Chapter 14: Midoriya's Determination
Midoriya threw the softball.
It landed with a dull thud.
The machine displayed the result.
46 meters.
Midoriya stared at the screen in disbelief.
"I… I felt like I was about to use it…"
Just moments earlier, he had clearly felt the power of One For All gathering in his arm. If he had released it fully, the result would have been completely different.
But now—
His score was barely average.
Maybe it was enough to avoid last place… but it wasn't enough to prove himself.
"I erased your Quirk."
A calm voice came from beside him.
Midoriya turned around in shock.
Shota Aizawa stood there with glowing red eyes, white capture ribbons swirling around him like living snakes.
"So cool…" someone whispered.
Midoriya suddenly understood.
"That scarf… I see now."
"You're the hero who can erase Quirks… Eraser Head."
Some of the students began whispering.
"Eraser Head?"
"I've heard of him."
"He's one of those underground heroes."
"Yeah, he avoids media coverage because it interferes with his work."
Meanwhile, Akio glanced toward the nearby school building.
Standing quietly on the rooftop was All Might, observing the test with his usual wide grin.
But beneath that smile, there was worry.
"All Might," Akio thought. "You're worried about him too, aren't you?"
All Might crossed his arms.
"Midoriya, my boy… you and Aizawa are a difficult combination."
Back on the field, Aizawa stared at Midoriya with sharp eyes.
"You can't control your Quirk, can you?"
Midoriya hesitated.
"If you become immobile again," Aizawa continued coldly, "do you expect someone else to save you every time?"
"I… I never thought that—"
Before he could finish, Aizawa's capture weapon snapped forward, dragging Midoriya closer.
"There was once a hero who saved thousands of people during a disaster," Aizawa said.
"He was reckless. Driven entirely by passion."
"If you act like that, even if you save someone, you'll just become a liability afterward."
He released Midoriya.
"You cannot become a hero like that."
"Midoriya Izuku."
Then he added calmly,
"I've restored your Quirk."
"You have two more throws."
"Use them wisely."
Akio watched quietly.
Midoriya had already begun to understand.
Iida adjusted his glasses thoughtfully.
"It seems like he's being guided."
Bakugo snorted.
"Guided?"
"Looks like an expulsion notice to me."
Bakugo had always hated that Midoriya had saved him during the entrance exam.
And now they were both students at U.A. High School.
Bakugo refused to accept it.
Only he would become the strongest hero.
Meanwhile, Yuga Aoyama leaned toward Uraraka with a confident smile.
He casually placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Magnifique performance earlier."
Uraraka blinked.
"…Who are you?"
Aoyama froze.
A long, silent moment passed.
Midoriya barely noticed any of it.
He was thinking.
Desperately.
"What should I do?"
Aizawa watched him carefully.
"Make your choice."
"You can give it everything… or accept that you're last."
"Either way, your future is decided."
Midoriya closed his eyes.
Then he raised the softball again.
He threw it upward slightly, catching it again.
"Mr. Aizawa is right…"
"If I keep doing things the same way… I'll never become a hero."
He looked at his right hand.
But this time, his thoughts were different.
All Might's words echoed in his mind.
Control the power.
Use only what you need.
Midoriya clenched his fist.
"I'm not Bakugo."
"I can't just explode with power."
"And with someone like Akio here… I need to keep improving every day."
"I have to use the strength I can control."
He took a deep breath.
Then focused the power into one finger.
"SMASH!"
A burst of wind exploded from his fingertip.
The softball launched forward like a bullet.
The shockwave spiraled through the air.
Students gasped.
No one expected that level of force.
Midoriya looked at his hand.
"It doesn't hurt as much…"
His finger was swollen, but the rest of his arm remained functional.
Aizawa's earlier words echoed again.
If you become unable to move again, do you expect someone to save you?
The machine beeped.
705.3 meters.
The entire class stared.
Midoriya turned toward Aizawa.
"Teacher…"
He clenched his injured hand.
"I can still move."
Aizawa's eyes widened slightly.
For the first time, he looked genuinely surprised.
"…Interesting."
Nearby, All Might pumped his fist into the air.
"I came here because I was worried about you!"
"What a result, my boy!"
"You still can't fully control your strength…"
"But you avoided total injury."
"Using minimal damage to produce maximum power."
"That's exactly how you should use One For All!"
Akio watched the scene quietly.
Back when he had watched this moment in the anime, he had felt emotional.
But witnessing it in person felt completely different.
"Midoriya…"
"If you keep growing like this… the world will eventually rely on you."
But Akio made a silent promise.
"I won't just watch from the sidelines."
"I'll become someone worthy of standing beside you."
Nearby, Uraraka jumped excitedly.
"Over seven hundred meters?!"
"That's amazing!"
Iida examined Midoriya's hand.
"Your finger is swollen."
"It was the same during the entrance exam."
"Your Quirk is very unusual."
Aoyama sighed dramatically.
"…Not very elegant."
Meanwhile, Bakugo stared in shock.
"That power…"
"That's impossible."
"Quirks appear before the age of four."
"So how the hell—"
Before he could finish the thought, anger exploded inside him.
"Explain this to me!"
Bakugo rushed forward, explosions bursting from his palms.
"You damn nerd!"
But before he could grab Midoriya—
A white capture ribbon wrapped around him instantly.
Bakugo struggled.
"What is this?!"
"It's too strong!"
Aizawa sighed.
"This capture weapon is woven with carbon fiber and special alloy fibers."
"Also…"
He rubbed his eyes irritably.
"Stop making me use my Quirk repeatedly."
"My eyes are drying out."
Around them, several students muttered.
"With a Quirk that powerful…"
"Bakugo's wasting it."
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