The Braveheart's Soul : Gohan's Journey

by Majin Gaetan23

Son Gohan life takes an unexpected turn where he is forcibly teleported to a new universe. Injured and lost, Gohan has to face new challenges and overcome his past, Gohan's journey intertwines bravery and heroism as he adapts to this new world, forging friendships and facings new foes. Translation of 'L'âme d'un héro' my french fanfic. Next chapter may 2

13. The UA Sports Festival

Review answers :

X3Runner : Hello! Thank you for reading. To answer you frankly, Gohan has trained in his Super Saiyan 2 form and has gained some control over it, perhaps not to the level of Vegeta, for example. The logical path would indeed be to aim for Super Saiyan 3, but perhaps Gohan will achieve a new form in the not too distant future. Of course, Mystic Gohan is off the table, so that leaves only one other transformation possible. I'll let you guess...

Thompsona : Yes, indeed it was time !

Super98 : Hello, thank for reading, hope you'll like this chapter too !

Civen434: Hello! No, Gohan doesn't have his hairstyle from the Buu arc; he is wearing Goku's hairstyle as a tribute. Regarding the Mystic Gohan form, it's complicated to achieve, even impossible, so he'll need to unlock a new transformation differently, as I mentioned in another response. The thing is, would a new transformation be that crucial to obtain in the near future? What are the threats looming over him? You will see them only after the festival arc.

Onetime : Gohan isn't amnesiac; he's partially playing that role to find a solution. It's a particularly useful narrative tool, albeit a bit cliché, I concede, but in the end, he revealed his past to his close ones. If you find the story far-fetched, which I can understand, I'd respond that it's necessary not to overthink it and enjoy the story for what it is: entertainment. I acknowledge that the story has its flaws, and I'm here translating chapters written several years ago. With the experience I have now, I would do things differently, but I still think it's a pretty good fic.

Some1call4MR-E : Yes indeed, I concede that them flying off like that is a bit strange; it surprised me too when I re-read this chapter for translation. However, we can find clear justifications for this issue. Perhaps there are licenses for people capable of flying? As for them not getting caught while doing something technically illegal... let's say there are no machines capable of detecting life forms miles up in the air, or if such machines exist, would they be able to distinguish these heat forms as human rather than birds? Yes, I agree, it's a bit exaggerated if you think about it more seriously. Let's just say this time, they're lucky. Regarding the restrictions of powers in this fic, yes, it's important and rather authoritarian, which is actually a point discussed in this chapter, and the starting point for a subplot in the next arc (the internships), where the workings of society will be addressed in a deeper way.

Guest : Hello and thank you for your detailed critique. There are certainly things to discuss, and unfortunately, I don't have all the answers. Indeed, regarding the development of relationships between characters, I think an extra chapter or two before the time jump would have been a good idea, but I didn't have the necessary perspective to do it at the time. Mirio and Tamaki have known Gohan for four years, and Gohan has known Nejire for two years; it was Mirio who introduced her to him. Personally, I don't perceive their romantic relationship as superficial; there is background between the characters that is written, yes Nejire is a beautiful young woman, but that is not the reason why Gohan loves her, that's not his character, we agree. No, he appreciates her for her personality and curiosity, her advice like for his hero costume, for example. If you felt it this way, it means I failed to describe well what I wanted to do. It's likely. I don't like romances, and I got carried away by friends and readers who wanted one, so I wrote it while knowing I wasn't brilliant at it. Looking back, I find it's not that bad... it could be better, that's certain, it's at most average, but I don't think the relationship is superficial. Regarding Miruko who spied on Gohan during his vigilante activities, Gohan precisely says that he felt her watching him from a distance, he is just convinced that she couldn't see him, which is technically true, she never saw him other than as a blurred and too fast figure. As for the geopolitical aspect of this world, it will be slightly addressed in this chapter, and it will take importance in the next arc. Yes, Gohan is known abroad, foreign countries are well aware that there is a Japanese who comes to train with them, but they may not act for reasons that the readers do not know. It's the same for the hero commission, maybe they know that the vigilante = Gohan... maybe not. Maybe they plan to use him or convince him to serve Japan as an agent. This will be addressed later in the story. But yes, there are many things that are not addressed in the story, either because I hadn't thought of them, or because I didn't have an answer and I preferred to continue writing. I would certainly be unable to think of everything and even less to find a valid answer to every problem or inconsistency. There are indeed things to correct in the future, I agree with you. If you ever have criticisms to make, do not hesitate.

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Chapter 13: The UA Sports Festival

"Hey, that's Miruko!" exclaimed a civilian among the crowd that had come to witness the most renowned festival in the country, perhaps even in Asia as a whole.

"Incredible, this Class 1-A must be really extraordinary if they've attracted almost all the top 10 heroes... even Miruko, I think it's the first time she's come!" another man quickly replied, excitement evident in his voice.

The mentioned heroine was seated a bit higher up, in the VIP section, reserved for high-ranking heroes and members of the superhero faculty. Just hearing their tiresome comments was a real ordeal... why had she listened to Naomasa, again?

Ah yes, of course, the White Lightning was so interesting to her, finally someone with potential, worthy of her brief attention. Maybe he would be one of the few to offer her a challenge, but here she was playing detective apprentice with the inspector...

The trail of the White Lightning led straight to Son Gohan, the adopted son of Shota Aizawa, and incidentally, one of the most powerful aspiring heroes in the world. Powerful enough to defeat a Class S villain. According to witnesses of the battle, Cell was powerful enough to destroy the entire country if Gohan had not been present... even All Might would have been powerless.

It was barely believable, even for her, All Might was considered the strongest among them, the superhero society... that he was surpassed by a young man, was not just surprising, it was, according to Naomasa, as much a blessing as a potential curse.

The man had said nothing else, declaring that he would explain later, only to end up not disclosing anything for several weeks. What a bore! She had been tracking the White Lightning for a while now, and the inspector seemed to be hiding possible leads...

When correlating the scarce data available on Son Gohan and the White Lightning, a peculiar picture was painted... same unique and overwhelming power, the date when Gohan arrived in Tokyo coincided exactly with when the White Lightning began his nocturnal patrols...

One didn't need to be a genius to start asking serious questions. All Miruko wanted was that if Gohan turned out to indeed be their famous vigilante, she could take him on as an intern and learn more. She could finally find a training partner worthy of her stature! The opportunity was too good, especially since it would allow her to monitor, or train, one of the greatest hopes of their generation.

She didn't like working in teams, nor taking interns, but for once, she would make an exception to this unwritten rule, for the sake of the investigation.

The young woman grabbed her drink next to her seat and took a sip, the sun was coming back, damn how she was tired of winter...

As she patiently awaited for the damn festival to finally start, a man dressed in a simple black shirt sat down next to her, in complete silence. She quickly greeted him with a nod of the head, and the man took off his hat, placing it beside him.

"The weather's nice today, perfect for an event like this, isn't it?"

"I just hope I'm not wasting my time, you know. He'd better be the White Lightning," said Miruko with a smirk, unable to stand being inactive for even ten minutes.

"Come on, the festival is about to start in a few minutes, let's go over this before it begins. Even though we have significant clues, we must remain cautious; we are treading on thin ice... that's why I'm counting on you, Miruko. Son Gohan, 15 years old, turning 16 next month, Quirk: Energy. He can manipulate energy to perform various actions, such as flying, shooting spheres that explode on impact, protecting himself from impacts, and drastically increasing his physical strength... and we've only scratched the surface of his known capabilities. There are likely gaps, especially if he continues to develop his abilities. The detail that interests us most is that his energy is white like that of our vigilante, and they display troubling similarities."

"You're repeating yourself, no need to summarize, I already read your email last night. Either way, we'll know soon enough."

With those words, the detective merely nodded briefly before going to get some food and drink. The freshman festival usually lasted a good hour and a half, maybe two if the final tournament was contested. He needed to stay focused, especially after what All Might had confided to him about his young student.

"He's certainly stronger than me... even in my youth, I think I would have struggled to sustain a full-power fight against him. In my current state, I could barely defeat that 'nomu'... let alone face Cell. Young Midoriya has immense potential, but he's up against a formidable competitor for the number one spot."

These were the words spoken by the current number one to his best friend when they met just after the USJ battle. A week before the festival, the detective had asked to meet his best friend at a bar to discuss things calmly.

"Toshinori, I need to talk to you about something important," he announced seriously, ordering a drink for himself and his friend while sitting at the back of the bar.

"I'm listening, but is it related to your investigation on Shigaraki and the League?"

"No, I don't think so. You know, that vigilante you didn't want to chase, the White Lightning..."

"Oh, he's still active, by the way. What a shame he's not a professional, he could do so much more within the confines of the law. Do you have any information on him?"

The waitress arrived with two glasses of premium Whisky, and the detective quickly tasted his. All Might indulged as well, though he knew he would regret it because of his injuries.

"Yes," he said solemnly. "I think it's one of your students, the famous Son Gohan, the one who defeated Cell. When I questioned the boy, I noticed certain things that allowed me to deepen my investigation. It turns out that Gohan moved in on the same day as the first appearance of the White Lightning, and their powers, besides sharing similarities, both leave a white trail due to the speed at which they move."

All Might looked at Naomasa with apprehension, then sighed. "Honestly, I had the same thought. But do you really think it's a good idea to chase the boy? He saves lives, and he's training to become a hero. Revealing him to the world now and preventing him from becoming a hero, wouldn't that be a bad thing?"

Tsukauchi took another sip and put down his glass. "I don't plan to denounce him to the commission or the media, you can be sure of that, Toshi. No, I've asked Miruko to take him as an intern if it turns out to be him. I really want you to signal him to go there, rather than choosing another offer, which he probably has a better one."

Yagi finished his drink with a groan. "Honestly, my friend, what will we do once you are sure and certain? It would be better for him to continue his training at UA, not to be under the thumb of the commission. They would surely make him their ultimate tool..."

Tsukauchi grimaced at the mention of the higher authority, because despite their good intentions, they had paved their paths with countless victims, sometimes innocent, in the pursuit of a common good. This was especially true regarding political opponents, even if they remained within legal boundaries, some were found dead overnight. Suicide by being shot in the back... if he allowed himself a touch of dark humor.

"We want to gain his trust and help him prepare for the future of the heroic society. Midoriya is going to need a friend, a trustworthy right-hand man to help maintain peace, especially now that we know who might be coming back."

All Might smiled and ordered another drink. "I'm glad you see it that way, my friend. I was afraid you might want to steer him towards them because of... well, you know."

"Son Gohan needs to become a hero, not an agent of the commission and the government. After conducting so much research on the White Lightning, and if they do turn out to be the same person, which I am 99% sure of, then we must do everything we can to ensure he can become a great hero. Directing him towards them... I don't think that's a good idea, so for once, I'm going to overlook the legality of his actions and help you ensure he graduates from UA."

The waitress arrived a few minutes later with a new drink, casting a glance at the two strange characters discussing in the back of the bar. She placed the glass down and left, intrigued by the background conversation.

"Perfect," Toshinori exhaled, after another sip. "God, it feels good to have a drink after so long without being able to. I'll talk to young Son personally when he receives the request, I trust you, Tsukauchi."

The two men finished their drinks, shook hands, and said goodbye until the next meeting concerning the League of Villains.

"Hey, Naomasa! It's finally starting. You took your time getting popcorn and a coke," Miruko called out, snatching a handful of popcorn, which the detective did not mind.

"Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts. It happens sometimes, especially now that we're finally at the festival," he replied with a sigh, before finally sitting down.

"And here are our young hero seeds about to sprout! Give them all a thunderous applause, they're going to need your support!" exclaimed Present Mic, the tournament announcer, before shouting loudly at Aizawa to wake up. "There are many of you here today, for this edition that promises a lot!"

Thus, all the classes exited one by one from their respective waiting rooms, heading towards the center of the gigantic Olympic stadium...

---

From Class 1-A's perspective, a few minutes earlier:

The pressure was suffocating, stifling, and overwhelming, as Midoriya calmly headed towards the water dispenser. He was desperately thirsty. The stakes were starting to weigh him down, despite his efforts and the intensified training, he still hadn't managed to master his power. Or at least, to maintain its strength at a manageable level for his body.

Each time he activated One For All, he could only channel it into a specific limb; trying to activate it in several limbs at once had left him face down on his bedroom floor. Fortunately, he hadn't broken anything... yet, he could not reduce his power below 100%.

All Might and his family expected so much from him, that he would finally progress, that he'd be ready to face threats as imposing as the League once he graduated. He had been ready to face this challenge since the first day of his training, no, since his birth. He had always wanted to be a hero, but as he felt himself sinking to the bottom of the lake, he wondered if he would learn to swim in time.

Before Gohan became the number one. A few days before the festival, All Might had told him that there might be several symbols of peace, and that he had to continue his training, to be a worthy protector of the people. How could the greatest hero in the world continue to think that he, a scrawny boy struggling to use his power without breaking every limb, could match a fighter as capable as Gohan?

Izuku appreciated his friendship with his classmate, and he was grateful for the precious advice his new friend gave during classes... but he couldn't help feeling a knot in his stomach when he saw him. This feeling was unknown to him until then, not just the fear of failure, nor the shame of not being skilled enough... no, he had to recognize that he was jealous of his friend's talent.

He felt guilty for feeling such a thing towards the man who had saved them all, but if he was the next symbol of peace, then what would Deku be as a hero?

The festival represented a rare opportunity to prove his worth, to prove to himself as well, that he deserved the trust of his idol and mentor and that he might finally prove worthy of the power dormant within him.

Drinking the glass of water, which seemed to taste acidic, he leaned against the wall, rubbing his hands against his face. Time was ticking, in a few minutes, he would reveal himself to the world...

It was precisely at this moment that Todoroki approached him, his eyes carrying a rather curious expression. He wasn't smiling, of course, but one could see on his face that a certain pressure was being exerted on him.

The son of Enji Todoroki, alias Endeavor, was also in a phase of doubt. Since his earliest childhood, he had hated his father for destroying his family and driving his mother mad. He had sworn never to honor this awful man, to never make him proud, to reject his deadly flames.

Yet... yet, he could not deny the truth! Gohan was stronger than him, so much so that his mere presence had knocked him to the ground, along with the rest of the class. However, he was not the only one showing promise, demonstrating that he could vie for the title of future number one. Bakugo, or even Yaoyorozu, possessed significant talents.

But the most incredible, the most inconceivable, bore the name Midoriya, All Might's favorite, the greatest of heroes, the man who had always humiliated his father by his mere existence. The green-haired boy was relatively slight despite his lean muscle, and he always exuded a sense of weakness, doubt, and shyness that did not align with All Might's interest in him.

Who was he really, his son, a longtime student? He did not know, but if there was a connection with All Might, then he felt the need to confront him, not for his father, but for himself.

"Midoriya," he said, his voice cold, but his eyes blazing with a thousand incandescent flames.

"Yes, Todoroki?" replied the other aspiring hero, not knowing what the ice wall in front of him wanted, he who never spoke or showed his emotions.

"I am stronger than you. I will win this festival and defeat you."

The declaration cast a chill over the room, most of the students taking an interest in this unexpected exchange. In truth, Bakugo was seething more than usual, his burgeoning doubts resurfacing as Todoroki challenged Deku the useless, rather than him. Even if Gohan was strong, perhaps stronger than him, even if it was impossible, he would regain his nobility during this tournament.

He would make this iceman regret not having addressed those few words to his royal self.

Gohan, meanwhile, was calmly seated in his chair, an orange juice in hand—an orange juice that Iida had very kindly recommended, by the way. The Saiyan was, until the silence drew him out of his torpor, deeply absorbed in his thoughts.

Since his return to Japan, he had spent a lot of time with Nejire, training, laughing, eating, and simply preparing for the upcoming festival. He had intensified his daily training, to be worthy of her. That was why he was participating in this festival.

Before his training with her in Siberia, he had doubts about participating, thinking he would outclass everyone, and thus, cancel the hopes of internships for the majority of his classmates.

But Nejire had said to him, "You know Gohan, you will always be the strongest. If you don't participate in the festival, then you won't be able to prove yourself worthy of respect, because you would have humiliated them. What will you tell them, that you don't want to participate because they might fall through the cracks? I know you mean well, you always do, and that's why you're so wonderful. But… you should show the world the hero you are, the progress you have made to protect all these people. I know people will love you, just like I do, because they will see that you will be there for them, to protect them like at the USJ, even if they don't know what you did."

She was right, she was always right, even when she had told him he would look cool wearing glasses. Although Mirio did not seem to agree. Since their time together, she had allowed him to accept a good part of his past and face his fears. For her, he felt ready to brave even the most terrible of trials, and because he had promised to be there for her, as well as for the people who needed protection, he would show himself to the world.

He would honor his classmates; he would compete for the final victory. He would prove himself worthy of his lineage, to be the son of the greatest warrior and hero who had ever lived, Son Goku. His father was deceased, but he survived him, guiding him every day towards a better future, where he would take over as Earth's protector. This planet was not where he was born, that was a fact, but what was clear and distinct for him was that this world had adopted him.

He then stood up, and looked Izuku straight in the eyes. He could feel his nervousness, his ki oozed with doubt tinted with abrasive determination, one that Gohan respected more than anything, one he loved to see in his friend.

He then gave him a brief nod, silently encouraging him to give it his all and prove his worth, before finally opening the door. "Here we are, the festival is about to begin."

On these words, the group of teenagers exited the room, their dreams and hopes at the end of the tunnel leading to the prestigious stadium.

"And here they are all gathered! Look at these young people, all ready to compete and show you what they are made of! Look, ladies and gentlemen superheroes, look closely, because you are about to witness the birth of one of the most promising generations to have attended UA!"

"Hey, does Mic say this kind of thing at every festival?" whispered Miruko, annoyed that the presenter was hyping it up so much.

Tsukauchi seemed curious. "No, he sometimes just makes entertaining remarks when he finds the students not good enough. My quirk confirms that he really means what he says."

Rumi then let out a slight chuckle. Well, we'll have a bit of a show."

"Now that they are all here, give a thunderous applause to your favorite fetish presenter!" Yamada then shouted, making Shota wince, wondering seriously if he had just made such an inappropriate pun on national television.

In the middle of the stadium stood the said heroine in tight clothing, whom all the men looked at with... well, let's say with certain enthusiasm. She gave a speech once too long while making movements with her whip.

Rumi found her unbearable; she might be a woman recognized for her talent, but she played so much on her physical appearance and her 'sexual deviations' that she portrayed a rather unflattering image of female heroes.

Miruko had spent years climbing the ranks from the bottom up, refusing all the obscene propositions to help her rise in popularity, whether it be changing her costume, starring in ads or romantic films for lovesick teenagers. No, she did not need that sort of thing to prove her talent, she would never stoop to it, despite the discreet flaws of their heroic society.

Why were there so few women in the top 20 heroes? Because most couldn't defeat the money-hungry producers. Only those who could push back, through their hard work, all those opportunists eager to create a fantasy among the crowd.

The hero profession was neither for the weak nor for starlets, whether male or female, she did not appreciate them. What she respected were the warriors who put their lives on the line to save and defeat the real villains... not the insignificant small-time crooks that even a civilian could handle.

This kind of marketing hero disgusted her, the worst being that Midnight was competent but she stooped to such things to scrape up attention and popularity.

"Look Miruko!" called the inspector, snapping her out of her reverie. "Son Gohan is getting on stage, probably for the student representative's speech."

For once a speech could prove interesting, she pricked up her bunny ears.

Gohan stepped onto the stage and took the microphone handed to him by his teacher. He had to suppress the onset of nervousness as he brought it to his mouth, aware that his words would mark the beginning of his notoriety as a young hero to the public.

"Hello everyone, thank you for giving me your time. I would like to start by saying that the festival is a unique opportunity for each of us to prove our worth, and to show you that we deserve to protect you. Despite what happened at the USJ, our determination has only been strengthened. Personally, here and now, I promise all of you that I will give everything I have to win this tournament and show you why I will be the next number one hero," he said with such charisma that the audience was silent throughout the entire speech, drinking in his words and feeding on them to heighten the tension even further.

After a brief silence, the crowd then roared, thrilled at the prospect of an even more grandiose spectacle, and perhaps witnessing the rise of a great hero. The other students had mixed feelings; they generally shared the representative's viewpoint, but the fact that he dared to announce his ambitious goal of being number one... most of them were unaware of what he was truly capable of.

Rumors circulated that he had participated alongside All Might himself in the epic battle that had shaken the city and the academy. The problem was that the quality UA students didn't care much for rumors and hearsay; they wanted proof of what their representative claimed. If he wanted the top spot, he would face many determined competitors.

While some 1-B students grumbled about his supposed arrogance, Gohan's own classmates were largely unanimous on the matter. He would keep his promise. Even the big egos knew a huge challenge awaited them, but they would never give up over something so trivial.

In the stands, Miruko had a big smile, and for good reason—the kid was not only powerful but also courageous and determined to improve, not resting on his laurels... the hallmark of those who had carved their names into the pantheon of heroes. It remained to be seen if he would prove worthy of his words.

"He's determined to become the next number one, I respect that," she said, as the students took their places and Midnight spun the infamous random draw wheel. In reality, as one might suspect, the event was already planned and prepared.

"Wow, what a surprise! We're starting the festival with an obstacle race, even more challenging than in previous editions where this event was drawn... I can't wait. Tell me, Shota, who has the best chances of qualifying for the next rounds?"

Aizawa paused briefly, trying not to show favoritism, though he was aware of the strengths and weaknesses of his own students. "I'd say that the students in the hero course are naturally advantaged, especially with the recent events. They have superior physical training, but if they fail to take this race seriously, then students from other courses might surpass them."

"The determination of the challenger! Perhaps we'll see a great story, from a student in the general course wanting to stand out and join the hero course. Look, the students are now in place at the starting line..."

Indeed, the students all stood at the line, some already starting to push to gain as many inches as possible. However, Rumi quickly noticed that those at the front were almost all students not from class A or B. Tsukauchi helped her sort it out.

Todoroki, Bakugo, and a few other students were at the very front, ready to get as far ahead as possible from the others right from the start. However, Gohan's positioning was quite original; he stood as far away as possible.

"Why is he staying there? It would be in his interest to start as close as possible to the line," rightly raised the police inspector, as he took notes in his notebook.

Miruko snorted and mockingly laughed. "That's because you're not a fighter. He wants to let them knock each other out and ensure he acts at the right moment and conserves his stamina. It's an obstacle race, not a speed race, but well, with his power, no matter what UA puts in front of him, he's bound to come out on top."

Her colleague's reasoning made sense, so the inspector nodded. He should have thought it through before asking the question. Before the start was given, he sent a silent thought to his friend who was watching the festival, hoping he would gain as much as possible for Midoriya's training.

"Alright, here we go! I'll start the countdown: 1... 2... 3, on your marks, get set, go!"

On these words, the crowd of participants surged forward towards the large tunnel about thirty meters past the start line. Todoroki glanced over, reluctant to use his power so soon, and created a large ice wall, blocking the path for many seconds. Well, it might have held for more than two seconds if Bakugo hadn't demolished his barrier with his explosions before flying off, propelled by his power.

The rest of the students continued their race, Yaoyorozu created an ultra-light bike to gain ground, Kirishima and his alter ego from class 1-B carved a path through with their imposing stature. The one who stood out from the crowd, and matched the pace of the leaders to general surprise, was Sero Hanta, who used his power as a grappling hook, flying over his opponents and staying just seconds behind the leading duo.

"Well, that's a strong start! There's a bunch stuck at the tunnel entrance, too eager and they end up bumping into each other! Todoroki has widened the gap with the others and he'll be the first to face obstacle number one! Bakugo is close behind!"

"Ah, Mic forgets the most important thing. Why run when you can fly?" sighed Miruko as she pointed to a figure in the sky.

"Brilliant, he doesn't waste time with the superfluous, and he heads straight for the finish line. He behaves like a professional, not wasting time with what's unnecessary."

Of course, Gohan was leading the race, flying a good ten meters above his competitors, taking in information about what awaited the others, but also what he would have to do to avoid them. He briefly considered running a fair race with the others, but he had to take advantage of his abilities and show the people that he was the best on the field.

With a single shout, a white aura illuminated in the sky, drawing the attention of all, spectator and participant alike, as he flew at an astonishing speed toward the finish line. There was a deafening noise echoing in the air, causing some to stop in astonishment at such power.

Todoroki grimaced and accelerated his run, barely reaching the first obstacle. However, what stopped him in his tracks was the shrill voice of his English teacher.

"Absolutely exceptional! Son Gohan has just crossed the finish line in exactly twelve seconds! That's the absolute record for the obstacle course since the university's inception, but we expected no less from him, right Shota?"

"He's grown well, which I'm pleased to see. He only glanced back once but charged toward the finish line immediately while keeping his power to a reasonable degree. He could have gone faster, risking causing major hearing damage to other participants."

This simple remark left the crowd in stunned silence, the idea that a teenager could fly so fast. The power of his acceleration was such that they heard the sonic 'boom' from the stadium! A few shocked murmurs rose among the stands reserved for professional heroes, the last one who had created such a gap between his competitors bore the illustrious name of All Might...

Rumi was not particularly surprised by Gohan's victory over his competitors, beyond the brief pain the 'boom' had caused to her sensitive rabbit ears, it was something else that had caught her attention.

Naomasa stood up from his seat, a certain joy on his face, pointing at the long trail of white energy that Gohan had left in his wake. "We have our proof! Gohan is indeed the White Flash, there's no doubt left about it!"

Miruko chuckled, a thin smile on her lips, also satisfied to 'discover' the identity of the vigilante. "It's not like we've been suspecting it for weeks, right?"

Tsukauchi sat back down, noticeably calmer. "Yes, yes you're right. But I'm glad to have the proof. Well, it's more of a confirmation than real proof, I suppose, but it's enough for us to be sure and certain. You'll send him an internship request by tomorrow, won't you?"

The woman sighed at her colleague's enthusiasm. "Yeah, I'll do it when I get back to the agency tonight after work."

"Good. Now, let's see how the other students from his class are doing."

In the race, Shoto stopped in front of the mountain of robots before him, analyzing what he could do. Miruko raised an eyebrow at the mountain of robots facing the students. Had UA still not made any changes to these machines? She had taken the entrance exam about a decade ago, yet it seemed to her that things were identical to those she had to fight when she was younger.

Tsukauchi seemed no more surprised than she was, and they were about to witness the show of strength that was to follow. Todoroki froze the machines with a wave of his hand, leaving behind scraps of metal in precarious positions. It was truly impressive for a kid his age.

"Is that Endeavor's son?" she asked with curiosity. She had heard about the boy. All high-level professional heroes were aware of Enji Todoroki's absurd project, but as long as he hadn't done anything wrong to the child, she supposed there was no justification for an intervention. Especially since it didn't concern her.

"Yes. Todoroki Shoto, an alter of ice and fire. He was admitted by recommendation, and according to my sources, he is very promising."

Rumi didn't say anything about Tsukauchi's informants, even though she wondered who would give such information to a mere police inspector. Sure, Naomasa was recognized nationally and even internationally for his skills, but for a source to give him information about the students when the school had been attacked just a few weeks before...

Well, in the end, she didn't really care if he was buddy-buddy with a member of the UA staff.

"He's not too bad," she muttered, aware that Enji Todoroki would expect much more from his prodigy son. Second place... what a shame! "But I haven't seen him use his fire yet."

"I really don't know why, but it must be personal. Or maybe he wants to save his strength for the next stage? To be honest, ice has been more useful than fire for the obstacles so far."

Miruko watched the other participants with vague interest. Bakugo, the explosive kid, was closely tailing Endeavor's son, but the rest of the students were significantly behind the duo. The podium seemed to be taking shape.

Tsukauchi looked thoughtful, and Miruko didn't know why. What did he expect from a school event like this? The festival was nothing more than a sports tournament where quirks were allowed, a rarity in Japan, but in other countries, it was common to see sports allowing special powers.

This was especially true in the USA, or in France, which had gradually lifted civil restrictions around powers. For better or for worse. Villains were fewer, curiously enough, but more powerful thanks to their training.

That's why she didn't particularly like the sports festival. She saw the interest in finding young people with high potential who could then be trained and join the agency in question, like a favor. But for the general public, foreign combat sports were much more interesting to watch than kids still in training.

"Oh!" exclaimed Tsukauchi, pointing at the big screen. "The green-haired boy has stopped; he's probably preparing something."

Rumi, slightly intrigued, watched a young man manipulate the earth with a piece of metal. Where it had come from, she wasn't sure. Perhaps it was salvaged from a robot. However, what happened next made her smile.

Most people hadn't noticed, but he was stacking mines on the ground, and as he lowered his metal plate, she understood why he had done it. And it was quite daring for a kid!

A colorful explosion sounded, and pink smoke filled the air, preventing spectators from understanding what could possibly be happening at the start of the minefield. But when the camera focused on a young man soaring over the lead duo, everything became clearer.

"Wow! Toshinori is right, the kid is ingenious," Naomasa said softly as the intensity of the race increased.

Shoto and Katsuki were running towards the finish line, trying to outdo each other using more or less clever strategies, until Midoriya passed them by, using a second explosion as propulsion to reach the finish line before them.

It was as risky as it was well-found, and Rumi found herself watching the race with a bit more interest. There was potential in this hero class, and she had to admit that this festival seemed more challenging than previous ones.

In the end, Todoroki crossed the finish line in third, closely followed by Bakugo. The rest followed within a couple of minutes, completing the obstacle course.

"That kid, Midoriya, he finished second without using his power. At least, I didn't see it throughout the race; it must be something to do with intelligence if he still managed to get into the hero class."

Tsukauchi paused briefly. "It's not really an intelligence quirk, it's a powerful quirk that enhances physical strength. When I spoke to him after the USJ, in the course of my investigation, of course, he told me that his power could break his bones with the slightest use."

Rumi showed no visible emotion, but inside, she felt perplexed. How could he have gotten into UA if using his power broke his bones?! Time was running out for him if he couldn't master his power, he would be killed in the first real fight. Or worse, become a burden to his classmates and need to be evacuated during a battle.

However, she personally knew the homeroom teacher of class 1-A, Eraserhead. They had crossed paths a few times for raids in the city and its surroundings, and she was also aware of his tendency to expel students who didn't deserve to be in his class…

Eraserhead had experience with powerful quirks since he could turn them off at will and control their use. Perhaps they were counting on him to help Midoriya master his powers. After all, if Gohan was that powerful, Aizawa must have contributed to his excellent mastery.

"He better get control of it, and quickly, or he'll end up dead."

Naomasa took a sip of his soda and stood up. "I don't think that will be the case; he has immense potential, and given his teachers, he will eventually master his power. Anyway, I'm going to the bathroom, I'll be back."

She said nothing and remained in her seat, arms crossed, waiting for the next event. It would be something team-based, normally, unless the academy had decided to change its approach.

She didn't like working in teams, and it had been a problem during her own sports festivals. She had even failed the first one because of it, all because she wanted to do everything herself, with others potentially getting in the way of her demonstration of strength.

Today, after years of working as a pro, she could tolerate the presence of other heroes, and sometimes collaborate with them. However, it was against her principles to rely on another and team up beyond a raid. Because of her quirk, her gender, and her social status, she had always had to fight to get anything from others.

The hardest part was recognition and fame. Money and glory were easy to obtain if one sold out to commercials and the media, like Unawabi, the snake woman. Miruko aimed far beyond that; she aimed to be the best version of herself—strongest, fastest, smartest, and most importantly, as independent as possible.

Hosting Gohan for an internship wasn't something she was looking forward to as much as Tsukauchi seemed to be. It was a great opportunity to learn more about this vigilante and possibly find a training partner good enough to keep up with her pace. So, she could make an exception this time.

She let herself be distracted by Present Mic's comments, who continued to hype up the crowd, teasing the epic matchups of the day. Meanwhile, Midnight allowed a few minutes for the last students to gather and leave the stadium, leaving only about forty at the foot of the podium. The woman in the center of the podium spun the wheel, and after about ten seconds, the fate of the students was decided.

"And now, the next event will be a cavalry battle! The rules are simple: Each student must form a group of four, and finish in the top four teams! But you might ask..." The man shouted, as if he were expecting a line from the crowd, or at least from Aizawa, but he was met with an awkward silence.

"But how will the teams be ranked?! It's simple, each student will have points based on their position in the race, 5 for the last, then 5 more, etc. HOWEVER! There is an exception, the first place has ten million points! Yes, ten million points!"

"In other words," Aizawa began, "The first in the obstacle race will be under the spotlight from the beginning, and everyone will chase him to get his points. He will need to find a team willing to have him to handle the pressure and expectations. It could be quite complicated to manage, but I think Son Gohan can handle the pressure, even if Bakugo and Todoroki are going to attack him right from the start."

Rumi chuckled softly. "Seriously, he better not crack under that."

It's unlikely. Simply stated the police inspector with a small smile as he returned to his seat. I'm excited to see what kind of teammates he will choose. Given the show of strength, I think some students will still join him hoping to advance."

"Well, with his strength, he'll do all the work himself. He doesn't need to be the support; he just has to attack and score bonus points."

Tsukauchi sighed and restrained a sharp retort. This was Miruko; as soon as the very idea of teamwork appeared in a conversation, you could be sure she would scoff at it. He knew part of her childhood, and he found her desire to prove herself entirely honorable, though he wished she would trust others more.

After so much time working together, he had come to appreciate the young woman. Maybe they were friends? He doubted it; Miruko didn't have friends, not real friends, to be frank, only acquaintances.

"I think you're mistaken." He suddenly snapped. "Sometimes, a hero needs to trust their teammates, they can't just outclass the competition at the risk of hurting their classmates' egos. They might believe that any effort is futile if they can never surpass him."

"Well, you know what I think of that psychology? It's a thing for the weak. He's strong, so he must continue to show his strength. If his own classmates are intimidated by him, then they'll never have the stature of a professional hero, much less a top hero."

Naomasa then fell silent, preferring not to engage in such a debate when they had other, more important things to focus on. He then watched the young vigilante as he chose his teammates.

---

At the stadium:

Gohan was, for the most part, shunned by most of his classmates. He had tried to offer a spot to Iida or even Kirishima, but they had politely turned him down. Tenya had said he wanted to prove his worth on his own, declaring himself a rival for the final victory. Eijiro, for his part, wanted to assist Bakugo, simply.

Thus, only students from 1-B, Midoriya, Uraraka, and a couple of students from the general or support courses remained. He didn't know the powers of the 1-B members, and although he was aware of his superiority in terms of power, he still wanted his allies to have the opportunity to showcase themselves in front of the professionals present.

Honestly, it would have been easier not to participate and to let his classmates handle it alone. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't just let it slide. He had made a promise to Nejire that he would become a hero worthy of protecting her and the rest of the world. To do that, he needed to become number one by showing himself to the world, not by shying away because he was afraid of what people would think of his supernatural strength.

He then dismissed the doubts he had and walked towards Midoriya and Uraraka, finding them both walking towards Fumikage. If Midoriya wanted to team up with those two, he might have a chance to get through the bottleneck; the defensive capability of his team was quite incredible since Ochaco could theoretically put an opponent out of play with a simple touch of her hand. Moreover, Fumikage could provide a defensive wall with Black Shadow, as well as go on the offensive if a counter opportunity presented itself.

Midoriya could serve as a control tower and threat to his opponents. Sure, he would break his hand, or at least his fingers with each attack, but his observational skills and quick thinking would be crucial if he wanted to attack and defend properly.

"Hey Midoriya, Uraraka! Got a second?" He called out loudly enough for them to hear him, but it also attracted the attention of other students.

Gohan could feel the pressure around him, everyone piercing him with their gazes. A few weeks ago, he might have been worried about this, but as he walked towards his future, he brushed off those looks behind him by clearing his mind. He didn't have to be afraid, not while Nejire was watching him from the stands, he could feel her swirling energy and her encouragement despite the distance.

"Oh, Son!" Izuku almost shouted in surprise as he wiped a bead of sweat from his face, the stress as visible as a beacon in the dark night. The young man's eyes darted everywhere, analyzing the environment as if he were a rabbit chased by a pack of wolves, looking for a place to escape from all the eyes.

He was the one with the second-highest number of points, and naturally a prime target, people thinking he was clearly weaker than his competitors because he hadn't used his power.

Izuku gathered his courage to face Gohan, trying to restrain the emotions coursing through him. If the other boy wanted to talk to him, then he would listen intently; he could not afford to neglect this conversation.

Goku's son offered a friendly smile to Uraraka, who waved back, then he turned his attention back to Deku. The protege of All Might had a strange look in his eyes, a mix of fear, determination, and curiously, jealousy and anger. The Saiyan was smart enough to sense his friend's ki, especially when it radiated so much repressed emotion.

He honestly didn't know why he elicited such negative emotions from his classmate, especially since the USJ incident. He had talked with him, and normally, they were friends, yet sometimes Midoriya would give him looks filled with doubt, jealousy, and intense anger, always behind his back.

He knew that Midoriya aimed high, understandably so, given his enormous latent potential. The energy that animated him when he used his power was truly impressive, dazzling everyone around. His energy was so similar to that of their heroism teacher that it was almost confusing, but Gohan had quickly dropped those theories.

If Midoriya was All Might's son, as he suspected, then his friend would just have to open up to him in private if he wished. Or perhaps their powers were just very similar… Either way, Gohan suspected that his presence and his new determination to aim for the number one spot put pressure on Izuku, as if he were strangling his dream.

Time would likely heal, and his friend would stop being jealous. Probably…

Ochaco watched the exchange in a rather stark silence, while several people observed them like vultures. "So, what's up, Son?" she exclaimed, bringing the two young men back to reality.

"Ah, yes, I was wondering if you'd like to team up with me. I don't have anyone on my team, and Iida refused to help me, preferring to team up with Todoroki."

"Yeah, we already knew that, we asked him too," Gravity Girl muttered. "But if Deku agrees, then I want to be on your team! We're thinking of getting Tokoyami to round out the team."

Midoriya said nothing for a few seconds. He really appreciated Son, and the valuable advice he gave during training, but he was really tempted to decline the offer. He wanted to advance on his own and show All Might and the world that he was still worthy of carrying One For All...

Teaming up with Son was like guaranteeing a move to the next round, but also denying a chance to stand out and challenge himself personally. However, seeing his friend's enthusiasm, he found himself weakly nodding his head, pushing his silent jealousy aside.

All Might had admitted that he found Gohan incredible! When Deku had asked his mentor what he thought of his classmate, his mentor had replied, "Son is incredible, he's much stronger than I was at his age. Maybe even stronger than me? I know how you feel, young Izuku, but you must believe in yourself! You have great potential, and I know you will progress and master our power, but it will take time. The festival is your chance to shine, but you need to stop doubting yourself and give everything you have so the world will notice you!"

"Perfect!" boomed Gohan's voice, his subsequent sigh underscoring his relief. "So, we just need one last person... let's go see Tokoyami!"

With that, Gohan turned toward the last member of their team, taking the lead of the group. The young Saiyan was happy to have found a viable team; it was a team event and he intended to play the game to the end. Crushing the competition with brute force was fine, but he didn't see much point in it; the smartest thing to do would be to show the professionals that he knew how to properly combine with his allies to score the most points.

If he did everything solo, he would feel bad for his classmates who also deserved a solid opportunity to demonstrate their skills.

After finding Fumikage, rallying him to their cause was easy; the bird-man quickly leaned into such an opportunity. Working with Gohan was a guarantee of passing the round and accessing the tournament, where he would have the most visibility.

The quartet then found a quiet corner to discuss their strategy, their game plan.

Surprisingly, Midoriya was the first to speak, taking the discussion very seriously. "Okay... what's our strategy? We have the most points, so we should play defensively. I think, but well..."

Uraraka couldn't help but laugh softly at her friend's stammering, even when he was serious and determined, he inevitably ended up stammering.

Tokoyami crossed his arms, his natural posture emitting a dark breath over the group. He must certainly be reading Edgar Allan Poe, thought the half-Saiyan subtly, because it would so fit his style.

"We do have the most points, yes, but we can't just slither in the shadows. The sun, or light more generally, weakens my abilities, so if Bakugo attacks us, I might have some trouble... I think attacking and obtaining a handful of headbands as a risk insurance would only make sense."

Gohan smiled and gave his taciturn comrade a thumbs up. "Exactly! If we act faster than them, we can take as many points as possible, that's a good strategy. But I have another idea, even if it's a bit more underhanded."

"What is it?" asked Ochaco impatiently, while the others nodded in agreement.

"We let any team have the ten million points headband," he said with a composure that took most of his friends' breath away. "Let me explain. Once we've lost the ten million, we'll no longer be the center of attention, we can then take the opportunity to collect as many points as possible and show the pros what we're worth. Then, depending on our number of points, we'll charge for the ten million... I have a new technique that should help us, even if it's still a bit rough."

The group took a good ten seconds to ponder his words. Midoriya grimaced, keeping the points and defending would also offer many opportunities to fight, but they would definitely be under pressure... Whereas if they released the headband, they could accumulate as many points as possible and only retrieve the ten million if the need arose.

"I don't know," admitted Izuku honestly. "But... I don't want to give up first place, the ten million, it's kind of like the role of number one hero in the end... I mean, All Might has to handle the pressure, he can't just release it as if it were nothing."

Midoriya's words struck Gohan like one of Frieza's cunning attacks. He was right, if he coveted the number one spot, then he had to keep the points. His idea wasn't bad, but if the group thought it was better to keep the ten million, then he would go along with their decision.

"I agree with Deku, it might be harder but I believe in us to hold on to the end!" exclaimed Uraraka, her fist in the air and her smile so bright that it could eclipse the sun.

Tokoyami gave a brief nod to indicate his agreement, and Gohan let out a long sigh. "Okay, we'll do it that way. Well, I think we're ready for battle."

"I have a question!" cried a voice until then very discreet, Dark Shadow emerged from the depths and stared at Son with its yellow eyes both full of life and yet so unreadable. "What is this technique you talked about?"

Gohan smiled with slight pride; he was quite pleased with what he had created during his training. "It's, simply put, a concentrated increase of my ki over a very small area, which causes an increase in gravity."

He had the idea thinking about his fight with Cell and how he had warped gravity under the pressure of his ki, which had nearly killed his classmates from the intensity of the energy released. But having honed his ki control over the years, bending gravity with his power wasn't so complicated; the real challenge was getting the dosage right.

He just couldn't extend this area effect beyond a five-meter diameter circle. But it was a good start, after all, he had only been working on it for a few weeks, and that was only after dealing with his other priorities.

He had been working on a second technique, far more offensive. He wasn't sure he could master it right away, but he hoped it would suffice for a potential major threat. For now, he would settle for more intense training to be ready should that fateful day ever come.

"It's... quite impressive." Fumikage struggled to say, the idea of being pressed to the ground by a change in gravity being hard to handle. Everyone remembered the effect that Cell had caused, and he did not want to relive that.

Midoriya and Uraraka seemed more enthusiastic, and Izuku miraculously pulled out a notebook to write down very detailed information.

Gohan checked the time, and seeing that they had a few minutes left, he willingly entertained questions from Midoriya.

---

In the stands:

"At last! It finally begins!" Miruko shouted, crushing her empty cup, a manic smile on her lips. The wait was slowly killing her, especially as she could be beating up villains in the streets.

"Indeed, it was starting to drag. Let's see who he teams up with..."

When all the teams gathered in the center of the stadium, a few meters apart to be counted by Midnight, the two investigators couldn't help but raise their eyebrows.

But what was this composition? Fumikage had not shown much competence during the race, even though his power had allowed him to effectively eliminate the robots and navigate the mines with dexterity. He was a reasonable choice, but there were clearly better options for Rumi.

Uraraka was... adequate. There was potential from what little she had seen during the race, especially when it came to crossing the pillar challenge. She had simply flown over it, avoiding falling into the holes along the way. The White Lightning must have been counting on her ability to nullify an opponent's offense by reversing gravity.

Midoriya, however, was a mystery. He hadn't used his power, and although he seemed intelligent, he would be more of a burden than anything else. Why choose him when there were better elements within reach? Even if Miruko didn't like working in teams, when it had to be done, she surrounded herself with the best because the rest just weren't good enough.

If he had chosen him, then the scrawny green-haired kid must possess abilities she was unaware of; otherwise, she saw no reason. This piqued her curiosity even more, and she found herself saying, "Surprise me, White Lightning."

"Well, does the festival finally interest you?" Naomasa teased her with a small smile, understanding why their vigilante had chosen such a team.

No matter. She suppressed a grunt, turning her face to the competition. Sometimes Tsukauchi could just be quite amusing to be around, contrary to what his appearance might suggest.

"And here we are, dear audience! The Cavalry Battle is about to start in a few seconds! Let's count down together: 3... 2... 1... go!"

Thus, most of the teams launched an assault on the team leading the rankings, as expected. However, some groups played more tactically, waiting for a gap to appear to their keen, sneaky eyes. Attacking like a scavenger was something she found repugnant, especially coming from aspiring heroes, but it was simply in human nature to act that way, she supposed bitterly.

Gohan's team let Bakugo and Todoroki chase after them, engaging in a long and intense endurance battle. A white energy sphere was then propelled toward Katsuki's team and exploded just two meters in front of them, forcing them to back away to shield themselves from the blast.

Even the usually loud explosive boy stopped shouting death threats at his competitors to focus fully on the fight, having understood the implicit threat posed by that attack.

Todoroki took this opportunity to create a large ice wall behind Gohan, just after the sphere had left his hand, thereby putting him against the wall, forcing him into combat.

Gohan seemed to say something to his teammates and then launched a ki ball at the ground, exploding it into a significant smoke screen. Dark Shadow then emerged, acting as a wall for his team, allowing them to make their way back through.

Blown away by the explosion, Todoroki and his team took several seconds to regain awareness of their positioning, only to realize that they were surrounded by several teams thirsty for points. Rather than chase the ten million points for now, they decided to attack those who had the second highest number of points.

At the same time, Bakugo was pursued by a blond kid who was cursing him profusely, if his outraged face was any indicator of what was happening.

Miruko lamented the lack of microphones scattered around the arena, which could have added to her entertainment. Naomasa was writing as many words as a normally constituted wrist could allow, without even looking at his notebook, a real feat if there ever was one.

Son's team used these brief minutes of respite to analyze the battlefield and attack the weakest targets, virtually eliminating them from the competition. A team made up of 1-B students, as well as the few remaining general and support course students, were the main victims of the group.

Until a disturbing event occurred as the cavalry battle approached its midpoint. Son Gohan stopped moving entirely, as if he was unaware of everything happening around him, his teammates bustling with fear, calling out to him vigorously, as if to pull him from the deep stupor he had found himself in.

Just a couple of meters from them was now a new team, led by a young man with violet hair, probably the instigator of this mysterious paralysis.

"I don't recognize him," Naomasa said, grimacing. "He's not in Gohan's class or in 1-B; I've read the students' files in the course of my investigation, and he has never appeared."

If the worried look on his face was solely because the boy had plunged Gohan into a trance-like state, then Tsukauchi was a fragile mind. But she knew that was not the case at all. There was something insidious in his investigation into the infamous villain league, something he was unwilling to reveal. Not that it concerned her; all that mattered to her was this vigilante.

"His quirk must be what's causing the issue with Son." Rumi truly believed it, it couldn't be anything else.

She had certainly hit the mark, as in the arena, shrouded in a haze, unable to flex a single muscle, Son Gohan weakly witnessed the scene unfolding before his eyes. His adversary had taunted him, calling him a dirty monkey, to which he would have retorted with a simple "Excuse me?"

Ever since those words had left his lips, he had been in this trance-like state, unable to regain control over his own body. He could feel his ki coursing through him, flooding his senses now fully focused on his own heartbeat and the deep state of lethargy that reminded him of the sweet memories of his meditations in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

The things around him seemed to move, talk, feel, act with force and a will of their own, but he was detached from his own physical shell, a witness to his own weakness.

Hitoshi Shinso, that was his name, had just plunged him into his world, the world of obedience, where a single word could condition his will to turn him into a perfect puppet, executing even his most absurd whims.

"Give me all your headbands," he simply ordered, compelling him to move against his will.

Reaching a hand to his forehead, he firmly took the headbands and extended them forward, internally screaming not to yield, to keep fighting, vainly attempting to push his ki outward to break free from this mental control.

It lasted only a moment, but he felt an immense energy dormant within him roar, threatening to burst out of his body. An intense tremor ran through his body, spreading across the arena, passing through Midoriya, Uraraka, and Tokoyami as if they were conductors of his furious ki.

The ground vibrated then, cracking within a ten-meter radius around his team, threatening the integrity of the other students, as well as the spectators who felt the impact of the ki wave up to their seats.

The clouds, until then compact, dispersed, driven away by the powerful gust of wind blowing over the arena, a witness to the upheaval in the confrontation taking place in Gohan's mind.

The chains that had imprisoned the young man cracked before shattering, exploding into a fine dust scattering metaphorically in the air.

Back to reality, Gohan could only observe the look of absolute terror on Shinso's face, whose features bore the greatest astonishment he had ever seen on the face of a living being. His eyes revealed the fear lurking deep within the young man with violet hair, and his tired demeanor disappeared in the face of the adrenaline surge coursing through him.

"How?!" He then accused, pointing at him with vehemence while his own teammates, who had been carrying him, seemed to come out of their astonished states, realizing their position.

Midoriya looked at his friend apprehensively, noting that his pupils had flashed golden for several seconds before stabilizing, symbolizing Son's return among the group. Sweat poured from his face, and he gasped briefly, his face bearing the mark of confusion from his previous state.

"What's going on?" asked Uraraka, her voice panicked. She was intelligent, but what was happening clearly lacked sense. Their rider had suddenly stopped and had offered up their headbands to this guy, on request! The only logical conclusion was that the power of their opponent allowed him to force people to act against their will.

"I..." he stammered, struggling to find his voice before stopping. He didn't know what had brought him out of his captivity, but his inner energy had surged in a way he could never have imagined, freeing him.

Goku had told him he possessed an immense reserve of energy, which training was the only way to unleash for future confrontations. But this... it was beyond his personal reserve, well above the Super Saiyan 2 level in terms of power! Yet as briefly as it appeared, its disappearance was immediate.

"Answer me immediately!" roared Hitoshi, completely frightened by what was happening.

Consciously or not, the majority of the ongoing duels had paused since the earthquake, and all were watching Gohan face this unknown who had managed to push him into a corner. The audience, consisting of both professionals and civilians, were agape at the display of power... it was one thing to fly at high speed, but to crack the ground into a small crevasse with a mere shout, this was not the power of a standard teenager.

"Damn!" swore Rumi with a small smile, it was nothing compared to the true power she knew lay dormant in him, but it was still quite impressive. The police inspector nodded weakly, his neutral air disappearing to make way for a thin smile and a look filled with curiosity.

Holding back from responding by biting his tongue, Gohan stared defiantly at Shinso, his facial expression conveying all that was truly necessary. It was by speaking that he had been trapped, and his adversary's insistence on making him respond only confirmed his suspicions.

Reattaching his headbands, he gave a brief nod to his teammates before extending his hand toward Shinso, who completely panicked at the turn of events.

Normally, no one could free themselves from his mental control alone! He had trapped Gohan, and his teammates were about to follow suit, verbally harassing them, but just as he was about to activate his alter to control the other members of the group to finally retrieve the headbands and escape... the earthquake occurred, and it was no coincidence.

Now, his own teammates were freed from his charm and those with the mental reactivity to understand what was happening looked at him with great coldness, worse than anger.

"So Son, are you going to beat me up now? Go ahead, don't hold back! You were born with a blessed power in our society, you're overpowered and all your teammates adore you, right? But I'm sure you terrify them in reality, you are a monster! A monster!" he yelled, seeking to elicit a reaction and a bit of time to make an escape, but he was simply met with the onyx gaze of his adversary.

Not a word came out of Gohan's mouth, but the raw shockwave that followed sent him and his team flying a good twenty meters until they crashed into another team, the pile-up causing them to fall directly to the ground, a sign of disqualification.

Hitoshi had aimed too high, like his dream of being a hero, he should never have attacked the wall in front of him, but he had believed in his chances, touching the edges of qualification. While Bakugo and Todoroki were fighting at the center, he had all the time he needed to accumulate as many points as possible and take the first place... thus, everyone would have noticed him and the hero course would have extended a hand to him.

"Team Shinso is disqualified due to a fall! The same goes for Team Shoji!" blurted Midnight, as Shota and Present Mic gave their comments on what had just happened.

"It was... brutal. I guess he didn't like being shaken by that young man. I don't know what the power in question is, but it stopped him dead for several seconds," Tsukauchi spoke, his eyes wide open, before he rummaged through his notes for a few seconds. "Let's see... Hitoshi Shinso, he failed the entrance exam for lack of points, but his power is very interesting! It's brainwashing, as long as someone responds to him, he can take control and make them obey his orders. He would make an excellent police inspector, or at the very least an exceptional negotiator. It's a shame he wasn't accepted into the hero course."

Rumi nodded, generally agreeing. Such a power could be useful for extracting information and defusing dangerous situations for civilians. Even though she was more combat-oriented, such a teammate could turn the tide of many confrontations…

UA had a rather strict policy about the quirks of its students... the more visible and powerful it was, the better.

"Yeah, anyway, Son managed to break free, and he's thinned out the competition too."

Down below, the other teams, now made up only of heroic students, resumed their fights, seemingly chilled at the idea of confronting Son Gohan for the time being. Some would probably try in the last two or three minutes of the battle, hoping for a resounding coup.

Gohan was still trembling, slight spasms running through his body, as he stared at Shinso's team, and that of Shoji, unfortunate victims, now eliminated from the competition by his fault. Because under the pressure, no, the anger, he had overreacted and exceeded the bounds of reason. He should have just pushed the purple-haired guy away and left, thus, the other boy would have had his chance.

It was too late for him... but at least, he had made himself noticeable, so maybe a teacher would take an interest in him. Personally, the young Saiyan was quite shocked to have been psychologically controlled by a classmate, and he silently thanked Kami that Cell had not possessed such a power.

"Are you okay?" asked Midoriya, clearly worried.

"Yes, it just... well, took me out of my body. It was weird, but I'm fine. I feel bad for eliminating him, I overreacted."

Fumikage sighed dramatically, his dark aura deepening even more, if possible. "You did what was necessary, he was a serious threat and since we do not know the conditions for him to make you obey his demands, it was better to put him out of play."

Uraraka, sensing the tinge of guilt, reassured him. "Mr. Aizawa must have noticed, with such a power, he could make a great hero!"

"Maybe..." admitted Gohan, his adoptive father had surely noted him on his list of promising elements. If he was logical, which he always was, of course. "Let's go, we need to recover the points from the team we defeated."

The group then headed towards Shinso's team, who were slowly getting up from the ground. The violet-haired boy gave a dark look towards the one who had freed himself from his grasp, for a reason he could not explain.

The rest of the team, consisting of Mei Hatsume, Ojiro Mashirao, and Rikido Sato, were recovering their senses more or less slowly, still shocked by not having done anything by themselves throughout the battle... It was hard to swallow, but the pill was even more bitter for Mashirao, who wanted to defend his honor during the festival, but hadn't really had the opportunity to do so until then.

The man with the muscular tail gave a brief nod to Son Gohan; it wasn't the place for a conversation, after all, his "team" had been eliminated. However, Ojiro was grateful. Grateful that his comrade had pulled him out of that humiliation before the end of the trial, he would have never endured participating in the final round without having earned it. He was convinced that if Hitoshi hadn't targeted Gohan, they would have made it to the next round.

Rikido, for his part, was somewhat more biased about it, but his honor didn't want to be tarnished, so he had to respect Gohan's intervention, even though he would have liked to reach the tournament. He then exited the arena with Ojiro, with Mei following closely behind, looking disgusted. They didn't know her, but she must have felt cheated too.

Hitoshi, however, stayed staring at Gohan while the noise of battles echoed in the background of their exchange. Then, before the Saiyan could say anything, he held out his headbands and pushed them towards him. Without a word, he turned his back and walked towards the exit.

"You played your hand very well," the half-Saiyan declared, clenching his fists. "With training, I'm sure you can make it next year, or even sooner. I don't know what your goal is, if you want to become a hero, or something like that, but don't lose hope because of a defeat."

Hitoshi stopped abruptly, hesitating internally, as many thoughts raced through his mind, not knowing what to say or do before taking a deep breath. He then turned around, and a smirk appeared on his lips; yes, he couldn't give up on his dream, he needed to double his efforts, and he would make it. No one before had told him he could achieve his dream, everyone only saw him as a potential villain to be controlled...

"Thank you..." he murmured before walking away before he could see his tears flowing.

After this brief but intense exchange, Gohan's group faced a couple of teams composed of 1-B students, and despite some surprises, mainly the quirk of Setsuna Tokage, they managed to score an additional five hundred points. It was purely symbolic, after all, the ten million were enough to advance, but taking more points allowed his teammates to devise strategies and fight under the watchful eyes of pro heroes attentive to their performances.

The exhausting duel between Bakugo and Todoroki apparently ended in a draw, the two teams parting to score points during the last remaining minute: the target was named Son Gohan!

Rumi Usagiyama, from the stands, chuckled softly. "They are far too weak, they're going to get destroyed."

Naomasa sighed, Miruko seriously lacked tact. "Maybe so, but they can still bother him, Son Gohan remains human despite his strength, and a well-placed blow can put him in danger, as Shinso proved."

In the arena, Bakugo savagely wiped out Neito Monoma's team, which was blocking his path, simply rushing towards his target. He was a Bakugo, and as such, he could not lose, no matter how tough his opponent was, he was tougher, and he would prove it on the battlefield!

Todoroki, while interested in a conflict with the Saiyan, specifically wanted to defeat Midoriya, because for some reason he couldn't fathom, All Might was far too interested in Izuku for it to be a normal relationship.

"Kacchan is coming from the left!" exclaimed Izuku with a hint of panic. The young man wiped the sweat from his brow, took a deep breath, and then his unwavering resolve took precedence over other emotions.

"Roger that!"

Gohan focused even more on the upcoming battle. Bakugo was powerful, his quirk versatile and potent, especially at close range, though he could reach a target at a reasonable distance.

However, the son of Goku knew how to handle this adversary when he approached his team. The strategy was simple, grab Katsuki's palms, preventing him from sending explosions at Gohan's group, which could suffer damage from them.

Uraraka would then just need to touch him and send him flying as far away as possible… By the time he came back, the last seconds would have ticked away.

"Watch out! Todoroki is attacking!" growled Dark Shadow, his piercing yellow eyes shifting towards Son's right.

As Bakugo was just about forty meters away and leaping off his 'horse', Gohan called out to his teammates.

"Uraraka! I'm counting on you to touch Bakugo as soon as I've paralyzed him. Midoriya and Tokoyami, buy as much time as possible by distracting Todoroki!"

A massive wall of ice suddenly erected all around them, enclosing them and excluding any other team from the fight. The icy blast momentarily reminded the Saiyan of Siberia, but he suppressed the slight smile on his lips. As expected, Bakugo destroyed part of the barrier in front of him while propelling himself towards the ten million points, his team following as quickly as they could.

What struck Izuku at that moment was the absence of insults from Kacchan, the anger, no, the hatred, radiating from his entire body was such that Deku could not find a parallel to the rage of his childhood friend. Despite all that he had done to him, all the intimidations, all the beatings after school... Deku had never seen him so enraged, yet so restrained in the explosion of his hatred.

His limbs trembled uncontrollably, fear beginning to take over his rationality.

"Midoriya! Todoroki is coming, get a grip!" ordered the wielder of Dark Shadow, managing to pull him out of this crisis.

While Gohan dealt with Bakugo by repelling him with ki spheres, delaying him as much as possible, Izuku turned towards Todoroki with reinforced determination. He could not let his past overcome his courage, fear had to be conquered so he could make proud those who cared about him.

His mission was simple: He had to hold him off, giving Uraraka and Son time to deal with Katsuki.

Dark Shadow gracefully detached from Tokoyami and launched a preemptive strike, aiming to divert Todoroki's attention, but his attack was repelled by a simple wave of the hand, creating an impenetrable barrier of ice, forcing the shadow to retreat into the darkness that made up its reality.

"Damn! He's only twenty meters away!" cried Dark Shadow, echoing its master's feelings of apprehension and frustration.

As his opponent rapidly approached, Midoriya felt time slow down around him, almost melting, as his heartbeat slowed. Then, suddenly, the fearful look in his eyes disappeared, replaced by unyielding determination.

Raising the index finger of his left hand, pointing it towards Shoto, Izuku released all his power in one majestic, brutal breath, shouting "Smash!" These words gave him the courage and strength that his mentor had, and that he also possessed within his soul.

The powerful blast surged towards Todoroki, who instinctively erected an ice barrier, presumably thinking it would absorb the massive shock wave, but he was mistaken. Driven by the warrior's instinct, Midoriya yelled, not out of pain, but signaling the start of the real offensive, one that absolutely needed to be defended against.

As his teammates were pushed back by the impact with his ice, Shoto heard Deku order Tokoyami to carry him and head straight for him, all while the colorful explosions of Gohan and Katsuki served as a backdrop to their clash.

Dark Shadow grabbed Midoriya by the waist and propelled forward, directly towards the group led by Endeavor's son. The surprise was so great, so swift and direct, that only Shoto had time to raise both arms over his forehead, protecting his entire rival's arms shone, indicating that the full power of One For All flowed through his arm, a phenomenal power that could annihilate him on the spot with a single strike.

The fear mingled with adrenaline forced the bicolor-haired boy to make an involuntary gesture, revealing the burning power within him, igniting his entire right side in a blazing, noble fire.

The sudden appearance of Endeavor's flames unleashed the hero in the stands, who rejoiced at finally seeing his offspring use his full powers. Yet, something inside him prevented him from fully enjoying what he was witnessing, because he knew it was merely a reflex and not a real desire to embrace the role that was his. The role he was forced to carry…

"The battle is nearing its end! Everyone with me for the final countdown! 3…"

As Midoriya's hand inevitably neared the headbands, the fire enveloping his opponent's body suddenly made Dark Shadow retreat, preventing Izuku from grabbing the precious headbands, and thus from claiming victory.

Nevertheless, as the shadow returned him to his place on the horse supporting Gohan, he couldn't help but feel satisfied with what he had accomplished. He had pushed Shoto to give his all, to show them this second aspect of his Quirk, a capability they were unaware of. However, the green-haired boy did not understand what this fire meant in Todoroki's eyes…

"2..."

Gohan had to admit, Bakugo was skillful, adept, and quite fast. Of course, the young Saiyan was holding back to some extent, otherwise he could have seriously hurt the blonde. But it was an impressive performance because, with every ki sphere he threw from his palm, Katsuki would initially retreat only to advance better, slowly but surely approaching Goku's son.

This, however, was largely anticipated, as Uraraka stood ready to use her own power on Bakugo, which would allow them to buy a lot of time, enough to repel the assault and end the battle, and the second event.

Now that the explosive boy was only a few meters away from them, Gohan couldn't resist analyzing his adversary. His piercing red gaze was something that had always struck him, but now that he was so close, his eyes showed the intense hatred burning within him. His ki literally exploded within him, exuding spite and, more surprisingly, a considerable amount of fear.

Acting swiftly, Gohan grabbed Bakugo's forearm in a move that would be very dangerous for someone who didn't possess his natural resistance to damage. However, the power gap was so colossal that even holding back a great deal of his abilities, Katsuki could never voluntarily break free, nor could he injure Gohan with one of his explosions.

"Now!" he yelled to Uraraka, as he shielded his face from Bakugo's explosions, but especially from the smoke, which could really bother him. The young woman jumped at the chance, and under the dismayed gaze of the enraged, she managed to touch him with her five fingers, activating her power, inevitably sending the poor man adrift.

"1..."

The shock of Bakugo's team perfectly complemented that of Todoroki's team as they now found themselves unable to reach the precious points of the ten-million-point team in time. Todoroki was unable to defeat the one he had challenged, nor even to get close to the points... and in addition to betraying the promise he had sworn to keep. He felt disgusted with himself, but he couldn't give up as there was still one event left to show his father that he would be a far better hero than him, but to do so, he must absolutely forbid the fire that demanded blood, burning within his being.

Bakugo floated in the air, like a damn junkie at a hippie festival, yet he was in the middle of a battle against that scum Gohan. That guy who dominated them with his supernatural, demonic power! That guy who had "saved" them from Cell and the league, but Katsuki couldn't bring himself to accept his inferiority. He was better than him, despite this failure due only to the time allotted to the event. He would find him during the tournament, and then, they could face off.

"And it's over! Give a round of applause to our young heroes who gave their all! Midnight will proceed to tally the points and we will soon have our 16 qualifiers for the final tournament!"

"Finally, let's finish this..." Aizawa sighed as he rubbed his eyes. After hearing his best friend shout for so long, a brief thought crossed his mind: to pierce his eardrums so he wouldn't have to hear him scream in such a small booth.

Midnight then joined the center of the arena, where all the participants had gathered to hear her final verdict, hoping she would finally give the long-awaited results. Many teams had definitively lost, qualifying with zero points was impossible, no matter how hopeful they were.

Son Gohan had defeated many teams composed of Class 1-B members, but he was certain that Tokage's team had managed to scrape enough points to be in the top 4. The rest of the participants had suffered too many defeats and hadn't had time to recover.

Gohan watched amusedly as Uraraka and Midoriya chatted joyfully. Although the latter was slightly injured, he was bearing the pain until he could see Recovery Girl for the tournament. It was somewhat concerning that he could tolerate pain so well... such injuries were terribly painful and bothersome. It was a bad sign, yet another one.

He glanced at Bakugo and Todoroki while Midnight displayed the scores on the big screen. They seemed frustrated but still eager to fight, especially Explosion Boy, who had sent a quite icy dark look towards the young Saiyan.

"Well, here are the four teams qualified for the tournament!" she shouted, finally drawing Gohan's attention to the board at the center of the arena.

- 1st: Team Son, with over 10,001,750 points

- 2nd: Team Todoroki, with 1,355 points

- 3rd: Team Bakugo, with 1,200 points

- 4th: Team Tokage with 875 points

The applause from the audience was deafening, and Gohan smiled, happy to have reached the tournament. Especially because mealtime was approaching, he was starving!

He watched Team 1-B exult, their comeback during the cavalry battle was quite impressive, especially since they had only about ten minutes to score 875 points. Gohan and his team had confronted them at the beginning of the event, and he had a pretty good idea of their powers. Watching them in action during the matches was going to be interesting!

Todoroki gestured for Midoriya to follow him, and the two disappeared into one of the dark corridors beneath the stands. Gohan watched them leave but decided not to interfere; it was a matter that specifically concerned the two of them, and he had no place in it. However, he could sense a certain tension in Shoto's stride, who usually showed no emotion...

"Alright!" exclaimed Midnight. "Here are the matches!"

- Izuku Midoriya versus Hanta Sero

- Shoto Todoroki versus Itsuka Kendo

- Momo Yaoyorozu versus Tenya Iida

- Son Gohan versus Setsuna Tokage

- Ochaco Uraraka versus Mina Ashido

- Denki Kaminari against Eijiro Kirishima

- Katsuki Bakugo against Ibara Shiozaki

- Fumikage Tokoyami against Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

To be continued...