"ZERO HAVE CLEARED THE EXAM." There's the announcer. He just had to tell them what they all wanted to hear. Not. This is going to be a rough time. Unlike the others, Hitoshi hadn't crossed paths with villains before. He only has training which is different from actual experience. Even so, he isn't going to let that small detail hold him back. He will earn his license alongside all of his classmates. He will achieve his dream. He will make sure of this, help his classmates achieve theirs as well.
Hitoshi scowls slightly under his mask at the announcement. So far they have been working together to defend themselves against the onslaught of attacks. His whips constantly grow and shrink in length with every flick, hitting his targets. The others used their quirks, Ashido used a wall of acid to block an attack that he had let past his guard at one point. "Thanks," he says, barely casting a glance at her direction. Another snap of the whip. Another use of a quirk from his classmates. It's a consistent pattern, one that's starting to tire him. He does not want to act like an animal backed against the wall, but he trusts Midoriya on this. They're not to use their Champion abilities just yet.
"Shinsou!"
"On it." He gets behind Jirou who sends a heartbeat pulse through the ground. He along with Yaoyorozu, who made herself some whips, hit the balls back to the others in retaliation. His shoulders burn with constant use. Midoriya is swinging his scythe to help lessen the load while the long-distance fighters help as well as a way to keep the balls away from them.
One moment, everything is still. The next, tremors ran through the ground and it breaks away. Earthquake? He hears some people whispering but he knows it's not. That guy. What's his face. The one that looks like an older Midoriya. He's grinning evilly. Dang. So Bakugou was right about him. "Shinsou!" The said teen turns and finds Jirou and Shoji coming up beside him, they see that they were isolated from their classmates. Just their luck, they really are being hunted down like prey. It doesn't matter. They will pass and earn their licenses whether people liked it or not.
The child of Sloth sighs, rubbing his forehead as he comes up with a plan. They have to figure out how to pass this on their own now. No more defending. They have to be attacking with everything they've got, otherwise, there's no way they'll pass. No one will be taking it easy with them. They will have to rely on themselves.
In a moment, there is wind. It's a gust strong enough to lift several of the balls into the air. Violet eyes widen when the projectiles start raining down on the examinees. All three of them take cover behind the uprooted rock formation, avoiding them the best they can.
"120 EXAMINEES HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED WHICH IS MORE THAN NEEDED TO PASS!"
The brainwasher curses under his breath, knowing that someone with that much power will be a challenge. "We need to fight back," he states in a steel voice, staring at the ground with clenched fists. "Constant defense will not suffice if there's a guy that powerful here."
"You're powerful too, Shinsou," says Jirou, giving him a smile.
At the compliment, pink lightly dust his cheeks. He hides his face in the scarves. "Hrm," he clears his throat, glancing away. "So are both of you. Now, this will be our plan. Shoji . . ."
They will do whatever they can to continue forth. Through blood, sweat, and tears, they will win.
The aura of the Champion creeps forward.
Off to the farthest side of the ballroom, three different Immortal Beings sit upon their thrones. They all wear different clothes, flashing off their statuses and who they are. Two of sin, one of death. A couple more Immortal Beings come and join to spectate the special event. Guests wearing a variety of elegant clothes from dazzling ballroom gowns to tailored suits lined the sides of the ballroom, their partners on the other side of them. They're waiting for the signal.
Ready to join the fight, Shinsou Hitoshi meets the gazes of those opposing him and his friends. With fire in those violet eyes, the boy smiles.
The air is constantly filled with the snapping of whips and thudding noises of heavy objects falling and hitting either the people around or the ground. To their opponents, the air was dense and thick. The aura that flared from the Champion crushed their chest, choking them. The thrill of battle shines brightly in their eyes, fierce and cold. They know that this will be ruthless. This is not just a test, it is a battle to survive. This will be a key to their future, to show everyone just what they are made of. To their allies, they will protect; to their enemies, they will slaughter.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the waltz with Sloth has begun!"
Step, step. One-two-one-two. Spin and spin! Around the ballroom floor with grace and elegance. The guests can't control themselves. Forever stuck in this loop, dancing, and dancing whilst Sloth watches upon with tired red eyes, scouting for the perfect prey.
It's complete hell, notes Hitoshi as he watches the other opponents try their hardest but get no hits in. Shoji, at one point, got another person out by the rapid fire. The flurry rains down on them but only hit Shinsou once as well as Jirou. One more and Shoji will pass. Jirou and Shinsou had teamed up together as a way to protect Shoji until he passes then they will continue on until they both pass. "You're quite good at using that whip, Jirou!"
"Thanks! It's not so different from using my ear jacks against Kaminari when he messes up." She grins at him, flicking the whip once again with a resounding crack!
That draws out a laugh from the Champion. He helps Shoji with his final target. The announcer tells the ones who have eliminated anyone to head out which brings a small smile to the brainwasher. Hitoshi moves on to help Jirou out. The two work flawlessly together, both almost passing the first round at the same time. Jirou passed, Hitoshi's target is hit by another opponent. Dammit. Now back to having both of his weapons, he grins ferociously. The mask is no longer on his face but around his neck and the aura that surrounds him is not a friendly one. Now, without Jirou around, he lets it flare out towards the people circling around him. He has to be careful with using his quirk, needing to time everything correctly.
It never stops. Spinning and spinning. Around and around, left to right, one-two-one-two. An ongoing cycle. On his throne made of ivory and silver, jewels of sapphire and tanzanite dotting here and there, the sin of laziness smirks. He wears a light blue coat over a black button-up with black dress pants and barefoot. Small, black cat ears twitch every now and then in slight boredom. His long, sharp nails rap on the ivory armrests as he watches the dance continue. A circlet of silver and blue jewels rests over his forehead, almost resembling a tiara. He yawns, thinking that should do something to make it more interesting and he knows exactly how. The masks adorning the faces of his guests burn, snakes coil around their necks and shoulders. A black mamba slithers down, curling around the demon and resting its head against the man's face as the man pets his friend in greeting.
"Did you know, if you're to commit the sin of sloth, as punishment in hell: you'll be thrown into a pit of snakes?" His words held an undertone of an ancient voice, deeper than his normal tone, smooth and silky as if it is trying to manipulate the other heroes-in-training around the speaker. His violet eyes turn a light blue, a gleam in them showing the victims that he is not playing around. The three opponents circling him take a step back but none of them answer him as he had hoped. Deciding to try another tactic, the Champion of Sloth uses the hesitation to his advantage. One of his abilities from Sloth is the ability to leech off another person's energy and using it for himself—an energy vampire of some sort. This ability is difficult to train with and if it's done wrong, he can kill a person without trying. The user needs to take a lot of factors into account if they are wanting to use this power. He watches the people around him, knowing that he's draining some of their energy. It takes a lot of concentration for him to do this from a distance and on multiple people. It would be a lot easier with skin-to-skin contact, but this situation is not going to give him that chance.
Sloth stretches, sitting up as he knows that this is soon coming to an end. The tortured screams of the guests are music to his ears as the snakes tighten around them. The male's siblings watch with rapt attention, finding it amazing and hilarious. One of the spectators does not laugh or grin at the sight of the torture, does not move a finger.
Hitoshi takes a deep breath and hits the one person with two disks lit up with the ball and lighting up the last target. "That's just a little fun fact! Believed it would help motivate you all to work harder, but oh well!" he laughed, the noise sounding maniacal. He shrugged and gave them a smile similar to one of Aizawa's crazy smiles, walking out of the arena and to the rest area when he was told to do so. He wonders how the rest of his classmates are doing as he wraps the whips around his wrist. Shinsou Hitoshi has terrified many of the other students who had been in the area that day. The sky slowly starts getting darker, the clouds above swirl in an ominous show. Midoriya, the Child of Sloth thinks, knowing just what is going on. The corners of his lips quirk up into a tiny grin, a fierce gleam in his eyes.
The music comes to a halt. Sloth grinning viciously, lazily as he stands. The snakes around the necks of the dancers fall to the ground. The dance floor manipulating itself into a pit.
A pit of snakes indeed, the torture has begun.
And the Waltz of Sloth has come to an end.
Midoriya Izuku. He is the target for this instance. He is squatted slightly in a fighting stance, ready to fight just in case this turns ugly. "You sure talk a lot," he says, his lips curl into a smile. A smile that should never belong on a hero's face. Then again, this guy just isn't made to be a hero. The aura he emits reminds her of that night. It flares, creeping over the rubble like a growing shadow that searches for unknowing victims to pull into the abyss. It freezes a few opponents in their wake, fear grasping their hearts and squeezing harshly. It weighs on their chests and cuts off their ability to breath. It infects their systems and keeps them from being able to think correctly. Oh yes. This is going to be fun! The girl lunges forward, attempting to attack him.
It appears out of nowhere. A weapon that is usually given to the Grim Reaper itself from all those old stories that have been passed down through the millennia since the beginning of time. A curved silver blade with an obsidian staff that is attached to the metal. It glints ominously, giving the impression of a cold abyss. Nothing about that weapon is natural. The feeling, it is not normal. The metal seems to pull at the girl's soul, sucking the life out everything around them. The world around her seems to take on a grayish tint, the sky goes from being a bright sunny day to a swirling gray. Nothing about this situation is normal, but even so, it won't mean much.
The boy doesn't know who she really is and it doesn't matter. If the boy who hurt them, who had lied and is a two-faced jerk wants to fight, then let him. It's not like he can die, something that sends a thrill through her body. He can't die forever at least. He gets what he deserves! He made sister Magne sad, disappointed Twice and Spinner, angered both Dabi and Shigaraki, and he did it without a care! He hurt their small family!
Midoriya Izuku broke her heart!
He isn't a hero!
Why does a liar, a two-faced jerk want to be a hero?
Midoriya only hurts people around him.
She does too, but she's a villain.
Their stances shift, getting ready to fight. Calm, deep breaths. A blink. A tensed moment.
A gleam appears in those green eyes which were once a forest green, lush and gentle, calm; they were now an acidic color, toxic and poisonous. A sharp smile, happy, ready to fight. His facial features have shifted: eyes were shrouded by shadows that seemed to make the irises glow, cheekbones casting shadows over sunken cheeks, even his nose took on a shadow-like feature. His face resembles that of a skull with pale white skin over ivory bone.
A second passes and they attack.
"Welcome, to the Masquerade of the Damned. It's a pleasure to announce that The Dance of the Bone King has begun! May you dance until death!"
Upon the throne of ivory and human skulls, dark green Kazoo wrapping around the edges sits a robed figure. The robed figure grins underneath their cowl, pearly white teeth glinting through the shadows. On top of their hood, they wear a crown of thorns and deadly flowers. The symbol of a Monarch. The wearer watches the souls be forced to dance to the tune of the eerie waltz music. Beside them sits their friends who all have participated in this great event.
The blond, Toga Himiko, is relentless in her attacks. She never once falters, not even when the curved blade is a whisper away from kissing her cheek. Lunging here and there, she's ready for the attack and manages to block it. She knows he won't hurt her. Not when he doesn't recognize her. Not here, during a special exam.
The rise and fall of the music dictate the movements of the guests. The ghosts of the damned which all cry and groan in fear maneuver themselves around on the ballroom floor. Dance! Dance! Dance! Punish those who haven't changed! Have no mercy! The king—the fool—who hasn't shown his face. The guest of honor in this event. The grim reaper grins. The king of the afterlife and their fellow spectators all enjoy themselves; laughing and crying in amusement, it's a sight for jokes and mockery. Especially at the sight of the jester.
The blonde deeply scowls, trying to get at least a punch in. She wants to show this guy why he shouldn't have hurt them! Hurt their family! It's his fault! Everything is his fault!
She jumps away, grinning as she comes up with a plan. Despite wanting to make Midoriya bleed and drink his blood, she knows that the way she is going with it won't do anything for her. Taking things slow, manipulating and twisting things to her favor will work like a charm. She is sure of this. The girl turns and runs off, smiling happily. She'll make sure to make Midoriya Izuku regret what he had done and she will start with manipulating this entire exam. First, she needs to find Ochako.