Alioth
patreon
Ch 8 MHA: Harder Better Faster Stronger
🕑 Added 2025-06-22 18:47:08 +0000 UTC"Before you all get excited about using your Quirks," Aizawa said flatly, hands shoved into his pockets, "there's a new rule."
The class turned toward him, half-confused, half curious.
"Whoever comes in last place… is getting expelled."
Gasps and chatter broke out instantly.
"Expelled? On the first day?" someone said.
"That's insane!"
"After going through the Entrance Exam, how is that even allowed?" Uraraka said.
Reiji didn't react. But one corner of his mouth tugged upward. Bluff or not, it's a hell of a threat. And Aizawa didn't look like the bluffing type.
Aizawa let the chatter run out before speaking again, voice as dry as ever.
"UA's not your average school," he said. "You want to call yourself a hero? Then act like it. Survival starts now."
The muttering stopped. Tension settled over the field.
Aizawa tapped his tablet. "First trial: 50-meter dash. "
Reiji stepped onto the track alongside Tenya Iida and Tsuyu Asui.
All three crouched at the starting line. Aizawa raised the whistle.
He exhaled slowly. Speed's nothing without control. Let's show them.
Tweet.
In one motion, Reiji kicked off the ground.
There was no flashy burst. Just a blur.
One moment, he was at the starting line. The next, he stood casually at the finish.
Tenya arrived seconds later, skidding slightly as he came to a halt. His eyes were wide behind his glasses.
"What…?" he breathed. "That speed..."
Tsuyu finished next, springing forward with a long jump.
Aizawa checked the times without much reaction. "Kogane: 1.50s. Iida: 3.04s. Asui: 5.58s."
Reiji looked at the time. 1.50. Not bad.
The class erupted.
"What the hell was that!?" Kirishima said. "Didn't you say your Quirk was something that does the work for you? How are you that fast?"
"It's impressive," Momo said. "Iida's Quirk is built for this and you still outran him."
Shoto didn't comment. He simply narrowed his eyes.
Katsuki let out an annoyed snort.
Let him boil, Reiji thought. He's the type who can't stand being second.
Trial 2: Grip Strength
Reiji took the dynamometer. He didn't bother adjusting it. Just squeezed.
Aizawa read the display. "643 kilograms."
The class blinked. Even Shoji blinked. Even he looked impressed.
Trial 3: Standing Long Jump
Reiji crouched and leapt.
He cleared the entire pit and landed cleanly on the other side, hands in his pockets before the others could process it.
Trial 5: Softball Pitch
Reiji had already thrown his ball before, so he stood off to the side as the rest took their turns.
Bakugo stepped up next. His first throw came out strong 705.2 meters. He scowled at the distance, clearly wanting more.
All fire, no control. Figures. Reiji thought.
Then it came time for Midoriya.
He stepped forward, gripping the ball with shaky hands. Aizawa's eyes narrowed.
"You've been relying on luck so far," Aizawa said. "That ends now."
He blinked. The effect was immediate—Midoriya's Quirk was erased. His muscles tensed. Everyone waited.
But when the effect faded, Midoriya stepped up again, determined. He clenched his jaw, wound up, and hurled the ball.
A sickening crack echoed as his finger shattered.
705.3 meters.
Bakugo twitched, his eye flickering with even more intensity.
As the remaining tests wrapped up, Aizawa kept observing quietly. His gaze lingered on Reiji.
He noticed something.
Apart from the softball throw, Reiji hadn't used his Quirk once. No visual effect. No activation.
Having a power that fights for him and still putting in that level of physical work Aizawa's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"…Interesting."
Aizawa held up the tablet, projecting the results as a hologram.
"Time to present the results."
Everyone stared at the rankings.
Reiji scanned the list silently, eyes moving from first place down.
Then Aizawa spoke again.
"Oh yeah. about the whole expulsion thing…"
Everyone turned toward him.
"That was a lie," he said bluntly. "It was just a rational deception to make sure you put in your best performance."
Tenya's jaw dropped. Uraraka and Midoriya flinched in disbelief.
"You tricked us?" Izuku said, nearly tearing up.
Momo shook her head. "Of course it was a lie. If you just thought it through, it was obvious."
Aizawa didn't react to the complaints.
"You're not here to relax. You're here to become heroes. This is how the real world works."
1st to 20th
Reiji Kogane
Momo Yaoyorozu
Shoto Todoroki
Katsuki Bakugo
Tenya Iida
Fumikage Tokoyami
Mezo Shoji
Mashirao Ojiro
Eijiro Kirishima
Mina Ashido
Ochaco Uraraka
Koji Koda
Rikido Sato
Tsuyu Asui
Yuga Aoyama
Hanta Sero
Denki Kaminari
Kyoka Jiro
Toru Hagakure
Izuku Midoriya
"Wow! You really did great today first place overall in the class!" Mina said, leaning toward Reiji with a grin.
A few of the others were still glancing at the hologram showing the final results. Some were impressed. Some weren't happy about it.
Aizawa's voice cut in. "With that, the test is over. Your curriculum sheets are back in your classroom."
He turned and handed Midoriya a form.
"You're going to Recovery Girl," Aizawa said. "Now."
Midoriya took the paper quietly, cradling his injured hand as he walked off the field.
"I guess that makes you the strongest in our class," Kirishima said, stepping up to Reiji with a thumbs up.
Reiji glanced at the hologram again.
"Not bad for a warm up."
Kirishima blinked. "Hah. You're not even sweating."
Reiji brushed a bit of dust off his sleeve. "Would've been rude to go all out."
Then Bakugo walked past.
"Tch. Don't get full of yourself." He didn't look back, but his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. "I'll wipe that smug look off your face soon enough. Don't get too comfortable, you damn poser."
Kirishima stepped in before the mood could get worse. "Hey, come on, no need to start a fight."
Bakugo ignored him and kept walking.
Then Todoroki walked up, arms at his sides, expression unreadable.
"You're in first place," he said. "But I'll do whatever it takes to surpass you."
His tone wasn't hostile, just serious. Focused. Then he turned and walked away without waiting for a response.
Reiji exhaled lightly and adjusted his collar.
Later that evening, Reiji stepped through the front door of his family's house.
He pushed the front door open and stepped inside. The smell of stir-fry drifted in from the kitchen.
"Yo," he called out as he kicked off his shoes.
From the kitchen, his mom glanced over her shoulder. "You're back earlier than I thought."
"First day," his dad said, wiping his hands with a rag as he came out of the garage. "They throw you into combat training or just make you sit through lectures all day?"
Reiji dropped his bag near the shoe rack and rolled his neck. "Physical test. Quirk assessment. Got first place."
His dad gave a low whistle. "First, huh?"
"Of course he did," his mom said, turning back to the stove. "So, what were your classmates like?"
"Mixed bag," Reiji said. "Some loud ones. Some serious ones. A guy with engines in his legs."
His dad chuckled. "Sounds like UA."
His mom looked over again. "Anyone stand out?"
"A few," Reiji said. "There was this one kid broke his own finger just to get the ball farther."
There was a pause.
"…Did it work?" his dad asked.
Reiji smirked a little. "Yeah. Barely."
"Dinner's in ten minutes," his mom added. "Wash up."
Reiji headed toward the bathroom, loosening his collar as he went.
[TL:- Let me know if anything feels off—I'm open to thoughts!]
![As[u]kaASMR from patreon](https://patrefans.com/kistorage/75948.jpg)
