Blossoms of the Dark

XVII Selene: Trial

Aizawa-sensei is lying.

He's not going to expel anyone. To force the class to take this test seriously, he needs to make the class do their best. To make them go "Plus Ultra." Lying about an expulsion is a clever way to do that.

Regardless, I am nervous. In England, I never took physical tests like the ones Sensei mentioned because of my condition. I practiced yoga to stay fit, soothe my joints, and earn my Physical Education credit.

And just now, after Bakugou-san's display, I involuntarily absorbed his quirk. I feel a new wound open somewhere on my body.

I consider telling Aizawa-sensei. He must have seen my cane at this point now. He must know that I am handicapped. But I decide against doing so. It's in the name. Quirk Apprehension Test. Using my elemental abilities, I don't necessarily have to do much physical movement. Besides, I had sent a letter to the principal of U.A. shortly after receiving my acceptance letter which detailed my setbacks. The teachers most likely know as well.

The class recovers from their shock and various students exclaim how unreasonable it is to be expelled on their first day.

In turn, Aizawa-sensei says, "Natural disasters, massive accidents, ego-mad villains ... All kinds of calamities can happen when we least expect them. Japan's now positively drenched in 'unreasonable.' And it's our job as heroes to reverse it all, and restore reason. If you were counting on a friendly chat at the local McDonald's after school, that's too bad. From now on, for the next three years, all you can expect from your life at U.A. is one hardship after the next. This is 'Plus Ultra.' I expect you to overcome these trials and climb to the top."

Alright then. I came here as a pawn for the Hanada Group of Companies. To be their spokesperson of a kind so that they could expand into the hero industry. I might as well play my role to the fullest. I should start by making a memorable first impression. That would be by placing somewhere in the Top 5 in today's test.

For the 50-meter dash, I use a few of my absorbed wind abilities. Using it to propel myself to the finish line, my time is 4.87 seconds. But for the grip strength trial, I only manage to lift five kilograms, the approximate weight of a full paint can. I fare much better in the standing long jump, sustained sideways jumps, and the pitch trials.

When the green-haired boy from before throws his softball, he lands 46 meters. Confused, he turns to Sensei, only for Sensei to simply state, "I erased your quirk."

And it seems that the boy and I reach the same conclusion. Aizawa-sensei is the Pro-Hero Eraserhead. He can erase the quirk of anyone whom he stares at. The media says that he likes to avoid them as much as possible and is unapproachable. Well, that explains his behavior since the start of class. I don't blame him for avoiding the spotlight. Or avoiding human beings in general, for that matter.

Sensei continues. "From what I observed, you can't rein in your quirk's full power. Meaning you can't use it efficiently at all. Did you believe someone would come to save you after you crippled yourself again?"

The boy stammers. "N-no, I didn't! I ju-"

Sensei cuts him off. "Whatever hopes you may have nursed of your imminent rescue, as you can see, nobody is in a position to come to your aid.

"There's a certain insufferable hero who made a name for himself rescuing over a thousand innocents from a disaster all by himself. You have his brute strength ... but all you'll manage to do is run around like a blockhead who needs saving himself. Face it, your 'power' won't help you to become a hero, Midoriya Izuku."

So that's his name. Midoriya Izuku. I heard rumors of what happened at the U.A. entrance exam for the students who were not recommended. There was a boy who broke his limbs while fighting a robot. This must be him. He doesn't seem like much. Timid and passive. Repressed. But that Sludge Monster incident and the combat with a robot show that he has determination. He is not someone that should be underestimated.

Sensei returns the ball to him and gives him another chance. This time, Midoriya-san launches the ball and it soars out of view. He breaks his finger in the process. The distance is impressive: 705.3 meters. Just 0.1 meters more than Bakugou-san.

But that is not what garners my attention. It's his quirk. I'm absorbing it, and it's ... it's powerful. Very powerful. Midoriya-san only used a small portion of his power, and I can feel that. But that small portion is so powerful it's agonizing. What is this power? I feel as if my limbs are going to burst. It's too much. My head is pounding. I can feel very large wounds forming on my back. Wounds as deep as those caused by a whiplashing. The blood is pouring out in a steady flow. If this continues any longer, my bandages will be soaked and then my training uniform. How will I explain that? Furthermore, what quirk is this? This is the first time I've developed more than one laceration by absorbing a particular quirk.

I somehow manage to stifle the scream I desperately want to let out, but I collapse to my knees with my hands clinging to the head of my cane for dear life. I squeeze the cane so tightly that my hands pale and my joints and muscles start to ache. I pray that no one is looking in my direction, watching me appear this pathetic.

I watch Midoriya-san as he turns to Sensei and smiles in pain. "I ... I can still move."

Sensei looks just as pleased.

For certain, Midoriya-san is not to be underestimated.

His quirk almost killed me. 

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Image URL: https://c1.peakpx.com/wallpaper/332/288/850/rose-bud-rose-flower-roses-rosebud-wallpaper.jpg

Note: I have copied some dialogue from one of the English-translated versions of the manga. The link to the chapter is here: https://bokunohero.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-6/