The area still had the machine at a disadvantage. The robot was an elephant in a china shop, its mobility was restricted even if the building was largely hollow. Still, the 3-pointer totally ignored the stipulations, ramming through the columns of concrete and steel. Danny readied himself for the hit and raised his ice-encased forearm to meet it.

The force of the strike staggered the robot and shattered Phantom's protection. Danny gritted his teeth, not expecting the hit to be this hard. However, the bot was thrown off balance by the impact, and that's what Phantom wanted. Before the machine could attack again, charging a blast with both hands, Phantom put them together and blasted the 3-pointer with tremendous strength, enough to force the fight outside. Danny bolted outside, and the heavily damaged machine did not resist what followed next. Phantom's gloved fist, imbued with ectoplasmic energy, made an impact with the robot's three eyed face.

The hit was strong enough to get through the armour and damage the main processing core. The light in the robot's eyes was gone, and the teen took it as his win.

Thankfully, this time the machine did not explode, collapsing on the ground instead.

Danny grinned upon adding more points to his collection. The teen then noticed that down the street a group of examinees was fighting, too. So he actually made it back to the rest. His expectations for a proper fight turned out to be well-placed, because from the alleyway emerged even more robots, the weaker ones.

Smirking, Phantom swiped his finger. An unfortunate 1-pointer, surrounded by green light, was rammed into another and blocked the exit, but a 2-pointer leaped into the air and avoided the improvised projectile, going straight for the target. Now Danny opened and swiped his entire palm, and the invisible force first pinned the scorpion to the ground, before launching it into a wall, running the machine along it, back on the ground, and then sending it into the air. Phantom flew to it and grabbed one of the robot's tails. His next move was to throw the now piece of junk at the unfortunate 1-pointers at the speed not enough for them to react.

Seeing more robots above on the rooftops and below, Danny prepared himself for the continuous onslaught. Yet he wasn't ready for a suicidal jump a 2-pointer from the nearby roof made in an attempt to get him down to the ground. Phantom made another blade and stabbed the machine, again in the belly, before throwing both the scorpion and the weapon half-inside it onto the ground. The robot exploded, but the half ghost wasn't done. He saw the robots below coming for the rest of the students.

"I apologise, folks!" Danny said and laughed, theatrically opening his arms wide. "But these ones are mine."

The sky around the halfa was filled with a pleiad of glimmering icicles. Like bullets from a machine gun, the sharp pieces of ice were hurled forward, raining on the ground below, going through the robots like knife through butter. The machines fell down one after another, covered in deadly icy needles. Albeit most of the damage was caused by the icicles now inside of them. The triumphant half-ghost softly landed on one of the downed robots, basking in the metaphorical light of the people's attention. The span of said attention was short, however, because everyone had to get back to fighting, and Phantom himself was not exception. And he had his eyes set on the approaching 3-pointer.

The huge machine quickly rolled down the street, crushing the downed robots beneath it. Danny got into a position for meeting it with a punch, his arm surrounded by sparks of ectoplasmic energy. However, at the last second, the robot received a hit at its side with an almost comically large fist. Phantom's head immediately snapped in direction where the punch came from.

That Popeye-style attack was done by a slim redheaded girl, who managed to push the robot backwards by her attack. Panting for breath, she glanced at Phantom.

"Sorry," she wiped her mouth with the normal-sized hand. "But this guy is mine."

If anything, Danny was amused. She obviously mocked what he said just then. The next second the 3-pointer came for another attack, and the girl was about to jump away, when a green barrier blocked the strike of the machine. Surprised, she looked at Phantom again.

"If you want to snatch my kill, then don't get distracted!" He called to her, before the barrier lightly blew into the bot's face.

The girl saw the created smoke as a perfect opening, so she lunged forward and swung her enlarged fist. The impact seemed to be enough for the 3-pointer to fall, but not die. As she continued to pummel the robot, Danny saw a two-pointer jump out of one of the windows above.

"Oh, for the love of..."

Phantom's eyes flashed, before twin beams of energy flew out and cut the robot in half.

"You guys don't know when to quit. Not that I mind."

Being around living people sure untied his tongue.

The street was quickly becoming a junkyard with a multitude of arriving bots. Danny saw how some contestants were already out of juice. And that certainly bode trouble for them. They got sloppy, exhausted even though barely half of the time had passed, if Present Mic's calls to the audience were anything to go by. Danny's instincts decided to kick in, and between casually slaying the robots, he kept an eye on others. It appeared that the redhead was having the same idea, which made the latter task all the more easier.

The teen wondered if there was something to the exam that he was missing. Certainly for most people killing bots was not going to cut it to the maximum result.

"That guy sure looks like he may need help, red," Danny said to the girl, before flicking his finger at the 1-pointer that attacked him.

The attack crushed the metal contraption to pieces. The shocked examinee girl stared at the display, but snapped out of it. She looked at the downed trembling boy, the one Phantom pointed towards, and nodded.

"Please cover me," she told him.

"Not afraid of me taking your points?"

"I can live without a couple."

As the girl ran forward, Danny could only smirk. He saw more robots coming red's way, and while she could take 1-pointers easily, a scorpion could pose a problem. Phantom fired an ectoblast at the machine, before another barrier appeared behind the halfa. The 1-pointer hit the green wall, before it suddenly grew spikes and pierced the machine.

"Thought I forgot about you?" Phantom said and dissolved the wall.

Then he felt a pang in his core. Grabbing his chest, the teen cursed.

"Damn it. Looks I am being wasteful, too," he chuckled. "A three course meal doesn't cut it either, huh?"

He needed more proper ectoplasm to properly function. Energy could not come from just anywhere. He could neglect the Raymond Lindemann law, but it still could not be enough. The half-ghost would still go for long enough to complete the test, but he could only guess for how long he could actually keep that up. Phantom shook his head and looked back at the other examinees. The redhead really was getting into this, trying to save as many as she could.

Danny thought it was admirable that she dedicated her precious time to this. It made all the sense in a world, given what kind of school they all wanted to get in.

Snapping into action, Phantom bolted forward, deciding to put his power to a better use. At the last second he snatched the trembling tiny kid and pushed him away from a 3-pointer's pummel strike. The kid fell on his knees, his face full of tears.

"THANK YOU SO MUCH!" He shouted and bowed his head on the ground rigorously.

Danny put up a shield around him, protecting the examinee from another strike. Then the halfa blasted the 1-pointer away.

"Don't just stand here!" Phantom raised his voice and dissolved the barrier. "If you need to take a breath, then retreat!"

"I-I-I... watch out!"

Danny spun around and grabbed the attacking 3-pointer's hand. Using his free palm, Phantom made a swiping motion, and the crescent-shaped charge of ectoenergy blasted the machine away.

"You were saying?" Danny smirked as the energy dissipated between his fingers.

The boy with strange puffy hair gulped.

"You are right! I need to hide!"

"That's not what I..."

But before he could finish the sentence, the boy ran off at a speed that could probably outpace a 1-pointer. And those guys had wheels for legs. Danny sighed, going off to finish off the 3-pointer before moving further.

Meanwhile, inside a special monitor room, the paw of one particular white-furred person reached for a large, glowing red button.

After melting the face of the biggest robot, Danny mentally added more points to his counter. Phantom also wondered how well Kirishima and Mina were doing. His arrogant side said that clearly not as well as him, but it didn't stop him from worrying both for their safety and score.

"You done spacing out?" The familiar redhead asked him.

"Oh," Danny looked at her and then around. The battle had died down by then, and many students were taking the time take a breather. "Where did the robots go?"

"We probably crushed too many," the girl shrugged, but then her look turned thoughtful. "Something's bugging me, though."

"What is it?"

"Have you met the obstacle villain on your way here?"

Now that she mentioned it, he completely forgot about the 0-pointer. As he thought about this, both Phantom and the girl felt the ground vibrate. The distant noises grew closer, but so far there was no visual.

"Speak of the Devil," Danny mumbled.

"You think it's the 0-pointer?"

"Only one way to find out. There aren't any bots left here anyway. Need a lift?"

The girl nodded and took his hand, before Danny flew up.

"I'm Danny, by the way," he said on their way to the roof.

"Kendo Itsuka, nice to meet you," the girl said and looked at him. "Why am I feeling so weird?"

"Because you are near a handsome hero," Danny smirked, "Actually, it's because I'm not carrying you. I just pass the flying power to ya," he briefly explained, before suddenly something hit the building in front of them with such force that it came crashing down. The shattered glass would have harmed the two if not for the last-second use of intangibility.

The wall of dust prevented them from seeing the robot immediately, but Danny and Kendo finally landed on the nearest available roof. Phantom raised his hand and used telekinesis to push away the dust.

The two of them were then faced with a myriad of gigantic crimson lights — the eyes of the newest machine. The colossal size of the robot could instil terror in many, for it took Danny reaching the top of a multi-story building just to look that thing in the eye. The green machine ignored the two teens, choosing instead to move down the road, towards a larger group of students. Phantom turned to the side, seeing that Kendo was just as shocked as he was, if not more.

"THAT'S our obstacle?" She asked.

"His head kinda looks like a printer cartridge."

"Is this what you are thinking about?" The girl asked incredulously.

"Hey, we don't need to break this thing, remember?" Danny argued. "Just avoiding it should be enough..." he trailed off, looking at the students far away. "Although the guys down there are less fortunate. Gonna join and try to help?"

"We have no choice!" The girl cracked her knuckles. "You'll assist me, right?"

Danny sighed dramatically. The half ghost still had the time to go for proper faux villains and earn himself even more points. There was certainly going to be less competition. And yet, he could not go against his nature. There were people in need of saving. Even if nobody was going to die that day, that robot could cause some severe harm.

The fate actually was playing a trick on him, he realised. The very cause of his doubts and guilt reappeared, he could go for points, run away once more for his own self-benefit like he escaped Amity Park, his responsibility to protect the people of his town. Or he could prove to himself and all others that he was not a coward.

"I would not run away anymore," Danny whispered inaudibly, clenching his fists and turning to Kendo. "You ain't getting off this roof without me, anyway."

Again he took the girl's hand, before both of them started quickly flying towards the robot.

"We really need a plan."

"You are very flashy, you should distract it. I'll help the others get into safety."

"These dum-dums have no appreciation for my humour."

"Then just blast it, this should get its attention!" Kendo shouted over the noise the machine created, before making her free fist larger. "Throw me closer to the others! I can properly land!"

"Your funeral, red."

Danny hoped he adjusted the strength just right. He spun together with the girl and threw her forward. Kendo flew right past the robot, using her enlarged hands to ease the fall. The diagonal trajectory also helped the girl land properly. Phantom saw her cleaning the debris, but he had no time to sit idle and watch. Charging a blast with both of his hands, he unleashed the green surge of energy at the side of the machine's head. With the laser lacking proper power, the robot only sustained a burn and a large enough dent. That guy's armour was something else.

"Hey, rust bucket!" Danny shouted and clapped to get attention. "Someone paid for all this stuff you broke!"

With a loud noise, the robot slowly turned its head to look at the teen again. Its spider eyes sized the half ghost, covering him in red light. Phantom casually floated closer and tapped on its metal face.

"You are one big tin can. But I fought someone bigger."

Down below, Kendo was too busy cleaning the debris. That robot was merciless to the cityscape first and foremost. Throwing another piece of concrete away, she managed to get a frightened girl from down below.

"Quick, find a safer spot! Don't stand in the way!" The redhead called, before looking to the side.

She was faced by a bizarre sight. There was a blonde boy who was neither tired, nor scared. He was just... out there. Like a bumbling idiot he slowly walked around and snickered stupidly. His face, in the meantime, looked absolutely vacant. Kendo wondered if some student actually decided to attack a fellow examinee, but there was no time to find out. Looking up, she saw how the 0-pointer was continuously assaulted by lighting-fast attacks. Danny was keeping the robot from moving further, just as intended.

Then, Kendo saw a pack of one pointers coming their way.

"Not now," the redhead groaned. "You there! The blonde one! Move or you will get harmed!"

But the guy was absolutely braindead and did not respond to any calls. Kendo was about to come to his rescue, before she heard a loud, high pitched scream. The next moment, she saw a barrage of purple squishy balls being thrown by the kid she had seen before. The one that had run off in terror. Kendo looked at the road now lined with the balls that the boy was ripping from his hair and frantically throwing. The 1-pointers rolled right on them, but appeared to be glued to them. Thrown off-balance, the tripped and fell one after another.

"Finish them off!" The tiny boy screamed.

Kendo didn't need to be told twice. With a swift move of her fist she smashed them, one after another, careful not to stick to the balls herself.

"Appreciate the assistance," Kendo looked at the boy, who was... ogling her. And not in a good way. More like, a very indecent one.

Great, he was one of those.

"Can you guide this one away from here?" She pointed at the braindead boy. "He can walk. Probably."

"Y-yeah!" The boy saluted. "What about you?"

"I'd feel bad leaving that guy alone," Kendo pointed at Phantom.

Danny turned intangible and avoided the swing of the enormous hand of the robot. The half-ghost fired another blast, still realising the futility of that attack. The bastard had too many layers of armour. That much he could see from the holes he made by continuously punching the machine. After piercing one layer, the energy  of the blasts then spread throughout the next one. Danny had to put out more energy to actually harm it. Phantom looked back, and saw the redhead giving him thumbs up. So, everyone managed to escape the robot's onslaught.

"And now they are probably earning more points," Danny mumbled and stretched his muscles. "Alright, big guy. Now you ain't gonna kill anyone when you fall."

He charged a much bigger blast than before, also letting go of his flight. Thus, the next beam of green light not only chopped off a part of the robot's neck, but also launched the halfa backwards and downwards, towards his red-head companion. The teen stopped the blast and slid across the ground without falling, coming to a halt right by Kendo.

"Hello there," he smirked. "How much time do we have left?"

"Present Mic just said we have one minute remaining."

Danny's look turned thoughtful. "How many points do you have?"

"I think... with these ones it will be 27. Why do you ask?"

"Then go. You can still earn more."

"And you?"

"Hey, I can try to hold it off for longer. Maybe even break."

"This won't bring you any points."

"I am just that kind of a samaritan. I lost my count at sixty a while ago, I'll be fine without the last minute... wait, you hear that?"

Kendo looked where Danny was staring. To her horror, she saw that there was even more debris, and she had missed a student crying for help.

"For hero examinees, you guys sure get in trouble a lot," Danny mumbled, running towards the debris.

Kendo followed right after him, seeing the robot come closer. Phantom swiped his hand, and the debris was cleared in an instant. The halfa picked the student and wrapped the teen's hand around his shoulder.

"Can you walk?" Danny asked.

"A bit... I think my leg is injured."

"Danny!" Kendo exclaimed.

At the last second, Phantom saw that the robot was going for a smash. He raised his hands and erected an ecto-shield above his head. The teen fell on the ground again, but was caught by Kendo's palm. The redhead stared in shock at the half-ghost, who had met the hundreds of tons worth of pressure head on. Danny's legs buckled, his teeth were gritted as he kept resisting the strike.

"Honestly," he breathed out. "Do they want to get us killed?! What are you waiting for?!"

Kendo got the message, and even if she wanted to help, the best help she could give was to carry the injured from under the enormous palm of the robot. The second they were out, Danny turned intangible and let go. The force that had pent up during the strike made an impact with the ground, and the thunderous earthquake resonated throughout the area. Kendo and the student were launched away by the invisible force, landing only a hundred meters away, rolling on the hard ground.

When the robot lifted its palm, Phantom remained standing there, panting for breath his ghost form didn't need.

"Alright, that was a good one," he muttered and smirked, "Thank you for ridding us of extra audience."

As Phantom spoke, he assumed a hard stance, his legs firmly on the ground.

"And now, for the grand finale."

Taking a deep breath, Danny felt the enormous surge of power within him, trying to prematurely break free. He held it within, piling it up, before unleashing his most destructive power to date.

The Ghostly Wail.

A soul freezing noise that held enormous destructive power. The ectoplasmic energy bounced across the sound waves, amplifying the damage tenfold and making those waves visible to a naked eye. Immediately the windows in a hundred meters area shattered, and the unfortunate people in close vicinity had to cover their ears to hide from the deafening sounds.

The main damage was being caused directly before Phantom's eyes. The asphalt was ripped off, the lampposts, cars and downed robots were launched away. The main recipient of the destructive power was the robot. The 0-pointer's attempt to stand the ground only made it worse, as it met the strike dead on. It's armour was slowly being peeled off, and the screeching of metal joined the cacophony of noises. The robot could not attack, could not move any further.

With a final strain, the head that was held by weakened neck joints, was ripped off, flung hundreds of meters away. The 0-pointer was finally downed.

The wail grew more and more quiet, before Danny finally stopped. The teen's legs betrayed him, and he fell on his knees, panting for air even harder. He could feel that he was left with too little energy, but with a desire to vomit. That was the longest he had ever kept the wail going. Through the temporary nausea, Danny heard the announcement of Present Mic.

The time ran out.

Slowly, Phantom got back to his feet, his legs still wobbly. He still had it in himself to slowly float forward towards the exit.

Danny decided that his results were satisfactory. Perhaps even incredible. What he knew for certain, is that he did everything he could.

Eventually he came across Kendo, who ran up to him with a worried expression.

"Danny! Are you alright? What was that?" She bombarded him with questions.

"Well, the Ghostly Wail is more powerful than I remember," Danny gave a strained smile. "Feel like vomiting on your shoes, my head is killing me and I'm not sure where I'm going. Which way is the exit again?"

"Why did you even do that?"

"Heh. Old man wanted to know everything I'm capable of. So I am showing just that. Don't worry. I'll probably be fine by the time we reach the exit. The after effects are temporary. You got any points?"

"No..."

"You mean to tell me it was all in vain?" Danny asked dramatically, "Woe upon me."

"Well, you are good enough to joke around."

The two of them eventually made it to exit. Somewhere along the way, Danny did feel better, and just in time. His ghost form gave up, reverting him to the human one. Kendo sure was surprised, but she knew that the teen was in no condition to talk. The halfa still had a splitting headache, but at least he could walk. They talked again only once they left the cityscape area.

"Well, I guess that's it," Kendo mumbled. "I hope you pass. You probably did better than anyone out there."

"I did," Danny said without a shred of humility. "I hope you get in, too. Maybe you didn't destroy as many bad guys," he smirked, "But you sure are nagging enough to be a hero."

Kendo gave him a deadpan look, before snorting.

"Well, see ya around," Danny said and saluted her. "I still have to get my free lunch."

"Ehm... bye."

Phantom began searching for Mina and Kirishima, but not without calling Tsukauchi first. Diligently informing his guardian about his exam, he also told the man that he was going to have lunch with some new people he met. And of course, the detective sounded extremely happy that Danny met some of his peers. Tsukauchi didn't want to discuss the event in details over the phone, especially since he was busy at work, but Danny would have to do some explaining in the evening.

Putting the phone back in his pocket, the teen took another look at the distant glass building of U.A. Academy.

That was a major step on the teen's hero path. And whether he was going upward or running around in circles remained to be seen.