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[Hardcore Ball Throw]
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After receiving their instructions, the students made their way out of the building, walking together in the meantime until they reached their respective changing rooms and had to separate. Along the way, a few of them made small talk with whoever seemed approachable.
Which, obviously, did not include Taka.
That said, someone still approached him.
"Hey," Jiro said, lightly elbowing his side.
He glanced at her, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Didn't you say you weren't making it into U.A.? Why are you here?"
She deadpanned. "I get it, I get it. You were right about me getting in."
"Of course I was," Taka replied seriously yet confidently, making her click her tongue.
"Is it just me, or have you been getting cockier ever since we met?"
"It's not cockiness. It's confidence."
"Yeah—way too much of it." She rolled her eyes, but a moment later her expression sharpened, suspicion creeping in. "By the way, what was all that about?"
"What do you mean?" Taka frowned at her in confusion.
"You messaged me fifteen minutes before class saying you arrived. So how come you were the last one to enter?"
"…"
"Not to mention how everyone reacted. The whole class went silent the moment you walked in. It's like you planned it—like you were making some kind of grand entrance."
Taka took a moment before responding, averting his eyes.
'She knows too much…'
Clearing his throat, he looked ahead again, expression unchanged. "I don't know. Maybe I just have that effect on people."
"You really don't understand moderation, do you?" she deadpanned.
Taka didn't reply, simply staring forward stoically, as he couldn't afford to break character.
Inside, however, his thoughts were racing.
'Maybe I should make my aura farming more subtle…'
Back in the classroom, he had indeed planned everything carefully. He'd waited patiently until everyone had arrived, and then, when Midoriya and Uraraka were in the middle of talking, he decided to make his entrance.
One that he purposely made extra intimidating, so everyone could be clear who was the real strongest here.
Todoroki? More like Bumoroki.
Midoriya? More like Bumdoriya.
Bakugo? More like Bumkugo—pretty accurate, actually.
And so on and so on.
Like that, he made sure his first impression was unforgettable.
Of course, no matter how good his True Walking ability was, it couldn't have caused that pressuring sensation that everyone experienced earlier.
The real MVP had been the latest Aura Projection mode he unlocked.
Aura Projection - Aura Type.
Thinking about said skill, he opened the panel mentally and gave its contents a satisfied look.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
[Aura Projection - Aura Type] (Active)
Description: It's often said that body language speaks louder than words—and they're right. Physical cues convey what people don't, or can't, put into words. In that sense, it acts as a window into our true selves.
But who says Aura can't do the same?
Intimidation, warmth, anger, excitement. Time to let your aura speak for itself, don't you think?
▸Allows you to make your aura visible and freely change its color.
▸Your aura can convey your emotions to those around you. Certain emotions may trigger special effects.
▸Your aura can also make people feel certain emotions themselves. Though, this function is dependent on the type of emotion, the person's mental fortitude, awareness of this sensation, and the resistance they may put.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
With this awesome skill, he'd sent a faint wave of oppression through the room to complement his other abilities, turning his entrance into something undeniably impactful.
He hadn't gone as far as outright scaring them—just a subtle sense of authority. Combined with his passive skills to look cooler than usual, it had been more than enough.
Even so, he hadn't expected it to be that effective.
Even Bakugo—who he'd fully expected to lunge at him like a rabid dog—had backed down after their eyes met.
That didn't mean the guy was scared. Taka could still feel Bakugo's furious gaze burning into the back of his head.
He'd likely retreated strategically, waiting for the right moment—or for whatever activity was coming next, to call him out.
And Taka was looking forward to it. Conflict meant someone to put in their place—and that, in turn, meant aura.
As to why he had greeted Iida, that had been a last-second adjustment. As he had been entering the room and scanned his soon-to-be classmates briefly, he'd realized how thick the atmosphere had become due to his aura's effects.
So, realizing he may have exaggerated a little, he decided to soften his own image a little.
That, and because they were gonna be classmates from now on. There was no point in antagonizing someone who, according to the canon, stopped being an asshole pretty quickly after U.A. began.
So, he decided to return their animosity to zero with that handshake.
Hopefully it worked.
'Still, the side effects of my aura are becoming a little too obvious,' Taka thought wryly as his eyes swept over the class. Most of them were avoiding his gaze entirely.
He had been simply too intimidating, it seemed.
'Nothing I can't fix later,' he huffed.
All in all, he'd rate that aura farming attempt a solid 8 out of 10.
Great at establishing power and presence—but he might've overdone it just a little.
Fortunately, he had a new incoming aura-farming opportunity to make up for his earlier mistakes.
Maybe now he'd go for a more approachable aura farming, rather than the intimidating type from earlier.
'How do I do that, though? I already established my edginess in their minds... If I go back on that, wouldn't that backfire?'
While he mused thoroughly on how to lessen the barrier he had accidentally created with his classmates, soon the class reached the field.
Once there, everyone splits off toward their respective changing rooms.
However, as the boys entered theirs and began changing into their gym uniforms, competitiveness sparked immediately.
U.A. was an elite school. And as such, it was normal for most of the hero department to be fit to some extent. Being a hero involved a lot of body movement, after all.
So, in a room full of muscled teenagers, gauging each other's levels right away was a given.
And naturally, eyes were drawn to the biggest threat of all first.
""...?!""
—Only for most of them to widen their eyes in surprise. Taka's body looked as though it had been honed specifically for combat efficiency, striking a perfect balance between musculature and flexibility.
They had muscles, but Taka looked literally sculpted.
Kirishima, unsurprisingly, was the first to blurt out what he thought.
"Yo, man—you look crazy strong."
Taka paused mid-change and gave the redheaded student a nod. "Thanks."
Seeing no hostility or coldness, Kirishima's friendly nature was encouraged. "How much do you lift, bro?"
Taka seemed to think about it for a moment. "Hmm… about one ton."
"H-huh?"
'At least with my current stat configuration,' Taka added mentally. Still, there was no need to reveal his true limits just yet. A slower, more deliberate reveal would be far more epic.
While Taka smirked inwardly, the rest of the boys had clearly overheard the exchange. Soon, several pairs of eyes turned toward him in disbelief, wondering what kind of Quirk could allow someone to lift a full ton.
The obvious answer would be super strength—but that felt too simple, didn't it? Besides, they'd seen the rankings. There was no way mere super strength alone could account for all the points Taka had earned.
"Tsk."
Of course, some weren't wondering; they were scowling.
But putting those people aside…
"T-that's a lot," Kirishima muttered, clearly taken aback. Still, he wasn't the type to be intimidated by sheer power. After pulling on his upper gym uniform—much like Taka had already done—he extended a hand. "I'm Eijiro Kirishima. Nice to meet you, man."
Taka accepted the handshake without hesitation. "Takahashi Fukumoto. Just call me Taka."
That earned him a wide grin. "Sure! Call me Eijiro if you want!"
"Sure."
…
°
°
°
| Minutes later… |
…
After everyone finished changing, they returned to the field and gathered together, waiting for their teacher to arrive.
Not long after, Aizawa appeared, carrying a small device in one hand and a ball in the other. He stepped in front of the class and gave them a half-hearted look.
"Alright. Let's begin immediately."
"W-wait—sensei, what about the opening ceremony?" Ochako asked quickly before he could continue, clearly worried about skipping it.
Aizawa looked almost bored by the question, fixing her with a stern glare. "If you're aiming to become heroes, you don't have time for such leisurely events. U.A.'s selling point is how unrestricted its traditions are—and that applies to teachers as well. So this is what we'll be doing instead."
She shrank back slightly, intimidated by his seriousness on their very first day.
Huffing at her reaction, Aizawa returned to the point, gaze directed at everyone. "You've all done this since junior high, haven't you? Physical fitness tests where Quirks aren't allowed."
The class nodded hesitantly.
Aizawa sighed, irritation flashing across his face. "For some reason, this country still relies on averages based on students who aren't allowed to use their Quirks. It's completely irrational." He clicked his tongue. "Well, that's just the Ministry of Education procrastinating."
Then, his gaze locked onto a single student. A black-haired boy standing at the front with both hands coolly on his pockets.
"Takahashi. You placed first in the practical exam, didn't you?"
A few surprised gasps echoed around the field—mostly at the confirmation that this year's exceptional record genuinely belonged to him. Most of them had already suspected as much.
"Hm." Taka nodded faintly, his expression flat and unreadable.
"What was your best result for the softball throw?" Aizawa asked.
Taka pondered the question for a moment, looking away as he tilted his head slightly.
'My results were pretty pathetic until I started training seriously last year… After that, I took one more test. It was more acceptable, but still nowhere near my current limit without aura.'
"About sixty meters," he answered at last.
Aizawa nodded. "Then try again—this time, using your Quirk."
At that, a dangerous glint flickered in Taka's eyes.
"Are you sure?"
Aizawa didn't bat an eye. "Yes."
He tossed the ball toward him.
-Tack!-
Taka caught it without even looking, then walked over to the marked throwing area—a large circle painted onto the ground, with growing arcs ahead of it.
"You can do anything you want as long as you stay inside the circle," Aizawa clarified.
Taka nodded faintly, his eyes locking forward with focus.
Then, he took a step back.
—Step—
As he did, a sensation similar to the one from earlier in the classroom spread across the field, making many of the students squint and unconsciously focus on him.
This feeling was familiar—yet different.
Before, it had made them avert their eyes.
Now, they couldn't look away.
And it was a good thing they didn't.
"W-what is that…?" muttered Kaminari, the blonde with the bolt mark in his hair. His words echoed everyone else's confusion.
Suddenly, a red aura began to emanate from Taka, its waves calm, almost fluid.
But despite its peaceful appearance, somehow, it oozed something that all the class couldn't help but swallow in awe at.
Pure, raw power at its finest.
"I suggest you all take a step back," Taka said, his voice snapping them out of their daze.
Most of them backed off instantly without hesitation.
The only ones who didn't move were Bakugo and Aizawa.
Taka glanced at them briefly, as if confirming they wouldn't budge, then shrugged faintly.
And so, with the preparations taken, his muscles tightened.
One foot stepped forward.
His body twisted.
His aura visibly condensed around his arm and the ball.
And then, his arm whipped forward.
He threw.
—BOOOOM!—
The instant the ball vanished from his hand, shooting into the distance, the air around him exploded outward in every direction like a bomb.
As a result, both Aizawa and Bakugo were forced to shield their faces as the violent gust slammed into them head-on. The others had to do the same, though the force they felt was noticeably weaker than what hit the two standing at the front.
Even so, Aizawa never took his eyes off the device tracking the ball's distance.
Beep. Beep. Beep-beep—
The numbers climbed relentlessly.
Ten meters.
A hundred.
A thousand.
They just kept increasing.
"...!"
—Until, finally, they stopped.
Aizawa's eyes narrowed.
Noticing his reaction, Taka smirked inwardly.
'How's that?'
The truth was, he had held back—but not just to hide his true strength.
Raw power was good for aura farming, sure.
But there was something even better.
"3,500," Aizawa announced. Not a digit more. Not a digit less.
The class erupted into gasps.
—And that something was power paired with control.
Aizawa stared at the device in his hand for a moment too long, his expression unreadable.
Eventually, his gaze lifted and locked onto Taka, his brows knitting together.
"Takahashi," he said flatly, "you held back."
Taka didn't blink. He stoically turned toward his teacher.
"Yeah."
That answer only seemed to irritate Aizawa further.
"Do you think being a hero is a game where you can afford to hold back?"
Taka met his gaze without flinching.
"I think it's a job where I'll have to know how to."
A brief silence followed.
"And if you can't?" Aizawa pressed.
"Then I won't."
"…Hmm." Aizawa studied him for a moment longer before his expression softened slightly. "You might actually be rational."
"..." Taka wasn't sure how to respond.
Luckily, he didn't have to.
—Tack!—
His hand instinctively caught the ball again. He looked at it, brow raising slightly.
"Knowing how to hold back is good," Aizawa said, "but this is a Quirk assessment test. Go all out."
'So much for control satisfying him,' Taka scoffed inwardly, staring at the ball for a bit. 'Go all out, huh?'
In his previous throw, he'd barely used twenty-five percent of his true strength.
He wasn't about to reveal everything just because he was told to. Big reveals required timing.
Still… if his teacher was feeling so curious, then he could show a bit more.
Half, maybe.
Either way, by the time a revelation became necessary, half of today's strength would probably represent way less in the future.
So, stepping back into the throwing circle, Taka rolled his shoulder and wound his arm.
But just before releasing, he glanced at Aizawa—and Bakugo.
"Step back." He advised. Though now not so kindly.
This time, even though Bakugo hesitated for a moment, both eventually complied—Mostly because Aizawa forced the blonde with a glare.
Seeing that, Taka smiled faintly.
Then, he tensed.
His aura flared violently, not like water anymore, but instead like raging fire, sending visible tremors through the air.
His muscles tightened.
His arm wound up to the max.
And then—
—BOOOOOOM!!!—
The ball was launched.
This time, it wasn't just air that exploded outward.
Dust erupted from the ground as the shockwave blasted through the field, sending students staggering back. Even Aizawa was forced to shut his eyes for a brief moment.
By the time everyone recovered, the ball was already long gone.
Aizawa immediately checked the device.
His eyes widened—then, involuntarily, he grinned.
"7,698 meters."
In an instant, the field fell into stunned silence.
…
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-To be Continued…-
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(A/N: Ah, another cliffhanger. I must be the very devil.
How was that? Was it tuff? Or am I doing too much? Hopefully the first.
Sorry for the wait, despite what I said last chapter about increasing time between chapters, but university got intense this week... And it will do so in the next one, too.
Fortunately, my academic year ends next week as well, so I'll be finally free.)