Chapter 10: The Sports Festival Begins!

Name: Luna

Quirk: Bast – She can assume the abilities of any cat, from regular housecats and lions to hybrids such as ligers and tigons. Her quirk is named after Bast, the Egyptian goddess of cats.

Appearance: Though usually taking on appearances of the cats' abilities, her usual look has been compared as eerily similar to a character of the anime RWBY known as Blake, however she has a tail, and they are complete opposites in terms of personality and choice of dress. She's 14.

Warning: Language and Adult Themes

The first week of training was incredibly hard for Luna. Hampered by her injures, Luna had to content herself with mediocre training. It was terribly frustrating for the girl, who wanted to be able to do so much more than she could at the moment. Luna wasn't able to do much for her upper body strength, just her legs. She had been warned in the hospital that if she tried to transform her shattered arm, it could result in Luna making it worse, so Luna refrained from doing so.

Still, it was an incredibly liberating feeling to run like she ran before. At first, Ichika was hesitant with the whole idea. Luna thought back to it as she tore through the streets, just paying enough attention to keep herself from crashing into any cars or pedestrians.

"Ichika?"

"Yes, Luna dear?"

"I was wondering if I could start my training for the sports festival." Aizawa entered the room then but stopped by to hear the conversation.

"Are you sure, Luna dear? I mean, isn't it a bit early for that?"

"For my arm? Most definitely. As much as I want to work with it, the doctors warned me it could regrow incorrectly; I'm not risking that. I was thinking of perhaps focusing more of my time on my legs; top speeds, time I can hold said speeds, time can hold my forms, that kind of thing."

"I … I don't know. I still think it's a bit too early. I know that I'll let you within two or three days, but now?" Ichika looked conflicted, and Luna's heart began to swell when she realized it was over Luna's wellbeing. The only time her father looked conflicted was when he was thinking of the extent of Luna's punishments, or whether or not he should have another beer.

"Please, Ichika? I don't want to fall behind the rest of the class. I promise I won't overdo it." Luna then presented Ichika with wide, soulful eyes. It was a relatively new discovery, but Luna found they worked to her advantage in these types of scenarios.

"Have you no shame?" asked Aizawa, and Luna merely intensified her gaze, making him shift uncomfortably. Not that Aizawa would admit it, but he found it hard not to give into those sad, big eyes.

"I'm not giving into the gaze, I'm not giving into the gaze, I'm not …" Ichika sighed, combing her fingers through her hair "Oh, who am I kidding? I can't resist those eyes. As long as you promise not to overdo it, and Azi agrees, I don't see a reason why you can't."

Luna turned her hopeful gaze to her homeroom teacher, who just shook his head "As long as you don't go overboard." Luna smiled, thanked the two profusely, and immediately set out to complete her first jog in what felt like forever.

It wasn't her best time, not by a longshot, but it was definitely one of her most satisfying. The Citizen Soldier music certainly didn't make it worse. Luna actually listened to a song called "Thank You for Hating Me" for the majority of the run on repeat, and by the end of her run, she actually loved it even more.

Ichika and Aizawa were a lot more willing for her to train when Luna ran into the house more energetic they had ever seen her, looking none the worse from her run. When Luna wasn't running, she usually trained in the backyard, a rarity in Japan. Aizawa usually watched over the girl secretly, always pretending to do something nearby in order to keep her in eye's view. Luna could tell, and she was extremely grateful for the attention.

After the first week, Luna's right hand was finally liberated from the cast, but was warned not to go too overboard with training. Luna didn't care; she was just happy that she could use it at all. She could finally begin to fully transform into her many different cat forms. At first, it was a bit difficult, as Luna had not been able to do so for a week, but she quickly got back into the swing of things. Cheetah, lioness, tigress, jaguar, leopard, what have you. Luna was ecstatic that she could finally assume their forms.

During her training, however, Luna discovered two things. First, she could finally transform her legs and arms into that of a liger. Though she was only able to hold it for a minute before collapsing and taking huge, gulping breaths of air, Luna felt victorious; finally, she could use the liger's form. The tigon's form wasn't too different, and Luna found she could actually hold it for around a minute and twenty seconds before giving out. This was her new trump card; the mountain lion form was great and all, but once an opponent got over the initial shock, they should be able to form some sort of strategy to deal with it. With the hybrid forms, however, her chances at victory would be even better; ligers, and to a lesser extent tigons, were known for their massive sizes and powerful builds. Despite their low chance at surviving in the wild due to the massive amount of food required to sustain themselves, they were probably the strongest cats in the present day. They were still heavily outclassed by the cave lions of the Ice Age, but still. They would be very useful.

Luna's second discovery was the fact that she could now freely transform into her massive black cat form. Though perhaps not as powerful as the hybrids, this cat was more agile and flexible. When Luna tried to search them up, she came up with frustratingly little. However, it was several days of research before she found a possible clue. In a recently discovered temple hidden in the dunes of Egypt, archaeologists discovered woven patterns and hieroglyphs of massive black felines. Though researchers thought that they were fake, Luna knew better.

So, Bast's chosen cat, huh? Interesting.

Yup. Aren't they adorable?

Bast's unexpected thoughts snapped Luna out of her thoughts and nearly caused her to fall out of her chair.

You were here the whole time?

Mhm.

And you didn't say anything why?

Well, what do you want me to say?

I don't know, some guidance or knowledge about my Quirk would be nice.

Your Quirk?

Fine, your Quirk.

Much better. Well then, what did you want to know?

Which is stronger; you're chosen cat, or a hybrid like the liger.

Mmm, in strength they're about equal, though large ligers should have a small advantage in terms of strength. My chosen kittens are a lot faster.

Figures. Okay, how do I train myself to hold your spirit inside of me?

Are you asking how to extend the amount of time you can host my spirit?

Yes.

The best way would be to allow me to take control, and slowly but surely, your allotted time should expand. Kind of like exercising a muscle.

As long as you don't cause an apocalypse.

Silly kitten, why would I ever do that?

Because you're bored?

How do you know me so well?

A girl has her ways.

You know I could just search your mind, right?

Go ahead.

Luna heard indistinct grumbling, and then silence.

So, you promise not to do anything destructive, embarrassing, or insane while you control my body?

Well, I can't guarantee it, but …

Okay then. Don't kill anyone or destroy anything.

You're no fun. Fine. I promise. Pinky promise!

You're a three-thousand-plus-year-old deity, and you sound like a six-year-old.

Well, I have to have fun somehow. That fun now comes from infuriating you.

Luna snorted, but left her room, announced that she was going off to train nearby, and left the house.

The last week before the sports festival was spent mostly on training. Sure, Luna did her schoolwork and other chores, but for the most part, Luna pent all her free time on training. Luna woke up early in the morning to train her human body, warming up before taking a regular jog. Then, she would come back to the Aizawa household to take a quick shower before going to the kitchen. Ichika usually waved her off, but Luna tried to help as she could.

The morning and noon were spent in school. Her classes went by fine, and Luna dutifully waited with her homeroom teacher until about four in the afternoon before returning home. She quickly finished her schoolwork and her training resumed.

Every day, Luna jogged with a different cat form. Her first was spent with her lioness form, her second with her tigress form, third her puma, fourth Bast's cat form, etc. Afterwards, she trained her new hybrid forms, trying to make them last as much as possible. Though Luna wanted more, she managed to stretch her time to about two and a half minutes before the festival. And that was with executing complex maneuvers and attacks.

Dinner would be prepared at that point, so Luna helped set up the table and ate with the Aizawa and Ichika. They would usually talk about their day, but Luna usually kept quiet. She answered their questions and spoke about her day when asked, but otherwise remained silent. She would help take the dirty dishes and cutlery, but then leave as soon as that was finished.

The time afterward was spent trying to extend her body's capability of housing Bast. True to the deity's promise, Bast didn't kill anyone or destroy anything, but still got into loads of mischief. She would usually run around the city, having as much "fun" as possible. The fun in question included swiping chicken sausages, chasing anything that caught her attention, and generally acting like a child. Luna didn't mind anything except for the thievery, but Bast didn't care. She was out and about after over one hundred years of being dormant within her descendants. Luna actually asked about that.

Bast?

Yes, kitten?

Who was the last person to actually host you?

That wouldn't be your direct great grandmother, if that's what you're wondering. No, she was a wonderful woman who lived in Europe, actually. Her name was Ada Lovelace.

Luna stopped her jog.

Why does that name sound so familiar?

Well, she was the daughter of that one English poet everyone went crazy for. What was his name? Lord Siren? No, that doesn't sound right. Lord Gyron? No, that sounds stupid.

Lord Byron? The world-renowned English poet who was said to go insane?

Yup! That's the name!

You're telling me I'm distantly related to THE Lord Byron?

Well, it's not that distant, interestingly enough. If I remember correctly, the closest ancestor the two of you shared was around five hundred or so years ago.

Luna processed the information with which she was presented.

That's pretty cool.

You think that being related to a dusty, insane poet is cool?

Well, I read some of his poems; I can at least understand them, and I think they're pretty good.

You're a weird girl, did you know that?

I figured as much.

The rest of the week was spent in a similar manner. Luna's schedule bothered her friends, as well as Aizawa and Ichika because of the fact that Luna did not allow herself to rest unless she slept, but they figured she would be back to normal after the sports festival.

And so, the day of the festival came. Luna didn't wake up early like usual, but woke up as late as she could, getting as much rest as she could squeeze in. Ichika prepared a special protein-themed breakfast, which Luna greatly appreciated. She had her backpack already packed and Luna savored the warm meal.

It was a shock to the girl when she realized that she wanted to call this place home. Here, people genuinely cared about her, and she loved both Aizawa and Ichika as if they were her real parents. Luna dreaded the day she would have to leave when her father returned. Now that she thought about it, he was gone for a suspiciously long amount of time, but Luna shrugged. After all, it meant that she got to spend more time with Aizawa and Ichika.

Fussing like a mother hen, Ichika barely let Luna and Aizawa not the car before triple checking all of Luna's belongings. The entire trip was spent with Ichika questioning Luna, and though Luna found it slightly annoying, she didn't say anything. She wasn't doing it to be annoying; on the contrary, the woman was worried for her.

"Aizawa-sensei? Ichika?" suddenly asked Luna

"Yes dear?" Ichika called over her shoulder, paying attention to the road.

"Well, since I wasn't able to go visit Yaomomo at her house the day of the USJ incident, I was wondering if I could go tomorrow? I need to ask permission from her and her parents, but I figured I should ask you two first."

"Sure. As long as Yaoyorozu's parents agree." Aizawa replied, and Luna pulled out her phone. Luna, Jiro, and Yaoyorozu actually had a group chat between the three of them, and Luna found herself willing to talk to the two.

Yaomomo? – Luna

Yes, Luna-chan? – Yaoyorozu

Would if be okay if we were to reschedule my visit to your house to tomorrow? Since I couldn't because of USJ and all … - Luna

Of course, Luna-chan! My parents are always willing! – Yaoyorozu

Will Jiro-chan be able to come? – Luna

You know it! What kind of question is that?! – Earjacks

Jiro was the only one of the three to have a nickname instead of her regular name in her contact, which Jiro found a bit boring.

Thank you. – Luna

No problem! – Yaoyorozu

With that taken care of, Luna let her guardians know. Ichika confirmed she would come for her at around 8 p.m., so that was nice and settled.

When the three arrived, U.A. looked like a fairground instead of a high school. Fireworks were continuously being set off in the sky, and the ground was crowded with people at the different booths. Luna lowered her ears. She understood the necessity for fireworks and that very few people would be negatively affected by them, but Luna still didn't like them. On Luna's way to the entrance, she passed Kamui Woods and Death Arms, to whom she waved. They nodded back and continued their patrol.

Luna finally arrived at the waiting room, where she was informed that she had to wear a regular gym uniform instead of her costumes. Though a little bummed, Luna shrugged good-naturedly.

"Man, I wanted to wear my costume." complained Ashido.

"To keep everything fair, we can't." explained Ojiro.

"I wonder what the first round's gonna be …" mused Sato.

"No matter what comes, we have no choice but to deal with it." stoically said Tokoyami, and Shoji nodded his agreement.

"There's three events, right?" asked Jiro, and Luna nodded.

"I would assume the first event would try to cut down on the number of students massively. It makes sense; something like a tug of war or race."

"In past years, I believe races were most common, although there were exceptions." Said Yaoyorozu.

Suddenly, Iida burst through the door. "Everyone, are you ready? We will be entering soon! Oh, sorry Luna-chan." Luna was leaning on the wall near the door, and once again, her right ear was right next to Iida. Luna gave him a wounded look and rubbed her ear, and Iida apologized profusely.

"Midoriya-san." Todoroki said, and Luna tore her gaze away from Iida to focus on the two boys.

"Todoroki-kun. What is it?" Midoriya asked.

"Looking at things objectively, I think I'm stronger than you."

"Huh? Y-Yeah …"

"But … All Might has an eye on you, does he not? I'm not trying to pry about that. But I'm going to beat you."

"Oh, is the best in the class making a declaration of war?" asked Kaminari.

"Hey, hey, hey! Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden? Not now, we're about to start!" Kirishima demanded.

"We're not here to play friends. So what does it matter?" Todoroki said and stalked away. Luna couldn't help but be a little hurt. Didn't he say before that he thought of Luna as a friend? Was that real? Or was that just a ploy to get into her head? Luna bristled and was about to give the boy a piece of her mind when Midoriya's determined gaze stopped her.

"Todoroki-kun, I don't know what you're thinking when you say that you'll beat me, but of course you're better than me. I think you're more capable than most people … Looking at it objectively …" And then everything clicked for Luna. Midoriya no longer needed her protection; he was now more than capable of standing up for himself.

"Midoriya-kun, you probably shouldn't talk so negatively …" Kirishima tried to say.

"Let him finish." Luna said, and most of the students turned to face her "He needs to do this." Luna's voice sounded strange, until she realized why; it was tinged with pride. She was proud of Midoriya because of his growth and progress since meeting All Might.

"But everyone – The students from the other courses are aiming for the top with everything they've got! I can't afford to fall behind. I'll be going for it with everything I have, too." Luna was about ready to tackle him in happiness but realized that would ruin everything Midoriya was trying to set up, so she only allowed herself a small smile.

Aww, look at that! That kitten is growing up so fast! You must be so proud!

Normally, Luna would have taken issue with that statement, but this time, she allowed it.

I'm extremely proud of him.

Iida then shepherded everyone out to the starting line. On the way there, she heard Present Mic begin to speak.

"Hey! Pay attention, audience! Swarm, mass media! This year's high school rodeo of adolescence that you all love, the U.A. Sports Festival, is about to begin! Everybody, are you ready?! It's time for the students to enter the first-year stage!"

And class 1-A stepped out into the arena. Luna was absently rubbing both of her ears.

Why does he have to be so loud?

I know, right? Even my head hurts, and I'm not even there!

"The U.A. Sports Festival! The huge battle where fledgling heroes sharpen their swords once a year! Anyways, these are the guys, right? The miraculous new stars who overcame enemy attacks with their hearts of steel! Hero Course, Class 1-A, right?!" The declaration was met with loud cheering, and Luna could already feel a headache pounding its way into her head. She would have to ask Yaoyorozu to create good noise-cancelling earbuds later.

Instantly, Midoriya began to stutter "Th-Th-There are so many people!"

"Will we be able to give our best performance being watched by so many people? This is also part of the training required to become a hero." Iida said.

"Man, he's going overboard with the praise! I'm getting nervous! Aren't you, Bakugo?" asked Kirishima.

"No, I'm just getting more into it." Bakugo replied.

Luna noticed other students beginning to emerge, and Present Mic filled them in "They haven't been getting as much airtime, but this class is also full of talent, Hero Course, Class 1-B!" They too were met with a loud cheer, and Luna definitely had a headache right now. This was why she hated physically going to sports festivals, or stadiums in general; they were way too loud for her.

"Next up, General Courses C, D, and E! Support classes F, G, and H are here too! And business courses I, J, and K! All of U.A.'s first years are here now!" Indeed, every first year students was now in the arena, and they all approached the platform, where the R-Rated Hero Midnight was standing.

"Time for the player pledge!" Immediately, most of the males in her class and the stadium began to drool and gaze at the heroine, while Luna scoffed. Damn hormonal teenagers.

"What is Midnight-sensei wearing?" asked Kirishima, blushing slightly.

"That's an R-Rated hero for you." Kaminari replied tersely.

"Is it okay for her to be in a high school even though she's R-Rated?" asked Tokoyami. Even he seemed slightly mesmerized by the raven-haired hero.

"Yes!" answered Mineta. The grape looked like he was about to wet himself in excitement, and Luna took a step away from his direction.

"Quiet everyone! Representing the students is Katsuki Bakugo from Class 1-A!" Midnight's voice rang out. The boy in question made his way to the stage, slightly slouched with his hands in the pockets of his pants.

"What? It's Kacchan?" asked Midoriya, incredulous.

"That guy did finish second in the entrance exam."

"In the hero course …" pointedly said a girl and glared at Midoriya, who gulped.

"But if ranking was the metric they used, how come Luna-chan didn't go up." asked Ashido.

"I refused." said Luna.

"HUH?!" exclaimed most of the class, and Luna winced.

A week ago:

Luna was sitting in her homeroom, listening to Aizawa talk about the week's schedule, but Luna wasn't really paying attention. She was sort of zoned out, thinking random thoughts.

"Oh yeah, Luna." Said Aizawa, and she looked at her homeroom teacher "See me after class."

"Yes, Aizawa-sensei." Luna replied.

When the homeroom ended, she approached Aizawa.

"You wanted to see me, Aizawa-sensei?"

"Yeah. As you know, the sports festival is around the corner, and it usually starts with a student representative reciting the player pledge. Since you came first in the entrance exam, you were chosen to do the pledge."

"Thank you for the opportunity, Aizawa-sensei, but I have to refuse the honor."

"Huh?"

"I don't like crowds. I'd be surprised if my ears weren't bleeding by the ten-minute mark."

"Stop being sarcastic."

"I'm not."

Aizawa paused, looking at her.

"You're serious?"

"Yes, Aizawa-sensei."

"Huh. Okay then. What will you do when you go pro?"

"I'll be an underground hero like you."

"It's hard."

"It would be even harder to deal with press. I had enough experience with them to last me a lifetime."

"You didn't even speak to them for five minutes."

"Your point, Aizawa-sensei?"

Aizawa snorted and shook his head.

Present Time:

Luna felt a liquid build up in her right ear and tilted her right ear downward. The class gaped at her as a thin stream of blood poured its way out of her ear and into the ground.

"Please stop yelling. Seriously." Luna said, and the class remained speechless.

"Luna-chan, is that normal?" asked Midoriya worriedly.

"Usually my other ear would start to bleed as well, but yes. You don't remember last year?"

Midoriya thought back, and though his memories were hazy, he did remember Luna leaving the class to go visit the school nurse a couple of times.

Bakugo cleared his throat, and everyone turned their eyes to him.

"I pledge … That I'll be number one." Instantly chaos erupted in the stadium, and soon Luna felt an all too familiar pressure build up in her left ear. She tilted it as well, and let the liquid pour out. Her right ear had stopped bleeding, but everything sounded slightly muffled in her right ear. Bakugo turned to look at his class with a smirk but frowned when he saw Luna causally letting the blood drain out of her ears. Luna didn't really notice.

"Why are you doing something so disgraceful?" reprimanded Iida, with his hand waving robotically.

"At least become a nice bouncy step for me to jump off of." was the reply.

"How overconfident can you get?! I'll crush you!" raged a student from Class 1-B. Bakugo paid him no heed, just walked back to his spot. He sent a glance at Luna, but Luna just shrugged. He nodded at the unspoken message and stared straight forward. Luna found it odd that he cared but accepted it. Perhaps he felt bad for before?

"Now, let's get started right away! The first game is what you'd call a qualifier! Every year, many drink their tears here! Now, here is the fateful first game!" Midnight brandished her whip to a hologram of a slot-machine thing, which revealed that the first event was the obstacle course.

Luna smiled a bit. Obstacle courses usually required their participants to be fast, wily, and agile. Though Luna didn't like to brag, she thought she should handle it just fine. Of course, this is U.A. she's talking about, so perhaps not.

"All 11 classes will participate in this race. The course will be the outer circumference of the stadium – about four kilometers! Our school's selling point is freedom! As long as you stay on the course, it doesn't matter what you do!" The crowd cheered, and her headache felt like someone was smacking her with a hammer over and over again. She really should've grabbed a few aspirin or something. "Now, take your places everyone!"

Luna lined up at the front of the crowd, with her tail twitching to and fro. She was excited; not because of prospective hero agencies, but because she wanted to see how she compared to the other students.

"Good luck. You'll need it." Said Luna, and she heard a murmur of thanks and reciprocated statements said. Soon, the buzzers began to sound, until after what felt like ages, the last one sounded, and Luna shot to the front of the pack, with the fastest students. Luna felt so free and carefree, with her tail and hair dancing in the wind. She glanced to her side and saw Iida next to her. She waved, and he looked at her confused before waving back. Technically, Luna could just turn fully into a cheetah and dash away, but she wanted to see what her competitors were like from the other classes. Surely, she would see some students from Class 1-B at least?

"Okay, here's the play-by-play!" Luna heard Present Mic shout "Are you ready to do the commentary, Mummy Man?" Luna almost snorted in amusement, but held it in.

"You're the one who forced me to come."

"Let's get started, Mummy Man. What should we pay attention to in the early stages?"

"This part right now."

'This part', as Aizawa put it, was a bottleneck, which would force the students to push and shove to force their way forward. Thankfully, she was ahead of almost everyone, so she was able to make it through without too much trouble. However, she heard many students begin to yell and struggle behind her. She heard a freezing sound quickly approach her, and her reflexes commanded her to leap, which she did.

Iida, unfortunately, was not so lucky. He managed to lift one foot, but his second was frozen. The momentum cracked the ice, but didn't free him completely, so he was forced to waste time trying to escape. She heard the cries of victory of her classmates, but she didn't stop running.

She did, however, stop when she realized there were six or seven zero-point faux villains from the entrance exam.

Do I have to fight them?

Doubt it. It's an obstacle course, remember?

Luna smirked. I actually get to go fast. Yay.

"Obstacles have shown up suddenly! Starting with the first barrier!" Present Mic exclaimed.

"Todoroki-kun?" asked Luna.

"Yes?"

"What are the chances I beat you?"

"Minimal."

"Well then, I suggest you get moving if you want those chances to remain!" And with that, a full-on cheetah transformation let her dash past the robots.

Luna heard a loud crackling behind her but realized that it stopped before it could reach her. Luna risked a glance back and saw Todoroki sprinting away from the falling robot.

"Luna and Todoroki from Class 1-A are the first to pass through! While Luna just ran by, Todoroki attacked and defended in one hit! How elegant! Amazing! They're the first ones through! It's, you know, practically unfair!" commentated Present Mic.

"They're actions are logical and strategic."

"As expected of someone who got first in the entrance exam and who got in through recommendations respectively! Todoroki never fought them before, but these Robo Infernos couldn't get past his elite moves! And Luna decided to avoid them, but she ripped one to shreds in the entrance exam, I believe!"

Luna sighed, transforming back into human form with cheetah legs. She really didn't like the fact that Present Mic was technically lying, but oh well. Luna felt strangely drained, and she didn't know why.

You could even say you're a little … fluffed.

I … I don't even get the joke. I'm pretty sure that speaks to how utterly terrible it was.

Oh, come on! That's just mean! You know what? I'll punish you!

How?

I'll take away most of your energy, so there!

You took it before the joke. Why?

Well, I wanted to give the other kittens a chance, ja know?

Luna took many a calming breath, trying to not get angry at the infantile-acting deity. Why couldn't she be Thoth's descendant? She'd even take Osiris, purely because he didn't just screw with his descendants!

You're actually starting to hurt my feelings.

Tell my why you want to give the others a chance?

Well, I'm bored.

I figured as much. Fine.

Luna decided to just break into a regular human run, conserving the energy that Bast oh so graciously left her.

She heard both Aizawa and Present Mic begin speaking of the fact that most of her class got through, so Luna decided to step on the accelerator. Todoroki didn't seem to be getting any closer, but he wasn't getting farther away either. Luna growled, annoyed.

Eheheh …

Luna soon arrived at the second obstacle. It looked like a bunch of platforms with ropes connecting them. Luna tested the one closest to her and realized it didn't budge. She transformed into one of her less used forms, the clouded leopard, and took off on one of the ropes, using the shortest route in her head. She heard freezing from a nearby rope and cursed herself for waiting so long.

"Hey, hey, the first barrier was a piece of cake, huh? Then what about the second?" Present Mic said as Luna dropped off onto the second platform of five. She was panting slightly but pushed forward, snarling. "If you fall, you're out! If you don't want to fall, then crawl! It's 'The Fall'!"

She heard some sort of wire being shot forward in the background and sprinted along the rope even faster. She had already reached the last one in her path, but now she was definitely feeling the burn. She panted as she ran but wasn't willing to give up her first place to Todoroki. With her highly advanced senses, she smelled the sweat pouring off his left side.

"A lot of different people are working hard for their chance, huh Eraser Head? And now, the leaders of the pack Luna and Todoroki cleared the second obstacle, and off they run! He managed to catch up to Luna though, so it's neck and neck!"

Luna fully transformed into her cheetah form and took off like a runaway rocket, trying to put as much distance between the two as possible. She managed to start gaining a lead, but not as much as she wanted.

The rest of my energy would be nice.

It would, wouldn't it?

Seriously. Give it back.

Well, if you say the magic word …

Luna grit her teeth. She thought something akin to a friendship had blossomed between Bast and herself, but it quickly seemed more parasitic than anything else.

Fine. Please.

Ok, you said it! But not yet.

What?!

I didn't say when, did I? I even managed to get a please out of you; I love festivals!

Luna swore if she ever stood face-to-face with the cat goddess, Luna would deck her as hard as possible.

"Damn it!" Luna heard behind her and hissed in annoyance when she realized that Bakugo basically caught up to her. She was still faster than him, so he wasn't catching up, but it began to tick Luna off. If Bast hadn't acted like a child, she would be much farther ahead than the two of them.

Luna paused when she reached a minefield. She wasn't being figurative, either. She literally stood in front of a minefield.

"And now, we've quickly arrived at the final barrier!" Luna didn't even wait for him to finish as she transformed into a caracal and began leaping in 5-meter increments, landing between the mines. Bakugo could just blast himself over it, and Todoroki could just create a bridge. Technically, Luna could jump around seven meters, but that would put her on a land mine as they were grouped closer the farther one went, so Luna decided to go with the safer option. "The reality here is … that it's a minefield! It's set up so you can tell where the mines are if you look carefully! So you have to exploit your eyes and legs, which Luna is doing just fine! By the way, these landmines are for games, so they're not very powerful, but they're loud and flashy enough to wet your pants!"

"That depends on the person." Said Aizawa, and if Luna didn't know better, he sounded like he was actually having fun. Something she could tease him about, Luna supposed. She heard Todoroki start doing something with his ice. Bakugo's blasts were not far behind.

"This doesn't affect me! Bastard, don't declare war on the wrong person!" she heard Bakugo exclaim.

"Now, Bakugo has taken second place, but Todoroki is in hot pursuit! Luna's first place doesn't look so safe now! Rejoice, mass media! It's the kind of development you guys love! Hey, hey, hey, the rest of the pack is also speeding up! However, as the two in second place push and pull at each other, can they retain their position?" Present Mic shouted excitedly.

Luna made it about four fifths of the way there, when she heard a large explosion go off behind her.

"There's a huge explosion in the back?! What's with the force?! Was it on accident, or was it on purpose?! Class A's Midoriya is in hot pursuit with that blast!"

Luna paused in bewilderment as she saw Midoriya blast past her. Their eyes locked for a moment, and then he was gone, clearing the minefield entirely and running into the tunnel.

"Actually, he's taken the lead!" Luna snarled and turned fully into cheetah; safety be damned. She sprinted past the landmines, running at her top speed. She could only run this fast for about 47 seconds or so thanks to her training in the two weeks up to the festival, and Luna dearly hoped she could beat Midoriya. Otherwise, she had a pending conversation with Bast.

Luna flew past the mines, which were catching up to her, but thankfully she made it into the tunnels before they caught her. Bakugo's blasts were close behind, and she heard Todoroki doing something with his ice. She heard Present Mic shrieking excitedly, but she zoned him pout.

What worried Luna, however, was the fact that Midoriya was almost at the finish line. She heard the crowd cheering him on and sprinted as fast as she could. She grew closer, closer, so close that she could shove him out of the way for victory. But in that split second, she knew she couldn't. He did everything fair and square, and Luna would look like a sore loser if she pulled him back. Luna knew it wasn't so much of a correct decision as a fellow competitor as it was the absolutely correct choice as a friend. So she didn't. She let him pass the finish line.

She promptly disengaged her legs, and tumbled to a stop, facing the sky on her back, chest heaving in an effort to get as much breath as possible. She closed her eyes to hide the shame and embarrassment. In that moment, everything disappeared. She saw herself laying on the ground pitifully.

It isn't Bast's fault, dumbass! Luna roared at the figure on the ground You should have won, regardless of the obstacle! What about your promise to yourself, huh?! Are you going to give up?! Poor baby couldn't get first place? Boohoo, cry me a damn river!

Luna stood up, brushing herself off. Midoriya stood, shocked that he got first while people started flooding into the stadium. Luna took several deep breaths before calming down, and she approached the platform, where Midnight was still waiting for her.

Bast was making herself scarce in her mind, and truthfully, Luna would have strangled her if Luna heard her. She wasn't sure how, but she was willing to learn.

"And now, they're finishing one after another! We'll make a list of the results later, but for now, good work!" Present Mic said.

After a brief pause, Midnight spoke "The first game of the first-year stage is over. Now, take a look at the results." It appeared as if those who passed were mostly Class 1-A or Class 1-B, but the kid from general studies with purple hair made it, as well as a girl with a ton of gadgets and accessories.

"The top 42 made it onto the next round. It's unfortunate, but don't worry if you didn't make it! We've prepared other chances for you to shine. The real competition begins next! The press cavalry'll be all over it! Give it your all!" Midnight brandished her whip to the slot machine hologram "Now then, here is the second game. I already know what it is, but what could it be? What could it be? I just said it, and now here it is …"

"A cavalry battle? I'm bad at those." asked Kaminari.

"It's not an individual event, so I wonder how it will work …" mused Tsu.

"Let me explain. The participants can form teams of two to four as they wish. It's basically the same as a regular cavalry battle, but one thing that's different is … based on the results of the last game, each person has been assigned a point value.

The students around Luna began to mutter, much to the annoyance of Midnight.

"You guys don't hold back even though I'm talking, huh?! Yes, that's right! And the points assigned go up by five starting at the bottom! So, 42nd place gets five points, and 41st place gets 10 points! And the point value assigned to first place is … ten million!"

Huh. I guess it's sort of a good thing I didn't get first.

WHAT'S THAT?! SCARED THAT YOU CAN'T TAKE THE CHALLENGE HEAD ON?! ARE YOU A WIMP OR SOMETHING?! Another part of her brain screamed at her. Luna shook it off, but it had the intended effect. Luna began to rub her shoulder in an effort to comfort herself, but like always, it didn't work.

Hello everyone, and welcome back! Sorry again about the late update, the Error 1 thing is still driving me crazy! Anyways, I don't have much to say; it's a longer chapter than the last one, which is nice. Also, if you haven't checked whether or not Citizen Soldier is a real thing, you should! They make amazing songs and are criminally under viewed! Fair warning, their songs do cover some sensitive topics, so be wary! Anyways, just wanted to thank all of you who read this! Stay safe out there – Bananaman out!

Oh, I wanted to mention the fact that I'll try my best to respond to reviews as I see them after my notes. Our first commentary response is thanks to Mirrorflower!

Mirrorflower: I'm glad you enjoy the story so far! Honestly am so happy to hear that. As for the cliché name, I can definitely see it. However, I did have a reason that will be explained later on in the story. Won't say anything else about it, except perhaps it'll happen when Todoroki and Luna are a bit closer. (I'll give you a hint; it's going to be around the beginning of the summer training camp arc, so a good bit away.) Thanks for reading! People like you are my primary drive!