Chapter 11: First Training
"My name is Kurapika," he said. His voice was calm, and carried a chillingly mature weight. "I look forward to studying alongside you."
For a long, agonizing moment, the classroom was trapped in a profound silence. Twenty pairs of eyes stared at the blonde teenager standing by the chalkboard. His posture was perfectly elegant, yet there was a heavy, impenetrable wall surrounding him. He didn't exude the nervous excitement of a normal transfer student; he exuded the quiet, dangerous stillness of a loaded weapon.
At a desk near the back, Midoriya Izuku was already muttering under his breath, his green eyes darting over the newcomer. "A private evaluation? In the middle of the first semester? The entrance exam is notoriously strict, so for Principal Nezu to bypass it, his Quirk must be incredibly versatile... but why are his hands so heavily bandaged? Was it a training accident, or something else? If it's related to his Quirk's output, maybe it's a recoil effect—"
Midoriya's rapid-fire muttering had gradually grown louder, buzzing through the tense, silent classroom like a persistent mosquito.
"Midoriya, your muttering is leaking out again. Quiet down, you're giving me a headache," Aizawa sighed from the podium, his tired, bloodshot eyes pinning the green-haired boy to his desk.
Midoriya flinched violently, his face instantly turning a bright shade of red. "Ah! I-I'm so sorry, Mr. Aizawa!" he squeaked, immediately slapping both hands over his mouth and sinking lower into his seat in embarrassment.
The hushed whispers of the rest of the class instantly died, effectively silenced by their teacher's glare. Aizawa shifted his gaze back to the blonde teenager at the front. "Kurapika, take the empty desk in the back row, behind Yaoyorozu."
Kurapika offered a small nod and walked silently down the aisle. As he passed, his new classmates couldn't help but stare. The girls noted his striking, almost princely features, while boys like Kirishima and Todoroki instinctively registered the heavy, guarded way he carried himself. He sat down, placing his bag neatly by his desk, his gray eyes looking straight ahead.
"Now that that's out of the way," Aizawa began, but his words were suddenly cut off by heavy, rapid footsteps echoing down the hallway.
"I AM HERE!"
The massive classroom door swung open with explosive force.
"COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A HERO!" All Might boomed, marching into the room in his brilliantly colored Silver Age costume.
The entire class—save for Kurapika, Todoroki, and Bakugo—erupted into sheer, unadulterated fanboying.
"It's All Might!" Kaminari cheered.
"Wow, he really is a teacher!" Kirishima grinned, his teeth sharp and excited.
Aizawa simply rolled his eyes and stepped aside, letting the Number One Hero take the floor. All Might struck a heroic pose, flashing his signature blinding smile at the wide-eyed teenagers.
"Welcome to Foundational Hero Studies!" All Might announced, his voice echoing off the walls. "This is the class that will forge you into true heroes! And today, we are jumping right into combat! It is time for Battle Training!"
He pressed a button on a remote control, and the wall panels suddenly slid open, revealing briefcases marked with seat numbers. "To be a hero, you must look the part! Grab the costumes you designed before school started, and meet me at Ground Beta!"
The boy's locker room was a chaotic mess of flying spandex, heavy armor, and loud, teenage energy.
Kurapika stood quietly in the corner by his assigned locker. While his classmates pulled out elaborately designed gauntlets, capes, and tactical gear, he simply unbuttoned his school blazer. He reached into his assigned briefcase and pulled out the standard, dark blue, red and white U.A. physical education tracksuit.
"Hey, man!" Kirishima called out, walking over while adjusting his gear. "That was an intense introduction back there! I'm Eijiro Kirishima."
"A pleasure," Kurapika replied politely, slipping the P.E. jacket over his shoulders.
Sero leaned over from the next row of lockers, adjusting his tape-dispenser elbows. "Wait, you're just wearing the gym uniform? Where's your hero costume?"
"My enrollment was finalized only yesterday," Kurapika explained smoothly, zipping up his jacket. He kept his white bandages securely wrapped around his hands. "I have not yet submitted any design specifications to the support companies."
"Oh, yeah, that makes total sense," Midoriya chimed in, struggling slightly with his own green cowl. "The support companies usually need at least a month to tailor the materials to specific Quirks."
Kaminari closed his locker, looking at the blonde boy with intense curiosity. "You know, your vibe is totally different from anyone else here. You're super polite, but your accent is a little... sharp? Where are you from, anyway?"
Kurapika closed his locker door. He looked at the boys surrounding him, their faces bright and incredibly naive. "I am from London."
The locker room practically exploded.
"EHHH?! LONDON?!" Kaminari and Mineta shrieked in unison.
"You flew all the way here from Europe?!" Sero gasped.
"Wow, that's incredible!" Kirishima cheered.
"But your Japanese is absolutely flawless!" Midoriya noted, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Before the interrogation could go any further, the air was sliced by rigid, robotic hand chops.
"Everyone, please!" Tenya Iida announced loudly, his engine-calves gleaming as he stepped between Kurapika and the growing crowd. "Conduct yourselves with decorum! Kurapika has just arrived in a foreign country and a new school! We must give our new classmate some space to breathe!"
Kurapika offered Iida a subtle, appreciative nod. He didn't hate their enthusiasm, but their innocent, boundless energy felt like a completely alien language to him.
On the other side of the locker room, Katsuki Bakugo aggressively slammed his metal door shut.
His crimson eyes glared dagger-like holes into the back of Kurapika's blonde head. Bakugo's jaw clenched in deep, simmering irritation. An extra student? Admitted through a private evaluation after the semester already started? Bakugo scoffed internally. That's just a cute, fancy way of saying he got in through connections. Look at him. Skinny arms, stupid bandages, and he doesn't even have a costume. He's a rich kid who bought his way in. He doesn't belong in the same room as me.
With a low, angry click of his tongue, Bakugo grabbed his explosive gauntlets and stomped out of the locker room.
The long, dark concrete tunnel leading to Ground Beta echoed with the heavy footsteps of the aspiring heroes.
As the boys reached the exit, they merged with the girls' group. The contrast in the tunnel was striking. The U.A. students were dressed in vibrant, colorful, and highly expressive costumes—symbols of hope, strength, and loud personalities.
As they walked out of the tunnel, the brilliant afternoon sun hit them. The light practically exploded off their armor and bright fabrics, casting them as glowing figures of a bright future.
Walking quietly at the back of the pack was Kurapika. Clad in the simple, dark blue P.E. tracksuit, his blonde hair catching the sun, he looked like a shadow moving among a festival of lights. The sunlight touched his face, but the absolute, cold gray of his eyes absorbed the warmth without reflecting a single ounce of it back. He was walking into the light of heroism, but his heart remained deeply buried in the dark.
"They say the clothes make the pros, young ladies and gentlemen!" All Might cheered, standing powerfully in the center of the fake cityscape. "And looking at you all, I must say... you look phenomenal!"
The Number One hero held up a small script, clearing his throat. "Today's lesson is Indoor Anti-Personnel Battle Training! You will be split into teams of 'Heroes' and 'Villains' for a two-on-two indoor battle!"
"Without basic training first?" Asui Tsuyu asked, tilting her head.
"Real battles often happen indoors!" All Might explained. "The villains have hidden a nuclear weapon inside the building. The heroes must either apprehend the villains or secure the weapon within the time limit. The villains must protect the weapon or capture the heroes!"
All Might pulled out a yellow lottery box. "Normally, we would draw lots to form pairs. However, with the arrival of Young Kurapika, we now have twenty-one students!"
All Might rubbed his chin, looking at the box. "Drawing lots for teams of two leaves us with a predicament. One team will have an extra—"
Before the murmurs of confusion could start, Kurapika calmly raised his bandaged hand.
"Excuse me, All Might," Kurapika's voice cut through the chatter, smooth and completely unwavering. "If there is a numerical imbalance, I do not mind being placed on a two-person hero team facing a three-person villain team."
The class turned to look at him, stunned by the absolute, casual confidence in his voice. He was offering to walk into his very first hero exercise at a deliberate, calculated disadvantage, without even knowing what anyone else's Quirks were.
Bakugo sneered, his red eyes flashing with irritation at the arrogant display.
All Might, however, burst into a booming, approving laugh. "HAHAHA! What excellent heroic spirit, Young Kurapika! Indeed, in the real world, heroes are frequently outnumbered by villains! Relying on adaptability when the odds are against you is the mark of a true pro! We shall proceed with this setup!"
All Might reached into the box and began drawing the lots, pulling out letters to form the pairs.
"Match A will be Midoriya and Uraraka as the Heroes, against Bakugo and Iida as the Villains!"
The announcements continued, pairing the students exactly as fate intended. Todoroki with Shoji, Yaoyorozu with Mineta, Kaminari with Jiro. Finally, All Might reached the bottom of the box for the final, modified bout.
"And for our final match of the day!" All Might announced, his booming voice echoing off the concrete buildings. "The Hero Team will consist of Young Kurapika and Young Tokoyami! You will be facing the three-person Villain Team of Ashido, Sero, and Kirishima!"
Kurapika lowered his hand. He briefly made eye contact with Tokoyami, offering a small, respectful nod to his avian-headed partner. Then, his cold, gray gaze shifted toward his three opponents.
For now, he didn't view them as classmates. He viewed them as temporary targets.
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Plz push the story with your power stones!
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