Chapter 13: Before the Sports Festival

As the sun slowly set down in the evening sky, I slow down my jogging pace as I turn my attention towards the street. I then took in a couple of deep breaths before reaching into my pocket and pulls out a button battery. And then, I close my hand around it as I feel the charge filling my body.

"Ready!" I call out as I prepare to sprint forward.

"Okay!" Shinsou's voice calls out in the distance, "On your marks…"

"GO!"

I push my foot back and rockets down the street. The surrounding blurs as I try to force my quirk to push my body faster and faster. Soon enough, everything besides in front of me became somewhat of a tunnel vision as everything else just faded into splashes of color as I felt myself going way faster than I previously could.

A purple blur passes on my right and I immediately pull the brakes, digging my heel and pressing my sole on the pavement hard as I actually hear the infamous skidding sound of braking race cars coming from my shoes' soles. After slowing down to a halt, I jog back to my middle-school friend letting out a few pants, "How was it?"

"Hm… you actually doubled your previous record." He pointed out, showing my speed on the speed-o-meter to be 210mph. Wow, that's crazy! I didn't think I would improve this much!

"That's nuts!" I look at my hands as I clenched them into tight fists, "Guess those speed practices after school have really paid off."

"You'll definitely get some top Heroes attention now. I don't think anyone in the first year has your level of speed, except maybe that glasses class president of yours."

"Yeah, Iida is pretty fast…"

"GUK!"

We turn to the sound of groaning as Taikou stopped his kicks to help Midoriya get back on his feet, "You really need to stop thinking too hard." He tells him, "That just slows you down. Got to make quick and fast decisions, not think out the entire scenario."

"R-Right!" The inheritor of the Symbol of Peace got into a loose stance that feels more street fight than an actual proper stance as he got right back into sparring.

As I watch him weave in and out to avoid my childhood friend's fast kicks, it brought up the thought of how much improvement he has made over the past couple of weeks.

In the past week leading to Golden Week, I manage to synchronize my schedule with Midoriya's as well as Taikou's and Shinsou's to set up this practice session. Sadly, I later found out that Budo won't be free to help teach my green haired friend, he mentioning about getting placed in-charge of one heck of a case.

Due to that, we're left with no other choice and try to teach him the best we can and moved our training sessions from Taikou's apartment complex to Training Ground Beta.

The training grounds around campus have been opened up for the upcoming Sports Festival, which allow all of us to train our quirks as much as we liked. But it is only opened until 7pm, which leaves us not much time to practice especially after school, at least until Golden Week starts anyway.

But despite all that and having a shaky start at first, Midoriya picks up in things very quickly.

The only thing we have done with him is sparring. Besides we helping him with his form here and there and showing him a more effective way of punching forward than his usual telephone punches, it was sparring match after sparring match between the four of us.

And the improvement does show, with him managing to get in a few good hits on us with there being this one time that he manages to get a good hit on Taikou's nose which he later apologized profusely afterwards. He's starting to shape up as a proper fighter now.

As for Midoriya's control over One-For-All?

"Full Cowl!"

I am brought out of my thoughts as I saw my green haired classmate clenching his fists while he stood in a power-up stance that came right out of Dragon Ball, his body starts to glow as green lightning crackles across his entire body with his emerald eyes starts to shine in a similar fashion to All Might's.

Yup, as it turns out, he figured it out pretty quickly as soon as I gave him a hint.


Flashback (One week prior)

"I feel like you're using One-For-All incorrectly." I pointed out as we are walking towards the station together after our first session. Taikou has to head back first as it was his turn to buy the groceries and Shinsou mentioned that he has something to do and left before any of us.

"Incorrectly?" He asked me, "What do you mean?"

I raise my hand as if to flick the air, "When you use it, you are calling on it like it's a separate entity, right?"

"Y-Yeah! I-It's exactly like that! How do you know!?"

"Um…" Crap, I didn't think this through. Let's see, let's see… how to make it so that it doesn't… Ah, bingo! "Y-Your reaction time! Whenever you use your quirk, it looks like you are really concentrating hard on it!"

"Oh, is that so…?"

"Y-Yeah…" I let out a small sigh in relief. That was close, nearly blow my own cover there…

The first step in my plan to alter the plot is for Midoriya to gain Full Cowl early, so to get him more prep up for the Sports Festival in order to help build him in preparation of the bigger threats later down the road, like Stain for example. If he can get a better understanding of One-For-All before the whole job experience training, than Gran Torino might have a better time training him and getting him stronger than his canon counterpart. With enough time and luck, he might get enough strength to deal with Muscular without resorting to suicide attacks.

Although… asking him to take on the likes of Muscular who is basically a low tier Hulk-like villain is a bit out there…

But in order to do that, he must find out about it on his own. There's no point if I tell him how it works on the get go. So, here I am. Trying to throw hints at him and hope he figures it out.

"A-Anyways, to use it like that isn't how quirks usually function. That could be why you are having quite a lot of trouble with it."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Quirks are… like a muscle, they are a part of your body." I explain, "You don't usually have to concentrate on your legs to walk, right? Same with quirks. You can't think on how to use it, you just use it."

"I… don't really follow…"

"Okay, let's use my quirk as an example." I pointed at myself and continues to explain, "If you remember, whenever I absorb electricity, the energy absorbed is circulating around my body in a continuous circuit. And whenever I choose to use that power, I didn't think about using it, I just run and used it. My quirk automatically uses it for me!"

"Ah… like winding up a toy!" He pointed out, "You are basically winding yourself up by absorbing electricity and then after that, you just let go and it runs…on…its…own…"

I look back at him as Midoriya just stop walking and stood there with his eyes wide open as if something just became clear, "Is something wrong?"

"I… I get it now! I finally understand!"

"H-Huh? Get what?"

"You are right, I've been using One-For-All incorrectly this whole time!" He stated with a smile, "All this time, the image in my mind is that I have turn on a 'switch' in my mind to activate it, a switch on my arms and legs to let the energy flow through. But that's not right at all! Instead of letting it just flow through…" He clenches his fists tightly, "I should have just let it flood my entire body and–"

"Whoa, whoa! Hold it!" I immediately stop him and grab his shoulders firmly, "I'm glad you figure things out, but let's not get ahead of ourselves there! The last thing we need is for you to blow yourself up just to test it!"

"Y-Yeah! You're right… Too bad Aizawa-sensei is still at the hospital…"

"But Recovery Girl would still be around, so at least she should be able to heal any fractures, right?"


The very next day after school, he did exactly that and with as much luck he can get as the main character, he just barely managed to get Full Cowl working with no major repercussion. From what he said, it was about 3% of One-For-All's full potential power, a full 2% lesser than his canon's first-time cowling. But beggars can't be choosers so it's good enough right now.

Right off the bat, the difference is truly shown. He was able to keep up with my speed, even though mostly it's just him just trailing close behind me, and his punches does get an extra oomph to them when we sparred a second time. Full Cowl became his go-to mode from than on, him using it every time we got into a spar.

Although it did little to nothing to help him in the spar as most of us still keep knocking off his feet in the first few seconds.

My attention is then brought back to the sparring match when Midoriya manages to get in close to Taikou and strikes out a straight punch at him, my childhood friend reacting by igniting his feet and somersaulting over him with small embers trickling behind him. The moment he is behind him, his left leg burns brighter as he launches a back kick into his opponent's back, sending him tumbling onto the ground.

"That was great!" Taikou stated with a thumbs-up, "You nearly got me back there! You've really improved!"

"That was amazing too, Naru-san!" Midoriya tells him with a smile, "I didn't know your quirk could let you fly!"

"Well, not really." He pointed out, "It's more of… jettisoning me up? I could create lift, but only at the direction opposite of where I'm blasting my flames at."

"But it still means you can fly, right?"

"I… guess…?"

"Okay, okay, enough with how Taikou's quirk works." I tell them as both me and Shinsou walks up to them, "You guys done with sparring?"

"Pretty much." Taikou stated as he stretches out his legs, "If anything, when there's a fighting portion, we'll be well-prepared."

"And there always will be." Midoriya stated, "Every year, the Sports Festival always have ended with a large-scale tournament of some kind, usually one that involves combat of some kind. It is the biggest portion of the Sports Festival."

"Didn't you watch the Sport Festival last year, Taikou?" Shinsou asked.

"I did. Most of it, anyways." My childhood friend stated, "That time, I was tasked with buying snacks so I only manage to watch the last match."

"His entire apartment has a large viewing party for it every year." I explain to Midoriya, who nodded in understanding.

"Either way, I think we're fully prepared for whatever the Sports Festival is going to throw at us." Taikou grins clenching his fist, "And a lot more." He then turns to Shinsou, "You better put up your A-game, Shinsou. Because I'll be aiming to win this whole thing."

"Glad to." He nodded with a smile of his own, "No way I'll passing this opportunity away. I'm going to get into the Heroics Department at all costs."

"And what am I? Chopped liver?" I asked teasingly, "Because there's no way any of you guys are going to keep up with me."

"Dream on!"

"Oh, I'll find a way."

We all shared a glance at each other before we each let out a small chuckle at our declaration. The Sports Festival, regardless of the plot or not, is one of the largest events that I'll ever has the chance to be part of, and the biggest opportunity for me to become a top-tier Hero in the same aspect as my father. It's only one in three chances, so I have to really impress the top brass in this.

If that means I have to beat Taikou and Shinsou here, then I'll gladly do so. After all, they'll do the same if it were me.

"What's wrong, Midoriya?"

Taikou's words brought me back out of my thoughts when he asked my classmate that.

"Oh! I-It's nothing!" He nervously laughed, "It's just… I'm kind of envious of your friendship."

"Why? Don't you have friends too?" He asked him.

"Yeah, but never like what you guys have…" He stated, "You and Tatsuya-san, it's kind of what I want things to be with Kacchan…"

Ah right… He and Bakugou are childhood friends too… but unlike me and Taikou, they are more of a bully and his victim than friends. Guess seeing me and Taikou is kind of difficult for him…

"Kacchan… you mean that blonde prodigy student? Bakugou Katsuki?" Shinsou pointed out, "I think I saw him around a few times, but he just scoffs me off whenever our eyes meet, it really grinds on my gears."

"I'll say." Taikou grumbles, "I get that he is the top student of our year, but his personality is so full of shit that it made the position pretty much invalid. Not to mention that most of the points he got in the entrance exam he got from kill-stealing mine!"

"Wait, he was in the same exam site as you!?" I asked in surprise. Talk about a small world!

"Yeah, and he is a huge dick about it, too! His explosions keep creating smoke clouds so we can't see much, not to mention that he keeps on taking most of the three-pointers for himself which left the rest of us salvaging for points with the one-pointers! And if that wasn't enough, the aftermath of his explosions nearly hurt a lot of people if I didn't manage to save them in time! Talk about rude!"

"Man, and I thought I've got it rough…" Shinsou points out.

"But in the Sports Festival, things are going to different." He grins as he slams his fist in his open palm, "There's no way I'm letting him just win. Even if I'm not going to get first, I'm going to make sure he doesn't."

"You have quite a grudge with him, huh?"

"Damn right, I do!"

I let out a small sheepish chuckle at his ranting on the reasons he hates the blonde teen as I recall the largest event that would change the world forever, which is all centered around that blonde dickhead. Oh boy, hopefully my plans for it will hold tight…


Days all flew by and soon enough, it was the day of the Sports Festival.

"Is everyone good and ready!?" Iida's shout echoes in our chatty prep room, "The event is about to start!"

"Are you nervous, Genko-chan?" Tsuyu asked me as she hands me a water bottle.

"A little." I chuckles as I finish my stretches, "Never been much of a crowd person myself…"

"Midoriya."

As I took a sip, my attention along with the rest of the class all turned to our second prodigy student, not just the one he called.

"Todoroki-san?" Midoriya asked curiously, "What is it?"

"Objectively speaking… I'm stronger than you. More capable."

"H-Huh!? W-Well, sure…"

"…All Might got his eye on you, doesn't he?" He stiffened at that comment, I'm trying to not to flinch to that as well, "Now I'm not about to pry into why that's the case, but regardless…"

"I WILL beat you."

For a moment, the entire room is silenced by his declaration of war against Midoriya, me included. If I recall correctly, his backstory is that his father, Endevour, basically raised him with the sole purpose of using him to surpass All Might, which translates to a very rough childhood. That scar on his left eye, if my memory is correct, is caused by his mother going somewhat insane and pouring hot water on his face which landed her in a mental hospital.

Now that I think about it, the Sports Festival is quite focused on him and Midoriya. And in the end…

"H-Hey, man!" Kirishima walks up to him and placing a hand on his shoulder, "Why pick a fight NOW!? We're about to go on…"

Todoroki just shrugs his hand off and adds on coldly, "I really don't care. I'm not pretending to be anyone's friend here."

"Well, yeah. But…"

"…Todoroki. I'm not sure why… you felt the need to tell me you'll beat me…" Midoriya states out, "You're clearly stronger… And I can't truly measure up to most of the others here in skill…"

"C-Come on, Midoriya." The red-haired teen tells him, "Don't put yourself down–"

"But even so!" He abruptly interrupts him as he adds on, "Everyone else… even the kids from the other course are aiming for the top. And I… well, let me say this. I'm NOT going to fall behind. I'm going for it too, with everything I've got!"

"…Fine by me." He stated as calm as he always is.

"Okay, everyone, form up!" Iida suddenly shouts, "If we take any longer, we are going to late for the ceremony!"

Todoroki is the first to head out the door, with the rest of us following suit as I drain my bottle and check my gym pants' pockets for my stash of button batteries. When Midoriya walks past me, I put my hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Good luck."

"Y-Yeah! Y-You too!"

With that, we all head out of the room.

The Sports Festival is about to begin.

To be continued…


Omake(Sorry, no omakes for this chapter… can't think of one)


The Sports Festival arc has officially begun!

Yes, this arc, oh boy, this arc… I'm going to have so much fun writing this! Sorry for the short chapter, but I didn't have much time.

Now, I'm sure a lot of you are wondering, and yes, I'm giving Midoriya Full Cowl early. And you've got to admit, Genko's quirk does function in the similar fashion to One-For-All. As for most people, that might be a huge change to the story as Full Cowl gave him a huge advantage in terms of over abilities and it might undermine his underdog status a little but let me just say this.

If it isn't obvious, Genko is planning for the long run and has plans on how to deal with future events, even if she hasn't unfurled them yet. And getting Midoriya Full Cowl early is essential to that.

With that, I thank you for reading this!