I don't own My Hero Academia or Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

Please enjoy this story to your heart's content.

P.S. this Chapter has been edited as of 9/2/20


Chapter 16: Cozmic Travel


"What the hell's the matter with you, Gyro?!" Johnny harsh words echoed off the empty corridor as he pulled his wheelchair in front of his friend. Cheerful laughter and excited chatter reverberated from the end of the tunnel as their classmates already headed to grab some tasty grub from the cafeteria or from one of the many food stands that the Sport's Festival had to offer. The foreigners would've joined them as well, but Johnny wasn't going to let this opportunity to talk privately with Gyro pass up.

Seeing that his path was blocked by the agitated cripple, Gyro let out a sigh. "I don't have a clue what you're talking about, Johnny," he said, folding his arms together before tapping a finger impatiently. "Look, can't this wait? My belly's emptier than Don Quixote's head. So let's grab a bite to—!"

"Don't give me that crap! You know exactly what I'm mean!" Johnny glared fire at his friend, pushing aside any thought of wondering who Don Quixote was as sky blue eyes held emerald. "You've nearly got us taken out last round with that stupid stunt you pulled at the last second! Did it ever occur to you that we might've been unable to protect our last headband?!"

Letting out a snort, the Italian leaned back as the shade from his hat now hid his gaze. "Of course I considered the possibility, but I knew you wouldn't allow anyone to steal it. Especially not after getting it back from that stuck up asshole. Besides, we still managed to win, right? Albeit with less than desirable results…"

"Tch… I'm so glad that you betted our placement in the final round on the chance I wouldn't fuck up…" While he would've been happy his mentor's faith in him any other day, boiling frustration currently rooted itself firmly within Johnny's head. "Even with making it to the final round, you've been getting reckless, Gyro. Ever since the end of the first round—no, even before that, you had your sight set on first place. Nothing wrong with that, but you can't seem to settle for the top five. Each time you fail, you look like you want to bite off someone's head before coming up with some insane plan for first! It's not healthy."

"You're one to talk, Johnny," snapped Gyro, his lips pulled back as golden grills gleamed off the dimly lit light of the hallway. "Your little stunt at the last leg of the obstacle course was just as crazy and reckless as mine in the cavalry battle."

Though Gyro's words were like a slap to the face, Johnny kept his stern, cold expression trained upon him. "I won't deny that, but I was desperate at that point. It was a do or die situation just to make it to the second round and you didn't have to follow my lead… you, on the other hand, nearly got me, Hotei, and Shuzenji disqualified just because you wanted first place…" Silence met the American as Gyro turned his head to side, unable to meet his gaze. "Why, Gyro… Why do you need to be in first? What's driving you to reach that place?"

The Italian remained silent for a moment longer before letting out a reluctant sigh. "You really wanna know 'why', huh? Fine then… It's because of my country."

Johnny blinked before cocking his head to side. "Your… country?"

"Yep… You see, since U.A.'s Sports Festival is one of the most popular sporting events in the world, it means there's a lot of pressure on me to bring home the gold for my home country. There's probably tens of thousands of people from my home watching and cheering me on. I can't let them down. Not to mention, that there are a lot of heroes watching the Sports Festival. Both here and back in Italy. If I come out on top, then there'll be a flood of offers from hero agencies, all wanting me to be their sidekick or partner. This the quickest way for me reach to my goal of becoming a hero!"

Turning around to fully face Johnny, the light of hallway slipped under the brim of his hat, illuminating the green of his eyes till they seemed to pierce into his protégé. "Therefore I'm going to win the Sports Festival no matter what! Or else I'll be even further from victory. I came to this thing to win and my fatherland is waiting for me to do so!"

While incredibly simple, Gyro's motives were sound. The U.A. Sports Festival did have a reputation for attracting all kinds of eyes from around the world. For some, that kind of pressure and expectation would've have been nerve-wracking to actually meet. In fact Johnny knew the feeling well when he first started horse racing, though it was definitely to a lesser degree than the hype and popularity brought by U.A.'s Sports Festival.

Yet Johnny could tell this wasn't the case with Gyro. Not counting the two conflicting motives he had, there was something off about the weight in his tone. Despite his completely valid reasoning, which would've fooled anyone else, there was a hollowness to Gyro's words. Since training with him for a year and a half, he could tell there was no real passion behind the Italian's words. It fact the emotion he used sounded forced, as if he didn't believe his own words. But the real indicator that sold him as a liar was his eyes. In place of burning hot desire for victory, an emptiness clung to the pits of his pupils. It was so slight that Johnny would've missed it if he wasn't staring directly at them to begin with.

There was no drive in them. No true desire nor a nobility to strive to be better for some goal. Just a dullness for a motivation that wasn't truly his own… an inheritance of some kind that was weighing him down. As to what, Johnny had no idea. He would be lying if he said that his friend keeping secrets from him didn't hurt, but then again he had no right to complain. After all, he had his own share skeletons in the closest, enough to make a mountain out of them.

Still… if Gyro kept up this act, then there was only one end awaiting for him in the Sports Festival.

"Gyro… I won't ask why you won't tell me the truth, but I'll simply say this…" said Johnny, taking a moment to reinforce his resolve before saying what needed to be said. "You can't win the Sport's Festival."

The long haired blonde blinked before leaning forward as if actually seeing his protégé for first time. He didn't utter a single word, yet the mysterious golden tattoo under his right eye flickered for to life for a moment before disappearing.

"I don't want to say it, but this my prediction. You won't win first place come the final round. This isn't about calculating the pulse of our horses, the knowing your opponent's Quirks, or the power of your muscles. This isn't about your weak points either. That's not what I'm talking about… It's… well… How do I say this… You should have been able to win the first stage. Hell, you could've secured us first place in the cavalry battle even with that little stunt at the end… Based on technique and drive. You could've won…"

Gyro's lips twitched noticeably, looking reading to pull back into a grimace, but he managed to keep himself composed for his protégé. "Hey Johnny… Just say it. If you're going to come up and talk to me like you're so great, then say it clearly!"

"I am being clear! You're going to lose in the Sports Festival! If you face people like Bakugo or Todoroki, you're going to lose. Even Midoriya has a better chance of winning than you at this point! I can tell from experience… You may be thinking that you lost the first and second rounds were because of accidents or bad luck… But that's not it! There's a certain thing behind it all that caused you to fall behind. Something the others have, but you lack

"I don't know your past, or what your true motivations are, but… but I can tell, here and now, that you're only doing this because of some kind of inheritance. Not only that, your skills with your Steel Balls and the Spin have all been passed too you, right? That means you're a successor! Yet Bakugo, Todoroki, Midoriya… everyone here is different. They're all people that hunger. Hunger for greatness; to make it to end of the Sports Festival; to show off for the heroes here; even simple things like aiming to be the best in the whole school. I'm not saying which one is good or bad, but the difference will show up in desperate moments like in the Sports Festival. That difference will steal your victory and eat you up!"

"So what're you trying to say, Johnny?" muttered Gyro, his voice nearly a whisper as he stared down at the paraplegic. "That I'm some spoiled brat and a coward? Is that it?"

"Hell no… But you can't win unless you hunger. You need to hunger nobly. And considering what that rumor going around about being demoted from the hero course to general studies—or worse, kicked out of the school—if we perform badly… I don't want to see you fail. You helped me get this far, Gyro, so I'm not going to sugarcoat my words with you. And I'm not going to hold back in the final round. I've worked too damn hard to be here, Gyro, and I'm not to going to allow myself to fail… and I know that you sure hell don't either."

Silence once again filled the corridor. Neither boys didn't say anything, merely staring at one another for what seemed like an eternity. With a loud click of his tongue, Gyro broke his gaze before slowly walking around Johnny. The American didn't bother stopping him this time, though he did catch a glimpse of his friend's face. Frustration was painted all over it, but there was a hint of… thoughtfulness? He wasn't quite sure as the Italian already left him for the food hall, but he hoped that he wasn't imagining things, even as he continued to watch his friend's figure fade away.

"I'm sorry, Gyro… but I can't see you like this," he thought silently to himself. "You can't win unless you hunger for it… but slowly… you can grow slowly… Like me… if you can grow slowly… then it will be someone like you, one of inheritance, who will win in the end. But for now… you can be second or third. There is no shame in that. That's what I want to see… what I want to learn from you. That's why I wanted to follow you on the path of the hero in the first place… but—."

"You know… if a hero heard that, I don't think they'll appreciate you encouraging ambition. That said… I can see where you're coming from," a smooth voice suddenly spoke up behind Johnny, immediately startling the young paraplegic out of his thoughts.

Slowing turning around, indigo eyes met his sky-blue as the messy haired general studies student stood before him.

"…How long have you been eavesdropping?" Johnny asked warily, still remembering the youth's declaration of war that he made against Class A. It was annoying that someone managed to sneak up on him once again, but he managed to keep a straight face as he continued to meet the dark, baggy eyed gaze.

Scratching the side of his head, the indigo haired boy merely stared at Johnny, eyeing him up and down before lingering on his wheelchair. Feeling a spike of pure irritation shoot up his spine at the mere thought of this weirdo silently judging him, Johnny gave him a sour look before preparing to leave… only to pause as the boy spoke once again.

"I'd only caught the end of your conversation with Zeppeli…" he said. "It wasn't my intention to eavesdrop, but you two were blocking the hallway and I didn't want to interrupt. That said… I'm sorry for eavesdropping… and for staring just now…"

Johnny blinked at the youth. While his face was a pure emotionless mask, his words sounded sincere. And there was no hint of pity in them either. It was strange to see someone with enough tact to realize how infuriating it was when people stared at someone's disabilities before making a veiledly hidden comment of pity. Relaxing the sour expression on his face, Johnny leaned back into his wheelchair. "…Don't mention it… uh…"

"Shinso," provided the newly named boy. "Hitoshi Shinso of U.A.'s General Studies, Class One-C. Sorry about the delayed introduction, but for what's it worth, it's nice to finally meet you, Johnny Joestar."

Tilting his head to the side, Johnny cocked him an eyebrow. "Really…? Would've thought you would be throwing insults at me or act high and mighty like that dick, Monoma. After all, you did declare war on my class. So forgive me for being a bit skeptical with your sincerity…"

"Fair enough," shrugged Shinso, his face still an emotionless mask. "I'd be feeling the same way if I was in your shoes… that said, I meant what I said. Seeing you make it to the top five during the first round was impressive. Some in the stands said it was a miracle… or a fluke considering your disabilities. But with you making it to the final round, I'm sure that shut up your critics." A ghost of a smile touched his lips for a moment before settling back into the same blank mask he wore.

Wariness gave way to confusion as Johnny didn't know where Shinso was going with this conversation. Especially with how he sounded sincerely pleased by Johnny's success. "…What do you want with me?"

"…I merely wanted to meet you, that's all. That and to wish you good luck in the final round… Though I must admit, I'm a bit envious of you, Johnny Joestar. From the entrance exam to the villain attacks, even now in the Sports Festival… everything is stacked against you… and yet you still managed to claw your through. While I'm…" He paused for a moment, allowing the paraplegic to catch a dark flicker within his eyes. "…In a way, we're similar, but I'm being presumptuous. Considering you probably got it way worse. That said… I also wanted to say that you have my admiration…"

His curiosity now peaked, Johnny frowned thoughtfully at Shinso. He could tell that there was more to what the indigo haired boy was letting on. His mind whirled for a moment, but paused when he noticed Shinso starting to walk passed him. "H-Hold up a second!" he called out. "What do you mean I have it way worse? Or for that matter, what do you mean by we're similar? I don't know a thing about you, but you sure as hell seem to know about me. So at least give me something to work with!"

Shinso halted right beside Johnny, his indigo eyes bearing down upon him, but the dark flicker was nowhere to be seen. Nor was there pity. Instead there was… understanding. "…Like you, I want to use the Sports Festival to prove myself to the world... I've always been looked down because of my Quirk's nature… It's not unpleasant, per say, but as a result of it, everyone wants to keep their distance from me. Compared to the other naturally blessed students here… let's just say that I was denied at the golden gates before I had a chance to shine… I guess people with awesome, heroic Quirks are more suited to following their dreams than those stuck with villainous ones…"

Like a jigsaw puzzle snapping into place, Johnny's eyes grew wide as he instantly knew what Shinso meant. Yet before he could even think of uttering a word, the baggy-eyed youth turned forward before walking down the hallway.

"I don't want to be stuck in the places people think I should be… I want to belong somewhere else…"

Not looking back, Shinso continued onward until he was completely out of sight. Johnny stared down the empty hallway, remaining silent as the indigo boy's words rang in his ears. Part of him wanted to be skeptical, that Shinso was merely trying to lull sympathy out him. Yet that one last look in the baggy-eyed boy's eyes told him all he needed to know. Despite having the face of a shady villain, he was being absolutely honest with the cripple. They were birds of a feather in a fashion. Having to deal with all the crap that life threw out while everyone else looked down upon them for just being who they were.

It was a bitter pill they had to swallow and just the mere thought of remembering all the misery that he endured left Johnny little appetite for lunch, despite the protesting growls from his stomach. Leaning back till he stared at the cold ceiling for a moment, he took a deep breath and tried to banish the tendrils of memory trying to worm their way to the forefront of his mind. Yet that did little help calm him down. Letting out a sour grunt, he gripped his wheelchair and headed down the hallway before turning sharply into another corridor. Not caring where he was heading, Johnny wandered the halls of the stadium, hoping that getting lost in them would at least distract him long enough from his thoughts before the final round's announcement.

Turning sharply around yet another corner, Johnny finally came to a near screeching halt as he almost ran into a road block. Crimson eyes menacingly glared down at the paraplegic as Bakugo leaned near the edge of the corner to the hallway. Yet to Johnny's surprise, he didn't say a single word. No rough demands about what Johnny was doing or violent threats about staying out of his way. Merely laying back against the wall before cocking his head to the side, but his eyes never left the American's.

Suspicion quickly bubbled within Johnny's gut at Bakugo's uncharacteristically quiet behavior. Despite the death glare Bakugo continued to send him and perhaps because of the lingering sourness from trying to stave of his memories, Johnny felt like tempting fate. Opening his mouth, he was about to speak… only to pause as the reason why Bakugo was eerily quiet suddenly spoke up.

"My dad… he's a powerful bastard who only thinks of becoming stronger," Todoroki's voice said just around the corner where Bakugo stood. It didn't seem like he noticed the pair nearby, continuing to talk to someone else without hesitation or censorship. Johnny immediately perked up at the icy-hot boy's words, not caring who he was talking to in particular or if it was a private conversation. An old, thick cord struck soundly in his body as he fell inside beside Bakugo, ignoring the explosive's death glare as he tried to listen to every word Todoroki said.

"Yeah, he's gone all out to make a name for himself as a hero, but… he's always seen that living legend, All Might, as a roadblock and an eyesore. My father could never beat All Might on his own. So he came up with another plan…"

Johnny's brow furrowed at Todoroki's words, not liking at all where he was going with them. Yet he paused when a familiar voice spoke up. "What's this about, Todoroki?" asked Midoriya, his usual hopeful tone now subdued and replaced with uncertainty. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Quirk marriages," answered Todoroki. Even from where he sat, Johnny shivered at the sudden cold that now escaped his classmate's lips. "You've heard of them, yeah? They started becoming a problem during the second or third generation after quirks appeared… Strong individuals would choose a partner and force them into marriage for the sole purpose of passing on a strengthened version of their own Quirk. Those earlier generations were lacking in ethics… With his wealth and fame, my father made my mother's family agree to the marriage. All to get his hands on her Quirk.

"Raising me as a hero who could exceed All Might, just to fulfill his own ambitions. I hate it! Being no more than a tool for that human garbage… As I remember it, mom was always crying… 'I can't stand to see that left side of yours…' she said, before throwing scalding water in my face."

As Todoroki's cold words settled into his brain, Johnny's eyes widen saucer-like as his brow shot up his scalp. "What the hell…" he thought silently to himself. He never really questioned how Todoroki got his burn mark, merely took it as something that was always there. With reality crashing down upon him, it was horrifying… Yet it wasn't as shocking as he would've expected. After all, it wasn't the first time Johnny heard of such brutal parental abuse before… he was living proof of that.

"He was far superior to someone like Dio…"

"Oh god… you took—!"

Biting the inner part of his lips till he tasted iron, Johnny banished the memory before it could any further. He would not break down now! Not in front of Bakugo. Not in front of Todoroki. And certainly not in front of Midoriya… he didn't want their pity. Instead he forced himself to focus on Todoroki continuing his harrowing tale.

"In short, not using my left side against you was my revenge against him," resumed Todoroki. "Never using my rotten father's Quirk… No… By rising to the top without using it… I'll have denied him everything."

A tense silence filled the hallway as the Todoroki's declaration settled over everyone. It wasn't simply the idea of being the best hero or simply winning that drove the white and red hair youth to such extremes. Rather it was something far more resolute and personal. Something that Johnny could relate with on so many levels. In a way their goals were similar, selfish even, but nothing would stop them from trying to reach it.

It was almost funny. First Midoriya's declaration way back when, then Shinso's implications, and now Todoroki… Was this fate that drew them together through rather unpleasant circumstances or mere coincidence?

"Your connection with All Might…" Todoroki's cold tone pulled Johnny out of his musing. "Keep it to yourself if you want." That immediately set off alarms bells within the American, but it seemed that the icy-hot youth didn't know the secret of One For All or All Might's true form. "Either way, I'll rise above you with just my right side. Sorry for wasting your time."

Footsteps echoing off the walls announced that Todoroki was making his exit. Yet before he could take his tenth step, Midoriya suddenly spoke up. "I've… always had help," he said hesitantly. "No matter the situation… I… I've only come this far because other people helped me… All Might… I wanna be like him… For that, I hafta become the strongest. Might seem like a lame motivation compared to yours… but I'm not going to lose. All the people who've helped me… that's how I'll repay them! Let me return my declaration of war with my own. I'm… I'm gonna beat you!"

Silence was the only reply that met the fanboy's declaration. But Johnny somehow knew that Todoroki accepted it without complaint or hesitation. Considering how determined the white and red haired youth could be at times, he probably wasn't too far off the mark.

Two sets of footsteps soon faded way in the distance, thankfully not in the direction where both Johnny and Bakugo hid around the corner. Blinking, Johnny turned his head to the ashen blonde. He honestly forgotten he was there. And judging by the distant look on his face, he too forgotten about Johnny. It was rather a strange, if not refreshing, seeing something that wasn't prematurely anger on his face. Yet it only lasted a minute before Bakugo blinked suddenly, his brow furrowing as he settled on the boy beside him.

"What the hell are you staring at, Horseshoe?" he growled out challengingly.

"Oh nothing… just surprised to see such a… well, anything other than looking like you're about to blow your lid all the time."

"You got some fuckin' nerve…" A blood vessel popped alongside for a moment… before suddenly disappearing as he turned around. "Just so we're clear… what icy-hot said just now… It doesn't change a damn thing. I'm still going to come out on top in the end!"

Johnny blinked at the incredible bold statement. "Wow… just when I thought you gained a moment of sympathy for someone else…"

"Shut the hell up!" roared Bakugo, turning back leaned down upon him till he was eye level. "What he said just now doesn't matter. It's not going to stop me from blowing away my competition. In fact it only makes me determined to see icy-hot use his left side. I'll make him take me seriously… I'll show him that if he wants to win, he'll have to earn it! Not that I'll let that happen to begin with! So don't think for a second I'm going to show him any mercy!"

As Bakugo straightened back up, Johnny stared at him incredulously. His bluster and ego was simply astounding to behold… and yet there was something off about it. There was no real malice in his eyes—overblown pride to be sure, but nothing truly malicious as his words. Yet there was certainly something there, but Johnny couldn't tell what it was. Perhaps he was simply imaging things.

"Tch… I'm going to grab some grub…" said Bakugo, turning on his heel yet again before walking down the hallway. Yet he paused before he could take his fifth step. "... That stupid forlorn look on your face earlier doesn't you suit you at all, Horseshoe."

Johnny blinked at the explosive youth, opening his mouth for a moment before closing it. He didn't realize that Bakugo manage to catch his anguish, but that's not what caught him off guard. It was that there was no hostility in the boy's words. Now he knew he was dreaming or something. Perhaps Bakugo had smacked his head against the wall when he wasn't looking. Pinching his cheek, he confirmed that he was still awake and not in some kind of coma, but he noticed that the explosive youth was already marching off.

Silence filled the hallway as Johnny was left alone once more to his own thoughts. Yet bizarrely enough, he felt invigorated. It was odd to be sure, but Bakugo's words just now snapped him out the funk that tried to claw its way into his heart. Maybe it was hearing the angry youth actually trying to be nice—which Johnny still doubted that was his intention—but it helped him get back to the task at hand. And as much he hated to admit it, Bakugo was right.

Despite how horrific Todoroki's story was or how strong his motivations were, none of it was going to slow Johnny down. He was going to give it his all and show everyone in the in the Sports Festival what he was made of. And if he managed to face the icy-blue eyed youth in the end… well, he'll cross that bridge when he got there. For now though… now he'll satisfy the growing growls of his stomach and prepare for the final round.


"Get those foam fingers in the air, it's almost time for the last round!" announced Present Mic over the intercom, riling up the audience as they all returned to their seats from lunch. "But before that… good news for those who didn't make the finals! This is still a sports festival, so we've prepared some super fun side games for all participants!"

"We've even brought in cheerleaders from my home country, the good ol' U.S.A!" Mountain Tim added proudly. "No expense was spared for these fine, young ladies so I hope you enjoy their… Huh? Did I miss something here?"

"Hold up… What's this?" asked Present Mic, sounding just confused as his cowboy companion.

"What're they doing…?" said Aizawa, sounding more resigned than actually bewildered like his compatriots.

Standing together alongside the American cheerleaders were none other than the female half of Class One-A. Yet it was their appearance that left the festival's commentators, as well the crowd and the rest of the students, speechless. Gone were their U.A. standard gym uniform and in their place were matching cheerleading outfits like the ones the Americans' wore. Each outfit showed off a generous portion of leg and midriff, earning more than a few appreciate gazes from the male members of their peers. But judging by the girls' expressions, they were far from amused.

"Looks like Class One-A is going full-on fanservice!" yelled Present Mic, still sounding just as confused as before.

"….Did they lose a bet or something?" mused Johnny, wondering what on earth convinced his female peers to clearly embarrass themselves like this. Though admittedly, his eyes did linger on their forms for a brief moment.

"I don't know, but honestly I'm not complaining," commented Gyro, grinning openly as he admired his classmates' costumes.

"Gyro… you're a dirty old—" The paraplegic paused as a devious cackle pricked his ears. Turning to the side, his brow narrowed as he spied Mineta and Kaminari giving each other thumbs up. Smugness oozed off their faces as they openly ogled their classmates lustfully. "Well… That explains somethings. Although… I don't think they're going to live by the end of the day…"

Casting a side glance back to the girls, he saw that they were already fuming at the miscreants who tricked them. Especially Yaoyorozu who promised swift vengeance when she got her hands on them. Surprisingly enough, Hagakure was the only one who seemed enthusiastic about being a cheerleader. Already jumping up and down, waving her pom poms around happily as the crowd was moved by her excitement.

As the rest of the girls contemplated what kind of sinister tortures they would inflict upon Mineta and Kaminari, the rest of the forty-six students from the first round made their way into the stadium. They assembled together by class for the most part, with a few breaking off to form their own little groups. As they waited for the side games to begin, all eyes inevitably turned to the huge monitor that sprung up once more in the middle of the stadium.

"Have fun competing in these little side games, everyone!" yelled Present Mic. "After they're over, twenty students from the top five teams will be duking it out one-on-one in a tournament style fighting competition!"

That immediately caught Johnny's interest, gluing his eyes quickly to the screen. He originally figured something like this would happen at the end of the Sports Festival. After all, there could only be one winner for a competition for aspiring heroes and what better way than a tournament?

"A tournament, huh?" Kirishima perked up at the news. "So we'll be up in that ring I see on TV every year!"

"Was it a tournament last year too?" asked Ashido, now standing behind the redhead alongside her cheerleading companions.

"The format's always different, but most years involve some kind of head-to-head competition," explained Sero.

"Makes sense to me," said Gyro as he stroked one the square patches along his chin. "When you get down to it, there can be only one winner for these sorta things."

"Quiet down, quiet down," demanded Midnight, drawing everyone's attention as she strolled back up the podium in the center of the arena with a small box in hand. "The match ups will be decided by drawing lots. Once that's settled, we'll move on to the festivities and then the tournament itself! It's up to each of you twenty finalists whether or not you participate in the fun. I expect some of you would rather take a breather and save your strength. Now, let's start with the first place team—."

"Um… excuse me."

Johnny blinked at the sudden interruption, turning to the side just into to see Ojiro slowly raising a hand high up. "I'd… I'd like to drop out."

"What…?" muttered Johnny, more than a little surprised by his classmate's sudden withdrawal. From what he seen from Ojiro, he was just as determined as the rest of his class in trying to make it to the top. And he made it to final round to boot! So why back out now?

"Why, Ojiro?!" demanded Uraraka.

"This is a rare chance for you get noticed by the pros!" Ida pointed out, concern and apprehension written all over his face for his classmate.

"The cavalry battle…" started Ojiro. "I have no memories of anything that happened up until the tail end. It's probably his Quirk that did it…"

"His?" silently thought Johnny. At first he assumed that Ojiro got knocked out by some kind of attack during the cavalry battle, but immediately dismissed that notion when he considered how unlikely his team would've managed to win without one of their horses. Rubbing the back of his neck, his gaze shifted off his classmate, flickering amongst the assembled students before halting on a head of indigo. Shinso's gaze flickered only once to Ojiro before quickly back to Midnight, all the while his face was the same emotionless mask that he wore. "…Could he been the one?" Despite their conversation, he had no idea what kind of Quirk Shinso had. That said, there wasn't many people Ojiro could've been referring to.

"But this final tournament…" continued Ojiro, yanking the American out of his thoughts. "Everyone else made it here by their own strength. Yet I'm standing here, and I don't even know how or why. I just can't take it."

"You're thinking about it too hard!" insisted Hagakure, waving her pom poms to emphasize her point. "Just show what you're made of in the tournament!"

"By that logic, I shouldn't really be here either!" added Mina, waving a pom pom towards a certain spikey haired blonde, who blinked at being singled out.

"That's not it… No…" argued Ojiro, placing a hand over to hide his increasing frustration… and shame. "I'm talking about my pride, here… I refuse to give it up…" His tail shook uncertainly for a moment before he took a peek behind him. "Also… why are all the girls cheerleaders?"

Ignoring the girls shivering at Ojiro's comment, Johnny's gaze narrowed slightly. "Pride, huh..." He should've figured, it was written all over the boy's face… and it was something the American knew about all too well. Still, he couldn't really agree with Ojiro's reasoning. With what was at stake for Johnny, he couldn't afford something like pride to ruin his chance for success… and lead to his downfall yet again.

"I can't remember anything either…" a softer voice suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention to a small, round boy with large eyes and ice-blue hair. "I'm Nirengeki Shoda from Class One-B and I wanna withdraw too!"

"Whoa… didn't think you had it in you, Shoda," commented Hotei, his tail flickering lightly as he eyed the smaller boy beside him. "But you sure you want to do this? I mean, we have two more years to do the Sports Festival, but… you'll only get one first expression."

"Thank you for your concern, Hotei, but… I made up my mind. This is a contest of skill. Letting someone who didn't do anything advance… doesn't it defeat the whole point of the sports festival? Isn't it even against the rules?"

"He does have a point… is that even allowed?" asked Sero.

"These guys!" shouted Kirishima, startling the oval eyed boy beside him. "So manly!"

"Better question though… are they even allowed to drop out?" asked Gyro, his green orbs flickering to Midnight who stood silently as Shoda and Ojiro bowed to her.

"Well… we have a strange turn of events…" commented Present Mic.

"Perhaps, but those boys show a lot of maturity despite being so young," Mountain Tim pointed out.

"What will the coordinator, Midnight, decide?" questioned Aizawa.

A menacing air filled the air as the R-Rated Hero stood over her students, gripping her whip tightly as she eyed both Ojiro and Shoda like a hawk. "How naïve and green…" she said lowly… only to snap her whip with a resounding crack, a pleased grin splitting her face in two. "I LIKE IT! Shoda and Ojiro have officially withdrawn!"

"What the hell…?" muttered Johnny, staring incredulously between Midnight and the two boys who looked relieved that their wish had been granted. "She liked it…?" Shaking his head, the American couldn't decide what was worse: how easily swayable beautiful the R-Rated hero was or how excited she sounded. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he glanced to the side to see his classmates comforting Ojiro while Class B did the same for Shoda.

With a sharp crack of her whip, Midnight drew everyone's attention back to her. "Now that both boys have withdrawn, we'll replace them with members from Team Kendo, which took sixth place in the—!"

"If it's gonna be like that, shouldn't it be them instead?" interrupted Kendo, gesturing a finger to Tetsutetsu and his team who blinked at being singled out. "I mean, we fought for only half way through the second round before being immobilized the rest of the time. But they continued on until the very end. Team Tetsutetsu, I mean." Turning to face the increasingly bewildered silver haired youth, a reassured smile crossed her lips. "Don't worry. We're not colluding or anything. This just feels right."

"Y… You guys!" Fresh tears dripped down Tetsutetsu's cheeks before he let out a joyous howl. He wasn't the only one, the rest of his team all tearfully thanked their Class President before Midnight ordered them to choose which of them would replace Shoda and Ojiro. After a moment of debate, Tetsutetsu and a girl by the name of Ibara Shiozaki, who had vines and thorns in place of hair, were ultimately chosen.

Without any further delay or sudden announcements, Midnight had each remaining contestant take a ballot. One by one, each student was assigned a different placement on the tournament bracket. By the end of it, everyone in the stadium could see all the different match ups. Some were normal combinations, such as Todoroki vs Sero or Kaminari vs Shiozaki, but Johnny blinked twice when he saw who Uraraka had to face first.

Bakugo stared at Uraraka's name next to his own, lifting an eyebrow as if not knowing what to make of it. "Uraraka…?" he said out loud, terrifying the gravity girl behind him. For a brief moment, Johnny gave the poor girl a solemn prayer since he knew that the explosively violent boy wouldn't hold back even against her.

Slipping his gaze to along the rest of the brackets, he paused when he spotted yet another unexpected match up. Midoriya vs. Shinso. Casting a glance to the side, he watched as the latter walked passed by the former. He honestly had no idea who would win such a fight, especially with the indigo eyed boy's Quirk was still unknown. With Shinso's declaration still ringing in Johnny's ears, he knew that Midoriya was going to be in one hell of a fight.

Turning his head back to the board, he blinked when his eyes land on Gyro's bracket. Facing him would be none other than Hot Pants. Holding back a grunt, Johnny could tell that fight wasn't going to end well. There was already bad blood between the two of them, albeit being one sided from the American's perspective, but combined with Gyro's increasingly reckless behavior, he doubted that his friend would win. And even if he did win, he would have to face either Todoroki or Sero in the next bracket. It was a really bad start for his friend, but Johnny hoped that Gyro would prove him wrong.

"Oh ho! Looks like we're be facing each other, Johnny!" Blinking at the cheerful voice, Johnny turned to his right to see Hotei smiling down upon him. "And for the last fight in the first bracket no less! It's almost poetic, especially right after working together last round. But if I'm being honest, I'm happy that you're going to be first opponent."

"Really…?" asked Johnny, cocking the cat-like boy an eyebrow.

"Don't take it like that, Johnny. I just excited facing someone like you! Especially since I know that you won't hold back when we duke it out. Let's me get creative and show off for the pros watching! That said…" Jutting a hand towards the paraplegic, Hotei's ears flicker back for a moment as his lips turned into a thin, solemn line. "Good luck out there, Johnny. May the best man win."

Staring at the outstretched appendage for a moment, Johnny's sky-blue eyes turned up to meet Hotei's gold. Earnest anticipation danced within those orbs while his tail swayed underneath his legs. Seeing such conviction, Johnny slowly raised a hand before giving the catboy a firm handshake. "Same to you, Hotei... just don't be disappointed if I win."

"Nyehehe! That's a good answer! I can already tell our match is going to be one for the ages. So when the time comes, let's give everyone a good show!"


As everyone enjoyed the side games and other festivities, Johnny took the opportunity to inspect Slow Dancer in a makeshift stable. The short, round rancher in charge of taking care of her assured him that she was in top condition despite the excitement of the first round. Still, Johnny wanted to make sure she was ready for tournament. By the time he was finished, the side games were over and the tournament was just about to start.

Returning to the stadium, the cripple followed his classmates, those who either weren't in the tournament or simply waiting to be called for their own match, to an exclusive seating section for their entire class. Rolling himself over to sit in the front aisle beside Kirishima—the redhead excitedly expressing enthusiasm for the coming manly fights—before watching Cementoss come out to create the arena where the tournament would take place. It wasn't very large, though it did take up nearly half the stadium's inner field and was built into a raised square shaped platform. As soon as the finishing touches were done, fire spewed towards the sky from four openings in each corner of the ring. Clearly no expense was spared for the Sports Festival.

As Cementoss took his place as one of the proctor for the matches, Present Mic pumped up the crowd while simultaneously explaining the tournament's rules. They were rather simple compared to everything else the festival had thrown at the students thus far. Each contestant won their match either by knocking out their opponent, pushing them out of the ring, immobilizing them entirely, or making them admit defeat. Surprisingly though, Present Mic encouraged all kinds of violence, barring anything life threatening, with the justification that Recovery Girl would fix anyone hurt after each match. Though Johnny doubted that the old nurse would appreciate promoting something that made her job all the harder to do.

No sooner had Present Mic finished announcing the rules did the first two fighters entered the ring. Midoriya wore a rather nervous expression on his face as he walked up the steps of the arena while Shinso's emotionless mask still hid his true feelings. After a resounding roar from the crowd as they watched the both boys take their respective positions, a hush soon fell over the stadium. Tension filled the air as everyone wonder silently who would come out on top.

Crossing his arms, Johnny waited patiently as Present Mic got ready to begin the match. When it did, however, he blinked at the strange turn of events that quickly took place. Midoriya initially charged the indigo haired youth, but immediately came to a halt by his third step. Dull blankness now encompassed his face as he simply stood rigid in the middle of the arena. Ojiro immediately jumped up, shouting something about Midoriya ignoring his warning about Shinso.

With a sharp order from the indigo haired youth, Midoriya turned on his heel before slowly heading to the edge of the ring. His classmates called at him, begging him to wake up from whatever trance he was under. Even Johnny found himself silently hoping that the fanboy would at least break free and fight. At the same time, however, he finally understood what Shinso meant by his Quirk's nature. Brainwashing. It really was a nastily powerful Quirk and one that naturally would've gained a fearsome reputation. It also made sense why he sounded… desperate to have people acknowledge him for his skill rather than simply persecuting him for his abilities.

Johnny knew that it was rather hypocritical of him to be rooting for both sides to win, but he couldn't really help it. Despite their differences, he related with them both. But in the end, there could only be one victor for this contest.

Midoriya continued to walk zombie-like to the edge, each step taking him closer to his defeat. Suddenly a burst of air gushed from the arena, forcing nearly everyone to raise a hand to protect themselves from a whirlwind of dust. Narrowing his gaze, Johnny watched as Midoriya slowly turned around, his eyes blazing with fiery determination while two fingers in his left hand were bent at odd angles.

"That crazy…" he muttered disbelief. Despite this, he was pleased that Midoriya was free from the mind control. Now it was a test of pure skill and will that would decide the fate of the match. However, one thing was for certain. Neither of their resolve would go unnoticed as roars erupted from the crowd, cheering both boys as they charged at each other.

They punched and kicked with a tenacity that went beyond words. They even grappled at each other's clothes, trying to get a good grip before trying to force their opponent outside the ring. It all came to a head when Shinso made the mistake of trying to grab ahold of Midoriya's head only for the fanboy to quickly grasp his wrist. With a swift twist, Midoriya wrapped around the rest of his foe's arm before throwing him over his shoulder and outside of the ring. Even as the crowd let out a renew cries of delight, Johnny couldn't help comparing how similar the scene was when Midoriya first fought Bakugo all those weeks ago.

Slowly getting back on his feet, Shinso's once blank mask shattered to reveal a sullen, almost broken expression. Midoriya called out him, but the boy was already turning on his heel towards the exit. Yet before he could reach it, he was stopped by the resounding roars from the crowd. All praising him and his efforts. Confusion quickly morphed across his features before giving way to disbelief. Many heroes and audience members approved of his Quirk despite its rather villainous nature. It must have been a shock for him, but one that Johnny could understand. Living your whole life with something people considered a detriment, only to then be told that everyone actually liked it must have been rather astounding for the general studies student. Surprising a small smile crossed his lips as he turned to say something to Midoriya. Johnny couldn't hear what it was over the renewed cheers, but whatever it was, Midoriya gave Shinso an understanding nod.

With nothing further left to say between the two of them, both quickly left the arena, though Midoriya was escorted to the infirmary to have his broken fingers treated. Yet before Shinso exited, he turned his head towards Johnny's direction. He didn't say anything, just merely stared for a moment before sending him a nod and then left. While his classmates muttered in confusion at the strange action, Johnny had a feeling on what the gesture meant. He didn't need the encouragement from the indigo haired youth to win his match… but it was comforting in its own way.

The next fight was set up without delay much to the crowd's delight. Todoroki and Sero entered the ring, both ready and waiting for Present Mic to begin the match. Yet Johnny noticed something odd about the white and red haired youth. He couldn't quite place what it was, but it almost seemed like… like the boy had a menacing aura hovering over him.

With an earsplitting cry, Present Mic cut off all thought and announced the start of the match… only for it end as soon as it began.

Within mere seconds, Todoroki unleashed a literal glacier upon Sero. And this was right after the tape user managed to get ahold of him a split second before! So great was the giant jagged pillar of ice that it over shadowed the entire stadium by twice its size! No one could muster the strength to utter a word at the incredible sight, merely staring at awe as Sero shivered helplessly within its icy walls. After quickly confirming his victory, Todoroki quickly thawed out his classmate and got rid any trace of the titanic glacier. After remembering to breathe, the crowd roared in approval at the overwhelming victory. Yet the defeated boy didn't walk away without a few encouraging cheers. Indeed, many heroes congratulated Sero for giving it his best shot before being frozen.

Seeing such absolute ferocity from the white and red haired youth, Johnny felt a bit of sweat roll down the back of his neck. It went without saying that Todoroki was a tough opponent, but once more seeing this incredible display of over kill reminded him just how the icy-hot youth was on a whole different level from his class. Whoever had to face him next certainly was going to be in one hell uphill fight.

Speaking of which… It was time for Gyro's and Hot Pant's match.

Leaning as far as he could out of his wheelchair, Johnny watched intently as his mentor walked onto the arena to face the crossdresser. Understandably Valkyrie wasn't with him. Unlike the paraplegic, he could fight on even ground without his horse in the final round. Yet this proved perfect for Johnny. Now he would see whether Gyro would take his advice to heart and prove him wrong… or fall just short of the goal line.


"It's the third match!" Present Mic declared stylishly, arousing another deafening cheer from the crowd. "Walking in first is none other than the genius jockey from Italy, the Spin Master who still leaves me whirling: Class One-A's GYRO ZEPPELI! Despite blazing trails across the obstacle course with his horse, he's forced to walk on his own two feet this time. But don't be fooled ladies and gents! He isn't just a one trick pony. I'm sure you'll agree that there's more to this talented young man than meets the eyes!"

"Heh… you don't know the half of it, Mic," muttered Gyro, cracking his neck from side to side as he stood across from his opponent. Despite working together less than a few hours ago, he had no regrets or reservations fighting the pinked hair prick. In fact he relished this chance! It was high time to yank that smug asshole off his high and mighty pedestal!

"And in the other side of the ring comes the stylish medic of Class One-B, the grandchild of Recovery Girl herself: MAKOTO SHUZENJI!" The crowd let out another resounding cheer for Shuzenji, who fingered the brim of his hat while a sudden burst of flames flared from the corners of the ring. Though Gyro could see through the slits of his hat that the pink haired boy was eyeing him up and down, patting the side of his Stand all the while.

"Oh ho? Thinking on taking me out as soon as the fight begins, huh?" he asked loud enough for Hot Pants to hear. "Too bad your quick draw is so slow that I doubt it'll make it to the next century."

"…If you got time for lame jokes, then you really should come up with a better one-liner for when I beat you," Hot pants said dispassionately.

Gnashing his teeth together, Gyro glared viciously at the smug bastard. First the accident in the nurse's room, then his smug attitude during the cavalry battle, now insulting the treasure that was the Italian's jokes?! By the time he was done with him, the janitors would be wiping what was left off the floor for a straight hour. Gyro would use him as a stepping stone for ascending the tournament and claim his rightful spot at first place.

"You can't win if you don't hunger."

Stiffening at the sudden memory, Gyro paused even as Present Mic continued to rile up the fans. Gritting his teeth, he tried to dispel the American's words, but they refused to leave him be. "The hell…" he thought silently. "That shit Johnny said… Why's it bothering me so much…? Hmph! He doesn't understand my true potential, that's all. I'll prove him wrong… I will win… I have to win!"

"With introductions out of the way, let's get this show underway… Fighters get ready!" Present Mic's voice cut through the former jockey's thoughts like a hot knife through butter. Mentally slapping himself, Gyro caressed his remaining Steel Ball while staring dead into Hot Pant' eyes. A hush had fallen over the crowd, waiting breathlessly for what seemed like an eternity…

"BEGIN!"

As quick as a flash, Gyro snapped the Steel Ball from its holster and it threw it at Hot Pants all in a one swift motion. Seeing the metallic sphere heading his way, the pink haired youth threw himself to the side. Gyro could only grin as the idiot did exactly as he predicted. Narrowly passing its target by a foot, the Steel Ball suddenly dipped down into the concrete floor with a loud crack. Less than half a second after impact, it spun back intensely as it shot towards Hot Pants. There was no way he could avoid that attack, especially with him staring directly at Gyro. And all it took was just one good attack from the Steel Ball to completely immobilize him. Victory was assured!

Spinning intensely across the floor, the Steel Ball quickly made contact with Hot Pant' left leg. It climbed up his ankle before reaching the thigh in a single second… only to abruptly fall to the floor with a clatter.

Blinking at the sight, Gyro's eyes widen when the pink haired youth's entire leg turned into slimy, liquid. "What the hell…?!" the Italian thought in shock. So mystified by the sight, he barely noticed his foe raising her spray can right at him. Letting out a fierce growl, Gyro jumped away from a thick volley of sticky flesh. Rolling to his feet, he spun around to scowl at the annoying Stand User.

"Since when the hell could you do that?!" he demanded before catching his Steel Ball.

"If you remembered my introduction, I mentioned that I have some other abilities that weren't really useful for the cavalry battle," calmly answered Hot Pants, standing back onto her feet just as her leg quickly solidified. "This is one of them. With some concentration, I can turn my body into a liquid-like state for a few moments. There's also still a few others things I didn't mention… but I doubt you'll have time to truly understand them before I win this match."

"…You know, I'm starting to really hate your guts, Hot Pants," snarled Gyro, his mind abuzz as he processed his opponent's words. If what he said was true, then there was no denying that he underestimated the prick's abilities. What started out as a clear cut easy win now turned into a rather tricky scenario. Yet that wasn't going to stop Gyro now. Especially not when he still had his own hidden trump cards to get around any other surprises that Hot Pants had left. Not to mention that little tidbit about only being able to turn into a liquid for a few moments… Getting close to him would prove difficult, but already Gyro had a few routes in mind that would allow him to do so. Plus now that he knew Hot Pant's trick, he was more than prepared to increase the intensity of the Spin to completely solidify the liquid body. All he needed now was one good hit.

Once he did, then it would be game over for that smug asshole.

Raising his Steel Ball, he prepared to throw it… only to pause when he saw Hot Pants' arm. It was shriveled, but there was no sign of the spray can. Ice shot down his spine at the sight as Gyro snapped his head around, but it was too late.

With a simple press of the trigger, Hot Pants unleashed another fleshy salvo at his raised arm. With a sickening splat, it clung to Gyro, already spreading across the appendage at an alarming rate. Clicking his teeth, the long haired blonde let go of the spinning Steel Ball before snapping his free hand at his right shoulder. Carefully avoiding the foreign flesh, he twisted his own tissue till it twisted into an obscene angle. The process was unpleasant, but it slowed Hot Pants' Stand… if only for a few seconds before the flesh aggressively encompassed his right hand.

"There's little hope in escaping my Stand once it has you," called out Hot Pants as he gently gripped his currently withered arm. "First your arm, then your chest until eventually every inch of you is immobilized by it. You're finished."

"Is that so…" said Gyro, his calm and collected tone caused the pink haired Stand User to pause if for a moment. "So what you're saying is… all I have to do save my ass is to simply stop the flesh completely, right?"

Suddenly something slammed into the bottom Italian's infected arm. Audible gasps erupted from the audience as several small stone balls twisted into the foreign flesh. They spun around intensely for a moment before spacing away from each other all across hostile tissue. Never once they did they stop spinning for a moment, halting even the tiniest twitch the aggressive flesh made as they kept it contained within Gyro's arm.

"Shocked? Well don't be… after all… I did drop my Steel Ball." Golden grills shining in the sunlight, Gyro grinned as he bent down to pick up the still spinning green sphere. Right next to it were several small holes, perfectly fitting the shape and size of the stone balls that now clung to his arm.

"Out-freakin'-standing!" commented Present Mic as the crowd roared at Gyro's sudden comeback. "What a clever trick! Just when I thought I've seen it all, Gyro's Spin technique continues to keep pulling surprise after surprise out of his hat! Almost literally! It's almost like the Spin is a Swiss-Army knife! Though with more stylish twists and turns!"

"The Spin has certainly proved to be more than simply versatile," added Mountain Tim. "While I personally don't know much about the Spin myself—the Italians always have been quite secretive about it—but from what I've heard, the Spin was mostly used as a utility tool at first before using it for fighting."

"What a humble, if boring, upbringing for such a universal power! It really has come long way since then if that is true, especially after using it for mundane purposes!"

"Perhaps, but it more than certainly has its advantages," Aizawa cut in. "In fact Gyro is already putting them to good use. With the flesh no longer posing a threat for his arm, he's free to focus entirely on Shuzenji. Yet that's not all. The way the stone balls are set up on his arm… it's possible they serve not only as a restrictor, but as a makeshift weapon."

"Really!" exclaimed Present Mic. "That's some serious foresight from Gyro! He's probably already hatching up some grand plan to beat Shuzenji's Stand!"

"Speaking of Stands, it's probably time to give a brief explanation as to what they are for our viewing audience," added Mountain Tim. "For those who are unware, Stands are an almost supernatural power discovered only a couple generations ago. They represent the soul and fighting spirit of their user, but since they only recently came into being, they're not many known users compared those who have Quirks. In fact some Stands are nearly indistinguishable to Quirks, so it's sometimes hard to tell the difference. But make no mistake! They are a force to be reckoned with, as Shuzenji clearly demonstrated. As well Johnny Joestar's little pink elephant Stand in the cavalry battle!"

The crowd mumbled loudly at the cowboy's explanation, eyeing the black hat wearing boy curiously as he stared rigidly at Gyro. For his part, the Italian wasn't really paying attention to the crowd at the moment. All his concentration was directed at the flawless plan he just now devised mere seconds ago. Thankfully for him it looked like Hot Pants couldn't spray more of his flesh for now. Not without risking her body to completely turn into a prune. Yet that didn't mean he wasn't still a threat. After all, a cornered jackal is far more dangerous than a lazy lion.

"Time to see how lucky I am…" he muttered, taking a step forward with his Steel Ball held up once more. "Alright, Hot Pants. This is the throw that is going to utterly kick your ass!" Cocking his arm back, Gyro flung the metallic sphere at his target. "ORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

As if thrown by a professional baseball pitcher, the Steel Ball flew out Gyro's fingers and sailed across the arena once more, if at curved angle rather than a straight line this time.

Seeing the speeding heavy ball coming his way, Shuzenji immediately hit the deck as the ball flew over him. Not wasting a moment, he immediately jumped to his feet… only to blink at the sight of Gyro charging right at him. Grinning madly, the Italian quickly raised his now club-like right arm before closing the distance between the two of them. Before the pink haired fool could react, Gyro swung his improvised weapon at his foe's side… only to blink as his target quickly bent back a hair, narrowly evading the attack, before wrinkly fingers grasped his arm.

"Did you think this would stop me?!" demanded Hot Pants, his shriveled hand now clinging to the flesh before sucking it back into her being, the stone balls soon fell with a clatter. He didn't stop there though. In a matter of seconds, the entirety of Gyro's right arm was shrunken down to a near husk while Shuzenji's skin got an even healthier shine.

"To be honest… I didn't…" Shuzenji stared blankly as Gyro grinned. "Because… that wasn't my actual attack. In fact… I haven't finished my first just yet… It's just that you haven't realized that you already lost!"

Cocking him an eyebrow, Hot Pants raised a hand for his throat, but stopped mere inches away as he suddenly let out a sharp, pained gasp. Lurching back a step, he slowly turning his head around was none other than the Steel Ball.

"H-How…?!" he hoarsely coughed out.

"Like I said, I wasn't with done my first attack…" Gyro's eyes flickered to the walls of the stadium. "Got to hand it the architect of this place, since the entire thing is built like I circle, it made it easier for my Steel Ball to spin around without you noticing. Not to mention with the extra momentum it gained, its Spin Power was doubled! Face it, you piece of crap. It's my victory!" To further prove his point, Hot's Pants' body started to contort back into an arched angle, letting go of the jockey as he took another uncontrollable step towards the edge of the ring.

Yet the further he twisted backwards, something rather odd quickly made itself apparent. Gyro hadn't notice it at first during the angle of his initial charge, but now that he had a good look at his foe… he noticed that Hot Pants' left hand was completely missing.

"What…?"

That was all he utter before something gooey splattered across the side face. Biting back a string of curses, Gyro resisted the urge to the wipe the sticky flesh with his hand. Already it started to spread across his cheeks, creeping upward till his's right eye was completely covered. Snapping his head around to properly see, the Italian felt time grind to halt.

Sitting not far away was another spray can!

"Since when did you have two of them, you bastard?!"

"Hmm? I never said that I was only limited to one spray can for my Stand," explained Hot Pants, eyeing the Italian intently even as his Steel Ball still clung to his back. "I can manifest another if I so choose. Though it would've been impractical for me during the cavalry battle. Since, you know, I had to use one hand to hold up Johnny." He then let out a sigh. "Honestly, I'm little surprised that you didn't notice earlier, especially with my lack of actual defense. Though I did goad you into attacking me, so there's that."

"Figlio di puttana!" swore Gyro just as Hot Pants' Stand had blinded his remaining eye. Darkness took him, but he could feel it crawl all over his face, spreading downward and across his arms. Combined with Hot Pants stealing the flesh off his arms, it was quickly becoming clear that the match was reaching its climax.

Yet Gyro refused to be beaten. He refused to simply lay down and taste defeat. He would win and prove once and for all that he had what it took to win this Sports Festival!

Suddenly the bright gold tattoo appeared over the foreign flesh underneath his right eye. Immediately the pitch blackness dispelled as half his sight was restored. Though it was from a completely different angle than moments before. The golden eyeball twisted along with the Steel Ball, but it didn't make Gyro dizzy or disoriented. Quickly snapping left and right, Gyro found exactly what he was looking for: the white edge of the ring.

Not wasting a second more, Gyro increased the speed of the spinning Steel Ball. Hot Pants went absolutely rigid at the action, forcing him another two steps back. Sensing what his plan, the pink haired boy trembled violently as he tried to resist, forcing the Italian to fight for every step he lost. Not only that, the flesh across Gyro's body grew agitated, spreading quicker to constrain every inch of his prey as fast it could.

Gritting his teeth, Gyro focused entirely on the power of his Stand and the Spin. With an ear shuddering rip, a chunk of Shuzenji's gym clothes was torn right off its seams. Yet the spinning steel refuse to fall off. Only five more steps remained before they reached the edge. Five more steps until Gyro's victory!

Suddenly something large slammed into Gyro's right side. A gruff cough escaped his lips as he stumbled a couple steps to the left, but he refused to fall. Not now! Yet another hefty unknown object rammed into his back, forcing him tumbling forward. With a heavy thud, he slammed to the floor with a wheeze. Gasping loudly, Gyro didn't bother pushing himself up. Every little bit of his strength was now solely on his Steel Ball. Just a little more and he'll—

"Gyro Zeppeli has fallen out of the ring!" Midnight's voice echoed throughout the stadium. "Makoto Shuzenji is the winner of the third match and moves on to the next round!"

An overwhelming cheer erupted from the crowd, praising the victor of the match while also commending the loser for his valiant effort. Yet Gyro couldn't hear them. His mind went blank for a moment as Midnight's words rang in his ears. There had to be some kind of mistake. There was no way he would lose. Not when he was so close to winning!

Popping of Hot Pants' back for a moment, Gyro activated the sonar ability of his stand, allowing him see everything within the ring. Covering him from head to toe were huge fleshy mounds. His opponent didn't fair much better, his body was almost entirely shriveled up from the lack of flesh. Yet Gyro ignored all of that as his Stand's gaze found where he landed. Over the white edge of the ring.

Emotions spun inside of him like a hurricane as he stared blankly at his fallen form. He barely even notice the foreign flesh sliding off him and restoring his sight. "I… lost…" he muttered, more shocked at admitting the truth than the actual loss itself. It was unbelievable. After all the hard work he done, all the pain staking effort to make it the final event of the Sports Festival… only to lose in the first round of the tournament!

What made it worse was Johnny's predication came to pass. It was infuriating, humiliating even… and yet, Gyro couldn't blame his protégé for his defeat. It was his own fault for failing when it should've been an easy win. It was an unpleasant feeling, a depressing shroud that loomed over his soul, but there was no getting around it. "You're hungering for something, right, Johnny…" he grumbled, pushing his now restored arms upright. "Whatever it is you want… You won't stop hungering for it… Maybe I should try to follow your example… and find my hunger…. Maybe it'll help me grow a little..."

Shoving himself off the ground, Gyro barely paid attention to the roaring crowd, Midnight, or the commentary from Present Mic. Amethyst eyes met his emerald as Hot Pants' body slowly regained its healthier, smooth look. Despite the urge to stick his tongue out, Gyro bowed his head to his opponent, as was expected from both participants from the end of a match. Hot Pants mimicked the gesture, before leaving without a word. As the crowd continued to cheer for the pink haired boy, Gyro stared after him.

"…Once I find my hunger… it'll be my victory next time, Hot Pants…"


"Figured this would happen…" Pinching the bridge of his nose, Johnny sighed as his friend was met with absolute defeat. The roars of the crowd continued to echo throughout stadium, but they paled in comparison to the thunderous cheers coming from Class B. Sitting right next Class A's private box, they excitedly praised Shuzenji as she walked out of the arena. Though it did get a bit obnoxious after a moment, especially when Monoma leaned over the railing to condescendingly praise Gyro for his efforts before going into a rant about how he always knew that his classmate was going to win. Ignoring the smug prick for the most part—though his lips did twitch upward when Class B's president, Kendo, smacked Monoma quite satisfyingly over the head—Johnny instead turned his attention to his friend.

He knew he shouldn't have got his expectations up that much, especially since he knew how stubborn Gyro could be if he felt his pride was being insulted, but it was still disappointing. However the look the Italian gave at the end of the match showed some promise. Perhaps getting his ass handed him was just the wakeup call he needed. Though that was simply wishful thinking on Johnny's part. Still, he had some hope that Gyro will eventually learn what he needed to do to overcome his hurdle.

"Hmm… I thought Gyro would've come out on top in the first round, but then again I didn't expect that Shuzenji's flesh abilities was really a Stand." Blinking at the familiar murmuring, Johnny turned to his right… only to lean slightly back as Midoriya bent over his notebook writing page after page of notes. All the while muttering like an obsessive stalker planning an elaborate kidnapping. "Both the Spin and Stands are incredibly powerful abilities—each different yet so versatile with coming up new uses on the fly! Though it does look like Shuzenji's Stand doe have the drawback of using too much flesh otherwise his body wouldn't turn so shriveled after every use. But it seems he can restoring his form by regaining his flesh or draining his opponent of theirs. It really is a double edged sword if used wastefully, but Shuzenji seems to realize this—already covering his weakness by playing it safe and tricking his opponents into traps that lead to their capture. Much like how Kamui Woods uses his binding attacks… or more accurately how Cementoss uses his Quirk to completely immobilize villains. I wonder if there is—!"

"Jeeze Midoriya… the festival isn't over yet and you're already writing an encyclopedia," said Johnny, leaning against the right arm of his wheelchair to stare at the messy green haired boy.

Midoriya jolted at the American's words, his notebook nearly slipping from his fingers as he turned sharply to face his classmate. "Ah! Uh… It's… It's a hobby of mine… I mean, we finally have a chance to see the Quirks of people outside our own class in action… Not to mention this a good chance to gather data on Stands! After the attack in Nabou, I didn't expect that we would run into any more so soon! Other than you and Gyro of course." A fervor had taken hold of the fanboy, suddenly flipping through his notebook before presenting it to the paraplegic. "I hope you don't mind, but I also got a page about you and Tusk!"

Johnny stared blankly at the notebook, not quite sure what to make of it. It was certainly impressive, managing to detail nearly everything that Johnny could do with Tusk, Slow Dancer, and some side notes regarding the use of the Spin. Though there were some lines cornered off in a small section of the page that simply read, "Space for when Johnny learns Lesson Four of the Spin." Blinking at the sight, sky-blue eyes raised upward to meet Midoriya's bright green.

"...It still amazes me how utterly thorough you are with your fanboying, Midoriya," commented Johnny. A solemn chide echoed after him as Tusk appeared top of his head, its little hands fiddling with the horseshoe of his hat while its beady eyes never left Midoriya's.

"Oh…! Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you—!"

"Relax, I wasn't bothered by it. Just take the compliment for what it is." Ignoring the fanboy's astonished look, Johnny turned back to the arena, watching as Kaminari and Shiozaki entered the ring. After a delayed start, with the vine user vehemently arguing with Present Mic over the descriptions he used for her, the match began in earnest… only to end abruptly. Holding the now dopey-faced Kaminari in her vines, Shiozaki basked in the praise from the crowd and her classmates before exiting.

It was almost amazing how quickly his classmate had fallen to Shiozaki, but considering how Kaminari kept over exceeding his wattage in fights, the outcome wasn't all too surprising. What threw him for a loop, as well pretty much everyone else in the stadium, was the outcome of the next match.

Bizarre didn't even begin to describe it as the support girl, Hatsume, treated her entire fight with Ida as one big presentation for her many inventions. At the start of the match she basically boasted the abilities of her babies to everyone in the stadium, making sure her voice was heard loud and clear. Then the game of cat and mouse began. Despite the abilities of his Quirk, Ida couldn't quite catch his target. Even with the help of Hatsume's gadgets! Johnny didn't know how the hell she managed to rope him into her scheme, but it only made her sales pitch all the more grandiose. For ten long minutes this went on and it only ended when the googles-wearing mechanic simply stepped out of the ring. Much to the disbelief of the crowd as it was to Ida himself!

"Seriously... this weirdo would give advertisement companies back home a run for their money!" Shaking his head silently, Johnny refrained from slapping his face as Hatsume cheerfully walked way. Leaning back in his wheelchair, he moved to rest his chin on a fist, but paused when he Uraraka suddenly shuffled passed him, muttering something about getting ready in the prep room. Though she tried to hide it by keeping her head low, Johnny managed to catch the subtle hints of anxiety across her features, replacing the usual bright, cheerfulness that she was known for. The cripple couldn't really blame her. After all, she had to face their most violent classmate three matches from now. She needed every bit of help she could get if she hoped of surviving the coming onslaught.

While he didn't really care for Uraraka too much, Johnny did silently wish her the best of luck. Partly because she really needed it—though he wouldn't dare pity her—but also if she won, it meant he didn't have to deal with Bakugo's overwhelming ego and explosive temper in the next round. As well the absolute monstrous power and skills he had under his belt.

As for the next few matches, they weren't that all that jaw dropping as the previous ones. Not to say that they weren't impressive in their own right—Mina delivering a powerful uppercut to Aoyama while Tokoyami's Dark Shadow completely slipped passed Yaoyorozu's defenses and delivered a swift victory.

Although Kirishima's and Tetsutetsu's fight was rather amusing in its own way. It was like watching two Metapods fighting each other; both hardened to the point of being unbreakable and leaving them both to thrash at each other for a few minutes without pause. Though Johnny had to give them some credit, neither of them yielded or slowed down for a second despite the obvious weariness they were beginning to feel. The match finally ended with a double knockout. Midnight quickly declared it a draw and explained that a small event would be used later to decide who would be the victor before the start of the second round.

As the two unconscious boys were carried out of the ring, Gyro had quietly entered Class A's private box. Despite the praise his classmates gave him for his efforts, he sat down beside Johnny without a word. His face was vacant of any emotion, but Johnny could easily see the wheels turning within his eyes.

Seeing this, the paraplegic turned back to the arena just as Present Mic announced the next two contestants. Whatever was going through Gyro's head, he would inform Johnny in his own time. Not the other way around.

The thunderous cheers from the audience drowned out all thought once more as Bakugo and Uraraka slowly entered the ring. Despite the obvious nervousness that protruded off her face, Johnny was surprised how the gravity girl didn't tremble once in the face of explosions incarnate. Even more so was the fact that Bakugo actually seemed to give her a chance to withdraw before the match begun. He must've been in a particular good mood to allow such a rarity. That or he banged his head along the hallway again before entering the inner stadium.

Uraraka's answer was straightforward as it was direct: a full frontal charge as soon as the match began. Simple as it was, her strategy was rather brilliant. One good touch was all she needed to activate her Quirk and send Bakugo flying out of the ring. Lunging forward, she reached out with an open palm… only to be met with a thunderous boom! She didn't even have time to react as Bakugo didn't hold anything back, reminding all just how powerful and merciless he could be.

Yet Uraraka proved to be just tenacious.

Before the smoke from the blast had time to dissipate, Bakugo jumped in to finish his opponent off… only for the brown haired girl to surprise everyone by managing to sneak behind him in the cover of the darken fumes. Yet like before she was blown away as soon as the ashen blonde spotted her. Specks of concrete and debris flew everywhere as Uraraka skidded across the floor before jumping to her feet. But Bakugo was already on top of her with an explosion already popping to life within his palms. She was thrown back again and again, each time managing to stay inside the ring despite the assault before attempting to rush forward once more. It was all she could really do. His reaction time and speed was simply on a whole other level compared to hers. It was like watching David fighting the towering Goliath.

And yet she never yielded.

It simply amazed Johnny how much punishment she could take. Despite the villain attacks they endured together, he always pegged her as someone who could take a decent hit or two, but to go on and on against an overwhelming foe simply stunned him. Yet what completely obliterated his prior belief was the look in her eyes. There wasn't any hint of anger, worry, or fear in them.

Only fiery pure will and determination that kept pushing her onward.

As the match continued to drag on, admiration started to worm its way into Johnny's heart. Not by much, but enough for him to truly want to see her win against all odds. On and on, smoke and heat thundered across the arena with Uraraka being thrown around like a rag doll. After one particular explosion, Johnny noticed something odd. He almost didn't notice it at first, so slight that anyone could've missed it. A sliver of debris, so small that it blended well into the smoke, flew across the ring… but it didn't hit the floor.

"What…?" His eyes narrowing at the pebble, Johnny followed the speck as it ascended upward and was met with a sight that completely caught him off guard. "This is…!"

"This is shameful!" Blinking at the sudden declaration, Johnny snapped his gaze back down to see a pro hero with a headband that read "JA" stand up amongst the crowd before thrusting a thumbs-down Bakugo's way. "Listen, kid, you really wanna be a hero?! Then stop acting like a bully! If you're so much stronger than her, just throw her out of the ring and finish it! Stop toying with the poor girl!"

As if a spark coming to life in a dry plains field, most of the crowd stood up and booed at the fiery, explosive youth. From pro heroes, to civilians, to even students, no one showed him any sort of mercy. Despite the sudden change in the crowd, Bakugo didn't bat them an eye, his gaze locked firmly on his opponent. Even his own classmates were starting to turn against him.

"This getting out of hand…" muttered Sero.

"I can't watch this anymore…" whisper Jiro as she placed her hands over her eyes.

"So… Bakugo's that type of guy…" said Mineta. Whatever he meant, he was both intrigued and horrified by the thought.

"Ochako…" murmured Asui.

"Come on, Bakugo!" yelled Hagakure. "Just end it al—!"

"YOU CAN DO IT, URARAKA!" Everyone in the box blinked at the sudden outburst before turning to face Johnny. Even Gyro, still mostly lost in his own thoughts, gave him a brief sideways glance. "You're so close to victory! Don't let up now!"

"Uh… Johnny? I don't know if you noticed, but Uraraka's not doing so hot!" Kaminari said gently.

Ignoring him and his classmates' questioning stares, he continued on yelling shouts of encouragement. It wasn't precisely because he felt sympathy for the gravity girl, of course, rather it was the growing anger at the crowd that forced his hand. More accurately it was their pity for her that riled him up. Their anger for his explosive classmate, while justified, was only a mere façade for how sorry they felt for Uraraka. Sure, Bakugo was being himself—merciless and tenacious—but at least he of all people didn't hold back on her account. Nor did he pity her for efforts. Especially when everyone had yet to realize that Uraraka still had an ace up her sleeve.

It turned out, however, he wasn't the only one who noticed such a valiant display. "Where is the man who started this uproar?" demanded Aizawa, audibly smacking Present Mic just before he could side with the booing crowd. "Are you a pro? Because if you're being serious, you can go home and hang up your cape. I'd suggest looking into another career. Bakugo's fierceness is an acknowledgement of his opponent's strength. He knows she deserves to have made it this far, so he's making sure he does whatever it takes to keep her at bay and come out on top."

"That's right, Bakugo's that kind of guy," Mountain Tim added calmly, though an edge of admiration touched the edge of his voice. "The kind of guy that sees a worthy opponent and takes them seriously rather than simply letting them win! Besides… she's not done yet."

"Huh… What does he mean by that?" asked Sato, scratching his chin as he stared at Uraraka's panting form.

"If you really want to know…" started Johnny, his eyes locked firmly on the determination oozing off his classmates' sweating faces, "then look up."

"What? How would looking up… help…" Whatever Mineta had to say slowly descended into pure gibberish as he, and the rest of his classmates, looked upward.

Hanging high above the stadium were chunks of debris and scores of broken concrete cluttering the skies. It didn't take long before everyone in the stadium gaped at the incredible sight, some wondering out loud how they missed such a sight. Johnny too mused such thoughts, especially when there many pros within the stands, but he quickly dismissed them. Instead all his focus was on the conclusion that was about to take place.

Giving Bakugo one last fierce glare, Uraraka released her Quirk. The debris rained down like a meteor shower, already tearing small holes in the floor. Yet the gravity girl didn't stand still. Already she was rushing forward with an arm raised… only to be thrown forcibly back by an overwhelming explosion that made the others seem like little more than childish fireworks. So powerful was the blast, Johnny felt his wheelchair skid back until it collided into Kaminari's knees. Ignoring the squeal the escaped the electric boy's mouth, the American pushed him forward just in time to see Bakugo standing tall over Uraraka's fallen form.

He could also see the disbelief clearly on Uraraka's face, which quickly gave into despair before finally turning into desperation. Seeing that her plan was ruined, she got back up, charging forward once more with her hands spread out wide. Bakugo's eyes gleamed, a vicious grin quickly twisted across his face as he rushed forward to meet his foe's charge as her name—her actual name!—roared from his lips.

Yet he didn't take more than five steps before coming to a skidding halt as Uraraka stumbled to the floor. She trembled and tried to raise her weaken body up, but it was clear to everyone that she had no strength to spare. Midnight quickly rushed to her side, checking her from head to toe, before finally declaring that she was unfit to continue. It was Bakugo's victory.

Once more the crowd erupted into cheers, even those who initially booed at Bakugo's fierceness joined in with congratulating his win. Though some were a bit hesitant and merely gave him a polite clap. However one thing was for sure, nearly everyone in the stadium praised Uraraka's valiant efforts and acknowledged her determination.

As Uraraka was carried off to the nurse's office, Bakugo quickly made his exit just as Cementoss started to fix the badly damaged ring. Giving one last look at the unconscious brown haired girl, Johnny turned his wheelchair around and started to leave his class's box. He needed to get ready for his match with Hotei.

"…Lesson Four, Johnny." Grinding his wheelchair to a halt, Johnny turned sharply to Gyro. Emerald eyes met his sky-blue as they both stared intently at each other for what seemed like the longest time. He didn't say another word, but Johnny understood what he meant… thought it left a bitter taste in mouth.

Giving his mentor a nod, Johnny ignored the questioning looks his classmates gave him or their wishes of good luck before heading to the makeshift stable that housed Slow Dancer.


"J-Johnny, wait up!"

Blinking at the familiar voice that rang down the darken hallway, Johnny turned around on Slow Dancer to see Midoriya running up to meet him. It was only minutes before the cripple was required to enter the arena and despite knowing about the waiting rooms, he decided to simply linger around the entrance until it was time for the show to begin.

"Midoriya," he nodded as the fanboy drew close to his side. "Come to wish me luck?"

"I… yes actually," admitted Midoriya, lowering his eyes sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "Even though I don't know anything about Hotei—nothing useful that you probably don't already know about him— I wanted to wish well on your fight with him."

"Hmph. I appreciate it, Midoriya…" As always the sincerity of in the fanboy's voice was rather calming in its own special way. "…Good luck in your own fight with Todoroki." There was no doubt in his mind that the crossdresser would lose to the icy-hot boy.

The messy green haired youth blinked at his words, uncertainty flashed across his open face for a brief moment, before resolve quickly hardening his features. "Thanks, Johnny…"

Giving him a nod, the American turned towards the corridor's exit. Already he could hear the crowd getting hyped by Present Mic.

"Hey, Johnny… can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"In the last match… when Uraraka was fighting Bakugo, did you notice her plan all along?"

Johnny blinked at the question, turning back around to meet earnest green orbs. "I'm honestly surprised you didn't spot the huge chunks of rocks above our heads."

"W-Well…" Midoriya pressed his index fingers together as he barely kept eye contact with Johnny. "I was too focused on Uraraka to really pay attention to anything else… The smoke and explosions didn't help too… But that's not why I'm bring that up." Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to become calm. "Johnny… I know you don't really like Uraraka that much, but… why did you speak up for her?"

Now that was something Johnny didn't really expect from the fanboy. Though he realized he should've. When Midoriya put his mind to it, he could be quite observant. As for the question itself… it was difficult to answer. Not because of Uraraka, rather the explanation dug up some old wounds he wished remained buried and forgotten. And yet… despite the pain that twisted at his gut, Midoriya deserved to know at least a part of it.

"...I hate being pitied… It's humiliating and makes me feel like crap… worse than crap, really… And I don't like seeing anyone go through the same shit I've been constantly dealing with since I lost the use of my legs…" It was short, simple, and to the point. He knew it wasn't much, but if he was being honest with himself, he didn't feel like divulging anything else. It was hypocritical of him, he knew, especially with all that Midoriya had shared with him thus far, but… it was already hard enough repressing the memories of his past today. He didn't need anything else distracting him from his match.

Midoriya stared him at for a moment, compassion shining in his eyes opening for a moment, his mouth opening for a moment before closing promptly. Even though it was clear that he wanted to say something, he remained silent. And for that, Johnny was grateful.

At the sound of the signal from Present Mic, Johnny turned around nudged Slow Dancer to a walk. Leaving Midoriya to quietly watch him for a moment before he headed back to stands.


"We've finally reached the final match of the first round!" announced Present Mic, arousing a mighty cry from the crowd once again. "Now that's a sound I love to hear! Though let's see if we can't raise it up a notch with some stylish introductions for our last two contestants!" The Radio Hero's challenge was met with roaring approval which was only fueled by the appearance of furry red ears and equally crimson tail strutting out of one of the corridors of the stadium. "First up is none other than the feline predatory of Class One-B, the crimson tiger that prowled his way through the obstacle course and shown off some awesome moves in the cavalry battle, please put your hands together for GALILEO HOTEI!"

Hotei grinned from ear to ear under the cheers, which only grew wider as they grew louder with every step he took. Finally it reached a crescendo as he walked into the ring before giving everyone a friendly wave. Yet his golden eyes never once left the other corridor across from him.

"And finally riding into the match atop his faithful steed, the American cowboy who shown us what true grit is like: JOHNNY JOESTAR!"

With practiced ease, Johnny walked Slow Dancer into the stadium. While many in the audience clapped and yelled his name as he got closer to the ring, there were a great deal of murmurs as well. Most of them centered on the appaloosa underneath the paraplegic's saddle. Some even questioned whether it was fair to bring in the horse considering the type of battle that was about to take place.

"Due to Johnny's condition, he's been granted the privilege to use his horse for the tournament," Mountain Tim quickly clarified as the mutterings started to overshadow the cheers. "While he does have a slight advantage over Hotei, don't be fooled! This tournament is designed to test the limits of every contestant. Only those who go PLUS ULTRA will be declared the victor in the end! So give it your all, kiddos! And show the world what you're made off!"

Johnny snorted as he led Slow Dancer up the raised arena before coming to stop just across his opponent. Peering down from his saddle, he met the catboy's beaming smile.

"You know, I don't really have a problem with you using your horse, Johnny," said Hotei, excitement flashing between his eyes while his ears flickered. "If anything it makes it all the more fun!"

"Hmph… Just don't get cocky," Johnny shot back, though his words lacked any actual annoyance. "Wouldn't be much fun for me if you didn't take me seriously."

"Hehe! Duly noted!" With a flick of his tail, Hotei suddenly squatted down into a resting position, the muscles on his legs pressing almost tightly against the blue fabric of his pants. Both clawed hands gently scrapped the concrete, dragging lines across its smooth surface. Yet his golden gaze never once left Johnny's sky-blue.

"What enthusiasm from the two!" exclaimed Present Mic. "The match hasn't even started and yet their fiery passion can't be contained! I don't know about you, but I say let's give them what they want!" The crowd howled their blessings and pretty much demanded for the match to begin.

Taking a deep breath, Johnny felt everything slow to a crawl. The raucous cheers from the crowd dimmed to a buzz while everything around him seemingly became a blur. The only things that were clear as day were the arena and the catboy. Every fiber of his being was now dead set on winning.

"Ready… Set…. BEGIN!"

Without hesitation, Hotei lunged from his resting position in one mighty burst. It only took two great strides before he was only a mere few feet from the appaloosa. If he hadn't already seen such swift movements beforehand, Johnny would've been completely caught off guard by such a fierce charge. Sadly for the catboy, it was the exact thing he'd been preparing for the last few minutes.

Snapping back in his saddle, Johnny twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding a sharpen claw as Hotei passed him. Slapping at Slow Dancer's side, the appaloosa neighed loudly before galloping across the arena. With careful precision, Johnny skirted his horse along the outline of the ring. Whipping a star covered hand out, three nail-bullets burst from his fingers to chase after the redhead.

Darting across the battlefield on all fours, Hotei danced around the spinning bullets with ease. Gritting his teeth, Johnny unleashed another volley at him, all the while making sure that Slow Dancer didn't accidently run out of the ring. Yet this hardly seem to slow the catboy down, not even for half a second! Lunging forward once more, Hotei leapt right at the American with his arms held out wide.

Narrowing his gaze, Johnny leaned once more to the side as the messy redhead flew by… only to blink as something soft wrapped around his throat. With a swift jerk, the paraplegic gagged as he was yanked backwards in his saddle. It was only his tight grip on his reins that saved him from being unhorsed, but that too came with its own complications. Hotei dangled off the side of the appaloosa, his claws nearly grazing the concrete floor all the while constantly yanking with his tail. But the real trouble came from the horse herself. With its master jolting her reins tightly back, Slow Dancer vehemently yelled before standing up on two feet, kicking at the air while both boys clung to her.

Gasping for air, Johnny desperately clawed at the fuzzy tail clinging to his neck. It was a precarious situation, one wrong move could easily send him flying off his horse and out of the ring. Yet even as his lungs now burned for breath, an idea popped into his head. It was a risk to be sure, but it was better than simply letting the catboy steal victory from him.

Focusing as best he could, Johnny twisted his entire body in the direction of his unwanted passenger, leaning nearly completely out of his saddle. Hotei immediately clawed at the concretely, dragging thick lines across his surface as he tugged as hard he could until his tail was completely taut. Exactly as the cripple wanted him to be.

With a firm slap at Slow Dancer's right side, Johnny braced himself as the appaloosa pranced around frantically. Almost instantly the catboy flung around like a ragdoll. "Holy shit!" he cried out as his tail loosened its grasp, sending him flying across the center of the field. It was only by mere luck that he managed to crash into the center of ring rather simply being flung out of it.

Gulping down fresh, delicious oxygen, Johnny didn't waste any time to regain control of Slow Dancer before charging after his skidding opponent. Leaning out his saddle, he unloaded an entire hand's worth of nail-bullets. Not so much bothering with accuracy than quickly shooting many as he could before Hotei could get back up.

Unfortunately for him, the catboy still proved to be quick even when sprawled on the floor. Hastily rolling to the side, he somersaulted away from the dangerous nails as they tore chunks out of the floor, sending them flying. Jutting his hands forward, he flipped agilely in the air before snagging one of the still flying pieces of debris with his tail. Snapping it forward like Midnight's own whip, he flung the sizable rock right at Johnny's head.

Not even blinking for a second, Johnny blasted the flying rock just as Hotei landed gracefully. As dust and pebbles fell to the floor, he turned Slow Dancer around before coming to a halt. Both boys' eyes met only for but a moment—excitement clashing with ferocity— neither saying a single word before immediately lunging at each once more.

"What an incredible start!" exclaimed Present Mic, slamming his hands down as he watched the epic duel. "Everything happening so fast that's it's hard to dissect all the little details! But oh man, both these boys are really going at each other!"

"In these kind of duels, speed is essential," commented Aizawa. "The quicker the reaction time, the better advantage you have. However it appears that both Hotei and Johnny are evenly matched."

"It appear so," agreed Mountain Tim. "Since they worked together in the cavalry battle, they've already adapted to each other's strengths. If I was in their shoes, I would try to end the fight as quickly as possible, like Hotei did. Dragging it out would only leave more opportunities for me to slip up… but then again, so would my opponent. Ah well, if comes down to that, it won't be the fastest gun who will win. It'll be the one who is more tenacious!"


"Whoa… Johnny is really giving it all he's got," observed Hagakure alongside the rest of Class A.

"Yeah, it's pretty intense," agreed Sato. "Though I'm kinda surprised that they allowed Johnny his horse for the tournament."

"It is unorthodox, but it allows us to see Johnny's full potential," Tokoyami pointed out, folding his arms as he watched Johnny lean out of the way from a sharpen claw. "Despite being condemned to an unfortunate fate, he flows quite well atop his steed."

"Indeed," nodded Ida. "His movements are in sync with the horse's own, almost if they were one symbiotic being. As expected from the same person who made it into U.A. despite his disabilities!"

"I know, right!" Kirishima grinned widely, allowing the sun to gleam off his sharpen teeth. "It's awesome! Even when we were training together, I could barely keep up with him and Slow Dancer! Not just because he's riding a freakin' horse; he was pretty much dancing her around like a ballerina!" Crimson eyes glow for a moment before he cupped his hands together around his mouth. "Don't let up, Johnny! Kick his ass and win this thing!"

As the others quickly mimicked their classmate's enthusiasm, Midoriya vigorously wrote down every bit of detail he could from the match. There was no way he would miss an opportunity to write down such incredible data regarding Johnny's true fighting style with Slow Dancer or with his Stand. It was like watching a real life cowboy western, where the hero rode his valiant steed into a shootout with the dastardly villain. Only Hotei proved to be quite agile on his feet. As expected from someone with a mutation Quirk. Excelling with extraordinary stamina and reflexes even when facing a gunman as skilled as his friend. Not to mention constantly employing crafty strategies that kept Johnny from overpowering him. It was little wonder why he made it into Class One-B.

"Hah! Do you really think that some fancy horse riding is enough to decide the match?!" The fanboy blinked at the sudden assertive tone. Turning to the side along with his class, he spotted Class B's Monoma leaning haughtily against the low wall that divided their respective classes. "While his team caused my downfall in the cavalry battle, I can say with certainty that Hotei will win this match! Already he's easily keeping up with that brute of an animal. And least you forget he nearly unhorsed Joestar just now! There's no way he'll lose!"

"Yeah, Hotei's awesome like that!" yelled a boy by the name of Awase.

"He always first in the running exercises we have," added Tsuburaba. "And considering that Joestar is limited with how big the ring is, Hotei'll outmaneuver him more often than not!"

"Totally," grinned Tokage. "Hotei's can be quite relentless when he wants to be. So don't bet on Joestar getting passed the first round!"

Nearly all of Class B echoed their confidence for their classmate. Though that did little to deter their rivals' ardor for Johnny's own chances of success.

"Oh yeah?" demanded Kaminari, kicking up his feet onto a rail guard as he sent them challenging smile. "Well, I wonder if you'll still be singing the same tune when Johnny wipes the floor with Hotei!"

"That's right!" yelled Kirishima, jumping to his feet before pumping up a fist. "I've seen Johnny what's capable of, he'll be more than a match for anything that your friend throws his way!"

"Johnny can quite zealous when it comes to obstacles," added Aoyama, flicking a glittering finger towards the American. "Such fiery determination… it blazes so bright that it matches my own sparkles!"

"Not to mention he has the Spin and Tusk," ribbited Tsuyu, placing a finger on her chin as her eyes followed a barrage of nail-bullets chasing after the redheaded catboy. "Though he's only using the latter at the moment… could he be saving the Spin for when things get desperate?"

"That or he is waiting for the perfect chance to strike," said Uraraka, waving an enthusiastic fist before turning to the Italian beside her. "Is that what he's doing, Gyro? Gathering up whatever Spin energy he can before unleashing some super awesome moves?"

Sitting with his chin resting atop his hands, Gyro didn't respond to his classmate's question. He had been like this since the start of the match, staring intently as the cripple continued to dance Slow Dancer around Hotei.

"Uh… Gyro?" uttered Midoriya, uncertain what was going through the Spin master's head. Though he'd be lying that he had similar thoughts about why Johnny had yet to truly use the Spin. Sure he was doing his best with his Stand, but the fanboy couldn't tell if this was ploy of some kind or simply all he could muster. Then again, knowing Johnny's unwavering determination, he was probably saving it for a finishing move of some kind.

After another moment of glaring down at the arena, Gyro finally broke away from it to say, "… He might not win… Johnny that is."

"Say what?!" A good deal of his classmates blinked and stared openly at the Italian's declaration. Even Midoriya was shocked by the announcement. How could he say such a thing about his friend?

"Wait… could this be related… to Lesson Four of the Spin?" the fanboy thought silently to himself.

"Hahaha! See! Even Zeppeli knows who's the superior fighter!" boasted Monama, pulling his head back to look down his nose at Class A. "And that's not mentioning that Hotei isn't even us—!"

SMACK!

Midoriya blinked as a huge hand slapped the back of the smoothed haired blonde's head. Almost instantly he fell to the floor with a thud, his classmates behind him all staring wordlessly at his unconscious form before warily turning to face the one who performed the deed. Kendo sighed as her hand returned to its normal size before causally squatting down to yank her knocked-out classmate off the floor.

"Sorry about that," she apologized. "Monoma has a good heart—mostly—but he can be a tad… eccentric at times. Pay him no mind and I'll try to keep him under control… besides, I still need to have a talk with him regarding some things he said during the cavalry battle to Joestar."

As the president of Class B dragged the troublesome boy back to his seat, with more than a few of Class A staring wordlessly at the exchange, Midoriya frowned after them. Not at Kendo in particular, but rather what Monoma had said. It was almost like he was implying that Hotei hadn't used his full potential yet.

Surely that can't be what he meant. Hotei's Quirk was simple and to the point. Unless he had been hiding some super move up until now, Midoriya couldn't think of anything else that the catboy might be hiding. Perhaps a transformation power up that allowed Hotei to truly turn into a giant tiger or cat.

Feeling his brow trying to escape his head, Midoriya immediately snapped back to the arena. Johnny and Hotei continued to go at each other relentlessly, both evenly matched and constantly at each other's throats.

"For once… I hope I'm wrong."


Feeling his breath starting to grow a tad heavy, Johnny leaned completely back until he lay flatly on Slow Dancer's saddle as Hotei once more flew over his head. Before the catboy could hit the ground, he whipped both hands up and shot several nails. Even from an upside down perspective, his mark was rather good, managing to scrape the fabric off Hotei's shoulders before the feline Quirk user rolled out of the way from the rest of the barrage. Thin red lines slashed across his body already, but they weren't enough to force him out of the fight. Not yet anyway.

For his part, Johnny had his own fair share of scratches from Hotei. His gym clothes were a mess, with a few pieces missing at the ends, but thankfully it was still serviceable. Though the cripple knew that the fight was taking too long. He needed to end this quickly before both he and Slow Dancer collapse from exhaustion.

"You're getting better with your accuracy, Johnny!" complimented Hotei, standing back up with a fanged grin splitting his face in two once more. "Nearly got my arm completely that time!"

"And you're still a hyper activate furball that won't stay still and take their shots!" retorted Johnny, glancing down to check the number of nail-bullets he currently had left. Three nails were ready to go while five were nearly full recharged. Soon he'll have all ten, but until then he'll have to plan accordingly to make every shot count.

"Nyaha! I knew you'd be a great opponent! I don't think I had this much fun before... though I wouldn't expect anything less from someone who has a Stand." Suddenly the grin on his lips thinned a bit, the slits of his eye narrowing suddenly as his tail stilled behind him. "I think it's time we gotten to the main course and got serious..."

Alarms immediately went off in Johnny's head at the sudden shift in the catboy's tone. The playfulness was still there, but it was pushed aside to allow something more… menacing to take center stage. It was enough for Tusk to materialize on its user owner's, gripping his head protectively even as its beady eyes stared at Hotei.

Not wanting to find out what the catboy meant, Johnny raised a star-covered hand before unleashing three bullets at Hotei… only to blink as they vanished with a sparkle just before they reached their mark. Suddenly something cracked beside Slow Dancer. Looking down, Johnny felt his brow narrow intensely at the sight of three small holes that appeared out of nowhere.

"What…!?" Feeling a bit of cold sweat starting to form on the back of his neck, Johnny looked up to see something that chilled him to the core.

Sparkling to life beside the catboy was a jumble of bright glitter and eye-catching glamour that swirled together for a brief half-second before taking shape. Dozens of luminous spheres stretched apart before being connected by a thin, ethereal blue line, forming the shape of a rather tall man. A radiant glow formed a transparent membrane around the figure, almost as if it were its skin. Bright and wondrous colors danced within the newly formed body, but that wasn't all. Dazzling stars danced with nebulas as shimmering moons swirled around beautiful aurora lights. Suns burst briefly into view then dimmed as a black hole swallowed them up before disappearing into the vastness of space a second later. It was like the creature had a whole expanding universe within the constellation that was its body! Menacing red dwarf stars glow brightly where eyes should have been, glaring intensely at the American as it hooked an ethereal arm around Hotei's head.

Johnny gaped at the unbelievable sight, a sentiment that was mimicked by nearly everyone in the stadium. Gasps and amazed mutterings filled the air as everyone wonder what exactly was happening. Yet as he watched the catboy lean back into the constellation's arm, clarity wiped away the maelstrom of confusion and shock that had taken over the paraplegic's mind. "This… This is a Stand!"

"Correct!" grinned Hotei, slipping a claw hand down to his hip. "It's my Stand: Cozmic Travel! I came up with the name myself, though I do wonder if it's a bit too on the nose."

Dread boiled to life within the pit of Johnny's stomach the longer he stared at the Stand. Fighting Hotei already was hard enough, but now he had to fight his Stand as well? It was clear that the tides were no longer in his favor… and the idea of losing gnawed at him profusely till fear took hold of him. Tusk chimed softly in his ear, hugging his neck for a moment before phasing back into his body. "I can't do this…" he muttered before quickly mentally smacking himself. He couldn't lose now, not after getting this far! He just needed time to form a plan, anything really, to take down Hotei quickly. Raising his head, he glared intensely into bright golden eyes. "… I'd take it that bit about not holding back for the Sports Festival was bullshit then?!"

"Well… not exactly. I said I wouldn't hold back my Quirk; nothing about my Stand. Though be honest, I did use Cozmic Travel during the cavalry battle. Very sparingly mind you. Didn't want anyone to figure out my ace until the tournament…" Suddenly his fanged grinned dropped from face as he tore away from the cripple's penetrating gaze. "…Although, I didn't really want to deceive you or our team, Johnny. But for the sake of practicality, I had to save my Stand until the very end… That said, if it's any consolation… I'm truly sorry for deceiving you." Bending forward, he bowed his head deeply to his foe.

Despite his sincere words, Johnny snapped a star-covered hand up before shooting two bullets at Hotei. Even if he would've done the same in the redhead's position, even if he understood and didn't really hold anything against Hotei—well, maybe a little—he wasn't about to let this golden opportunity pass.

Speeding across the arena, the nail-bullets closed in on Hotei… only to immediately disappear in a small sparkly, square hole that formed in the air. And like before they reappeared to tear more holes into the floor.

"Heh… that's what I like about you, Johnny," chuckled Hotei, straightening back up as Cozmic Travel folded its arms protectively around his shoulders. "You're cautious and practical… However, I do wonder if that'll be enough to face Cozmic Travel's teleportation!" Pulling his lips back into a vicious, fanged grin, Hotei stood completely still as a large hole formed behind his Stand.

Blinking at both the sight and the catboy's words, it didn't take more than half a second for Johnny to realize just how screwed he was.

Whipping his head around, he only had a mere moment to spot a sparkly fist before it smashed right into his side. Sucking in breath as pain bloomed across his body, Johnny felt his grip loosen out of his reins before being sent flying off Slow Dancer. The appaloosa neighed loudly at the absence of her rider before trotting away as Cozmic Travel slapped her hide.

Crashing to the floor with a thud, Johnny grabbled for breath before pausing at a sudden whoosh above him. Holding back a bubbling curse, he rolled to the side as a series of rapid celestial kicks slammed into where he once lay, leaving imprints in the concrete. As soon as he slowed to a halt, Johnny whipped both hands out and shot another volley Hotei. Yet unlike before, the catboy simply jumped gracefully through a decently sized hole with his Stand following close behind.

"Just so you know, I could've ended the match then and there, Johnny." Hotei's tail flickered between his legs as he skidded across the ring, now only fifteen feet away from the down horse rider. "I could've thrown you out of the match instead of smacking you around."

"Why didn't you…?" question Johnny, pushing himself into an upright sitting position before glancing at his nails. Only five were ready to go while the others still needed a few seconds to recharge. "That's not very practical…"

"True, it's not. But I got my reasons. One is to show off for the pros here. Once they've seen the power of Cozmic Travel, I'm sure they'll recognize its worth! Although that is merely secondary to my true intention."

"And what's that…?" Johnny glared just as all his nails grew back.

"Because I owe you. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have made it here to have this conversation. Instead Monoma and his team would be the ones fighting right now while we would've been stuck in the stands. So I wanted to make this last and give you a fighting chance to beat me. Besides…" Hotei's grin seemed to grow even wider as his tail stood on end. "Like I said before, I'm having the time of my life at the moment. So let's continue to have some fun, shall we?"

Staring at the sheer earnest excitement that beamed off the catboy's smile, Johnny knew that he wasn't lying one bit. He really wanted to have a good fight and to pay him back. Snorting at the absurdity, especially considering what was at stake, he leaned back just as Tusk appeared on top his head. "Hmph! Thanks for the consideration… but don't start crying when I still come on top!"

"Hah! We'll see about that, but I can assure you of one thing. Whether I win or lose, I'm doing this without any regrets!"

"…I feel like you're going to have a few of them in the next few seconds."

As Hotei sent him a confused tilt of the head, Johnny pressed his lips together. Breathing deeply for a moment, he blew a sharp whistle that actually caused the catboy's ears to jolt upright. A roaring neigh rang out through the stadium before thunderous hooves pounded behind the cripple. Dozens of shocked voices sprang up from the crowd, either demanding that the match be stopped or for Johnny to get out of the way.

Instead of obeying their warnings, Johnny leaned back just as Slow Dancer was ten feet away from him. Everyone expected him to be immediately crushed by the great horse… only to blink in surprise when Slow Dancer lowered her head to scoop up her rider. Resounding gasps rang through the stadium once more, but Johnny wasn't done yet. As he rolled back along his horse neck, he immediately thrusted his hands towards Hotei and unleashed five nail-bullets at him.

Blinking at the sudden barrage, the catboy jumped through a portal that Cozmic Travel produced. Turning around he froze up at the sight of the appaloosa charging right at him. Narrowing his gaze, Hotei allowed Cozmic Travel to hoist him up before throwing him at the light-brown haired boy. Johnny didn't flinch at the flying feline, instead he whipped his reins before raising a finger and shot at Hotei once more. The catboy only grinned before a hole appeared in front of him. Slipping through he appeared at Johnny's side, claws ready to drag the boy off his horse once more.

This, however, didn't come to pass. Instead Johnny slumped entirely out of his saddle just before sharp claws could hook into his clothes. Hotei could only blink at the sight as he flew right over the American before skidding across the floor once more. Yet he openly gaped when he spotted Johnny dangling off his horse with an arm firmly hooked around the horse's reins, causing the animal to circle away from the edge of the ring.

Raising his free hand, Johnny fired off more shots at his foe. They did little to actually take out the Catboy, who danced around them frantically, but it gave the paraplegic time to escape his current predicament. Whistling another sharp tune, Slow Dancer gave a disapproving snort before kicking her rider in the back with a front leg. The air gusted out of Johnny as he flew high up like kicked balls of fluff. It hurt like hell and his bones ached, but he was used to the sensation. Combined with weeks of intense training and the adrenaline coursing through his system, it was little more than an annoyance at the moment. Though he was under no delusions that the pain would get better as time dragged on.

Sucking in a quick breath, he twisted in the air before landing back in his saddle with practiced ease. Pulling Slow Dancer to a halt, Johnny wiped spittle and a bit of blood from his mouth before turning to face a wide eyed Hotei. He wasn't the only who had an incredulous expression on his face. Many in the crowd gawked and muttered incoherently at the American's brazen maneuvers.

"What the heck…" uttered Present Mic, shock oozed off his voice like so many others currently watching the match. "I've seen some crazy maneuvers in my time, but I think what Johnny has done just took the cake! At least for now anyway!"

"It was a brazen strategy," agreed Aizawa. "But a necessary one. With Hotei revealing his Stand, it became clear to Johnny that the match was turning against him. He needed to make some quick choices otherwise he would play right into Hotei's hands."

"Just what the heck have you been teachin' your kids!?"

"I didn't teach him this… This is completely all Johnny's doing…"

"Yep, but those are some really risky moves," observed Mountain Tim. "As a professional horse rider myself, those were incredible high-level tricks he pulled just now. Just one wrong move could lead to more than a few broken bones… at worse it can lead to even a fatal injury… But somehow Johnny managed to pull them off flawlessly. To perform such a feet after everything that has happened… is nothing short of a miracle! Now all he needs to do is figure out a way to stay ahead of Hotei otherwise he'll be unhorsed again."

"What have you think I've been doing…" muttered Johnny, glancing to the side for a moment to glare at the commentator box. For the last few minutes he'd been trying desperately to catch the redhead off guard, but nothing had worked! Even as thoughts and plans whirled within his head, it became quite clear that Cozmic Travel was a league higher than him. All he could do at the moment was keep on moving and try to make it difficult for his feline foe to keep pace with him. But even Johnny knew that wouldn't last forever. "Shit… I can't do this… All I can do is dance around him like a freaking bronco rider… His Stand is too damn powerful… Goddammit, I can't do this…!"

"You know, I can't tell if you're crazy or foolish to pull that kind of stunt…" Johnny blinked before returning his focus back to Hotei. The catboy folded his arms while Cozmic Travel posed menacingly behind him. "But I can't say I'm not impressed! That said… I'm capable of a few tricks myself!"

Shifting forward, Cozmic Travel waved an arm before a decently sized sparkly hole formed in front of it. Bracing himself, Johnny immediately whirled around before spotting a speeding fist coming from right beside his saddle. Jolting to the side, the fist merely grazed his cheek with a crimson line following in its wake. Gritting his teeth, Johnny prepared to shoot into the retreating arm, but paused when something twitched just at the edge of his vision.

Quickly turning his head, Johnny was met with a red-furred foot ready to kick his face in. There was no time to evade. Hotei was already flying a mere foot away from him. Steeling himself, he prepared for the pain that was soon to follow.

"Chumin~in!"

Feeling his eyes bulge at the familiar sound, Johnny was stunned when Tusk flew forward, its little arms feebly held out wide to meet the swift kick. Narrow slits widened at the pink elephant's interference, but Hotei didn't deviate from his course. With a mighty slap, the little Stand was smack away as the redhead flew over Slow Dancer.

Feeling as if his entire body was wacked by a heavy club, Johnny felt the air whoosh out his lung as his body was sent flying off his saddle once more. He knew that any damage that happened to a Stand reflected back at its owner, but he was still unprepared for how instantly the pain exploded upon his body. Crashing into the floor with a heavy thump, he gasp for air before pushing himself back up to see Tusk weakly crawling towards him. Its horned nose was a little bent while a bruise was forming on the big gold star atop its head. Quickly scooping up the little creature before holding him protectively to his chest, Johnny glared fiercely at Hotei.

"Wow… I didn't expect the little guy to come right at me like that," admitted the catboy, staring intently at the pink elephant before straightening himself back up with Cozmic Travel looming over him once more. "Though I have to admit, the little guy threw me off my mark. Or I should say threw you out of my way. Probably would've hurled you out of the ring if I managed to land my kick."

Clenching his teeth to hold back a growl, Johnny glanced down at Tusk for a split second. The little stand gave a sad chime before phasing back into his body. Narrowing his gaze, Johnny straighten back up before whistling sharply as he could. Slow Dancer neighed fiercely at the call before rushing across the ring once more.

"Not this time!"

A portal suddenly opened right in front of the charging appaloosa before swallowing her entirely up. "Slow Dancer!" Johnny cried, his eyes whipping around the stadium until finally landing on a familiar coat of gray and white just outside the raised arena.

"Relax. I wouldn't harm your horse, Johnny. Not my style. But I can assure you that it'll be staying out for the rest of the match. You caught me off guard the first time, but I don't make the same mistake twice." Golden slits narrowed as a fanged grin twisted across Hotei's face. "Your move, Johnny…"

Dismay twisted like a cold, rusty knife into the pit of Johnny's stomach. Without Slow Dancer, he was pretty much a sitting duck. Even if he was slowly getting used to how quick Hotei moved, there was no way he could defend himself like this! And yet he refused to back down. There had to be some way he could—

"Well, it's pretty much over." Johnny blinked at the sudden declaration before glancing to the side. The once cheering crowd, praising his name and encouraging him onward, now looked at him with familiar eyes… Eyes filled with nothing but pity. Sure there were still a few who shouted their support for him, but was it clear they that the majority already decided the outcome in their heads and prepared their condolences.

"It was a hell of an effort, despite his condition…" commented an old, wrinkly man with a thick, curly mustache that was twisted into a literal corkscrew shape. "But in the end, when you're facing something like… well like whatever the heck that thing is, there's not much you can do."

"Yeah, there's not much he can do, can he?" repeated a little boy with blueish, wavy hair and had a radio-like antenna sticking out of his head.

"You did your best, kid! Better luck next year!" yelled a pro hero with a golden flower motif for his costume.

"For what's it worth, he was pretty damn good riding that horse, but…" started a young, white haired hero with a shark-like mouth and wore a tribal fish themed costume, but cut off whatever else he had to say. His eyes gleamed with nothing but pity for the cripple.

Bearing his teeth, Johnny let loose a vicious snarl at the crowd. How dare they decide that the match was over!? And yet… and yet what else could he do? There was nothing that he could think of that would give him the advantage that he needed to win. Even if he used the Spin now to twist Hotei's body into a pretzel, he would have to get close to do so since he had no Steel Ball of his own. In the end… he truly was worthless.

"No…" he muttered quietly before looking down at the ground to hide the tears welling up in his eyes. After everything he done, it was coming to an end. "I can't win… There's no way I can do this…."

Suddenly a thought struck him like lightning. Just now he had said it… the phrase that he needed to say four times for Lesson Four of the Spin. It shook him to the core that he managed to actually complete the process, even if unintentionally. Time seem to slow as that realization wormed its way into his head as his rampant panic and worry stilled.

"I've explained everything… use the golden rectangle's rotation…."

Cold sweat dripped down Johnny's brow as Gyro's words echoed in his head. Lifting up his right hand, he stared intensely at every crease, every line before solely focusing on the nails of his fingers. "W-Wait…" he silently thought. "Wait a second… What are the Zeppelis really trying to say? When the masters and Gyro's ancestors discovered the Golden Rectangle…. Where did they really find it? Where would they find the basis for beauty? Who would have taught them something like that? They couldn't have found out from a professor, or by measuring it from a ruler… That would merely make it an imitation and not the real thing… Who discovered it first…? There has to be an original!"

Suddenly the world seem to go distance, turning blindly white for a mere second… no, not even that long before something burst into Johnny's mind. Images jumbled together with an infinite array of colors to create something wondrous, beautiful, and awe-inspiring. From ages long past to achievements performed to this day, everything seemed to connect together in a eternal spiral. For that single instant, the history of the Spin whirled and clouded his vision… only to then disappear just as quickly as it was shown.

Johnny was shocked by the lingering memory of the images he saw. More than that, however, their appearance sparked something in the boy. As if a piece of a puzzle long thought lost snapping into place in the complexity of his mind, understanding bloomed within him. It wiped away the dread, the fear that was brewing inside of him. Replacing it with something more incredible, awe-inspiring, and terrifying in its own right.

"If I can't see the original, then my golden rectangle… I'll never be able to do it! There has to be an original golden rectangle! The diagrams that Gyro drew and his belt buckle… they're just copies that were measured from the original! And… I have to find the real thing my own eyes…. If I can't find the original, then I can't use the rotation! This is… This is what the Zeppeli rule is trying to say…?!"

Lifting up a star covered hand, he held out at Hotei, but he didn't pay attention to the blinking catboy as much as he did for the appendage itself. Suddenly, something flickered around his hand. It was brief, showing up for a mere moment, but Johnny managed to see what was it was… and it left him breathless as it appeared once more, clearer than ever.

A golden rectangle forming perfectly around his entire hand.

"Gyro…" he muttered. "Can I use this… this thing that I'm looking at right now? It's something that I'm looking at, something I've been looking at all this time…! The real rectangle! This is the real thing, isn't it!?"

"Huh…?" meowed Hotei, tilting his head to the side as his ears flickered uncertainly. "What the heck are you talking about?"

Ignoring the red-furred catboy, Johnny continued to stare at the brilliant golden rectangle around his hand… only to notice that it wasn't simply his hand that now had the rectangle. From the square ring, to the hundreds of people in the stands, to the clouds in the sky, to even Hotei before him, everyone and everything had a perfect, golden rectangle forming around them. Not only that… there was spiral spinning within them.

"From deep observation… the masters found this shape… and now, I…" There were no words to describe the complete majesty he felt as he finally found what was in plain all along. This was no mere dream or a delusion conjured up by his panic. This was reality! "Gyro was spinning his steel balls while looking at these things as a basis…!"

Suddenly something skittered just out the corner of his eye. Looking up and beyond the increasingly confused Hotei, Johnny felt his heart freeze when he spotted something familiar prance around outside the ring before bounding into one of the dark entrances that led into the stadium.

It was a white mouse.

While he knew he wasn't dreaming when it came to the golden rectangles, but… but seeing that had to be an illusion of something. A trick of the light caused by the brilliance of the golden rectangle. Yet whether or not it was mere mirage, a single name escaped Johnny's lips.

"Danny…"

As if a damn burst loose, the nail on his raised index finger abruptly spun to life. Yet the intensity of the Spin… it was far greater than anything he done before! So powerful was the rotation that the flesh from his fingers to his arm completely twisted around as a powerful, endless force took hold of him. It didn't stop there though.

A resounding crack echoed throughout the entire stadium as spiraling lines suddenly sprung to life within the ring. They twisted and turned before expanding rapidly until the entire floor was spinning around the stunned cripple.

"H-Hey! What is this?!" demanded Hotei, carefully jumping up to avoid the crackling lines before landing along the edge of the ring. "What the hell are you doing, Johnny?!"

Johnny had no answer to the catboy. He wasn't entirely sure himself of what he just done. All he knew was that he managed to finally reach the original golden rectangle.


As the hundreds of spectators muttered and gasped at the stunning development, Gyro felt his lips pull back into a shining smile. "He's done it…!" he exclaimed, startling his classmates and dozens of other students around their box as he jumped to feet and leaned nearly off the rail guard. "That crazy kid… He finally achieved it!"

"What?! What did Johnny do, Gyro?!" asked Midoriya, torn between staring at the American and the grinning Italian. He wasn't the only who demanded as such, as every one of their classmates stared at Gyro as if he were crazy.

"Lesson Four… He finally learned its true meaning!" Ignoring Midoriya's, as well a few others, bulging eyes and the demands for a better explanation—with Bakugo threating to blow him up if he didn't explain himself clearly—Gyro continued to grin wildly at his pupil. Yet suddenly he noticed something else happening within the ring.

Something that turned his smile into an uncertain frown.


"What an unexpected development…" Shigaraki's master observed beside his pupil. The wrinkly boy gave a snort at that, but couldn't deny that this was indeed unexpected… and interesting. Just what the hell was up with this cripple anyway? Yet the real eye catcher was what came next.


"Just what the heck is going?!" demanded Present Mic, staring wide at the spectacle that was taking place.

"I… I have no idea," admitted Mountain Tim. "This is completely new to me! Aizawa! Is this your doing!?"

"…No," answered the mummified teacher as he too stared in awe at the strangeness that was currently happening. He wondered briefly if the match was going to be put on hold… only to pause when something else appeared and shock him, as well his companions, to the core.


"What is this power?!" demanded Thirteen, staring in bewilderment as the spirals in arena grew till it started to spread to the rest of the inner stadium. A sentiment the rest of the teachers in U.A. vehemently agreed with as they couldn't take their eyes off the American.

All Might had no answer to the stunning display before him. One moment he was praying for a miracle for young Johnny, similar what happened to Midoriya, only to lean back in his seat at the sudden display of staggering power. He knew about the Spin, every staff and faculty member did, but this was going beyond what he has seen before. It was raw, unrefined, and seemingly bottomless. He didn't know what caused this development, but All Might was certain of one thing. This was the break that Johnny needed to turn the tides around. Yet as the arena twisted and curved, something else happened. Something that chilled the legendary hero to the bone.

"This is…!"


Shinso was never one for taking bets in his life. Everything he had done up till now was coldly calculated to serve as stepping stones to achieve his ultimate desire. To be worthy of being a hero. Nothing else mattered. Yet as soon as he met the young light-brown haired boy bound to a wheelchair, he felt something odd. It wasn't pity—just one look in the cripple's eyes told him that he wouldn't accept anything of the sort. But he did sympathize with him. And in a way admired, as well envied, his achievement to make it into the hero course of U.A. despite the mountainous obstacles barring his path.

So when he failed to beat Midoriya in the first round, Shinso decided to take a bet and wish Johnny Joestar luck against Hotei.

Now, at the supposed climax of the match, he thought his bet was well placed. He didn't know what was happening as the arena suddenly twirled and cracked underneath the American's hand. But he could tell that Johnny had managed to gain some kind of boost. He wasn't exactly sure what it was, but deep down he knew that it would help him face Hotei.

However all thought and emotion stilled to a murmur when his eyes landed on a pink… something materializing in the ring.


Johnny felt the power rushing through his fingers the longer his nail continued to rotate. It was numbing in a way, but at the same time he could feel every inch, every nerve of his body. With this power… he could do anything! And yet with this new hyper sensitivity came a realization.

Something was behind him.

Slowly turning around, he saw something that absolutely shook him to the core.

Tusk let out an intense chime as a radiant glow surrounded it for a moment. Suddenly its body started morph and whirl around in the air until finally stopping all together. From the body of the little pink elephant came a new figure.

Gone was any sign of flesh and in its place were pink mechanical limbs and parts. It grew twice its original size, now nearly half of Johnny's own height. Replacing its arms were thin metal frames that extended out before ending into a three finger pincer-like hand. Its lower half extended into a thick, rectangular spine that led to a spherical bottom. Nine holes formed on the bottom of the sphere with three little legs surrounding it while twin golden stars with blue outlines held the sides together. Its head no longer was overly bulbous, but two strange extensions—almost like golden rods—stuck out the top of its cranium. At the ends of the rods were dark purple balls with a hollow opening in the middle of them. Like its bottom, its head also had two large golden stars along its sides, but also had smaller ones dotting along its forehead. It now had a mouth, but it looked less like a human's and more like the lower, jagged jaw of an insect. Finally two small, dark holes replaced its previous beady eyes. Almost looking like bottomless pits that drank in Johnny's soul.

Even as he stared blankly with his mouth hung open, Johnny briefly thought that it looked like a mutated pink dragonfly.

"Chumin~in!"


Edited as of 9/2/20. Shout out to hesscayden150 for helping with correcting missing words or grammar.

Author's Note: Good god this took nearly the entire month to make. I mean seriously, I started on the friday of the first week of March and just going from there. I knew I said this was going to be a long one, but god damn... This was LONG! And also editting this big boy twice... Oh god... It was evil, but also liberating once I was finally done!

At any rate, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I put my all into this one as it has been something that's been on my mind ever since I started this story. Mainly how I would reveal Act 2 to the cast as well the world! Especially since Tusk is the first evolutionary Stand of this different Universe compared to the original one. And I really wanted to show how badass most of the fights were while giving highlights to some of the more note worthy ones! I didn't want to exclude them all, since they all have plot related points in them in MHA, but I didn't want to go into total detail with them like I did for the main fights! That said, I really hope you like them as I put a lot of work on trying to be creative as possible with them!

The next chapter will not be fore a while since after getting this bad boy done...I need a break. Not only because I got plenty of school in April, like lots of essays to write and presentations prepare, but also because this chapter left me a little exhausted. Not burnt out, if anything the chapters from MHA keep me hyped and help me get the creative juices flowing! But I do want a break to relax and enjoy myself, even after I go back to my summer job in May.

That said I think I will start working on the next chapter in mid May, mainly because it will be after finals and because by then I will be refreshed and recharged! So apologies for making you wait that long!

Also I apologize again, but I will not be doing review responses again for this chapter. Mainly because I'm tired at the moment, but also this chapter is HUGE ENOUGH AS IT IS! But don't worry, next time I will do more review responses AND post the profiles for Tusk Act 2, Cozmic Travel, and Hotei's Stats in the next chapter's Author's Notes!

Speaking of Cozmic Travel, let's move on to the title reference of the chapter. Cozmic Travel: It's a song made by SOUL'd OUT and I just had to name the chapter after it. Other than being the name of Hotei's Stand, it's also one of my favorite songs from the group. It's really catchy and upbeat and I really recommend listening to it!

With all that said and done, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Until then, I hope you have a nice day!