Chapter 36

Kazuki froze where he stood past the finish line.

Not because he'd won, although that was a pretty shocking thing too. It wasn't that he didn't think he could make it, but more like… He'd expected to lose to someone else. He wasn't the strongest student in his class, or at least he didn't think so. Just like that, he might not even be stronger than some other class' strongest either. And yet…

It was him that stood in first place.

What shocked him wasn't that though, but it was related. The thing that had positively astonished him was the crowd. He could feel them, the wariness, the contempt, the anger, the fear and so many other emotions. Even with that…

The crowd cheered.

Were they cheering for the others? That had to be it, right? 'Yeah, that makes more sense,' Kazuki decided with a slight smile as he watched other students come and start pouring through. 'Still… It's nice that I didn't ruin this whole thing,' he mused, because it'd have been quite something if his presence completely ruined the event for everyone involved, especially the other participants.

Speaking of, there was a screen detailing how the placements were in this event. He was first – And wasn't it more than a little uncomfortable to see his face on the giant floating screen? –, then came Midoriya, Todoroki and Bakugo. After them there were two 1-B students. He'd worked with the vines-for-hair girl once, but the other guy was a bit of a surprise. Especially seeing him turn things liquid with a touch.

Iida and Tokoyami were seventh and eighth, which wasn't a great shock, really. Sero wasn't either, as ninth. All of them had pretty solid Quirks that helped them move through difficult zones quite fast. 'Hey there, good job, Tiny!' Kazuki thought to himself, grinning widely as he saw Mineta bounce through the goal with his Quirk, just like he'd practiced. 'Grape Bounce for the win, I guess,' he mused, very happy that his friend's hard work had paid off.

'Class 1-A pulling through though, nice,' Kazuki thought then, watching the placements as they were updated. Soon, the top 20 was filled with mostly 1-A students, with some 1-B ones thrown into the mix. Towards the top 40 things got even more mixed up, with a splatter of more students from their counterpart in the Hero Course. 'He made it, huh?' he noticed then, watching as the boy from the Gen Ed class that had visited them made it into the top 30, and comfortably so. Perhaps just as surprisingly, a Support Course student with gear equipped from head to toe, had managed to narrowly beat the second Gen Ed student to make it, Togeike.

"The forty two at the top have earned the right to advance!" Midnight announced then. 'Forty two pass, twenty from each heroic class and two free spots… Normally, at least. Not sure what that says about this though,' Kazuki mused. Things seemed to be marginally more fair now… With 1-A being short a student. Maybe fair wasn't the word at all, he supposed. "I'm sorry for the kids who failed, but take heart! The next year might be your turn to shine!"

Kazuki wondered about that. Was there an instance in which something like that had happened? This whole event was very heroics-inclined, after all. They were prepared for shit like this. What chance did the other courses have? As it was, the three that weren't from their course were basically on the last 25%. Two of them were in the last two places, even.

Still, never let it be said that Kazuki didn't appreciate people being given a chance. As it was, he was kind of proud to see Togeike make it into the top, even if she was last place. He'd seen her work for it. Not only had she trained with her Quirk, but she'd also trained physically, doing some sparring with him and against Imps. The winning place was what he wanted, but he'd be very happy to see the girl make it far, he had to admit.

"And now, after the preliminaries!" Midnight started, and Kazuki saw the small crowd of students stand a little straighter, a little taller. "The second event! What will it be?! Well, let me tell you!... Behold!" she exclaimed, pointing at the screen behind her.

'Cavalry Battle,' Kazuki saw and his mind started working instantly. 'That's a team event,' he noted the obvious instantly, which had him thinking who he'd prefer. His friend group was the obvious choice, but was that what he wanted? He could try and go for a more competitive team too, with people like Todoroki and Bakugo. They might not be the most approachable people, but they aimed to win and they were good…

'But is that what I want?' Kazuki wondered.

"You can form teams with two to four people freely," Midnight explained to them, examples being displayed on the screen as to some configurations of people that could be used. They were from previous Festivals, from what Kazuki could guess. He wouldn't know, since he didn't watch many of them and he hadn't been all that interested for most of his life. Some of them were… certainly imaginative though. "The same rules as a normal cavalry battle apply: swipe the enemy rider's headband and guard your own. Except for one thing, that is…"

As the woman spoke, Kazuki's mind worked. Did he want to try and keep things simple and work with his friends? Did he want to do his absolute best to win, so that he could further prove himself? What was it that he wanted out of the Sports Festival above all other things?

It wasn't to have a good time, much as he'd like that.

It wasn't even to win, even if it would be for the best.

"Everyone will receive points based on how they placed in the preliminary round," Midnight told them, a table with the points they'd be given slowly starting to show the numbers from the last. "Which means that the point value of a warhorse will change depending on who's in it. You might be seeing the trend here," she added, signaling at the slowly appearing numbers as they approached the top. "Five are added from the last place to the next and so on. With the exception of the first place, that is," she said, turning to look at Kazuki.

'Oh?' he thought curiously. Were they going to make things harder for him for placing first? That… could be interesting… or annoying, depending. He was pretty sure that had happened at least once in another Festival, so it wasn't a shock.

"After all, his head is worth ten million points!" Midnight said, drawing exclamations not only from the crowd but also from the students. 'Well, everyone and their mothers are gonna be gunning for me now,' Kazuki thought, gulping nervously. 'As if being first didn't already paint a target on my back.'

Suddenly, he had a lot more to worry about than what to do for this part of the Festival. Looking around, he saw some stares and more than a few side-glances. Yes, everyone had their sights on him, Kazuki would bet.

'I can do this,' he told himself. So what if everyone was gunning for him? Numbers were his thing anyway. Midnight was still explaining things, but Kazuki was only half-listening. The game was clear enough already. Now he just needed to come up with a plan on what to do… And decide how he even wanted to approach this event.

He had an idea though, one inspired by how he'd approached the starting speech. 'Can I make that work though?' he wondered, eyes scanning his surroundings. He wouldn't have many attempts, but if he could do it… 'No harm in trying…' he decided, already starting to work out the details of his rapidly forming plan.

"Alright! You have fifteen minutes until the start of the game!" Midnight told them and several of the students around shifted in place, some even vocally exclaiming their surprise. Kazuki didn't think fifteen minutes was too little though. They couldn't let the crowd wait forever, after all. "Start your negotiations!"

And start they did, or, at least, several of them did.

Kazuki was in that group, actually, or he would be in a bit. After all, he needed to do something really quick before getting started. So, he turned to look at Mineta and the rest.

"So… Do you guys mind if I go with some other people for my team?" he asked, drawing some wide eyes, some surprise and a little bit of hurt and betrayal. Not enough to be really concerning but enough to hurt back. "I'd love to be on a team with you, and I'd prefer it, honestly, but… I need to make statements today."

"So you have a plan?" Mineta asked, the first one to recover. Kazuki took heart in the fact that the other boy seemed to be fine, if surprised. "Well… I guess we can see about sticking together or trying to branch out too."

"... That's it?"

"Well, I'm not gonna cling to your leg and cry, I can tell you that," Mineta replied with a smirk. One that then turned to a soft smile. "I know this day is important for you, man. Do what you want, so that you won't regret anything."

"Thank you."

"I'll have you know, mister, that I take this personally," Hagakure accused, and judging by the extended arm, Kazuki was sure she was pointing at him accusingly. "So, I want an ice cream or two after this and I'm not paying a single one."

"That's a deal," he replied, giving the girl a grateful smile.

"Good luck, Endo," Yaoyorozu offered with a smile of her own.

"Do try not to be too far behind us, yeah, Mr. Ten Million?" Jiro challenged then to which he snorted.

So, after that, Kazuki found himself moving purposely towards one person in particular. It didn't take long for them to notice him and they were properly surprised when they realized what was going on. The move was not subtle, he'd admit that, but it didn't need to be.

This was his time to show everyone who he was and what he could do, and that wasn't only in regards to how he could play the games. Everything he did would be under scrutiny, so his every move had to be planned and with a purpose or he was better off not doing anything at all. The whole day would be important, no other way around it.

"Neito Monoma, right?" he asked, hoping against hope that he was remembering the name right.

"That's me, yeah," the blond replied, and Kazuki could feel the envy, the anger… but they weren't as strong as they had been the day they had met. On top of that, there was some confusion there, so that had to mean he had somewhat of a chance.

"Want to team up?" Kazuki asked directly, not wanting to beat around the bush. They didn't have the whole day. Besides, he needed to give the boy some time to think it over, since this was a big move on their part. It couldn't be good for his career, if he attached himself to Kazuki and things ended up going badly that day.

"Why me?" Monoma asked, eyes narrowed.

"Because I have a plan, and your Quirk would be really good for it, at least from what I know of it," Kazuki answered simply. "If you don't want to join, that's ok. So, just… think it over. Ok? I have some other people to talk to."

"Why me?" the boy repeated once he'd already turned and taken a few steps, making him pause. "After what I… almost did."

"Because you didn't know, so why would I hold that against you?" Kazuki asked, turning and giving the boy a confused expression. "I mean, I think your reasons were a bit stupid, but we are teenagers, being stupid is kind of our thing. Just… don't try that again, ever."

"Yeah. I guess I- I mean…" the boy stammered, clearly caught off guard by his response. Confusion was a lot more evident, paired with shame and a noticeable amount of anger. "I… What's your plan?" Monoma asked, visibly pulling himself together. "I'm in."

"Just like that?" Kazuki asked, this time being his turn to be surprised and confused. "You know this will impact your career, right?"

"I know, so… the plan?" Monoma insisted, this time much more confident in what he was saying. Kazuki grinned then. Well, that was one less worry for his plan, it seemed. A few words after that, the blonde was grinning just as widely as he did while leaving to do what he needed to.

'One done, two to g-'

"You sure do stand out," he heard someone say loudly from behind, making him turn. His eyes widened then, as he took in the sight of the girl before him. "Very interesting," she added, walking very decisively towards him until she was uncomfortably close. "Let's team up, Mr. First Place!" she told him then, and he blinked.

"I mean… I was going to ask you anyway, so that works?" he replied, leaning back a little. "You should know though, that I'm Kazuki Endo… And I caused the Black Rampage years ago," he told her then, deciding that there was no point in trying to sugarcoat that. Better that she have a good idea of what she was getting into. There was no point in trying to be discreet or anything, since everyone was going to know by the next day.

"Doesn't matter," she said, as if it truly didn't matter to her. It was almost like what he'd said didn't even register in her brain. "All the more eyes on my babies anyway," the girl said, rubbing hand over the support gear she was wearing.

"Right, so… You are Mei Hatsume, right?"

"Sure am, Mr. First Place. Anything you need of me, Fearless Leader?"

"Er, not really. I still need to pick up the last member of our team."

"Good, that way I can check everything and make sure they are perfect for the battle," the pink-haired girl told him enthusiastically, immediately sitting down and starting to do just like she said. Kazuki stood there for a long moment, blinking in befuddlement. Well, she was certainly interesting, if nothing else.

'And one less worry,' Kazuki thought, knowing that it was only one other person that he had to convince. 'Things are going really well,' he thought, looking towards his last prospective team member. With the harder ones out of the way though, Kazuki was feeling very confident… Which sent him all around back to being nervous because things never went too well for long, he knew.

"You look lonely," he pointed out as he approached the last person he needed to convince to join him for the event. She jumped a little from where she'd been, scanning the small crowd of participants but never really seeming to consider going to ask one. "Still free, right?"

"Not like anyone's going to ask the last place… especially from Gen Ed," Togeike said bitterly. Her emotions matched that tone, but there was a hopeful glint in her eyes that Kazuki could pick up even if it was in the blind spot of his Quirk. "Here to check on your training partner?"

"You know why I'm here, don't play dumb. It doesn't suit you, Togeike," he said with a grin. "I'm here to offer you a spot in my team."

"You sure you want the last place in that team, after getting first yourself?" she asked, insecurity bleeding out of her towards him. "There's bound to be more useful Quirks out there. There's no water in the field."

"I've got a plan. Are you coming or not?" he asked with a grin, feeling a little more sure of how things would go. Even if she didn't agree, he had three members for his team. Getting one more or just pulling through with the two would do. "You should know that I'm-"

"I know who you are," Togeike interrupted, making him stare at her for a long moment. Mostly because he couldn't pick up anything new from her after she said that. She was still feeling insecure, and bitter, but none of those had to do with him, he was sure. "Are you… Are you serious?" she asked then, her resting-bitch face bleeding off her face to show how nervous she felt.

"I'm sure. I want to win this and I want to make a statement… And I'll do both, or at least try as hard as I can. I can promise you that," he told her, doing his best to show her that he believed in what he said, 100%. "I have a team almost formed, I just need you in it. I have a strategy in mind for you and another member. The last one I have to check on, but I'm confident we can all shine here."

"And you think you can pull it off?"

"I think we can," he corrected without actually making it obvious. "So, tell me, how does trying to win an event at the U.A. Sports Festival with ten million points sound to you?" he asked, grinning widely as he extended his hand towards her.

"Like a dream," she said, still unsure, but a semblance of a smile on her face as she looked at his offered limb. Then she looked up at him and then at his hand again. After a few seconds of thought, she took it. "I hope I don't regret this."

"Well, we have to work with our team to make sure we do our best then," he told her with a nod. His team was formed then, with a good few minutes to spare too. 'One from each class, and the other heroics student isn't in my class,' Kazuki thought, pleased with himself.

He was hoping that'd prove something about him too. His Quirk's usefulness wasn't something that inspired many doubts. It was his control and his personality that people would have concerns about. The former would, hopefully, be shown throughout the whole event.

Thus, Kazuki wanted to show as good a face for himself as possible. He'd mostly left people alone during the first event, and even then, when he had to go against someone, it was because they went against him first. Now, he wanted to show that he didn't care where someone came from so long as they could do what needed to be done. That he could work with people that he didn't know as closely as those in his class.

'Maybe I'm thinking too much into this?' he mused, running his fingers through his hair. The Sports Festival had to go well though. Not great, but well. Even at that point he could feel the crowd's emotions all over the place. He didn't have an idea of how they were supposed to feel like in a regular Sports Festival, but Kazuki couldn't help but think that every single bad emotion around was because of him. It was unlikely, he knew, but he still felt that way.

"Say, Hatsume," Kazuki started when Togeike and him approached the girl, who was still tinkering. "This is Chikuchi Togeike, one of our teammates," he introduced, making the girl simply hum without looking up from what she was doing. "Togeike, this is Mei Hatsume. With that said though," he started, looking at the pieces of equipment that the girl was working on… maintaining? That was his guess, at least. "Could you tell us what all that is? It might be good for us to know what you can do.

"Sure can! I can talk about my babies all day!" Hatsume exclaimed, and then she launched into a quick introduction of every gadget she'd brought with her… Like she was doing a commercial for them, actually. It was kind of funny, honestly. Kazuki almost thought she might have been better in the Management Course.

Well, if it weren't because she seemed to really love her gadgets.

He guessed it made sense, in a way. Just like Hero Course students had to worry about their personal image and how the public viewed them, Support Course students had to worry about the same thing but for their gadgets. Probably more so, considering people cared a lot less about heroes' equipment than they did the heroes themselves.

'Ok so, Hydraulic Bracers to keep one away from attacks, Capture Gun that does as the name implies, Electromagnetic Soles to improve footwork, Wire Arrow that works grappling hook style, Hover Soles to float just off the floor, Auto Balancers to prevent the user from falling and a fucking Jet Pack of all things… That's all very useful but how can we use them the best?' Kazuki thought, his mind already going through the strategy he had in mind and how to add this bunch of gadgets to it.

"Ok, can the Auto Balancer help the rider stay, well, balanced?" he asked, making the Support Course student blink. "I know it's different from not falling but-"

"I can do that!" Hatsume exclaimed, looking positively ecstatic for some reason. "Give me a minute to adjust a thing here and something there and-"

"That's fine, take your time, we still have some," he reassured, looking at the timer. "I think the rider should have the Jet Pack too. Can be a good way of using it to get away, even if it'll suck for the two at the back."

"Which I'm guessing it's you and me?" Monoma came back at that moment, looking very pleased with himself. "I got the Quirk you wanted. And one extra, by the way," he informed, his smirk growing a little. "I see you got everyone then," he added, looking at the two girls and then at Kazuki. "Now, what's the plan and what's this about something sucking for you and me?"

"Togeike here will be our rider," Kazuki explained, making the Gen Ed girl look at him in surprise. "She'll be wearing a tweaked gadget to help her keep her balance better and a jetpack to get us out of problematic situations. Which means-"

"That if you and I are at the back, we'll be right under the thing," Monoma finished with a grimace. "But the formation makes sense. No reason for us not to be at the back, even more so with that thing."

"I can probably shield us with a half formed creature," Kazuki reassured, his mind trying to come up with things for the other gadgets too while also keeping everyone's Quirks in mind. "I'll probably do the same for the landing, actually. Hatsume – that's Mei Hatsume, by the way – will wear the Hover Boots for the landing too, I guess, and for any other situation they might come in handy."

"Sure will, Mr. First Place!" the girl exclaimed, grinning widely even as she continued tinkering. "And it's Hover Soles!" she added in a chiding manner.

"Right, sorry," he replied immediately. "Monoma can have the Electromagnetic Soles, after you explain to him how they work exactly, I guess… What's your Quirk, actually, I don't think you said," he remembered then, feeling like an idiot.

'Off to a great start with this leading thing, I see,' Kazuki thought, feeling a little overwhelmed. Leading his grimm was a lot easier than leading people. He knew those well, after all, but strangers, with different thoughts and all…

"Zoom, I can zoom in on whatever it's on my view, if I really push it, I can see up to five kilometers away," Hatsume detailed quickly and Kazuki nodded.

"Well, shouldn't need that much distance, but that'll be useful anyway. Keep an eye out for us then, yeah? In case you can see something we can't."

"Sure thing, Boss!"

"Boss?" he mumbled under his breath. "Anyway, what's that about an extra you mentioned, Monoma?"

"You said you wanted water right? I got something else on the way that might work too," the boy answered, grin still in place as he placed his hand on the ground and it started turning soft and into mud. 'Wait, yeah, there was that guy from his class, right?' "Does this work?"

"I don't know, does it?" Kazuki asked Togeike in turn, who looked at the sort of liquified earth. Was that actually mud or something else? How did that Quirk work?

Instead of answering, the girl frowned and extended her hand. The usual needles didn't appear, but they did seem to try and take shape, instead sending out an awkward mass of the liquid-like substance, which splashed against the ground a little further away. The girl seemed disappointed, but Kazuki simply took that in.

"You did get what I wanted you to, right?" he asked Monoma, who nodded.

"Yeah, I did."

"Ok, so we have your usual needles and the mud splash too, might not seem very useful but it could be, if used right, think on it," Kazuki commented, making the girl's expression turn thoughtful. "We have around two minutes," he mused, looking at the screen over Midnight. "I guess we can get to know each other and what we can do a little better in the meantime," he said then, taking a deep breath in.

'Things might just turn out okay,' he thought then, a slight smile forming on his face.

[} Chapter End {]

Hey guys! How's it going?

I can't believe it took me an entire chapter to write this. Feels like I took too much and too little at the same time, weirdly enough. By the way, I'm hating this events so far. There's too many moving pieces for me to keep track of. So, if it feels like I'm rushing a little, it's because I kind of am.

Not really, I'd say, but I'm kind of hyperfocusing on Kazuki, so it takes less time than it would if I tried to show everyone.

Hope you guys don't mind that and that you enjoyed the chapter.

As always, if you can't wait until next week for next chapter, or if you just feel like supporting my writing, there's up to three new chapters in my Pa tre on:

P a treon . com (slash) AdrianKing

Discord Link: discord .gg/UTDransjJZ

Random Question: What do you think about the team?

See you.