"AT LAST! IT IS TIME! THE BEST OF THE ABSOLUTE BEST OF U.A.'S FIRST YEARS WILL BE DECIDED HERE AND NOW! THEY NEED NO INTRODUCTION, IT'S TODOROKI VS KAZAMI!"
We share no formalities, no greetings, not even a nod.
The only acknowledgment that we give each other is unbroken eye contact.
"STAAAAAAART!"
Shoto slams his right hand onto the floor, and from it, jagged pieces of ice grow and grow until a daunting ice ridge races toward me. I'm not taking any chances with this.
Not bothering with my rifle, my arm bulges and convulses until a minigun and bipod form at a moment's notice.
BRRRRRRRRRRT!
Firing the equivalent of a 7.62 round at a rate of several thousand per minute, combined with an incendiary oil mixture, Shoto's attack is mowed down right through the center like a knife cutting through butter.
"OOOH! KAZAMI BROUGHT OUT THE GATLING GUN ONCE AGAIN AND COUNTERED TODOROKI'S ATTACK!"
"Hrm." Technically this is a Gatling-style weapon, but I wouldn't call it a Gatling gun at this small a size. The term minigun is better used to differentiate between something like the gun I'm using and a 20mm Vulcan for example.
If I was using the equivalent of a Vulcan, I'm pretty sure everyone directly in front of me would be dead right now…
When Shoto hears the barrels begin to spin up, he tenses up and the sound of crackling ice fills the air once again.
BRRRRRRRRRRT!
And I tear it all down once more.
"Tch."
Shoto grimaces. While he might have been holding out hope that his ice could beat out my firepower, that hope fell about as fast as the ice itself.
This is his style though, like I said, he doesn't want a long battle. He'll be trying to soften me up with these repeated large-scale attacks as either a time waster to think of a different plan, or to set up a sneak attack of some sort. To prevent that, I positioned myself in a way that makes it impossible to take my back.
At the same time, he's created a dense wall of ice in front of him. It wouldn't be enough to stop a barrage of lethal rounds, but at the very least it would stop an attempt to knock him out.
"Haaa…"
I feel a strange sensation in my knees for a second.
"..."
"It seems the finals are already underway." Tokoyami had just returned from a trip to Recovery Girl. It wasn't anything serious, just a quick look over for the possibility of hypothermia.
"Yo Tokoyami, nice job getting to the semi-finals!"
"Yeah dude, you lasted way longer against Todoroki than I did! These damn guys, they can fire off these crazy moves all they want!"
"As many as they want? Don't be an idiot." Bakugo interjected.
The distant sound of heavy gunfire and shattering glass repeated over and over into the stands above.
"Huh?"
"Look at them a bit closer. You might not have caught it at first, but look at them now."
"Hmm…"
"Just look at that guy's right side. His skin is turning blue. Now look at gun boy across from him. He's breathing a bit heavier than usual. He's trying not to show it, but he's even leaning over a bit from time to time out of fatigue."
"Yeah! You're right, I see it now! Then, is Kazami trying to…"
"Trying to stretch the match out? Don't bother. I'm going to guess that, while powerful, your bullets aren't made from thin air. I assume you're digging into your own caloric reserve to create each one. Fire more than you have, and you're going to start digging into your fat. Use that up, and you'll slowly starve to death just to hold me off."
He hit it right on the bullseye. I admit, I never trained extensively with this thing. I didn't take into account the difference in my energy levels compared to my normal rifle. However…
"You figured that out by yourself? Not bad. But I'm not the only one here racing against the clock. How many more can you fire off before you're frozen solid, or succumb to hypothermia?"
"Mh…"
He doesn't offer a retort, and when the air starts to chill, I spin up the barrels once again.
BRRRRRT!
"...!?"
After cutting through the middle, and sliding on a ramp of ice, Shoto charges high above me with his right hand in the middle of creating a ball of ice.
I don't want to be hit by that!
Smash!
I narrowly avoid his attack, and use my momentum to swing the minigun toward his arm still stuck in the ground. If I can break it, I can force him to submit.
Though with a weapon this heavy, he sees it coming a mile away and pries himself off the ground, and slides underneath the swing. When he gets up behind me, he uses our short distance to lunge for my back, even the slightest touch would be problematic.
I crouch down and angle my body to keep his right hand away from me. Reaching backward, I grab onto his collar with my left, I use his momentum to pull him up into the sky and slam him back down on the ground in front of me.
He looks stunned. I've rarely shown it, but I'm trained in more than just shooting. For my job, we had to learn virtually every martial art known to man.
I aim the six barrels close to his gut and spin them up. A few hundred low-power, non-lethal rounds at this range shouldn't kill him. If Ochaco could handle it, this guy can.
"Goodbye."
"Ha!?"
In a bout of panic, for a split second, Shoto lights up in a brilliant display of flames, forcing me to jump back to avoid any burns. Though when I open my eyes, they've been extinguished once again.
"Is that your body's way of telling me not to get close?"
Shoto stands back up and stares at his left arm with instant regret.
"Who's flames was that right now?"
"...? What are you talking about?"
"Nothing really. I just find it funny that you're obviously outmatched, and yet you still aren't going to go all out."
Funny for me to say, I don't know exactly how much more I can fire.
"No, you don't have much left, I can see your knees start to buckle. Why are you going this far?"
"Get a grip Shoto. Look at how badly you're shaking. You won't even be conscious in the next minute if you keep freezing yourself like that. But then again, I guess you can just warm yourself up in an instant right? Someone told me earlier, that everyone here is giving it their all. You asked me why I'm going so far? Because I want to win. What the hell are you doing? Instead of standing there shivering like a child, come at me with everything you got."
Shoto's eyes display an instant change in temperament.
"Everything I got? Where's this coming from all of a sudden? My dad get to talking with you? Whatever, I'll shut you up right now!"
Abandoning his ranged attack strategy, he runs at me like an injured zombie. For a moment, he looks affirmed when I retract my gun, he was probably calling my bluff that I had it in me to shoot anymore. Although…
Smash!
A vicious right hook into his solar plexus sends him back a good deal.
"Did you forget that I can do more than just shoot? This right arm of my mine hits like a truck."
He doesn't respond, charging in once again, but this time he stops a few meters in front of me and tries to spear with me a dozen shards of ice growing out of his foot.
I duck and weave through them before slamming my fist into the ground beneath him. When he buckles, I force my fist right under his chin with an uppercut that should have ripped his head off had I not held back.
No, it's not just that. He might be slowing down tremendously, but I've been weakened too.
This scenario repeats in different ways. Each time he appears to slow down more and more, with him painfully standing back up and launching another half-assed attack in my direction.
I'm beginning to let my mind wander.
'You quirkless piece of shit. GET UP! Your sister actually has value to this family! Don't you get it? You do nothing but live in my house and eat and cry! If you're not going to contribute something, then stay away from her!'
Quirkless…maybe I wish I was quirkless. This quirk is the only reason that ever happened to them…and why that man came into my life.
'In you my boy, there lives a demon. You know it, don't you? It was you after all. It was you who killed my brother. Don't worry, I don't hold it against you no. I promise I'll bring it out of you, no matter what it takes.'
If I recall, he said those words before shackling me to a post and lighting me on fire.
This quirk. This right arm of mine.
I hate it
I hate it so much
But…
'Shhhh. It's going to be alright. I'm right here. Another nightmare?'
I nod my head.
'Remember kid, remember our seal. This thing inside of you isn't them, it's not their evil, it's not your mistakes, it's not your bad memories or your scars. It's your power. One day, you're going to control it, I know you will. And with it, you'll become a hero. That's who you want to be right?'
Even now, after all this time, that woman still…
"Shoto."
"Shut up, I already know what you're going to say."
He doesn't give me a chance to speak, only attempting to fire another structure of ice at me, which I easily dodge. I sweep his legs before grabbing the back of his shirt and tossing him to the other side of the arena.
He's at the point where he can barely stand up.
"I…I'm going to reject him no matter wh-"
"IT'S NOT HIM! That fire inside you, it's not him! It's not your mom's tears, or your bad memories, or your scar! It's your power! So if you want to be a hero, stand up and BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE!"
Ah, I see now, why I'm so invested in this. Why he pisses me off so much. In the end, it really is because he reminds me of myself after all.
"Gh!"
His frown drops from his face completely. More than that, his eyes shake in their sockets.
"Haaa…" Shoto takes a deep breath and-
FOOOOOM!
Hot…it's so hot.
From all over his left side, Shoto burns the air around him, creating an interesting sound with the oxygen being absorbed in an instant. It's so bright I almost can't see anything else around him. Not even the loud man yelling at us from the stands.
"Didn't you tell me, that you wanted to win? What's all of this about then? Going off and inspiring me like that, looks to me like you're the one who's not going all out now…but yeah. I'm going to be a hero!"
For the first time since we've met, he smiles at me. It's kind of uncanny and almost scary looking to be honest, but in the heat of the moment, I smile right back at him. I wonder how my master felt when she saw me smile for the first time, all those years ago…
"Are you losing your mind Kazami? Smiling in a situation like this, maybe you are as crazy as I thought. With this fire, I'm back at a hundred percent. You may not have any wounds, but I doubt you can go off firing any more rounds like you did earlier."
"Hrm. You worry about yourself. I still haven't shown you everything."
Taking that as his cue to begin, he hunches down, and from his feet, no longer bound by his self-frost limit, he launches what I can only describe as a horizontal skyscraper of ice right at me.
But the real danger is that in his left hand. All the fire around him converges in one single point. I have no choice, I have to go all out if I still want to win.
Time slows down to the millisecond.
From my right elbow, a large rifle, far longer and heavier than either of my previous guns, extends with a bipod that drills into the ground to remain stable.
The Anti Material Rifle.
All the muscles in my arm, and the flesh surrounding the bones making up the monstrosity of bioengineering, begin to contract and expand as the pressure inside the barrel builds up to a degree that air feels like it's whirling around me.
"Kazami…thank you."
While the ice is mere inches from my barrel…
FIRE
BOOOOM!
A single round, fired with enough power to blow the ice into snowflakes around the stadium. Piercing through the several sudden walls of concrete laid out by Cementoss, confronts Shoto.
He extends a hand forward, and with the light of his flames swirling around him, unleashes his attack.
My eyes shut themselves on reaction as clouds of debris begin to expand
"Ugh. I usually don't believe in size means everything, but that was something else…"
"When Kazami's gun fired, it broke up the ice into the air around him, which was heated in an instant with Todoroki's blast."
"WHAT AN ATTACK! HAS THE MATCH CONCLUDED!?"
When the smoke finally cleared, it became apparent what the result was.
Hanging onto it like a Christmas ornament, I stagger a bit as I remove the bipod from the ground and retract my rifle.
Across from me, Shoto sits against the stadium walls with blood pouring out of his lower abdomen.
"T-Todoroki is out of bounds! The winner of the match…and the first-year winner of the Sports Festival…is Kazami Yuuji of class 1-A!"
In that last attack, I didn't bother to hold back at all. I knew I would have needed everything in my power to make it past his defenses. And so I went with a lethal shot. My version of what can be considered a .950 caliber round. It's easily more than twice as powerful as my usual rifle shot.
Even having to go through several thick walls of cement, and be hit point range with that fireball move, it still completely put him out of the fight when aimed away from his vital organs.
Recovery Girl had her work cut out for her, but it wasn't anything crazy, mostly because the bullet passed through his body cleanly.
"Now, let's move on to the awards ceremony!"
I listen to some of the conversations my classmates have while standing awkwardly on a tall pedestal. To my right, Shoto stands with a similar look on his face and bandages beneath his uniform.
He just nods in my direction, which I return.
To my right, Fumikage and Ochaco stand on the third-place pedestal. She looks far more excited about it than he does.
"Now for the medals, presented by the man himself!"
Like a falling star, All might comes crashing down, having his introduction cut off by Midnight…
"Ahem. Good work out there you two! Tokoyami, you have a strong quirk, but relying on it for everything will leave you wide open for attack. Hone your own senses and strength to overcome your weaknesses!"
"Yes sir, understood."
"And you, my dear girl, you have the heart of a true hero! You kept your cool, grit your teeth, and stuck to a great plan! Well done!"
"Ahh! Well thank you, it wasn't that great hahaha…"
Blushing over being highly praised by the number one hero, Ochaco smiles warmly at her medal.
"Todoroki my boy. I congratulate you. I feel like out of all of us, you have grown the most during this festival. Though I feel as if you still have a road in front of you."
"Yeah…Kazami. He reminded me of some things I had forgotten. I didn't think there would be others here who could understand me. But you're right, it's not as easy as just getting over it. I have some things I need to settle first."
That's understandable. Whatever my reasons for saying those words to him were, I knew that to really get out of the rut he fell in, it would take more than just a pretty speech. He needs to save himself. All I did was show him the way.
"I like that new look on your face! Whatever you need to do, I know you have it in you!"
All Might, like with the others, gives Shoto a brief hug. Is he going to do that with me?
"And finally, the winner himself! Kazami Yuuji."
"All Might."
The apex of the hero world. So much of my work for the past years has revolved around keeping his reputation intact in ways the public couldn't understand. Hell, I don't even think he knows.
Right now, with the way he's looking at me, it's enough to fill my stomach with warmth. My master's last request almost feels attainable right now.
But, what if he knew what I was? The things I did behind the scenes? Would he approve?
"I commend you on your victory! You have the makings of a top hero! Although you could stand to smile a bit more my boy."
"Is that so?"
"Nevertheless, what you did against Todoroki was stellar. Not only were you keeping one step ahead to win, but you showed a true sense of heroism by getting involved and helping the young Todoroki. Listen well, do you want a little advice?"
"Advice?"
"The mark of a true hero is giving help when it's not wanted! Sound deep right!? Hahahah!"
A true hero. My deep thought is cut off by a tight hug. With our difference in size, I feel like a kid again, standing there not knowing what to do while my master embraces me. It's not a bad feeling at all.
Giving help when it's not asked for. Standing in front of the Mihama dorm's front door, I begin to wonder. Yumiko told me in the past, no one was here because they were okay. Everyone has something they're dealing with.
But I said I wasn't a miracle worker right? At the same time, if I want to honor my master's wishes, then maybe…just maybe. It wouldn't hurt to try and get a little closer to these girls.
I gently open the door.
"UWAHHH! YUUJI! Didn't I tell you to be kind to girls!? What the heck was all that against that little brunette girl!? Don't tell me, are you a sadist!? Yuuji's a sadist!"
"Um…Yuuji. Maybe, you wouldn't mind being that rough with me sometime…"
I slowly take an about-face, then close the door behind me.
"Sorry All Might, but that's a big negative."
2163/05/06 20:05
After going on a walk and returning to the dorm, I was bombarded by a barrage of questions, praise, and strange comments all around. But for the most part, it was an enjoyable occasion as we celebrated. Not like I was given the choice.
We spent the afternoon watching Makina's new favorite show Rick Jackass, a show about some idiot going to dangerous locations and almost dying for laughs and ratings. And soon after it turned seven in the evening, everyone slowly dispersed back to their rooms. I assumed everyone would be fully turning in for the night, so when I hear-
Knock knock
I'm rather surprised by it. And even more surprised by the person standing on the other side.
"Is everything alright Sakaki?"
"Yeah. I apologize if I'm intruding, but there were some things I thought you should know. Especially since to my knowledge, you don't keep up with all the latest news."
"That I do not, at least not everything."
"Ida Tenya, he's one of your classmates right?"
Entering my room, she goes straight to business.
"Well, yeah. You saw him at the event a bit I guess?"
"You noticed that he disappeared from the event altogether near the end didn't you?"
It's true, shortly after his match, he left the stands to take a call, but never returned. I assumed it was just a little family problem he had to get situated. But-
"How do you know that?"
"The Ida family are a well-known and respected family of pro heroes who all have had their own successful agency at one point or another. Yesterday, during the festival, your classmate's brother, Ida Tensei, was nearly killed."
"Hrm. I guess that explains it. But why are you telling me this?"
"Because the Ingenium Agency, Idaten, is not all that unconnected to certain important aspects of our lives."
"Not all that unconnected? Would you mind explaining what that means?"
"Ah, would you look at the time? It's getting pretty late."
"Hey, wait!...damn it. She got away."
What the hell was that? I swear it's just like her to spout some vague, cryptic nonsense. Obviously, as part of my job I have a rough overview of the more popular agencies operating around Japan.
But to imply that there was some connection to 'our lives', whatever that means, it's not something I understand at the moment. I'm not friends with Tenya either, so it's not like I can just ask him about it either.
Should I give a call to…no, what am I thinking? I'm getting too deep into some girl's words. I shouldn't bother my superiors about it unless something else comes of it. What I should do right now is just keep the information in the back of my head, and note anything about the topic that I can. Over time, I'm sure I can get Yumiko to open up about it.
2163/05/09 08:00
After being dropped off, a small crowd gathered near me this morning. People wanting to talk to me, get to know me, befriend me. Girls suddenly acting all sweet and giving me looks. What a drag.
I'm glad I spent this weekend just staying inside and relaxing with the girls because according to the others in our class, they've been completely hounded by random people in public. Apparently, the top performers were being chased by paparazzi and reporters hoping to get interviews and shots for their magazines.
I knew it was going to happen eventually, but I still need some time to get accustomed to it.
"Morning. I trust you rested over the weekend? Before we get onto the main point of class today, we need to cover the results of the Sports Festival. Specifically, the Pro draft picks I spoke to you about before. Remember, these are agencies who believe you have what it takes to join the professional workforce given a couple more years of experience."
I received a call last night about this very thing. I remember wondering if I would be allowed to participate in it, and sure enough, of course not. The reason given to me was that 'This next week demands that you remain in a state of utmost readiness'. What that tells me is that it's very possible I would be given a job. Now your first instinct would be to assume it has something to do with Tenya's brother being butchered by the Hero Killer.
At my job, we have been trying for years to take him down. I never cared to chase after that glory, and all of us who did either ended up dead for it, or on a snipe hunt. The Hero Killer knows his limits, and won't do anything that could endanger him. So going after him is useless.
This is why I believe there is something else going on here. It would take a rather influential figure to shift our department's focus on something as elusive as the Hero Killer.
Going back to the Draft Pick, it's not like I can just abstain from it in a school setting. So I was ordered to choose a particular agency to intern with as a front to keep the school happy.
"Alright, here's the draft pick numbers…"
Kazami Yuuji: 5,987
Todoroki Shoto: 4,123
Bakugo Katsuki: 1,141
Tokoyami Fumikage: 831
Uraraka Ochaco: 301
From there, it dropped to double digits in a second sharp decline.
"It used to be more spread out, but it looks like the top two had a strong showing this time around."
"Ah! These guys are on another level!"
"Wait, Bakugo didn't even make the top three!? How is he third place!?"
"Woah Kazami, are you going to be the next number-one hero or something?"
"Calm down, would you? This isn't as big a deal as you think. It's not like you're going to be training with more than one in the end."
"Yeah…true."
"Alright, now that you've seen those results, it's time we get started on the rest of the day. This will be one of the most important parts of your entire hero career…"
He made sure to give a dramatic pause, where everyone's intense eyes and loud gulps waited in anticipation.
"Hero names."
"YEAH, SOMETHING COOL FOR ONCE!"
How are you all talking in unison!?