Chapter 14: The Weight of a Number
The final test was the ball throw, bringing the day full circle. One by one, students stepped up, unleashing their Quirks in a dazzling display of power and ingenuity. The girl with the ponytail, Momo Yaoyorozu, created a cannon to launch her ball. The stoic boy with red and white hair, Shoto Todoroki, used a pillar of ice to create a ramp, sliding the ball for an impressive distance.
Finally, it was Izuku Midoriya's turn. He stood in the circle, his face a mask of terror and determination. He threw the ball. It landed with a soft thud only a few meters away, almost identical to Lee's own initial throw.
"I erased your Quirk," Aizawa stated, his hair floating and his eyes glowing a menacing red. "A user like you, who can't control their own power, is a liability. You'd be useless after a single attack."
Midoriya stood there, trembling, before a new resolve seemed to fill him. He took the ball for his second attempt. He drew his arm back, and for a split second, Lee saw it. A brilliant, crackling web of red energy converged on the tip of Midoriya's index finger. He threw. The ball shot into the sky with a sonic boom, a shockwave of air blasting outwards. It was a power that felt immense, primal.
Lee watched, his eyes wide with a profound understanding. The throw was incredible, rivaling Bakugo's. But Midoriya was cradling his hand, his index finger now a swollen, grotesquely purple and broken mess. Incredible power, Lee thought, at a devastating physical cost. It was a philosophy he knew all too well.
With the final test concluded, Aizawa gestured to a large holographic screen. "Time to see the results," he droned. The names and rankings flickered to life.
A collective gasp went through the class as they scanned the list.
1st: Katsuki Bakugo
2nd: Shoto Todoroki
3rd: Tenya Iida
4th: Rock Lee
The name sat there, undeniable. The students' heads whipped around to look at Lee, their expressions a mixture of utter shock and disbelief.
"Fourth place?!"
"But he got the worst score on the ball throw!"
"And his grip strength was pathetic!"
"He did all that… without even using his Quirk? How is that possible?"
Lee simply stood there, his expression calm. He was not surprised. He knew the power of his legs. Further down the list, his eyes found the final name. 20th place: Izuku Midoriya.
Midoriya's face was ashen, the picture of despair.
"By the way," Aizawa said, his voice casual as he dismissed the hologram. "I was lying about the expulsion." He gave them a terrifying grin. "It was a logical ruse to make sure you gave it your all."
The class erupted in outrage and relief, while Momo Yaoyorozu explained to the others that, of course, it was a ruse, and she should have told them. The school day ended soon after, the students heading back to the changing rooms, their minds buzzing with the events of the day.
Walking out of the main building, Lee felt the curious gazes of his classmates on him. He was an anomaly they couldn't solve. Mina gave him a cheerful, energetic wave. Iida offered a stiff, thoughtful nod of respect. Bakugo just shot him a furious, hateful glare before stomping off. He had won the test, but the existence of someone like Lee, someone whose strength he couldn't measure or understand, was an infuriating insult to his own power. Lee offered polite, brief nods in return but engaged no one. His mind was already on his true classroom.
He arrived at the dojo as the sun was beginning to set, the sky painted in hues of orange and purple. He was still in his U.A. gym uniform. Sora was sitting on the porch, sipping a cup of tea, as if she had been waiting for him.
"So," she said without preamble as he approached. "How was the first day at the school for geniuses?"
Lee sat down on the steps, a tired sigh escaping him. He recounted the day's events in detail—Aizawa's surprise test, the series of events, his results. When he mentioned his 20.5-meter throw, Sora let out a short, sharp laugh.
"It seems," she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement, "that perhaps our more… reckless training regimens should be timed better. We need you to be in peak condition for school, Lee." She took a sip of her tea. "How far do you think you could have thrown the ball if your arms weren't injured?"
Lee was quiet for a long moment. He looked at his hands, picturing the explosive power of Bakugo, the raw, destructive force of Midoriya. "I do not know, Sensei," he admitted, his voice quiet. "Some of them… they have such incredible abilities. Bakugo-kun and Midoriya-kun both threw over seven hundred meters. I do not think I could have competed with that, even in my best condition. Their Quirks… they are on another level entirely."
He sounded, for the first time in a long time, slightly discouraged. The sheer, overwhelming scale of the talent he had just witnessed had, for a moment, made his own hard-won strength feel small.
WHACK!
Sora's hand shot out with the speed and precision of a blade, delivering a sharp, stinging karate chop to the top of his head.
"Oww!" Lee yelped, grabbing his head, looking at her with wide, watering eyes.
"Are you a fool?" she scolded, her blue eyes blazing with a familiar, fiery intensity. "You are complaining after placing fourth out of twenty of the nation's most elite students? On your worst day? While injured? You were second overall in the entire entrance exam. Let your results speak for you, Lee. Let your actions be your proof."
She leaned closer, her voice dropping, but losing none of its power. "Do not ever be dazzled by talent. Do not ever be intimidated by it. You are the one who will hunt them. You are the Talent-Killer. Remember that."
Lee stared at her, the sting on his scalp fading, replaced by the burning fire of her words. All his doubt, all his frustration, evaporated like mist in the morning sun. He stood up, his back straight, his posture perfect. He looked his sensei in the eye, his own gaze now clear and hard as diamonds.
"Yes, Sensei!"
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