"Japan still uses those standardized records to set average benchmarks. It's completely irrational. No, the Ministry of Education is simply neglecting its duties."
Shota Aizawa put his phone back in his pocket and looked at Orion. "You're the one who took first place in the practical exam, Orion, right? How many meters could you throw a softball in junior high?"
"...Ten meters?" Orion couldn't truly answer that question. Not only had he never attended junior high in this world, but even in China before his reincarnation, he had never thrown a softball.
"..." Hearing that answer, Shota Aizawa was quite speechless. However, considering Orion's Quirk was Hypnosis, he didn't say much more.
"Orion's Quirk is Hypnosis; that doesn't help much with throwing a softball. Then..." Shota Aizawa turned his gaze toward Katsuki Bakugo. "Bakugo, how many meters could you throw in junior high?"
"67 meters." As he spoke, Katsuki Bakugo glanced at Orion, the provocation in his eyes glaringly obvious.
"Then... try throwing it using your Quirk. As long as you stay within that circle, you can do whatever you want," Shota Aizawa urged. "Hurry up, give it everything you've got."
"Fine then..." Katsuki Bakugo took the softball from Shota Aizawa's hand, constantly moving his body to concentrate his strength in his right hand. "Adding the blast's shockwave to the ball's momentum..."
"DIE!!!" Katsuki Bakugo let out a massive roar. From his right palm, an orange flame erupted, forming a huge shockwave that propelled the softball outward.
"First, you must understand where your limits lie. That is the rational means of building a hero's foundation." While speaking, Shota Aizawa held up the device in his hand. The numbers on it made everyone gasp.
"705 meters... is this a joke?"
"What's the deal? We can use our Quirks! This looks so fun!"
"A place where we can use our Quirks to our heart's content—as expected of the Hero Course that trains the top fighting force of U.A. High School!"
"Fun, is it? U.A. is meant to train you to be heroes, yet you think this is fun? If you all have that mindset, then fine!"
Seeing the students treating it like a game, Shota Aizawa couldn't help but feel a surge of dark humor.
"Then I'll announce the rules now: for this evaluation, the person who ranks last across all eight events will be deemed to have zero potential and will be punished with expulsion."
"Additionally, don't bother going to the Principal to complain. As your teacher, I have the right to eliminate you. More importantly, this is the Hero Course of U.A. High School!"
"WHAT?!!"
Ochaco Uraraka looked worried and couldn't help but speak up, "Teacher, isn't that too unreasonable? Expelling someone on the very first day of school? I came here to become a hero; I don't want anyone to be expelled."
"Natural disasters, major accidents, and selfish villains won't be 'reasonable' with you."
"I am now going to teach you your first lesson: survival of the fittest. When you become heroes in the future, you will have even more diverse experiences."
"If you want to become heroes who save the world, if you want to hold your heads high in front of your families, then show me all your strength."
"My word stands. For those who pass the evaluation, U.A. will spare no effort to give you the best resources. Of course, that also means the harshest training. If you have the confidence, then let the test begin!"
"Expelling the last place..." Beside Orion, Momo Yaoyorozu lowered her head and frowned slightly, lost in thought.
"He's quite similar to Kakashi." Orion looked at Shota Aizawa, reminded of Kakashi Hatake from the Uchiha Clan's history, who had once used similar methods.
"Alright, the demonstration is over. Next is the formal testing." Shota Aizawa looked down at the device in his hand and said, "First event: the 50-meter dash."
50-meter dash: 5 seconds.
Grip strength: 100 kg.
Standing long jump: 15 meters.
Repeated side steps: 200 times.
Softball throw: 182 meters.
Sit-ups: 102.
Seated toe touch: 25 cm.
Endurance run: 3 minutes.
The above were the results Orion produced while suppressing his strength as much as possible. Although a few minor incidents occurred in between, the Quirk Apprehension Test was completed successfully.
"Clearly he doesn't have a Quirk that enhances physical ability, yet his results are unexpectedly good?" Shota Aizawa flipped through the records expressionlessly, feeling slightly surprised.
Could this kid be working out every single day?
"Alright, I will now announce the results of this test. The total score is simple: it's the sum of your performance in each event. Explaining them one by one verbally is a waste of time, so I'll display them all at once."
Swish...
As soon as Shota Aizawa finished speaking, a transparent panel appeared before everyone, showing the total scores and rankings of the twenty students in the class.
In this Quirk Apprehension Test, Orion ranked 10th, exactly in the middle.
Katsuki Bakugo was 1st, and Izuku Midoriya was last—just as expected.
"By the way, the expulsion was a lie." Shota Aizawa closed the screen and scanned the crowd expressionlessly, then suddenly revealed a terrifying smile. "It was a rational deception to maximize the activation of your Quirks."
"...Huh?" Izuku Midoriya, who had been terrified for so long, was completely stunned after hearing Shota Aizawa's words.
"The test ends here. There are materials regarding the curriculum plan in the classroom. Go back and read them all carefully." After finishing, Shota Aizawa left the field without looking back, leaving the group with only his disheveled silhouette.
"...EHHH?!!"