"Then use your Quirk and try throwing it again," Aizawa instructed Bakugo, directing him to the designated circle. "As long as you don't leave that circle, you can do anything. Hurry up and give it your all."
Bakugo began flexing his arms, stretching, and muttering, "So... I'll add my Explosion to the throw's power..."
"Die!"
Boom!
With a loud bang, Bakugo hurled the softball. It shot rapidly into the sky amidst flames, only beginning its descent after reaching a tremendous height.
As Shoto Todoroki, with his half-white, half-red hair, watched this scene, he gained some understanding of Bakugo's strength. Strictly speaking, Todoroki was a recommended student and was considerably stronger than those who passed the entrance exam.
But this boy named Katsuki Bakugo had ranked first in U.A. High's entrance exam, so he had to take him seriously.
He made a point of understanding every potential rival.
"First, you must understand your own limits. That is the rational way to build the foundation of a hero," Aizawa said, taking out the measuring device and checking it before showing the result to all the students present.
"705 meters... Are you kidding me?" Denki Kaminari, the blond boy, looked at the number on the device, speechless. Is this Bakugo guy really that strong?
"This looks like fun!" Mina Ashido was eager to try.
"You can use your Quirks as much as you want. As expected of the Hero Course," Hanta Sero also wanted to give it a shot, though he knew his Quirk couldn't compare to Bakugo's; they weren't even in the same category.
"Seems fun... doesn't it?" Aizawa's lips curled into a cold smile. "Do you all plan to spend the next three years with this casual mentality, just growing into heroes?"
"Alright then," Aizawa declared, his tone shifting. "I will judge the person who ranks last in the total score across these eight tests as having no potential... and expel them." His words sent a jolt through everyone's hearts. Those with strong abilities might not be too worried, but Izuku Midoriya was truly terrified.
His Quirk was still in the adjustment phase, arguably the initial stage. If he exerted too much force, his arms would be severely injured, crippled by the uncontrollable power.
This was the most unfair aspect for Izuku Midoriya at the moment, but did he have any choice?
"It's a teacher's freedom to deal with students as they see fit," Aizawa said, stroking his hair and looking at all the students with an inscrutable smile. "Welcome... this is the Hero Course at U.A. High School!"
"Expel the last place?" Ochaco Uraraka exclaimed in shock. "But it's the first day of school! No, even if it weren't, this is too unreasonable!"
"Natural disasters, major accidents, and reckless villains... calamities can strike anytime, anywhere. This country is constantly plagued by such unreasonable situations. The ones who overcome these crises are heroes."
Aizawa's expression remained impassive. "If you're planning to just chat and have fun at McDonald's after school, then I can only say I'm sorry. For the next three years, U.A. will do its utmost to put you through hardship as we push relentlessly toward the distant Plus Ultra."
Aizawa crooked his finger at the students. "Now, challenge your limits."
"As a baptism, these words carry immense weight, but this place is indeed the pinnacle, so we have no choice but to climb," Tenya Iida said, taking a sip of water from the sports bottle he carried, his expression resolute.
"Bring it on!" Bakugo grinned fiercely. For him, this was a challenge.
"Alright, the demonstration is over. Next is the real test," Aizawa said, his gaze sweeping over everyone. He was particularly concerned about Izuku Midoriya's Quirk.
After all, that giant Zero-Pointer wasn't an enemy one could defeat with a single punch. This kid possessed tremendous power within him, but the question was whether he could control it.
First Event: 50-Meter Dash
Yang Xiao was mediocre in this event, his performance was about average—neither outstanding nor lagging behind.
In truth, he could cover his feet with holy light and run much faster than usual, but he had to maintain his position as a mid-tier student, not stand out and attract attention.
Second Event: Grip Strength
Yang Xiao observed his classmates' grip strength results and then deliberately adjusted his own to maintain a middle-ranking position.
Third Event: Standing Long Jump
This was easy to control. Yang Xiao applied holy light to his feet and maintained a mid-tier result.
Fourth Event: Repeated Side Jumps
Yang Xiao remained solidly in the middle of the pack.
Fifth Event: Softball Throw
Needless to say, mid-tier again.
As all the events neared completion, Bakugo looked at Yang Xiao strangely. This guy seemed utterly ordinary, and even his test results were average.
Yet, he was genuinely a student in Class 1-A of the Hero Course, which struck Bakugo as odd. During the entrance exam, he'd only seen this guy when entering and leaving the exam site. So what had happened during the actual test?
Izuku Midoriya had been pushing himself hard in the recent events. He'd even injured his finger during the softball throw after Aizawa's words spurred him to tap into his potential.
However, the softball Yang Xiao threw went much farther, though this was all within his expected, controlled parameters.
But Bakugo couldn't let it go. How could Deku have developed a Quirk in such a short time?
Before this, Deku should have been Quirkless. No matter what, individuals who don't awaken a Quirk by age four never awaken one later—be it innate or acquired.
Awakening before age four is the globally recognized timeframe. It's considered impossible after that. While there are extremely rare, isolated cases of later awakening, just how many such people exist in the entire world?
"Hey!" Bakugo suddenly lunged forward, his hands crackling with explosions as he grabbed for Midoriya. "You damn nerd, explain yourself to me!"
Swish!
The next moment, Bakugo was wrapped up in white bandages. He couldn't take another step forward, immobilized rigidly in place.
"What the...? This cloth... it's so hard," Bakugo grunted, straining to turn his head. He found the source: the scarf worn by Shota Aizawa.
"This is a capture weapon woven from carbon fiber and a special alloy wire," Aizawa said, raising his head. His eyes were visibly irritated. "Seriously... Don't make me use my Quirk over and over! I have dry eye!"
"What a waste of such a powerful Quirk~"
Complaints arose from the classmates, Yang Xiao's included among them.
Shota Aizawa, the homeroom teacher of U.A. High's Class 1-A, possessed the Erasure Quirk. He could nullify the Quirks of anyone within his line of sight, the effect ending when he blinks. His Quirk was truly exceptional.
"Well, now let's announce the results," Aizawa said once all events were finished, looking over the group. "The total score is simple—it's just the sum of all your points. Announcing them one by one verbally is a waste of time, so I'll display them all at once."
After Aizawa finished speaking, the 3D projector in his hand displayed everyone's scores and names sequentially.
Unsurprisingly, Izuku Midoriya's name was at the very bottom.
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(TL : More Chapters @)[1]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/c/Gooberilla