Chapter 114: Shigaraki
As Aizawa was packing his bag, he turned the idea over in his mind. When he thought about the League of Villains, he envisioned their notorious leader, Tomura Shigaraki, who was notorious for his ruthlessness and disdain for heroes. The thought of sending his students into that environment would typically send any teacher into a panic, but Aizawa was confident in his students' abilities. They had proven time and again that they were resilient.
When Shigaraki arrived to take charge of the class, he couldn't hide his disbelief. "You really want me to teach these kids? The same kids who are supposed to be my enemies?" Shigaraki questioned, a smirk creeping onto his features, eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Think of it as an experiment," Nezu proposed, relishing the prospect of chaos blending with education. "You get to see how well they adapt under pressure."
Day one of training began with Shigaraki standing before the gathered students, a facade of indifference masking his excitement. "Alright, you little brats," he drawled, arms crossed over his chest. "I don't know much about 'teaching,' but what I do know is how to make people break. So, let's see how tough you really are."
Class 1-A exchanged glances, the usual camaraderie heating up into a buzz of anticipation. Bakugo's eyes sparked with challenge, eager to prove they could take on whatever Shigaraki threw their way. Meanwhile, Midoriya, with notebooks clutched tightly to his chest, contemplated the potential learning opportunities. "If we can learn their strategies… we might even have an edge in our own training!"
Shigaraki started with a series of physically demanding exercises designed to push the students to their limits. He didn't hold back; he wanted to incite fear and perhaps a bit of despair. One round, students had to face off against each other while Shigaraki observed, waiting to unleash his quirks with the intent of creating chaos.
But what Shigaraki hadn't prepared for was the sheer ingenuity and tenacity of the Class 1-A students. Instead of crumbling under his pressure, they responded rapidly with teamwork, strategy, and their own quirks. Midoriya coordinated attacks, Uraraka floated opponents to throw them off balance, and even Bakugo channeled his explosive temperament into clever tactics rather than outright aggression.
"Is this all you got?" Bakugo yelled, charging at Shigaraki with an explosive blast, clearly putting everything on the line. Shigaraki chuckled, amused by the challenge.
As the day progressed, laughter and tension buzzed through the air. Shigaraki began to feel something unusual – a sense of challenge that he craved but didn't expect to find among a group of teenagers. They were adapting swiftly, countering his tactics, flipping his expectations upside down.
"Look at them! They're actually… working together," he muttered incredulously.
By the end of the first week, the students were pushing the boundaries of each session, surprising Shigaraki at every turn. They had taken his sinister plans and turned them into skill sets. Even when he tried to incite fear, they responded with courage, wit, and occasionally, good-natured banter.
"Try harder, Tomura!" Kirishima shouted, recovering from what should have been a debilitating attack. "You've got to keep us engaged!"
Finally, Shigaraki reached the end of the week, a mix of frustration and something resembling respect brewing within him. Could it be that these 'heroes' were more formidable than he had anticipated? "Alright, fine!" he spat, shaking his head. "You win this round, but don't think this makes you special."
When the training ended, Aizawa returned to find his students buzzing with excitement, sharing stories of their victories and trials under Shigaraki's watchful eyes. The class, once weary of Aizawa's absence, brimmed with fresh energy, each student ready to tackle their next challenge with newfound skills.
"Turns out, we didn't just survive," Jiro said, a satisfied smile on her face. "We thrived!"
And in an unexpected twist, Aizawa couldn't help but smile. He had taken a risk, inviting chaos into the classroom, and it had paid off. Class 1-A had proven that even in the darkest of places, they could find light and strength. As for Shigaraki, he had unexpectedly stumbled into the role of an instructor, realizing perhaps that breaking them down may have been less satisfying than pushing them to grow.
In the heart of U.A., the line between hero and villain shifted once more, and amid the lessons of control and chaos, true strength shone through.