Chapter 111

A Smoldering Beginning (燻りビギニング) is the one-hundredth and eleventh chapter of Kohei Horikoshi's Boku no Hero Academia.

Summary
The reason why the Provisional Hero License Exam has a real-life situation by having villains in the exam is because the Hero Public Safety Commission's Headquarters changed the exam's structure to include real-life scenarios so as to prepare upcoming Heroes for actual combat situations. The Provisional Hero License Exam's change is supposed to emphasize collaboration and cooperation. Mera thinks about the major change made to the Provisional Hero License Exam, seeing that the Hero Public Safety Commission wants to gather potential Heroes who strongly value unity since there will never be another All Might. Mera notes that while the HUC will be evaluating the examinees rescue actions, 100 members from the Hero Public Safety Commission will evaluate the examinees overall movements and proper usage of Quirks; they will evaluate one examinee each. In order to pass the Provisional Hero License Exam, the examinees must get more than 50 points otherwise they fail.

In the disaster area, Gang Orca and his goons begin attacking. Shouto and Inasa head towards the villains while Izuku is nearby the villains along with You Shindou, who uses his Quirk to stop the advance of the goons in order to create distance between the Heroes and the Villains. Although Shindou manages to stop some goons, Gang Orca uses his Quirk to emit a paralyzing sound wave which stops Shindou in his tracks. Suddenly, Gang Orca is struck by Shouto's ice glacier, but Gang Orca manages to shield himself by breaking some of the ice. Fumikage, Mina and Mashirao arrive with Mashirao informing Izuku that they were at the waterfront while Tsuyu and most of Class 1-A are in a nearby town continuing rescue operations. Inasa shows up and uses his wind Quirk to blast some of the goons away.

Some members of the Hero Public Safety Commission are impressed with the examinees rescue center operation and are pleased that Shouto and Inasa who have combat-suited Quirks are attacking the villains. Shouto notices Inasa and tells him to go help in the rescue operation, but Inasa ignores him and blasts wind on the villains which blows Shouto's flames away. Inasa is annoyed that Shouto used his fire, to which Shouto defends that his ice was ineffective. Inasa criticizes Shouto for attacking the villains first so that he can get all the credit, much to Shouto's confusion. Inasa attributes his belief that Shouto is selfish because he is Endeavor's son. Shouto becomes angry at Inasa since his father has nothing to do with this exam. Suddenly, the other goons retaliate which causes Shouto to be struck by one of their cement weapons while Inasa uses his wind Quirk to fly and dodge their attack. Inasa remembers his childhood where he witnessed Endeavor defeating a villain and came to admire Endeavor because he symbolized Inasa's belief that Heroes have hot spirits which inspire and move people. The young Inasa asked for an autograph, but Endeavor refused to sign him one and told him not to stand in his way. Endeavor's rudeness shocked the young Inasa and caused him to despise Endeavor because he betrayed his admiration for him. Years later at U.A. High's Entrance Exam, Inasa tried to greet Endeavor's son, Shouto. However, Shouto also rejected Inasa just like his father. Inasa despises Shouto and Endeavor because they do not symbolize his belief of what a true Hero should be. With his right side immobilized by cement, Shouto refutes that he is like his father. Shouto begins admitting to himself that he still hates his father, but stops thinking about his hatred so that he can concentrate on the exam.

Orca questions the logic behind Shouto and Inasa's argument amongst each other while in front of a villain. Inasa states to Shouto that he will never recognize him nor Endeavor as Heroes, but Shouto ignores him. Shouto and Inasa begin their counter attack on Gang Orca and his goons; Shouto blasts fire while Inasa launches a blast of wind. However, Inasa's wind blasts Shouto's fire in another direction; Shouto's fire begins heading towards the paralyzed Shindou. Suddenly, Izuku uses his enhanced speed to rescue Shindou, saving him from Shouto's fire. Izuku is furious with Shouto and Inasa for their impersonal bickering and putting others in danger.