Author's Notes:
I'm really sorry it took a while to post, I've been procrastinating quite a bit, though I will have to mention that the updates will likely take around a week now (as of the previous ones) because I feel like I'm slowing down a bit (though I will endeavour to make it a week or two at most, though if it was two then I'd say it would be a long chapter and also I'm back to school) so I just wanted to give you guys a heads up as of my update schedule I suppose (in which it's probably extremely inconsistent and I suppose I have to apologize for that...)
Now here's the actual start of the Sports festival arc (officially) and to answer the guest user in the review section, don't worry, I plan on making this series a long-running one as I already have plans at least until All for One's fight.
To answer the reviewer LuisAM21:
I suppose I can see where you're getting at, although it's highly unlikely that there won't be an obstacle race as if it were truly random then it really wouldn't help having such different games as a race is one of the best way to pick off numbers and also it would be a major inconvenience of they were to just create an obstacle course without any sort of major preperation considering that it's 4 kms of a race (including the tightrope stage where it's stuck in a deep pit, or the mines which have to be bought and ordered specifically for that purpose or the giant robots.) but to put it simply let's just say that his observation comes from reasoning since it's his third year in Yuuei.
Yuuei Sports Festival Stadium - Prep Room
"I don't have much time left as the world's symbol of peace, soon I'll have to put that title to rest."
"But you will be the one hero who will take my place."
"Do you still feel the same way since we met?"
"Do you still want to be a hero?"
"The time has come for you to prove it."
"The Yuuei sports festival is something that the pros, no the entire country will be watching very closely."
"I want you to think as this sports festival as your debut."
"I want you to introduce yourself to the world and proudly say."
"I am here!"
Izuku's hand clenched in front of him as All Might's words rang throughout his mind and being as he sat in the stadium's preparation room.
'To say I am here, huh?'
He straightened up granting a better view of the room instead of just the tiled stone floor.
The room was rather spacious, it was well lit and clean as it granted a calming atmosphere.
The view in front of him was pleasant, all of his friends were happily conversing with each other, each pumped up for the festival in their own way. Yet many were visibly nervous after all this was a big opportunity for all of them.
Everyone will be climbing, reaching and clawing their way to the top, to be noticed, to be number one.
Bakugo sulked at the end of a nearby table as he steeled himself for the challenge to come, Kaminari, Sero, Kirishima, and Todoroki were freely chatting amongst themselves at the same table although Todoroki was quiet as usual and only participated when he was required to.
Aoyama, Sato, Kota, Shoji, and Tokoyami were also discussing the trials the tournament would throw at them, at the table next to them.
"I wonder what they have in store for us in the first round?" Sato inquired nervously, he fiddled with his thumbs obviously distressed about the upcoming battle.
Tokoyami merely nodded closing his eyes. "No matter what they prepare we must persevere."
Shoji who stood next to him agreed.
"Right."
Izuku smiled. 'Tokoyami is right, we must get through this... to fulfill my promise to All might.'
He could remember the promise and expectation that burned in All Might's sunken blue eyes.
'To say to the world that I am here!'
Others were stretching their bodies and discussed strategies or theories about winning the tournament, all in all, everyone was determined to see it through.
All of class 1-A was present, except for...
"Wait... where's Iida?" Izuku inquired.
as if the very gods had heeded his calling Iida had burst through the door with a loud slam as his face was ever so serious, this gained the attention of everyone inside the room as all chatter was cut off.
"Everyone, get your game faces on we're entering the arena soon!"
Everyone visibly stiffened as the pressure in the room grew.
Izuku took in a deep breath to calm himself before something caught his attention.
"Midoriya." The voice was calm and cool, Izuku turned around to face Todoroki who walked up in front of him rather casually, his footsteps echoed throughout the room, though something about his approach threw him off he decided to play it cool and carefully.
"Hey Todoroki... what's up?" Izuku asked nervously.
The tension in the room grew as the two stood in the center spotlight, everyone cast a look in their direction, unsure of what they were about to witness after all it wasn't like Todoroki to specifically call out someone like that, especially Midoriya.
An uncomfortable silence followed before Todoroki spoke up, his teal and grey eyes dug deep into Izuku's soul as he could suddenly feel an overwhelming wave of pressure.
"From an objective's standpoint, I think it's fairly clear that I'm stronger than you." Everyone's eyes widened at the bold comment as Izuku was shocked at his blunt statement, he was about to counter but nothing came out, he knew that he was right as he sunk his head timidly.
"U-Uh, yeah."
Todoroki huffed before continuing.
"However, you've got All might in your corner helping you out."
Izuku's eyes widened dramatically as he couldn't believe what he was hearing but after piecing things together he calmed down, just a bit.
'I suppose we are around each other a lot...'
Todoroki's eyes stared at him, watching his movements and reaction, he didn't miss his body tensing up. "I'm not here to pry into what's going on between you two."
He turned around towards the door nonchalantly before pausing for a brief moment as he turned his head, the dark pits of his stone cold eyes froze him to the ground.
"But know that I will beat you."
Silence filled the room at the sudden as Izuku was at a loss at Todoroki's sudden declaration.
"Huh, what's with all these declarations of war recently." Kaminari mused as he scooted his chair ever so slightly outwards, his arm held by the support of the chair's back to get a better view of the drama in front of him.
Everyone else remained quiet, including Iida who just stood in the frame of the door.
Sensing the growing tension, Kirishima hastily stood up and approached the two in an attempt to diffuse the situation.
"Yeah, what's the big deal, why are you picking a fight all of a sudden, and right before we get started." He laid a hand on Todoroki's right shoulder to which it was immediately pushed away as Todoroki kept his cold glare on the poor green haired boy.
"We're not here to be each other's friends." He stated coldly before turning towards the door.
"Don't forget that this is a team effort."
He took a few steps further as all eyes were locked on him before Izuku spoke up.
"Todoroki..." He stopped but didn't turn around.
"I can't say that I know what's going through your head, or why you need to tell me that you'll beat me..." Izuku stated firmly before his fists clenched slightly.
"And yeah, you are better than me, in fact, you could probably beat me fairly easily considering how dangerous my quirk is..." A shadow was cast over his face as he breathed in.
"Midoriya maybe you're being a little hard on yourself..."
Kirishima looked concerned for his self-depreciating friend as he put a hand on his shoulder only to be greeted with Izuku's appreciative smile and nod.
"No, he's right you guys. All the other courses." He paused before continuing.
"They're coming at us with everything they've got, we're all going to have to fight to stand out or spots will be taken as they pull the rug out from under us."
Todoroki looked at him sideways before he was about to speak up.
"But." The interjection surprised him as Todoroki paused and let him continue.
"I want to be a hero too, I have to prove that I'm worthy of being one, we all do... and that's why..." Todoroki's eyes widened slightly as Izuku brought his head up, his emerald green eyes bearing an undying determination that bore deep into his soul.
"I'll be aiming for the top too."
The words that resonated with Todoroki as it dug up a memory that has long since passed. He stared at him as their gazes met, green to grey and teal, both having a fire ignite within them.
"I can only do what I can now but I have to work hard to improve, to reach the top."
He huffed before nodding.
"You Midoriyas really are the same." He said before making his exit, leaving Izuku confused and stunned as he could only stare at the half cold and half hot boy's back.
Yuuei Sports Festival Stadium
"Aaaah, We're Here!" Nejire cheered excitedly as Togata and Izumi chuckled lightly beside her while Tamaki had the faintest of grins present on his face.
They had just arrived at the stadium which was filled to the brim with civilians and heroes alike, there were many heroes that patrolled the surrounding area, they even spotted Mt. Lady, Kamui Woods and Death Arms who were apparently assigned to guard the exterior of the stadium to which Nejire had already interviewed thoroughly with the other three having to watch on the sidelines sending apologetic glances to the heroes while attempting to pry the bluenette off of them.
They had entered the stadium as they stood in the main reception area which was still crowded with spectators hoping to grab the best seats in the show, they moved to a quieter waiting are so they could have a chat before they had to move to their tasked locations.
They sat down on a comfortable furniture set, Togata, and Tamaki sat on a single seat respectively, Izumi and Nejire sat on the two-seater in which they happily complied.
They happily chatted about the tournament as well as reminiscing their previous festivals.
"Ah, I'm pretty excited to see what the freshmen are made of, especially your brother Izumi!" Togata remarked to which Izumi gave a happy nod.
"Mhm, I'm curious as to how Izuku will handle the challenges the sports festivals will give him, though I feel fairly confident in his skills." Togata laughed heartily before patting Izumi hard on the back.
"Of course 'You' would be the one to say that!" Izumi could only chuckle before rubbing his head sheepishly.
"I suppose you have a point, but it's still my own opinion." Nejire giggled before placing her hand over Izumi's own, intertwining their fingers.
"But I have to say, from what I've gathered he is quite capable in my opinion, he seems to be a good observer and he's one smart cookie even if he doesn't have a full grasp on his powers yet!" She put a finger to her chin in thought before Tamaki stepped in.
"Is that because you pestered him with your barrage of questions... again?" She took on an expression of embarrassed anger before angrily wagging a finger in his face.
"Hey! Now that's rude Tamaki!" She huffed before retreating to the comfort of the couch folding her arms over her chest while pouting indignantly while Izumi sweatdropped with an awkward smile while attempting to comfort the annoyed girl while the black haired student had an evil smirk on his face like a teasing older brother.
Togata chuckled before smiling brightly before standing up. "Well, I think it's about time we go in, eh?" The three nodded, Tamaki got up first and stood beside Togata.
"We're in charge of patrolling the general outer area of the inside of the stadium... ugh that's a mouthful." Tamaki turned his head as the other three chuckled.
The two boys waved before entering the main stadium facility while Nejire and Izumi still sat on the comfortable sofa.
He sighed before turning his head towards the bluenette who seemed to be enjoying the quiet after the disappearance of the rowdy crowd, he smiled before lightly pecking her lips which made her yelp in surprise, accompanied by a crimson blush brushing over her pale complexion.
"I-Izumi!" She cried, he could only chuckle lightly before placing his arm around her giving her head a small nuzzle as she grumbled with her hands over her face before she quickly returned the favor by swiftly placing her lips on his cheek which made him blush as well as he removed his hand to cover his face like her.
"A-ah N-Nejire..." She burst out laughing, her laughter echoing the relatively vacant halls that only a few heroes were still roaming.
Her laugh really was something... It was like a drug for him, her voice was as soft as an angel as her presence was always welcome, he was so lucky to have her with him.
So, so lucky...
He stood up abruptly as Nejire could tell he was shaking slightly.
"W-W-well, I-I t-think i-i-its t-t-time t-to g-g-go!" He stammered, she laughed even harder which earned a few looks from of the surveilling heroes but they eventually paid them no mind.
"Whew, Haha, wow Izumi, even after a few months of this you're still not used to my teasing?" She exclaimed as he hugged her sides which hurt from all her laughter, he managed a shaky smile before offering her a hand, she looked at it for a moment before meeting Izumi's gaze, his warm amber eyes dug deep into her soul as her body felt warm upon just looking at the orange orbs, she smiled before taking his hand as she was lifted up from the couch.
As he pulled her up, he caught her to prevent her from falling forwards as he embraced Nejire in a light hug to which she giggled and wrapped her slender arms around him in reply.
"Thank you..." he muttered softly into her ear before the blush returned to her cheeks as she shook her head.
"No, thank you..." He smiled before they broke off but kept their hands intertwined.
No words were needed to understand the deep meaning of those simple words but for now, they were simply enjoying being in each other's company.
They walked towards the staircase that led towards the upper floor before they finally reached the right level.
There was a lot of chatter in the crowd as everyone was excited to see the competition and action that the first years in Yuuei would bring to the tables, they could only smile at their enthusiasm before a large monitor that hovered over all the spectators lit up with Present Mic.
"HEY GUYS! YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS!" He exclaimed as he wildly pointed his fingers towards the entire stadium making the entire crowd cheer in excitement.
It's finally about to start...
"MAKE SOME NOISE ALL YOU RABID SPORTS FANS!"
"THIS YEAR WE"RE BRINGING YOU SOME OF THE HOTTEST PERFORMANCES IN SPORTS FESTIVAL HISTORY GUARANTEED!" The crowds cheered even louder if that was even possible, seemingly satisfied Present Mic continued.
"I"VE GOT ONLY ONE QUESTION BEFORE WE GET INTO THE GAMES"
"ARE YOU READY?!" The crowd screamed in agreement and excitement.
"LET ME HEAR YOU SCREAM AS OUR STUDENTS MAKE THEIR WAY ONTO THE BIG STAGE."
The light shone through the end of the tunnel for the class of 1-A.
A multitude of footsteps echoed around the concrete tunnel as the field of green entered their vision.
This was it.
Izuku's fist clenched as his emerald green eyes shone with a bright fire, fuelled by determination.
All Might sat alongside his co-workers and colleagues as he watched expectantly at the entrance of class 1-A, he smiled.
"You must introduce yourself to the world and proudly say 'I AM HERE!'"
"All Might, I won't let you down!" Izuku muttered softly as the class finally made their way onto their stage.
"Ah, Izumi, Izumi they're here!" Nejire cheered while constantly tugging his sleeve like a child, class 1-A was the first to make an appearance as the crowd cheered heavily at their display ever since their rise in popularity thanks to the USJ attack, he could only smile brightly upon seeing his brother with an air of confidence around him.
Izuku's eyes widened before he started looking scanning the crowd until he finally rested his sights on his elder brother.
He smiled broadly before waving happily, Iida and Uraraka noticed and soon followed pursuit, Izumi chuckled before waving back with a smile on his face, though turning to Nejire, it appeared that she was too preoccupied with watching all the other characters that appeared on the stage from the other various entrances, muttering to herself questions about their quirks, characteristics and powers alike. He could see the sparkles in her eyes as her being radiated a contagious dose of excitement. Upon seeing this he could only chuckle before slyly placing his hand over hers intertwining their fingers together.
She jumped a bit before blushing slightly as she shyly smiled with her eyes holding his gaze sheepishly.
It was too cute, he couldn't help but lightly chuckle as he leaned over to place a light kiss on her forehead which made her blush much harder before she covered her face before leaning into his chest to which he laughed harder as he wrapped his arms around the girl.
"And I thought you said that I was easy to tease."
"S-shut up!" She playfully punched his shoulder before they shared a good laugh.
Izumi took a few deep breaths to compose himself before their attention was grabbed by Midnight sensei's welcome which was mostly received with the males in the audience fawning over her costume to which Izumi and Nejire had already gotten used to in their two full years of being in Yuuei.
"And now for the student pledge, we have Katsuki Bakugo!" There were many shocked faces within class 1-A though most others seemed to be annoyed at the prospect but kept quiet as he made his way to the stand though there were a few murmurs here and there.
Nejire noticed this as she tugged Izumi's arm again pointing to him. "Oh, is that the Bakugo kid from the entrance exam?" He nodded before turning his head back towards the sandy blond kid, his hands were shoved in his pockets as he walked up the stairs nonchalantly but his posture and figure oozed with a confidence that demanded respect.
"He was the kid who earned the highest points in the entrance exam, he's one tough cookie alright." She nodded before lighting up again.
"Ah yes! Hey Izumi, since they have classes together, are they good friends?" He paused for a moment as memories flooded back to the front of his mind where Izuku was always bullied by the sandy blond haired kid as he was a leading figure who had always used force and skill to gain the respect and fear of his classmates when he was still in junior school.
He was impressive to say the least, he was smart, he had skill, he had talent and he had a strong sense of justice even if it's redefined by his own ideologies.
He knew that Izuku was always bullied but he had always called him a friend rather than an enemy, he had an amazing quirk and he was strong but he lacked remorse for many of his actions. Izumi could never understand how his brother had been so forgiving, he was always kind towards him, offering a helping hand even if the opportunity was rare.
Izumi didn't understand but he had always admired his brother's compassion, enough so to give him another chance.
But he still lacks that quality in him but he seems to have tempered it some but he wouldn't ever forget what happened to his dear little brother.
"I... suppose you could say something like that..." She heard the hesitation in his voice as her face turned into one of concern but she decided to leave it alone, but they both knew that they would have to discuss it sooner or later.
Bakugo stood there as the whole world went silent to hear what he has to say.
"I just want to say..."
"..."
"I'm gonna win." He ended casually.
It took a moment for everyone in the stadium to recover from the sheer shock from his blunt statement before all the other classes started causing an uproar as they appeared to have an argument. Some of their voices were so loud that they could clearly hear them from the spectator seats as Izumi sighed heavily.
"... and yep, that's the Bakugo I know." He couldn't help but chuckle a bit before Nejire smiled herself after seeing him cheer up.
Midnight could only sigh and shake her head in an amused fashion but she quickly recovered. as she raised her microphone as she took center stage.
"Without further ado, let's get started!"
She raised her stick into the air as a colorful blue holographic screen popped up behind her with an aesthetic similar to a casino game as items were scrolled through a single list.
"The first fateful game of the festival!"
The crowd cheered as it spun, erratic music with a culmination of trumpets and electronic based music made the atmosphere tense and suspenseful.
"Oh, what could it be?"
The slot abruptly stopped as the result was clear for all to see as the words pulsed with energy.
The obstacle race.
"Ta-da!" Midnight exclaimed before moving to the side as she started to explain the rules as the students below started to murmur and share possible strategies and theories.
Nejire smiled as she sighed in nostalgia, "I remember when we did our obstacle race!" He nodded in agreement.
"Oh yeah, Togata accidentally used his permeation quirk and accidentally stripped his clothes off on our first sports festival's obstacle race."
She giggled in amusement at the memory. "Yeah, though he didn't seem to be all the fazed, all in all, I mean he took it well even if he did panic slightly..." He nodded before placing his hand on his chin in thought.
"I suppose he's probably gotten used to being seen naked as his quirk is rather... difficult to control without the proper training, of course, it'd definitely still be embarrassing. I'm so glad Sir Nighteye was able to take him under his wing, he's a rather splendid teacher I hear!" She nodded excitedly.
"He was so excited when he was offered to work at his office and now he's like super strong!"
Izumi nodded as he folded his hands over his lap. "All due to hard work, I'm sure."
"Get to your places contestants!" Midnight exclaimed.
The students scrambled over to the entrance gate which was painted bright red, built with an interesting architecture of overlapping squares as the three lights that loomed over them turned a bright green as white could be seen at the end of the long dark tunnel.
'I have to be smart about this, I'm still not able to control One for All yet, so I have to be careful when I use it.' Izuku thought as he stretched his arms and legs using exercises All Might had recommended to him.
He bent over calmly waiting in a ready position as he observed the other competitors.
Many seemed enthusiastic, some not, many were nervous but that didn't mean he could underestimate them.
The first light dimmed suddenly, leaving only two more orbs lit.
'That means... I have to go beyond.'
The second light dimmed leaving only one orb remaining as the crowd fell silent with anticipation and excitement.
Izuku held his hand out before him before clutching it tightly.
'I hope you're watching All Might, Izumi!
Izumi let out a small exhale of elation before watching his brother with calm yet keen eyes. "Do your best, Izuku." He muttered.
The final light went out as the light died from the emerald orb, Midnight raised her hand up high before yelling with all her might.
"Begin!"
The single word was all that they needed to start out with a full burst and extra spring into their step as all the students began their heated race. The crowd cheered wildly as the students desperately clawed ahead in an attempt to take the lead.
Nejire and Izumi were silent upon seeing the chaos that soon erupted due to the blocked doorway as they sweatdropped.
"Wow... um... wow..." Nejire sputtered as Izumi sighed leaning into his hand.
"Well, I suppose it can only be expected due to the sheer amount of contestants participating..." He sat back up to find a familiar mop of green hair caught in the camera drone's footage, he appeared to be struggling as he was being pushed around by other contestants who attempted to take the lead.
"... I can only hope he'll be able to get through this..." Nejire slapped his back hard making him snap out of his trance.
"Hey, lighten up a bit Izumi, I'm confident Izuku can overcome this obstacle, he's your brother after all." He looked to her in shock as she blushed lightly but still retained a bright smile before he chuckled.
"Heh, I suppose so."
They sat in a comfortable silence as they watched the students attempt to pass the long corridor before voices could be heard behind them.
"Hey, Izumi, Nejire!" They turned their heads around to find Togata and Tamaki walking down the steps to meet them, Togata's arms held two big buckets of popcorn with Tamaki following behind holding a square cupholder full with soft drinks.
"Ah, you're here! I wondered where you were." Izumi commented giving them a serene smile, Togata only nodded before handing Izumi and Nejire one of the popcorn buckets, his trademark goofy grin still present on his face. "We wanted to grab some food before we actually started our 'jobs' after all, the obstacle course will still probably take a while, I mean we can still enjoy ourselves as friends, even if we are supposed to be on guard duty."
Tamaki chuckled before pointing towards the mass of arguing and pushing at the ground level. "I mean, that will probably take a while to pass."
They all shared a laugh
Tamaki took his seat beside Togata before leaning over the side with his cupholder. "Here."
They exchanged thanks as they all dug into their food before happily sipping their drinks.
"This is only the first obstacle to overcome..." A voice rang through, Izumi's eyes widened before a grin ran over his face.
The frost of ice swept through the crowd like flowing water before the air turned dry.
Frost spread through the halls freezing everything in contact, large chunks of ice expanded along the outside of the stadium's wall as many of the competitors were frozen to the ground as Todoroki sprinted out of the cool mist.
Blue waves of crystal ice spread from each of Todoroki's footsteps.
"Apologies."
A rush of commotion and complaints erupted from the other students as they were unable to progress further.
Suddenly a group of bodies emerged from the crowd lifting to the air.
"Hah, Nice try Todoroki!" Yaoyorozu exclaimed.
Bakugo sprang forth swinging his arms to gain more momentum in the air before his palms burst with a chain of explosions.
"You won't get away that easily, you hot and cold bastard!" Bakugo screamed as he rushed forward at incredible speeds.
He nodded with a grin at their innovative use of their quirks, "They're quite a smart bunch, class 1-A."
The others seemed to be able to advance as well albeit at a much slower pace as most of their quirks aren't suited to handle these kinds of situations as they approached carefully in an attempt to not slip and fall, though Nejire burst out laughing seeing Tokoyami just flying by nonchalantly with his quirk Dark Shadow.
"I didn't expect so many people to dodge that... especially those from other classes." Todoroki muttered as he turned his head back towards the front, he still had a great lead from the other students.
"Hmm, that kid seems to have a good grasp on his powerful quirk." Togata managed through a mouthful of popcorn.
Izumi nodded, "That's Todoroki, a student who got in through recommendations so he wasn't required to participate in the general entrance exam."
"So he has ice powers huh, but why does he have half a head of red?" Nejire inquired, Tamaki also nodded but he was too busy stuffing his face with food that Fat Gum had recommended him, though the glint in his eyes told Izumi that he was also curious.
Izumi paused for a second before replying. "He's... the son of Endeavor." His eyes never left the boy as he looked at him with a hint of sadness which didn't go unnoticed by the other three but they stayed silent.
A collective gasp was heard from the crowd as an army of Zero-point robots marched towards the students who reeled back in disbelief and fear but Todoroki was the first to act.
"They obviously went through a lot of trouble to manufacture these machines for the obstacle race..." Todoroki muttered as his right side was positioned near the ground as a trailing bluish-white mist emerged from his palm as his right foot spread a glaze of ice along the dirt track.
"But I had hoped that they had prepared something more difficult."
A sudden burst of cold wind erupted from the ground beneath the boy as a flurry of ice shards emerged from the dirt path as the air around him crystallized in a circular motion creating a devastatingly powerful spear of ice that was brought up by his single palm as it dragged along the ground, materializing into a weapon of mass destruction.
"Especially since my dear old father is watching."
Author's Notes:
Well I thought I'd end the chapter here because I didn't want to make you guys wait too long (as it already is quite a bit overdue.)
And no, this won't be the last part of the obstacle course but I do plan on shortening it a bit so I don't have to go every grueling detail (so I apologize.) I suppose I'm already a bit burnt out, at least when it comes to the obstacle course but I hope I can still do the fights justice! (which I'm excited about) believe it or not, I was planning to finish this in one go but... well it didn't work out well so here we go (plus that would probably take much much longer.
Also to note, there was a lot of alternating between perspectives in this chapter if you haven't noticed already.
To be honest, I'm not sure if that's exactly a good thing but I didn't want to specify every single time with a little message with something like "Izuku's POV" or something like that. Though this was one thing I never was really too sure about as a writer, though if you have any suggestions or corrections (whether I should alternate between perspectives or try to maintain one at a single point) please let me know by either reviewing or PMing me (really, I don't mind.)
Thanks for reading, please leave any reviews or criticisms you have or if you have anything I need to know (like typos)
See you guys in a bit.
- Ignis