Chapter 26: Quirk Apprehension Test

After swiftly changing into their sports attire and gathering at the P.E. grounds, the students awaited Aizawa's instructions with a mix of anticipation and nervousness. The homeroom teacher wasted no time in outlining the upcoming challenge.

"Today, we'll be conducting a Quirk Apprehension Test," Aizawa announced, his voice cutting through the air. "Softball Pitch, Standing Long Jump, 50 Meter Dash, Grip Strength Test, Sustained Sideways Jump, Upper Body Exercises, Seated Toe Touch. These are all activities you know from middle school. Physical tests where you were required not to use your Quirk," Aizawa explained. The students listened intently, mentally preparing themselves for what lay ahead.

As the list concluded, Aizawa's piercing gaze landed on Yuki, singling him out among the group. "Takehara, how far could you pitch a softball in middle school?" Aizawa questioned Yuki, due to him placing first at the entrance exam. The other students turned their attention to Yuki, awaiting his response.

"Dunno, never participated," Yuki replied, a hint of nonchalance lacing his words.

Aizawa sighed, his expression tinged with a mix of curiosity and slight exasperation. "I better not ask why you didn't participate, but that doesn't matter now," he said, dismissing the thought. "Use your quirk when throwing the ball."

As Aizawa tossed the ball in Yuki's direction, the young student caught it effortlessly. Then Aizawa gestured towards a clearly marked circle on the ground, his voice firm with instruction. "As long as you don't leave the circle, anything is fine. Do not hold back!"

With determination burning in his eyes, Yuki positioned himself within the designated circle, ready to unleash his full strength. In addition to his physical prowess, he decided to infuse the ball with a spell, enhancing its trajectory and ensuring a straight path until the magic eventually dissipated.

With a swift motion, Yuki's arm swung forward, releasing the ball with remarkable force. It soared through the air with incredible speed and force, defying gravity itself. The ball seemed to blur, leaving behind a faint trail as it traveled farther and higher, surpassing all expectations. Eyes widened in awe as the ball disappeared into the vast expanse of outer space, leaving everyone in stunned silence.

Aizawa retrieved his measurement device, to gauge the distance the ball had covered. His device, typically reliable for tracking various physical feats, faltered in the face of Yuki's extraordinary throw. Yet, to his astonishment, the device failed to provide a definitive measurement. It displayed ∞, representing the immeasurable distance covered by Yuki's extraordinary throw.

A hushed murmur swept through the gathered students, a mix of disbelief and admiration filling the air. Yuki's exceptional display of power had left an indelible impression.

—

"Mr. President, we have an emergency," an aide exclaimed, bursting into the Oval Office with a look of alarm. "An unknown flying object has collided with one of our satellites, and it is now crashing towards Earth."

The President's brows furrowed as he leaned forward, his gaze fixed on the aide. "Do we have any information on the origin of the object? What was it, and where will it crash?"

The room fell into a hushed silence as the intelligence analysts scrambled to provide answers. Finally, one of them spoke up. "Sir, preliminary data suggests that the object originated from Japan. It appears to be... a ball."

A mix of surprise and confusion washed over the President's face. "A ball? Are you saying that a ball caused all this commotion?" The President pondered the implications of this bizarre turn of events. How could a seemingly harmless ball disrupt their satellite systems? Questions swirled in his mind.

Before anyone could respond, another analyst interjected. "Sir, based on our calculations, the projected point of impact is the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii."

Meanwhile, in a certain school in Japan, the Quirk Apprehension Test carried on, unaware of the chaos unfolding thousands of miles away.

—

"It looks fun!" one student exclaimed, unknowingly inviting Aizawa's disapproval. His sharp retort pierced through the classroom, his gaze piercing like daggers. "It looks fun, you say?" Aizawa questioned, his voice laced with a stern tone.

"All right then, lets add a new rule. ," he declared. "The student who ranks last in total points will be deemed hopeless and expelled from this institution."

Reactions varied among the students. Izuku, visibly tensed at the thought of expulsion hanging over his head. Others, gripped by a newfound sense of urgency, felt a surge of pressure and determination to prove themselves. However, there were a select few, including Momo, Yuki, and a handful of others, who appeared unfazed by the challenge.

But Aizawa was not done. "Our 'Freedom' means we dispense with students as we please," he declared. He allowed a brief pause, letting the weight of his words settle in the hearts and minds of his students. Then, with a sense of finality, he uttered the following words. "Welcome to the Department of Heroics."

A silence hung in the air, punctuated only by the sound of students exchanging anxious glances.

Ochaco's voice cut through the tension, her frustration evident in her words. "The kid who ranks last gets expelled? This is our first day here, but even if it weren't, that's too unreasonable," she voiced her concerns, echoing the sentiments shared by many of her classmates.

Aizawa, unmoved by their objections, calmly explained the rationale behind his decision. "Natural disasters, massive accidents, villain attacks, all kinds of calamities can happen when we least expect them," he reasoned, his voice carrying a weight of experience. "And it's our job as heroes to reverse it all and restore order."

"From now on, for the next three years, all you can expect from U.A. is one hardship after the next," Aizawa declared. It was a call to rise above their limits and push themselves to the brink.

"This is PLUS ULTRA," Aizawa concluded, his words carrying a sense of determination and unwavering belief.

In the aftermath of Aizawa's proclamation, the classroom buzzed with a mix of emotions. Some felt a renewed surge of determination, their resolve solidifying in the face of adversity. Others wrestled with doubt and apprehension, their confidence wavering under the weight of what lay before them.

With a burst of speed, the 50-meter dash commenced, and the students sprinted across the track with determination. In the end, it was Yuki emerged as the undisputed victor, during this exam he used his teleportation magic to teleport to the finishing line in a mere fraction of a second.

This easily secured him the top spot with an astonishing time of 0.1 seconds. Next was Tenya, who arrived in second place with a respectable time of 3.04 seconds. Bakugo came in third place with a time of 4.13 seconds.

With the 50-meter dash concluded, it was time for the next challenge: the grip strength test. Yuki positioned himself at the device and only relied on his physical capabilities. As he exerted his strength, a miscalculation occurred, resulting in the unintentional destruction of the measurement device. The room fell silent, the sound of shattered metal echoing through the air.

Aizawa, observing the scene with his usual stoic expression, sighed inwardly at the destruction caused. "Careful next time, Takehara," he admonished. Although it may not have looked like it, U.A. when watching the anime, U.A. still requires money for all sorts of things, they can not afford to constantly replace their measurement devices, because a student broke them.

Next up is Standing Long Jump. Yuki's eyes flickered with a touch of amusement, knowing full well that this task would pose little challenge for him. With his wings, he could effortlessly soar over the sandbox. Certainly he could also teleport, but after Aizawa told him teleportation is forbidden after using it to 'cheat' during the 50 meter run. Teleportation was after all not running.

The next challenge on the list was the Repeated Side Steps. Yuki's approach to this particular test was rather unconventional. He had made up his mind not to make any effort and intentionally earn zero points. With his accumulated points from previous tests, he was confident that he wouldn't end up in last place regardless.

True to his plan, Yuki stood still, refusing to budge an inch throughout the entire exercise. His classmates watched in confusion, wondering what his motive could be.

Aizawa, however, was not amused. His expression hardened, and a mix of frustration and anger laced his voice as he confronted Yuki. "Do you want me to expel you immediately?" he questioned, his tone laden with a stern warning. The audacity of Yuki's defiance had crossed a line, testing the limits of Aizawa's patience.

"You can try, but by tomorrow the situation will be reversed, and the one actually expelled will be you," Yuki retorted with unwavering confidence, completely disregarding the threat Aizawa had given him.

Aizawa's expression remained stoic, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he observed Yuki's audacious response. 'That student truly has no manners, like Cementos said, but let's observe for now. He has shown great potential so far.' Aizawa's thoughts churned, his mind working tirelessly to analyze the situation. Yuki had proven himself to be a remarkable talent, displaying abilities that surpassed those of his peers. It was a double-edged sword, captivating and perplexing all at once.

As he thought about Yuki, he couldn't help but recall the request Cementos had made to him earlier: "Please expel the student called Yuki Takehara at the first opportunity you have."

Apparently Cementos still had some issues with Yuki entering the school, but instead of going up against Yuki himself, he requested Aizawa to do it. Reason being, that Aizawa was not present during the time they discussed Yuki's admission and therefore has not heard of his background, or so Cementos concluded.

Next up on the list of tests was ball throwing. Yuki, having already showcased his impressive throwing abilities earlier, did not participate. Aizawa, who had witnessed Yuki's extraordinary display, didn't need a repeat performance to assess his capabilities.

Then the class proceeded to the Sit Ups and Seated Toe-touch exercises, Yuki once again chose to abstain. Aizawa's patience wore thin with each act of defiance, but he couldn't deny the undeniable potential that Yuki possessed. In the end he judged Yuki to have great talent, but a terrible personality. This however is nothing new at U.A. as they have multiple problem students with similar issues, but for the school only the potential matters. After all, having strong graduates attracts more investors, securing them a better income.

During the final discipline, the endurance run, as the other students exerted themselves with determined strides, Yuki defied convention once again. Instead of running, he flew the entire time. Aizawa hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether to reprimand Yuki for his approach. But deep down, he knew that intervening would only fuel Yuki's inclination towards laziness and result in him once again doing nothing. With a resigned sigh, he allowed Yuki to continue, deducting a few points in the process as punishment.

As the test drew to a close, anticipation filled the air. The students gathered anxiously, their eyes fixed on Aizawa, awaiting the revelation of their results. Aizawa addressed the crowd before unveiling the outcome. "I don't want to read them all out individually, nor do I have that kind of time. So, take a look for yourselves."

Aizawa handed over his list of results to the eager students. They crowded around, their eyes scanning the page, anticipation building with each passing moment. The numbers and rankings displayed before their eyes.

1st Momo Yaoyorozu

2nd Shoto Todoroki

3rd Katsuki Bakugo

4th Tenya Ida

5th Fumikage Tokoyami

6th Mezo Shoji

7th Yuki Takehara

8th Eijiro Kirishima

9th Mina Ashido

10th Ochaco Uraraka

11th Koji Koda

12th Tsuyu Asui

13th Yuga Aoyama

14th Hanta Sero

15th Denki Kaminari

16th Izuku Midoriya

17th Kyoka Jiro

18th Minoru Mineta

19th Toru Hagakure

Compared to the anime the results changed. Izuku was no longer last, but instead came in 17th place, this was not surprising at all considering that he did train while other students in this class did not train, while also having a quirk that did not give them any benefits during this kind of exam.

Another major change compared to the anime was that two people were missing and replaced by someone else. Rikido Sato and Mashirao Ojiro were no longer part of the class and consequently replaced by Yuki Takehara and a girl who, according to Aizawa, was sick and therefore unable to attend today's class.

The sight of some girls falling behind in the overall ranking didn't come as a shock to Yuki either. Men mostly have the upper hand in physical sports, even in a world filled with quirks, that is no different, unless a woman possessed a quirk specifically related to strength, the inherent biological differences between genders seemed to manifest. It was a natural disparity that prevailed.

What truly surprised Yuki, was that the little midget Minoru was not last. Seems like his perverse mind was enough to fuel him with a burst of adrenaline' Yuki thought as he remembered how Minoru struggled through the entire exam, while staring at his female classmates.

As for his own position in the rankings, Yuki couldn't claim to be overly surprised. Throughout the various disciplines, he either secured the top spot or purposely lazed around, which resulted in him having the last spot in these exams.

Moments after the announcement of the results, a hushed silence fell upon the gathered students. Aizawa's voice cut through the tension, firm and unwavering. "Toru Hagakure, you are expelled," he declared, his words hanging heavy in the air. The weight of her expulsion settled upon Toru, threatening to shatter her dreams in an instant.

But then, in a surprising turn of events, Aizawa's stance softened, revealing a glimmer of mercy. He paused, allowing a moment of respite amidst the palpable uncertainty. "That is what I should say," he continued, his tone tinged with a flicker of compassion. "However, I will give you another chance. Prove to me, at the next opportunity, that you are not hopeless. Show me the strength and resilience that lie within you, or else the expulsion it is."

"And... right, yep, with that, it's over," Aizawa said, his voice trailing off as he turned away from the students. "Your curriculum sheets are back in the classroom, so give them a once-over," he added, his words carrying a hint of detachment. With a casual stride, he made his way towards U.A. High School, leaving the P.E. grounds and the class behind.

On his way back to school, Aizawa found himself intercepted by two individuals, both of whom were newly appointed teachers having their first day at the prestigious institution on this very day.

The first person to approach Aizawa was none other than All Might, who watched Izuku during the entire exam. The intensity of All Might's focus was so great that it seemed he had eyes only for Izuku, oblivious to the rest of the candidates, after all he could not allow his successor to be expelled no matter what. Despite another student nearly getting expelled he was still only focused on the results that displayed that Izuku was not last. Even now, when he approached Aizawa, he did not state concern about Aizawa nearly expelling Toru, instead he just talked with him about his successor.

Just as All Might was praising Izuku to the heavens in front of Aizawa, the second new teacher, Lady Nagant, made her presence known. Her joining U.A. as a teacher was not a mere coincidence but a move orchestrated by Shinji Takehara. Shinji's motive in making her teach at this school was to ensure the safety and protection of his son, even within the confines of the school walls.

Lady Nagant's voice carried a subtle edge as she uttered, "I almost thought I need to interfere." Aizawa felt a flicker of curiosity. However, before he could inquire further, Lady Nagant swiftly departed, leaving him with a lingering sense of intrigue.

Little did Aizawa know the true meaning that lay behind Lady Nagant's words. After all, neither did Aizawa know that Lady Nagant worked for the Takehara family, nor did he know that Yuki was a member of this family.