The door to the classroom swung open, and a towering figure stepped in. His presence immediately commanded attention—his broad frame, the sharp features of his face, and the unmistakable aura of authority. Everyone fell silent as he walked to the front of the room.
"Good morning, Class 1-A" his voice was deep and calm, with an almost intimidating edge to it. He stood tall, his arms crossed over his chest. "My name is Kugo Sakamata. You can call me Gang Orca."
There was a moment of stunned silence, as some students looked at each other, trying to process what they had just heard. The name Gang Orca was legendary in the hero community, but seeing him in person, standing right in front of us, made it all feel so real.
He continued, his gaze sweeping across the class. "I'm your homeroom teacher for this year. Don't expect any hand-holding. I'm not here to make things easy for you."
I exchanged a glance with Daichi. Mayu didn't seem fazed, though, giving a slight nod as if to say, "This is the real deal."
"You're all here because you've shown potential, but that means nothing if you don't put in the work. You'll be tested, pushed to your limits, and if you can't keep up, you're out. Understood?"
The class nodded, some more nervously than others. Kugo Sakamata, or Gang Orca, wasn't the kind of teacher who needed to raise his voice to be intimidating—his presence alone was enough to make us all take him seriously.
He stood there for a few moments, letting the weight of his words sink in, before adding.
Without any introduction between the students, Gang Orca motioned for us to stand up. "Alright, enough talk" he said coldly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "Follow me."
He turned on his heel and walked straight out of the classroom, leaving us no choice but to scramble after him. We quickly filed out of the room, some students still unsure of what to expect, while others, like myself, seemed more prepared for whatever was coming next.
We followed him through the hallways, down stairs, and eventually outside, where the crisp air hit us. But what really stood out was the sight in front of us—a massive, military-style training ground.
Rows of obstacles, training dummies, and different types of combat zones stretched out before us. The ground was rugged and uneven, designed for intense physical training. The area looked like it had been built for heroes-in-training to face their toughest challenges.
Gang Orca stopped at the edge of the field and turned to face us. "This is where you'll learn to be heroes" He said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. "From now on, you'll train like soldiers. No more coddling. You will push your limits and then go beyond them."
Daichi, who usually took everything with a grin, looked a bit more serious. Mayu's expression remained neutral, but her eyes were alert, as if she was already sizing up the situation.
As we stood on the training ground, the air thick with anticipation, Gang Orca's stern gaze swept over us. He didn't waste any time, his voice cutting through the tension.
"Alright, listen up" He barked, his tone hard and commanding. "Today, you're going to face a series of individual challenges. Each of you will have to complete an obstacle course, pushing your limits every step of the way. This will test your physical strength, agility, endurance, and how well you can think on your feet."
We all stood silently, trying to mentally prepare for what was to come.
"The course ahead is designed to break you" He continued, his eyes scanning the group. "You'll climb, jump, dodge, and sprint. If you fail, you fail. No excuses. But this isn't about the failures. It's about how you recover, how you push forward, and how you improve after every mistake."
I could feel the intensity building in my chest. This was going to be tougher than anything I had ever faced. I shot a glance at Daichi, who gave me a determined look, as if silently saying, We've got this.
"Once everyone has completed the course, we'll move on to the next phase."
Gang Orca paused, letting the weight of his words settle in. "For those who finish last in the obstacle course... you'll be facing one-on-one combat. Yes, I'm talking about fighting each other. The goal is to see how far you'll push yourself when there's no other choice but to keep going. It'll either light a fire under you or show you how much you need to improve."
"What the hell is this mess?" Daichi whispers
"I think I will like this mentality personally. Straight competitions are sure to boost us." My comment displeased some.
Some looked nervous, others eager, but everyone knew that what Gang Orca was saying wasn't a threat—it was a challenge. This was about proving ourselves, not just to him, but to each other.
"This is how it's going to be" Gang Orca said, his voice dropping to a chilling calm. "You either rise to the challenge, or you fall behind. This isn't some playtime. You're here to become heroes. So show me that you deserve to be in Class 1-A. Get ready."
Without another word, he pointed to the starting line of the obstacle course. The time for talk was over. The clock was ticking, and each of us had to face what was ahead.
Gang Orca's voice cut through the air again, sharp and direct. "Listen up You'll be divided into three groups of six. This is a competition. You'll race through the obstacles, and you'll do it against your own teammates. The fastest, the most efficient, and the most capable will rise.
'It's about outperforming those in our own group.'
We quickly took our places in our respective groups. Daichi ended up in mine, along with Mayu, and a few others I didn't recognize.
"First group, step up" Gang Orca ordered. The first group of six moved forward, ready to take on the challenge. I watched closely, analyzing their movements as they tackled the course.
As we waited for our turn, Daichi let out a low sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Man, this is gonna be tough" he muttered, clearly a bit nervous.
"Just focus. Show that you could handle the pressure." I nodded.
Mayu, on the other hand, was already focused, her eyes narrowing at the course as she mentally prepared herself.
My eyes scanned the course ahead.
The obstacles stretched across a vast area:
Unstable Climbing Wall – A 10-meter-high wall that constantly changes its surface, making some parts slippery, brittle, or suddenly retracting. Those with climbing or propulsion abilities will have an advantage, but quick thinking is essential.
Projectile Forest – An area where machines launch projectiles at varying speeds. Avoiding, blocking, or deflecting the attacks requires good trajectory reading or strategic use of one's Quirk.
Shifting Maze – A labyrinth where walls constantly move and change positions. Those with high speed, enhanced spatial awareness, or vertical movement abilities will find the fastest way through.
Our turn finally came, and as the first team finished, we stepped up to the starting line.